The article deals with the peculiarities of training pedagogical university students to plan and implement the research activity in the future professional sphere on the basis of the Federal State Educational Standard of Higher Vocational Education. Based on the analysis of psycho-pedagogical literature this paper defines peculiarities of the structure and contents of students' research in the course of university vocational training within the framework of the competence approach. Specific features of the research component of the professional-pedagogical activity of a teacher are exposed and characterized. The article determines didactic opportunities of planning research activity of students – future teachers of mathematics within the framework of the competence approach on the basis of the new Federal State Educational Standard of Higher Vocational Education. Recommendations on the elaboration of the syllabus of vocational training of mathematics teachers on the basis of the new Federal State Educational Standard of Higher Vocational Education, as well as the technology of developing professional competences in students-future teachers of mathematics are provided.


Pusan National University School of Medicine (PNUSOM) began analyzing the cohort of pre-medical students admitted in 2015 and has been conducting purposeful analyses for the past 3 years. The aim of this paper is to introduce the process of cohort establishment, cohort composition, and the utilization of cohort analysis results. PNUSOM did not initially form a cohort with a purpose or through a systematic process, but was able to collect longitudinal data on students through the establishment of a Medical Education Information System and an organization that supports medical education. Cohort construction at our university is different in terms of a clear orientation toward research questions, flexibility in cohort composition, and subsequent guideline supplementation. We investigated the relevance of admission factors, performance improvements, satisfaction with the educational environment, and promotion and failure rate in undergraduate students, as well as performance levels and career paths in graduates. The results were presented to the Admissions Committee, Curriculum Committee, Learning Outcomes Committee, and Student Guidance Committee to be used as a basis for innovations and improvements in education. Since cohort studies require long-term efforts, it is necessary to ensure the efficiency of data collection for graduate cohorts, as well as the validity and ethics of the study.


This study assesses opportunities and benefits presented by enterprise resource planning (ERP) in terms of leveraging technology to improve the business of government in the City of El Paso, specifically with respect to activity based costing (ABC) within its ERP system. ABC and ERP, in tandem, can provide reasonably accurate and useful government services cost information for planning and decision making. ABC analyses—e.g., for Fire Medical Services and Animal Regulation and Disease Control—have been undertaken, and some ABC data are revealed.


A structural model is proposed with regions consisting of identical two-dimensionally perfect layers, stacked randomly on top of one another such that bonds in adjacent layers are in either diamond-like (staggered) or wurtzite-like (eclipsed) configurations. The model has perfect tetrahedral coordination everywhere throughout such regions and is consistent with electron microscopy results and with the observed diffraction data, especially those features corresponding to the diamond (1,1,1) and (2,2,0), (3,1,1) peaks.


The protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, can have devastating effects on the developing fetus if infection occurs during pregnancy. Congenital toxoplasmosis results in stillbirths, hydrocephalus, blindness, mental retardation, and neurological and behavioral disorders. There is mounting evidence for a link between toxoplasmosis and mental syndromes such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression and possibly autism. In mice, stimulating the maternal immune system during the periconceptual period dramatically reduces teratogen induced birth defects. Previously we demonstrated that maternal immune stimulation prevents fetal mortality from congenital toxoplasmosis. We wished to see if we could prevent toxoplasma induced behavioral changes as well. Pregnant mice were immune stimulated with IFNγ and were then infected with T. gondii tissue cysts. Congenitally infected and control pups were assessed for 31 standard FOB neurobehavioral assessments at 5 and 8 weeks of age. Significant differences in activity level, visual scores and click responses between treatment and gender were observed. These results may lead to development of a treatment or prevention for congenital toxoplasmosis and associated neurobehavioral disorders. Supported by USDA AD‐421 137196.


Adobe structures are more vulnerable in dynamic loads especially for seismic loads. The proper material properties of the adobe bricks will provide the sufficient strength in order to minimize the damage of the adobe building and also prevent loss of human lives and save maintenance costs. In this study, the simulation method will be used by using finite element analysis software, ANSYS. This simulation study presents about structure behaviors of adobe model structures undergoes dynamic loads. The purpose of this study is to study the structure behaviour of adobe structures subjected to seismic load. Two types of difference adobe material properties will be used in this study such as nonlinear properties (adobe brick without reinforcement) and bilinear properties (adobe brick with wire mesh reinforcement). In this analysis, the structure behaviour of two difference materials like deflection, stress and strain will be compared. It is expected to find that when wire mesh reinforcement is added, the structure behaviour of adobe improves significantly. It shows that the bilinear properties (adobe brick with wire mesh reinforcement) will be more suitable to against the seismic load.


This article examines the complex medical situation that lies behind two opposing attitudes about the consultation of physicians and the use of medicines found in the books of Tobit and Sirach. The thesis of this article is that Tob. 2.10 reflects a situation that has emerged due to the experimental stage of pharmacology during the third and second centuries BCE. Sirach 38.1-15, being an indirect response to Tobit's criticism of secular medicine, attempts to reconcile the medical arts with the biblical belief that God is the only healer (Exod. 15.26). By means of discussion on bodily treatment, both authors venture to construct medical consciousness among the Jewish circles of Second Temple period.


Over the years it has become increasingly evident that tumors of the iris should not be lumped with those of the ciliary body and choroid. They present entirely different problems in clinical diagnosis and surgical management, and there is mounting evidence to support the belief that biologically they may be different tumors. Progress in the study of these tumors has been slow, for they are not common, and a large volume of material with many years of follow-up is necessary for the accumulation of a series of cases from which lessons can be learned. Reese,1for example, stated that at the Institute of Ophthalmology, in New York. 271 malignant melanomas of the uvea included only 23 that were primary in the iris. More recently, Duke and Dunn2reviewed the primary tumors of the iris in the pathology laboratory of the Wilmer Institute and were able to report only


Virtual Reality may be considered a computational tool often used to aid in medical training, specially in surgical training. That allows surgeons to gain dexterity and experience in surgery without risking real patient lifes, reducing the probability of medical errors to occur, henceforth providing a better quality of life to patients. Due to the fragility of the human eye, more than most other areas of medicine, ophthalmology can greatly benefit from surgical simulations. One of the most common surgeries in that field, cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed. It increases the quality of life of the patient greatly, as it reestablishes their proper sight. This work introduces a cataract surgery simulator. The simulator uses a tactile device to increase its effectiveness. It provides the user with theoretic and practical knowledge. The simulator uses a serious game approach, containing four phases to be subdued. A set of interactive menus allow the user to control the procedure, which is actually performed through the tactile device (a Geomagic Touch). The user, henceforth, gains dexterity, which shall be useful in real life surgeries performed in the future


The present invention, heavy and light chains of a particular antibody molecule are encoded by two cistrons are present in dicistronic message that is linked by an optimized intergenic sequence DNA, production of antibodies a method for.


We provide tight bounds on the rate of convergence of the equilibrium payoff sets for repeated games under both perfect and imperfect public monitoring. The distance between the equilibrium payoff set and its limit vanishes at rate (1 - delta)^{1/2} under perfect monitoring, and at rate (1 - delta)^{1/4} under imperfect monitoring. For strictly individually rational payoff vectors, these rates improve to 0 (i.e., all strictly individually rational payoff vectors are exactly achieved as equilibrium payoffs for delta high enough) and (1 - delta)^{1/2}, respectively.


Key Points Question Can brain imaging predict future psychiatric symptoms in children? Findings In this 4-year longitudinal cohort study, distinct patterns of resting-state functional connectivity in healthy children predicted changes in psychiatric symptoms. Weaker positive dorsolateral prefrontal connectivity with medial prefrontal cortex predicted a better developmental trajectory for attentional symptoms, whereas weaker positive dorsolateral prefrontal connectivity with subgenual anterior cingulate cortex predicted a worse trajectory for internalizing symptoms (eg, anxiety/depression). Meaning Brain imaging measures can contribute to early identification of children at risk for common psychiatric disorders and thus identify children in need of preventive treatments.


email@example.com I , l I k e s o m A n y o f m y P e e r s , h Av e occasionally observed that if not for the presence of users, my systems and networks would perform perfectly. I suspect, however, that if we were ever to achieve our collective long-fancied dream of . . . "removing" the users, that running systems would be rather less fun, not to mention less profitable (but still worth it, I dare say). Though they are often worthy of my disdain, users are, I must admit, beyond necessary in my current line of work, where we live or die by the number of folks voluntarily using the Web sites we host; they are in fact . . . desirable.


Keratin biomaterials have potential for tissue engineering applications. When processed keratin is naturally non‐immunogenic, contains cell attachment sites, and has a tunable degradation rate, resulting in an effective scaffolding to simulate extracellular matrix (ECM). Keratose (oxidatively derived keratin) degrades in a period of weeks whereas kerateine (reductively derived keratin) degrades on an order of months to years, due to higher cysteine cross linking in kerateine. Clinically type 1 collagen sponge is soaked in bone morphogenetic protein (BMP2), which is a potent osteoinductive factor, in order to promote bone healing in orthopedic and craniofacial sites. The sponge, however, does not modulate BMP2 release in vivo, resulting in supraphysiological levels of the osteoinductive factor. Harmful ectopic bone formation and inflammation can result. In contrast, keratin degradation and BMP2 release rate are correlated. Modulation of BMP2 release by keratin, coupled with its inherent properties as an ECM substitute, could result in a suitable construct for osteoinduction via controlled osteogenic signal release, inflammatory mitigation, and cellular infiltration. The aim of this study was to examine the ability of keratin‐derived materials containing BMP2 to induce bone formation in vivo.


1. Islam, Revivalism and Public Policy Sohrab Behdad 2. Ideology and Institutions in Islamist Approaches to Public Policy S.V.R. Nasr 3. Islamism and Economics: Policy Implications for a Free Society Timur Kuran 4. Islamic Jurisprudence and Public Policy Ali Rahnema 5. Islam and Human RIihts Policy Ann Elizabeth Mayer 6. Women, Sexuality and Social Policy in Islamic Cultures Haideh Moghissi 7. Muslim Family Law: Articulating Gender, Class and the State Nahla Abdo 8. Islam, Islamists, and Labor Law Marsha P. Psusney and Karen Pfeifer 9. Commercial Law: the Conflict in Shari'a and Secular Law Taxation and Public Finance Volker Nienhaus 10. The Problem of Interst and Banking in Islamic Public Policy Farhad Nomani


'New Age' belief systems are relatively common, including amongst adherents of traditional religions. This article examines common New Age ideas about autism spectrum disorders. These beliefs are varied, but may include notions of karma, reincarnation, spirit or extraterrestrial possession, and telepathy, as well as recourse to specific types of therapies (notably, humanistic counseling and biomedical interventions, including bodywork, "detoxification" and special diets). It also considers the impact these may have on parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), on people with autism themselves, and on practitioners who may encounter them in the course of their work.


Root activity of two citrus rootstocks was measured by the uptake from 32P placed at various distances and depths from the trunk, and recovered in the leaves. The efficiency and activity pattern of roots is a characteristic of a particular rootstock. 'Troyer' citrange showed maximum root activity within 80 cm of radial distance and a depth of 24 cm whereas in 'Kama Khatta' it spread up to 120 cm radially and between 16 and 24 cm in depth. The recovery of radioactivity and the percentage of phosphorous derived from fertilizer in leaves was much higher in 'Troyer' than in 'Karna Khatta'.


Several applications of optical fibres for sensor and telecommunications require the polymer jacket to be stripped from the fibre, e.g. for the inscription of Bragg gratings. Here, we report an alternative approach to chemical and mechanical fibre jacket stripping based on laser ablation. It is shown that excellent quality removal is possible using the ultraviolet excimer and infra-red CO2 laser, provided the latter is tuned to a suitably strong absorption band in the polymer. Characterization of the ablation properties of the acrylic jacket material, and the optical and mechanical properties of the stripped fibre are reported.


This paper takes Sanzhao Depression in Songliao Basin as the research target, Fuyu oil layer in Sanzhao Depression is an important petroleum exploration field, it is in the 4th member of Quantou formation, Lower Cretaceous. The target layer in research area is mainly a set of shallow-water delta deposition. Because of the distributary channel frequently swing, single sand body thin thickness, study of sand body prediction must be carried out to guide further petroleum development. In the case of lack of core data, this study use the method of geostatistical inversion to predict sand body. The sedimentary facies make a certain control to the sand body distribution.


In this communication the effect of the electromagnetic radiation on in vitro cell cultures is analyzed using a self-adaptive hp-Finite Element Method (hp-FEM) in three dimensions. Computer dosimetry is a challenging problem as it involves complex geometries with high contrast electromagnetic materials. hp-FEM produces exponential convergence rates in terms of the energy-norm error of the solution against the problem size (number of degrees of freedom), even in the presence of singularities. Thus, accurate electromagnetic solutions of complex problems, as computer dosimetry for in vitro experiments, can be obtained. Furthermore, the use of self-adaptive techniques provides solutions, with a user pre-specified degree of accuracy from a initial very coarse mesh without any a priori knowledge of the problem solution


This article proposes a reinterpretation of Orio Giarini and Walter Stahel's seminal work on the "new service society" [GIA 89] in the broader scientific context that saw the emergence of a plurality of concepts related to the "functional economy". It analyzes the legitimate foundations of this use-based transactional mode within L. Boltanski and L. Thevenot's framework on the "Economies of Worth" [BOL 91]. It shows that the co-authors of The Limits to Certainty conceptualized a specific form of exchange that does not fundamentally call into question the industrial-merchant principles of the economic system, but rather tends to bend its devices in order to improve its performance in economic, social and environmental terms. This analysis allows us to highlight the differences and similarities between the principles underlying their original conception and the principles that underlie the constructions developed in its continuum.


A novel algorithm to classify iris images automatically is announced by this paper, which apply differential of fractal dimension (DFD) by determined fractal dimension of image with box counting method, and using neural network. First iris image is separated from other part of captured eye image then normalized. After that normalized iris images partition to sixteen boxes that size of each box is (32 times 32) then calculate FDs of each boxes then determined DFDs between two neighbors blocks, therefore we have fourteen DFDs of per image, then use neural network to categorize iris images. This classification method has been tested and evaluated on 716 iris images. Consequent of this method iris images classify to five classes with accuracy of classification is 95.67%.


The invention discloses a smart card operation method and a smart card. The smart card operation method comprises steps: a first smart card receives second modification information sent by an external smart card in an audio signal mode, wherein the second modification information comprises second to-be-modified money amount information and second identity recognition information; the first smart card carries out identification on the second identity recognition information; and after identification passes, the first smart card modifies the money amount information stored in the card according to the second to-be-modified money amount information. Through the above technical scheme, the problem that information interaction can not be directly carried out among smart cards in the prior art can be solved.


A case of posterior fossa dural arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is reported. In the surgical specimen the internal elastic lamina of the dura mater around the sinus was defective in places where nests of dural vascular anomalies protruded into the sinus lumen, suggesting that the AVM was congenital in origin.


Objetives: To evaluate male gender as a risk factor for perinatal comorbidities and growth in a population of very low birth weight (VLBW) premature infants. Materials and Methods: A population of 1390 VLBW premature infants admitted to Hospital La Paz (Spain) between 2005 and 2015 was retrospectively studied. We evaluated mortality rates, severity at admission, and incidence of the most prevalent comorbidities in prematurity and growth. Multivariate regression analysis was applied to evaluate the effect of gender on the variables studied. Results: No differences in gestational age, Apgar and clinical risk index for babies scores, and mortality rates were detected between the genders. Male infants showed a higher prevalence of the majority of the comorbidities of prematurity, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), and late-onset sepsis (LOS) being significant compared with females. Conclusions: Male infants had larger anthropometric parameters at birth without differences in body growth compared to females. Male gender is a risk factor for LOS and BPD in VLBW infants without influence on perinatal growth.


ABSTRACT Big data have analytical potential that was hard to realize with available technologies. After new storage paradigms intended for big data such as NoSQL databases emerged, traditional systems got pushed out of the focus. The current research is focused on their reconciliation on different levels or paradigm replacement. Similarly, the emergence of NoSQL databases has started to push traditional (relational) data warehouses out of the research and even practical focus. Data warehousing is known for the strict modelling process, capturing the essence of the business processes. For that reason, a mere integration to bridge the NoSQL gap is not enough. It is necessary to deal with this issue on a higher abstraction level during the modelling phase. NoSQL databases generally lack clear, unambiguous schema, making the comprehension of their contents difficult and their integration and analysis harder. This motivated involving semantic web technologies to enrich NoSQL database contents by additional meaning and context. This paper reviews the application of semantics in data integration and data warehousing and analyses its potential in integrating NoSQL data and traditional data warehouses with some focus on document stores. Also, it gives a proposal of the future pursuit directions for the big data warehouse modelling phases.


Review(s) of: Greene in conceit: New raised from his grave to write the tragic history of fair Valeria of London (1598), by Dickenson, John, (Barnabe Rich Society Publications 19), eds Donald Beecher and David Margolies, Toronto, Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies, 2008, paperback, pp. 151, R.R.P. US$19.00, ISBN 9780772720436.


The domestic APC and optimization technology application in the ethylene splitter of 145kt/a ethylene plant is discussed. The improved advanced control model has been developed based on previous control strategy and operation experience in the ethylene splitter. Critical quality control, energy save and optimum control are performed based on the software measurement estimation of ethylene concentration. It is proved that the benefit is achieved because control is more stable and ethylene output is increased.


Abstract : This is a final report for the MIT Haystack Observatory ISIS Array DURIP award. The ISIS Array (Intercepted Signals for Ionospheric Science) is an instrumentation network funded by the DoD DURIP program. This project is constructing a coherent software radio network capable of operating as a flexible multi- ole distributed radio science instrument. ISIS hardware purchasing is complete and all components have been delivered. A complete inventory of the ISIS purchasing and cost breakdown is attached at the end of this report. We have purchased hardware for seven nodes each of which will be contained in a ruggedized transport rack. Assembly of the ISIS nodes is well underway with the first two nodes being fully completed including software configuration. The additional five are in various stages of assembly. It is expected that assembly and software configuration of all I the nodes will be complete by the end of August 2005. By late summer 2006 DURIP funded nodes are likely to be deployed at Cornell, Sienna College (Albany), Dartmouth, UNH, Greenbank, UW, and Manastash Ridge (with equivalent equipment at Millstone). The ISIS Array was recently (June 2005) the subject of a workshop hosted at Haystack Observatory to discuss the array and collaborations in distributed radio science instrumentation among selected university partners.


Experiments on the entrainment of bed sediment into suspension by density underflows are described. The density underflows were created by allowing saline water to move as a steady, continuous current under a body of essentially stagnant fresh water. The bed slope was set at 0.08. Two grades of fine crushed coal, with geometric mean sizes of 100 μm and 180 μm, were placed in a trough in the bed with a length of 2 m, over which the density currents passed. Measurements of profiles of flow velocity and concentration of suspended sediment allowed for a back calculation of boundary shear stress and the rate of sediment entrainment from the equations of momentum and mass balance. Two techniques for removing the effect of form drag from the boundary shear stress were explored. The resulting data were used to compare sediment entrainment rates due to density underflows with those observed in open channels. It appears possible to make rather modest adjustments in an existing predictive relation for sediment entrainment in open channels, so as to predict the case pertaining to density underflows as well.


Based on findings in Massachusetts probate records, 1650–1753, this paper argues that the average value of consumer goods among farmers and other rural inhabitants in that colony did not decline over the course of the colonial period but fluctuated around an average value little different from that for an equivalent segment of the population at risk in Maryland at the turn of the eighteenth century. Similar findings by Jackson Turner Main for.colonial Connecticut extend this absence of trend to a wider area of New England and to the years immediately preceding the American Revolution.


Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have been widely employed as effective hole-selective layers (HSLs) in inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, most SAM molecules are amphiphilic in nature and tend to form micelles in the commonly used alcoholic processing solvents. This introduces an extra energetic barrier to disassemble the micelles during the binding of SAM molecules on the substrate surface, limiting the formation of a compact SAM. To alleviate this problem for achieving optimal SAM growth, we develop a co-solvent strategy to disassemble the micelles of carbazole-based SAM molecules in the processing solution. This effectively increases the critical micelle concentration to be above the processing concentration and enhances the reactivity of the phosphonic acid anchoring group to allow densely packed SAMs to be formed on ITO. Consequently, the PSCs derived from using MeO-2PACz, 2PACz, and CbzNaph SAM HSLs showed universally improved performance, with the CbzNaph SAM derived device achieving a champion efficiency of 24.98% and improved stability. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


Government incentive is one of the significant factors that influence the compliance behavior of zakat. However, studies which have focused on government incentive such as zakat deduction and compliance behavior of zakat particularly in business zakat scenario is only next to inexistence. Therefore, this study aims to investigate whether the government incentives influence compliance behavior of business zakat among owners of SMEs.A total of 276 questionnaires collected from Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) in Selangor and were analyzed using Rasch Measurement Model. The construct is found reliable with Cronbach Alpha of 0.60, person reliability index at 0.65 and item reliability index at 0.98. The statistical indicators such as mean square (MNSQ), Zstandardized (ZSTD), point measure correlation (PtMeaCorr) and Person Item Distribution Map (PIDM) revealed that out of the 247 respondents, 107 respondents (43.3%) who comply with business zakat payment were influenced by government incentives and 140 respondents (56.7%) who did not comply with business zakat payment probably are not influenced by government incentives. The finding of his study implies the significance of Rasch Measurement Model in explaining the compliance behavior of zakat among SMEs. Specifically, this study finds that government incentive is not influence the decision of owners on SMEs community to comply with business zakat payment.


The theory of locating a deep submersible by measurement of time delays in arrival of an acoustic pulse from the deep submersible to three hydrophones of a short‐base navigational system has been developed in detail. The theory incorporates all the relevant variables such as the translational and rotational positions and velocities of the tracking ship and the variation of acoustic speed with depth. No restrictions have been placed on the relative values of the horizontal and vertical coordinates of the submersible relative to the tracking ship. A numerical example is given to demonstrate the use of the theory and to show the effects of ignoring the motion of the tracking ship and the variation of acoustic speed with oceanic depth.


Objective To explore the apoptosis-inducing effect of Solanum lyratum Thunb extract(STE) and the expression of apoptosis associated genes survivin and caspase-3 on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells.Methods MCF-7cells were treated with 2.5,5 and 10 mg/L STE for 48 h,and the cells were treated with 2.5 mg/L DDP as positive control.The inhibitory rate was evaluated by MTT assay.Apoptotic rate was determined by TUNEL method.The expression of survivin and caspase-3 mRNA was detected by semi-quantitive RT-PCR.Results Compared with control group,the inhibitory rate was increased obviously(P0.001),the apoptotic rate was increased markedly(P0.001),the expression of caspase-3 mRNA was increased significantly(P0.001),while survivin mRNA was decreased markedly(P0.05 or P0.01) in STE groups.Conclusion STE can induce MCF-7 cells apoptosis.The molecular mechanism might be related to up-regulating expression of caspase-3 and down-regulating expression of survivin genes.


In this paper we investigate certain notions from the theory of free profinite groups, which we then apply to the study of certain pseudovarieties of monoids. More precisely, the profinite Cayley graphs of the free pro-H groups are H-trees for certain, so-called arborescent, pseudovarieties of groups H. For such pseudovarieties, we introduce the notion of reduced factorizations in the free pro-H groups, and we prove that these factorizations enjoy a common refinement property. This property, in turn, is used to compute joins of certain pseudovarieties of monoids with pseudovarieties of groups within the pseudovariety DS of all finite monoids in which each regular -class is a subsemigroup. We then apply our results to the theory of formal languages.


There are fundamentally two different approaches to the pulse modeling problem. The first is to generate pulse results by Fourier synthesis of time‐harmonic solutions. This approach requires little programming effort and builds on the existing set of cw codes (normal modes, FFP, PE), which have been developed and continuously improved over the past decade or two. The second approach is to solve the problem directly in the time domain, which requires the development of an entirely new set of propagation codes. A similar effort would only pay off if there are significant computational advantages to solving the problem in the time domain. The issue of computational efficiency is addressed by solving characteristic short‐ and long‐range propagation problems in shallow and deep water, employing both Fourier‐synthesized cw codes (FFP and PE) and time‐domain codes recently developed by M. B. Porter (TDFFP) and M.D. Collins (TDPE).


TPS5619 Background: Despite initial response to conventional platinum-containing therapies, the majority of high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) patients will eventually develop treatment resistance. Despite interest for immune checkpoint inhibitor alternatives, pembrolizumab monotherapy is poor with objective response rates (ORR) ranging between 4.1 - 10%. Poor response may be linked to higher expression of immunosuppressive factors (e.g. VEGF, TGF-β) in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In an immunosuppressive TME, monotherapy with PD-1 inhibitors can induce T-cell dysfunction and apoptosis, leading to innate resistance to pembrolizumab. Preclinical studies of other tumors have demonstrated that lenvatinib can improve T-cell activation and reduce the tumor-associated macrophage population and TGF-β/VEGF/FGF-signaling. In HGSOC, mechanisms of resistance to pembrolizumab and whether this resistance can be overcome by the addition of lenvatinib remain unknown. The objective of this investigation is to uncover the immunologic basis and synergistic mechanisms of action underlying clinical efficacy of pembrolizumab and lenvatinib in HGSOC. Specifically, we will evaluate the dynamic changes in proliferative and dysfunctional T-cell populations in the peritoneal TME (p-TME) of HGSOC patients receiving monotherapy with pembrolizumab or lenvatinib followed by combination therapy. Methods: All patients will receive a cycle of monotherapy (pembrolizumab 200 mg IV every 3 weeks or lenvatinib 20 mg po daily) followed by combination therapy (both) up to 35 cycles. Enrolled patients will receive intra-peritoneal port placement for serial peritoneal fluid evaluations (cycle 0 day 1, cycle 0 day 8, cycle 1 day 8, cycle 2 day 1, cycle 3 day 1, cycle 5 day 1, then day 1 of every 3rd cycle) for multichannel flow cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing. Our primary translational objective is to estimate both the individual and combined effects of pembrolizumab and lenvatinib on T-cell dysfunction (PD1+ CD38+) and proliferation (ki67+) in the p-TME using multichannel flow cytometry on the peritoneal fluid. Secondary clinical objective is ORR. Secondary translational objectives include individual and synergistic effects of monotherapy and combination therapy on T-cell effector function, T-cell memory, and myeloid cell subpopulations. Exploratory objectives include evaluating the dynamic changes in immune and non-immune cells in the p-TME for exceptional responders and non-responders using single cell RNA sequencing. Key eligibility criteria include 1) histologic diagnosis of high grade serous ovarian, peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancer 2) platinum-resistant disease and 3) no prior lenvatinib therapy. The trial is open with 10 patients enrolled at the time of submission. Clinical trial information: NCT05114421 .


ABSTRACT Solid-phase extraction (SPE) was carefully optimised for preconcentration of 2-4-dimethylaniline (2,4-DMA) and 2,4-dimethylformanilide (DMF) from honey samples. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used for the separation and quantification of these analytes. By applying the SPE procedure with 200 mg of OASIS HLB sorbent, the limits of detection achieved in honey samples can be lowered to 0.41 µg·kg−1 for 2,4-DMA and 0.69 µg L−1 for DMF. The proposed method achieves good recoveries (81.1–114%) and precision (RSD 1.07–4.05%, n = 3) for analysed honey sample spiked at two concentration levels 1 µg L−1 and 2 µg L−1. The results demonstrated our method can be applied as a simple way for sample preparation of honey samples for determination of amitraz degradation products. In 1 out of 5 of the analysed Polish honey samples, the DMF residues exceed the maximum residual limits (0.2 mg·kg−1 for total amitraz residues). GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


Multi-resolution sub-band have been widely utilized in the analysis of transients' nature of biomedical signals. In this paper, the use of a wavelet transform domain filtering technique as an adaptive de-noising tool, implemented in ECG signal analysis, is presented. The multi-resolution representations of the signal, produced by wavelet transform (WT), are used for signal structure extraction. Experimental results have shown that the implementation of this wavelet-based filter in ECG signal analysis results in an efficient reduction of the high noisy environment, producing an almost noise-free output signal. Due to its simplicity and its fast implementation the method can easily be used in clinical medicine.


Properties of the egg jelly agglutinin (fertilizin) and the acrosome reaction inducing substance in egg jelly were compared. Both the acrosome reaction inducing activity and the sperm agglutinating activity in egg jelly solutions were nondialyzable. Reversible sperm agglutination occurred in calcium-deficient egg jelly solutions, but induction of the acrosome reaction was delayed until the addition of sufficient calcium. Sperm which were washed following agglutination in calcium-deficient egg jelly solutions would not subsequently undergo acrosome reactions in the presence of excess calcium and egg jelly. The loss of agglutinating activity following repeated addition of sperm to egg jelly solutions paralleled the loss of acrosome reaction inducing activity. Neutralization of agglutinating activity by antijelly antiserum paralleled neutralization of acrosome reaction inducing activity. A single egg jelly antigen is involved in both agglutination and the acrosome reaction. No significant interspecific acrosome reactions occurred without concomitant interspecific sperm agglutination. A two step acrosome reaction mechanism is proposed. The initial step involves fertilizin-induced agglutination followed by calcium influx resulting in extrusion of the acrosomal filament.


This paper reflects preliminary research into emergent multiagent interaction in a "temporally asynchronous" environment. Many traditional approaches to modeling multi-agent systems involve synchronizing all agent activity in a world to a single "universal" clock. In other words, all agent behavior is regulated by a single timer where all agents act and interact deterministically in time. However, if the goal is to model simulated agents which accurately portray the behavior of real-world entities; this timing mechanism yields a restricted representation of actual agent interaction. In addition to the behavioral autonomy normally associated with agents, simulated agents must also have temporal autonomy in order to interact realistically. This paper examines the effects of altering and extending the basic synchronous behavior of a well known cellular automata system—John Conway's Game of Life—to function as a platform for the simulation "temporally asynchronous" multi-agent interaction.


The appreciation of exchange rate has serious impacts on the economy of a country,and even more so to the operation and development of capital market,which is the most active pivot of market economy.The concussions and impacts of the appreciation of RMB exchange rate are probed on the transformation of Chinese capital market,the situation of special transformation in China at present is summarized,and the experiences of Asian countries and regions,such as Japan and Taiwan,are learnt.Normative approaches are used in the research.Proposals are made for the successful transformation of Chinese capital market.


Abstract Declines in shark populations have sparked researchers and fishery managers to investigate more prudent approaches to the conservation of these fish. As managers strive to improve data collection for stock assessment, fisheries-independent surveys have expanded to include data-deficient areas such as coastal regions. To that end, a catch series from a nearshore survey off Alabama was combined with data from a concurrent offshore survey with identical methodology to examine the depth use of sharks across the continental shelf (2–366 m). The combined data set contained 22 species of sharks collected from 1995 to 2008: 21 species in the offshore data set (1995–2008) and 12 species in the nearshore data set (2006–2008). Depth was a significant factor determining species' distributions, primarily for Atlantic sharpnose Rhizoprionodon terraenovae, blacknose Carcharhinus acronotus, and blacktip C. limbatus sharks. Blacknose sharks had the highest catch per unit effort (CPUE) in the middepth stratum (10–30 m), blacktip sharks had consistently higher CPUE in the shallow depth stratum (<10 m), and Atlantic sharpnose sharks showed high abundance throughout both the shallow and middepth strata. Length frequency and sex ratio analyses suggest that Atlantic sharpnose and blacknose sharks are using waters greater than 30 m deep for parturition, whereas adult blacktip sharks are probably using shallow waters for parturition. Our abundance patterns illustrate a continuum of depth use across the inner continental shelf. Surveys that do not encompass the entirety of this ecosystem fail to accurately characterize the distributions of these important predators.


Copper (Cu) complexes of a number of compounds have increased efficacy against many pathological conditions when compared to the parent compound. In the present study, the authors combined Cu treatment with daily administration of d-penicillamine (d-pen; 100 mg/kg) to determine effectiveness against the ocular inflammatory response to endotoxin. Four groups of rabbits (New Zealand white) were used in this study. Groups 1 and 2 were sham operated and Group 2 received daily injections of d-pen. Groups 3 and 4 had subcutaneously implanted osmotic pumps delivering 4.15 mg Cu per day, with Group 4 also receiving daily injections of d-pen. After 6 days of treatment the eyes were injected intravitreally with 10 ng endotoxin. Twenty-four hours later the eyes were examined, the rabbits killed and plasma and eyes obtained for analysis. There were no differences in the ocular inflammatory response between any of the groups. However, plasma antioxidant activity was significantly greater in Group IV than in any of the other groups. Plasma from groups 1-4 inhibited spontaneous lipid peroxidation by 38.9, 37.4, 54.1 and 69.2%, respectively. Increased plasma antioxidant activity in Group 4 was not due to a Cu/d-pen complex or any other compound with a molecular weight less thanmore » 10,000, but could possibly contribute to the increased anti-inflammatory efficacy of Cu/d-pen treatment found in other models of inflammation.« less


Turning is a conventional machining operation that is based on chip removal through shear caused by a cutting edge. During plastic deformation of the material for chip formation, more than 95% of the mechanical energy supplied by the machine is transformed into heat. This concentration of thermal energy in a small region produces high temperatures in the chip-tool contact, which for turning gray cast iron vary in a range from 600 oC to 900 oC, depending on the machining parameters. This high temperature on the cutting tool has a harmful effect as it enhances the wear mechanisms, thus reducing its useful life. To control this problem, several solutions are used industrially, which include the use of cutting fluid, the minimum amount of lubricant technique (MQL) and the development of new materials for cutting tools. This work aims to evaluate the effect of using internal coolant tools (ICT) on the cutting force and roughness of the workpiece. Through the electrical discharge machining, cooling channels were manufactured in the carbide tools so that water at 2 oC circulated internally in a closed cycle. Machining tests were carried out on a FC-300 gray cast iron bar, comparing the use of ICT with the no internal coolant tool (NICT). A mixed factorial experimental design was used, with two levels for cutting depth factor (1.0 and 1.5 mm) and use of coolant (ICT or NICT), and three levels for cutting speed (150, 200 and 250 m/min), totaling 12 different conditions. The output variables were cutting force and roughness Ra and Rq. Among the main results are: a reduction in Ra from 4.8% to 14.9% and in Rq from 5.5% to 20.0%, when comparing ICT with NICT; the use of ICT resulted in a drop of 0.8% to up to 21.07% in cutting force compared to NICT.


Lateral epicondylalgia appears to be multifactorial in origin, while the clinical picture is fairly uniform. Furthermore, only 5% of the people suffering from tennis elbow actually play tennis, and therefore, the condition may rather be referred to as lateral epicondylalgia(LE). There are many studies done for physiotherapeutic management of LE. Ultrasound and wrist extensor exercises remain mainstay in management of LE. There are some studies suggesting relationship between scapular muscles & LE. AIM: To assess the additional effect of scapular muscle strengthening over conventional treatment in management of Lateral epicondylalgia. METHODOLOGY: Subjects who met with inclusion & exclusion criteria were divided into 2 groups. Experimental group was given scapular muscle strengthening exercises in addition to conventional treatment and the control group was given conventional treatment for LE. Grip strength measurement was done using Jamar's hand-held dynamometer & pain intensity and functional ability was scored using patient-rated tennis elbow evaluation(PRTEE) score on 1stday & after 3 weeks. RESULTS & CONCLUSION: Significant improvement was found in both the groups. Scapular muscle strengthening showed significantly more reduction in pain, functional disability and more improvement in grip strength than conventional treatment. Thus, scapular muscle strengthening must be included in rehabilitation plan of patient with LE.


Dexmedetomidine is a new and highly selective α2-adrenoceptor agonist,which exhibits sedative as well as analgesic and anxiolytic effects. The researhes at home and abroad proved that dexmedetomidine is used as adjuvant for anesthesia during the surgery and analgesia after the surgery. There is a significant increase in the post-operative analgesia duration before the first analgesia is required and a decrease in the dose required for pain relief. This review aims to present an update clinical application of dexmedetomidine in anesthesia and analgesia.


Recent results and future prospects in the rare kaon-decay experiments at KEK, BNL, CERN and FNAL are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the quark flavor dynamics in the flavor-changing neutral current processes. Experimental and data-analysis techniques developed in the rare decay experiments are discussed.


Background and Objectives: This article aims to analyze how the needs of Mexican women requiring emergency obstetric care (EmOC) can be fully met through initiatives such as the General Agreement on Inter-Institutional Collaboration for Emergency Obstetric Care (the Agreement). We compared EmOCaccredited facilities operating under the Agreement with facilities outside the Agreement which, although not accredited, provide their affiliates with EmOC services.
Methods: Based on an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional design, we analyzed the Agreement interinstitutional strategy within four different scenarios in order to verify whether Mexico was in compliance with United Nations (UN) recommendations on EmOC availability: five facilities, with at least one offering comprehensive services, per 500,000 inhabitants.
Results: Taking into account all facilities in the Mexican health care system, we found that Mexico offered 75% of the required facilities and was therefore 25% short of compliance. According to data on hospital discharges, 734 438 cases of obstetric emergencies (OEs) were registered in Mexico in 2013, the vast majority of which were assisted by facilities unaccredited for that function. Meanwhile, the 466 accredited facilities, all operating under the Agreement, served a negligible proportion (0.07%) of these patients.
Conclusion and Implications For Translation: The Agreement would undoubtedly reach its potential as a vehicle for universal EmOC coverage were its field of action not restricted to such a small number of services for women. The Mexican health care system is faced with the double challenge of increasing institutional coverage and upgrading installed EmOC infrastructure.
Key words: • Medical emergency services • Mexico, Medical assistance • Hospitalization • Health regulation • Agreements.

Copyright © 2020 Ramírez-Rojas et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work which is published in this journal is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial.


China is one of the richest areas in terms of biodiversity of liverworts in the world. There are 58 families, 151 genera and about 960 species of Marchantiophyta and Anthocerophyta recorded from China (Piippo, 1990; Cao et al., 2000). However, karylogical studies of liverworts have been sporadically undertaken in China, since the first report of chromosome numbers of four Chinese mosses was published by Zhou, Sha & Wang (1988). Up to the present, only about 33 species of Marchantiophyta (3.44% of the total) have had chromosome numbers reported and the karyotypes of six species have been studied in China (Fritsch, 1991; Du, Wu & Wang., 1998; Sha et al., 1998a, b; Sőderstrőm et al., 1999; Zhou, Sha & Du, 1998). The karyotypes of four species of Lophoziaceae, namely,


Abstract Background: Measurement of left ventricular mass (LVM) is important to the diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy in children with various cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine the most appropriate method for standardization of LVM and to evaluate obesity‐induced left ventricular hypertrophy in children across the entire age range, from infancy through adolescence.


The catalysts for the direct conversion of carboxylic acid to ketene and alkylketene dimer (AKD) by catalytic dehydration reaction with high yields were investigated. Direct conversion of high molecular weight carboxylic acid to ketene and AKD via abstracting a water molecule by silica catalyst could avoid the hazard of toxic chemicals and minimized unwanted wastes. Among the various metal oxides which could produce ketenes, only silicas showed the activity for AKD formation. When using typical amorphous silica powders (surface area: about 300 ㎡/g, with closed pores), the yields were very low regardless of pore size (60, 100, 150 Å ). On the other hand, mesoporous silicas (M41S, with open pores) gave higher yields of AKD in spite of smaller pore sizes (20-100 Å). The higher yields were caused by the easy transfers of the reactant and products along the open pores of M41S. Higher silianol concentration also could give higher yield of AKD.


The burden of cardiovascular risk is increasing worldwide and is largely tied to a parallel increase in the prevalence of hypertension. This trend is due in part to ever more common risk factors, not the least of which is the growing elderly population in many industrialized countries. Control of hypertension is universally unsatisfactory. One patient out of four is controlled in the United States, and the control rates worldwide are similar, if not worse. This collection of articles discusses important considerations for the hypertensive patient and the arsenal of pharmacologic agents that we now have at our disposal to combat the disease. The articles in this supplement focus on the potent antihypertensive class of calcium-channel blockers (CCBs), discussing their effects in multiple studies and their evolution through several distinct generations, including the latest entrants to the class. The treatment of hypertension, once regarded as a relatively empiric process of adding drugs in a sequential fashion, is now recognized as a far more complex process. Few articles in today's literature discuss isolated essential hypertension. Conversely, it is now recognized that complicated hypertension is more often the rule than the exception. "Complicated hypertension," once assigned exclusively to patients with clinical evidence of target organ damage, now has the broader assignment of patients who present with a variety of related cardiovascular illnesses, or even those who belong to a high-risk group likely to develop target organ damage. In the first article, Dr. C. Venkata S. Ram examines complicated hypertension and clearly makes the case for aggressive management. The Hypertension Optimal Treatment (HOT) study 1 and the UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) 2 clearly established that achieving lower more aggressive blood pressure goals is essential in averting further progression of cardiovascular disease in complicated hypertension. It is uncommon to achieve these aggressive goals with the use of one antihypertensive agent only


Due to the foreseeable changes in the framework for bioenergy and especially for the use of energy crops, the organic waste and residuals becomes the focus of attention. Approximately two-third of the available total (organic) residue potential in Germany is already energetically used, whereby the thermal recovery with the use of waste wood preponderates. Approximately one-third of the total technical potential of biogas (including energy crops) consists of fermentable waste and residuals such as manure, industrial and municipal organic waste. The anaerobic digestion of biowaste and green waste also plays an increasingly major role in practice. The potential of agricultural residues as co-products (straw) and manure is slowly tapped for biogas production.


Adipocyte fatty acid binding proteins(AFABP),as one of the members of the fatty acid binding proteins family,is widely expressed in all normal tissues,involving in fatty acid storage,transport and degradation processes.In recent years,adipocyte fatty acid binding protein has become a hot spot.This paper is aiming at discussing the main characteristics and the relationship among various diseases.


The "click chemistry" approach utilizing 5‐ethynyl‐2′‐deoxyuridine (EdU) as a DNA precursor was recently introduced to assess DNA replication and adapted to flow‐ and imaging‐cytometry. In the present study, we observed that EdU, once incorporated into DNA, induces DNA damage signaling (DDS) such as phosphorylation of ATM on Ser1981, of histone H2AX on Ser139, of p53 on Ser15, and of Chk2 on Thr68. It also perturbs progression of cells through the cell cycle and subsequently induces apoptosis. These effects were observed in non‐small cell lung adenocarcinoma A549 as well as in B‐cell human lymphoblastoid TK6 and WTK1 cells, differing in the status of p53 (wt versus mutated). After 1 h EdU pulse‐labeling, the most affected was cells progression through the S phase subsequent to that at which they had incorporated EdU. This indicates that DNA replication using the template containing incorporated EdU is protracted and triggers DDS. Furthermore, progression of cells having DNA pulse‐labeled with EdU led to accumulation of cells in G2, likely by activating G2 checkpoint. Consistent with the latter was activation of p53 and Chk2. Although a correlation was observed in A549 cells between the degree of EdU incorporation and the extent of γH2AX induction, such correlation was weak in TK6 and WTK1 cells. The degree of perturbation of the cell cycle kinetics by the incorporated EdU was different in the wt p53 TK6 cells as compared to their sister WTK1 cell line having mutated p53. The data are thus consistent with the role of p53 in modulating activation of cell cycle checkpoints in response to impaired DNA replication. The confocal microscopy analysis of the 3D images of cells exposed to EdU for 1 h pulse and then grown for 24 or 48 h revealed an increased number of colocalized γH2AX and p53BP1 foci considered to be markers of DNA double‐strand breaks and enlarged nuclei. © 2013 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry


A study is described which compared and contrasted the overall operating efficiency and accident experience at a sample of intersections. The comparison was made between a configuration with a double-left-turn-lane on one or more approaches, and intersections with similar characteristics where there are only conventional single-left-turn-lanes. It was fund that the use of DLTL installation in intersections containing high volumes of left-turning traffic and opposing traffic is favorable. The DLTL helps in moving approximately 19% more vehicles through an intersection within a given time frame than through an intersection which only utilizes SLTLs. This increased capacity is attained while affected accidents increase by an average of less than one accident per million of entering vehicles.


The current design practice of plate-and-grid structures in buildings, such as waffle slabs and ribbed plates, is relied largely on code-specified approximate methods, and the deflection of the system is rarely evaluated owing to the complexity of calculations. In this paper, an analogous stiffened plate is presented to model the plate-and-grid structures. A semianalytical method is proposed based on the finite element method to obtain an accurate analysis of the stiffened plates. The proposed method of analysis has more flexible geometry adaptability and higher efficiency in reducing the unknown variables as compared to the general finite element methods, as well as less computation time and cost. The predictions of the proposed analyses for example structures agree very well with those of the finite element method and experiment.


This article addresses the controversy surrounding end-of-life management, based on an analysis of the Public Civil Suit, brought by the Federal Prosecutor's Office, which aimed to revoke the Federal Medical Council's Resolution 1805/2006 about orthothanasia. The reflection about the discourses in the judicial proceedings, in defense of each position (for and against the legal authorization of orthothanasia), makes it possible to understand the threads and social actors involved in contemporary debates about the limits of life, the possibilities for medical intervention and the rights to individual autonomy, in face of the decision making process during the last stage of life, in the case of a person suffering the terminal phase of a chronic degenerative disease.


This paper presented a novel post-treatment method of high pressure airflow with organic solvent,which could effectively improve the field emission characteristics of screen-printed CNT cathodes.Notable changes in the surface morphologies of screen-printed CNT cathodes were investigated by stylus profiler,scanning electron microscope(SEM) and transmission electron microscope(TEM) as the function of treatment by high pressure airflow with organic solvent.The results showed the post-treated CNT cathodes hold lower turn-on electric field,higher field emission current density,more emission sites,and better uniformity than those of untreated ones.It was also found that the ratio of electric field enhancement factor for untreated and treated CNT cathodes was 1 to 2.8.And it was proved that the field emission properties had been improved evidently,for removal of residual materials covered on the surface of CNTs.


This thesis is a biographical study of a young Indonesian intellectual, Soe Hok-gie, set against the background of Indonesian politics during the 1960s. The biography begins in Chapter 1 by sketching Soe's family background and considering those factors that moulded and conditioned his personality and his perceptions of the world around him: the immediate family circle, the particular Jakarta milieu in which he grew up, his early schooling and secondary education, and the impact of his own reading and the mass media. The aim is to detect the early glimmerings of the political activist of his mature years. Chapter 2 offers a concise overview of Indonesian national politics during the 1950s and 1960s, that period when Soe's own understanding of politics was steadily developing. The emphasis is on the Guided Democracy years and the rising tensions within the political system, especially after 1963. Chapter 3 considers Soe's gradual emergence as a political activist in the early 1960s after his enrolment as a student at the University of Indonesia. This part of the thesis describes his contribution to the assimilation movement within the Sino-Indonesian community, his initial contacts with student political activists, and his discovery of one small clandestine group of committed opponents of Sukarno and Guided Democracy. The chapter concludes by considering the escalating tension within student politics during the early 1960s and its impact on Soe's own campus. Chapter 4 is a detailed account, largely from Soe Hok-gie's own perspective, of the student movement that emerged in response to the attempted coup of 1 October 1965. This chapter considers Soe's own participation and leadership role throughout the various phases of this movement, and describes the increasing chaos on the streets of Jakarta that culminated in Sukarno's granting of emergency powers to Soeharto on 11 March 1966. Chapter 5 examines the protracted struggle throughout 1966 to force Sukarno from the presidency, and outlines Soe's own advocacy of a militant and uncompromising approach towards both Sukarno and the Old Order through his student radio broadcasts and his early journalism. His own aspirations for the post-Sukarno era are discussed, as are his initial anxieties about the course and direction national politics appeared to be taking. Soe's own response to the emerging character of the New Order government is the central theme of Chapter 6. During the late 1960s, while rejecting the view that students had earned the right to play a permanent role in national politics, Soe emerged as a prominent public intellectual offering a critical independent commentary on some of the key moral, social and political issues of the day. Throughout this period his own life was marked by a growing sense of isolation from the world around him. The epilogue considers the impact of Soe's life, both on those who knew him directly and on later generations of students and activists who learnt of him through his writings. The study concludes by reflecting briefly on certain characteristic features of Soe's approach to politics.


Experimental analyses of wall stabilized SF{sub 6} arcs have shown that demixing effect changes the chemical composition of the plasma. This effect. which is due to diffusion and to the difference between the ionization potential of fluorine and that of sulphur, leads to a depletion of sulphur near the axis. So in this region, the ratio M (called the demixing factor) between the fluorine concentration (atoms + ions) and the sulphur concentration is greater than 6 (6 being the stoichiometric value). On the other hand the usual modelling of these arcs is based on the hypothesis of the stoichiometric equilibrium coupled with LTE assumption. In this communication we present first the calculation of the material functions (transport coefficients and radiation losses) of S + F plasma for different values of the M factor, and second, the calculation of the temperature in these kinds of mixture, in order to study the influence of demixing on the axis temperature of SF{sub 6} wall stabilized arcs.


The greedy search is often used in some existing prevalent graphical data mining systems which often ends up with sub-optimal solutions.To overcome its limits,an evolutionary algorithms based system is developed to perform data mining on databases represented as graphs. New operators of mutation and crossover on graphical databases are defined,and the way of collecting instances of a certain substructure is improved.In addition,a variant of hill-climbing is integrated into the design of mutation operator to improve the capability of local search of evolutionary algorithm.Experimental results show that these measures successfully improve the searching capability of the algorithm and the qualities of solutions.


Spectral photoconductivity in Ge‐doped GaSe crystals was investigated as a function of temperature. It is found that when the crystal is doped with small concentrations of Ge atoms (0.01 at%), the photoconductivity is carried out by the ionization of the excitons. In these crystals, exciton photoconductivity is found to have an Urbach tail similar to the tail observed in exciton absorption. Investigation of the temperature dependence of the peak positions (Eexc(T)) and line widths (Γexc(T)) of the photoconductivity spectra indicates that the exciton ionization is due to the exciton–phonon and exciton–impurity interactions. From the analyses of the Eexc(T) and Γexc(T) data, it is found that at low temperatures (T < 50 K) the exciton–phonon interaction takes place via rigid‐layer phonon modes while in the 50–300 K temperature range it takes place via phonons with hνp ≈ 18 meV. In the 300–450 K range the energy of the phonons involved in the exciton–phonon interaction is hνp ≈ 36 meV. The anisotropy observed in the exciton photoconductivity taken parallel and perpendicular to the layers of doped GaSe crystals diminishes at T = 300 K and the peak positions of the photoconductivity in both directions coincide with the peak position of the free exciton peak (n = 1) in the absorption spectrum. Another important result found is that in these layered GaSe crystals the exciton states continue to exist at high temperatures, up to 450 K. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


The objective of the paper is to suggest a peculiar Presidential System of Government that ensures long term political stability and economy prosperity. The method employed by the researcher is participatory observation in data collection. The paper finds out that the Nigerian Nation-State is currently divided into 6 Geo-Political zones of North-Central,
North East, North West, South East, South West and South South. Each of the 36 states is suitably divided into 3 Senatorial Districts while the 774 Local Governments are divided into appropriate sections or wards. Executive powers are currently not being rotated amongst the constituent parts of the political entity. The paper therefore recommends the following
features in the Nigerian Presidential System of Government: The Presidency to alternate between the Northern and Southern parts of the country while simultaneously rotating amongst the 6 geo-political zones. The governorship seat to rotate amongst the 3 Senatorial Districts in a state, while the chairmanship position is to rotate amongst the different
components of the Local Government Area, such as the Wards. There shall be two Vice Presidents (Political and Economy), two Deputy Governors (political and economy) and twoVice Chairmen (political and economy) to maintain strategic balance in case of any political accident. The Political Trinity has a single ticket in the general elections and there shall be
no need for the costly bye-elections in cases of political accidents. The main disadvantage of the political model recommended by the paper, is the duplication of offices of the Deputies, but the benefits of Peace, Social Harmony, Unity, National Security and Stability more than cover the extra administrative costs of office duplications. The paper concludes that Nigeria
should practice a Guided Presidential Democracy that takes all the varying interests into consideration.


Abstract : The use of contractors in the battlefield is not new. They have been employed throughout history to fulfill combat and combat support functions. However, the magnitude of reliance on contractors has grown leading to a rapid rise of an uncontrolled industry. Reduction in force and defense budgets, out-sourcing, complex technology, and operational tempo has forced the United Stated Government to rely heavily on non-uniformed support to carry out mission objectives in a theater of operations. Contracting has had several problems to include insufficient oversight, transparency and accountability, and ambiguous legal status potentially leading to contract waste, fraud and abuse. To reduce waste, fraud and abuse there are several tools that the federal government can use. This paper will focus on those tools that are not being effectively utilized and provide recommendations for improving contractor performance and accountability, contracting and management systems and practices, as well as, the skills of the acquisition workforce.


Electronic magazine include many media elements: Writing, Picture, Audio, Video, Flash, and so on. It has become a new type of education communicate media, and can be used in making multi-media courseware and displaying students activity results. It's good for enhancing teaching efficiency and teaching quality.


Biogeography and Genetic Variation of Triatomine Chagas Disease Vectors and Trypanosoma cruzi Isolates from Texas. (May 2007) Sonia Alane Kjos, B.S., University of Minnesota; M.S., The University of Texas School of Public Health Co-Chairs of Advisory Committee: Dr. Jimmy K. Olson Dr. Craig J. Coates Trypanosoma cruzi is endemic in the U.S., infecting humans, dogs, and wildlife. This study identified a new geographic distribution for triatomine species within Texas based on 2,449 records obtained from published data and new field studies. Triatomine vectors of T. cruzi were reported from 97 counties covering all ecological zones. Triatoma gerstaeckeri was the most commonly collected species followed by T. sanguisuga. New field collections resulted in 233 specimens from 37 counties and a 52% T. cruzi infection rate. A second trypanosome, Blastocrithida triatomae was found in two specimens from different locations. A habitat suitability model for T. gerstaeckeri was developed using GIS and remote sensing applications. Forest and rangeland were the predominant land cover classes found within T. gerstaeckeri habitat, where as water and agriculture proved to have little influence on habitat suitability. Genetic variation of seven triatomine species from Texas was evaluated using cytochrome b DNA sequences from 61 new specimens. This is the first study of the taxonomic status of T. gerstaeckeri, T. indictiva, and T. neotomae using molecular


The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of Rhizobium and PGPRs on the seed yield and yield components in Chickpea. The experiment was carried out at the RAN Research Station in Firouzkouh in 2011. The treatments consisted of 4 levels of PGPR bacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens strain 169, Pseudomonas fluorescens strain153, Pseudomonas fluorescens strain 4 and non-inoculation or control) and 4 level of Rhizobium bactria (Rhizobium CP-31, Rhizobium CP-36, Rhizobium IC-12 and non-inoculation or control). The present results have shown that the highest height, weight of 1000 seeds and seed yield were obtained after applying 8 ton/ha vermicompost. The maximum plant height and biological yield were obtained respectively by using Pseudomonas strain 153 and Rhizobium CP-36. Thus, combined application of Pseudomonas and Rhizobium can be helpful in developing of production and yield in Cicer arietinum.


Background and Aim: Ethical leadership, as one of the new approaches to leadership, embraces management and leadership methods in which the rights and dignity of the employees are valued and respected as human beings. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ethical leadership and leadership styles on organizational commitment in a military health organization in Tehran. Methods: This cross-sectional study is conducted in Tehran, Iran in 2016. The study population consisted of employees of a selected military health organization, selected by stratified and simple random sampling method. For data collection, the standard questionnaire of Brown's ethical leadership scale (three-part model of staff), Bass & Avolio's multi-factor questionnaire and organizational commitment questionnaire of Meyer and Allen have been used. The descriptive data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and SPSS 16.0 software and for analyzing the relationship between components, structural equation modeling and AMOS 18.0 software were


3-Aminopyrazole derivatives are the first artificial templates that stabilize the β-sheet conformation in N/C-protected dipeptides by purely intermolecular interactions. In the complex two aminopyrazole molecules lie exactly above and below the peptide backbone. Binding to the top face of the peptide is strongly favored because it forms three cooperative hydrogen bonds simultaneously to the receptor molecule, whereas the bottom face has only two. Polymerizable 3-amino- and 3-amidopyrazoles have been made accessible in excellent yields by a general route starting from p-toluic acid. With 1H NMR titrations binding constants for the 1:1 complex of up to 880 M-1 have been determined in chloroform. The association constants are strongly influenced by the electronic character of the aminopyrazole derivative as well as by the steric demand of the peptide residues. Variable temperature studies prove that the complex is formed by dynamic hydrogen bonds and confirmed the preferential binding of the receptor molecul...


Various diseases threaten tomato production; especially those caused by viruses of the genera Begomovirus, Tospovirus and Potyvirus. A survey on the major viral diseases occurring on tomatoes in the Federal District was carried out using PCR and DAS-ELISA. Out of 54 evaluated samples, the most prevalent virus was Pepper yellow mosaic virus, a potyvirus responsible for heavy losses in sweetpepper production in Brazil. This result highlights the increasing importance of this virus on the tomato crop. Since the symptoms caused by PepYMV infection are similar to those caused by begomoviruses, the use of a proper detection technique is recommended in addition to visual evaluation of symptoms.


In Syria, official portraiture depicting members of the Asad regime has long been used as a tool to produce and uphold authoritarian power. Following in his father's footsteps, Bashar al-Asad generated a wide range of billboards, banners, posters, and stickers in his own image meant for both public and private consumption. Rather than treat this visual regime as a monolith of interchangeable and mass-produced imagery, I argue in this article for the examination of Asad portraits on smaller and more intimate scales. I discuss the display of these cult images within the domain of small-scale shops in Damascus, looking at both how these images are embedded in other visual and symbolic contexts, and how they become individually relevant as they are materially embellished and marked.


-- The traditional multicell battery design usually employs a fixed configuration to connect multiple cells in series and parallel during operation in order to achieve the required voltage and current. However, this fixed configuration results in low reliability, low fault tolerance, and nonoptimal energy conversion efficiency. This paper proposes a novel self- reconfigurable, multicell battery design. The proposed multicell battery can automatically configure itself according to the dynamic load/storage demand and the condition of each cell. The proposed battery can self-heal from failure or abnormal operation of single or multiple cells, self-balance from cell state variations, and self-optimize to achieve the optimal energy conversion efficiency. These features are achieved by a new cell switching circuit and a high-performance battery management system (BMS) proposed in this paper. The proposed design is validated by simulation and experiment for a 6×3-cell polymer lithium-ion battery. The proposed design is universal and can be applied to any type and size of battery cells.


The operation method,the process conditions and the influence factors of nickel-plating on the surface of ordinary glass fiber were studied.The quality of electroless nickel plating was good when the ordinary glass fiber were pretreated and activated,pH=6.5,the reaction temperature was 65 ℃ and the reaction time was 30min.


The advance of automated assembly equipment and robotics has led to the development of intelligent sensor systems. Analog optical-imaging systems are current, but signal processing and interfacing can make these cumbersome. It would speed up response if the optical information could be presented directly as binary data. A new class of sensor, the logical optical detector, is described. The sensor has an inbuilt threshold, which can be externally controlled and is sharply defined, permitting a form of feedback analog-to-digital conversion. Based on silicon technology, it has wide application, such as in an imaging sensor with memory.


One of the factors that affect the colour quality of the platy fish ( Xyphophorus helleri ) during cultivation is the environment in bright light conditions, where setting bright light conditions can be done using a tank with a colour that can absorb light. Therefore, a study was conducted to examine the effect of tank colour on improving the colour quality of the platy fish and determining the correct tank colour. This research was conducted with an experimental method using a completely randomized design (CRD) consisting of five treatments repeated three times. The colour treatments of the tanks used were white, black, red, orange and yellow. The parameters observed were the increase in colour, growth in absolute weight and length and survival rate of platy fish. The results showed that the use of different tank colours had a significant effect (p 0.05) on absolute length growth and survival rate. The highest increase in colour quality was in white tanks with brightness values ranging from 13-15% and absolute weight growth ranging from 0.21 to 0.25 g. Therefore, in the cultivation of platy fish, a white tank should be used.


To enhance the relevance and usefulness of social-science research, large-scale research grant-allocation policies are emphasizing, if not requiring, the formation of research partnerships between researchers and members of the community of practice. The emergence of a revisionist conception of traditional dissemination and utilization of theoretical frameworks is consistent with this policy direction, but supportive empirical evidence remains thin. This paper presents findings of a study that evaluated a major Canadian strategic grant program that has such partnership guidelines, in order to investigate the nature and impact of policy-indu-ed partnerships. Data were obtained from surveys of 74 funded projects, 4 case profiles, and interviews with researchers, practitioners, and grant-application adjudicators concerning the Education and Work in a Changing Society program. The partnerships had favorable impacts on research and dissemination strategies and in the practice community; however, ideological and pragmatic issues surfaced as inhibitory factors. A conclusion is that mutual benefits and maximum utilization of resources are more likely to occur when there is mutual project ownership. Higher levels of partnerships contribute to the development of new theoretical frameworks and more accessible information than do more traditional approaches to applied research. Continued interaction between communities is recommended. It is suggested that grant agencies recognize the nonlinear nature of projects as well as the different cultural realities of researchers and practitioners. Three tables and one figure are included. (Contains 46 references.) (LMI) **************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *****),*************************************************************** STIMULATING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN RESEARCH AND PRACTICE: INSIGHTS FROM EVALUATIONS OF THE CANADIAN STRATEGIC GRANT PROGRAM J. Bradley Cousins' and Marie Ile Simon University of Ottawa Paper presented at the symposium Dissemination and Utilization of Research Knowledge, May 1995, Oslo. Running Head: Stimulating partnership U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION O'r,ce of Eoticavon,iReseaici, Roo EDU ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERICI This document has been reproduced as recewed from the person or organization or,ginating it O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction ClUality Points t-d en or opinions stated .n this document do not necessarily represent official OEM position or policy "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)" I Corresponding author: Faculty of Education, 145 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON, CANADA, K1N 6N5. This research was funded by grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Nos. 410-92-0983 and 421-93-0007). The views expressed in this paper are the authors' and do not necessarily reflect those of the Council. The authors are indebted to all members of the research team who worked on the review of the grant program "Education and Work in a Changing Society" (Cousins et aL, 1993a). A previous version of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, April 1994, New Orleans. 2 rn1rI e-Irrn't7 A17 A TT A m SI1MULATING PARThERSHIP BETWEEN RESEARCH AND PRACTICE: INSIGHTS FROM EVALUATIONS OF THE CANADIAN STRATEGIC GRANT PROGRAM


Using the traditional electrolysis refining technology, impurities contained in silver positive plate would affect the quality of pure silver product directly or indirectly. The author advanced an anion diaphragm electrolysis process in which the electrolysis cell was separated into the positive zone and the negative zone by the diaphragm, and the impurity elements in the silver positive plate were prevented from entering the negative zone, the pure silver product of 99.99% in purity could be produced by electrolysis from multi-impurity silver positive plate at a time.


The variation of modulation in Y-doped Bi-based 2:2:1:2 phases has been studied by electron diffraction. The wave vector of the modulation can be written in the general form q=aa +Pb*+yc*, with P as the dominant component. Modulations with nonzero values of a have also been observed. While the value of P appears to be dependent on the Y-doping content, y, which is unity for orthorhombic 2:2:1:2 phases, varies for a given value of P. The deviation of y from unity breaks the orthorhombic symmetry (Bbmb)), giving rise to monoclinic symmetry (B2/b or Bb). The variation of the wavelength of modulation with respect to Y-doping content and in situ heating in the electron microscope gives support to the model of extra oxygen in the BiO double layers as the origin of the incommensurate modulation.


Learning and teaching is no longer the exclusive domain of teaching academics and is increasingly reliant on third-space professionals, in particular learning designers. The sharing of the design of the learning and teaching space is underlined by the increasing collaboration between teaching academics and learning designers. This qualitative study explores how these two key stakeholders understand learning technology, which is critical to shaping the teaching and learning process in contemporary higher education. Foucauldian discourse and power were employed as the theoretical lens to analyse semi-structured interviews with 12 teaching academics and 5 learning designers at a large Australian university. Although learning designers and teaching academics share a mutual interest in improving the learning and teaching process, the findings also revealed five discourses where practice was contested: centralisation, surveillance, institutional homogenisation, responsibility, and efficiency. This article calls for a new focus on the collaborative aspect of the learning design and teaching process that is constantly (re)negotiated between these two main stakeholders.
Implications for practice or policy:

Teaching academics and learning designers should develop practices that recognise the collaborative nature of learning technology in higher education.
Universities should develop practices and policies that reduce tensions within the five identified discourses of learning technology to ensure a more collaborative teaching academic-learning designer relationship.


We report an isolated primary hydatid cyst of kidney in a pregnant asymptomatic woman. We also present salient diagnostic feature of asymptomatic patients of hydatid cyst.


Remote lung injury is a frequent sequela of chronic liver disease, especially liver cirrhosis, in people. Anecdotal evidence of concurrent lung pathology in dogs with chronic liver disease warrants further investigation in this species. The objective was to perform a retrospective analysis of dogs diagnosed with cirrhotic and non‐cirrhotic chronic liver disease and determine if there is radiographic and/or histopathologic evidence of concurrent pulmonary pathology. Dogs were diagnosed with chronic liver disease based on history, clinical signs, clinicopathological abnormalities, diagnostic imaging, biopsy, and/or necropsy. Only dogs where liver disease was confirmed with diagnostic imaging, liver biopsy, and/or necropsy were included in the study (n=28). Evidence of concurrent lung pathology was based on radiographic and/or histopathologic findings. 23/28 dogs (82%) (95% CI: 63‐94%) had evidence of lung pathology. 18/28 dogs (64%) (95% CI: 44%‐81%) had an interstitial pattern on thoracic radiographs. A specific diagnosis of liver cirrhosis was not related to concurrent lung pathology (P=0.53) or an interstitial lung pattern (P=0.42). In conclusion, lung pathology was quite common (>80%) in dogs with liver disease. However, there was no clear relationship between liver cirrhosis and concurrent lung pathology or interstitial lung pattern in our group of dogs. Prospective research is needed to further evaluate dogs as an animal model for study of remote lung injury in chronic liver disease.


Landscape as an element of the environment is the subject of legal protection. However, the Polish legislator had a number of problems defining the notion of 'landscape'. As a result, landscape was subject to dispersed, inconsistent and uncoordinated protection. The new Act of 24 April 2015 aimed to help the Polish legislator to provide more effective protection of that natural element, i.e. landscape. The aim of this work is to present the new legal situation. However, because of the enormous scope of new regulations, the analysis shows above all the changes introduced by the Act of 2004 on Nature Conservation, the Act of 2003 on Spatial Planning and Management, and the Act of 2003 on Monuments Protection and Maintenance. The analysis is preceded by a brief description of landscape protection in Poland in the period before the new legal regulations came into force.


MAS methods still lack coverage to the goal elicitation process, especially on how to identify goals from corporate information, mission statements and from interviews with stakeholders. Only after eliciting goals we will be able to properly deal with goal models. On the other hand, intentionality models, for example the i* framework, are, usually, complex and difficult to read. By contrast, this paper proposes an indirect inquire process that can identify goals in a bottom-up and simple elicitation approach together with a proposal to reduce the problem of scalability of i* models.


The behaviours of economic operators may be directed by goals and rationality criteria other than those postulated by neoclassical theory. Under certain conditions, the existence of deviant goals and rationality criteria, far from being eliminated by the process of 'natural selection', has a profound effect on market functioning. It alters the 'natural selection' criterion and thereby influences the market trajectory. It can also favour the development of specific mechanisms of co-ordination. Our hypothesis is illustrated by an analysis of the cultural markets.


A single-chamber autoclave with a heating plate was used for the acid dissolution of quartz and metallic silicon. Analysis was performed by ICP-MS. Comparison of 6
Li, 7
Li, 115
In, 35
Cl and 37
Cl+
 36
Ar
 1
H was carried out for selecting the best internal standard taking into account instrumental drift. The selection criteria are discussed. 35
Cl was selected as the internal standard.


The study examined the relationship between mode of presentation and ease of comprehension for information about bus routes. The information was presented to subjects in one of the following four ways: (a) as a conventional road map, (b) as a schematic map, (c) as a set of lists of bus stops in sequential order, and (d) as a set of lists of bus stops in alphabetical order. Subjects were given pairs of location names and had to work out which buses were required to get from the first to the second location in each pair. Overall times to solution were faster for the maps than for the lists, with the schematic map being clearly the best form of representation for this task. Complexity (i.e., number of buses required to solve a problem) did not affect performance with the maps but did with the lists, especially the alphabetical lists. (Author)


Inpatients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) show a high rate of neuropsychiatric manifestations, possibly related to a higher risk of serious illness or death. Use of psychotropic medications (PMs) indicates the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in COVID‐19 patients. So far, potential clinical predictors of use of PMs have not been much investigated. In order to extend research in this area, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of PM prescription among a sample of inpatients with COVID‐19 and to find potential predictors of initiation of PMs in these individuals.


The use of the web in teaching and learning and research studies on this issue are increasingly common in science education. In most of these studies, teachers' and stu- dents' perceptions of and their attitudes toward the specific web-assisted/based learning ac- tivities and the effects of these activities on their achievement and attitudes have been in- vestigated. In the current study, the researcher placed emphasis on the perceptions about physics education related websites on the Internet among users of these sites using a causal- comparative research design. The purpose of the current study was to have detailed infor- mation on web users' preferences and perceptions on the use of the web and to see if de- mographics are responsible for differences on web users' perceptions on the use of web in physics education. In order to achieve this aim, an online instrument, Perceptions of the In- ternet and Education Scale, was developed by the author and the data collected using this instrument. The statistical analyses were carried out with the data from 340 web-users of a physics education related website. The results of the study showed that web users' gender, occupation, and time spent on the Internet were factors that explained the changes in the perceptions of physics education web users. However, web users' age and past experiences with the Internet were not causes of that difference.


Bis(4-benzylpiperazine-1-carbodithioato-k2 S,Sʹ)nickel(II), 1, was prepared by metathesis of sodium salt of 4-benzylpiperazine-1-carbodithioate with nickel(II) chloride in 2 : 1 ratio. Complex 1 was characterized by analytical techniques including elemental analysis, FT-IR, UV–visible spectroscopy, and X-ray single-crystal analysis. The latter technique confirmed square-planar geometry around Ni with the formation of NiS4 core with two shorter and two longer Ni–S bonds. The packing diagram revealed a supramolecular chain structure mediated by unconventional H⋯H dihydrogen bonds that resulted in a chair and a ladder-like structure when viewed along the a-axis and c-axis, respectively. The thin-film coating resulted in a microporous film with a band gap of 1.69 eV. Complex 1-based sensor was fabricated to check the humidity-sensing properties of the material. Resistance of the device decreased by two orders of magnitude and capacitance was enhanced with the increase of relative humidity. The DNA binding study proved 1 to be a good DNA binder with binding constant value of 1.4 × 104 M−1. Graphical Abstract The complex bis(4-benzylpiperazine-1-carbodithioato)nickel(II) was synthesized and characterized. The complex has good humidity sensing and DNA binding ability.


group. On the contrary, nondepolarising muscle relaxants carry a risk of exaggerated muscle relaxant response, as was the case in our patient history. This is very well illustrated by Dallman, who reported recurarisation after a well conducted rocuronium antagonism by prostigmine. Franco-Hernández et al. reported the use of sugammadex in two cases because of the presence of moderate neuromuscular block at the end of surgery. After the use of sugammadex, no recurarisation was observed as in our case. Rocuronium appears to be the best choice when muscle relaxation is indicated, because of the possibility of antagonising its effects with sugammadex. Long-acting neuromuscular blockers should be avoided and a train of four ratio over 0.9 must be obtained before extubating. Reversal of neuromuscular blockade with neostigmine may risk recurarisation.


There is much to appreciate in Eamonn Callan's subtle and probing article. I agree with his major conclusions—I will discuss the two in the category of wrong done to others. But I have real misgivings about how he arrives at these conclusions, namely, via the case of African Americans. Callan takes seriously the notion of gratitude-based filial duty, according to which children of good parents have a special responsibility as adults to love and care for their parents. He considers whether such a duty supports, through moral analogy, the notion that persons may owe by virtue of their (ascribed) racial identity an "identity-conferring commitment" to a particular "cultural community" or "morally strategic association." (486) However, he rejects analogous, gratitude-based arguments against assimilation and against repudiating racial solidarity. The gratitude-based argument against assimilation is weak. Callan observes that a person might never have participated in or identified with the cultural community associated with her ascribed racial identity; so there would be no ties to this cultural community to betray in joining another. Moreover, those who share a racial identity might not share a commitment to sustaining a distinct culture; some in fact might resist the assumption that there is a common culture— e.g., "black" American culture—that does or should bind them together.


The dining chairs are equipped with a tilt mechanism. For the dining chair includes a plurality of legs, the base, the back bottom and the support surface. The present invention provides a tilt mechanism and automatically return to its original position when the force is removed, so that the inclination for dining room chairs can be tilted. The present invention allows the seating and at the same time for the same dining chairs so you can enjoy a comfortable position so that the user can lock the correct sitting posture. For that can lie down the dining chair includes a tilt mechanism that can be inserted or attached to for dining chair. For the dining chair includes a backrest, and other members for common dining chair that can lie down, the other support surface to allow the motion of the back portion about a plurality of legs, base and other members for the dining chair It includes. The motion can include a range of inclination and move from the upstanding back portion to a predetermined angular range until it reaches the maximum inclination angle position. The backrest portion when the force is removed, will return automatically to its original position to.


The title compounds are prepared by arc-melting stoichiometric mixtures of the elements with a 5—7 wt.% excess of Bi followed by annealing at 800 °C for at least two weeks.


Conservation laws are derived which are appropriate for use in linearized particle simulation codes. A continuity equation describing mass or charge conservation and an extended Poynting theorem describing energy flow are obtained for general curvilinear coordinate systems. These conservation equations are expressed in terms of quantities readily calculable in a particle code, serve to quantitatively assess the validity and precision of code results, and provide valuable insight into the physics being studied. A conserved quantity related to the system energy, rather than a Poynting theorem, is derived from a Lagrangian formulation. It is bilinear in first‐order quantities but is not attractive for implementation as a diagnostic in a linearized particle simulation.


Field tests have clearly demonstrated that injecting CO 2 in geological storage sites results in the release of heavy metals and organic species to groundwater, implying that CO 2 injection may have potentially dramatic consequences for the environment. Numerous laboratory experiments using rock and cement samples from different geological formations typical of injection sites show that rocks reacting with synthetic or natural fluids and supercritical CO 2 at their respective temperature and pressure conditions generate fluids with As, Cr, Cu, Cd, Pb, Fe, and Mn concentrations above Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards. The solubility of a compound in supercritical‐CO 2 (sc‐CO 2 ), expressed in terms of the compound's activity or fugacity, also depends on the composition of the phases present at the pressure and temperature of the storage site. In a brine sc‐CO 2 system, estimating the activity of an inorganic compound or the fugacity of an organic compound is a prerequisite to predicting the solubility of a compound in sc‐CO 2 phases. Available models (e.g. Pitzer equations) require the use of binary salt concentrations and are best applicable to polar ionic compounds; but the effect of brines on larger hydrocarbons has not yet been explored. New experimental data will be needed to determine the magnitude of pH effects on the partitioning behavior of organic acids and trace metal complexes from brine to sc‐CO 2 .