Biosolids are the product of wastewater or municipal solid waste collected through sewerage treatment; the processes of obtaining the biosolids involve various treatment processes, which include digestion, thermal stabilization, thickening, dewatering, and drying, in order to obtain free pathogen granules. These processes undergone by wastewater in the treatment plant ultimately clean the wastewater and remove the solids which are further treated to an acceptable standard for beneficial soil amendments. The application of biosolids are considered to improve soil organic matter, moisture content, and provided essential nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus in arable land as potential plant nutrients supplements for crop optimum yield. Incubation studies on the biosolids-amended soils have shown significant increases in soil phosphorus content being released as plant available P in the soil, and therefore could be a good source of phosphorus in deficient native phosphorus soil. Field-scale experiments on wheat are grown with sewage sludge have also shown yield production comparable to mineral fertilizer-treated soils. This review is thereby aimed at explaining the concept behind the mineralization and mobilization of biosolids phosphorus in soil. In this review paper, an overview of the method of preparations, origin, and sources, its application in agriculture and the environment, chemical composition, the environmental risk, soil amendments potentials of the biosolid sand regulatory, and global perspective of sewage sludge disposal all are reviewed. From the review, it was concluded that mineralization and mobilization of biosolids phosphorus in soil have beneficial input to both environment and soil nutrient amendment. It is thereby recommended that more research studies should be carried out on the mineralization and mobilization of another essential element, such as nitrogen and biochar although more research should be done with respect to mineralization and mobilization of biosolids phosphorus in soil.


Abstract This paper examines the respective impacts of public and private governance institutions on foreign direct and foreign portfolio investment inflows. We present two hypotheses: (1) there is a strong correlation between the quality of a country's public governance institutions and the amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) received while the quality of its private governance institutions has no further discernible impact on this correlation; (2) there is a strong correlation between the quality of a country's public governance institutions and the amount of foreign portfolio investment (FPI) received while the quality of its private governance institutions has a further positive impact on this correlation. Our findings, which are based on panel data analysis, show both hypotheses to be valid.


The article presents data on the effectiveness of the new domestic complex antiparasitic drug «Moxistop for dogs» in comparison with the reference drug «Vormazol for dogs spot-on» that used for the treatment and prevention of endoparasitic infestations in dogs of different breeds, ages and sexes.
According to the results of parasitological studies, the animals of experimental and control groups were found to be spontaneously infected with endoparasites, the causative agents of nematodes: Toxocara canis with an intensity of invasion (II) from 210 to 250 eggs in one gram of feces, Ancylostoma caninum – from 52 to 80, Trichuris vulpis – from 58 to 85, respectively, and the cestode pathogen Dipylidium caninum – from 20 to 46 cocoons in one gram of feces. Nematodes and cestodosis in dogs were manifested clinically by: deterioration of appetite, depression, paleness of mucous membranes, and in some animals, vomiting and mild diarrhea (unformed feces).
Before 7th day and during next 7th-14th day after deworming, helminthocoprological studies were carried out with the establishment of indices of parasitological damage and determination of the extensive effectiveness and intensive effectiveness of the drugs.
Based on the obtained results, it was found that for a spontaneous toxocarosis infestation of dogs on the 7th and 14th day after deworming, the intensity effectiveness (IE) of the experimental drug «Moxistop for dogs» was 96.0 and 98.3%, and the intensity effectiveness of the reference drug «Vormazol for dogs spot-on» – 92.2 and 95.1%, respectively. At the same time, the extensive effectiveness (EE) of both drugs for 7 and 14 days after deworming was 85.7%.
Helminthological studies showed that for spontaneous hookworm infestation in dogs on 7th and 14th days after the use of the experimental drug and the reference drug in the recommended doses, the intensive and extensive effectiveness of the drugs was 100% in the experimental and control groups of animals.
In the case of spontaneous trichuria infestation, it was found that on the 7th and 14th day after deworming, the intensity of the experimental drug was 91.7 and 93.1%, and the intensity of the reference drug was 92.8 and 94.2%, respectively.
At the same time, it was found that for spontaneous dipilidiosis infestation of dogs, the intensity of the experimental drug «Moxistop for dogs» on the 7th day after deworming was 95.1% and on the 14th day – 96.9%, and the intensity of the reference drug «Vormazol for dogs spot-on» on the 7th and 14th day after deworming was 92.9 and 95.8%, respectively.
Field tests have shown that the research drugs are convenient to use, well tolerated by animals regardless of age, body weight and breed, and do not have a toxic effect on the animal's body when they are used once by the spot-on method in the manufacturer's recommended doses.


Functionalized graphene(FG) was prepared in one-step by treating graphene oxide(GO) with hexadecyltrimethoxysilane and triethylamine.Fourier transform infrared(FT-IR) spectroscopy,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),X-ray diffraction(XRD),atomic force microscopy(AFM) and ultraviolet-visible(UV-Vis) spectroscopy were performed to characterize the structure and properties of FG.Investigation results confirmed that the silane molecules were attached on the surface of GO by Si—O—C,meanwhile the residual oxygen-containing functional groups of GO were removed and the sp2-hybridized structure of graphene was restored.FG had an excellent lipophilicity and could be stably dispersed in various solvents such as N,N-dimethylformamide(DMF),tetrahydrofurane,acetone and toluene.The maximum dispersibility of FG in DMF was 1.90mg/mL.AFM showed that FG was exfoliated into single sheets in DMF with a thickness of about 1.7nm.


A metal–ligand complexation strategy using ruthenium−terpyridine interactions was utilized for the facile synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers which were self-assembled into spherical micelles and stabilized throughout their shell to afford well-defined nanoparticles. The labile metal–ligand bond at the nanoparticle core–shell interface was then readily broken to enable excavation to afford hollow completely hydrophilic nanocages which can no longer sequester hydrophobic small molecules. These nanocages also demonstrated pH responsiveness and could be further functionalized by the reintroduction of metals.


Summary The presence of formaldehyde (4) in solutions of cellulose in N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO, 1) has been shown by trapping formaldehyde as dimedone adduct 8 in a two-phase system. o-Dichlorobenzene was used as an inert solvent to extract the trapping product as soon as it had formed. Morpholine is a degradation product of NMMO and is always present in systems containing NMMO. Formaldehyde can react with morpholine to form an intermediate carbenium-iminium ion, N-(methylene) morpholinium (6). The occurrence of 6 in the system cellulose/NMMO was demonstrated by trapping this intermediate in a Mannich type reaction with 2-acetonaphthone (9). Both formaldehyde and N-(methylene)morpholinium cations are highly reactive species readily undergoing further reactions with nucleophiles. These processes might contribute to the observed discoloration of the reaction mixture, and might also be responsible for the decomposition of NMMO that is inducible by carbenium-iminium ions.


Over the past several years, educators have been exploring the potential of immersive interactive simulations, or video games for education, finding that games can support the development of disciplinary knowledge, systemic thinking, the production of complex multimodal digital artifacts, and participation in affinity spaces or sites of collective intelligence. Examining verbal interaction data from a game-based after-school program, the authors offer evidence that expert players of learning video games: (a) think relationally and strategically about elements of the game system; (b) draw on their experiences in similar activity domains when approaching systemic problems; (c) consider systemic properties as they are tied to action; and (d) think and act in markedly social ways while engaged in systems-oriented reasoning. Using discourse analysis, the authors examine the talk and game play of two participants to understand how they think about the relationships between elements of the game system. From these exchanges a kind of play emerges which contains the kinds of systemic thinking that educators might hope to find in twenty-first-century classrooms. There was evidence from students' reasoning that the situated systems thinking in which they engage contains the reasoning and problem-solving strategies for complex economic, political and geographic systems that twenty-first-century classrooms might value.


of the all-electron spectrum extend to energies around 2000 GeVV11]. Our data indicate that at least up to 50 GeV, this spectrum remains dominated by negative electrons which must come from primary sources. This is shown in Figure 2 where we plot the all-electron spectrum and indicate the approximate spectra of secondary electrons (e + + e ?) sec and of a possible primary positron contribution e + prim. The subtraction of these components from the all electron spectrum would yield the spectrum of primary negative electrons. The shape of this spectrum would not be noticeably diierent from that of the all-electron spectrum since the subtracted uxes are quite small. Thus, the well known interpretation of the steepening of the all-electron spectrum in terms of radiative energy losses remains valid for the spectrum of primary e ? , at least up to 50 GeV. 3 Conclusion Our data show that the ux of the electron component in the cosmic rays is dominated by primary negative electrons over the range 5-50 GeV, and that a possible contribution of positrons to the primary ux is not likely to exceed 2-3% of the all-electron ux in this range. At the present stage of our analysis, our conclusions are based on measurements of the positron fraction e + =(e + + e ?) and not on separate measurements of the absolute positron and electron uxes. This fact induces a normalization uncertainty which we hope to remove by the time of the conference. recent measurementss1], is increased by 25%. In Figure 1, we show our results, together with other measurements of the positron fraction, and compared with the calculated prediction. It is obvious that the measured positron fraction, while following the general trend of the prediction with energy, is consistently higher than the predicted values: over the range 5 to 25 GeV, we measure a ratio decreasing from 7% to 4.5% as compared to calculated values from about 4% to 2.5%. In view of the uncertainties in both the calculations and the measurement, this discrepancy may not be too signiicant. Nevertheless, we must include the possibility that about one-third of the observed positron ux is not of interstellar secondary origin. Within the leaky box model, this would imply that at most 2-3% of the all-electron ux (e + + e ?) may consist of positrons coming from primary sources. Alternatively, propagation processes that are more …


Computed tomography guided percutaneous transthoracic fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of thoracic lesions is a widely accepted, simple, rapid, safe and accurate diagnostic tool of relatively low cost. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of the noninvasive method of CT-guided needle aspiration cytology in the assessment of radiologically detected intra thoracic mass lesions, to analyze the results and to know the pathological spectrum of thoracic masses (both benign and malignant) along with the correlation of CT findings with cytopathological reports. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: We conducted an institution based prospective study on patients who presented with thoracic mass lesions in lungs, mediastinum, hilar lymph nodes, thoracic vertebrae, paraspinal soft tissues and pleura. Cytologic examination was performed on site after staining smears with the Hematoxylin and eosin method. It was possible to define the cytologic lineage in 94 percent of the cases and in 3 cases (5.4 percent) the material was insufficient for the cytologic diagnosis. The diagnostic accuracy of percutaneous transthoracic fine needle aspiration cytology was more than 90%.Out of 52 cases, 11 cases were non-neoplastic while 41 cases were neoplastic. Among the non-neoplastic lesions, specific diagnosis were obtained in 10 cases. The diagnostic sensitivity of malignancy was 92.5% and specificity was 100%, positive predictive value of 100 percent and negative of 80 percent. Male to female ratio was 2.9:1. Majority of cases was seen in 5 th to 6 th decade. The most common tumor was squamous cell carcinoma (44.82%) followed by adenocarcinoma (31.03%) Post procedural complications were few. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that FNAC, under computed tomography guidance, is a simple, rapid, safe, sensitive and specific technique procedure with insignificant rate of complications for the diagnosis of thoracic lesions. It can be used as a first line of investigation and also helps in deciding on appropriate


A compound of general formula (I) ** ** Formula wherein R1 represents a group selected from C1-C6, C3-C7-, heterocyclyl-, phenyl, heterorarilo, phenylC 1 -C 3 alkyl or heteroaryl- -C 1 -C 3, wherein said group is optionally substituted with one or two or three substituents selected identically or differently from the group of hydroxy, cyano, halogen, halo-C1-C3- alkoxy, C1-C6- fluoroalkoxy 1 -C 3, amino, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino, N-methyl-N-acetylamino, cyclic amines; R2 represents a group selected from ** ** Formula R3, R4 represent, independently each other, a group selected from a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, cyano, -SF5, C1-C3- alkoxy, C1- C3-, halo-C1-C3 fluoroalkoxy 1 -C 3; R5 represents a group selected from a hydrogen atom, cyano, -C (O) R9, -C (O) OR9, -S (O) 2R9, -C (O) NR10R11, C1-C6 alkyl, cycloalkyl C3- C7-, heterocyclyl-, phenyl, heteroaryl, wherein said alkyl group C 1 -C 6, C3-C7- cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl-, phenyl or heteroaryl is optionally substituted with one, two or three substituents selected, identically or differently , halogen, hydroxy, cyano, C1-C3, C1-C3-, amino, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino, N-methyl-acetylamino N20, cyclic amines, halo-C1-C3-, fluoroalkoxy 1 -C 3; R6, R7 represent, independently each other, a group selected from a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, cyano, C1-C3, C1-C3, haloalkyl 1 -C 3 fluoroalkoxy C1- C3; R8 represents a group selected from a) a C1-C6, which is optionally substituted with one or two or three substituents selected identically or differently from the group halogen, hydroxy, amino, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino, N-methyl-N-acetylamino, cyclic amines, cyano, C1-C3, haloalkyl 1 -C 3 fluoroalkoxy 1 -C 3, C1-C3, C2-C3- alkenyl, alkynyl C2-C3, C3-C7- cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl-, phenyl, heteroaryl, wherein said cycloalkyl group C3-C7-, heterocyclyl-, phenyl or heteroaryl is optionally substituted with one, two or three substituents selected, identically or different, halogen, hydroxy, cyano, C1-C3, C1-C3-, amino, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino, N-methyl-N-acetylamino, cyclic amines, haloalkyl C1- C3- fluoroalkoxy 1 -C 3; b) a C3-C6 alkenyl group which is optionally substituted with one or two or three substituents selected identically or differently from the group halogen, hydroxy, amino, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino, N-methyl- N-acetylamino, cyclic amines, cyano, C1-C3, haloalkyl 1 -C 3 fluoroalkoxy 1 -C 3, C1-C3, C2-C3 alkenyl, C2-C3 alkynyl, C3 -C7-, heterocyclyl-, phenyl, heteroaryl, wherein said cycloalkyl group C3-C7-, heterocyclyl-, phenyl or heteroaryl is optionally substituted with one, two or three substituents selected identically or differently from halogen, hydroxy , cyano, C1-C3, C1-C3-, amino, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino, N-methyl-N-acetylamino, cyclic amines, halo-C1-C3, C1-C3 fluoroalkoxy -; c) a C3-C6 alkynyl group which is optionally substituted with one or two or three substituents selected identically or differently from the group halogen, hydroxy, amino, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino, N-methyl- N-acetylamino, cyclic amines, cyano, C1-C3, haloalkyl 1 -C 3 fluoroalkoxy 1 -C 3, C1-C3, C2-C3 alkenyl, C2-C3 alkynyl, C3 -C7-, heterocyclyl-, phenyl, heteroaryl, wherein said cycloalkyl group C3-C7-, heterocyclyl-, phenyl or heteroaryl is optionally substituted with one, two or three substituents selected identically or differently from halogen, hydroxy , cyano, C1-C3, C1-C3-, amino, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino, N-methyl-N-acetylamino, cyclic amines, halo-C1-C3, C1-C3 fluoroalkoxy -; d) C3-C7- cycloalkyl one group which is optionally substituted with one or two or three substituents selected identically or differently from the group halogen, hydroxy, amino, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino, N-methyl -N-acetylamino, cyclic amines, cyano, C1-C3, haloalkyl 1 -C 3 fluoroalkoxy 1 -C 3, C1-C3, C2-C3 alkenyl, C2-C3 alkynyl; e) heterocyclyl- group, which is optionally substituted with one or two or three substituents selected identically or differently from the group halogen, hydroxy, amino, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino, N-methyl-N- acetylamino, cyclic amines, cyano, C1-C3, haloalkyl 1 -C 3 fluoroalkoxy C1- C3 alkyl, C1-C3, C2-C3 alkenyl, C2-C3 alkynyl; f) a phenyl group which is optionally substituted with one or two or three substituents selected identically or differently from the group halogen, hydroxy, amino, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino, N-methyl-N-acetylamino -, cyclic amines, cyano, C1-C3, haloalkyl 1 -C 3 fluoroalkoxy 1 -C 3 alkoxy, C1- C3-; g) a heteroaryl group which is optionally substituted with one or two or three substituents selected identically or differently from the group halogen, hydroxy, amino, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino, N-methyl-N-acetylamino -, cyclic amines, cyano, C1-C3, haloalkyl 1 -C 3 fluoroalkoxy C1- C3-, C1-C3-; h) a group phenyl-C1-C3-, phenyl group which is optionally substituted with one or two or three substituents selected identically or differently from the group halogen, hydroxy, amino, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino- , N-methyl-N-acetylamino, cyclic amines, cyano, C1-C3, C1-C3 fluoroalkoxy 1 -C 3, C1-C3-; i) a group heteroaryl-C1-C3-, which heteroaryl group is optionally substituted with one or two or three substituents selected identically or differently from the group halogen, hydroxy, amino, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino- , N-methyl-N-acetylamino, cyclic amines, cyano, C1-C3, C1-C3 fluoroalkoxy 1 -C 3, C1-C3-; j) a C3-C6-C1-C3- cycloalkyl group, cycloalkyl group C3-C6 being optionally substituted with one or two or three substituents selected identically or differently from halogen, C1-C3, C1 -C3-, halo-C1-C3 fluoroalkoxy 1 -C 3; k) heterocyclyl-alkyl C1-C3, heterocyclyl group is optionally substituted with one or two or three substituents selected identically or differently from halogen, C1-C3, C1-C3, haloalkyl -C 1 -C 3 fluoroalkoxy 1 -C 3; l) phenyl-cyclopropyl group, phenyl group which is optionally substituted with one or two or three substituents selected identically or differently from the group halogen, hydroxy, NH2, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino, N-methyl -N-acetylamino, cyclic amines, cyano, C1-C3, haloalkyl 1 -C 3 fluoroalkoxy 1 -C 3, C1-C3-; m) a heteroaryl-cyclopropyl group, heteroaryl group which is optionally substituted with one or two or three substituents selected identically or differently from the group halogen, hydroxy, NH2, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino, N- methyl-N-acetylamino, cyclic amines, cyano, C1-C3, C1-C3 fluoroalkoxy 1 -C 3, C1-C3-; R9 represents a group selected from C1-C6, C3-C7-, heterocyclyl-, phenyl, benzyl or heteroaryl wherein said group is optionally substituted with one, two or three substituents selected identically or differently from halogen , hydroxy, C1-C3, C1-C3-, amino, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino, N-methyl-N-acetylamino, cyclic amines, halo-C1-C3, C1-C3 fluoroalkoxy -; R10, R11 represent, independently each other, a group selected from hydrogen, C1-C6 alkyl, C3-C7- cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl-, phenyl or heteroaryl wherein said alkyl group C 1 -C 6, C3-C7cycloalkyl -, heterocyclyl-, phenyl or heteroaryl is optionally substituted with one, two or three substituents selected identically or differently from halogen, hydroxy, C1-C3, C1-C3-, amino, alkylamino, dialquilamio-, acetylamino, N-methyl-N-acetylamino, cyclic amines, halo-C1-C3 fluoroalkoxy 1 -C 3; or its enantiomers, diastereomers, salts, solvates or salts of solvates.


Kinds of microorganism that degraded PVA was reviewed,enzyme system used for the degradation as well as the degradation process and impact factors were also discussed.


An emerging way to promote sustainability in the built environment is through the incorporation of wind power within buildings resulting in minimum transmission / distribution losses. Yet, the effectiveness of the proposed solutions are highly dependent on early integration of wind power systems with the architectural design process. Existing methods for aerodynamic evaluation of building forms are often not suitable for early design stage due to time and cost restrictions. As a result, the indicated methods often use over simplified conditions that omit the effect of local climate, surrounding terrain and building orientation. This paper, thus, intends to evaluate the effect of mentioned parameters on the annual energy output of a BIWT.


Archery was instated as and has remained an Olympics game since 1900. In archery, wherein archers shoot the center of the target with arrows, an archer's performance is determined within a short amount of time of 10~15 s between stance and shooting. Additionally, since archers are required to repeatedly make the same motions until the end of a game, the consistency of the motions determines the success in a game. Archery, an individualistic sport, requires archers to perceive minute movements, which cannot be seen with eyes, through small muscular movements in a static posture (Kim, 1999). Archery consists of the following movements seamlessly connected together: stance, set, setup, drawing, anchoring, aiming, release, and follow-through (Yi, Hah, Ryu & Kim, 2007). If these movements are made in an unstable state, errors can arise at the moment of shooting. Even small errors can be significant as arrows travel over longer distances and negatively impact the records (Yoon, Ryu & Kim, 1993). Therefore, good records in archery require high stability in the following domains: physical stability to maintain a stable posture without disturbance, mental stability to overcome extreme tension and psychological pressure, and physiological stability to maintain repetitive movements and consistent pace (Kim, 2000; Choi, 2013). In order to develop archery techniques to improve performance, the Korean Archery Association is conducting continued research. Furthermore, in order to improve archers' performance in games, research is being conducted to investigate psychological, physiological, mechanical, and physical factors that can influence archery performance (Kim, 2016; Lee, 2011; Yun & Kim, 2004). Most research on archery has focused on improving physical strength for improved endurance and strengthening exercises for muscles involved in gross motor movement (Heo, 2003). Moreover, research focusing on the psychological states of archers (Kim, 2010; Lee, 2011) and research on shooting techniques for accurate shooting have also been conducted (Kim, 2007; Kim & Kim, 2005). Since Korean Journal of Sport Biomechanics 2018; 28(1): 9-18 http://dx.doi.org/10.5103/KJSB.2017.28.1.9 http://e-kjsb.org eISSN 2093-9752 ORIGINAL


Interest in a general election may be over, but South Norfolk Councillors and young people are queuing to take part in another big celebration of democracy: Local Democracy Week.


Risk management in construction projects
Each project is unique and therefore risk is associated with any project. Time limitation, dynamic and unstable
character of construction project result in situations where new risks and uncertainties frequently appear. As a
consequence, budget and deadlines specified by the construction project plan are often exceeded. Risk
management in construction projects is required if adverse effects of project risks upon the project goals (time,
cost, quality) are to be reduced.
The first part of the thesis presents the theoretical background of project management, construction project and
risk management. The importance of project and risk management in achieving construction project goals is
emphasized. The second part presents the software tool Pertmaster as a computer-based support to project and
risk management. Basic elements of this software package are described along with the possibilities offered to
incorporate the risk components in the project. A project plan, simulation and risk analysis for a selected
multidwelling building were prepared by Permaster. The last part of the thesis therefore presents the plan and
results of the risk analysis (risk histogram, tornado graph, scatter plot ).
Based on the literature survey and case studies (especially the case analysed in the thesis by using Pertmaster), it
can be concluded that incorporating risk analysis in project planning is necessary for more efficient project
planning, as it leads to a more realistic assessment of costs and deadlines. Slovenian construction industry is not
fully aware of the potiential of risk analysis and management, therefore these techniques are not carried out on a
routine basis in Slovenia. The situation could be improved by establishing a risk register and promotion of use of
appropriate software packages.


Learning vocabulary becomes one of the challenges in language learning. Choosing the right media will help the student to gain new words. Utilizing stories uploaded into digital applications in learning vocabulary can be helpful. This study aims to seek whether Voicethread as the media delivering story improves vocabulary mastery of junior high school students and to find students' perception of digital storytelling to improve vocabulary mastery. This research is experimental research using quantitative descriptive methods.  There are pre-test and post-test to seek the increasing number of new vocabulary. Also, there is a questionnaire to find the students' perception of using Voicethread in vocabulary learning. The result of the study reveals that students' vocabulary increased. The students give positive responses to the use of digital storytelling and recommend using digital storytelling in vocabulary learning. The result also indicates that digital storytelling influences motivation to study independently.


Far from being a reckless heller of the frontier, the western printer grubbed out his living with the federal government LIP his best customer, this study of Washington Territory shows.


The aim of high vocational education is culturing applied、technical high level talents.In order to enhance high vocational school's education effect,we should make sure of its ideas and reform "subject" education content,renew education way,and use the whole power of college to receive the actual effect.


The contribution made by triply-excited and quadruply-excited configurations to electron correlation energies in closed-shell systems is examined in detail. Many-body perturbation theory is used to calculate the contribution of these configurations to the correlation energies in 25 atoms and molecules. Calculations are performed for the nitrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon monosulphide molecules for a range of nuclear geometries.


This paper addresses the bandwidth management problem in Differentiated-Service-aware Traffic Engineering (DS-TE) architectures. In this context, Bandwidth Constraint (BC) models have to be configured to control the maximum amount of resources per traffic class per link and drive routing decisions to the fulfilment of the QoS requirements. A self-management module is implemented in each node of the network. It monitors the unreserved bandwidth in adjacent nodes and adjusts the local bandwidth constraints so as to reduce the differences in the unreserved bandwidth of neighbor nodes. Accordingly, it smoothes abrupt differences in bandwidth availability along possible paths, which are frequently due to static settings of bandwidth constraints. Due to the distributed nature of the proposed solution, the adjustments can be frequently introduced, allowing for a quick adaptation of the network to the traffic changes. The proposed solution is compared with static bandwidth constraint settings in terms of resulting bandwidth blocking rates, traffic distribution and preemption rate parameters.


An experiment measuring ternary particle yields in ${}^{249}\mathrm{Cf}{(n}_{\mathrm{th}},f)$ was carried out at the high flux reactor of the Institut Laue-Langevin using the Lohengrin recoil mass separator. Parameters of energy distributions were determined for 27 ternary particles up to ${}^{30}\mathrm{Mg}$ and their yields were calculated. The yields of 17 further ternary particles were estimated on the basis of the systematics developed. The heaviest particles observed in the experiment are ${}^{37}\mathrm{Si}$ and ${}^{37}\mathrm{S};$ their possible origin is discussed.


This research investigates the effect of transformational leadership and organizational learning on organizational innovation occurring in medium and large-sized businesses in Thailand's food manufacturing industry. In total 200 businesses constituted the sample. PROCESS Macro Model 4 technique as devised by Hayes was utilized to verify the hypotheses. It was found that organizational learning plays a crucial role in fully mediating the effects of transformational leadership on organizational innovation. On this basis, a transformational leadership style of management is important for the firms in the food manufacturing industry to be innovative. These firms' owners/managers must concentrate on organizational learning for innovation to lead to viable outcomes in the food industry.


Physical modeling sound simulations can be potentially interesting for instrument design as far as they are representative of the functioning of the real instrument. This work studies to what extent sound simulations of a brass instrument (the trumpet) are predictive of certain playing characteristics of the instrument (intonation, timbre). The physical model used is based on an acous-tical modeling of the resonator (characterized by its input impedance), a mechanical model of the excitator (one degree of freedom outward striking valve for the vibrating lips), and an aeroelastic coupling between the excitator and the resonator. Two simulation methods are implemented: (1) the harmonic balance technique (a frequency method for the calculation of sounds in permanent regimes) and (2) time-domain simulations based on the impulse response of the resonator. Different trumpets, obtained by small variations of the geometry of the leadpipe (tube connecting the mouthpiece to the tuning slide) are on the one hand simulated on different regimes, and on the other hand played by a real musician on different notes. Different descriptors (intonation, spectral centroid) of the played notes are extracted to characterize differences between the trumpets. A comparison of the results is conducted in order to assess to what extent sound simulations are able to predict certain dimensions of the quality of the instrument when it is played.


Abstract : An understanding of the processes responsible for driving and damping acoustic oscillations in solid rocket motors is necessary for developing practical design methods that eliminate or reduce the occurrence combustion instabilities. While state of the art solid rocket stability prediction methods generally account for the flow turning loss, the magnitude and characteristics of this loss have never been fully investigated. This report describes results of an investigation of the role of the flow turning loss in the stability of solid rockets and its dependence upon motor design and operating parameters. A one dimensional acoustic stability equation that verifies that the flow turning loss term is appropriately included in the one dimensional stability formulation was derived for a chamber with a constant mean temperature and pressure by an approach independent from that of Culick. This study was extended provided the background and expressions needed to guide an experimental study of the flow turning loss in the presence of mean temperature and density gradients. This allows the study of combustion systems in which mean temperature gradients and heat losses are significant. The relevant conservation equations were solved numerically for the experimental configuration in order to predict the behavior of the flow turning loss and to assist in the analysis of experimental results. Experiments performed, with and without combustion, showed that the flow turning loss strongly depends upon the propellant burning rate and the location of the flow turning region relative to the standing pressure wave.


We present a theory of cavities with longitudinal slits which allow the external <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-factor of modes to be evaluated. We also propose a cavity design with a regular section made of a set of metallic blades separated by slits. 3-D-PIC simulation of a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-band gyrotron operating at the TM12, 1 mode with an output of about 0.5 GW is carried out.


Objective To provide experimental basis for the improvement of the quality standard and evaluation of product quality of Danhong Injection by establishing a RP-HPLC method for determining the contents of salvianolic acid B and rosmarinic acid.Methods A Kromasil C18(250 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm)column was adopted with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and 0.05% phosphoric acid solution with gradient elution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min-1,and the detection wavelength was 286 nm.Results The linear ranges of salvianolic acid B and rosmarinic acid were 0.179 6~2.155 2 μg,0.133 6~0.801 6 μg,and mean sample recovery rates were 100.42%(n=6),99.27%(n=6),respectively.Conclution The method was simple,accurate,and reliable for the improvement of the quality standard.The experimental data can be used as the basis of quality evaluation.


The first photonic crystal fiber (PCF) opened a new era for fiber optics.1 The potential device applications of this novel, microstructured fiber in optical-communication systems and sensing technologies have attracted research attention and intensive study worldwide. Most previous studies have concentrated on PCFswith a photonic crystal (PC) cladding surrounding a homogeneous core. If the wavelength of the light falls in the forbidden band gap of the PC, the light is confined to the core, which can even be hollow. In contrast, index-guiding PCFs confine light in the same way as traditional fibers do, by exploiting total internal reflection at the effective-index mismatch between core and cladding. Indexguiding fibers that employ a PC cladding were initially appealing because the fundamental space-filling mode index of the cladding lattice varies strongly with wavelength. However, as shown in our earlier work,2 a fiber with a PC core can also guide light. A birefringent fiber with a finite, 1D-PC core has even been fabricated.3 By the same token, only a few numerical modeling efforts have been extended to a 2D-PC core,4 and we know of no report on fabrication and characterization of silica-based fibers with a 2D-PC core. Moreover, grating devices based on such fiber are rare, both theoretically and experimentally. Here, we report the first fiber Bragg grating (FBG), to our knowledge, written on silica-based, all-solid, nanostructure-core fiber (NCF). Instead of the PC cladding, the fiber core is formed by a periodic 2D array of high-index rods. To make the fiber, we used a doped-silica preform to build the periodic structure of the core, which we then overclad with a pure silica jacket. The maximum refractive-index difference between the germanium-doped region and pure silica is approximately 3%. We then drew the preform into a cane and stacked the cane in a hexagonal pattern. The stack was jacketed in a silica tube and drawn to form the nanostructure core. The resulting fiber was etched in 50% hydrofluoric acid for 2min, to an outer Figure 1. (a) Scanning electron microscope (SEM) picture of the fabricated nanostructure-core fiber. (b) The details of the core region. The black regions are germanium-doped. (c) Contour plot of the measured mode profile of the guided mode for the fiber shown in (a). (d) Attenuation spectrum, measured using the cutback method.


This paper analyzed the actuality of rice harvest mechanization in Shaoxing, give work and technology measures for popularizing high-tech combine, and put forward some suggestions for quickening the popularization.


A cumulative index of "Partisan Review", the American literary cultural journal, started in 1934. It features essays, articles and reviews from the journal, printed between 1934 and 1999.


This study investigates the effect of extraction methods on the color of date syrup and the potential use of microwave power for syrup processing. Sugar solutions were extracted from dates by boiling, soaking and blending. Color and sugar content of the extracted solutions were measured, and the percentage of sugar extracted form the total fruit sugar determined. Boiling was found to be the most efficient method of extraction whereby 74% of total samples sugar was extracted. In contrast, only 54.2% of fruit sugar was extracted by blending and 42% by soaking. In addition, solutions extracted by soaking and blending had a foaming problem in the subsequent concentration process. The extraction method had no effect on the product final color The extracted solution was concentrated using two heating methods: conventional and microwave heating at a 600 W capacity and a frequency of 2450 MHz applied at three power levels: 10, 7, and 6. In the heating process, 180 minutes were needed to achieve a 77%° Brix using convective heating, while it took 81, 138, and 166 minutes of microwave heating at power level 10, 7, and 6, respectively to achieve the same concentration. Water activity of the syrup was measured within a sugar content range of 50 to 80%° Brix and the sugar concentration at which the product is shelf stable was determined at 76%.


The invention relates to a transportation device for a production line. The transportation device comprises a transportation trolley, a guide rail and two driving devices, the transportation trolley comprises a box body and two permanent magnets, the two permanent magnets are fixed at the two ends of the box body respectively, the two permanent magnets are both perpendicular to the guide rail, the magnetic pole directions of the N poles or the S poles of the two permanent magnets are coincident, the driving devices are arranged at the two ends of the guide rail, and the transportation trolley is arranged between the two driving devices and is in sliding connection with the two driving devices along the guide rail; each driving device comprises two buffer sheets, a switch, an outer shell and a solenoid, the two buffer sheets are fixed on the two sides of the outer shell, the switch is arranged on the outer shell, the solenoid is arranged inside the outer shell, and the solenoid is electrically connected with the switch; the magnetic pole directions of the permanent magnets, close to the solenoids, on the transportation trolley are opposite to the magnetic pole directions generated after the solenoids are electrified. The transportation device for the production line is easy to operate and convenient to maintain and repair, the manufacturing cost of the whole device is low, and energy is saved.


The aim of this study is to increase the effectiveness of Korean aid provision for countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which are important ODA recipient countries from a Korean perspective, but have not been studied extensively in Korea. Although there are twenty countries in the MENA region, in this study five countries, Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Iran and Iraq, which are considered important from a Korean perspective, are targeted. The analysis includes an examination of the regional characteristics and the long-term development plans of these five countries, and the size and contents of aid projects provided by Korea to these countries. It is expected that as a result of this analysis Korea will be able to carry out aid projects involving these countries more effectively in the future.


In this paper we present the formalisation of three well-known Identity Management protocols - SAML, OpenID and OAuth. The formalisation consists of two steps: formal specification using HLPSL (High-Level Protocol Specification Language) and formal verification using a state-of-the-art verification tool for security protocols called AVISPA (Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications). The existing formalisation initiatives using AVISPA are based on SAML and OpenID, leaving OAuth entirely, even though OAuth is one of the most widely-used Internet protocols. Furthermore, the motivation of the existing initiatives was to identify any weakness. In this paper, we have taken an opposite approach as we are keen to present how to model these protocols correctly. Moreover, our formalisation is based on a model of identity and also captures the authentication mechanism; both of these are missing in the existing works.


Rapid advancements in smart grid technologies have brought about the proliferation of intelligent and actuating power system components such as distributed generation, storage, and smart appliance units. Capitalizing fully on the potential benefits of these systems for sustainable and economical power generation, management, and delivery is currently a significant challenge due to issues of scalability, intermittency, and heterogeneity of the associated networks. In particular, vertically integrated and centralized power system management is no longer tractable for optimally coordinating these diverse devices at large scale while also accounting for the underlying complex physical grid constraints. To address these challenges, we propose a hierarchical signal processing framework for optimal power flow management whereby the cyber-physical network relationships of the modern grid are leveraged to enable intelligent decision-making by individual devices based on local constraints and external information. Decentralized and distributed techniques based on convex optimization and game theoretic constructs are employed for information exchanges and decision-making at each tier of the proposed framework. It is shown via theoretical and simulation studies that our technique allows for the seamless integration of power components into the grid with low computational and communication overhead while maintaining optimal, sustainable, and feasible grid operations.


We developed a precise optical interferometric technique using photodiode arrays to detect spatial interferometric fringes generated by crossing optical paths of reference and probe beams. We found out that optimizing beam width guaranteed the accuracy of measurement results for wavelengths >300 nm and signal dynamics >30 dB in simulations. We also developed a coherent optical network analyzer based on this technique, and demonstrated its usefulness


Student interactions with Learning Management Systems (LMS) generate logs, which are usually stored, allowing torecover each student activity. Analysis of these data with data mining and/or learning analytics techniques have beenprovided a better understanding of student behavior and teaching-learning processes.  In this context, a number ofstudies have been reporting promising results in the task of predicting student performance, which allows proactiveactions  to  avoid  academic  failures.   Usually,  data  mining  techniques  estimate  predictive  models  by  using  (past)historical data, assuming the premise that the estimated predictor will make predictions in future contexts that aresimilar to the (past) contexts which were used in its design.  Although it is reasonable to assume that the diversity ofexisting educational contexts is reflected in the data, few studies discuss the impact of the aforementioned premisein  the  area  of  Educational  Data  Mining  (EDM),  resulting  in  models  that  may  perform  poorly  when  used  underunforeseen  educational  conditions.   This  paper  proposes  an  empirical  analysis  to  verify  evidences  of  differencesbetween data from different educational contexts in the task of predicting students' academic failure.  Logs of morethan 3,000 distance higher education students are used, and the adopted methodology is based on the supervisedclassification  approach,  commonly  used  in  prediction  tasks.   Specifically,  we  aim  to  verify  if  distinct  educationalcontexts are in fact separable in terms of the data they generate. Although data scenarios involve activities commonto students in the same subject, the experiments indicate an accuracy of up to 83% in the separation of data fromdifferent academic terms.  Although empirical, our results indicate a similar direction to that pointed out by otherstudies, contributing about the need of using transfer learning and/or domain adaptation techniques in the design ofpredictive models that aim to support proactive actions to prevent student failures.


Palladium(II) acetate in acetic acid in the absence of acetate ion exists as the trimeric species Pd3(OAc)6. The reaction of the trimer with NaOAc or LiOAc at 25° was not instantaneous. Spectral studies on fully equilibrated systems indicated the first equilibria involved transformation of trimer to dimerwith K32 = 7.77 × 104 M−5 and K′32 = 1.76 × 102 M−5. The kinetics of the slow transformation of trimer to dimer was studied. The reaction has the rate expression: rate = [Pd3(OAc)6] (k + k′[MOAc]) (M = Li or Na). This rate expression is consistent with substitution processes suggesting the slow step of the reaction is the SN2 attack of solvent or acetate on a Pd(II)–acetate bond to break one of the acetate bridges.In the NaOAc system conversion of trimer to dimer was complete at 0.2 M NaOAc. Further addition of NaOAc caused the dimer to be converted to monomer.


By precipitating a particular mixture of albumins and globulins from an Effluent IV‐1 prepared by a modified fractionation procedure, a safe and osmotically active fraction was obtained from human plasma in high yield. The HTPF thus obtained is devoid of cat depressor activity. Both fibrinogen and gamma globulin can be recovered from plasma by the method described.


Objective To observe the preventing function of recombinant human MCP-1(Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1) on the plantation of human osteosarcoma cells and to study the dose.Methods The formation of fusional protein in colibacillus of human MCP-1 was extracted and purified.Thirty nude mice were divided into 6 groups.For Group A,each mouse was planted with 4.4×106 osteosarcoma cells on the neck;For Group B~E,each mouse was locally injected at doses of 1 μg,10 μg,100 μg,1 mg MCP-1 as cells were planted.5 mice in Group C were injected at the dose of 0.2 ml NS as control.Results In the mice of Group A,osteosarcoma cells grew quickly and formed tumor style 2 weeks later;the volume of the tumor bodies was 653.18mm3 in average.Cells plantation were completely prevented among mice of Group C~E.Tumor inhibition even effects Group B and the tumor inhibition was 69.69%.AKP values in the mice of Group B~E were much lower than those of Group A(P 0.01).The pathological examination showed there was no signal damage in vital organs of the mice in the treated groups.Conclusion MCP-1 has the significant effect on preventing osteosarcoma cells plantation.When locally used,MCP-1 would play an important clinical role in preventing the plantation of tumor cells within operating sphere.


This paper focuses on how gender has been addressed in the health information highway. I examine the accessibility of online health information to women and the question of hip replacements and gender. I conclude that the health information highway obscures the social relations surrounding women's health.


Maloideae (Rosaceae) included about 28 genera and 940 species, with many fruit trees species, and some as ornamental or medicinal plants, were a large and important taxon. There were 10 to 12 genera and approximately 30 species of the subfamily recorded in Taiwan. But their systematic classification was still in disarray and really necessary to study and revise. This revision of Maloideae in Taiwan was made based on morphological, pollen morphology by scanning electron microscope (SEM), and phylogenetic study based matK sequences from chloroplast DNA, and internal transcribed spacers sequences from nuclear ribosomal DNA. Pollen grains of 38 taxa of Formosan Maloideae were 3-colporate or 4-colporate, sub-globose to elliptic, Amb often 3-lobed circular, polar axis length 20-31 μm, equatorial axis length 21-46 μm. The sculptural types were distinguished into foveolate, foveolate-rugulate, striate-foveolate, and striate. Patterns of sculpture were helpful to identification. All taxa of Maloideae formed a monophyletic group in phylogenetic trees according to chloroplast matK. It meant that Maloideae was a natural group. Two main clades showed in the subfamily: Clade-I contained Aria, Aronia, Cotoneaster, Malus, Osteomeles, Photinia, Pourthiaea, Pyracantha, Pyrus, Sorbus, and Stranvaesia, and Clade-II contained Eriobotrya and Rhaphiolepis. The bootstraps of both clades attained to 97-100 % by Neighbor Joining method, Maximum Parsimony method, and Maximum likelihood method. Taxa in Clade-I have lankily, long-ovate, or crescent smaller seed (diameter under 5 mm). Taxa in Clade-II they have hemispherical or globose bigger seeds (diameter over than 5 mm). So the seed morphology is significant in the systematic arrangement and classification of tribe or subtribe in Maloideae. Maloideae were used to be divided into two tribes Maleae and Crataegeae. But Pyracantha, Cotoneaster and Osteomeles, which were used to be put in Crataegeae were formed paraphyletic groups or polyphyletic groups. This result not supported the former circumscription of tribe Crataegeae. Besides, Photinia ardisiifolia Hayata formed a monophyletic group with Sorbus and Pyrus, and formed a paraphyletic group with Photinia. As to morphology, P. ardisiifolia has thorny stem, the upper portion of exocarp about half free to the carpel, the endocarp becaming a hard shell, dehisced into 2 or 3 segments in matured and dried period. That was conspicuously different from other species of Photinia, wherefore its phylogenetic position would need for more research and discussion. The broad sense genus Sorbus included single-leaved genus Aria. In this study it was suggested to divided into two distinct genera. Broadly defined Aronia as a included Photinia, Pourthiaea and Stranvaesia. Aronia arbutifolia (L.) Pers., the type species of Aronia was put into phylogenetic analysis. The result showed that A. arbutifolia and S. davidiana Decne. formed a monophyletic group, but the bootstrap was not sufficient. On the other side, Photinia, Pourthiaea and Aronia formed a polyphyletic group. The result did not stand a broad sense Aronia. Eriobotrya of Taiwan was usually comprised in 2 species, 3 varieties, 3 forms, or 2 varieties with 1 form. ITS sequences and matK sequences to showed that Eriobotrya deflexa (Hemsl.) Nakai form. deflexa, E. deflexa form. buisanensis (Hayata) Nakai and E. deflexa form. koshunensis (Kanehira & Sasaki) H. L. Li no variable site can be found in 658 base pair (bp) of matK. It meant they were a very close population. There is only 9 variable sites on ITS with 593 bp. These 3 taxa were not hard to separate completely in the phylogenetic tree, although they can be distinguished by some morphological characteristics. Therefore, E. deflexa form. buisanensis and E. deflexa form. koshunensis were suggested to treat as two forms of E. deflexa. As a result of above studies, 12 genera, 33 species, 4 varieties, and 2 forms were recognized in Taiwan. Cotoneaster chingshuiensis Kun C. Chang & Chih C. Wang, C. lui Kun C. Chang, K. S. Lai & Y. H. Tseng, and C. rosiflorus Kun C. Chang & F. Y. Lu were new species. Malus koidzumii Kun C. Chang, Y. H. Tseng, C. H. Ou & F. Y. Lu was a new name. Cotoneaster bullatus Bois, C. dammeri C. K. Schneid., and Pourthiaea beauverdiana (C. K. Schneid.) Hatsusima var. beauverdiana were confirmed in the flora of Taiwan. Pourthiaea parvifolia E. Pritz. and P. villosa (Thunb.) Decne. were treated as different species, and P. chingshuiensis T. Shimizu was treated as a synonym of P. parvifolia. Rhaphiolepis impressivena Masamune was treated as a variety of R. indica (L.) Lindl., and R. shilanensis (Y. P. Yang & H. Y. Liu) Kun C. Chang, F. Y. Lu & C. H. Ou was upgraded to species rank. The paper provided keys, color photographs, line drawings and taxonomic treatment to aid in identification of these taxa.


Abstract : The effect of moisture diffusion in composite materials is reviewed. Pertinent equations are listed and various special solutions are given. Extensive references are quoted. Several suggestions are made for future research in the area. (Author)


Abstract The theory of Kurosawa of melting in ionic crystals is first reviewed. The form of the theory, it is pointed out, receives some measure of support from the Barr-Dawson-Lidiard correlation between melting temperature and Schottky defect enthalpy. Recent work of March et al. on fast ion conduction in the fluorite structure, a phenomenon which is often discussed in terms of sub-lattice melting, is then discussed. The superionic transition temperature is shown in this work to be correlated with the Frenkel defect energy. Some brief comments are made on the effect of fast ion conduction on the melting temperature.


To detect TCP by colloidal gold strip and gas chromatography,comparing two methods used in the TCP detection.Results showed that colloidal gold strip and gas chromatography got consistent results.Compared with gas chromatography,the colloidal gold method was simpler and more direct.Therefore,it can be used on-the-spot to detect in TCP.


It is my pleasure to present this keynote speech. I am delighted on two fronts. First our current quest to secure a level playing field for the girl child makes this meeting important. Second, recognizing the role of women in national economic development makes it imperative to explore options for improving access to finance for women entrepreneurs. For this keynote speech, I shall focus on the latter with particular reference to Nigeria.


As young engineers progress in their careers, they begin to understand that there is far more to being an outstanding engineer than they might have thought during their days as an undergraduate. In fact, some of the things they need to know weren't necessarily learned in school. And this is understandable, given the relatively short time spent in school and the significant differences between the missions of academe and industry/government. This paper focuses on twelve vital aspects in engineering that are usually learned after graduation but can make the difference between success and failure in one's engineering career. To succeed, engineers must: learn to be business oriented; expect tough, multi-disciplinary problems; learn to work and network in the new multi-cultural and multi-national environment; understand the differences between academe and industry; learn to differentiate all over again; understand the values and culture of their particular company or organization; be open to ideas from everywhere; have unyielding integrity; make their manager a success; support their university and technical society; have fun; and most importantly, manage their careers. Each of these aspects is discussed in detail.


Recent evolution of intelligent vehicles features the large scale emergence and introduction of multimode mobile terminals, with the capability to simultaneously or sequentially attach to conceptually different access networks. To cope with this, they require some abstracted framework for their management and control, especially in the case of intelligent selection between the various heterogeneous accesses. A solution to this issue, the Media Independent Handover Services, is being standardized as the IEEE 802.21. This draft standard has been studied and applied to the case of a B3G operator networks as a research topic in the EU-funded project Daidalos in order to enable seamless operation between heterogeneous technologies. This paper focuses on the seamless integration of broadcast technologies, in particular UMTS/MBMS networks, in the case when emergency information has to be delivered to a large number of mobile users. It describes an extension to the 802.21 framework which enables the dynamic selection and allocation of multicast resources and thus the efficient usage of the radio resources. The UMTS access is developed in the experimental software radio platform of EURECOM, and provides a direct interconnection with an IPv6 core network, very close to the current LTE direction of the 3GPP. We describe here the additional Media Independent Handover primitives and how they are mapped to trigger the control of multicast (MBMS) resources in the UMTS network. This paper is introduced by the account of an on-the-road emergency situation, written as a showcase of the work performed in the EU FP6 research project DAIDALOS.


Stern flaps are common on planing boats. The 41 Utility Boat (UTB) has a fixed flap, the 47 Motor Life Boat (MLB) bas a wedge and fixed flap and many recreational boats have adjustable trim tabs. These devices provide added lift aft, thereby changing trim to a more optimum value, which in turn increases, speed. However, fast displacement craft do not plane, and so flaps were not normally fitted to such ships.


Cardiac tamponade is life-threatening, slow or rapid compression of the heart due to the pericardial accumulation of fluid, pus, blood, clots, or gas, as a result of effusion, trauma, or rupture of the heart. Ventricular free wall rupture is a catastrophic complication that occurs within 7 days, in 1-4% of patients with acute myocardial infarction. We present a case of an elderly female who presented clinically mimicking sudden onset of gastrointestinal problem was later found to have cardiac tamponade on autopsy.


Background: Increases in cancer survival have made understanding the basis of cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) more important. CRCI neuroimaging studies have traditionally used dedicated research brain MRIs in breast cancer survivors with small sample sizes; little is known about other non-CNS cancers. However, there is a wealth of unused data from clinically-indicated MRIs that could be used to study CRCI. Objective: Evaluate brain cortical structural differences in those with non-CNS cancers using clinically-indicated MRIs. Design: Cross-sectional Patients: Adult non-CNS cancer and non-cancer control (C) patients who underwent clinically-indicated MRIs. Methods: Brain cortical surface area and thickness were measured using 3D T1-weighted images. An age-adjusted linear regression model was used and the Benjamini and Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) corrected for multiple comparisons. Group comparisons were: cancer cases with chemotherapy (Ch+), cancer cases without chemotherapy (Ch-) and subgroup of lung cancer cases with and without chemotherapy vs C. Results: Sixty-four subjects were analyzed: 22 Ch+, 23 Ch- and 19 C patients. Subgroup analysis of 16 LCa was also performed. Statistically significant decreases in either cortical surface area or thickness were found in multiple ROIs primarily within the frontal and temporal lobes for all comparisons. Limitations: Several limitations were apparent including a small sample size that precluded adjustment for other covariates. Conclusions: Our preliminary results suggest that various types of non-CNS cancers, both with and without chemotherapy, may result in brain structural abnormalities. Also, there is a wealth of untapped clinical MRIs that could be used for future CRCI studies.


(57) Abstract: The present invention, compounds of formula (I) (wherein, R These compounds are diseases, such as hypertension, angina, heart failure, valuable pharmaceutical active compounds for the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disorders such as thrombosis or atherosclerosis. Compounds of formula (I) have the ability to modulate the endogenous production of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), it is generally suitable for the treatment and prevention of disease states involving cGMP balance disorders. The present invention furthermore relates to processes for the preparation of compounds of formula (I), medicaments comprising for the treatment and prevention of these disease states, and their use for the production of these therapeutic and prophylactic medicine, and the compound of formula (I) It relates to a composition. [Formula 1]


The oxidation of Fe‐Ni alloys in the 500°–1100°C range has been the subject of many investigations. These observations are summarized, and an attempt is made to generalize on the kinetics and mechanism of oxidation. The composition of the oxide film over the entire composition range can be explained in terms of the thermodynamic stability of the oxides of Fe, of , and of .In alloys of all compositions that have been investigated the first reaction is one of selective oxidation, creating a Ni‐rich metal layer at the alloy‐oxide interface. The growth of a Ni‐containing spinel is promoted and formation of is suppressed. This explains the reduction of oxidation rate to about 1000 times less than that of pure iron. The short‐time kinetics of oxidation appears to be governed by diffusion through this Ni‐rich metal layer or by diffusion through the Ni‐containing spinel. Only at the Ni‐rich end of the Fe‐Ni system is observed, and this exists next to the alloy interface under a layer of spinel. The reaction between and is rapid at these temperatures, thus explaining why these two oxides are not observed together. On prolonged reaction, subscale oxidation and intergranular attack is observed. Because of the stratification of oxide layers and these secondary effects, the development of a general rate law would be difficult.


We investigate the Nth order amplitude squeezing in the fan-state |ξ;2k,f>F which is a linear superposition of the 2k-quantum nonlinear coherent states. Unlike in usual states where an ellipse is the symbol of squeezing, a 4k-winged flower results in the fan state. We first derive the analytical expression of squeezing for arbitrary k, N, f and then study in detail the case of a laser-driven trapped ion characterized by a specific form of the nonlinear function f. We show that the lowest order in which squeezing may appear and the number of directions along which the amplitude may be squeezed depend only on k whereas the precise directions of squeezing are determined also by the other physical parameters involved. Finally, we present a scheme to produce such fan-states.


All healthcare professionals who treat patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and terminal diseases must to do everything in order to make the death less suffering. Terminally ill  patients  are  more  likely  to  develop  conditions  predisposing  them  to  repetitive  ventricular arrhythmias  which  are  hard  to  control  thus  increasing  the  frequency  of  shock  therapy. Implantable  cardioverter-defibrillators  deactivation  in  patients  with  irreversible  or  terminal illness  must  be  based  on  ethical  and  legal  principles,  as  well  as  on  clinical,  scientific  and technical  experience.  The  ultimate  judgment  regarding  this  procedure  must  be  made  by  the patient (or  in special conditions by  the  legal representative) after careful communication about the consequences of deactivation  , having the legal and ethical right to refuse it. The physician asked to deactivate the ICD and the representative of the ICD produce, when asked to assist can conscientiously object  to and  refuse  to perform device deactivation.  In  this paper,  the  issue of when  it  is appropriate  to deactivate  these devices  if  the patient becomes  terminally  ill and  the ethically  and  medicolegal  consequences  of  this  action  are  examined.  Not  every  European country  (including  Romania)  has  a  national  legislation  covering  this  problem  despite  of increasing  numbers  of  ICDs.  That's  why  ICD  deactivating  is  sometimes  avoided.  This  paper could help all healthcare professionals in this situation and could contribute to a higher clinical management of medical care for terminal patients.


Objective To compare the influence of different mechanical ventilation modes on pulmonary function and oxygen metabolism of COPD patients complicated with respiratory failure.Methods 64 COPD patients complicated with respiratory failure were randomly divided into the group A and the group B with 32 cases in each group.The group A were intervened with BiPAP mode,and the group B were intervened with SIMV+PSV mode.Then the pulmonary function,blood gas analysis and oxygen metabolism indexes were compared between the two groups before and 3 days and 7 days after the treatment.Results The improvement of pulmonary function,blood gas analysis and oxygen metabolism indexes was more pronounced in the group B than in the group A(P0.05).Conclusion The SIMV+PSV mode can significantly improve the pulmonary function and oxygen metabolism indexes of COPD patients complicated with respiratory failure,as well as improve the situation of respiratory failure.


Photon emission correlation spectroscopy is an indispensable tool for the study of atoms, molecules, and, more recently, solid-state quantum defects. In solid-state systems, its most common use is as an indicator of single-photon emission, a key property for quantum technology. Beyond an emitter's single-photon purity, however, photon correlation measurements can provide a wealth of information that can reveal details about its electronic structure and optical dynamics that are hidden by other spectroscopy techniques. This tutorial presents a standardized framework for using photon emission correlation spectroscopy to study quantum emitters, including discussion of theoretical background, considerations for data acquisition and statistical analysis, and interpretation. We highlight important nuances and best practices regarding the commonly-used g (2) ( τ = 0) < 0 . 5 test for single-photon emission. Finally, we illustrate how this experimental technique can be paired with optical dynamics simulations to formulate an electronic model for unknown quantum emitters, enabling the design of quantum control protocols and assessment of their suitability for quantum information science applications.


By the electrochemical method in 5%HC1 solution, the corrosion resistance of the composite of Ni-Cr-Mo-Cu multi-element surface alloying with electric brush plating Ni interlayer on the low carbon steel substrate has been investigated. The distributions of alloy elements and carbon element in the alloying layer have been determined by SEM and EDX, and its component phase was also studied by XRD. The results indicate that the corrosion resistance of the new type composite alloy layer is better than that of only used Ni-Cr-Mo-Cu multi-element surface alloying or electric brush plating layer. The reason is that due to the temperature effect during double glow plasma surface alloying, the Ni atoms in brush plating interlayer diffuse toward low carbon steel, which effectively eliminated the carbon in the alloying layer.


It was shown in this study that isolated porcine coronary arteries (PCA) contracted by depolarization with high Ko or by histamine are dose-dependently relaxed by glutamic acid, aspartic acid, N-methyl-asparate (NMDA) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Zn 2+ was also shown to relax dose-dependently PCA contractions induced by 50 mM KCl with an ED 50 value of about 1.5 mM and to inhibit dose-dependently histamine-induced contractions, shifting ED 50 values from 6µM to 40 µM, not affecting however corresponding cumulative concentration-response (CCR) curves established for acetylcholine-induced contractions. Furthermore, since Zn 2+ ions are co-localized in many glutamatergic synapses of the central nervous system, it has been postulated in analogy to glutamate neurotoxicity that perturbations of the synaptic zinc concentrations might be a triggering factor in several cerebral diseases, such as ischemic strokes and sustained seizures. Unfortunately, little is known so far about effects of glutamate and zinc ions on the vascular tone. Although the nature of the glutamatergic receptors occurring in the blood vessels investigated in this study remains unclear, the results suggest that glutamate and Zn2+ ions interact with voltage-gated as well with ligand-operated Ca-channels. An interesting aspect might be the putative role of glutamate and zinc as long-term toxic agents in the early steps of the pathomechanisms leading to degenerative vascular lesions.


This paper introduces the main methods of poverty measurement and the index for measuring poverty scale and degree in the world,and then compares the differences of measurement between China and other countries.It also tries to discuss how China could use international poverty measurement to serve its purpose of anti-poverty strategy.


Shahin Ali Dabour. Introduction:Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways in which many cells and cellular elements play a role. Asthma is a clinically classified into; mild intermittent , mild, moderate and severe persistent asthma. Asthma may also be classified as atopic or non-atopic. symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness , and shortness of breath. Aim of the work:Identification of risk factors in asthmatic children and there relation with arrhythmia. S Subjects and methods:This study was conducted on 100 children suffering from bronchial asthma aged from 5-12 years who are attendants of pediatric chest unit and pediatric asthma outpatient clinic in Banha university. Results:In the studied asthmatic children; 65% male and 35% female also 20 children (20%) had abnormal ECG changes (sinus tachycardia) and the most common drug causing arrhythmia is inhaled anticholinergic (IAC). Conclusion:Risk of arrhythmia in asthmatic children in acute exacerbation or in between attacks using medications especially inhaled anticholinergics.


In order to solve problems such as heavy data and low precision,An applied program for the valve design and analysis based on Visual Basic6.0,Microsoft Access database,and Structured Query Language(SQL)was developed.The design,the capability and the structure,especially the foundation and accessing of the database,the data query of this program were all introduced in detail.Then the automatic data processing and the programming of the valve were performed using this program.The result showed that the valve design and analysis was rapid,exact,visual,and easy to input and output,furthermore,the period of development of the valve could be greatly shortened,the reliability and stability of it were also improved.


Wireless network access is a great convenience to users while at the same time can be a burden to network security personnel. This is magnified by the fact that inexpensive wireless access points can be easily installed in a network without the approval or knowledge of network administrators. For this reason, wireless host detection is an essential capability, but remains a very difficult problem. We present a passive method of detecting wireless hosts using a local RTT metric, and perform analysis on an enterprise network. Pre-processing techniques are utilized to remove noise associated with a large network, which is not present in a typical experimental lab environment, resulting in more effective wireless detection capabilities


Capillary hemangiomas of the rectum are rare, especially small capillary hemangiomas. We experienced a case of small capillary hemangioma of the rectum, about 2mm in diameter, presenting with massive bleeding. A 51-year-old woman was seen at the hospital because of massive rectal bleeding. There was a previous history of having an internal hemorrhoid. It was difficult to stop the bleeding and an emergency operation was carried out. During the operation we found a white small elevated lesion of about 2mm in diameter locating about 1cm oral side from the dentate line and arterial bleeding from its center. The elevated lesion was excised and sutured. The excised lesion revealed nodular growth pattern of papillary vessels. It was pathologically diagnosed with capillary hemangioma.


Polyaniline salts were prepared by oxidizing aniline in presence of acid using benzoyl peroxide as an oxidizing agent. Polyaniline salt was used as catalyst for the esterification reaction of phenyl acetic acid with methanol. The process is being reported for the first time. Preparation of catalyst, recovery and reusability of the catalyst were found to be good. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


By using a real transformation of quaternion matrix,many properties of quatermion matrix were discussed;The definition of adjoint of kth degree matrix was presented;by using a definition of determinant of quaternion matrix,the adjoint of kth degree matrix of quaternion matrix was discussed.


We perform an experimental comparison of four algorithms for converting a given triangulation T of an orientable, connected, boundaryless, and compact surface S in E into a quadrangulation Q of S. All algorithms compute Q by first pairing edge-adjacent triangles of T (of another triangulation of S with the same vertex set) so that every triangle belongs to exactly one pair. Such a perfect pairing is guaranteed for triangulations of boundaryless and compact surfaces (also known as closed surfaces). The common edge of each pair of matched triangles is then removed to give rise to a quadrilateral of Q. We implemented two greedy algorithms, a graph matching algorithm, and a new algorithm presented in this paper, which uses edge contractions and vertex splittings to compute a quadrangulation of the surface in two steps by combining pairings with edge flips. If T has positive genus g, the new algorithm takes O(gn f + g) amortized time to compute a quadrangulation with the same vertex set, where n f is the number of triangles of the triangulation; otherwise (i.e., if the genus is zero), it takes O(n f ) amortized time. We verify that if n f is large and g ≪ n f (which is typically the case in several applications), then our new algorithm performs better than the other three. However, if n f is not large enough or g is large (relative to n f ), then a fast and simple greedy algorithm, when combined with an effective heuristic to pair up edge-adjacent triangles, is the best option among the four algorithms. c © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Peer-review under responsibility of organizing committee of the 24 International Meshing Roundtable (IMR24).


Babette Never, Knowledge Systems and Change in Climate Governance: Comparing India and South Africa, Routledge, Oxon and New York, 2015, 217 pp., ₹7068 (Hardcover).


Background and aims: Thalamus and anterior olfactory nuclei have been previously recognized as areas with the high level of acute neuronal loss in rodent models of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). These structures, being parts of the complex neuronal network within the limbic system, participate in the initiation and propagation of seizures and might contribute to the process of epileptogenesis. The purposes of this study were to investigate oxidative lipid damage, inflammation and endogenous neuroprotection in these brain structures during the early genesis of TLE as well as the effects of the PPAR-γ agonist pioglitazone on the examined parameters. Methods: SE was induced by administration of pilocarpine 22 h after lithium chloride and 30 min after methylscopolamine. Rats were injected with pioglitazone (1 ; 3 mg/kg) or vehicle i.p. 10 min after SE onset and sacrificed 24 h thereafter. Levels of the brain lipid peroxidation products were determined by the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay. COX-2 and HSP70 expressions were analyzed by Western blotting. Results: At 24 h after SE, TBARS level and HSP70 expression were unchanged and COX-2 was not detectable in the thalamus. In anterior olfactory nuclei, increased level of TBARS as well as enhanced expressions of COX-2 and HSP70 were detected. Treatment with pioglitazone resulted in enhanced HSP70 expression in the thalamus and reduced TBARS level in anterior olfactory nuclei, compared to levels obtained in vehicle-treated rats with SE. Conclusion: Pioglitazone exerts neuroprotective effects in the thalamus and anterior olfactory nuclei in the rat lithium- pilocarpine model of TLE.


The aim of this paper is to describe a complex social policy implemented in Italy by Regione Lombardia: the so called "Sistema Dote", "Sistema dotale" or "Dote Regione Lombardia". The specific focus is on the elements that allow identifying whether this system is an example of personalized welfare or not. The analysis was carried out on specific sectors and fields of application such as school, work, long life learning, work-family balance and social care. Services are realized by a pluralistic governance, based on a form of partnership between public and private, with the contribution of third sector organizations. The essay is the result of a case study oriented to underline the features of this system as a set of relations focusing on the personalization of the local welfare and capability of final users. The article offers a critical analysis of strengths and weaknesses of this policy, with particular reference to the challenge of personalization.


The near-infrared emission intensity of NaYF4:3% Nd3+ doped with 20 mol% Ca2+ is 3 times that of the Ca2+-free samples.


We show the feasibility of short wave infrared spectroscopy combined with tape stripping as a simple and noninvasive method for the analysis of lipids and the degree of hydration as a function of depth in the stratum corneum. The spectroscopic method utilizes differential detection with three wavelengths 1720, 1750, and 1770 nm, corresponding to the lipid vibrational bands that lay "in between" the prominent water absorption bands. The results are compared with other biophysical devices such as Corneometer and Sebumeter.


Based on analysis of the existing problems in the environmental engineering experiment teaching of our university,the hierarchical experimental teaching system was proposed and the signification of the teaching reform of the comprehensive experiment of the environmental engineering was discussed. The reforming innovations and the experience of the experiment establishment were introduced,included the hierarchical teaching experiment,the construction and the unfolding of laboratory,and the cohesiveness and the progressiveness of the experimental content and the scientific research and the engineering practice. Practice proved that establishment of the comprehensive experiment was an important part of the experimental teaching system of the environmental engineering,which laid a solid practice foundation for the cultivation of innovative talents in universities.


There has been a trend of increasing public expenditures in the countries of the region over a long period of time, which is in line with the ongoing trends at the global level. This implies that the movement of public expenditures is intensively increasing, to greater or lesser extent, in almost all European countries, so that public revenues are not following the level of public expenditures. Excessive budget deficits and stressed public debt are the result of over-spending relative to collected funds from tax and non-tax forms. In the last two decades, countries in the region have had a negative gap between the share of public expenditures in gross domestic product and the share of public revenues in gross domestic product.The negative gap is not harmful itself, if government expenditures are directed towards productive investment activities, implying that the government spending component has a rational character. However, this was not the case with countries in the region where the neoliberal concept has become more significant, which was in line with global trends. Premature market opening and lengthy transition process have influenced on unbalanced ratio of public revenues and public expenditures, which has had an impact on theoverall economic situation in most of Southeast Europecountries.The role of policy makers has often been reflected in revenue-side interventions through the introduction of new tax forms, as well as, through borrowing. Exhaustion of the revenue side implies, at the same time, a reluctance to carry out structural reforms on the expenditure side, thus relaxing the state budget position. The problems of distorted relations between public expenditures and public revenues have not been solved in the direction of reducing irrational spending, but solutions have been sought on the revenue side through taxes and borrowing. Undoubtedly, this had effects on the private sector, which was often subordinate to the public sector. Although the public sector comprises a significant number of people, it is necessary to provide an appropriate business environment in order to achieve positive effects regarding to intensive production and export growth.The paper examines and measures the share of public revenues and public expenditures in the gross domestic product inRepublic of Serbia and several countries in Southeast Europe. Managing public revenues and public expenditures is one of the fundamental issues and challenges in contemporary public finance management. This primarily refers to their optimal share in gross domestic product in order to achieve positive effects on the economic flows in a particular country.Based on the conducted research, the paper indicates that there is a statistically significant difference between the average share of public revenues and public expenditures in the gross domestic product of the analyzed Southeast European countries for the period from 2008. to 2019.The main aim of this paper is to show that maintaining fiscal stability in the future period is a key challenge in implementing the economic growth model, which should be based on increasing investment levels, knowledge, innovation andconvergence to european income level. Managing the state of public finances is a key issue for every country, due toonly in the context of healthy public expenditures and public revenues relations,Southeast European countries can achieve economic progress and keep up with the most developed European Union member states.


To integrate irreconcilable material properties into a single component, a new class of engineered materials termed "surface composites" has been developed. In this engineered material, the second phase is spatially distributed in the near surface regions, such that the phase composition is linearly graded as a function of distance from the surface. Surface composites are different from existing engineered materials such as "bulk composites" and "functionally graded materials" (FGM). Unlike bulk composites, the surface phase in surface composites is present only at the near surface regions. In contrast to FGM, the graded properties of surface composites are achieved by unique morphological surface modification of the bulk phase. To fabricate surface composites, the initial surface of the bulk material is transformed using a novel multiple pulse irradiation technique into truncated cone-like structures. The laser induced micro-rough structures (LIMS) possess surface areas which are up to an order of magnitude higher than the original surface. The second phase is deposited on the surface using thin or thick film deposition methods. A key characteristic of surface composites is the formation of a three-dimensional, compositionally and thermally graded interface, which gives rise to improved adhesion of the surface phase. Examples of various types of surface composites such as W/Mo, silica/SiC, diamond/steel, etc. are presented in this paper. The unique properties of surface composites make them ideal engineered materials for applications involving adherent thick film coatings of thermally mismatched materials, compositional surface modification for controlled catalytic activity, and creating adherent metal-ceramic and ceramic-polymeric joints.


Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) o-phthalaldehyde-interacting protein 5 antisense transcript 1 (OIP5-AS1) serves major roles in the progression of various types of cancer. The present study investigated its biological function in ovarian cancer (OC) and its mechanisms. The levels of OIP5-AS1, microRNA-128-3p (miR-128-3p) and cyclin G1 (CCNG1) were examined by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Cell viability, apoptosis, migration and invasion were detected to analyze cellular progression. Glycolytic metabolism was assessed by detecting the levels of glucose consumption and lactate production. CCNG1 and hexokinase 2 protein levels were measured by western blotting. Dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation and RNA pull-down assays were performed to affirm the interaction between two molecules. OIP5-AS1 was found to be upregulated in OC tissues and cells. Knockdown of OIP5-AS1 suppressed cell viability, migration, invasion and glycolysis while promoting apoptosis in OC cells. OIP5-AS1 interacted with miR-128-3p and functioned as an oncogene by sequestering miR-128-3p. In addition, CCNG1 was a target gene for miR-128-3p and miR-128-3p regulated the CCNG1-induced effects on OC cells by downregulating CCNG1. OIP5-AS1 upregulated the expression of CCNG1 via targeting miR-128-3p. OIP5-AS1 knockdown also inhibited tumor growth of OC in vivo by modulating the expression of miR-128-3p and CCNG1. Collectively, these data illustrated that the oncogenic role of OIP5-AS1 in OC was associated with the miR-128-3p/CCNG1 axis at least in part. OIP5-AS1 might be a probable diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker for the treatment of OC patients.


Healingmucosa is an important goal for patientswith Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Some IBDmedications are not able to induce ormaintain healingmucosa as steroids. Conversely, anti-TNF therapy obtain frequently and quickly the healing mucosa. This point improves the disease course of our patients (reduction of rates of surgery, or hospitalizations). Azathioprine is able to achieve also this goal but more slowly. We must analyze this point in our patients by endoscopy or other alternative techniques like MRI or calprotectine. In the future, wemust appreciate the impact of the healing mucosa on our therapeutic strategy. n


Aside from other puzzling features of entanglement, it has been debated whether a physically meaningful notion of entanglement requires two (or more) particles as carriers of the correlated degrees-of-freedom, or if a single particle could be considered to be entangled as well. While the usefulness of single-boson entanglement has been demonstrated some time ago, the restrictions of superselection rules have previously thwarted attempts at similar arguments for single fermions. In Dasenbrook et al (2016 New J. Phys. 18 043036) this obstacle is overcome. The authors propose a scheme for a Bell test on two copies of single-electron states whose entanglement is individually not accessible. The discussed scheme, which makes use of recent progress in electronic quantum optics, provides an experimentally viable and theoretically unambiguous way to assert that certain single-electron states can be considered to be entangled.


There is a univocal correspondence between each of the (n+2)! stability coefficients of an n‐component system and mean squared fluctuations of Gibbs‐space variables (entropy, volume, molecule number) in which the subsystem under study is defined through a single extensive Gibbs‐space variable (principal fluctuations). The relationship between principal fluctuations and stability coefficients [Eq. (53)] is derived in this paper starting from the usual expressions involving explicit calculation of the inverse of an (n+1)×(n+1) matrix. A general equation between higher order energy variations in fluctuating subsystems [Eq. (22)] is also derived. The relationship between principal fluctuations and stability coefficients yields, as particular cases, expressions which had been used previously for the limiting case of single‐component systems, or extended to solutions through heuristic arguments.


Summary Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd and Pb/Pb whole-rock isochron methods and the U-Pb zircon method have been widely applied to dating Precambrian igneous and meta-igneous rocks. Application of these methods in regional geochronological studies provides reliable constraints on the age and temporal evolution of rock units, even when some parent-daughter systems have suffered disturbance in metamorphic and/or metasomatic events which significantly post-date primary rock formation. Initial isotopic compositions of Sr, Nd and Pb aid geological interpretation of isochron age data, constrain crustal residence time of the protoliths and can be used to assess the relative contributions of mantle and crust in magma genesis. Precambrian sediments can be indirectly dated by reference to age data on interbedded volcanics, or by age-bracketing between dated basement rocks and dated cross-cutting intrusives. Significant progress has also been made in the direct dating of sedimentary rocks. Published isotopic age determinations on early Precambrian sediments containing biogenic remains are briefly reviewed. Provided that stratigraphical and geochronological correlations are correct, it appears that stromatohtic limestones were being deposited by c.3400 - 3300 Ma ago, and that true microfossils occur in rocks dated at c.3200 - 3000 Ma. Evidence relating to possible biogenic markers in sediments reliably dated at c.3800 - 3700 Ma is not yet definitive.


Observations on the behaviour of Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), Sitophylus oryzae L., Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens), and Colydium castaneus (Herbst) in the presence of dominicalure multifunnel traps placed in a cereal warehouse are reported. The factors considered are the role of the synthetic Dominicalure on non target species, the effect of silhouette on trapping efficiency, and the influence of the position of the trap in more or less lighted areas of the store‐room.


Abstract Many foreign language learners encounter difficulties in pronouncing English language sounds, which potentially leads to misunderstanding in oral communication. Sometimes, the Albanian learners find pronunciation quite tricky when learning English language because they have to replicate lots of new strange sounds that are completely unknown to them. The present paper tackles the difficulties of producing English sounds with focus on minimal pairs, which is not an easy task, especially when the learners are not exposed to the native speakers in their environment. This research focuses on pronunciation errors with the minimal pairs committed by students of English language who study at the University of Vlora in Albania. As an experienced teacher of English Language in Albania, I have had the opportunity to observe the difficulties the Albanian speaking learners usually face in learning English pronunciation and what I have concluded is that Minimal pairs bear great benefits in pronunciation teaching and learning. There were 20 students who participated in this research and all of them had been studying English Phonology for a semester at the university. We selected six minimal pairs [i] vs. [i:], [e] vs. [ꬱ], [u] vs. [u:], [ꓥ] vs. [a:], [ͻ] vs. [ͻ:], [w] vs. [v] and prepared a test for the students. The data were collected and the findings revealed the difficulties the students faced these six minimal pairs.


Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has reached the stage of a global pandemic. Approximately 10% of the total US population (~30 million people) are impacted by T2D and 86 million more are in the stage of prediabetes. Accumulating evidence suggests that intrinsic beta‐cell stresses, secretory dysfunction, and inflammation are the early players during the progression of the T2D and leads to the loss of functional beta‐cell mass. Hence, reduction of cell stress and enhancement of beta‐cell secretory function hold promise towards delayed disease progression and prevention. Our lab has revealed the crucial role of the SNARE‐regulator protein DOC2b (double C2 domain‐containing protein) on stimulating the glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and protecting the beta‐cell from the diabetogenic stresses. The objective of this study is to develop DOC2b as a therapeutic target for the treatment of T2D by elucidating the mechanism by which DOC2b preserves functional beta‐cell mass. We hypothesize that tyrosine phosphorylation of DOC2b's functionally indispensable C2AB domain is required for DOC2b's beneficial function during the pathological conditions related to T2D.


The invention discloses a high-reliability fault-tolerant control device for an industrial robot, which comprises a computer, an actuator, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and a machine body base, wherein the machine body base is mounted on one side of the computer; the actuator is mounted on the machine body base; the PLC is mounted on the actuator; an equipment state predictor is mounted in the PLC; a fault diagnosis device is mounted on one side of the equipment state predictor; a fault-tolerant controller is mounted on one side of the fault diagnosis device; a CPU (Central Processing Unit) is mounted on one side of the fault-tolerant controller; a first rotator is mounted on the machine body base; a fixed bracket is mounted on the first rotator; a first operation rod is mounted on the fixed bracket; a second rotator is mounted on the first operation rod; and a second operation rod is mounted on the second rotator. The high-reliability fault-tolerant control device adopts the PLC, has a fault-tolerant control function and can improve the reliability of equipment.


"Blackouts" are one of the commonest reasons for neurological consultation, and it is curious that monographs on syncope are not more plentiful. Dr. Ross, the founder editor of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, has written a masterly treatise which needs no alternatives. It is modest in size (only 160 pages), concise, informative and well-written by one of Canada's most prestigious neurologists. It covers everything from vaso-vagal attacks, to esophageal syncope and for those always in search of eponymous disorders, the Jervell-LangeNielson syndrome. There is a whole generation of medical students who have read syncope in Harrison's Textbook of Medicine, and who erroneously believe that syncope includes seizures and hypoglycemia, so it was reassuring to see a clear definition in the opening lines of the book. The index could be more comprehensive, and in future editions should be considerably expanded. Also , the chapter summaries, displayed as tables, would be more appropriate at the end of each chapter instead of somewhat inappropriately buried in the later paragraphs. Also, the price is high considering the size of the book. The author has studied the subject in considerable depth, and makes many interesting points even on the basic principles. For instance, how many readers will know that vaso-vagal syncope is primarily a vasomotor and not a vagal (i.e., central) phenomenon? He also makes a case for cardiological investigation of patients with seizures and normal EEGs. This book is interesting and easy reading, and contains basic and clinical material which is relevant to cardiologists and internists just as much as neurologists. It is mandatory reading for anyone interested in the topic.


Disclosed is a method for repairing a coke oven, the method having excellent workability when a combustion chamber the oven wall bricks of which have to be repaired by replacement is long. The area wherein the oven wall bricks (7) are to be repaired by replacement is divided into the back area and the front area, and the coking chambers (21) behind the back area (3) wherein the oven wall bricks are to be repaired by replacement are heat-insulated. In the state, the oven wall bricks (7) of the combustion chamber (22) in the back area (3) are laid. When the laying of the oven wall bricks (7) of the combustion chamber (22) in the back area (3) is completed, the coking chambers (21) in the back area (3) are heat-insulated. In the state, the back area (3) is elevated in temperature and the oven wall bricks (7) of the combustion chamber (22) in the front area (2) wherein the oven wall bricks are to be repaired by replacement are laid. Therefore, even when the combustion chamber (22) the oven wall bricks (7) of which have to be repaired by replacement is long, it is possible to shorten the length of a sequence of the oven wall bricks (7) to be laid actually of the combustion chamber (22), so that the method has the excellent workability even if the coking chambers (21) are small in width.