Vasoactive intestinal peptide-like immunoreactivity has been demonstrated throughout the gastrointestinal tract in many species, and recently it has been suggested that the lack of an inhibitory effect of VIP in the lower esophageal sphincter is responsible for the pathogenesis of esophageal achalasia. In the present study, the specific binding of VIP on esophageal tissue from achalasia patients and control subjects, rat esophagus and forestomach were studied by radioautographic methods. In the rat forestomach, they were primarily seen on the muscularis mucosae, the circular smooth muscle cells and the vascular smooth muscle cells in the submucosal layer, while few grains were observed on the striated muscle cells in the rat esophagus


The present invention provides a reduced amount expose the stopper bolt, the stopper bolt further prevented from coming off the threaded locking bolt fixing structure, sealing structure, and fixing method. The fixing structure for fixing formed with an internal thread (21) a first member (20) and movable relative to the first member (20) slidably disposed, and is formed with a diameter of the inner diameter than the inner thread (21) of small through holes (31 ) of the second member (30), the second member (30) with respect to the same central axis of the state of the first member (20) positioned within the thread (21) and the through-hole (31), and the stopper bolt ( 10) the external thread and the inner thread (21) is fitted, and the small diameter portion (13) is inserted into the through-hole) inside (31, whereby the first member (20) and a second member (30) is fixed.


Cuffed dual-lumen central venous catheters (DLCVC) have been used increasingly in hemodialysis treatment. DLCVC-related complications such as infections and thrombosis were well discussed in the past. However, reports of spontaneous catheter fracture, one of the rare complications of DLCVC, have increased as a result of more frequent and longer use of DLCVC. Three of our hemodialysis patients were found to have spontaneous catheter fracture during the past two years. We analyzed the possible causes by reviewing the patients' age, sex, comorbid conditions, duration of catheter use, catheter infection, thrombosis, use of intracatheter thrombolytic agents, and the use of intracatheter antibiotic lock. The published studies about this complication were also reviewed.


Birthdays, like New Years, are celebrations which often result in promised re‐thinks and resolutions concerning our future. Nationalist rule in South Africa celebrated its 25 years of life last month and when the birthday celebrations were over there must have been many in that land who hoped that after the party would come some resolutions which promised hope as opposed to fear. The element of fear within South African environments is perhaps the strongest and most dominant that I have encountered in any country. Fear corrodes the very foundations of society and change: it is natural to resist change just as it is natural to cry when one is hurt, shout 'ouch' when pricked with a pin. Fear exists under the veneers of Afrikaner self‐righteousness; it exists despite the materialism of the English society in that country: there is a fear of permissiveness, of immorality, unorthodoxy and, most of all, a fear of new ideas and the change which accompanies them. There is a fear for the future and a fear that accompanies non‐comprehension. When 60 000 are involved in illegal black strikes, as they were earlier this year, and people the world over are forced to become aware of this wave of black strikes as a signal that, despite the efficient authoritarian regime, these black workers can and do organise themselves, it is a warning to us all that their compliancy could be ending sooner than anyone considered.


This study aims to describe the content of aesthetic values of Ketoprak in Javanese philosophy. The material object is the Ketoprak Senapati Pinilih by Bondan Nusantara and its formal object is a philosophy of beauty or aesthetics. This study uses a qualitative method. Ketoprak act is an integral part of the art of Ketoprak. The aesthetics of the Ketoprak Senapati Pinilih approached by Javanese philosophy called Kawruh Joged Mataram, Joged Mataram, or Joged Philosophy in Mataram. Data were analyzed qualitatively descriptive, and then analyze with Verstehen method, interpretation, language analysis, and hermeneutics. In the Ketoprak Senapati Pinilih contained aesthetic values of Javanese philosophy i.e. sawiji or nyawiji which meaning full concentration, greget which meaning spirit, leisure which meaning self-confidence, and ora mingkuh which meaning


Virtual Reality (VR) applications have been powered traditionally by high-end graphics workstations or supercomputers. But recently, clusters of commodity computers have become a practical alternative. The advantages of a commodity cluster include low cost, flexibility, access to technology, and performance scalability. The main goal of our proposal is to offer both a High Performance Computing System (HPC) and High Availability (HA) simulation environment supporting the features demanded by Virtual Reality applications. In this paper we will approach the challenges related to managing and controling this distributed environment in a unique and integrated interface, offering to the user a better use of the available resources.


Currently, acute graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) remains one of the most serious complications of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (НSCT). The release of large amounts of cytokines causes activation of alloreactive T-cells in the early period after transplantation is an important step in pathogenesis of acute GVHD. The basic immunological events leading to GVHD occur during several weeks after hematopoietic graft transfusion. By this reason, cytokine profiling could be used to predict development of GVHD. The majority of studies on cytokines in allogeneic HSCT were performed with classical GVHD prophylaxis, consisting of non-specific immunosuppressive agents like calcineurin inhibitors, methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil, anti-thymocyte globulin, etc. When using this type of prophylaxis, most studies agree in that higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines are associated with development of acute GVHD, while lower levels indicate a successful immunosuppression in abrogation of alloreactive response. Recently, many transplant centers are interested in a novel approach for the GVHD prevention based on Cyclophosphamide post-HSCT (PTCy). Currently, there is no clarity, whether cytokine changes after PTCy are similar to the situation with classical GVHD prophylaxis. It is also unclear if well-known predictive biomarkers remain valid after PTCy-based prophylaxis. Trying to answer these questions, we have conducted a pilot study to determine the dynamics of plasma cytokines in patients undergoing HSCT with PTCy for GVHD prophylaxis. For this pilot study, we have selected five cytokines, IL17, IL-6, IL-8, IFN-γ, and TNF-α, that were shown to have predictive value for acute GVHD. We, therefore, compared their levels in patients who developed acute GVHD versus GVHD-free cases. Patients and Methods


Promising and how promises work have received a great deal of attention from philosophers. One obvious reason for this is the importance of promising; if people did not generally keep their promises a valuable part of our way of life would be lost. A number of philosophers have spoken of promising as if it were universal and some have gone so far as to assert its universality.' Belief in its universality seems to rest not on empirical examination of other societies but on a priori arguments about the nature of society. Indeed, some philosophers find it difficult even to imagine a society without promising.2 Yet if one looks at ethnographic accounts of other societies, one finds that, while obligations everywhere play a crucial role in social life, promising is not preeminent among the sources of obligation and is not even mentioned by most anthropologists. Moreover, we know of at least one society, the Tonga Islands of the South Pacific, where there is no institution of promising. This claim may well be greeted with incredulity by those who believe that promising is an essential element of social life. For example, H. L. A. Hart regards promising as part of what he calls "the minimum content of natural law . .. the rules of conduct which any social organization must contain if it is to be viable."3 He argues that the division of labor and need for cooperation found in every society "secure the recognition of promises as a source of obligation"; the institution of promising is "a standing procedure providing for such self-binding operations . . . required in order to create a minimum form of confidence in the future behavior of others, and to ensure the predictability necessary for cooperation."4


Abstract  The present paper reviews advances in the study of two major intercontinental disjunct biogeographic patterns: (i) between Eurasian and western North American deserts with the Mediterranean climate (the Madrean–Tethyan disjunctions); and (ii) between the temperate regions of North and South America (the amphitropical disjunctions). Both disjunct patterns have multiple times of origin. The amphitropical disjunctions have largely resulted from long‐distance dispersal, primarily from the Miocene to the Holocene, with available data indicating that most lineages dispersed from North to South America. Results of recent studies on the Mediterranean disjuncts between the deserts of Eurasia and western North America support the multiple modes of origin and are mostly consistent with hypotheses of long‐distance dispersal and the North Atlantic migration. Axelrod's Madrean–Tethyan hypothesis, which implies vicariance between the two regions in the early Tertiary, has been favored by a few studies. The Beringian migration corridor for semiarid taxa is also supported in some cases.


We show that the interfacial electromechanics in narrow fluidic confinements exhibits a universal dependence with the intrinsic surface-wettability characteristics, independent of the details of the bulk flow actuating mechanisms. Towards this proposition, we develop a generalized mesoscale model, which is extensively tested for combined electro-osmotic and pressure-driven nanochannel flows. Agreement with the molecular dynamics simulations is found to be quantitative.


Flipped classroom is an approach that has been increasingly used in K‐12 and higher education. Many studies on the flipped classroom have focused on student behaviors, with inadequate attention to student thinking, which is crucial to learning. Meanwhile, prior studies have examined the effects of visualization tools, such as concept map, on improving student learning through in‐depth thinking. Another related approach is knowledge graph, which presents a set of entities and their relationships in a graph as well as in a machine language for further processing and reasoning. It has a potential to support collaborative knowledge construction by automatic combination of individual knowledge graphs. To compare the effects of knowledge graph and concept map on student learning in a flipped classroom, we conducted an experimental study in fifth grade class at an elementary school. Students in the experimental group used a knowledge graph tool in the Learning Cell System, while those in the control group used a concept map tool, XMind, to support their learning of ancient Chinese poetry. The results showed that learning with knowledge graph resulted in better performance in the breadth and depth of subject knowledge as reflected in the students' learning products (ie, concept maps or knowledge graphs). Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic The flipped classroom can improve student learning by enabling active participation and interactions.The concept map is an effective learning tool that can foster meaningful understanding and higher order thinking in both traditional and flipped classrooms.The knowledge graph is a related tool that presents a set of entities and their semantic relationships in a graph as well as in a machine language to support further processing.The knowledge graph can support collaborative knowledge construction by automatic combination of individual knowledge graphs.What this paper adds We conducted an experimental study to compare the effects of knowledge graph and concept map on student learning in a flipped classroom.Compared with concept map, learning with knowledge graph resulted in better performance in the breadth and depth of subject knowledge as reflected in the students' learning products (ie, concept maps or knowledge graphs).Implications for practice and/or policy Learning with knowledge graph fosters more cognitive engagement in exploring the relationships between concepts represented in both individual and converged knowledge graphs.The converged knowledge graph offers the teacher a big picture of the entire class in student understanding.Relevant training should be provided to students and teachers for effective use and learning with the knowledge graph tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] uracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)


Numerical simulations on thermocapillary convection of low Pr number molten tin under uniform magnetic field have been conducted under microgravity. The Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the energy conservation equation are solved on a staggered grid, and the free surface is captured by using the level set method. The present results show that the transverse uniform magnetic field can restrain the thermocapillary convection, and the fluid velocity at the hot corner fluctuates with a constant frequency at the steady state.


Digital Image Analysis is an emerging tool for analysis with HPTLC because it can automate computation of quantitative characteristics from chromatographic plates, allowing an objective interpretation and minimizing human intervention. We have used this technique to separate and determine several phenothiazines such as promazine (Pm), propiomazine (Pp) and trimeprazine (T). Phenothiazines are a group of basic drugs used as tranquilizers, sedatives, antipruritics, etc., in the therapy of different diseases. Exposure of these pharmacologically important compounds to an intense ultraviolet source results in simultaneous photo-oxidation of the drugs and coloration increase of the products (White et al., 1976). The aim of this research was to study a new detector system (Digital Image Analysis) (Bertrand et al., 1991) to use with photochemical derivatization coupled out-line to an HPTLC system and to develop a sensitive analytical method for the separation and determination of these compounds.


Sandwich plates are often used with several surrounding reinforcements or connections, forming a complicated construction. At present, for these analyses, F.E.M. (Finite Element Method) is found valid and recommendable comparing with the usual analytical method. However, the representation with sufficient precision has not yet been obtained for this problem. A practical method for the problem was proposed, and it was confirmed that the method had sufficient accuracy and favorable characteristics of convergence shown by numerical examples. Next, several experiments on rectangular plates with various aspect ratios were made and the results compared with the values calculated by our method. Experimental results show satisfactory agreement with the calculated ones even in the case of concentrated load. As a result, this method is considered one suitable practical use with sufficient accuracy and convergency.


The paper presents a review of 307 doctoral dissertations in five doctoral programs of CPC history between 2000 and 2008.The dissertations studied were grouped in line with seven research areas,namely,empirical research of CPC history,current theories and policies,historical theories and policies,marginal disciplines,figures and their thought,modern and contemporary history,and others.Statistical analysis was applied to discuss the characteristics of the research topics of the five doctoral programs.The current situation and future development tendency in the discipline of CPC history are proposed.


This study intends to present an innovative study for ranking the alternatives in multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) problems under the interval-valued neutrosophic soft set (IVNSS) environment. In this study, to illustrate the notion of objective and subjective weight, the prospect decision theory (PDT) performs an imperative role in determining decision-making problems. PDT predicts human behaviour in terms of gains and losses and considers the expected utility relation to a reference point rather than complete outcomes. In the analysis of merged criteria weight and the prospect decision-making matrix, the authors get a new dimension level for ranking the array of alternatives. This manuscript provides an improved score function (SF) to convert the interval-valued membership grades of truth, indeterminacy and falsity into a mathematical and computational value. The advantage of this method is that it merges the objective and subjective weight during the proposed method. They propose an algorithm based on the SF to determine MCDA problems with IVNSSs. They illustrate a case study and provide various comparative analyses to show its significance over existing studies.


On the premise that examination of a poet's language can provide a valid and significant approach to the study of a work of art, this thesis proposes to make such a study of Prometheus Unbound, the major poetical work of Percy Bysshe Shelley, with specific attention to his use of color language.


A permanent index change of 0.0051% was induced in Sm+2/Sm+3 doped aluminosilicate fiber by irradiating 2W of multi-line output from an Ar ion laser. The photosensitivity was detected by measuring a shift in LP11 mode cutoff wavelength. Bleaching of a broad absorption band in the visible was also observed. The origin of the photosensitivity in the Sm doped optical fiber is the bleaching of Sm+2 ion absorption bands enhanced by multiphoton processes.


Automated fire detection is an active research topic in computer vision. In this paper, it proposes vision based approach for identifying fire in videos. Computer vision-based fire detection algorithms are usually applied in closed-circuit television surveillance scenarios with controlled background. This method can be applied not only to surveillance but also to automatic video classification for retrieval of fire catastrophes in databases of newscast content. In the latter case, there are large variations in fire and background characteristics depending on the video instance. This method analyzes the frame-to-frame changes of specific low-level features describing potential fire regions. These features are color, area size, surface coarseness, boundary roughness, and skewness within estimated fire regions. Because of flickering and random characteristics of fire, these features are powerful discriminants. The behavioral change of each one of these features is evaluated, and the results are then combined according to the Bayes classifier for robust fire recognition. A priori knowledge of fire events captured in videos is used to significantly improve the classification results. In this paper, the spatial temporal feature based from selecting methods to reduce the computation time.


The present invention relates to a preparation method of Chinese medicine which is used for treating sinus tachycardia of yin deficiency and fire excess, and belongs to the technical field of preparation method of Chinese medicine. When being used for treating the sinus tachycardia, if diazepam is adopted, lethargy, hypodynamia, astriction and so on occur, intravenous injection can result in thrombotic phlebitis; and muscle injection has serious pungency. The technical proposal adopts radix rehmanniae, figwort, dwarf lilyturf root, radix asparagi, dendrobium stem, drug solomonseal, lily, tortoise plastron, radix salviae, angelica, prepared radix rehmanniae, mulberry, codonopsis pilosula, pseudostellaria root, tuckahoe, seed of thorny jujube tree, cedar seed, polygala, albizzia julibrissin durazzini, wheat, elm seed, longan pulp, fructus schizandrae, balloon-flower root and baked licorice. The herbs are added into 1360 milliliters of water for 30 minutes; slow fire is then used for frying the mixture; the fried medicinal liquid is filtered to remove slag so as to prepare 500 milliliters of medicinal liquid, therefore the Chinese medicine can be prepared. The Chinese medicine has the advantages of simple manufacture, small wide effects, low toxicity, high cure rate, stable curative effects, and difficult rebound.


Cancer cells are well recognized by immunotolerance characteristics, which include low immunogenicity, weak antigen presentation, low T cell infiltration, and high expression of inhibitory receptors and cytokines. This typical mechanism allows cancer cells to easily avoid the attack by immune cells, resulting in immune escape. Due to unique properties, such as adjustable size, unique surface properties, and ease of modification, nanomaterials have shown great potential in the field of immunotherapy. In this review, we summarize several ways in which nanomaterials can enhance the immune response against tumor cells. Therefore, we presently discuss the potential mechanisms involved in the induction of immune response by a series of nanomaterials. As a result, we also propose the generation of more advanced and tumor-driven nanomaterials, as well as their potential applications in tumor immunotherapy. According to the route of tumor immunity, we have currently classified nanomaterials into three categories: (1) Nanomaterials with inherent immunoregulatory functions, (2) nanomaterials that, upon an exogenous response, trigger immunogenic cell death and/or enhance immune responses, and (3) nanomaterials that are used as delivery vehicles to unload other immune-activating molecules (e.g., chemical drugs, photosensitizers, proteins and DNA plasmids) to tumors or immune cells as well as immune-activating molecules that may enhance an immune response. Some natural or synthetic nanomaterials can inherently stimulate macrophage polarization and enhance immune response. As such, nanomaterials may polarize M2 macrophages into M1 macrophages by regulating the cellular phenotype, reversing the tumor immune microenvironment and, ultimately, improving an immune cell killing activity. Cytokines or compounds with immune stimulating functions can enhance an immune response by promoting the proliferation of immune cells such as T lymphocytes and NK cells. Moreover, some nanomaterials rely on their own electrical properties or responsiveness to the tumor microenvironment, leading to tumor cell immunogenic death and/or enhancing anti-tumor immune responses. Nanomaterials have been widely used in photothermal, magnetocaloric and radiation therapies as well as into other fields, due to their unique optical, electrical, and magnetic properties. Recently, it has been discovered that some of these properties may "switch" tumor cells from non-immunogenic to immunogenic cells (i.e., immunogenic cell death) and, consequently, enhance an anti-tumor immune response. Compared with an endogenous response that mostly relies on characteristics of the tumor microenvironment, rationally designed nanomaterials that are responsive to exogenous responses can more effectively enhance the immune response at the tumor site and then achieve a more precise and tractable treatment. Hence, here we introduce the notion of an enhanced immune response, dependent on the use of nanomaterials co-stimulated by exogenous responses such as near-infrared light response, magnetic field response and others. Lastly, some substances, such as drugs, photosensitizers, proteins, plasmids, are unable to elicit a robust immune response when used without a carrier. In addition, some agents can also cause tissue damage and/or local toxicity when solely used for treatment. Thus, these substances often need to be combined with nanomaterials to achieve high biological loads, targeted delivery, controllable release and other functions to safely and efficiently enhance the anti-tumor immune response. Nevertheless, current research on nanomaterial-based immunotherapy is still under development, and the translation for clinical application is still challenging. Therefore, advances in the development of innovative therapeutic nanomaterials will offer great potential for improving the effectiveness of immunotherapy.


Network dynamics may have played a key role in the Origin of Life. 'Smart' molecules such as template replicators and enzymes may not have been necessary in the first evolving entities. Instead, a process of natural selection between chemical networks operating in different organisms may have been the key evolutionary mechanism. This paper shows such a process using the SimSoup artificial chemistry simulation. The context and conceptual background for SimSoup is first outlined. The model is then described, and differences with other models are highlighted. SimSoup has network elements that correspond directly to the unimolecular and bimolecular elementary reaction schemes of physical chemistry. These network elements can be combined in very general ways to produce 'compound interactions' which can be catalytic. The model includes mass conservation, reaction rates based on considerations of energy and thermodynamics, and cycle detection. A run of the model is presented showing an evolutionary process in which a metabolic network is modified at periodic intervals, and the modification is accepted or discarded according to whether or not it results in higher metabolic activity. The network includes a large number of cyclic flows. It evolves through a series of persistent states, each of which can be regarded as a different


The status of the BEPC‐II e+e− collider and the new BES‐III detector is reviewed.The status of the BEPC‐II e+e− collider and the new BES‐III detector is reviewed.


Finding ways to motivate student-athletes can be a challenging task that requires creativity, autonomy and buy-in. The 4 M's of Motivation: Keys to Motivating Student-Athletes introduces an innovative model that can be used by athletic academic professionals to help student-athletes cultivate and maintain motivation.


We discuss the strong interaction regime of the nonlinear Landau-Zener problem coming up at coherent photo- and magneto-association of ultracold atoms. We apply a variational approach to an exact third-order nonlinear differential equation for the molecular state probability and construct an accurate approximation describing the whole time dynamics of the coupled atom-molecular system. The resultant solution improves the accuracy of the previous approximation by A. Ishkhanyan et al. [J. Phys. A 39, 14887 (2006)]. The obtained results reveal a remarkable observation that in the strong coupling limit the resonance crossing is mostly governed by the nonlinearity while the coherent atom-molecular oscillations coming up soon after the resonance has been crossed are principally of linear nature. This observation is supposed to be general for all the nonlinear quantum systems having the same generic quadratic nonlinearity, due to the basic attributes of the resonance crossing processes in such systems. The constructed approximation turns out to have a larger applicability range (than it was initially expected) covering the whole moderate coupling regime for which the proposed solution accurately describes all the main characteristics of the system's evolution except the amplitude of the coherent atom-molecule oscillation, which is rather overestimated.


The spreading of geographical information technologies (GIT) within local authorities has been increasing steadily since the 1980s. The craze for these modern spatial representation technologies is indeed ruled by the will to optimize interventions on space, and to rationalize data processing, but it reflects more deeply a new way to perceive territorial management issues, based on the predominance of pictures. Yet, our knowledge is still very weak relating to the existing links within local ...


The project of internationalizing the Journal of American History begins with the conviction that the history we write emerges from the ways we engage audiences. We frame our inquiries with an eye to the people we imagine will be interested in what we have to tell. What historians contribute is the ability to uncover and hold up pieces from the past as alternatives for their audiences to consider in the present -perhaps for action, perhaps for solace, perhaps even for identity. When anything interferes with the ability of historians and audiences to engage alternatives from the past, the conversations are weakened. In the United States today, that ability is weakened by the narrow and overspecialized vision of historians and by empty and stalled political debate that discourages people from imagining alternatives to the present. We hope that by drawing foreign scholars and their work into the everyday activities of theJAH, we can encourage exploration of alternatives to the narrowed academic conversations that shape our field and to the empty political debate that characterizes our American politics. Foreign scholars, who by definition introduce texts and events from one culture to audiences from another, develop two approaches that can widen our approaches to the American past. First, foreign audiences expect comparison: How does an American process, structure, method of interpretation, or style of problem solving resemble and differ from something in their own country? Second, the foreign audiences of Americanists abroad occupy borderlands in which scholars must translate: How do people use words, and ultimately create lives, out of materials from two or more cultures in the borderlands between those cultures?


Pronunciation is the way of pronouncing word. Most of the students have difficulties in pronouncing English word, although they learn English subject at their schools however they have not fully mastered the English pronunciation. Therefore, the students often make errors.
The objectives of the research are: (1) to find out kind of students' error in pronouncing consonant (2) to find out the causes of students' error in pronouncing consonant. This research was conducted under the consideration that pronunciation plays an important role.
The population was the second grade students at SMAN 5 Langsa. The sample of this study
was randomly selected. The students of class XI science 2 were chosen as the sample. The research used descriptive quantitative. The technique of collecting data that was used in this research is test and interview. Test was used to identify the kind of students' error in
pronouncing consonant. The result of the analysis shows that students did much error in kind of consonant /ʃ/ is 43.84%, consonant /tʃ/ is 17.53%, consonant /ð/ is 11.39%, consonant /θ/ is 20.92%, consonant /s/ is 0.87%, consonant /l/ is 1.74%. Interview was used to identify the causes of students' error in pronouncing consonant. Based on the result of interview, it shows that the interference of mother tongue, the difference in phonological system, low motivation in learning English, seldom reading loudly caused students' error in pronouncing English word. The suggestion of this study is students should practice more their pronunciation.


Treatment with nicotinic acid produced an enhancement of ketone bodies production from endogenous, substrates, either oleate or octanotate. The enhancement was accounted for by an increase of acetoacetate synthesis. These results suggest that the increase of acetoacetate production may be due to the enhancement of extramitochondrial ketogenesis as a consequence of the inhibition of lipogenesis.


The tug of war between love and logic in the discipline of psychoanalysis is nearly as old as the Freudian field itself; and is still heard today in the utterances of our analysands. "I love him, but I know he's no good for me". "Then why did you go back to him?" "...good question". This question of love and its logics are at the heart of writer and director Cordula Kablit-Post's 2016 film Lou Andreas-Salome: The Audacity to be Free.


Background From 2008–2013, the European indication for panitumumab required that patients' tumor KRAS exon 2 mutation status was known prior to starting treatment. To evaluate physician awareness of panitumumab prescribing information and how physicians prescribe panitumumab in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), two European multi-country, cross-sectional, observational studies were initiated in 2012: a physician survey and a medical records review. The first two out of three planned rounds for each study are reported. Methods The primary objective in the physician survey was to estimate the prevalence of KRAS testing, and in the medical records review, it was to evaluate the effect of test results on patterns of panitumumab use. The medical records review study also included a pathologists' survey. Results In the physician survey, nearly all oncologists (299/301) were aware of the correct panitumumab indication and the need to test patients' tumor KRAS status before treatment with panitumumab. Nearly all oncologists (283/301) had in the past 6 months of clinical practice administered panitumumab correctly to mCRC patients with wild-type KRAS status. In the medical records review, 97.5% of participating oncologists (77/79) conducted a KRAS test for all of their patients prior to prescribing panitumumab. Four patients (1.3%) did not have tumor KRAS mutation status tested prior to starting panitumumab treatment. Approximately one-quarter of patients (85/306) were treated with panitumumab and concurrent oxaliplatin-containing chemotherapy; of these, 83/85 had confirmed wild-type KRAS status prior to starting panitumumab treatment. All 56 referred laboratories that participated used a Conformité Européenne-marked or otherwise validated KRAS detection method, and nearly all (55/56) participated in a quality assurance scheme. Conclusions There was a high level of knowledge amongst oncologists around panitumumab prescribing information and the need to test and confirm patients' tumors as being wild-type KRAS prior to treatment with panitumumab, with or without concurrent oxaliplatin-containing therapy.


The excessive reactive power demand/flow over the transmission lines is one of the main reason that adversely impacts the voltage profile and other system parameters. To keep the power system in acceptable working condition, certain methods are being used to compensate for the excessive reactive power demand to subsequently improve the system performance. Placement of capacitors is one such method to provide reactive power support and reduced the level of reactive current in transmission lines. However, placing the suitably sized capacitor at most suitable location is not trivial, hence taken as an objective in this research work. Optimal capacitors have been allocated in the distribution network that minimized the active as well as reactive power losses. There are two cases explained for the capacitor placement. In case 1, the active power losses get reduced with selecting the optimum value of capacitor which is not the same as for the second case. The reduction in reactive power losses are discussed in case 2, in which the value of capacitor injections is decided based on minimized reactive power loss. This research is aimed at developing the analytical expressions and method for optimal capacitor placement that is carried out by using IEEE 37-bus test system. The exhaustive method technique is also implemented for the same problem. The results of exhaustive method are compared with the proposed analytical expression-based method to validate the efficiency of proposed method. The comparative analysis of voltage profile improvement and power loss reduction after each sitting of capacitor are presented. The calculated results clearly show the voltage profile enhancement and power loss reduction with the scheduled installation of capacitors at defined buses.


The evaporative cooling of the roof surface was tested in such a way that water was automatically sprinkled by a humidity sensor over a mock-up of a folded-plate roof of a factory. The test results that the temperature of the roof surface fell by 8.3 degrees centigrade and the room temperature by 3.8 degrees showed that the evaporative cooling was effective. The effectiveness of the system is also confirmed from the simulations in Tokyo that applied roof insulating materials 50 millimeters thick, as indicated in the findings that the cooling load is reduced by approximately 12 percent. ���� , ��� , ��� , ������ , ���� Keywords: Evaporative


Aquaculture is one of the main livelihoods of people living near Taal Lake. However, the quality of the lake is deteriorating due to the increasing number of fish cages and fish pens. In this study, ecotoxicological assessment of water and sediment in three areas (Gonzales, Bañaga, and Balakilong) of Taal Lake were conducted using Allium cepa and Daphnia magna assay. The result of A. cepa assay showed that areas with heavy aquaculture practices have a higher percentage of chromosomal aberrations (CAs) such as anaphase bridge, precocious chromosome, sticky chromosome, C-mitosis, and micronucleus (MN). This indicates the presence of cytotoxic and genotoxic compounds in the lake water. On the other hand, assessment of sediment samples using D. magna assay showed that the population exposed to samples from areas with heavy aquaculture practice showed a significantly lower number of offsprings compared to the control area. The result of our study shows the effectiveness of the two bioassays on the evaluation of ecotoxicity of water and sediment samples.


Abstract We study the inherent robust stability properties of nonlinear discrete-time systems controlled by suboptimal model predictive control (MPC). The unique requirement to suboptimal MPC is that it does not increase the cost function with respect to a well-defined warm start, and it is therefore implementable in general nonconvex problems for which no suboptimality margins can be enforced. Because the suboptimal control law is a set-valued map, the closed-loop system is described by a difference inclusion. Under conventional assumptions on the system and cost functions, we establish nominal exponential stability of the equilibrium. If, in addition, a continuity assumption of the feasible input set holds, we prove robust exponential stability with respect to small, but otherwise arbitrary, additive process disturbances and state measurement/estimation errors. To obtain these results, we show that the suboptimal cost is a continuous exponential Lyapunov function for an appropriately augmented closed-loop system. Moreover, we show that robust recursive feasibility is implied by such (nominal) exponential cost decay. We present an illustrative example to clarify the main ideas and assumptions.


Aluminum nitride (AlN) is a promising substrate material for emerging wide-bandgap electronic and opto-electronic devices. Although existing manufacturing technology is less mature than for sapphire and silicon carbide substrates, aluminum nitride has been demonstrated to be superior for deep UV light-emitting applications and may ultimately surpass silicon carbide in both cost and performance for high power RF. Advantages include the identical crystal structure and close lattice match to high Al-content nitride alloys. In addition, AlN and GaN have closely matched thermal expansions from room temperature up to typical growth temperatures. The AlN has a band-gap energy of 6.2 eV with an index of refraction of 2.2 which is attractive for the extraction of uv light and is highly insulating which is attractive for high frequency devices. We use a sublimation-recondensation approach to produce large bulk AlN single crystals. Single crystal boules 15 mm in diameter and several cm in length have been grown and native-nitride substrates with dislocation densities below 103 cm−2 and with a thermal conductivity exceeding 3 W/cm-K at 300K, have been obtained from those boules. Crystal IS is currently developing 50mm diameter single-crystal boules. (© 2003 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


The changes of photosynthetic characteristics in leaves of red-leaf peach under natural condition(control)and under continuous shading condition(moderate shading and severe shading)were studied respectively.The results showed that relative water content(RWC)of leaves of red-leaf peach increased while specific leaf weight(SLW),diurnal integral value of photosynthesis(DIV of Pn),light compensation point(LCP) and carboxylation efficiency(CE) decreased with the dilute of light intensity in summer and autumn.Furthermore,the apparent quantum yield(AQY)of red-leaf peach under summer shading condition was much higher than that in autumn while diurnal integral value of water use efficiency(DIV of WUE)was reverse.The content of chlorophyll(Chl.)in leaves of red-leaf peach under shading condition was significantly higher than that under the control in the two seasons and the similar result appeared on the content of anthocyanin(Ant.)in summer.In addition,Ant./Chl.of red-leaf peach was always significantly lower than the control.The diurnal variation of photosynthesis in leaves of red-leaf peach in full illumination showed the two-peak curve in summer and autumn but the phenomenon disappeared when it was under shading.This article concludes that the photoinhibition can be abated by appropriate shading treatment but it goes against photosynthetic accumulation and color appearance.Sored-leaf peach should be planted in full illumination.


s of Plenary Sessions and Posters Accepted for Presentation at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics PLENARY SESSION ABSTRACTS


This issue of IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science contains selected papers presented at the Padjadjaran Earth Dialogues: International Symposium on Geophysical Issues, PEDISGI. The meeting was held from June 8 to 10, 2015, at the Bale-Sawala of Universitas Padjadjaran in Jatinangor, Indonesia. The PEDISGI is a symposium to accommodate communication between researchers, in particular geophysicists and related scientists, and to enable sharing of knowledge and research findings concerning local and global geophysical issues. The symposium was attended by 126 participants and 64 contributors from Indonesian universities and the neighbouring countries in four categories, viz. Theoretical and Computational Geophysics, Environmental Geophysics, Geophysical Explorations, and Geophysical Instrumentations and Methods. The symposium was accompanied by a dialog, discussing a chosen topic regarding environmental and geological problems of relevance for the Indonesian archipelago and the surrounding regions. For this first event the topic was ''The formation of Bandung-Basin between myths and facts: Exemplary cultural, geological and geophysical study on the evolution of the earth surface'', presented by invited speakers and local experts. This activity was aimed at extending our knowledge on this particular subject, which may have global impact. This topic was augmented by theoretical background lectures on the earth's surface formation, presented by the invited speakers of the symposium. The meeting would not have been successful without the assistance of the local organizing committee. We want to specially thank Irwan A. Dharmawan for managing the programme, Anggie Susilawati and Mia U. Hasanah for the conference administration, and Dini Fitriani for financial management. We also thank the National Geographic Indonesia for its support via the Business to Business Collaboration Program. The conference photograph can be viewed in the PDF.


The objective of this work was to evaluate the in vitro degrading potential of white-rot fungi in sawdust of eucalyptus clones. The white-rot fungi species tested were: Pycnoporus sanguineus, Phellinus gilvus and Schizophyllum commune . The experiment was carried out in factorial arrangement 3 x 3, displayed in a completed randomized design. The analysed parameters were: diameter of the mycelial growth (cm), speed of growth (cm day -1 ), mycelial density of the fungal isolate and loss of sawdust mass (%). The isolated Pycnoporus sanguineus and Phellinus gilvus presented higher speed growth and resulted in higher loss of sawdust mass when compared to Schizophyllum commune . Pycnoporus sanguineus presented the highest mycelial density in all clones tested. Clone 2361 resulted in the smallest fungal isolate growth and smaller loss of sawdust mass, but it favored the formation of moderately and highly dense mycelial in all isolates. The most efficient in in vitro degradation of eucalyptus sawdust was achieved with Pycnoporus sanguineus and Phellinus gilvus.


Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is a predictor of cardiac death in diabetes mellitus (DM) independent of traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory condition, with excess CV risk compared to the general population, in which CMD is hypothesized to play a role; however, there are limited data on CMD in RA and any association with clinical outcomes. The objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of CMD in RA to that in DM and to test the association with all‐cause mortality.


dentitions lacking anterior fangs, a morphological category represented in the analysis by Kenichthys, Gogonasus, Osteolepis (Fig. 4a), Medoevia, the canowindrids and Tristichopterus (Fig. 4b). Rhizodonts, derived tristichopterids and elpistostegids+ tetrapods, in contrast, show parallel trends towards a quite different morphology: they increased dramatically in size, reduced or lost their median fins, acquired diphycercal tails with a low aspect ratio, and developed a pair of fangs at the lower jaw symphysis (Fig. 4c–e). Rhizodonts and derived tristichopterids also acquired premaxillary fangs. Rhizodonts seem to have retained a primitive, short-snouted skull morphology (J. Jeffery, personal communication). However, tristichopterids and elpistostegids+tetrapods, having a moderately lengthened snout as a synapomorphy (Fig. 4b), independently developed this character further in parallel (Fig. 4d, e). Derived tristichopterids such as Mandageria (Fig. 4d) have very elpistostegid-like head proportions. These changes seem to have occurred during the Middle/Late Devonian period in all three groups. Elpistostegids originated in the latest Givetian; the earliest known derived tristichopterid is the Frasnian Platycephalichthys; and the earliest known large rhizodont is the Famennian Sauripteris. Our analysis indicates that much of the lower part of the tetrapodomorph stem lineage consisted of 'osteolepiform' fishes. The character attributes of this part of the stem lineage can be reconstructed with precision. Parallel evolution towards the morphology of a large predator, with reduced median fins and elaborate anterior dentition, occurred at about the same time in rhizodonts, tristichopterids, and elpistostegids+tetrapods (Fig. 4). The evolution of two latter clades, having extra synapomorphies, also paralleled each other more closely. The Tetrapoda thus arose out of one of several similar evolutionary 'experiments' with a large aquatic predator role. Closer study of these parallel radiations should cast much new light on the ecological background to the origin of tetrapods. M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


This paper seeks to gain intuitions into justifiable wearables by exploring current developments in wearable technology and its applications. This technology, has progressed dramatically from a technological point of view, but despite realistic optimistic hopes, it has stagnated due to challenges without behind the emphasis on studies in recent years by several study groups into wearable technologies which will give importance for human oriented perspective


(1) T h e o f f i c i a l i n t r o d u c t i o n o f t h r e e d i f f e r e n t a n d s e p a  r a t e c l a s s i f i c a t i o n s a n d t e r m i n o l o g i e s wo u l d l e a d t o a f a t al s p l i t t i n g o f s t r a t i g r a p h y a n d m a y a l s o l e a d t o a v e r y u n f o r  t u n a t e s e p a r a t i o n o f t h e e f f o r t s o f " b i o s t r a t i g r a p h e r s " a n d "1 i t h o s t r a t i g r a p h e r s ". Pronounced difference in language and organization inevitably leads to separa tion. Already there seems to be two tendencies indicated: Many mapping field ge ologists, engineering geologists, oil geologists, structural and other geologists engaged more in practical and routine work tend to overemphasize the importance of litho stratigraphy and sometimes avoid the biostratigraphical approach because of insuffi cient experience in paleontology. On the other hand, most paleontologists and strati graphers, caring more for the scientific reconstruction of the geological past, are con vinced of the importance of the biostratigraphical approach and sometimes may not sufficiently appreciate the r ble of rocks. This already existing and undesirable sepa ration in tendencies should not be encouraged by the establishment of separate classi fications and terminologies.


Computer modelling is used to study both the optical and thermal behavior of ablative optical storage media which consist of antireflection structures incorporating a thin active layer. Confirmation is given of Blom's contention that the advantages of improved optical efficiency gained by use of antireflection structures can be lost by heat losses to the mirror layer underlying the active layer. However, this efficiency can be regained if the dielectric spacer between these two layers is made thick enough or has sufficiently low thermal conductivity.


A watchdog organization has released a report indicating more than 50 percent of tested sunscreens contain ingredients that have the potential to cause cell damage and skin cancer.


Natural gas is generally used as raw material for chemical industry as well as for fuel of internal combustion engine. Hence, the power output and the composition of exhaust gas were calculated by assuming the ideal Otto cycle, and compared its result with that obtained by modified CFR engine supplied by extremely rich mixture of Methane-Oxygen.According to the results of experiment, the exhaust gas was mainly composed of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, both necessary for synthetic gas at the maximum percentage of 61 and 42 respectively and power output up to 1.5kWhr/m3 of methane was obtained which was able to produce necessary oxygen.The power output was considerably small due to the extremely rich mixture but the engine ran smoothly in spite of pure oxygen and any abnormal combustion was not marked even in the indicater diagram by Piezo Type Indicator. The amount of formation of free carbon was negligibly small, which made the exhaust gas almost colorless. Almost no carbonaceous deposit was observed on the surface of combustion chamber after repeated intermittent runnings for a long time.If the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine were used for chemical reactor, it was considered to be an excellent compact one having the ability of instantaneous start and stop, since the control of the reaction was simple and reliable.


We shall discuss the temporarily global solution for the two phase free boundary problem. Both fluids are regarded as immiscible, nonhomogeneous, viscous and incompressible and subject to surface tention on the interface. The global solution is obtained near the equilibrium state under the sufficiently small initial data and external forces.


The indications for collapse therapy in the treatment of tuberculosis, simply stated, are—an active pulmonary lesion. Collapse therapy has come to the front as the most effective treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis and ahead of the older measures of rest, fresh air, diet, and climatic change. There is little difference of opinion about the effectiveness of collapse therapy as determined by clinical observation, but a satisfactory explanation of the "why's and wherefore's" of these benefits is not easy. The theory that the added rest is the important factor has little to appeal to me. Cavity closure is unquestionably important. Changes in circulation and lymphatic drainage in the collapsed lung may have something to do with the benefit. However, the theory as first propounded by the late Dr. Breidenbach, of Dayton, and stressed by the late Paul Coryllos, of New York, that a relatively anaerobic condition is present in the collapsed lung which is unfavorable to the development of the tubercle bacillus, which is an aerobe, is the theory that most reasonably explains the benefit of collapse treatment, in my opinion. It is a mistake to believe that collapse treatment alone can bring about the arrest of pulmonary tuberculosis. A patient must have some resistance as evidenced by his ability to form fibrous tissue to encapsulate the tubercles and lay down calcium. In spite of adequate collapse the disease will be progressive in certain cases with spread of the disease to various parts of the body. We have no explanation for this factor of resistance, but it can be estimated to some degree by consideration of the clinical manifestations and the study of the character of the pulmonary lesion on the x-ray film. The patient with poor resistance often runs a high temperature, shows a progressive weight loss, develops early evidences of extrapulmonary complications. The pulmonary lesion is often extensive and progressive, and has a soft diffuse appearance on the x-ray film. The patient with a relatively good resistance often exhibits few evidences of toxemia, shows some tendency to improve under ordinary sanitarium regime, and x-ray studies reveal the lesions to be more discrete, with some retrogression and tendency towards fibrosis and calcification. While use of collapse is


The article aims to justify the measures for organizing the formation and provision of information from the accounting system for the risk management process in order to ensure the stability and sustainability of the development of higher education institutions. The goal has been realized on the basis of the application of the methods of observation, comparison, analysis, synthesis, generalization and economic-statistical method. The made analysis allowed to determine the risks of non-fulfilment of information needs regarding the functioning of higher education institutions for each study group (applicants, students, participants, parents of students/applicants, administration, employers, customers of research projects, teachers, government, society, governing bodies), which made it possible to offer an organizational approach to the information support of risk management of educational activities. This approach covers corrective management actions (in terms of accounting functions) on each of the defined processes of the risk management system (admission process for higher education, planning the educational process, organizing the educational process, staffing educational activities), executives, responsible entities and output data. Taking into account the provisions of regulatory documents, scientists' developments and practical experience in risk management has allowed to determine the stages of risk management in educational activities of a higher education institution (risk analysis, risk assessment, direct risk management, risk monitoring, risk management reporting) indicating the role of accounting personnel in each of them. It has been substantiated that the main advantages of the proposed approach to information management of risk management of educational activities of higher educational institutions are the simplicity of use (provided with properly devised documentation), the complexity of the approach (coverage of all quality management system processes), responsiveness to identified risks; accounting structure of higher education institutions. It is proved that the proposals will contribute to the improvement of the accounting display of actions to minimize the risks of educational activities of higher educational institutions, thereby ensuring the strengthening of their competitiveness on the market of educational services.


Cryptococcosis is the third most commonly occurring invasive fungal infection (after invasive candidiasis and aspergillosis) in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. Approximately 8% of the invasive fungal infections in SOT recipients currently are due to cryptococcosis (1). The overall incidence of cryptococcal disease in SOT recipients is ∼2.8% and ranges from 0.3 to 5% (2). Cryptococcosis is typically a late-occurring infection; the median time to onset usually ranges from 16 to 21 months posttransplantation (1–3). The time to onset is earlier for liver and lung (<12 months) compared to kidney transplant recipients and this may be due to a higher intensity of immunosuppression in the former subgroups (3).


Abstract Twenty years of research works by the author and his colleagues at the University of Tokyo are reviewed. The research moves towards a virtual reality technology based on computational physics, especially computational fluid dynamics. Computer technology was first utilized for the purpose of elucidating physical phenomena, especially nonlinear ones such as turbulence and shock waves, and then for the purpose of designing or inventing new systems including ships.


Aiming at the attack and defense game problem in the target-missile-defender three-body confrontation scenario, intelligent game strategies based on deep reinforcement learning are proposed, including an attack strategy applicable to attacking missiles and active defense strategy applicable to a target/defender. First, based on the classical three-body adversarial research, the reinforcement learning algorithm is introduced to improve the purposefulness of the algorithm training. The action spaces the reward and punishment conditions of both attack and defense confrontation are considered in the reward function design. Through the analysis of the sign of the action space and design of the reward function in the adversarial form, the combat requirements can be satisfied in both the missile and target/defender training. Then, a curriculum-based deep reinforcement learning algorithm is applied to train the agents and a convergent game strategy is obtained. The simulation results show that the attack strategy of the missile can maneuver according to the battlefield situation and can successfully hit the target after avoiding the defender. The active defense strategy enables the less capable target/defender to achieve the effect similar to a network adversarial attack on the missile agent, shielding targets from attack against missiles with superior maneuverability on the battlefield.


Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive form of brain tumour, with a median survival time of just 14 months. Current standard therapy includes surgical excision, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy, however complete surgical excision is not usually possible due to the diffuse and infiltrative nature of the disease. To combat this, therapies inhibiting the invasion of leader migratory cells are an attractive area of research. The collagen prolyl-4 hydroxylases (C-P4Hs) are a family of proteins which catalyse the hydroxylation of proline residues on pre-pro-collagen, leading to the formation of the stable triple-helical structure of functional collagen. Collagen is a highly abundant protein, and important in several oncogenic cellular processes including proliferation, invasion and migration. We hypothesis that by inhibiting the C-P4Hs, the pro-tumorigenic effect of collagen will be inhibited in GBM. To explore this, we treated cells with ethyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (EDHB) (a C-P4H inhibitor) and observed the resultant effect in GBM cells lines and primary cells through proliferation assays and 3D tumour spheroid invasion assays. Our results indicate that the addition of EDHB significantly reduces proliferation and invasion in both cell lines and primary GBM samples. Furthermore, we show that the C-P4Hs are upregulated in hypoxic conditions, which are commonly found in the clinical tumour microenvironment. Our study reveals that the C-P4H proteins may be an attractive therapeutic target to reduce invasion and proliferation and may be especially attractive as adjuvants with a cytotoxic agent such as temozolomide.


In all time people have lost their teeth for different reasons. When installing an implant, the interaction between the oral mucosa and the implant should be strong enough to prevent influences on the microbiota. Human gingival fibroblasts are the predominant connective tissue cells and are involved in the production of collagen, which is an important protein in the adhesion to the implant. The aims of this investigation was to answer the question: Are there differences in culturing HGF on untreated or sandpapered titanium surfaces, when it comes to the growth, proliferation and the direction that the cells grow in? The aims were also to study the different surfaces on the titanium coins that are used in this investigation, with a SEM and to investigate which is the most effective method to stain and fixate HGF. HGF were cultured on different titanium surfaces to be counted and stained. This study showed no significant difference between the growths of HGF cultured on smooth and rough titanium surfaces, however there was a tendency that the cells preferred the rough surface to the smooth. The combination of methanol and FITC as fixation and staining methods, gave the sharpest and the most detailed pictures. This combination was therefore chosen when staining HGF on the titanium coins. The staining of the HGF on the titanium coins clearly showed that HGF grew in different patterns on the different surfaces. The pictures taken with SEM showed peaks and valleys on the sandpapered surfaces and some irregularities on the untreated surface.


Map images are complex documents generated from several layers of information overlapped and printed on paper, and usually the only available information is the digitized image of the map. The recovery of the original layers of the map for analysis of its components independently would be useful but would require several steps to be completed. One first step could separate the image in conceptual layers by using basic spectral and spatial properties, giving layers corresponding to basic features in the amp image, which would serve as input for more sophisticated algorithms which could give as results more detailed information and so on, until a complete high-level description of the map information is obtainable. Extraction of the conceptual map layers is often a complex task since the pixels that correspond to the categories in a map image are spectrally and spatially mixed with the pixels of other classes. This paper presents the selective attention filter (SAF) which is able to filter out pixels that are not relevant to the information being extracted or enhance pixels of categories of interest. The SAF filter is robust in presence of noise and result of classification with images filtered with it are quantitatively better than results obtained with other commonly used filters.


The lower reservoir spillway of Tongbai PSP which is located on the middle of lower reservoir dam of the over-dam type is completely based on the rock-filled dam body. Because of the steep angle of the downstream dam slope, the combined load of the chute plate self-weight, the stream dragging force, stream pulsating movement pressure, and stream movement pressure over plate makes the anti-slip ability and stability of the chute plate essential to the dam safety. In order to guarantee the stability of the chute structure itself, it is adopted the way of the reinforcing bar placed in the reinforcing concrete plate. The distribution of reinforcing bar which involves several layers greatly influences the complicacy and economy of the construction.


This article proposes a real-time electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique that can provide high accurate estimation of the impedance of each lithium-ion (Li-ion) cell of a battery (BT) stack, even for less than mΩ. Thus, the suggested EIS technique can be used in high demanding applications, such as nearly zero-energy buildings, microgrids, and electric vehicles. This is attained because a smooth cell excitation current is utilized that is provided by the proper control of the gate-source of each cell's parallel-connected MOSFET and thus, effective harmonic analysis can be accomplished. Since the circuit topology of the EIS is implemented without requiring expensive electronic equipment, it is affordable to be applied in the BT system of any application. The proposed EIS system can cooperate with a BT cell equalization (BCE) system that utilizes the same MOSFET control scheme to provide the excitation current. Thus, a combined EIS–BCE system is developed that can be used to improve the performance of a Li-ion BT management system. The accuracy of the EIS technique and its high performance by operating within a combined EIS–BCE system are experimentally validated.


submitted to session on Human Dimensions of Climate Variations in the Americas, AGU Joint Assembly Meeting, Acapulco, Mexico, 22-25 May 2007. [Ref. 957, PIN 8345] Adaptation to Interannual and Interdecadal Climate Variability in Agricultural Production Systems of the Argentine Pampas Guillermo Podesta University of Miami, Rosenstiel School Federico Bert Facultad de Agronomia, Universidad de Buenos Aires Elke Weber Center for Research on Environmental Decisions, Columbia University Carlos Laciana Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad de Buenos Aires Balaji Rajagopalan Colorado University David Letson University of Miami, Rosenstiel School Agricultural ecosystems play a central role in world food production and food security, and involve one of the most climate-sensitive sectors of society—agriculture. We focus on crop production in the Argentine Pampas, one of the world's major agricultural regions. Climate of the Pampas shows marked variability at both interannual and decadal time scales. We explored the scope for adaptive management in response to climate information on interannual scales. We show that different assumptions about what decision makers are trying to achieve (i.e., their objective functions) may change what actions are considered as "optimal" for a given climate context. Optimal actions also were used to estimate the economic value of forecasts of an ENSO phase. Decision constraints (e.g., crop rotations) have critical influence on value of the forecasting system. Gaps in knowledge or misconceptions about climate variability were identified in open-ended "mental model" interviews. Results were used to design educational interventions. A marked increase in precipitation since the 1970s, together with new production technologies, led to major changes in land use patterns in the Pampas. Continuous cropping has widely replaced agriculture-pasture rotations. Nevertheless, production systems that evolved partly in response to increased rainfall may not be viable if climate reverts to a drier epoch. We use historical data to define a range of plausible climate trajectories 20-30 years hence. Regional scenarios are downscaled using semi-parametric weather generators to produce multiple realizations of daily weather consistent with decadal scenarios. Finally, we use the synthetic climate, crop growth models, and realistic models of decision-making under risk to compute risk metrics (e.g., probability of yields or profits being below a threshold). Climatically optimal and marginal locations show differential responses: probabilities of negative economic results are much higher in currently marginal areas if precipitations decrease.


Background: The prevalence and impact of pruritus, pain, and other sensory symptoms in skin diseases are poorly known. Objective: To assess the frequency of these symptoms with dermatoses and their association with depression using data from the "Objectifs Peau" survey. Methods: A representative sample of 20,012 French individuals was created using the usual quota method. Results: When patients suffered from both pruritus and skin pain, they had a higher relative risk of psychological suffering (2.9) than those who suffered only from pruritus (1.4) or skin pain (1.2). Pruritus was reported in 48.55% of patients with acne, 43.24% with mycoses, 44.35% with warts, and 36.51% with rosacea. For skin pain, the results were 11.22%, 27.59%, and 16.13% for atopic dermatitis, acne, and warts, respectively. Other unpleasant sensations, such as tingling or burning, were also frequently reported. Conclusion: Pruritus, pain, or other sensory symptoms were found to be common not only in classic pruritic skin diseases but also in acne, rosacea, or warts. The association of pruritus and pain dramatically increased psychological suffering. These symptoms must be systematically searched for in patients, especially since new therapeutic possibilities are emerging for the symptomatic treatment of pruritus.


For semiparametric regression model y i=x iβ+g(t i)+e i, i=1,2,…,n , we use the least squares and wavelet smoothing methods to define the estimations and (t) for β and g(t) , and obtain its r th mean consistency under NA error sequences.


The rate of ammonia excretion in Macrobrachium rosenbergii at 2, 4 and 6 h, when fed three commercial feeds and two control feeds at 1, 5 and 10 of body weight, were investigated. The rate of ammonia excretion was significantly influenced by the quality of feed offered. A higher rate of ammonia excretion by the prawns fed on control feeds as compared to the commercial feeds appears to be correlated with the protein content in the feeds offered. The quantity of food consumed had significant influence on the ammonia excretion and it was found to increase with feed levels.


This paper analyzes the fundamental role of wage differences in the efforts undertaken by major multinational corporations to restructure their productive, trade, financial, and service strategies under the aegis of neoliberal globalization. We are especially interested in underscoring the way in which these disparities, by means of geographic relocation and the redistribution of productive processes, have become an easily accessible and apparently inexhaustible source of extraordinary earnings. This situation has given rise to the entrenchment of unequal development between central and peripheral countries and a new international division of labor characterized by the direct and indirect exportation of the most valuable commodity for capital: the labor force.


The utility model discloses a P-type pipe feeding mechanism. The P-type pipe feeding mechanism comprises a belt conveying mechanism installed on a support, a baffle is fixedly installed at the left side of the support, a material stacking rack is arranged at the right side of the support, the upper end of the baffle is provided with a sliding block in a sliding fit mode, and the side, facing towards the material stacking rack, of the sliding block is fixedly connected with an oblique guide plate. The P-type pipe feeding mechanism is simple in structure and is a transition mechanism between the belt conveying mechanism and the material stacking rack, P-type pipes can naturally roll onto the material stacking rack under the guide direction of the oblique guide plate when moving to the position of the material stacking rack, manual operation is not needed, so working efficiency is improved; the oblique guide plate can move on the baffle along with the sliding block, the position can be adjusted in real time, and therefore the requirements of stacking the P-type pipes with different lengths in real time are met.


The main result of the paper is an extension of the Dirichlet problem from (closures of) bounded open domains U to arbitrary compact subsets X of the complex plane, i.e. the closure of the corresponding space of functions which are harmonic in a neighbourhood of X and equipped with the supremums norm on X is shown to be isometric with the space of continuous functions C (/delta X) on its Shilov boundary (a given compact subset of X). This is used to define an extension of holomorphic function calculus with respect to certain (weakly normal) elements x of a unital operator algebra A to a completely isometric harmonic function calculus into the enveloping operator system of A. It is also shown that in case of a super C*-algebra A (operator algebra with involution) any weakly normal superpositive element x has a square root in A.


In many cancers including glioblastoma, males have higher incidence and mortality. Although the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have yet to be elucidated, there are inherent sex differences in metabolism. Males not only have higher glucose metabolism relative to females, but males also have higher amounts of abdominal visceral fat, a well-known metabolic biomarker for poor cardiovascular and cancer outcomes that could contribute to enhanced tumorigenesis. Previously, we identified that in renal cell carcinoma, females with male-pattern visceral fat did significantly poorly compared to all other patients (PMID 29558292) and that in lower grade gliomas, tumor glycolysis specifically stratified males (PMID: 28768910). We hypothesized that in glioblastoma, visceral fat would selectively stratify females and serum glucose would selectively stratify males. We retrospectively analyzed abdominal/pelvic computed tomographic (CT) datasets for the normalized relative visceral fat area (rVFA) and random glucose measurements at diagnosis from 159 males and 105 females with glioblastoma. Females with rVFA > 30.5% had significantly reduced median overall survival (OS) (11.6 months, n=63) vs females with rVFA < 30.5% (20.9 months, n=42, p=0.006), that was close to the median rVFA of 32.7%. For males, the optimized rVFA threshold was higher than the median (43.6%); males with rVFA > 58.9% had significantly reduced median OS (10.7 months, n=14) compared to males with rVFA < 58.9% (20.5 months, n=145, p=0.02). However, after adjusting rVFA for age and tumor size, it was an independent predictor in females, but not in males. Conversely, there was a male-specific survival effect of glucose: males with prediabetic random serum glucose greater than 179.5 mg/dL had shorter OS (9.9 months vs 20.9 months; p=0.007), where no glucose level could stratify females. These data support the use of metabolism to predict sex-specific cancer outcomes and suggest that interventions that target metabolism can improve sex-specific outcomes in glioblastoma.


In this paper, the design and measurement of a three-dimensional-printed low-loss asymptotically single-mode hollow-core terahertz Bragg fiber are reported, operating across the frequency range from 0.246 to 0.276 THz. The HE11 mode is employed as it is the lowest loss propagating mode, with the electromagnetic field concentrated within the air core as a result of the photonic crystal bandgap behavior. The HE11 mode also has large loss discrimination compared to its main competing HE12 mode. This results in asymptotically single-mode operation of the Bragg fiber, which is verified by extensive simulations based on the actual fabricated Bragg fiber dimensions and measured material parameters. The measured average propagation loss of the Bragg fiber is lower than 5 dB/m over the frequency range from 0.246 to 0.276 THz, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the lowest loss asymptotically single-mode all-dielectric microstructured fiber yet reported in this frequency range, with a minimum loss of 3 dB/m at 0.265 THz.


Purpose : to estimate the expression of a molecule of vascular adhesion of PECAM-1 (CD31) at patients with acute pancreatitis of varying severity in ΙА phase diseasedevelopment. Materials and methods . Work has clinical character and is based on the prospective analysis of observation and treatment of 135 patients with acute pancreatitis of various degrees of severity. Patients were divided into three groups, depending on severity of a disease: 1 group — 45 patients with slight acute pancreatitis, the 2 nd group — 45 patients with medium-weight acute pancreatitis, the 3 rd group — 45 patients with heavy acute pancreatitis. Blood sampling for a research was carried out at receipt prior to therapy. Phenotyping of lymphocytes was carried out by method of an indirect  immunofl uorescence by means of mouse monoclonal antibodies to the molecules CD31 receptors of lymphocytes. Results . The obtained data demonstrate that the percent of CD31-expressing of lymphocytes depends on weight of acute pancreatitis. At initially severe form of a disease, there was strengthening of process of transendothelial migration of lymphocytes in the center of forming of a necrosis in pancreas tissue. In our research signifi cantly (p <0.001, p1 <0.001, p2 <0.001) the percent of the CD31-expressing lymphocytes to 13.21 increased [12.50; 5.76]. Conclusion . The obtained data demonstrate that there is an interrelation between PECAM1 expression as a marker of intercellular interactions and severity of acute pancreatitis.


In this work, we conduct a temperature-dependent study of optical centres in ultrapure diamond after 200 keV irradiation by photoluminescence spectra, which are performed in a temperature range of 80–200 K. The zero phonon lines (ZPLs) include sizes of 550.3 nm, 593 nm, and 741 nm (GR1 centre). With an increase in measurement temperature, the ZPLs shift to the lower energy side, together with intensity quenching and an increase in the full width at half maximum. These results are noted in models of lattice contraction and electron–phonon coupling, and their inhomogeneous and homogeneous broadening mechanisms are also carefully distinguished by the Voigt function. The 550.3 nm and 593 nm emissions present harder bonds than the GR1 centre, close thermal quenching energies to the interstitial-related defect, a lower thermal softness than that of the ideal diamond, weak phonon bands at each lower energy side, and different broadening mechanisms with the GR1 centre, indicating that the 550.3 nm and 593 nm lines are possibly interstitial-related.


Highlanders, more 'advanced' Edinburgh mechanics, unmarried farm workers, 'sedentary' and ' laborious' working men, and his fellow masons. The most depraved state, he concluded, was that of 'unsocial independence', exhibited by those destitute of bonds of mutual obligation and ties of sympathy. Miller's ideal the ' medium of civilization' was a combination of the virtues natural to ruder states of society with those of advanced states of society. This was an ideal that Miller pursued and tested in his own friendships. The memoir reveals that friendships were pivotal to his sense of self and community. For Miller sought friendship, admitting that only 'occasionally when in a particular mood I could enjoy solitude even more than society' (pp. 115—16). When he lacked a friend with whom he could share his reading, walking and poetry and developed habits of solitude, he strove to overcome his unsocial independence. Despite initial disgust, he was capable of becoming a popular 'lad of spirit' among his fellow masons. Miller, however, was not satisfied by this rude society, for friendship, he held, was based on sympathy between 'two persons... who... unexpectedly find, each in the other, a man who has thought for himself, and that justly, on subjects of which the common people know nothing' (p. 156). Whenever he could, Miller sought out such friends. Miller's expectations of friendship were exacting. Warmth of heart, elevated thought and the binding together of individuals regardless of social difference were its prerequisites. Miller's consideration of friendship and its moral basis, surely contain more potential for understanding his views on society than Hanham and Shortland were willing to allow when they claim that Miller's 'overemphasis on sociology' in the memoir pushes 'family, friends, even chronology' to one side (p. 48). Miller's views on friendship are mentioned in the introduction, but only incidentally, in a section detailing his state of mind before his suicide. Again, the events of 1856 dominate the analysis. The authors interpret a nightmare, which they claim reveals the devastating effect of Miller's belief that his wife Lydia no longer accepted his dominant role. To support this claim they quote a lengthy passage on the theme of friendship from a letter that Miller wrote to his fiancee in 1833. (Unfortunately, we are not informed of the context, nor is Lydia Miller allowed a voice.) This passage, the authors state, 'is hard to resist interpreting...in simple homosexual terms' (pp. 72-3). In the end they do resist this interpretation, using the letter instead to argue that Miller needed to dominate any relationship. Regrettably, Miller's intriguing letter is not further analysed in relation to his memoir. Nor are the nightmares Miller suffered in the 1820s examined nightmares of the deaths of friends. Hanham and Shortland present a lively and challenging investigation of Hugh Miller's identity which raises important issues for the history of science. Too often, the status of historical actors and of the knowledge with which they engage, are taken as fixed. The question of identity individual and collective is now the focus of discussion across many disciplines. Hanham and Shortland have shown how history of science has the potential to be at the centre of such debates.


By considering the characters of liver CT image sequences, a new segmentation way is proposed based on an advanced Snake model associated with seeded region growing method. With this method, a CT image clear edges is selected from CT liver image sequences, then several seeds are selected in the liver region, the seeded region growing method is used to get an initial edge. The edge is optimized by advanced Snake model and served as the initial edge of the next CT image. This procedure is repeated until all images are processed. Experimental results show that the algorithm can obtain segmentation result of soft tissue image efficiently and accurately.


Variability in clay processing recipes for pottery is still at a descriptive stage as far as prehistoric contexts are concerned. This paper intends to go beyond our traditional limits, based on the best-documented case for prehistory, the Bell Beaker style, which spread throughout the whole of Europe during the third millennium bc. The thousands of archaeometric analyses that have been carried out on the main concentrations from France, Spain and Portugal are taken into account in order to reconstruct the circulation mechanisms of the pottery and the social organization of the communities who used it.


Abstract : Lubricants and oils resistant to tropical conditions must provide reliable and long-term anticorrosion protection to metal parts under all types of atmospheric precipitation and be resistant to biological activity, particularly that of mould fungi and bacteria. To increase the effectiveness of the protection of lubricating materials the use of an organic tin oxide compound is proposed - tributyltin oxide. At a tributyltin oxide content of 0.5% excellent protection of the lubricant and oil from the activity of microorganisms is observed. Testing the lubricants on metallic plates also confirmed these excellent fungicidal properties.


Contemporary developmental science is framed by theoretical models that stress mutually influential and systemic relations between individuals and the multiple levels of their social, cultural, and historical contexts (e.g., Eccles & Midgley, 1989; Lerner, 2002). Prior to the emergence of developmental systems theories as a leading conceptual basis for scholars of human development to study the links between person and context, longitudinal research provided the impetus for such empirical emphasis (e.g., see Cairns, 1998; Elder, 1980, Magnusson & Stattin, 1998). As lengthy long-term studies of people's lives accumulated to create a database pertinent to human ontogeny, it became clear that these investigations were, in actuality, appraisals of lives in context; they were assessments of individual development among cohorts of people differentiated by time and place (Elder, Modell, & Parke, 1993). Indeed, it is reasonable to suggest that the recognitionof the temporal andecological embeddedness of individual development that derived from the results of longitudinal studies provided a foundation for the burgeoning contemporary emphasis on developmental systems theories (Lerner, 1998). In fact, the results of longitudinal studies underscored the importance of understanding relations between people and contexts in accounting for intraindividual change and for interindividual differences in intraindividual change, including variation associated with birth cohorts, time of measurement, and normative and non-normative life and historical events (e.g., Baltes, Lindenberger, & Staudinger, 1998; Elder, 1998). Accordingly, the longitudinal study of human development promoted an interest in devising observational and statistical methods to study relations between individuals and contexts (e.g., Nesselroade & Baltes, 1979). In addition, both longitudinal research and studies derived from other research designs that were RESEARCH IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, 1(1&2), 5–7 Copyright © 2004, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.


The hair follicle (HF) is a dynamic "mini-organ" which undergoes bi-continuous cycles of growth, destruction and rest. The molecular mechanisms underlying the HF cycle are complex yet not fully understood. Anyhow, it is clear that the epithelial–mesenchymal interactions, and in particular the cross-talk between dermal papilla fibroblast (DPF) and the keratinocytes of the outer root sheath (ORSK) play a pivotal role. Aim of this study is the evaluation of the biological activity of anisotropic osmolyte solutions on the HF cycle. As reported in recent studies, dermal papilla cells deeply modify their gene expression profile when cultured as monolayers, but their transcriptional pattern can be partially restored when they are cultured as 3-dimensional spheroids. This draws our attention to the discovery that the spatial distribution of cells in the growth medium is fundamental in order to produce a verisimilar model. Therefore, we used the hanging drop technology to produce a scaffold-free micro-tissue model applied to a DPF-ORSK co-culture in order to create a µHF 3-dimensional model. As a result, this system was capable of evaluating the efficacy of the anisotropic osmolyte solutions on the progressive increase of the follicle turnover and 'health'. Moreover, an in silico model was used in order to screen the most promising combination of osmolyte molecules. In vivo objective evaluations were finally carried out on volunteers having hair disorders.


Role-Playing (Psychodrama) in the Social Rehabilitation of Juveniles The matter under discussion in this report has been an importance of a  role-playing in the process of resocialization of juvenile students. An important area of dissertation that has been talked over in this study is to focus on the most efficient way of working in the process of modification socially desired behavior. Moreover the identification and a wider discussion of the aspect concerning the influence of a  role-playing (psychodrama) have pointed to an emotional, therapeutic and what is the most significant, corrective dimension, which is highly desired feature in the process of resocialization of juvenile students.


Research consistently indicates guilt is adaptive in relationships. Yet, guilt can also be used as a manipulative tactic. Little is known about the nature of a guilt trip, which is when someone imposes guilt onto someone else. Six participants were recruited via convenience sampling to be interviewed on their experience of guilt tripping someone and being a victim of a guilt trip. Thematic analysis established a definition of a guilt trip and types of guilt trip ("tongue and cheek", moral education, and side effect). The findings suggest that, while guilt can be adaptive, it was viewed as an unhealthy relationship tactic when imposed on by someone else. Further research should explore the complexity of guilt in relationships.


This study sought to both replicate and considerably extend the findings of Johnson (1999) that there are two distinct subgroups of physical aggression within relation-ships: intimate terrorism and common couple violence. The present sample consisted of women residing at Women's Aid shelters and their partners (N = 86), male and female students (N = 208), men attending male treatment programs for domestic violence and their partners (N = 8), and male prisoners and their partners (N = 192). Respondents completed measures on physical aggression, injuries sustained, escalation of physical aggression, and controlling behaviors. Cluster analysis was employed to categorize relationships as either intimate terrorism or common couple violence. Frequency analysis showed broad support for Johnson's findings.


The study examined maintenance of facilities in public secondary schools. The descriptive survey design was employed for the study. 54 male principals and 48 female principals which gave a total number of 102 principal comprised the sample the sample size. The study was guided with two research questions and one hypothesis. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire developed by the researchers. The findings revealed that preventive, predictive and corrective maintenance are the maintenance choice used by principals. Also it was also found that lack of funding, lack of periodic inspection, lack of clear schedule of duties allocation and sub -standard rules guiding the maintenance are the factors affecting maintenance of facilities in schools. The study recommended that principals should appoint technical personnel in the school to conduct regular inspection of school facilities.


Recently, force feedback devices in virtual reality and power assisted nursing care systems have received much attention and active research. In such a control system, an actuator and a driving device such as a control valve are mounted on the human body. In this condition, the size and weight of the control valve become serious problems. At the same time, the valve should be operated with lower energy consumption because of using a limited electrical power. The typical electro magnetic solenoid valve drives its spool using a larger solenoid to open the valve. The complex construction of the valve for sealing makes its miniaturization and the fabrication of a low cost valve more difficult. In addition, the solenoid in the valve consumes more electrical power while the valve is kept opening. The purpose of our study is to develop a small-sized, lightweight, lower energy consumption and flexible control valve that can be safe enough to mount on the human body at a lower cost. In our pervious study, we proposed and tested the control valve that can open using a vibration motor. In this study, we propose and test a new type of fluid control valve with a self-holding function. The new valve uses a permanent magnet ball. It has a cylindrical magnet and two solenoids. The self-holding function of the valve is done as follows. When one side of the solenoid is stimulated by the current momentarily, the solenoid gives a repulsive force to the cylindrical magnet. The magnet moves toward the opposite side of the solenoid and is attracted to the iron core. Then, the magnet ball moves toward the cylindrical magnet and opens the orifice. The valve can keep open without electrical energy. As a result, the valve with the extremely lower energy consumption can be developed.


The VUV spectrum of Zn Ⅱ, Zn Ⅲ, Zn Ⅳ in the wavelength region 55.0 to 200.0 nm is reported. About 400 lines are observed. From 42 unidentified lines we have identified 10 new Zinc lines: 1 line of Zn Ⅱ, 7 lines of Zn Ⅲ and 2 lines of Zn Ⅳ.


The information presented here is based on practical experience gained in the National Library of China during the period April to October 1985 when I had the privilege to be the first foreign librarian invited to the People's Republic of China on exchange.1 The National Library of China (more commonly known in Chinese as the Beijing tushuguan) was established at the end of the Qing dynasty in 1910 and officially opened in 1912. The main complex is a high, red-walled compound of seven main buildings and several smaller buildings (pingfang) situated in inner Beijing on the western perimeter of Bei Hai Park. It has long been inadequate to accommodate China's national collection, with the result hat parts of the collection are housed in remote repositories located throughout the city. The newspaper collection, for example, is housed in an old warehouse about a twenty-minute walk from the main compound, and Chinese traditional thread-bound books (guji xianzhuang shu) in Bailinsi, a famous old temple in the north-east of the city. A new library building has been under construction since 1983 in the north-western suburbs of the city and is scheduled for completion in July 1987. The National Library comes under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture. Under the direction of the Chinese Communist Party, a director (this position is currently vacant) and five deputy directors, the collection is managed through a complex organisational structure by a staff of approximately 1400 (in 1985). The responsibility s stem, first introduced into agriculture inthe early 1980s, was instituted in the National Library in August 1984, and is implemented through a system of quotas, targets, workloads and time limits. Prior to implementation, standards tipulating the work content, quality


LCD-BLU(Liquid Crystal Display - Back Light Unit) consists of several optical sheets: LGP(Light Guiding Plate), light source and mold frame. The LGP of LCD-BLU is usually manufactured by etching process and forming numerous dots with in diameter on the surface. But the surface roughness of LGP with etched dots is very high, so there is much loss of light. In order to overcome the limit of current etched dot patterned LGP, optical pattern design with microlens of diameter was applied in the present study. The microlens pattern fabricated by modified LiGA with thermal reflow process was applied to the optical design of LGP and optical simulation was carried out to know tendency of microlens patterned LGP simultaneously. The attention was paid to the effects of different aspect ratio(i.e. ) of optical pattern conditions to the brightness distribution of BLU with microlens patterned LGP. Finally, high aspect ratio microlens patterned LGP showed superior results to the one made by low aspect ratio in average luminance.


Summary

1. The ciliate Euplotes octocarinatus responds to the presence of Stylonychia mytilus with a morphological transformation rendering its ingestion more difficult. Predation on Euplotes is reduced when an alternative prey, the flagellate Chlorogonium elongatum, is available. Lower predation is accompanied by reduced induction in Euplotes.

2. We quantified the motility of both ciliates in the presence and absence of Chlorogonium to test the hypothesis that the differential response in Euplotes is a consequence of behavioural changes affecting the encounter rate of the prey and the predator.

3. The results indicate that S. mytilus uses different feeding strategies for each prey. It is a filter feeder when small food particles (Chlorogonium) are abundant, however, it becomes a raptorial feeder when large prey with an escape capability (Euplotes) is available and small alternative prey are absent.

4. As the mobility of filter feeding Stylonychia is strongly limited, the presence of the flagellate may indirectly affect the defence level in Euplotes by reducing the frequency of contacts with the predator.

5. An experiment with Chaetogaster diastrophus, a more specialised predator not affected by the presence of Chlorogonium, as well as direct manipulation of the encounter rate by changing the surface area available for the crawling ciliates, supported the encounter rate hypothesis.


A greenhouse study was initiated to test whether plant yield and phosphorus uptake are governed by localized phosphate concentrations or by an average value of the phosphate present in the total volume of the container. The experimental design gave three fertilizer concentrations per unit fertilized soil, when disregarding concentrations; five levels of phosphate were applied to the whole pot. For all forms of phosphates used the results showed a clear dependence of yield and percentage P in dry matter on the total supply of phosphates in the root zone and not on local concentrations obtained when assembling the fertilizer in a relatively narrow zone of the container.


Tissue repair is an essential process that reestablishes tissue integrity and regular function. Nevertheless, different therapeutic factors and clinical conditions may interfere in this process of periapical healing. Long-term success of root canal treatment(RCT) is dependent on sufficient and appropriate cleaning and shaping of the root canal system along with 3 dimensional obturation. This article aims to report a non-surgical and orthograde endodontic retreatment of mandibular right central incisor with a large radicular cyst progression related to endodontic origin in a 51-year-old male. The signs (sinus tract) and symptoms ceased after treatment. Bone formation Complete healing of the periradicular lesion was observed at the two-year follow-up examination. The appropriate diagnosis of periradicular lesion and the treatment of root canal system allowed complete healing of large lesions without endodontic surgery.