Rituximab has been associated with the development of late‐onset neutropenia (LON). As only heterogeneous studies have been conducted, its incidence and clinical course remain unclear. We aim to: (1) study the incidence and clinical relevance of WHO grade 3/4 LON in a uniform group of patients with diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in complete remission following curative rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (RCHOP) chemotherapy; (2) ascertain predictive factors for LON. The 121 eligible patients identified from our prospectively maintained database were followed up for occurrence of WHO grade 3/4 LON. The clinical course of LON was documented, and its relationship with patient‐ and tumor‐related factors was analyzed. With a median follow‐up of 883 days (range, 265–1762), 13.2% had developed LON of grade 3/4. The median time to neutrophil nadir was 129 days (range, 39–277). The median time to recovery was 69 days (range, 3–349) and occurred in all except two patients. Only one episode of nonlife threatening bacterial culture‐positive urinary tract infection and pulmonary tuberculosis, both occurring in the same patient was documented. Results of Fischer's exact test revealed that age, stage, LDH level, ECOG, marrow involvement, and hematologic parameters did not predict for LON development. WHO grade 3/4 LON is not infrequent in patients with DLBCL receiving RCHOP. Even so, it is reassuring that LON is self‐limiting and unassociated with life‐threatening infection. A watchful waiting approach is appropriate in majority of patients who develop LON following RCHOP. Am. J. Hematol., 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Measurements of the swelling ratio and exchange capacity of individual ion-exchange resin beads are used to compare resin samples, to study interparticle differences, and to help characterize resin degradation. Heterogeneous resin samples were found, along with those of apparent homogeneity. In one extreme case of the former, inert particle cores were found.


It is often considered that equipment for processing, storage and display of foods is unlikely to change. However in recent times increasing energy costs, concerns about occupational safety and health, changing requirements of the food industry and the Montreal and Kyoto Protocols have led to significant opportunities for alternative equipment and systems. This paper discusses opportunities for new refrigeration system designs in the food industry including use of CO2 cascade for low temperature systems, transcritical CO2 systems, air cycle systems, low charge ammonia systems, plate rather than air blast freezers, heat recovery, natural refrigerants and secondary refrigerants including ice slurries for supermarkets, replacement of HCFC-22 in industrial systems, and other applications. The advantages/disadvantages of the alternatives and future challenges will be discussed.


Ceramic materials under scrutiny as candidates for structural components in severe environments include silicon carbide, silicon nitride, and alumina-based (corundum, mullite, spinel) materials. Interest is maintained in these materials because of their low densities, high strengths, retained strength at high temperatures, thermal shock resistance, and resistance to oxidation and corrosive attack. Although some work has been reported on the effects of oxidation and exposure to oxidizing combustion environments on the behavior of ceramic materials, many questions remain - in particular, concerning their behavior in the low-oxygen partial pressure (reducing) environments encountered in coal gasification. The anticipated active oxidation behavior in a low oxygen potential, non-slagging environment was not observed for the two silicon carbide materials under simulated slagging gasifier conditions. The oxidation reaction apparently was influence by the relatively high steam partial pressure. Specimens coated with acidic or basic slag compositions prior to exposure exhibited significant weight losses that were more substantial in the case of the basic slag-coated specimens. The viscosity of the fused slag at the reaction temperature is believed to have significant influence over the extent of reaction. Formation of a protective oxide scale is prevented, and reduction of iron oxide in the slag to metallic ironmore » was followed by penetration of iron into subsurface pores in the underlying silicon carbide, forming iron-rich pockets.« less


We consider the sequential point estimation problem of the mean of a normal distribution N(μ, σ2) when the loss function is squared error plus linear cost. It is shown that a two-stage procedure has the asymptotic efficiency of which the order is higher than second order, provided the standard deviation has a known lower bound. We also give a higher than second-order approximation to the risk.


This book brings together leading specialists on the global trading system to both discuss and assess the implications of the Uruguay Round Agreement and the subsequent culmination of the World Trade Organization. It also considers these trade developments in relation to Asia, drawing on the findings of a multinational study conducted by the Asian Development Bank.


translate into policymaking outcomes.1 One final point about case selection and empirical case studies. The book does a very nice job of justifying how and why, in Argentina, a case of low ICI and high barriers, executives tend to use decree authority more frequently than in Brazil, a case of higher ICI, where legislating through statutes is more common. Although they are outside the scope of this book, the more extreme cases deserve closer attention for their use of decree authority. In Ecuador, a case of low ICI, the incidence of decrees remains low to medium during the period of multiparty fragmentation and shortterm legislative and judicial horizons, but decree usage is triggered precisely when the government has a working legislative majority, higher legislative re-election rates, and lower hurdle factors. A possible explanation may be the existence of significant executive veto power, which became stronger and more frequently used after 2005 and helped to reinforce unilateral executive policymaking. Perhaps a future adaptation of the model should consider the combined effect of decrees and vetoes to strengthen executive powers and undermine other players' institutional commitment. Checking Presidential Power is a must-read for the new generation of political scientists, who can greatly benefit from a comprehensive overview, sharp criticism, and improvement on a vast literature looking at executive prerogatives, interbranch conflict, and policymaking. It shall also serve as a necessary point of entry for those interested in studying specific political dynamics and detailed causal analysis between the policy preferences of interest and lobbying groups and the institutional commitment, incentives, and strategies of established political actors in the policymaking process. Andrés Mejía Acosta Kings College London


: The detection of cosmogenic (GZK) neutrinos with IceCube requires the ability to discriminate very rare and energetic signal events from an abundant background of cosmic ray induced muons. High energy cosmic ray air showers produce high numbers of muons densely packed around the shower core trajectory. These bundles of muons emit large amounts of Cherenkov light in the ice that constitutes the detection volume. We present several techniques to improve background rejection while keeping a large fraction of the GZK neutrino signal. The differences in the light distributions around a neutrino-induced muon track and a muon bundle are exploited. The photon hit-time pattern in the detector differs slightly for the two event types and is used for identification of muon bundles. The surface array, IceTop, is used to tag the background with high efficiency but limited zenith range. The efficiency of this method was studied using data from the partially completed detector.


The aim of this study is to investigate the bouncing dynamics of a small elastic ball on a staircase consisting of rounded edge steps, as an example of a dissipative gravitational billiard, and to determine if its dynamics is chaotic. We derive a nonlinear recursion for the coordinates of the collisions, completed with numerical simulations, which indicate that the bouncing dynamics is chaotic, as also follows from elementary considerations regarding the Lyapunov exponent. It is, however, surprising that instead of permanent chaos, only the transient form is present. The main reason behind this is that a collision with the rounded edge of the step enhances the horizontal velocity leading to larger and larger jumps. Not even the introduction of a tangential coefficient of restitution (COR) on the curvature can hinder the flying away of some trajectories. There is also a chance for remaining trapped on a single step in the form of sliding, representing another possibility for escape. Therefore, chaoticity holds for long trajectories before any kind of escape takes place. We also show that an impact-velocity-dependent COR converts the dynamics to permanently chaotic with an underlying fractal attractor. Only elementary mathematics is required for the analytic calculations used, and we offer a set of problems to solve, as well as a user-friendly demo software on our website: https://theorphys.elte.hu/fiztan/stairs to facilitate experimentation and further understanding of this complex phenomenon.


a detailed follow-up of 524 boys and girls referred, for various types of deviant behavior, to a child guidance clinic in St. Louis thirty years ago. The behavior of these youngsters generally remained fairly constant during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, varying, of course, with age. For this longitudinal study, former clinic patients were interviewed, and data were accumulated for the inter-


Abstract : This report reviews the National Parks Service (NPS) employee housing program. Because of inadequate maintenance and construction funding, the inventory is deteriorating steadily. An estimated $270 million is needed to replace or repair the existing housing. Those funds are not expected to be available, so Public-Private Ventures (PPVs) are being explored as an alternative. This report evaluates the feasibility of PPV leases through which employee housing might be provided at the Big Bend National Park in Southwest Texas. Due to the extreme isolation of the park, leases without guarantees proved impractical. The study finds that due to the limited value of the land and the absence of a local economy, a subsidized lease is the only feasible form of financing. Six methods of achieving this goal are examined. The report concludes that a PPV will be feasible at Big Bend National Park and no more expensive than traditional direct appropriation construction. Appendix A provides a draft of the necessary legislation language for providing the NPS with PPV authority. Appendix B provides a draft proposal solicitation document detailing the recommended terms and conditions of a PPV at Big Bend National Park. The report should be read in conjunction with LMI's report DI901R2 which presents the cost model used to evaluate the feasibility of the alternatives. (eg)


A methodology for the fault diagnosis of machine tools by using a few robust sensors, dynamic process models, and parameter estimation, is described. Changes of process parameters are then symptoms, which are fed into a knowledge-based fault diagnosis component. Then, analytical and heuristic knowledge is treated via fault trees and plausibility measures. Some experimental results with a flexible machining center are given.<<ETX>>


I killing Jackson again. Jackson doesn't mind, not really. Today it's with a fist-size rock. Yesterday was an ax—or perhaps an adz: Despite my experience, I've yet to become a weapons expert. I would consult the relevant literature, but there's no literature to consult. Jackson is sitting on the ground. "Lean forward," I say. He acquiesces, revealing the inflection point at the back of his head where hard becomes soft. I bring the rock down.


The multiconfiguration time-dependent Hartree-Fock method is applied to compute the hyperpolarizabiltiy of the neon atom and its frequency dependence. For the static limit \ensuremath{\gamma}=\ensuremath{\gamma}(0;0,0,0) we obtain \ensuremath{\gamma}=86.5 a.u. This value agrees very well with a recent experimental value of 75 a.u. l\ensuremath{\gamma}l93 a.u. obtained by Shelton and Lu [Phys. Rev. A 37, 3813 (1988)]. The results for the Kerr hyperpolarizability \ensuremath{\gamma}(\ensuremath{\omega};0,0,\ensuremath{\omega})=${\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{\mathrm{Kerr}}$ provide an estimate of the dispersion effects. Approximating our results with the formula ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{\mathrm{Kerr}=\ensuremath{\gamma}(1+\mathrm{A}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{L}^{2}}$), where for the Kerr effect ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{L}^{2}$=2${\ensuremath{\omega}}^{2}$, we find A\ensuremath{\approxeq}0.50\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}10}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$.


Palmyrah (Borassusflabellifer L.) fruit pulp (PFP) contains a group of steroidal saponins called flabelliferins. One of these flabelliferins (a tetraglycoside) causes a bitter flavour in PFP, which detracts from the free use of PFP as a food. Techniques of debittering have been developed but these have suffered from the criticism that debittering could produce new saponins that may cause adverse nutritional effects. In this study, trials were conducted using outberd ICR mice. Experiments carried out with 6 weeks old (growing) mice with bitter PFP showed a statistically significant (p=(l.029) lowering of weight gain compared to the control feed (standard ratl mouse breeding feed) although food intake was nearly equal. Debittering of PFP with naringinase reversed the effect, in that there was no statistically significant difference between control and debittered PFP (p=O.88). Weight gain in the case of debittered PFP was higher than the bitter PFP (p=(l.()23). The study indicates that debittering does not produce adverse nutritional effects affecting weight gain but rather improves nutritional value of bitter PFP as judged by the weight gain. This may be due to. as revealed by a recent study. the bitter principle having an effect on active transport of nutrients.


The paper presents methods of DC-link voltage natural balancing in the single-phase NPC inverter with two three-level legs. The methods use the RLC balancing circuit and the RLC balancing circuit with transformer. Proper modulation enables DC-link capacitor voltages balancing. In the configuration with the RLC balancing circuit and the transformer the unnecessary components from the balancing current can be eliminated under the balanced state. In a consequence the balancing current in the balanced state disappears decreasing power losses in the converter and current of semiconductor devices. Methods of DC-link voltage natural balancing in the single-phase NPC inverter with two three-level legs


Automatic human activity recognition (HAR) through computing devices is a challenging research topic in the domain of computer vision. It has widespread applications in various fields such as sports, healthcare, criminal investigation and so on. With the advent of smart devices like smartphones, availability of inertial sensors like accelerometer and gyroscope can easily be used to track our daily physical movements. State-of-the-art deep neural network models like Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) do not need any additional feature extraction for such applications. However, it requires huge amount of data for training which is time consuming, and requires ample resource. Another limiting factor of CNN is that it considers only the features of an individual sample for learning without considering any structural information among the samples. To address the aforesaid issues, we propose an end-to-end fast Graph Neural Network (GNN) which not only captures the individual sample information efficiently but also the relationship with other samples in the form of an undirected graph structure. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work where the time series data are transformed into a structural representation of graph for the purpose of HAR using sensor data. Proposed model has been evaluated on 6 publicly available datasets, and it achieves nearly 100% recognition accuracy for all the 6 datasets. Source code of this work is available at https://github.com/riktimmondal/HAR-Sensor.


Persistent ascites following liver transplantation using inferior vena cava (IVC) preservation with the piggyback technique has been described in up to 8% of cases, and this complication may occur more commonly in comparison with traditional techniques. Persistent ascites in this context is commonly a clinical challenge as investigations often fail to reveal a cause for ascites. We report a case of persistent posttransplantation ascites that appears to have been caused by hepatic outflow obstruction, but this could not be confirmed by hepatic venography. Despite normal venography, vascular stenting across the piggyback anastomosis and into the donor right hepatic vein resulted in rapid resolution of ascites and liver dysfunction. A 55-year-old woman was transplanted for alcoholic liver disease with the piggyback technique (anastomosis of the donor suprahepatic IVC to the recipient right and middle hepatic veins; see Fig. 1). The postoperative course was complicated by chronic tense ascites, which persisted at 6 months post-transplantation. Investigations were consistent with hepatic congestion with moderate cholestasis (alkaline phosphatase, 265 U/mL; gamma-glutamyltransferase, 45 U/L; and bilirubin, 28 mol/L), moderate coagulopathy (international normalized ratio, 1.7), an elevated serum ascites albumin gradient (20 g/L), and hepatomegaly on ultrasound. Duplex ultrasound examination demonstrated normal venous outflow. Transjugular venography also showed essentially normal venous outflow anatomy. Although a slight narrowing of the piggyback anastomosis was seen (Fig. 2), there was no significant pressure gradient across this anastomosis (free donor right hepatic vein to recipient perianastomotic IVC gradient, 1 mm Hg; free donor middle hepatic vein to recipient perianastomotic IVC gradient, 1 mm Hg). The actual pressure measurements were as follows: right atrium, 8 mm Hg; infrahepatic recipient IVC, 16 mm Hg; perianastomotic recipient IVC, 15 mm Hg; free donor right hepatic vein, 14 mm Hg; and free donor middle hepatic vein, 14 mm Hg. However, transjugular biopsy of the right hepatic lobe at the time of venography showed severe sinusoidal congestion consistent with hepatic venous outflow obstruction (Fig. 3). Subsequently, a 10-mm-diameter and 60-mm-long nitinol stent was placed from the recipient IVC across the piggyback anastomosis and into the donor right hepatic vein (Fig. 4). Following stenting, ascites resolved within 1 month with normalization of the international normalized ratio and bilirubin and improvement in other liver function tests. The patient has had no recurrence of ascites or need of diuretic therapy during 24 months of subsequent follow up. To our knowledge, this is the first published case demonstrating that significant venous outflow obstruction following piggyback transplantation may occur in the absence of demonstrable radiological stenoses or pressure gradients and that this occult piggyback syndrome responds to vascular stenting across the anastomosis and into the donor right hepatic vein. Despite the normal venocavogram, we postulate that the cause of venous outflow obstruction was related to upright posture. This could result in positional changes of the more mobile donor liver, leading to kinking and twisting in the region of the piggyback anastomosis. This area may be predisposed to postural kinking, particularly if there is a large donor liver as well as a long anastomosis. The intermittent and postural nature of the venous outflow obstruction could explain the normal venocavogram and pressure measurements, which were obtained in a recumbent position. Placement of the vascular stent provided clinical improvement presumably by maintaining patency of the anastomosis and right hepatic vein during upright posture. The donor right hepatic vein was chosen for distal stent placement on the basis of the right lobe histology, the technical ease of stenting this vein, and its known vulnerability to obstruction with the piggyback tech-


Lack of attention to ergonomic factors such as attitude factor, job position, and job density causes incidence uncomfortable job feeling. Hereinafter can cause accident and generate disease. Home industry like streets vendor process the product with special skill and carefulness so that yield accuracy, beauty, good at measure, and according to order of customer. This paper will present expert system application to detect and give solution to uncomfortable job causes because of eyes strain, repetition and posture. To recognize pattern part of body along with grade of pain, cause, and solution used by artificial neural network method (Back-Propagation) with trainbpx and Learning Vector Quantization. Result training of network obtained that to recognize cause pattern of feel pain, performance efficacy training of trained network 99%, to recognize solution pattern of repetition cause obtained 80%, hereinafter to recognize solution pattern of posture cause obtained 99%. The network which have been trained can be used to predict solution and cause of uncomfortableness at differing case with the same variable. Keywords: expert system, neural network, back-propagation, learning vector quantization, ergonomic.


Objective To detect whether human chromosomes telomerase genes is amplified or not in the process from atypical hyperplasia to cervical carcinoma. Methods One hundred and eighteen patients were divided into CIN-Ⅰ group(n=21),CIN-Ⅱ group(n=11),CIN-Ⅲ group(n=18),cervical carcinoma group(n=38) (including 29 cases of squamous cell carcinoma and 9 cases of adenocarcinoma),and cervicitis group (control group) (n=30). The amplification rate of human chromosomes telomerase genes was detected with FISH technique in cervical liquid cells. Results The amplification rate was 10.00% in cervicitis,89.47% in cervical carcinoma group and 87.5% in CIN groups,in which it was 85.71% in CIN-Ⅰ group,90.90% in CIN-Ⅱ group and 88.89% in CIN-Ⅲ group. The amplification signals of human chromosomes telomerase genes significantly increased both in CIN and cervical carcinoma groups(P0.01). There was a statistic difference between squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinomas(P0.05),but no statistic difference between cervical carcinoma group and CIN group(P0.05). Conclusion The human chromosomes telomerase genes are amplified in the process from atypical hyperplasia to cervical carcinoma,and significantly amplified in cervical cancer. Cervical cancer and its development are related to the amplification of human chromosomes telomerase genes. The detection of human chromosomes telomerase genes with FISH technique is expected to be one of the early screening methods for cervical cancer.


The present work wants to assess the environmental and energetic sustainability of 27 European countries. To this aim, a Multi-criteria decision analysis and an analytical hierarchy process has been implemented to gather and process information from the experts. Results show that only four countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Austria) present very significant performances. The intervention of policymakers must be clear, by penalizing non-responsible behavior, encouraging the development of circular and green practices, also through the exploitation of subsidies. A continuous monitoring of values over time and the identification of more appropriate criteria to evaluate performances, including economic and social views, are objectives to be addressed in the next future.


An ocean‐bottom‐mounted acoustic transponder was developed to provide earth‐referenced navigational data for the ARIS tracking ships. This paper develops the basic sonar‐operating requirements for the system and briefly describes the resulting instrumentation.


Research, policy analysis, and conditional aid policy among some donor countries rely on standards-based measures of country human rights performance. These measures code annual performance based on narrative reports published by the US State Department and Amnesty International. The coding yields a performance ranking for countries that in our view is "absolute" or reflects that current state of human rights performance without taking into account the relative social, political, or economic conditions within countries. While this absolute ranking is useful for empirical analyses of some human rights questions and policy applications, it can lead to perverse outcomes in other areas of work. This article provides an alternative method for ranking country human rights performance that takes into account an array of additional variables that are related to the protection of civil and political rights. The method involves three stages. Stage one applies principal component factor analysis to five different standards-based measures of civil and political rights to extract a single human rights "factor score." Stage two regresses the factor score on a series of explanatory variables for the protection of civil and political rights for which there is widespread consensus and then saves the residual as an indicator of the "over" or "under" performance of countries with respect to the protection of those rights. Stage three plots the "factor score" alongside the relative score to compare these different measures of human rights performance over time and across different regions. Our results lead to a new depiction of human rights progress in the world that we believe will be of interest to human rights scholars and practitioners.


The purpose of this study is to explore how museum marketing meets postmodern conditions. Based on a sample of 12 museums in Istanbul, Turkey, a qualitative study was conducted to evaluate whether museum marketing meets the five conditions of postmodernism, namely decentered subject, reversal of production and consumption, fragmentation, juxtaposition of opposites and hyperreality. The findings of this study reveal that the marketing practices of museums meet all conditions of postmodernism except that of the decentered subject. They also demonstrate that museum managers hold negative attitudes towards the decentered subject, mainly due to their resistance to intermediaries between the exhibition and the audience. 1 Address correspondence to Seda SÖKMEN, Department of Tourism Management, Faculty of Tourism, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, TURKEY. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research (AHTR) An International Journal of Akdeniz University Tourism Faculty ISSN: 2147-9100 (Print), 2148-7316 (Online) Webpage: http://www.ahtrjournal.org/ 2020 Vol. 8 (2) 288-313


In March 1969 a bloody border conflict between USSR and China took place. It was the first armed clash of two main communist countries and two owners of nuclear weapons. Details of the conflict are being hidden by Russian and Chinese officials till now. In this article the chronology of the battle is restored. Widespread myths and rumours are denied, as well as the lies of Chinese and Soviet communist propoganda about events on the Sino‐Soviet border.


Abstract In this study we examined the dried fruiting bodies of Morchella esculenta, collected in the area of the coal and biomass based thermal power plant in Vojany from the nearby Bahoň marsh, in the Slovak Republic. The area is characterized by a high environmental burden, especially because of air pollutant emissions from the power plant operation. Twenty-three (23) chemical elements were found in the dried fruiting bodies after microwave-assisted sample preparation using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrophotometer ICP-MS AGILENT 7500c system. The mercury content was determined employing a special AMA 254 apparatus intended for the determination of Hg directly in dry powdered fruiting bodies without microwave digestion. The content of toxic elements expressed in mg.kg−1 DW (dry weight) were as follows: Hg 0.048—0.052 (RSD—Relative Standard Deviation = 4.80 %); Cd 4.543—6.169 (RSD = 3.35 %); Pb 0.261—0.291 (RSD = 2.67 %); As 0.455—0.469 (RSD = 5.79 %); Cr 1.585—1.616 (RSD = 2.33 %); and Ni 8.166—9.276 (RSD = 3.03 %). The contents of cadmium, nickel and mercury exceeded the hygiene limits, while the contents of arsenic and lead approached the hygiene limits. Due to the high levels of toxic elements, the fruiting bodies collected in the location are not suitable for culinary purposes. The mushroom Morchella esculenta acts as an accumulator of toxic elements from the environment in which it grows and can be considered as an indicator of environmental pollution.


CrossRef, Scientific Indexing Services (SIS), Google Scholar, Index Copernicus International (ICI), Directory of Research Journal Indexing (DRJI), CiteFactor, Scientific Journal Impact Factor (SJIF), General Impact Factor, Journal Factor, Cosmos Impact Factor, PKP Index, AJIFACTOR Indexing, etc. Rheede's Magnum Opus (1678-1693) – Horti Indici Malabarici – reflects the indigenous medical knowledge of the people of Malabar region (India) in the 17th century. It invited attention of researchers from different walks of life. It dovetailed the science of medicine and culture of indigenous people of India. The present author extended investigation on it from the standpoint of plant invasion prior to this period. This account sheds light on additional 32 alien plant species pertaining to 32 genera and 23 angiospermic families. As many as 20 biogeographical regions have been divulged for their floral contribution to India. The American and African continents share maximum contribution. Nearly all parts of the Old and New Worlds showed contacts with the then India. The author is inclined to state that such ancient botanical annals should be re-investigated on various grounds to disclose past biological invasion which help manage our present biodiversity.


tunately, the lack of space in this review prevents me from discussing each essay. This book is valuable because it is the first (to my knowledge) to bring together essays on the recent Indian English novels. It is also significant because it brings together many Indian academics on the subject. It must be pointed out, however, that many of these academics seem unaware of the scholarship in the West on the Indian novel in English, especially the growing body of scholarship on Rushdie and Desai. Despite its flaws, this book is valuable for the exposure it gives to the new novels in English from India. Before I end this review, I must point out that Allied Publishers needs to pay more attention to its book production. Not only is this one badly proof-read, but it is also wrongly collated. My copy goes from page 32 to page 113 and then resumes at 49 and so on. Much as this lack of linearity in pagination is rather symbolic of the nonlinear narrative mode of the new Indian novel in English, I doubt that this pagination means anything but sloppy production!


OBJECTIVE To investigate whether ischemia preconditioning(IPC)plays a role in ischemia-reperfusion(I/R)injury and the protective effect of IPC on I/R injury.METHODS Ninety male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups,the sham operation group(n = 30),I/R injury group(n = 30),and IPC+I/R injury group(n = 30).Established the rat mesenteric I/R injury model and the mesenteric IPC model.The serum MDA level was determined by penthiobarbital acid reaction method,the myeloperoxidase(MPO)activity in rats' intestinal tissue were determined by colorimetric method.Intestinal tissue specimen was evaluated histopathologically using Park/Chiu scoring system.RESULTS There was slight mucosal injury in the IPC+I/R injury group.In the I/R injury group,it found the villi were denuded to the level of the lamina propria and dilated capillaries,disintegration of lamina propria,hemorrhage and manifesting severe mucosal injury.The serum MDA,MPO levels and Chiu score of the IR injury group were significantly higher than the sham group,the difference was significant(t = 6.912,24.376,19.5533,P﹤0.05);Intervention by IPC,the serum MDA,MPO levels and Chiu score of the IPC +l/R injury group were lower than the IR injury group,the difference was significant(t = 3.293,6.010,4.302,P﹤0.05).CONCLUSION IPC can reduce mesenteric ischemia-reperfusion-induced oxidative stress,reduce the accumulation of neutrophils in intestinal tissue,and has a protective effect for small intestine I/R injury.


To clarify the distributional pattern of the radial nerve branches innervating the lateral lower part of the brachial muscle, 76 Japanese cadavers (152 sides) were examined, and the number and patterns of the branches were recorded and classified. The results showed that (1), the mean lengths from the lateral epicondyle to the point where the radial nerve pierces through the lateral intermuscular septum were 97.4 mm (range, 70-140 mm) and 96.7 mm (range, 65-126 mm) on the left and right sides, respectively (2), the mean lengths between the lateral epicondyle and the points of the first twig branching from the radial nerve were 64.7 mm (range, 25-130 mm) and 68.9 mm (range, 40-120 mm) on the left and right sides, respectively (3) ,the mean lengths of the branches were 16.6 mm (range, 3-37 mm) and 15.4 mm (range, from 3-80 mm) on the left and right sides, respectively, and (4) the distribution pattern on the brachialis muscle could be divided into 4 types. These data will be useful for clinical practice and helpful for medical students to understand double innervation of muscles.


Introduction:
 The residential Rice Diet Program at Duke (RDP) has been shown to be effective in treating patients with malignant hypertension (MH) using a low salt (5 meq/d), low protein (5% kcal), and low fat (5% kcal) diet with no anti-hypertensive medications. Our team examined the RDP medical records and further clarified the identification of 710 MH patients by limiting the criteria of an averaged systolic blood pressure (SBP)>170 mmHg to be met ±7 and a documented non-diabetic hemorrhrage and/or papilledema to be met ± 30 days of starting RDP, respectively.

 Methods:
 Wilcoxon ranked-sum was used to compare baseline and week-4 blood pressures (BPs), weight, and urine chloride (uCl, a measure of low-salt diet adherence). Linear regression was used to examine the association between baseline age, gender, SBP, last weight measure and uCl change with SBP change at week-4. Retina evaluation were compared between baseline and last measure using Chi-Square and Fisher's Exact tests.

 Results:
 Male patients (p=.048) and those with a greater change in uCl (p=.001) had a greater reduction in SBP at week-4 (
 Table
 ). Those with a higher baseline SBP had a lower reduction in SBP (p<.001), while baseline age and last weight measure had no effect. The proportion of MH patients with either hemorrhage alone, papilledema alone or both, reduced during RDP participation (p<.001).

 Conclusion:
 The RDP significantly lowered BPs, weight and uCl in MH patients within 4-week of starting RDP. The proportion of patients with documented retinal hemorrhage and/or papilledema also reduced significantly during participation in RDP. The mechanisms of the diet's impact merit further investigation.


Malignant tumor is one of diseases that can lead to death,biological therapy for tumor has become the fourth therapy after surgery,radiotherapy and chemotherapy,and has giant application prospect because of characteristics of consistency with physiological,highly-efficient and low toxicity.In vivo injection of tumor immune active cells is an important field of biological treatment.Among them,the dendritic cells( DC) and cytokine induced killer( CIK) cells are two main components of biological therapy of cancer,and the combination of the two ensures an efficient and harmonious immune system,which has become a hot topic in the tumor treatmentnowadays,and here is to review the biological characteristics and research progress in cancer treatment of DC-CIK cells.


Introduction: Structural failure of a rotator cuff repair, if associated with pain and severe dysfunction, represents a treatment challenge. Depending on the size of the retear ,the degree of fatty degeneration of the involved muscles, retraction of the musculotendinous unit, as well as age and activity level of the patient, treatment options include re-repair, re-repair with tendon transfer, glenohumeral arthrodesis and inverse total shoulder (Delta) prosthesis. The purpose of this study was to review the outcome of treatment of failed rotator cuff repairs and to compare the results of the four most important types of treatments.

Material and methods: From 1991 till 2002, we retrospectively analysed 80 patients, who underwent revision surgery of the shoulder after failed primary cuff repair. Out of them, 33 had a rerepair, 15 were treated with a delta prosthesis, 17 with a latissimus dorsi-and 15 with a pectoralis major-transfer. Data assessment included pre- and postoperative Constant Score and complication rate. Average follow-up time was 51 months.

Results: After rerepair of the rotator cuff, patients showed a significant gain in subjective shoulder value, rel. Constant Score and reduction of pain(p<0.05), but range of motion and strength remained unchandged. After additional latissimus-dorsi-or pectoralis major-transfer no significant gain was seen in either subjective shoulder value, nor rel. Constant Score. After Implantation of delta prosthesis, significant improvement was seen in subjective shoulder value, relative Constant score, range of motion and strength (p<0.05). These improvements were significantly better than in the other groups (p<0.05). Complication rate was the highest in the delta group.

Conclusion: After failed rotator cuff repair, attempts of rerepair allow good subjective results by reducing pain and maintaining range of motion. Although range of motion is maintained after additional latissimus dorsi-and pectoralis major-transfer, subjective and objective results are not satisfying. After implantation of a delta prosthesis, very good subjective and objective outcome can be predicted, although results are slightly compromised by the high complication rate.


ABSTRACT This paper delineates the growth of academy trusts in England before exploring government intentions to base the future state-funded school system on 'strong' multi-academy trusts. Academies, directly funded by the central government, first appeared in 2002 as an alternative to local authority-managed provision, with the initial intention of addressing continued underperformance of schools in urban areas. It was not until 2010, however, with an incoming Coalition government that the academisation process was widened, a policy seemingly driven by a desire to limit the influence of local authorities in line with principles of new public management (NPM). The number of academies increased dramatically (for a variety of reasons) to the point where now over half the school population are within them. Individual academies have, since the appointment of Regional School Commissioners in 2014, been encouraged to join formally with other academies as multi-academy trusts (MATs). Whilst by 2022 there were nearly 10,000 academies, most were in MATs with the government signalling its intention through a White Paper to base the future on them. The academisation process has featured several areas of concern, however, not all of which will be resolved by the policy statements contained in this proposal for new legislation.


Airborne transmission is predicted to be a prevalent route of human exposure with SARS-CoV-2. Aside from African green monkeys, nonhuman primate models that replicate airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 have not been investigated. A comprehensive and comparative evaluation of COVID-19 in African green monkeys, rhesus macaques, and cynomolgus macaques following airborne exposure to SARS-CoV-2 was performed to define parameters critical to disease progression and the extent to which they correlate with human COVID-19. Respiratory abnormalities and viral shedding were noted for all animals, indicating successful infection. Cynomolgus macaques developed fever, and thrombocytopenia was measured for African green monkeys and rhesus macaques. Type II pneumocyte hyperplasia and alveolar fibrosis were more frequently observed in lung tissue from cynomolgus macaques and African green monkeys. The data indicate that, in addition to African green monkeys, macaques can be successfully infected by airborne SARS-CoV-2, providing viable macaque natural transmission models for medical countermeasure evaluation. One Sentence Summary Nonhuman primates develop COVID-19 following airborne virus exposure.


W. Douglas, 'Environmental Problems of the Oceans: The Need for International Controls', 1 Environment Law 149 (1971); L. Caflisch, 'International Law and Ocean Pollution: The Present and the Future', 8 RBDI 7 (1972); J. Schneider, 'Something Old, Something New: Some Thoughts on Grotius and the Marine Environment', 18 Virginia Journal of International Law 147 (1974); J. L. Hargrove (ed.), Who Protects the Ocean?: Environment and the Development of the Law of the Sea (1975); E. Mann Borgese and D. Krieger (eds.), The Tides of Change: Peace, Pollution, and Potential of the Oceans (1975); R. Johnson (ed.), Marine Pollution (1976); A. Kiss, 'La Pollution du milieu marin', 38 ZaoRV 902 (1978); G. J. Timagenis, International Control of Marine Pollution (1980); K. Hakapaa, Marine Pollution in International Law (1981); D. M. Johnston (ed.), The Environmental Law of the Sea (IUCN, Environmental Policy Paper No. 18, 1981); E. Gold, Handbook on Marine Pollution (1985); R. Soni, Control of Marine Pollution in International Law (1985); J. van Dyke, D. Zaelke and G. Hewison (eds.), Freedom of the Seas in the 21st Century: Ocean Governance and Environmental Harmony (1993); A. Couper and E. Gold (eds.), The Marine Environment and Sustainable Development (1993); K. Gjerde and D. Freestone, 'Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas', 9 IJMCL 431 (1994) (special issue); L. Lucchini and M. Voelckel, Le Droit de la mer (1996); H. Ringbom (ed.), Competing Norms in the Law of Marine Environmental Protection (1997); UN, Oceans and Law of the Sea: Report of the Secretary General (1998); R. Churchill and A. Lowe, The Law of the Sea (1999, 3rd edn); […]


Materials used for study were viral smears or ultra-thin sections containing viral cell inclusions. They were stained with the Feulgen reaction and other cytochemical procedures. Stained preparations were dried and then shadow-cast with metallic chromium for 30 seconds in a bell jar with a vacuum of at least 0.1 µ (10−4mm.) of mercury, and placed at a shadowing angle of 10–12°. Shadow-cast preparations were cleared with xylene and mounted in Canada balsam. Dried smears or deparaffinized sections without staining were suited to this method also. A virus which stained indistinctly with cytochemical procedures alone could be adapted to visible light microscopy by shadowing, and in addition, used for observations on its chemical composition.


We present an indirect, non-destructive optical method for domain statistic characterization in disordered nonlinear crystals having homogeneous refractive index and spatially random distribution of ferroelectric domains. This method relies on the analysis of the wave-dependent spatial distribution of the second harmonic, in the plane perpendicular to the optical axis in combination with numerical simulations. We apply this technique to the characterization of two different media, Calcium Barium Niobate and Strontium Barium Niobate, with drastically different statistical distributions of ferroelectric domains.


The Doppler effects for the reflected wave from moving media are systemically analyzed in this paper. The theoretical formula for the Doppler shift in left‐handed material, which is described by Drude's dispersion model, is presented. This formula is examined by first‐principles numerical experiments, which are in agreement with the theoretical results. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 47: 76–79, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.21086


With the explosive growth of the data traffic and the access number of intelligent devices, the wireless communication systems based on the radio frequency (RF) is suffering from the pressure of spectrum shortage and access congestion constantly, which can be alleviated with the help of visible light communication (VLC). However, due to the limitations of VLC such as finite coverage and inconvenient uplinks, it is imperative to form the hybrid systems and realize the complementary advantages of VLC and RF. In this paper, the hybrid VLC-RF system with multi-users is investigated, where the sum achievable rate and energy efficiency (EE) are maximized via the alternate optimization of transceiver association and power allocation. In addition, based on various types of multiple access points, EE is optimized under different QoS requirements for green communications. With the assistance of proper approximations, the overall problem is decomposed into several convex sub-problems, which can be solved analytically and avoid traversal permutation. The numerical simulations show the effectiveness and scalability of the proposed algorithm in the hybrid VLC-RF system, which can achieve superior performances than the conventional methods and single systems in multifarious scenarios.


It is rotined that at creation of synchronous information network (SIN) the correlation-basic systems (CBS) on the basis of the single coordinate-tymе providing the phase modification implementation is needed. A maximally plausible estimation over of signals time delay is brought in SIN point-to-point KBS with the casual relative change of phase of the accepted signals. The structure of measuring device of time of delay signals is synthesized. Figs: 1. Refs: 8 titles.


and when she returned the whole side of the larynx was so fixed and infiltrated with the growth that he had handed her over to Mr. Wilfred Trotter, who had operated successfully and turned in a flap. That was seven years ago, and the patient was still well and earning her own living. She wore a tracheotomy tube because of the stenosis. Removal of the ala gave a larger field. It was a mistake to talk of the ale being forced apart. They could be fairly well separated, and if one ala was taken away and only soft tissue was left, there was a freer approach, and one could study the extent of the trouble. In the cases in which the ala was removed the glottis was larger than in those in which it was left, and the bare cartilage on one side was more slowly covered over with granulations than were soft tissues. The longer that covering process took the greater was the contraction, and in the cases in which he had left the bare ala to cicatrize over there was a7 smaller glottis than when he had removed it. He could show four cases of laryngo-fissure in which the patients were medical men who were now using their voices, the most recent operation being two years ago. The barrier did not consist in the cartilage, but in the perichondrium, and he was always careful to preserve the external perichondrium. With regard to preliminary tracheotomy, his (Sir StClair's) principle was "safety first." Tracheotomy added no danger to the operation, and it caused no shock. He had operated on a patient aged 80, whose blood-pressure was 200 mm., and had had occasional attacks of angina pectoris. That patient had been sitting up and playing cards within twenty-four hours of the operation, and was alive and well three years afterwards. Another patient, with a blood-pressure of 200, was out of bed reading on the evening after the operation. The injection of cocaine, and other precautions, prevented coughing, splashing, loss of blood and shock. He could not understand how a fairly large ether tube in the interior of the glottis could facilitate the view of the extent of the disease. Blood could be cut off absolutely by tracheotomy and the careful packing with gauze above it. Reports of successes along various lines were published from time to time, but little was heard-except indirectly-of failures and of the accidents which occurred owing to the non-insertion of a tracheotomy tube-three of these had come to his notice during the previous winter. He (Sir StClair) was anxious that the high reputation wbich laryngologists in this country had obtained with regard to this operation should be maintained. In his (the speaker's) eighty cases of laryngo-fissure there had been, as everyone knew, three deaths; one of those was due to rupture of the cesophagus, and the other two followed mistaken doses of heroin and morphia. Mr. W. M. MOLLISON said he had performed laryngo-fissure on two or three occasions with intratracheal ether, and the tube had not been in his way; it lay in the posterior commissure, out of the line of vision. Mr. HOWARTH (in reply) said that in his later cases he had had better results and an easier passage than in earlier ones in which he had first performed tracheotomy. In his early laryngo-fissure cases he had had three deaths, and those were caused by blood getting into the trachea. He had not found happen what Mr. Carruthers mentioned. There was always a return current of air which blew anything upwards, even from the upper end of the trachea. He thought that if the ala was removed there might be a more diffuse recurrence in the neck tissues. He did not think the ala greatly limited the view.


Hypothesis / aims of study Previous study showed that the prevalence of ketamine induced urological complication was around 25%~50%. Higher typical doses and more frequent use were also associated with significantly higher rates of developed lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Moreover, female ketamine users self-reported significantly greater (2.7 ORs) levels of severity in urinary discomforts compared with male users. However, there was no discussion with risk factors which had casual effect on developing LUTS, such as multiple drug use and comorbidities. The aim of our study was to investigate the association between ketamine induced LUTS and dosage, duration, comorbidities, depression and multiple drug abuse.


Progesterone concentration in the ovarian vein blood during the menstrual cycle has been studied in 4 patients. Values of 110, 48 and 29 μg/100 ml of ovarian vein blood were obtained 5, 10 and 11 days postovulatory, respectively. In one anovulatory cycle no measurable progesterone could be detected. In addition to progesterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone,1 20α-hydroxy-4-pregnene-3-one and androstenedione have been identified in the same samples.


The reactions of N-formyloxy-N-methoxyformamide 4 with ammonia 2 and methanethiol 3 have been modeled at theAM1, HF/6-31G* and Density Functional computational levels. The reaction process is similar geometrically and electronically to classical SN2 reactions at carbon. Near- linear transition states reveal extensive charge separation and partial nitrenium ion character at the formamide nitrogen indicative of a non-synchronous process involving early stretching of the formate-formamide nitrogen bond. Activation energies, computed from pBP/DN* energies of HF/6-31G* ground state and transition state geometries, are in the range of experimental values and a strong solvation effect is predicted. Evidence for anomeric weakening of the N-formate bond by the geminal alkoxyl oxygen was obtained from a comparison of the reactions of ammonia with 4 and N-formyloxy-N-methylformamide 5. An N-alkyl group leads to a much larger activation energy in accordance with the experimental findings for N-acyloxy-N- alkylamides, which are resistant to attack by nucleophiles and are non-mutagenic.


Employing a Hilbert space ansatz the multireference, coupled‐cluster single and double (MRCCSD) excitation equations are derived and presented in a transparent diagrammatic form for a complete active multireference space. All possible excitation levels are considered to be in the complete active space through hextuples, for which the MRCCSD equations are shown to be complete. The equations apply for open‐ and closed‐shell cases.


As a pure quantum state is being approached via linear feedback, and the occupation number approaches and eventually goes below unity, optimal control becomes crucial. We obtain theoretically the optimal feedback controller that minimizes the uncertainty for a general linear measurement process, and show that even in the absence of classical noise, a pure quantum state is not always achievable via feedback. For Markovian measurements, the deviation from minimum Heisenberg Uncertainty is found to be closely related to the extent to which the device beats the free-mass Standard Quantum Limit for force measurement. We then specialize to optical Markovian measurements, and demonstrate that a slight modification to the usual input-output scheme -- either injecting frequency independent squeezed vacuum or making a homodyne detection at a non-phase quadrature -- allows controlled states of kilogram-scale mirrors in future LIGO interferometers to reach occupation numbers significantly below unity.


Long letter from Calvin and Margarette to Mrs. Lerned, Catharine C.P. Lerned, and Louisa McAllaster about taking care of Edward, Louisa's baby, and news of various kinds.


Spanwise wall oscillations have been widely investigated since the seminal work of Jung et al. [4] as an active means to reduce turbulent skin-friction drag and as a basis for more sophisticated control strategies. In spite of its relative simplicity, the spanwise oscillation concept has been tested mostly numerically and the few experimental realizations are proofof-principle laboratory experiments in which the spanwise wall velocity is imposed by moving the wall through bulky crankdriven mechanisms. Such solutions are generally energetically inefficient, require significant modifications of the wind tunnel test section and, most importantly, can not be easily integrated into more complex systems. Gouder et al. [3] realised the spanwise oscillating surfaces through a novel actuator concept: the dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs). However they found this technology to be unattractive due to the fragility of the actuators, having a lifetime of only a few minutes [2]. In the present work, we describe the fabrication and windtunnel testing of long-lasting spanwise-oscillating active surfaces based on DEA. We point out some drawbacks of this particular actuator and verify whether potential advantages, such as low power consumption and simplicity, can in fact be realised. The net power saving is experimentally measured for the first time. Possible further developments are suggested, which could enable investigations at higher values of Re. The finite streamwise extent of the actuated area is addressed as a possible source of the well-known discrepancies between numerically and experimentally measured drag reduction.


We present a case of 18 months old male child who reported with acute urinary retention. He had a urethral calculus along with a vesical calculus. He was subjected to combined external urethrotomy and open vesicolithotomy in one sitting. The patient made a smooth post operative recovery and was followed up for 6 months.


Electro-pneumatic valve actuators are used to eliminate the cam shaft of a traditional internal combustion engine. They are used to control the opening timing, duration, and lift of both intake and exhaust valves. A control oriented model was developed to reduce computational throughput for real-time implementation. The developed control oriented model was validated by experimental data. An adaptive valve lift control strategy was developed to improve lift repeatability. A model reference adaptive system identification technique was employed to calculate system parameters needed for generating closed-loop control signals. The convergence of the derived adaptive parameter identification algorithm was verified using the valve test bench data. The bench test data covers engine speed from 1200 rpm and 5000 rpm. Parameter identification convergence was achieved within 40 cycles. Error between the model and plant outputs were converged to given tolerances. Finally, a closed-loop control strategy was developed and validated in simulation.


This research was conducted in SMP Negeri 2 Singaraja on the students of class IX 1in odd semester, academic year 2016/2017 with condition of student discipline still less appropriate with initial data reach 75% .The purpose of this action research study is to know whether the individual guidance model can improve discipline students in following school rules. Data collection method was observation. Data analysis method was descriptive for qualitative data. The result obtained from this research was individual guidance can improve student discipline in following school order. This is evident from the results obtained in the first cycle increased 80% of the initial data. After the individual guidance and improvement on the weaknesses that exist in cycle I was increased from Cycle I to Cycle II up to 98%. Conclusion obtained from this study is individual guidance can improve student discipline in following school rules


After 34 years, the Carter Doctrine remains valid. But there are cheaper and more effective ways of keeping the oil flowing than unilateral deployment of military force.


Purpose : To investigate the effect of pegylated niosomal vincristine (VCR) on enhanced performance, drug resistance and prolonged blood circulation time. Methods : Pegylated niosomal VCR was synthesized by reverse phase evaporation. The mean diameter, size distribution, and zeta potential of pegylated niosomal VCR were evaluated using a Zetasizer. The half-maximal concentration (IC50) values of pegylated niosomal VCR and standard VCR were determined using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The impact of pegylated niosomal VCR on apoptosis and cell cycle of BCL1 lymphoma cancer cells were investigated. Results : The mean diameter, size distribution and zeta potential of pegylated niosomal VCR were 220 nm, 0.4, and –18.8 mV, respectively. Cell proliferation was evaluated using the MTT assay. The IC50 values of pegylated niosomal VCR and standard VCR were 1.6 and 3.5 μg/mL, respectively, after a 24-h incubation. The cytotoxicity of pegylated niosomal VCR was twice that of standard VCR. Furthermore, flow cytometric analysis of the cell cycle showed that pegylated niosomal VCR induced greater mitotic arrest than did standard VCR. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate the effective antitumor activity of pegylated niosomal VCR compared with standard VCR. Keywords : Niosome, Anti-tumour, Polyethylene glycol, Vincristine,   Encapsulation, Lymphoma


Applications which run on parallel sdpercomputers are often characterized by massive datasets. Converting these vast collections of numbers to visual form has proven to be a powerful aid to comprehension. For a variety of reasons, it may be desirable to provide this visual feedback at rntime. One way to accomplish this is to exploit the available parallelism to perform graphics operations in place. In order to do this, we need appropriate parallel rendering algorithms and library interfaces. This paper provides a tutorial introduction to some of the issues which arise in designing parallel graphics libraries and their underlying rendering algorithms. The focus is on polygon rendering for distributed memory message-passing systems. We illustrate our discussion with examples from PGL, a parallel graphics library which has been developed on the Intel family of parallel systems. Accesion For NTIS CRA&I DTIC TAB Unannounced U Justification............................. By Distribution I Availability Codes Avail and / or Dist Special -i 1 This work was supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Contract Nos. NASl-18605 and NASI-19480 while the author was in residence at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering (ICASE), M/S 132C, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681-0001. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


The present article proposes the competence of implementation of safe surgical protocols in times of SARS coronavirus to be developed by the students of Nursing at the University of Babahoyo in Ecuador, through the contextualized integration of teaching with medical care and research It is sustained on the formation of professional competencies approach in the field of Medical Education The methods used were: the analysis-synthesis method, the revision of documents and the systemic approach - which allowed the configuration of the formative structure of this competence that was recently incorporated to the professional profile of the graduates on Nursing -, the pedagogical pre-experiment and the Chi-square (X-2) test that made possible its validation in the formative practice It can be applied in other contexts both nationally and internationally with the correct contextualization to the demands of the formative process in the Nursing major


Mathematics establishes its position and function in training students′ ability with its logic,preciseness,accuracy and application.Reform of higher vocational mathematics teaching is discussed from two aspects,teaching content and criteria of assessment.According to present situation of higher vocational education development and training target,the selection of mathematics teaching content must closely connect with students′ major,carrying out the principle of necessity and sufficiency to train practical talents and explore multi-level teaching mode.


This paper applies the Compressed Sensing (CS) the targets detection in small scale dense Wireless Sensors Networks (WSN). The monitored area is partitioned into cells, each equipped by one sensor. The CS application aims to locate targets from a reduced subset of sensors measurements. A generalized version of a recently proposed Greedy Matching Pursuit algorithm (GMP), designed for point events joint detection and counting, is derived, which is denoted by gGMP. This generalization enables the identification of several active cells at each iteration. Also, an optimized deterministic sensors subset selection scheme, based on the maximum energy is envisaged and shown to outperform the random choice scheme.


the ICS are generally comparable with other national victimization surveys, however. The ICS cover a number of topics that could not be summarized in this review, including victimization abroad, fear of crime, attitudes toward sentencing and the police', participation in Neighborhood Watch, the reporting of crimes to police, assistance to victims, and the distribution of theft insurance and handguns. Unexplained national patterns will give readers from different nations a great deal to think about. Sexual assault and violence was distinctively high in Austrialia; as a nation, Spaniards most distrusted the police, but the bottom score on that measure was recorded in pre-thaw Warsaw; Canada looked more like the US than most there would probably hope; and the Swiss are safe at home but seem to be highly at risk whenever they leave their country. The book concludes with a promise that more details will follow about individual nations, in further reports on the ICS.


Being continually subjected to various forms of assessment remains a certainty for most of us, and the results of those evaluations often have a significant impact on our lives, be it positive or negative. Whether we have in mind aptitude tests, language tests, entrance examinations or either high school or a university, driving tests, their results are invariably of profound importance for us of profound importance for us. It is automatically taken for granted by the public is that the requirements for passing the tests are appropriate, and the instruments for the measurement of the required knowledge, abilities, performance, skills or competencies have been constructed in such a way that they reliably and accurately measure what they are intended to measure. Nevertheless, we often do not realize that this ideal is not always the case and hence, the tests frequently become a potentially dangerous instrument in the hands of the powerful in order to impose their policies. The objective of the contribution is to raise awareness and focus attention on the importance of tests, their design and quality control. It will illustrate the pitfalls in the area of language testing both from professional literature and authors' experience.


Background & Aims Resilience is defined as a person's ability to maintain psychological balance and recover from challenging conditions. Due to the very important role of family caregivers in the treatment of older patients with COVID-19, attention to their health and well-being has been increased. This study aims to determine the resilience level of the family caregivers of older people during COVID-19 pandemic in Mashahd, Iran. Materials & Methods This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 120 family caregivers of older people who referred to urban health centers in Mashhad, Iran. Sampling was done in using cluster random sampling method from April to June 2022. The instrument was a two-part questionnaire included demographic form (surveying age of the elderly and caregiver, gender of caregiver, educational level of caregiver, employment status of caregiver, marital status of caregiver, and the relation of caregiver with the elderly) and the Connor-Davidson resilience scale. Data analysis was done in SPSS v.23 software using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results The mean age of family caregivers and elderly were 39.94±1.32 and 74.44±3.17 years, respectively. The age of caregivers ranged 20-74 years and the age of the elderly ranged 60-89 years. The mean resilience score of caregivers was 49.40±13.07, which is low. There was a significant relationship between resilience score and educational level (P<0.05), marital status (P<0.001) and employment status of family caregivers (P<0.05). The correlation between resilience and caregiver's age (r=0.17) and elderly's age (r=0.13) was positive, but weak. Conclusion Family caregivers of the elderly in Mashhad city have low resilience. Their educational level, employment status, and marital status are related to their resilience level. Attention to these factors can help health care providers to develop plans for increasing their resilience and improving the quality of life of the elderly.


High field (HF) spectrometers involve an expensive instrumentation, are located in dedicated laboratories and operated by specialized staffs. These drawbacks have hampered the use of HF NMR inside the synthetic laboratories and the production sites. A new generation of benchtop NMR spectrometers, compact and cryogen free, has emerged as a relevant alternative to extend the scope of NMR in harsh environments [1]. Obviously, the use of these permanent magnets involves a reduced frequency dispersion leading to crowded spectra with numerous overlapped resonances. 2D NMR is therefore an appealing solution, unfortunately incompatible with applications such as reaction monitoring due to its time scale and its incremental nature. In order to circumvent this drawback, we developed Ultrafast (UF) NMR on a benchtop spectrometer, yielding 2D specta within a single – or at most a few – scans [2]. These experiments were achieved on 43 MHz Spinsolve (Magritek) spectrometer including a gradient coil originally designed for diffusion experiments [3].


Abstract Abstract This paper reports the effect of silica fume (SF), nanosilica (NS) and superplasticiser (SP) addition on the rheological behaviour of Portland cement pastes with different amounts of SF (0-10%), NS (1%) and SP (0-0·4%) and water to binder (W/B) ratio of 0·4. A rheometer with concentric cylinders geometry was used and the maximum shear rate of 100 s−1 was applied. SP decreased the hysteresis area, while SF and NS increased it. Samples with NS showed high slopes in descending curves, while samples with SF and high dosages of SP showed lower values. In both cases, the Bingham model resulted in negative values for the yield stress, so that the Herschel-Bulkley model was used instead. The spread values variation on flow table did not follow a linear regression model. For this investigation, commercially available SF and NS were used.


The present invention between the, in particular the liquid crystal layer to be on the diffuser plate and the direct backlight assembly, a modification of the shape of the light guide to prevent the noise that is generated when the light guide for supporting the diffuser plate rubbed with each other by external force that with two substrates are opposite mounted on and disposed over at least one in the lower part of the coalescing liquid crystal panel, a light emitting lamp, disposed in the light emitting lamp bottom reflector and, as the light diffusion disposed in the lamp the top plate, the diffuser plate upper surface of the optical and sheets, are fastened to the reflector upper portion, and a support having a tension (tenson) structure in height by external force at the same time as haejum supporting the diffuser plate to vary, characterized in that it comprises a light guide that its components. Backlight, a diffusion plate, a light guide


Religion and idealist philosophy are two different social ideologies and social cultural phenomenona.One is based on the devout belief and various ceremonies and properieties,while the other is based on rational reflection and logical proof.However,philosophy emerges from the womb of religion and has religious trace and brand.Therefore,we should dialectically distinguish that the two are linked as well as different from each other.


In Japan, regulatory intervention aimed at preventing a prospective surplus of physicians is an important medical issue. The study committees organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHW) in 1986, 1993 and 1998, concluded that the number of physicians would exceed demand for their services in the future. As a result, the government planned to reduce the number of medical students. However, MHW has not been successful in the intervention so far, as shown by the fact that their initial plan for a 10% reduction in the number of students enrolled in medical school has not been attained. In this paper, we examine why the MHW policy failed.


We study the electron spectrum and the density of states of long-wave electrons in the curved graphene nanoribbon based on the Dirac equation in a curved space-time. The current-voltage characteristics for the contact of nanoribbon-quantum dot have been revealed. We also analyze the dependence of the specimen properties on its geometry.


The study revealed that irrigation at 0.6 IW/CPE ratio recorded maximum yields. Cassava raised as sole crop or as comrade cropping in groundnut recorded comparable tuber yield. Either sole groundnut or sesame or in combination with cassava as comrade crop did not alter the yield of groundnut and sesame. Raising groundnut as comrade cropping with cassava recorded higher LER. Coir waste applied at 10 tha" increased the tuber and groundnut pod yields.


There are three aspects in the study of Bronze characters: the probing of the Rhythmic beats,complementary study on the phonetics of the Ancient Chinese with the application of phonetics of Bronze characters,investigations of the phonology of the Bronze characters.


This work compares heating and electricity demands with local renewable energy potentials at the example of Ludwigsburg county, a mostly suburban region in South-Western Germany. Bottom-up analyses of the energetic potentials are performed within an established regional energy simulation platform and are thus based on a consistent set of geoinformatic data. This approach has two advantages compared to a top-down analysis or using multiple specialized tools: it allows assessing energetic potentials in high spatial resolution and relates it to heating and electricity demands on a single-building scale. Secondly, it is transferable to other regions due to the widespread availability of most input data. Our results show that exploiting technical potentials for bioenergy, rooftop PV, wind onshore, and hydropower can cover 68% of electricity demand 7% of heat demand in 2019, indicating that energy autonomy is difficult to achieve for densely populated regions in Europe.


This article draws on the findings of a recent empirical study into the experience of managing change in 'high velocity', transformational change contexts. It argues that, with increasing empowerment, notions of the singular, mandated change agent may have to be juxtaposed with the idea of change being managed by a more diverse, multifarious 'cast of characters'. If this is the case, effectiveness in change management may increasingly rest on the development and application of a systematic methodology for assessing the suitability and capabilities to perform in a change role. However, on the basis of the evidence presented, it would appear that selection decisions are being made on a largely subjective and arbitrary basis, and this may be creating wrong or misguided assumptions about an individual's suitability to perform in a change agent role. Additionally, the initial evidence suggests that the process of selection may be open to manipulation by some individuals whose personal aims and goals in the change process are not necessarily congruent with those of the organisation. This in turn may pose an element of strategic risk to the overall change process. The article then discusses some of the theoretical and practical implications facing those with a responsibility for selecting and managing the change managers.


The invention relates to a method for selectively transmitting and receiving antenna relay. According to the invention, the repeater performs the terminal and the wireless communication is located within the intermediate zone having jurisdiction over using a single transmitting and receiving antenna and using a multiple transmitting and receiving antennas communicates with a base station. The repeater sends the case of the downlink, then uses the signal processing techniques amplifier receives a signal transmitted from a particular transmit antenna of the base station to the selective relay zone. In the case of the uplink, the receive signals received from the terminal of the relay area and transmits to the base station. At this time, the signal transmitted to the base station are processed by the repeater to be the greatest received at a particular receiver antenna of the base station. Multiple antennas, MIMO, a base station, repeater, SDMA


Multi-wall carbon nanotubes can be bent by changing the current density of the electron beam in a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). The effect could be observed in a small fraction of nanotubes in all of the investigated samples. The bending can be varied continuously, is reversible and highly reproducible. On removing the force which make them bend, they relax to their originally straight shape without any damage, thus exhibiting spring-like behaviour. We estimate the force which is applied to such a bending tube.


Objective: To examine the levels of plasma microRNAs (miRNAs) in patients with pancreatic cancer, and to explore its clinical significance.Methods: The plasma samples from 43 patients with pancreatic cancer (study group) and 21 healthy volunteers (control group) were collected. Plasma miRNA-21, miRNA-155and miRNA-483-3p levels were detected using real-time fluorogenic quantitative PCR, and the correlation between miRNA levels and clinical features was evaluated.Results: The relative expression levels of plasma miRNA-21, miRNA-483-3p and miRNA-155 of patients with pancreatic cancer were 627.69±125.66, 18.93±10.82 and 20.76±11.87, respectively, which were higher than those of the healthy volunteers (379.39±149.21, 6.43±7.28 and 7.47±6.92, respectively; all P 0.05), which was also not significanly different between the high- and low-expressions of miRNA-483-3p (7.3 vs 5.1 , P > 0.05).Conclusion: miRNAs may become a new biomarker in diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and it also may be used to predict the prognosis. DOI:10.3781/j.issn.1000-7431.2015.33.123


In connection with the growing dynamism of migration flows the problem of combating illegal manifestations of migration has reached for the nearest future of the enduring relevance. Migration and immigration is an integral characteristic way of life of modern society, an organic part of his economy. At the moment all over the world, the development of migration and immigration is extremely contradictory. The inefficiency of the dominant model of international migration is expressed in the huge scale of illegal content. Migration processes in all its diversity is largely reflect the realities of the situation that occurred in a particular society (and also in the world community), and are one of the most important indicators of the level of their development.


Objective: Malposition or misplacement of gastric bands is a rare but recognised early complication of gastric band surgery. Malposition of the band would not normally result in significant weight loss after surgery. Case Report: To our knowledge, we report the first case in the English literature of a malpositioned gastric band encircling the pericardial fat pad only, who presented with delayed symptoms of dysphagia and gastro-oesophageal reflux resulting in significant weight loss (>60% of excess body weight) approximately 6 years after primary surgery. The patient underwent a water-soluble contrast study with antero-posterior views which was suggestive of a slipped band. However, on laparoscopy the band was found to be encircling the pericardial fat pad. Conclusion: We suggest that all contrast swallow studies for patients presenting with symptoms of gastric band slippage should include lateral views to exclude gastric band malposition, irrespective of the time of onset of symptoms after primary surgery.


The homeless phenomenon is very disturbing for the community. Moreover, homeless people have carried out land tenure unilaterally and against the law of someone's land. Furthermore, the purpose of this study is to measure the legal wisdom that can be done by land owners controlled by the Homeless. This research is a normative legal research using a statute approach. By using deductive analysis techniques using legal material processing methods in general. So that it can be analyzed legal problems based on facts in the field or in the community. The results of the study can be denied that the law enforcement of land tenure against the law by homeless people. Can be done in litigation or non-litigation. Litigation measures can be made in criminal and civil cases. The criminal mechanism is carried out by reporting to the police regarding the criminal law stipulated in Article 167 and Article 385 of the Criminal Code. A civil mechanism, the ruler of land and / or buildings thereon can be sued on the basis of an unlawful act along with an application for vacant land Non-litigation legal remedies can be made through complaints to the Satpol PP in the jurisdiction (locus) of the owner of the land rights. Satpol PP is an extension of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Provincial, Regency or City Government.


We describe a new simple but more power- ful form of linear cryptanalysis. It appears to break AES (and undoubtably other cryptosystems too, e.g. SKIP- JACK). The break is "nonconstructive," i.e. we make it plausible (e.g. prove it in certain approximate probabilis- tic models) that a small algorithm for quickly determining AES-256 keys from plaintext-ciphertext pairs exists - but without constructing the algorithm. The attack's runtime is comparable to performing 64 w encryptions where w is the (unknown) minimum Hamming weight in certain bi- nary linear error-correcting codes (BLECCs) associated with AES-256. If w < 43 then our attack is faster than ex- haustive key search; probably w < 10. (Also there should be ciphertext-only attacks if the plaintext is natural En- glish.) Even if this break breaks due to the underlying models in- adequately approximating the real world, we explain how AES still could contain "trapdoors" which would make cryptanalysis unexpectedly easy for anybody who knew the trapdoor. If AES's designers had inserted such a trap- door, it could be very easy for them to convince us of that. But if none exist, then it is probably infeasibly difficult for them to convince us of that.


Palm oil has advantages compared to other vegetable oils such as coconut oil, soybean, or sunflower oil, its production per hectare is high, its economic life is long, and its use varies. This study aims to determine the effect of community palm oil production factors in the village of Tebing Linggahara, West Bilah District, Labuhanbatu Regency. The data used are primary data sourced from 176 oil palm farmers, by providing a questionnaire list. The research model is a quantitative model using multiple linear regression analysis techniques, using the SPSS version 16.0 program. The results showed that land area, seed, fertilizer, labor, plant age, and education level had an influence on palm oil production in Tebing Linggahara Village, West Bilah District, Labuhanbatu Regency, but other sources outside of oil palm farming had an effect on production palm oil for the people. The coefficient of determination R2 = 0.867 can be interpreted that oil palm production of 86.7% can be influenced by land area, seeds, fertilizer, labor, plant age, education level, and other sources outside of oil palm agriculture.


Method for processing a flexible glass substrate is provided. This method has been coupled to a carrier substrate using an inorganic bonding layer undergoes a structural change when subjected to energy input, including flexible glass substrate, comprising the steps of providing a substrate laminate. To initiate a structural change, the energy input to the inorganic binding layer. The structural changes, in order to separate the flexible glass substrate from the carrier substrate, reducing the bond strength of the inorganic binding layer.


Photopolymerization processes, and especially those carried out under visible light, are more and more widespread for their multiple advantages compared to thermal processes. In the present paper, new 1,8-naphthalimide derivatives are proposed as photoinitiators for free-radical polymerization upon visible light exposure using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) at 395, 405, and 470 nm. These photoinitiators are used in combination with both iodonium salts and phosphine. The synthesis of these compounds as well as their excellent polymerization initiation ability for methacrylate monomers are presented in this article. A full picture of the involved chemical mechanisms is also provided thanks to photolysis, radical characterization, and redox measurements.


Conventional stroke rehabilitation methods place a significant burden on physical therapists and clinics in sub-Saharan Africa who struggle with a shortage of rehabilitation professionals and technical resources crucial to the delivery of stroke management. In this study we identified U.S. and Ethiopian-based rehabilitation clinician's preferences for design features to be included in a community-based mHealth application delivering personalized stroke rehabilitation for patients with upper limb motor dysfunction. Results indicated that both groups felt that the mHealth app should include education, assessment, performance tracking, and multilingual features. However, only Ethiopian clinicians felt that social support, gamification, and patient-clinician communication were critical design features. In sum, our results indicate that Information and Community Technologies (ICT) have the potential to enhance stroke rehabilitation, but must be tailored to the geographical and cultural context of the end-users.


By controlling the initial grain size of powders and sintering conditions of the green body,Y-TZP/Al2O3 nano composite ceramics with grain size of 100-500 nm were prepared.The microstructure and phase composition were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.Using indentation method the micro-hardness of the ceramics with different grain sizes was evaluated.The results show that the ceramics were composed of t-ZrO2 with little α-Al2O3 phase.The micro-hardness of the ceramics had obvious indentation size effect,and the hardness was inversely proportional to the square root of grain size.


Wood chips, bark, leaves and grass are used as raw materials, which are treated by a technological means (including immersion, colouring, high-temp sterilization, mounting substrate, cutting and carvin) and then pasted onto a background picture board according to entire conceiving. The background is fixed to a frame to complete an artistical plant picture. It simulates traditional Chinese picture in fine, delicate strokes, free sketch and drawing methods.


We examine the optimal claims settlement strategy for a liability insurer negotiating with classes of claimants who differ in risk attitude and negotiating skill. Our model demonstrates that a profit-maximizing insurer will be systematically less generous in claims payment to claimants who are more risk averse and who experience greater negotiating costs. We test our theory empirically using the 1997 Insurance Research Council automobile claims data. Following the existing literature we use claimant gender and age to identify classes of claimants with different risk preferences and negotiating costs. Empirical analysis is consistent with systematically less generous claims payment to claimants in these classes.


The present study was undertaken for the detection of arsenic in chickens and ducks. Arsenic was detected qualitatively by Reinsch test, semiquantitatively by Arsen test kit and quantitatively by Perkin-Elmer Hydride Generation AAS 300 system (HGQF-AAS) in seven organs and faeces of each of fifty live chickens and ducks collected randomly from different chickens and duck farms and markets from various places of each of five districts of Bangladesh i e. Chandpur, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Khulna and Barisal. The distribution of arsenic concentration was highest in liver and lowest in faeces of chickens and ducks.


The invention relates to a switching device (28) and a switching method. In this case, messages (46) from a sender terminal (40) simultaneously and in parallel to a plurality of receiver terminals (20, 22, 42, 44) received. The switching device (28) is integrated in a telecommunications network (10).


The silent epidemic An economic study of diabetes in developed and developing countries The silent epidemic: An economic study of diabetes in developed and developing countries countries is a report published by the Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by Novo Nordisk. It examines the economic cost to the developed and developing world of a condition that is rapidly becoming one of the world's most serious health problems. Research undertaken for this report breaks down into two main areas. First, the Economist Intelligence Unit calculated the economic cost of diabetes to five countries: China 1 , Denmark, India, the United Kingdom and United States. This was compiled using published data from a range of sources (see page 26). The five countries examined were chosen on the basis that they represent economies of differing sizes, at various stages of their development and with a range of healthcare and social systems. The components of the economic cost were based on two main categories: direct healthcare costs (including the cost of treating complications of diabetes) and cost associated with lost productivity. The latter consists of foregone earnings related to mortality, morbidity and disability. Due to a lack of data, we did not calculate the costs related to informal care, such as care by relatives or in nursing homes. The second strand of research was a programme of in-depth interviews with leading figures from the diabetes community, including government officials, healthcare policy advisers, academics and senior figures from non-profit organisations. The Economist Intelligence Unit would like to thank the interviewees for their time and insight. The Economist Intelligence Unit bears sole, unrestricted responsibility for the content of this report. The Economist Intelligence Unit's editorial team carried out the research, conducted the interviews and wrote the report. The findings and views expressed in this report do not necessarily Preface 1. In the case of China, only the costs of lost productivity were calculated as data were not available for direct healthcare costs.


The structure and stereochemistry of the title compound, C17H22N4O8, are reported. The compound is formed by the reaction of 5,6-diamino-2-methoxy-3-methylpyrimidin-4(3H)-one and l-xylose. It is the enantiomer of the compound synthesized using d-xylose and reported previously [Low et al. (1995). Acta Cryst. C51, 2141–2143]. There are no significant differences (apart from the absolute configuration) between the structure report here and that of the enantiomer reported previously.


In this work, we investigate the relationship between solitude andauthentic leadership development. Despite the work of previous researchersin the field of Authentic Leadership (e.g. Avolio et al., 2004; Avolio &Gardner, 2005) and Solitude (e.g. Long, 2003; Long & Averill, 2003, Burger,1995), there has been no systematic connection between these two conceptsso far. Therefore, we propose a conceptual framework, which describesthe role of solitude as a mediating mechanism, leading from Inner Search toAuthentic Leadership development. Next, we apply this framework empirically in a large panel of firmsand a sample of 140 managers and 375 subordinates, by means of FactorAnalysis and Structural Equation Modelling (S.E.M.). Results indicate thatsolitude does, indeed, fully mediate the effect of Inner Search on AuthenticLeadership.


The research aims to know thinking profile of high IQ students in making external mathematical connections seen from gender difference.The research method employed was qualitative explorative research. The research subject consisted of 2 students of the senior high school in XII grade who had high IQ (a male and a female student).Data were collected through interview and analyze to the reduction of data, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification. The result showed that high IQ male student (MS) and high IQ female student (FS) received information by doing attention and rehearsal, and recalled the information by doing recognition. MS processing information by using linkages between mathematics concepts and principles with physics subject and with some problems in his real life.While FS processing information by using linkages between mathematics concepts and principles with physics subject, and geography subject, as well as some problems in her real life. The implications of this research result are that in learning mathematics, students need to be learned to be able to managethe information they have, so they can create external mathematical


Plasmonic nano-antennas have proven the outstanding ability of sensing chemical and physical processes down to the nanometer scale. Sensing is usually achieved within the highly confined optical fields generated resonantly by the nano-antennas, i.e., in contact to the nanostructures. In this paper, we demonstrate the sensing capability of nano-antennas to their larger scale environment, well beyond their plasmonic confinement volume, leading to the concept of "remote" (non contact) sensing on the nanometer scale. On the basis of a bowtie-aperture nano-antenna (BNA) integrated at the apex of a SNOM (Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy) fiber tip, we introduce an ultra-compact, moveable, and background-free optical nanosensor for the remote sensing of a silicon surface (up to distance of 300 nm). Sensitivity of the BNA to its large scale environment is high enough to expect the monitoring and control of the spacing between the nano-antenna and a silicon surface with sub-nanometer accuracy. This work paves the way towards an alternative class of nanopositioning techniques, based on the monitoring of diffraction-free plasmon resonance, that are alternative to nanomechanical and diffraction-limited optical interference-based devices.


The research presents the data of long-term observations of the impact of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant operation on the radioecological situation in the region of its location. The dynamics of the content of natural and artificial radionuclides in the components of agricultural ecosystems was studied due to the data based on the information from the radioecological monitoring network developed in 2003. Samples of soils, agricultural products and animal feeds were taken at 11 control sites located on arable lands and grasslands in the vicinity of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, and, in settlements, locally produced food was sampled. It was shown that for the period of studies of 2003-2019, the average specific activity of 90 Sr in the soils of agroecosystems of the 10 km influence zone of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant varied within 2.7-4.3 Bq/kg, and specific activity of 137 Cs was 14.6-40.8 Bq/kg. At the same time, there were found no trends of increase in the content of artificial radionuclides in soil over time and at different distances from the NPP, and the increased specific activity of 137 Cs in soil compared to the global background is explained by the Chernobyl fallout. The variability of the average content of natural radionuclides in the soil for 40 K was 481-625 Bq/kg, 226 Ra – 20.6-29.5 Bq/ kg, 232 Th – 28.2-39.2 Bq/kg, which corresponded to all-Russian data. The average specific activity of 90 Sr in grain was 0.24-0.43 Bq/kg, and 137 Cs – 0.19-0.37 Bq/kg. Even the maximum levels of artificial radionuclides in grain were 44 times for 90 Sr and 85 times for 137 Cs lower than the current SanPiN standards. The highest specific activity values of 137 Cs and 90 Sr in potatoes, vegetables, and gourds were 160 times lower than the SanPiN standards. It was noted that the maximum content of 90 Sr in milk was more than 540 times lower than the SanPin standard, and for 137 Cs this difference was 330 times. The maximum content of 137 Cs in beef turned out to be over 850 times lower than the SanPiN standard for this radionuclide. About 70 Bq/a of 90 Sr and 200 Bq/a of 137 Cs enter the population diet with locally produced food, which is almost 400 times for 137 Cs and 200 times for 90 Sr lower than the annual limit. Milk (46%), meat (31%), potatoes and vegetables (14%) make the main contribution to the formation of the internal dose from agricultural products containing 137 Cs, and contribution to dose from 90 Sr is made by milk (14%) and crop products (potatoes, vegetables, bread) – up to 78%. In general, we concluded that over the past 17 years, the operation of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant did not lead to a deterioration of the radioecological situation in the region of its location, because during the survey period there was no significant increase in the content of artificial radionuclides in agricultural products, foods and environmental components.


Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) is a United Kingdom based industry cooperative for emergency oil spill response and preparedness. The company provides emergency surface and subsurface response to oil spills on a global basis.
 The nature of emergency oil spill response requires responders to understand and deal quickly with the safety risks arising from working in new and unfamiliar surroundings. The risks derive from the physical nature of the incident, the geographical locations, the local weather conditions as well as working with new colleagues and organisations.
 OSRL was originally established in the United Kingdom in 1985 and now employs 265 people in 9 countries. This growth has been the result of mergers with response cooperatives in the United States and Singapore and the introduction of a new subsea well capping services division.
 A common understanding and alignment on safety in an organisation with a range of nationalities and cultures as well as local compliance requirements is critical to safeguarding employees. To ensure this, OSRL began a programme to review safety management systems, processes and procedures as well as employee behaviours. An Operations Excellence Management System, known as 'The Blueprint', was introduced to provide structure and control in corporate documentation as well as providing better navigation to employees in locating specific procedures.
 The introduction of the Blueprint prompted a major overhaul of OSRL's core safety procedures, in particular, risk management. While the basic principles of risk assessment were similar, there was a difference across the company in how risk assessments were prepared, approved and presented.
 The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) Life Saving Rules were introduced. The Rules provide clear guidance on how to prevent accidents known to have caused industry fatalities in the past. OSRL also undertook a review, with employee participation, of the company's values that led to a new corporate 'Values Compass' with safety at the centre.
 Employees are encouraged to take personal ownership of their own safety and that of colleagues. Awareness is promoted by setting formal objectives, linked to remuneration, on hazard identification and behavioural safety observations. This paper will show the strategies and initiatives applied to develop a framework of rules, processes and behaviour to support and protect OSRL responders from the range of safety risks encountered when responding to an oil spill.