We report the electronic structures of three large band gap borates β-BaB2O4, YBO3 and LuBO3, and corresponding binary oxides BaO, Y2O3, Lu2O3 and B2O3. The main objective of this investigation is to explore how the electronic structures of complex oxides relates to their binary oxides, and how tightly bound anionic groups lead to large gap oxides. The calculated electronic structures lead to good agreement between observed optical gap and structure of the valence band for these oxides. While the borates lead to large gap materials, the excitations across the band gap do not always involve bonding and antibonding states of borate groups that are common to all the ternary oxides considered in this work. Although the top of the valence band is characterized by hybridized O 2p- and B 2p-like states, the bottom of the conduction band can be due to metallic states. The presence of such states near the bottom of the conduction band was speculated earlier from the excitation properties of YBO3. We have also explored the possibility of designing a multi-photon phosphor through core valence luminescence from a ternary oxide of Ba.


(G. 1B. L., aged 50, was admitted under my care on Auaust 23rd, 1890, complaining of loss of voice. He is a tall tlhin man, somewhat pale and ainxious-looking, but on the whole fairly well nourished. He had had no previous disease of any seriousness, but at the age of 18 began to suffer from palmar eczema, which lasted for five years. Hlis occupation, that of an undertaker, had led to considerable exposure in all kinds of weather, resulting in many slight catarrhal attacks. In youth he was a tobacconist's assistant, but he does not smoke. He lhad always been very abstemious in regard to alcohol. There was no evidence of gout, rheumatism, or specific disease. His family hiistory is good; his father, aged 74, being still alive and healthy, his mother having died of paralysis at the age of 68, hiis brothiers and sisters being all healthy. His present illness commenced at Christmas, 1889, with a slight cold. This was followeed by hoarseness, which gradually increased till hiis voice was completely lost, about six weeks before admission. There has been no cough or sweat-


Abstract must be written in Times New Roman, font 9. This article describes the preparation procedure of the final camera-ready manuscript of the paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology. When the author(s) submits his/her work to the journal for review, it is NOT necessary to follow these instructions. But, once the paper is accepted, the author(s) must follow to avoid an unnecessary delay in printing. Abstract should not exceed 300 words for regular papers and 100 words for brief papers without equations, references, and footnotes. The manuscript received date, revised date, and accepted date will be inserted from the journal office.


Main stages of Surgutneft NGDU Technical Transport Department are outlined. Main tasks of the technical service are given. Measures are described aimed at improving its performance.


The present invention discloses an artificial pet chewing leather, its preparation method and application. And as a raw material for artificial pet chewing leather comprises a leather, pulp, leather or the leather powder and the pulp obtained by pulverizing a leather with a leather powder under wet conditions, or water obtained by pulverizing the water, and leather. The artificial pet method of manufacturing a chewing leather is referred to a step and a step of molding a mixture of a starting material, in which the molding is extruded by an extruder, molding by biscuit machine, press molding or hand molded by the mold do. The artificial pet chewing leather is used in pet food. Artificial pet chewing gum of the present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. The above-mentioned material is abundantly available and easily available. The manufacturing method is easy and cost is its cost. Further, the pet chewing gum product is easy to popularize and meet the pets of choice.


The article demonstrates and puts forward the model of the relation between process, innovation, infrastructure capacities and performance of the high tech enterprise through the knowledge management process at the aspect of theoretical analysis and empirical study in China. To partition the capacity into process capacity, innovation capacity and infrastructure capacity can help us to understand the foundation that constitutes the enterprise knowledge management and consequently strengthen the construction of the knowledge management ability systemically. It points out the strategy, culture, promoting and structure can also affect the performance of the enterprise besides those direct factors including the acceptance, application, transferring and protecting of the knowledge.


The broad reception of Vitruvius in architectural history has especially accounted for the fact that fields of knowledge essential for the understanding of ancient processes of design and planning remain hitherto unconsidered. Although Vitruvius discusses various methods for designing ideal type and modularised architecture the question of mathematical and technical basics for creating a real building is still open, i.e. the practical transformation on the actual building site with all its needs such as architectural surveying and logistics. An as yet widely unsolved problem is which knowledge enabled antique and late antique architects and engineers to provide the rationally comprehensive frame needed to make the theoretical constructions calculatable and plannable buildings.The study of the Hagia Sophia (532-537) and its architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus leads us to an important source which can fill this gap of knowledge effectively and which proved to be an indispensable basis for understanding ancient architecture in its whole. Late antique sources and primarily the structure of the building itself document that the exceptional achievements of design and planning must be associated with the writings of Heron of Alexandria. From the 1st century AD to the Byzantine period in his name handbooks for engineers of various disciplines were distributed which provided obligatory instruments of calculation with systematically compiled tasks for all groupsof profession engaged in building. Particularly Heron's scientific discipline of surveying and his treaty on vaults demonstrated to be revised by Isodore, can be assessed as a basis for planning and building. Only if knowing these sources the processes necessary for transforming an ideal plan into a real still existing construction can be reconstructed. TheHagia Sophia therefore is a unique example in which written sources and architectural remains can be analysed and complement each other in a singular way; at the same time it establishes an entirely new model of interpretation for ancient planning praxis.


This study analyzes the correlation between the obsolescence of citations and access concerning a broad range of subjects, including fields that have not been dealt with in previous studies, shedding light on the differences between these two types of obsolescence and the characteristics for each field. The analysis investigates approximately 1,200 journals that were randomly sampled from 11 subject fields in SpringerLink and 20 subject fields in ScienceDirect. Metrics such as cited half-life and download half-life are employed to examine the relationship between the rate of obsolescence of citations and access. As a result, no strong correlation between citations and access is observed in most fields with regard to the short-term obsolescence. As for the long-term obsolescence, on the other hand, comparatively strong and significant correlations are seen in natural sciences other than medicine-related fields (p < 0.05). Conference Topic Journals, databases and electronic publications


For an undirected network G = V, E whose arcs are subject to random failure, we present a relatively complete and comprehensive description of a general class of Monte Carlo sampling plans for estimating g = gs, T, the probability that a specified node s is connected to all nodes in a node set T. We also provide procedures for implementing these plans. Each plan uses known lower and upper bounds [B, A] on g to produce an estimator of g that has a smaller variance A-gg-B/K on K independent replications than that obtained for crude Monte Carlo sampling B = 0, A = 1. We describe worst-case bounds on sample sizes K, in terms of B and A, for meeting absolute and relative error criteria. We also give the worst-case bound on the amount of variance reduction that can be expected when compared with crude Monte Carlo sampling. Two plans arc studied in detail for the case T = {t}. An example illustrates the variance reductions achievable with these plans. We also show how to assess the credibility that a specified error criterion for g is met as the Monte Carlo experiment progresses, and show how confidence intervals can be computed for g. Lastly, we summarize the steps needed to implement the proposed technique.


List of Tables and Figures. Preface. Introduction C J Dixon, D Drakakis-Smith and H D Watts. 1. The Multinationals: Spearhead or Spectre? F E I Hamilton. 2. Multinationals and the Exploitation of Non-Renewable Resources G Manners. 3. Multinationals and Restructuring in Latin America S M Cunningham. 4. Arming the Third World: The Role of the Multinational Corporation S W Williams. 5. The new International Division of Labour and American Semiconductor Production in Southeast Asia J W Henderson. 6. Multinational Corporations and the Triple Alliance in Latin America R N Gwynne. 7. Multinational Corporations, The State and Indigenous Beer Production in Central Africa C M Rogerson and B A Tucker. 8. Multinational Resource Corporations, Nationalization and Diminished Viability: Caribbean Plantations, Mines and Oilfields in the 1970s R M Auty. Notes on Contributors. Indices.


Modular Multilevel Converters (MMC) are power-electronics systems built with number of submodules connected in series/parallel manner to increase voltage and current range of the converter in comparison with single component rating what allows to use low-voltage low-power products in MVDC and HVDC applications. For increase of voltage or power multiple MMCs can be connected in series or parallel. This paper introduces a new energy balancing algorithm for such multi-converter systems. The problem of equal energy sharing is highlighted. Control algorithms are presented. Finally, simulation test results are shown from system comprising two MMCs in configurable parallel and series connection.


4,4′-Bismaleimidodiphenyl methane modified novolak resin/titania nanocomposites were prepared by the sol–gel process of tetrabutyl titanate in the presence of 4,4′-bismaleimidodiphenyl methane modified novolak resin prepolymers with acetyl acetone as a stabilizer. These nanocomposite materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared analysis, dynamical mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Nanometer titania particles were formed in the novolak resin matrix, and the average original particle size of the dispersed phase in the nanocomposites was less than 150 nm, but particle aggregates of larger size existed. The introduction of the titania inorganic phase with a nanoscale domain size did not improve the glass-transition temperature of the nanocomposites but lowered the thermal resistance of the material because of the incomplete removal of acetyl acetone coordinated with tetrabutyl titanate, and it improved the modulus of the material at lower temperatures ( 250°C). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 52–57, 2006


Over the past 12 years the European Ombudsman has found on several occasions instances of maladministration in competition proceedings on the part of the European Commission. These cases raise the question what the role of the Hearing Officer in competition proceedings actually is and whether ensuring good administration is part of its mission. Although the answer may seem simple, it is made complicated by the Guidance on procedures of the Hearing Officers (hereinafter 'Guidance'), which explicitly states that the Hearing Officers "[are not] responsible for ensuring the respect of the principle of sound administration." With regard to the foregoing, this paper will aim at clarifying to what extent the Hearing Officer is responsible for ensuring good administration in competition proceedings and which aspects of good administration it is obliged to safeguard. Therefore, the concept of good administration will be first briefly discussed and next the role of the Hearing Officer for ensuring the right and the principle of good administration will be examined in turn.


In the present study, a resolved optical-IR double resonance (OIRDR) spectrum was recorded for oxalylfluoride excited to the single rotational line. Assignment of discrete spectral lines and spectral simulations were done using the statistical model. It was found that in the presence of an IR field at an intermediate power level the decay of oxalylfluoride fluorescence is described by a biexponential function. This effect was explained taking into account the S-T, T-T and T-S dynamics. The observed phenomenon is a direct proof of the T-S transitions induced by internal S-T interactions. We found that NO affects the OIRDR spectrum, increasing the line widths. This effect was explained qualitatively by the VdW complex and cluster formation.


Background: It has been shown that inhaled nitric oxide (NO) reduces intrapulmonary venous admixture (QVA/QT) and improves oxygenation in patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The change in QVA/QT during NO inhalation varies individually. Factors known to influence the respiratory response to NO are the NO conceritration and the level of shunt before NO administration. Other factors that may modify the effect on gas‐exchange during NO breathing are unknown.


The milk productivity of animals was evaluated and the content of the metal-ligand forms of iron was studied against the background of changes in the total content of manganese in the blood serum of dairy cows using the hybrid technique (HPLC-ICP-MS). For this purpose, groups were formed for comparing animals with low-normal values of manganese (Mn concentration up to the 25th percentile) and high-normal values (Mn concentration above the 75 th percentile) according to the results of a previous study. The Mn content in the blood serum of all animals was within the physiological normal range. Analysis of the data obtained showed that high-normal levels of manganese in the blood were accompanied by a significant decrease in the indicators of milk productivity of cows. The metal-ligand forms of iron have undergone significant changes. Changes in metal ligand homeostasis can be considered early biomarkers for predicting the state of mineral metabolism to increase productivity.


The physicochemical properties of dried oak mushrooms were investigated to determine the comparative effects of ethylene oxide (E.O) fumigation and gamma irradiation with doses at 1 and 5 kGy. The total amino acid content was relatively stable in irradiated groups in comparison with the control. Treatments with gamma irradiation did not effect the content of reducing sugar but caused en increase in free sugars, such as mannitol, arabitol and trehalose. There were no significant differences in concentrations of minerals. The amount of water and fat soluble pigments and the rancidity of the samples stored at increased with increasing the storage time and the relative humidity, and the tendency to change was more apparent in E.O. fumigated sample than gamma irradiated one.


In this paper, a small metamaterial antenna with high efficiency is presented. The antenna is proposed for 2.4 GHz Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) application. The metamaterial resonant antenna is designed with a mushroom structure which based on the zeroth order resonant characteristic of a composite right/left-handed transmission line (CRLH TL). The antenna is designed on the low-cost FR4 substrate with dielectric constant εr = 4.4 and tan δ= 0.02. The antenna is simulated and optimized by HFSS 14. The simulation results show that antenna has small size and a good bandwidth with range from 2.40-2.48 GHz for return loss S11 less than -10 dB. The proposed antenna offers high efficiency 72-75% in operation bandwidth. The overall dimension of the antenna is 20.0×22.0×1.6 mm3 including the antenna substrate.


This consolidated document chronicles OCS related developments for all Alaska OCS Region planning areas. Topics discussed include offshore oil and gas resources of the Alaska region; magnitude and timing of OCS activities; and oil and gas transportation strategies and onshore support facilities. (ACR)


resulted in more frequent and closer contact exposures, which may have resulted in higher rates of secondary infection. Finally, Nebraska Medicine relies on employees to self-report their exposures and symptoms, which remains a limitation of our data. Although it was likely multifactorial, the increased secondary attack rate of fully vaccinated HCWs with the spread of the δ variant demonstrates the importance of (1) continued monitoring of employees with high-risk household exposures, (2) following CDC recommendations for vaccine boosters to combat waning vaccine immunity, and (3) considering alterations of employee isolation protocols. Testing HCWs after household exposure to COVID-19 should be strongly considered, even if the HCW is asymptomatic, prior to return to work due to high attack rates after these types of exposures.


We use credit card data to estimate the impact of increasing minimum payments on delinquency, payments, spending, and write-offs. Our identification strategy exploits an unusual institutional feature: Borrowers can use their account to make purchases with both revolving loans (on which minimum payments increased) and term loans (on which there was no change). Payment increases by delinquent borrowers are insufficient to match increasing minimums, resulting in lower cure rates and an increase in write-offs. Affected borrowers migrate away from these accounts by decreasing charges and increasing payments, consequently lowering the interest earned by the bank.


Optimal viral replication relies on the ability of viruses to use cellular resources and to overcome the intracellular defense mechanisms. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is no exception to the basic rules governing viral replication cycles. Indeed, to gain a foothold into host cells and disseminate, HIV needs to efficiently complete a series of steps, including entry, reverse transcription of its RNA genome into DNA competent for integration, and transcription of the integrated provirus into RNA molecules that will either be translated into progeny virion protein components, or constitute viral genomes. At each of these steps, cellular components, such as dNTPs, NTPs and amino acids, as well as cellular pathways are mobilized. Some of the latter passively serve the viral life cycle whereas some are actively high-jacked and side-tracked from their usual cellular function. While the presence of such resources and pathways within host cells facilitates viral replication, they do not suffice to render cells permissive to HIV infection. In fact, cells possess an arsenal of detection mechanisms (pathogen recognition receptors) and proteins that can block specific steps of the viral life cycle (restriction factors) that together constitute the intrinsic immune system.

Due to its limited genome size and the small number of encoded proteins, HIV-derived proteins, including accessory proteins (Vpr, Vpx, Vpu, Vif, and Nef), are highly pleiotropic and can contact numerous cellular partners. These proteins, which were initially coined as "accessories" because they appeared to be virtually unnecessary for in vitro viral replication in permissive cells, are encoded by lentiviral genomes in addition to major structural and enzymatic proteins (Gag, Pol, and Env) and regulatory proteins (Tat and Rev). The importance of accessory proteins can be evidenced as inefficient viral spread, delay in replication curves or low viral loads upon disruption of their corresponding open reading frames (ORF) in non-permissive cells and in vivo. Because these accessory proteins are key virulence factors, they have been the subject of intense investigation over the past decades. While this has allowed the identification of several cellular pathways and processes they subvert, the outcome of the established interactions remains sometimes elusive. Nonetheless, major functions of these accessory proteins may be grossly classified as: (i) counteraction of cellular restriction factors (ii) escape from innate immune sensing, (iii) disturbance of cellular pathways, and (iv) enhancement of viral infectivity. Importantly, no accessory protein has been shown to date to fit all four categories, but it is consensually admitted that more investigations are needed for full characterization of their function. This review collection aims at discussing recent advances in our understanding of manipulation of host cells by the HIV type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2), with a particular focus on viral accessory proteins. Importantly, because our understanding of the function of viral accessory proteins frequently requires a better understanding of the antagonized cellular proteins or processes, these are also discussed.

To address these aspects, this review series starts by relating our current understanding of Nef function (Basmaciogullari and Pizzato, 2014), a master regulator of intracellular trafficking pathways. Particular emphasis is put on Nef-dependent enhancement of viral infectivity, an as of today poorly understood phenotype. Interestingly, together with Vpr, Nef is the only other HIV accessory protein for which a bona fide antagonized cellular restriction factor has not been identified to date. Similar to Nef, Vpr was documented to disturb several cellular pathways (Guenzel et al., 2014), with a major consequence being a potent cell cycle arrest. However, this major outcome was recently shown to be a mere side effect of Vpr-induced activation of a cellular SLX4 endonuclease complex (Bregnard et al., 2014; Laguette et al., 2014). Activation of the SLX4 complex likely serves to allow the processing of virion-derived reverse transcripts to favor escape from innate immune detection. This function is similar to that proposed for the TREX1 cellular exonuclease (Yan et al., 2010). Importantly, TREX1 and SLX4 complex activation are only two of the many ways by which the HIV virus evades innate immune sensing. While a particular focus is given to TREX1 (Hasan and Yan, 2014), this review also discusses the potential role played by the cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase (cGAS) pathogen recognition receptor (Gao et al., 2013).

To the contrary of Nef and Vpr, the other HIV-1 and HIV-2 accessory proteins, Vpu, Vif, and Vpx, have been shown to directly counteract cellular restriction factors. However, in recent years, a role for these restriction factors in detection of infections has also been described, suggesting that counteraction of these proteins serves in both alleviating the restriction and in escape from innate immune detection. Indeed, Vif, Vpu, and Vpx can directly target APOBEC3G, Tetherin and SAMHD1, respectively. Because of the dual role played by these restriction factors, it is both important to understand the molecular mechanism underlying the antagonism by accessory proteins and the function fulfilled by the cellular protein (Feng et al., 2014; Moris et al., 2014; Roy et al., 2014; Sauter, 2014; Schaller et al., 2014).

This review collection should therefore help the reader have an overview of the conflicting forces that underlie the interactions established by HIV with the host cell, and in particular of the complex relationship between viral accessory proteins and their cellular partners. This review series highlights how progress made in the understanding of the HIV life cycle has also impacted on our understanding of important cellular processes, especially with regards to the mechanisms underlying molecular aspects of the innate immune system. In fact, while the complexity of the interactions established between viral and cellular proteins precludes definite conclusions as of today, understanding their contribution to HIV-associated pathogenesis is likely to be the next big challenge in the field.


Deals with the specification of a wavelet for the representation of a discrete contour coded by Freeman chain code. Multiresolution analysis is a functional framework which allows one to build wavelets and to choose which wavelet to use for a given application. The discrete version of data in image processing domain has to be conserved and it needs specific algorithms and tools. The aim is to consider a discrete contour coded by Freeman sequence and to approximate it at several levels of resolution by use of an adapted wavelet. The authors compute the wavelet's coefficients which can be used to reconstruct the original discrete contour. Examples of implementation results with evaluation of entropy and fidelity of reconstruction are presented.<<ETX>>


Estuaries are environments with relevant ecological interactions with surrounding habitat and relatively high  species diversity. There are only few studies citing the occurrence of elasmobranchs on estuaries along Ceara's coastline.  The goal of the present study was to characterize the elasmobranch fauna of the Curu River estuary. Between September  2004 and December 2007, small-scale fisheries conducted in the estuary were monthly monitored. Six species were  recorded:  Rhizoprionodon porosus (n=4),  Carcharhinus limbatus (n=2),  Dasyatis guttata (n=130),  D. marianae (n=6),  Gymnura micrura (n=8) and  Aetobatus narinari  (fishermen's account). Based on these results, the number  of elasmobranch species recorded for the Curu River estuary was tripled (from two to six), while the number for overall  State stuaries increased 50% (from six to nine species). Nearly all specimens were neonates. The Curu estuary follows, at  least in part, one of the three criteria defining elasmobranch nursery areas. Confirming this status will depend on further  research.


Deep neural networks are known to be vulnerable to adversarial attacks: A small perturbation that is imperceptible to a human can easily make a well-trained deep neural network misclassify. To defend against adversarial attacks, randomized classifiers have been proposed as a robust alternative to deterministic ones. In this work we show that in the binary classification setting, for any randomized classifier, there is always a deterministic classifier with better adversarial risk. In other words, randomization is not necessary for robustness . In many common randomization schemes, the deterministic classifiers with better risk are explicitly described: For example, we show that ensembles of classifiers are more robust than mixtures of classifiers, and randomized smoothing is more robust than input noise injection. Finally, experiments confirm our theoretical results with the two families of randomized classifiers we analyze.


Let $p$ be a prime and $q$ be a power of $p$. We compute the Chow ring of the classifying space of some Chevalley groups $G(\mathbb{F}_q)$, when considered as a finite algebraic group over a field of characteristic $p$ containing $\mathbb{F}_q$. Using specialization from characteristic $0$ to characteristic $p$ we also obtain results over the complex numbers.


The soil condition in Pontianak City is mostly soft soil and peat soil which causes the low bearing capacity of the soil. Various efforts have been made to increase the bearing capacity of the soil, such as the use of wooden pile (kayu cerucuk). With the limited availability of wooden pile, the use of precast piles is an alternative in increasing the bearing capacity of the soil on the foundations of buildings/housings in Pontianak City. The purpose of this study is to compare the productivity and costs of using a wooden pile foundation measuring 12/15 cm with a length of 9-12 M against the use of a square precast concrete pile foundation measuring 15x15 cm2 with a segment length of 3-4 M at a depth of 12-20 M and a size of 12-20 M. 20x20 cm2 with a segment length of 6 M at a depth of 12-18 M in low-rise buildings in Pontianak City. From the results of the study, it is known that the productivity and average cost of piling per M' in a 2-storey shophouse building with an alternative foundation using 12/15 cm cerucuk piles is 22.3 seconds/m' at a cost of Rp. 17,306.24, precast piles square 15 x 15 cm2 of 111.5 seconds/m' at a cost of Rp. 144,274,439 and precast square piles of 20 x 20 cm2 of 125.7 seconds/m' at a cost of Rp. 291,338,955. In a type 150 house building with an alternative foundation using 12/15 cm wooden piles of 18.05 seconds/m' at a cost of Rp. 17,185.58, precast square piles of 15 x 15 cm2 of 104.67 seconds/m at a cost of Rp. 143,890.04 and 20 x 20 cm2 square precast piles of 94.66 seconds/m' with a cost of Rp. 289,724.234. The cost of foundation work with alternative foundations using precast square piles of 15 x 15 cm2 is the most efficient both from the aspect of driving costs, overall costs and the cost of the unit load carried by the foundation


This 6-month-old boy was born with a pigmented hairy nevus that covered about 80% of his body surface. Multiple pigmented satellite lesions were also present.


The aim of the thesis is to study, using molecular-dynamics simulations, the mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites — materials in which inorganic nanoparticles, commonly referred to as fillers, are added to rubbery polymers so as to increase their rigidity at low strain amplitudes: a phenomenon called "reinforcement." However, the addition of colloidal particles to any polymer matrix leads to the creation of a highly complicated system, and as a result, the precise mechanism of the reinforcement, and in general of the mechanical properties, is still not entirely understood. Although a variety of different interpretations have already been given on the subject, those interpretations are often inconsistent with one another. The main problem to be solved, besides the elucidation of the precise mechanism of the reinforcement, is the so-called Payne effect, exemplified by a loss of the gained rigidity at larger strain amplitudes. This loss of rigidity is the main obstacle that restrains the performance of this family of materials, and consequently, the furthering of their technological applications. The goal is to relate, using dynamic computer modeling, the viscoelastic properties of polymer nanocomposites to the motion of their constituent molecules, and those — in turn — to the molecular-level interactions, the final goal being the development of a method for the design of advanced materials with tailormade mechanical properties, realized through the manipulation of the molecular interactions. The goal of this Chapter is to present a general overview of the research field, with more detailed descriptions given in Chapters 3-6.


Abstract: This paper consider the necessity of causal laws of nature in relation to Kant's works explicitly addressed to natural science (such as the Prolegomena and the Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science), and also to the second edition of the Transcendental Deduction and the Critique of the Power of Judgement.


Background: Hypertensive disorders are an important cause of maternal mortality and morbidity, and severe preeclampsia is the most common cause [Baha M. Sibia, AJOG (2012)]. The blood pressure rises progressively during the first 5 days after delivery, and it is due to mobilization of 6-8 liters of liquid, and 950 meq of accumulated sodium,from interstitial and extravascular space to intravascular space[Davison JM and Dunlop W, Seminars in Nephrology,4:198–207 (1984)].Severe rising of blood pressure may lead to complications, such as renal failure, pulmonary edema, eclampsia, intracranial hemorrhage, stroke, coma and death [Baha M. Sibia, AJOG (2012)].Therefore, postpartum anti-hypertensive therapy can prevent these complications and diminishes maternal mortality and morbidity rate.
Objective: This investigation was done to evaluate whether a short course of postpartum furosemide therapy in patients with severe preeclampsia accelerates blood pressure recovery, reduces antihypertensive drugs usage, prevents complications such as eclampsia and finally diminishes hospitalization.
Study design: In a randomized clinical trial, 90 patients with severe preeclampsia participated. After spontaneous onset of diuresis and discontinuation of sulfate magnesium, patients were randomly allocated to receive either no therapy or 20 mg oral furosemide daily for five days with oral potassium supplementation. Postpartum blood pressure, the need for antihypertensive therapy, rate of complications and duration of hospitalization between treatment and control groups were compared.
Results: Mean systolic blood pressure on the third day after delivery was not different significantly between treatment and control groups(127.9±10.2 compared with 130 ± 11.5 mm-Hg, P=0.36). Mean diastolic blood pressure on the third day after delivery was not different between two groups. Patients in treatment group required less antihypertensive therapy during hospitalization (26.7% compared with 33.3%, P=0.64) but the difference was not significant. Eclampsia occurred in two patients in control group and not occurred in treatment group. Duration of hospitalization was not affected by the intervention.
Conclusion: Brief postpartum furosemide therapy in patients with severe preeclampsia may not be effective in postpartum blood pressure recovery and reducing the need for antihypertensive therapy. It may be useful to prevent complications such as eclampsia. Duration of hospitalization was not affected by the intervention.
Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.18(3) 2019 p.636-640


There are three authors. Sarbin is Professor of Psychology at the University of California in Berkeley. He published a methodological analysis of clinical prediction in 1944 and made the first systematic empirical research comparing clinical and actuarial methods in 1941. Taft is a Reader at the University of Western Australia. He has been concerned with the ability to judge others. He and Sarbin together published An Essay on Inference in the Psychological Sciences (Garden Library Press, 1952). Bailey is Research Associate at the University of California in Berkeley. With Block he has developed an actuarially-based set of Q-sort descriptions appropriate for MMPI interpretation. The reviewer, Paul Meehl, now President of the American Psychological Association, is known to everyone. He is Professor of Psychology at the University of Minnesota and Professor of Clinical Psychology at its Medical School. He calls himself a "hybrid clinician and rat-psychologist," but of course he is well known for his contributions in the logic of science and on psychological models. He is a Diplomate in Clinical Psychology and has served on the American Board of Examiners in Professional Psychology, the first psychologist to serve on that Board who was not a 'Grandfather' Diplomate.


and Kefir, fermented at room temperature (25-26°C) for 24 and 48 h. Antioxidative properties were assessed by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging activity and reducing power. All fermented soy whey extracts exhibited a potentially antioxidant activities, yet extract kefir soy whey with 48 h incubation gave significant highest antioxidant activity compared to others. The results suggest that fermented soy whey formulations could provide a functional food alternative to milk-based fermented products. Key words:


Regression analysis is used to model the relationship between dependent variables and independent variables to predict the dependent variables based on values of the independent variables. In regression analysis the dependent variable is function of the independent variables and the effect of each independent variable in output is expressed by coefficients. In this paper we will obtain the regression line between the percent of value added (dependent variable) and export value (the independent variable) of products of academic knowledge based organizations in terms of uncertainty. Due to uncertainty, we will use a new approach based on the three parameter grey numbers. Using both models, spatial and temporal correlations between the percent of value added and export value are presented too. The results show that the artificial neural network based on three parameter grey regression has better performance in terms of uncertainty.


on television news that was apparently a manifestation of calculated strategy on the part of the Nixon administration.' He referred to the TV news industry as "a tiny and closed fraternity of privileged men" and added darkly that "no medium has a more powerful influence over public opinion. Nowhere in our system are there fewer checks on vast power." He implied that TV news generates marches and demonstrations, and in effect erodes the political system.2 These attacks have set off a controversy that has raged on unabated ever since. What has scholarship backed by empirical research to say on the subject of TV news and its political effects? Precious little.3 However, the small but growing number of more impressionistic works have emphasized the uniqueness of the television medium, its power to alter perceptions of reality and influence behavior, and the presence of biases that shape the content of TV. For the most part these works have been about television in general and only incidentally about TV news. The authors' views, however, parallel the administration's in the efficacy they attribute to the medium. Presumably they would echo the managing editor of Newsweek who said of Agnew's opening volley, "What disturbed me at first was that, though it was the wrong man saying the wrong things, he was partly right."4 Some of these works have been by members of the radio or television industry;5 others have been written by scholars;" but none has been systematically rigorous and empirical, due either to the scope of the subject undertaken or to the difficulty of data collection. The many scholars in a variety of disciplines, who might have done empirical research that could have contributed to a discussion of TV news and its political effects, have remained silent. This silence grows out of two general conclusions


"Nobody knows what that man's mind is except myself" --Aunt Betsey (David Coppefield ch. 14). The day after David Copperfield arrives at Aunt Betsey Trotwood's cottage near Dover, she discusses with him the other inhabitant of the cottage. His real name is Richard Babley, she explains, but he is always to be addressed as Mr. Dick. Then she sends David upstairs to ask Mr. Dick how he is getting on with his "Memorial." David finds Dick hard at work "with a long pen, and his head almost laid upon the paper," surrounded by "bundles of manuscripts," many pens, many half-gallon jars of ink. Dick greets David affably, and immediately tells him a secret: " 'It's a mad world,'" he whispers; "'Mad as Bedlam, boy!'" (144; ch. 14). As for his progress with the Memorial, he thinks he has "made a start." But there is a problem. He asks David when exactly King Charles I "had his head cut off," and when David supplies the year--1649--Dick is puzzled: " 'So the books say ... if it was so long ago, how could the people about him have made that mistake of putting some of the trouble out of his head, after it was taken off, into mine? ... I never can get that quite right. I never can make that perfectly clear.'" Nevertheless, his reply to Aunt Betsey's inquiry is, "'I am getting on very well indeed.'" He calls David's attention to a large kite he has constructed out of earlier drafts of the Memorial, "very closely and laboriously written" but quite legible, so much so that David can make out one or two "allusion[s] to King Charles the First's head." Mr. Dick promises that he and David will soon fly the kite. "'There's plenty of string,'" he points out, "'and when it flies high, it takes the facts a long way. That's my manner of diffusing 'em. I don't know where they may come down. It's according to circumstances, and the wind, and so forth; but I take my chance of that'" (145). When David returns to his aunt, he assures her that Dick is "'getting on very well indeed'" (145). But she demands to know what he thinks of Mr. Dick, and when he hesitates, reminds him that "'[y]our sister Betsey Trotwood would have told me what she thought of any one, directly. Be as like your sister as you can, and speak out!'" David asks if Mr. Dick is "'at all out of his mind?" "Not a morsel,'" Aunt Betsey replies. "'If there is anything in the world ... that Mr. Dick is not, it's that.... He has been called mad.... And nice people they were, who had the audacity to call him mad ... If it hadn't been for me, his own brother would have shut him up for life. That's all.'" Aunt Betsey considers Dick "a little eccentric." She intervened and invited him to live with her about ten years previously, as she tells David, soon after "'your sister, Betsey Trotwood, disappointed me ... He is the most friendly and amenable creature in existence; and as for advice!--But nobody knows what that man's mind is, except myself'" (146). Dick's apparent eccentricity, Aunt Betsey explains, is due to anxiety about his favorite sister, whose husband treated her badly, and to his fear of his brother and to that brother's cruelty in confining him in an asylum. These memories are "'oppressive to him even now.'" For the last ten years Mr. Dick has been writing an account of his ill-treatment by his brother and at the hands of "'the asylum folks'" (146). This "'Memorial about his own history'" (147) is to be addressed to the Lord Chancellor, who had responsibility for supervising the financial affairs of certain categories of orphans and lunatics. As such it parallels The Personal History, Adventures, Experience, and Observation of David Coppefield, the book we are reading, and at this stage resembles the fourteen chapters we have read, detailing David's mistreatment by his step-father, his loss of any claim on his mother's home and property, and his confinement in the warehouse of Murdstone and Grinby. Given the parallels with the early stages of Dickens's own life, it is hard not to notice that Dickens has given Mr. …


The paper endeavors to present the picture of transition of Mishing textiles from traditional costumes of daily use to products embedded with traditional and modern designs produced for the aesthetic need of the local as well as external audiences. During the qualitative survey it was found that though direct contact with outsiders influences the local artists' product; changes are mostly infused by the artists themselves irrespective of their access to customers. Artists may intuitively produce textiles with different color and design combinations. This occurs when artists get access to information about people and places of other regions, their lifestyles and fashion prevalent outside through various media which leads to innovation and diversification in the product features. In such cases artists drive the process of commercialization rather than the market driving the process. This photo essay based on oral history and in-depth interview explains how commercial endeavor by the Mishings is leading to changes in their traditional textiles. It also tries to look into the other differential dynamics of this tribal craft under commercial pursuit with respect to the change in clientele, use of raw materials and change in utility. Change has always been a part of human society and as such the forms of artistic expressions become a product of such an advent. Though the influences of factors on the changes may differ but change accrues and is inevitable.


The programming walkthrough is a method for assessing how easy or hard it will be for users to write programs in a programming language. It is intended to enable language designers to identify problems early in design and to help them choose among alternative designs. We describe the method and present experience in applying it in four language design projects. Results indicate that the method is a useful supplement to existing design approaches.


Abstract : During the first half of this project, numerous computer-based classes have been developed to enable asynchronous instruction to be provided to health care professionals. Previous research has proven the effectiveness of computer-based training, and this project has endeavored to elucidate which particular methods are most acceptable to the various student populations. Clinicians are an especially impatient student population. They will not embrace a cumbersome program that takes an excessive amount of time to download, even if there is a significant educational benefit. "Bells and whistles" such as imbedded video and interactivity are desirable to the point where they impede completion time of the module of instruction. Most physicians would prefer a simple "page turner" digital product to an imbedded video presentation that drags on and on. The loss of control of pace inherent to a streaming video product is considered sub optimal In addition, during this project, it is not practical to expect ready availability of the high band-width required to produce a high quality video presentation. Band-width issues can be ameliorated through alternate delivery vehicles, such as CD ROM. The infrastructure developed during the first half of this project has allowed on-line delivery of learning objects, as well as testing of students. A knowledge management system has been purchased which allows tracking of student completion of modules, or failure to do so. It has also allowed the investigators to capture objective measures of student performance (e.g. test scores) on individual blocks of instruction.


Abstract Objective Enhanced recovery programmes have been widely adopted in other surgical disciplines but are not commonplace in head and neck surgery. The authors of this study created a pathway for post-operative laryngectomy patients. Method A multidisciplinary working group reviewed the literature and agreed standards of care. A retrospective audit was conducted to measure current practice against our new pathway; after programme implementation our performance was reaudited in two prospective cycles, with an education programme and review after the first prospective cycle. Results Statistically significant improvement in performance was realised in catheter and surgical drain removal, opiate analgesia use, mobilisation, and timeliness of swallow assessment. The rate of hospital acquired pneumonia reduced from 23.1 to 9.5 per cent and length of stay reduced by a median of 5.2 days to 14.8 days (non-significant). Conclusion The programme improved consistency of patient care across most areas that were measured. Improving patient stoma training needs to be prioritised.


Anglo-French planning to bomb Russian oilfields, and to insert a naval task force into the Black Sea for operations against Russian commerce, fleet units and installations, has often been noted but seldom in such a manner as to answer more questions than are raised by the discussion. What follows is an attempt to place such planning within the general scope of Allied policy on the brink of the precipice, and to explain why operations that once seemed possible, perhaps even probable, were never undertaken. Historically, Turkey and the Straits occupied a central position in British planning for war against Russia. The simple reason for this was that Turkey, as custodian of the Straits, could open the door into the Black Sea to the Royal Navy and, conversely, could close the Straits to Russian commerce. In 1939, such planning, from the viewpoint of London and Paris, seemed politically possible as, soon after the outbreak of war, Turkey had bound itself to Britain and France in a Tripartite Alliance, at least partly predicated upon Turkey's traditional fears of Russia fears greatly strengthened by the debacle of the Sara9oglu-Molotov talks in October. While these conceptions remained part of renewed naval planning in the event of war with Russia after September 1939, they were pushed into second place by other considerations as the Western Allies began to move towards a more aggressive posture following the Russian attack on Finland in November 1939: chiefly, the possibility of using Turkey as an air base for aerial attack on the Caucasian oil fields, and as a barrier to possible Russian counteraction. By the winter of 1939-40, such planning quickly progressed beyond the point where it was defensive and contingent and became increasingly offensive and driven by operational considerations. Throughout, the moving spirit


The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is evolutionarily conserved mTOR can integrate and converge a wide range of signals, including intracellular and extracellular nutrients, growth factors, energy and stress conditions, and has a crucial role in the vertebrate growth control. This review analyzed the main components and regulated factors of TOR signaling pathway, explained functions and mechanisms of mTOR during the individual growth, the development and its dynamic role, revealed its additional functions beyond the cell growth control, and finally reviewed the tissue specificity and time specificity of mTOR signaling pathway, and its regulation on sexual differentiation, tissue differentiation and organogenesis in the individual development.


Fifteen established tumor promoters belonging to different chemical groups were tested for their ability to induce Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐specific early antigens (EA) in EBV‐genome‐positive nonproducer Raji cells. Saccharin (a promoter in urinary bladder carcinogenesis), DDT (a promoter in liver carcinogenesis), anthralin and iodoacetic acid (promoters in skin carcinogenesis) gave a significant induction with a maximum of induced cells of 20% (8 mg/ml), 0.8% (20 μg/ml). 0.8% (100 ng/ml) and 0.7% (0.4 μg/ml), respectively. In addition, after combined application with a noninducing dose (0.2 ng/ml) of 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol‐13‐acetate (TPA), seven additional tumor promoters induced 0.3‐2.1% EA‐positive cells two days after treatment. The results indicate that in addition to mouse skin tumor promoters such as diterpene esters, several compounds reported to possess tumor‐promoting activity in other types of tissue induce EBV. The data suggest that EBV induction is an effect commonly exerted by this group of compounds which should be very useful in screening for environmental tumor promoters.


Six of the 12 living orders of aquatic insects contain species engaged in entomophagy, but few are being harvested effectively, leading to overexploitation and local extinction. Existing practices ...


New method used plasma jet treatment for improving the interface shear bonding strength between SUS 304 stainless steel and epoxy resin have been investigated comparing with traditional chemical etching surface treatment. Argon gas was found to create a desirable rough surface and nitrogen gas to cause hard surface by the chemical reaction. Plasma jet treated SUS 304 specimens embeded in the epoxy resin all showed higher interface shear bonding strength due to the anchoring effect. Based on these facts, a two step plasma jet treatment has been tried and a significant improvement in the interface shear bonding strength obtained.


Peace symbols Wikipedia April 21st, 2019 A number of peace symbols have been used many ways in various cultures and contexts The dove and olive branch was used symbolically by early Christians and then eventually became a secular peace symbol popularized by Pablo Picasso after World War II In the 1950s the peace sign as it is known today was designed by Gerald Holtom as the logo for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament


FIELD: organic chemistry. SUBSTANCE: ring substituted 2-amino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalenes or 3-aminochromates have formula 1 R 1 where R is lower alkyl, allyl or cyclopropylmethyl, R″ is lower alkyl, cyclopropylmethyl or lower alkylphenyl, X is methylene, oxygen, Y together with carbon atom to which it is bound produces substituted or unsubstituted isooxazole ring having formula 2 or 3, where


While Marcuse saw the surface prosperity of the developed capitalist society,he has always been concerned about the social realities,persons and the nature and value of persons.He saw that people living in developed industrial society lived a comfortable life,while their spiritual lives were empty,showing an unidirectional dimension.Marcuse criticized that.We are on a "people-oriented" development idea now,I hope that some of his theories can show some enlightenment to us.


The temperature sensitivity of hydration and hardening process for low alkalinity sulphoaluminate cement were studied by considering water requirement for normal consistency,setting time and hour-strength development at 5,20 and 35 ℃,and the measures for application technology were put forward at low or high temperature condition.The results show that the hydration and hardening process for low alkalinity sulphoaluminate cement are very sensitive to temperature,the higher the temperature,the faster the rate of hydration and hardening.The rate of setting and hardening of low alkalinity sulphoaluminate cement can be effectively stayed by borax at high temperature and accelerated by lithium compound at low temperature,by which proper application of low alkalinity sulphoaluminate cement could be achieved.


To elucidate the adhesion mechanism of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) designed to mimic natural contact surfaces in the gecko, their contact behavior was investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with manipulation stages. The normal adhesion of CNTs increases in direct relation with a preload, which is true also for gecko setae. The CNT shear strength increases concomitantly with increasing CNT length, indicating that the length is an important factor enabling conformation to the surface roughness and enabling generation of a strong contact by side contact. Results revealed the CNT configuration and surface physics as important factors for synthetic gecko adhesion.


A cost-efficient, high yield and simple one-pot route to the sterically encumbered iodoterphenyl DcpI [Dcp = 2,6-(2,6-Cl2C6H3)2C6H3] is developed in which the necessary addition of external Grignard reagent is avoided. This material is employed as a convenient precursor to low-coordinate phosphorus compounds, such as DcpP=PDcp (1), DcpP=C(H)Ph (4), and DcpP=PMe3. The resultant aryl is found to provide robust steric protection for 1 and 4 once in place, but reactive intermediates leading to insertion chemistry must be avoided in the course of their synthesis. A new bis(dibenzophosphole) 2 resulting from insertion of a phosphorus atom into vicinal C−Cl bonds was isolated and characterized. The single crystal X-ray structures of 1, 2, and 4 are presented. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2002)


Fibrous materials based on polyvinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene copolymers have been obtained by blend electrospinning and modified with polyconjugated polymer polypyrrole. The composite structure formed is a dielectric fiber in a conductive shell. The results indicate that by varying the degree of polypyrrole doping-up it is possible to change the character of the conductivity of the composite reversibly from inductive to capacitive.


This thesis wants to give an assessment and a detailed description of how Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) and microsimulation models can be linked together, taking inspiration from the current literature, with a special focus concerning the literature on developing countries. The main reason why these models are linked together is that the modeller wants to be able to take into account full agents' heterogeneity and the complexity of income distribution, and at the same time to analyse the macroeconomic effects of the policy reforms.
In the last chapter, we build a CGE-microsimulation model for the economy of Nicaragua. This model appears to be particularly suited to the policy reform we are willing to simulate with the model: the Free Trade Agreement of Central American countries with USA is mainly a macroeconomic reform, which on the other hand can have important effects on the distribution of income and on poverty. With such a model we will study the possible changes in the distribution of income in Nicaragua deriving from the Free Trade Agreement with USA. Our analysis finds only small changes both in the main macroeconomic variables and in the distribution of income and poverty indices.


Four viewpoints on Christ's presence at the Lord's Supper: An analysis of their philosophical foundations Various Christian groups during the sixteenth century could not reach agreement on how Christ's presence at the Eucharist and the Lord's Supper should be understood - a controversy that persists even to the present. This was the case in spite of the fact that all of them claimed that their


An organic gardening guide in support of the UNT Community Garden. Books on gardening that may not all be organic.


Excellent test ITO/n-GaAs Schottky diodes (ideality factor=1.07) have been fabricated by RF sputtering and this process has been optimised to produce high transmission (>90%), low resistivity (<2*10/sup -5/ Omega cm) and low leakage (<3 nA), responsivity=0.4A/W. These devices are designed to be monolithically integrated with HBTs to form fast photoreceivers for operation in the 800 nm wavelength for local communication networks.


Introduction: Leishmania is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes a wide range of disease. This parasite is transmitted via the bite of infected sandfly. The parasite lives in the body of sandfly as promastigote form. Growth of promastigote comprised of two phases: none virulence logarithmic and virulence stationary phases. Given to the accumulation of acid phosphatase (ACP) in the stationary phase and its role in the virulence of the parasite, in this study the properties, Km and Vm of ACP enzyme were measured in the logarithmic and stationary phases. Materials & Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study. To culture promastigotes, Leishmania major (L.major) (MRHO/IR/75/ER) from previously infected Balb/c mice were transferred to medium. Growth curve was generated by daily counting of the parasites and based on this curve logarithmic and stationary phases were divided. Frozen promastigotes of each stage with sodium acetate and Triton-X-100 were homogenized and centrifuged and ACP was measured in the supernatant by calorimetric assay. Findings: Logarithmic and stationary parasites were collected in the fourth and seventh days, respectively. The amount of ACP activity was determined as 0.9 ± 0.03 in logarithmic and 1.18 ± 0.01 μM/min/mg protein in stationary phases. Also Vm of this enzyme was 75.76 ± 0.57 in logarithmic and 98.04 ± 0.96 in stationary phases and Km was determined 142.93 ± 4.08 μM and 106.39± 1.14 μM in logarithmic and stationary phases, respectively (P<0.05). Discussion & Conclusion: In stationary promastigotes the rate of ACP activity and Vm were 23% higher and Km was 28% lower than in logarithmic phase. Changes in the properties of ACP are probably one of the essential factors for parasites to attack the macrophages and these variations are very important parameters in pathology of the promastigotes. Keyword: Leishmania major, promastigote , acid phosphatase , virulence 1. Dept of Medical Parasitology, Alzahra Medical Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran 2. Dept of Medical Parasitology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran * (corresponding author) Scientific Journal of Ilam University of Medical Sciences D ow nl oa de d fr om s jim u. m ed ila m .a c. ir at 2 0: 53 IR S T o n W ed ne sd ay D ec em be r 5t h 20 18


This paper presents new daily data on central bank reserves during the Bretton Woods period. It is the first paper to provide daily data for the Bank of France, Bank of England and Swiss National Bank directly from these central bank's archives. I discuss some of the issue with these data and make them available to other researchers for further analysis.


There are different ways to determine aerodynamic parameters, using analytical and experimental data for analyzing the behavior of structures when exposed to wind load. To date, the most developed is considered a numerical method for determining the characteristics of the above methods, based on the numerical solution of the Navier-Stokes equations. The accuracy of the results obtained using such a calculation
method and obtaining the values of aerodynamic forces has increased due to the revision of mathematical models and the development of software complexes for the discretization of object bodies. This article gives an analytical overview of the results of research in the field of study the impact of wind loads on hypar (shell square in plan with the form of a hyperbolic paraboloid). The features of the investigated forms a discretization surface depending on pressure coefficients obtained in foreign literatures. Particular attention is paid to the numerical determination of aerodynamic coefficients on the surfaces of a hyperbolic paraboloid. The results were discussed and the nature of the distribution of coefficients depending on the angle of attack of the wind. Achieved analytical comparison computer modeling turbulent wind flows, based on solving the Reynolds equations arising from the use of averaging the Navier-Stokes equations. The basic model of turbulence such as: k-ε Standard Model; MMK; DBN; Shear-Stress Transport k-ω model; Transition k-kl-ω model. The possibility of choosing one or another model depending on the properties and characteristics of the wind flow is analyzed, for application in numerical simulation of wind flow around hyperbolic shells. The same was done, a comparative analysis of the results of physical testing in a wind tunnel with a numerical simulation in Ansys Fluent.


Abstract: This commentary on Nina Berman's series, "Object Lessons," examines the photographer's strategy of photographing trial evidence from cases of sexual slavery and human trafficking as a study in object relations.


. This paper aims to propose a model related to the relationship between work from home and work-life balance and deviant behavior with spirituality as a moderating variable. For this purpose, the journals searched were sourced from Emerald Insight, Routledge, Sage, Taylor & Francis, and Elsevier/Science direct This study introduces spirituality as a moderating variable which is expected to have an important role in strengthening work-life balance and weakening the emergence of deviant behavior.


Moderate caloric restriction (CR) increases healthspan in virtually every species studied, including nonhuman primates. In mice, CR exerts significant microvascular protective effects resulting in increased microvascular density in the heart and the brain, which likely contribute to enhanced tolerance to ischemia and improved cardiac performance and cognitive function. Yet, the underlying mechanisms by which CR confer microvascular protection remain elusive. To test the hypothesis that circulating factors triggered by CR regulate endothelial angiogenic capacity, we treated cultured human endothelial cells with sera derived from Macaca mulatta on long‐term (>;10 years) CR. Cells treated with sera derived from ad libitum fed control monkeys served as controls. We found that factors present in CR sera up‐regulate VEGF signaling and stimulate angiogenic processes, including endothelial cell proliferation and formation of capillary‐like structures. Treatment with CR sera also increased cellular migration and adhesion. Collectively, we find that circulating factors induced by CR promote endothelial angiogenic processes, suggesting that increased angiogenesis may be a potential mechanism by which CR improves cardiac function and prevents vascular cognitive impairment


In the report special features of acoustic emission (AE) in the rock samples during its deforming, loading, dissolving and heating are discussed. The AE‐activity and spectral characteristics of AE at the frequency band from on 30 kHz up to 500 kHz versus time at various influence stages and forms are analyzed. For example the amplitudes at the frequencies 30‐90 kHz during deforming of carnallite are higher than these ones during its dissolving. It means the cracks at the deforming are about 4‐10 mm and these ones at the dissolution are about 1‐3 mm. These results can be used for the recognition of influence forms and stages.


By considering nonlinear factors, for example, the viscosity of oil, flowing characteristics of oil, and the coupling characteristics between oil and physical structure etc., a mathematical model of oil-damping shock absorber for attenuating vibration is set up in this paper. In the meantime, two kinds of microminiature key-model machine of oil-damping shock absorber are designed by ingenious tactics for testing, and the study result in multi-parameter coupling dynamic test is illustrated to show the mathematical model can simulate the actual physical system of the oil-damping shock absorber.


This activity will perform a pilot-scale demonstration of the use of hot/liquid water for the removal of organic contaminants from soil at the pilot (20 to 40 kg) scale. Lab-scale studies will be performed to determine the optimum temperature, contact time, and flow rates for removal of the organic contaminants. Initial investigations into using carbon sorbents to clean the extractant water for recycle use and to concentrate the extracted contaminants in a small volume for disposal will also be performed.


COVID-19 was raised in the year 2020 which became more dangerous to society. According to the medical results, 100 million confirmed cases and 6 million deaths. This virus became an obstacle to gathering people in public places. This virus has spread all over the world. So, the Government has implemented a facemask policy to prevent the hazardous virus. It is a very difficult task to observe manually in crowded places. Most people are not wearing facemasks properly in public a place which causes the increase of the virus. So, the proposed model will detect the face mask whether the people are wearing it or not. By using, the HAAR-CASCADE technique we can able to detect whether the people are wearing the mask or not. By using this algorithm, we can able to prevent affecting of the virus to the person. This algorithm works effectively for detecting facemasks. The system compares faces with masks and faces without the mask. If people are not wearing a mask, the system detects through the camera and alerts by the alarm sound. The experiment results show the proposed technique achieves a 95% accuracy rate.


The invention discloses an explosive welding manufacture method of an aluminium-titanium composite material, which is characterized in that a basic layer titanium plate (5) is arranged on a steel baseplate (7) where a damping protection layer (6) is paved; a composite layer aluminium (aluminium alloy) plate (3) is arranged on the basic layer titanium plate by a supporting part (4); explosive (2) is arranged on the surface of the aluminium (aluminium alloy); non-uniform explosive arranging type is adopted at the end in the explosion direction, which leads explosive quantity per unit area is gradually reduced at the end in the explosion direction; therefore, large-area aluminium (aluminium alloy)-titanium composite material is obtained through explosion welding and composition into a whole; wherein, the material of a basic plate is industrial pure titanium; the material of a composite plate is pure aluminium or aluminium alloy (the content of Mg is not more than 0.1%). The aluminium (aluminium alloy)-titanium composite material made by using the method has good quality.


Our visual sensation is mediated by two types of photoreceptors, rods and cones. Both respond to light electrically. Rods are highly light-sensitive but cones are not. Because of this sensitivity difference, rods mediate night vision and cones mediate daylight vision. While a response to a brief light flash is rather slow in rods, it is brief in cones. These rod and cone differences in their light sensitivity and the response time course arise in the differences in the reactions in the enzyme cascade to evoke light responses in these cells. This cascade (phototransduction cascade) in rods is now rather well understood at the molecular level in a quantitative way. In cones, similar cascade has been known to be present. However, details are not known yet because it was difficult to obtain purified cones in an amount large enough to study these issues biochemically. Fortunately, we succeeded in the purification of enough amounts of cones from the retina of carp (Cyprinus carpio), which enables us to compare the qualitative and quantitative differences in the phototransduction cascade between rods and cones. The results so far we obtained explain lower light sensitivity and briefer light responses in cones than in rods. Furthermore, an additional difference between rods and cones was found in the retinoid metabolism. This reaction, specifically found in cones, ensures effective regeneration of visual pigment so that cones can operate even under very bright light. WIREs Membr Transp Signal 2012, 1: 675–683. doi: 10.1002/wmts.8

For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.


The Terms Culture and Civilization The English terms culture and civilization go via French back to Latin terms. Just as the great Chinese philosophers (Kongzi 孔子, Zhuangzi 庄子) are the beginning of Chinese thought and civilization today, so Greek and Latin thought and civilization are at the beginning of European civilization today. The word culture comes from cultura, and from the verb colere, meaning "to cultivate"(e. g. agriculture), "to foster." Many people now limit the meaning to material culture. Civilization comes from civilitas "courteousness, civility, restraint." It is the nature of a citizen. The two mentioned terms are quite different from the Chinese wenhua 文化, bunka, culture, and from wenming 文明, bunmei, civilization. The term wenming already occurs in the Yijing 易经, Book of Changes. There we read: "jian long zai tian, tianxia wen ming 见龙在天, 天下文明 Seeing a dragon in the field, the land under heaven has literacy and brightness." The famous Sui-Tang 隋唐 Confucianist Kong Yingda 孔颖达 (574–648) explains tianxia wen ming: "Yangqi zai tian, shi sheng wanwu, gu tianxia you wenzhang er guangming ye 阳气在田, 始生万物, 故天下有文章而光明也 Because when the force of yang is in the fields, beginning to make all things grow, in the land under heaven there is literature and brightness." Kong Yingda is the author of the authoritative commentary on the five classics: Wu jing zheng yi 五经正义 Correct Meaning of the Five Classics. This work has been the basis for so many later commentaries. It offered the basis for the curriculum for imperial examinations. The text at once explains the term wenhua, namely the becoming literate. Literacy is the basis for Chinese culture. Chinese thought traditionally has Confucianism, Rujiao 儒教, and Daoism, Daojiao 道教. They express the two traditional aspects of Chinese culture. Confucianism shows the yang 阳 aspect, the active aspect, and Daoism shows


Conventional access control solutions rely on a single authentication to verify a user's identity but do nothing to ensure the authenticated user is indeed the same person using the system afterwards. Without continuous monitoring, unauthorized individuals have an opportunity to "hijack" or "tailgate" the original user's session. Continuous authentication attempts to remedy this security loophole. Biometrics is an attractive solution for continuous authentication as it is unobtrusive yet still highly accurate. This allows the authorized user to continue about his routine but quickly detects and blocks intruders. This chapter outlines the components of a multi-biometric based continuous authentication system. Our application employs a biometric hand-off strategy where in the first authentication step a strong biometric robustly identifies the user and then hands control to a less computationally intensive face recognition and tracking system that continuously monitors the presence of the user. Using multiple biometrics allows the system to benefit from the strengths of each modality. Since face verification accuracy degrades as more time elapses between the training stage and operation time, our proposed hand-off strategy permits continuous robust face verification with relatively simple and computationally efficient classifiers. We provide a detailed evaluation of verification performance using different pattern classification algorithms and show that the final multi-modal biometric hand-off scheme yields high verification performance. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61350-129-0.ch004


In this work, we present a relevant upgrade to the technique of pulsed laser ablation of fluorescent nanodiamonds (NDs), relying on an automatized graphite-target movement maintaining a constant level of liquid nitrogen over its surface during hours of deposition. Around 60 mg of NDs nanopowder was synthesized and optomagnetically characterized to assess its optical quality. Chemical purification of the ablated nanopowders, which removes the graphitic byproducts, permits to obtain pure fluorescent NDs with an efficiency of 7 ± 1% with respect to the total nanopowder mass. This value compares positively with the efficiency of other commercial NDs synthesis techniques such as detonation, cavitation, and high pressure–high temperature.


Evaluation system of post-legislation is a new try to perfect local legislation system.The system can reduce the disadvantage of legislative distribution between the central and the local legislator,which affects passively the uniform of legal system.It is an important way to construct local legislation with the character of responsiveness and is helpful to resolve the dilemma of stability and rigidity statutes are facing.The evaluation system of post-legislation has its own objective and theoretical threshold which is the actual effects of law.The system tries to realize the upstanding interaction among legislation,executing of law and keeping the peace.


The modern power system encounters difficulties in increasing the share of renewables as they are not participating in the total power system inertia, which endangers the strength of the power system against faults. As conventional generation with inherent inertia provision ability are being replaced by converter-based generation, they have to perform this role. Therefore, it is important that the control method of wind turbines seamlessly estimate frequency variation and be designed to make the inertia power command to smooth it. Hence, in this paper, inertia provision in an islanding scenario in a power system by a wind turbine will be studied. The inertia is provided via rotating masses or auxiliary power source, or together in a two-step inertia power injection. The power and energy limitations will also be considered in the comparison of inertia provision in different scenarios. The time is important for the injected inertia power to catch the frequency from falling into a very low nadir and make a different stability border for the share of renewables. In this study, the effect of converter-fed loads will also be investigated.


An efficient in vitro propagation system was established for direct shoot regeneration in Clitoria ternatea L.. The regeneration protocol was standardized by using different explants, viz., nodal, cotyledonary node and shoot tip, on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with different concentrations of sucrose (1-6% ), plant growth regulators BA and Kn (1.0-6.0 μM ), and different levels of pH (5.2-6.2). The highest mean number of shoots (18.7±1.0) was obtained from nodal explants on MS medium containing 3% sucrose and 0.8% agar supplemented with BA (5.0 μM) at pH 5.8. In vitro regenerated and elongated shoots were rooted on 1⁄2 MS medium fortified with IBA (2.0 μM). Complete plantlets were then hardened, acclimatized and transplanted to natural conditions, where they exhibited 80% survivability.


!The operation and trade of the electricity distribution market must develop based on a clear distribution pricing mechanism. Current nodal price generally does not include distribution network costs, which is not conducive to the establishment of distribution market and the efficient use of distribution network. Therefore, based on the Ramsay criterion and further considering the influence of reactive power, a method of allocating the distribution network cost to the nodal price is proposed in this paper. The main innovation in this paper is that a calculation method of price elasticity of reactive power demand is established. Consequently, the cost of the distribution network is allocated to the nodes according to not only active power distributed but also reactive power distributed. A 12-node system modified from the IEEE 33-node distribution network is used to do simulation. Results validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the method. Moreover, comparative analysis with MW-Mile method shows that the method can provide better economic information for network users.


A continuous L dwarf classification sequence requires the combined use of far optical (visible) and near infrared spectral indices. However, the visible and near infrared indices currently in use assign subtypes that differ by up to three subclasses due to differences in cloud opacity for objects with the same effective temperature. Therefore, it may be impossible to combine visible and near infrared spectral indices to create one L dwarf classification system, and two classification variables may be necessary.


Every day, hundreds or even thousands of computers are infected with financial malware (i.e. Zeus) that forces them to become zombies or drones, capable of joining massive financial botnets that can be hired by well-organized cyber-criminals in order to steal online banking customers' credentials. Despite the fact that detection and mitigation mechanisms for spam and DDoS-related botnets have been widely researched and developed, it is true that the passive nature (i.e. low network traffic, fewer connections) of financial botnets greatly hinder their countermeasures. Therefore, cyber-criminals are still obtaining high economical profits at relatively low risk with financial botnets.


The influence of different ammonium salts(NH4 Cl,(NH4)2SO4,NH4NO3,HCOONH4 and CH3COONH4) on the MgO-H2 O suspension system was investigated,including the influence on p H value,hydration efficiency,the variation of liquid Mg2 +concentration and morphology of Mg(OH)2. The ammonium salts form an buffer system in the MgO-H2 O suspension aqueous system,which can significantly accelerate dissolution of MgO and formation of the Mg(OH)2precipitate. At different reaction temperatures,hydration efficiency of MgO improves 26. 62% ~ 65. 58 % compared with the system without adding ammonium salts and higher temperature is helpful in improving hydration efficiency of MgO. Meanwhile,p H value of the solution change IS consistent with the change of Mg2 +concentration in the solution. In the solution environment of ammonium salts,MgO does not form the intermediate products with ammonium salts in the hydration process and the hydration process conforms to the " dissolution-precipitation" mechanism. Compared with the MgO-H2 O hydration system without adding ammonium salts,the hydration product Mg(OH)2formed in the ammonium salts solution is more easily to be in flaky crystal.


ABSTRACT We congratulate Heal et al. for initiating an important discussion on how to broaden the scope of the water–energy–food nexus. We agree that more explicit inclusion of water quality into the nexus is an important step forward. At the same time, water quality is itself an indicator of e.g. ecosystem services and biodiversity, and improvement of water quality comes with a cost in terms of resource consumption that is typically not included in models studying the water–energy–food nexus. We already see hesitation in using the nexus for policy development, and further complexity may be an additional barrier to its practical implementation. So, while the consideration of water quality is indeed important for the nexus, it also suggests that perhaps it is necessary to consider more local contexts than striving for one global framing for analysis of the water–energy–food nexus.


The intention of the #Get Sunflowered project was to explore how we might activate the local community to transform redundant and vacant sites within the urban fabric of Moe, Morwell and Traralgon, to celebrate and transform our cities through the temporal event of growing beautiful sunflowers.


Main results of our recent investigations on five-dimensional scenarios of massive (bi-)gravity will be summarized in this article. In particular, we will show how to construct higher dimensional massive graviton terms from the characteristic equation of square matrix, which is a consequence of the Cayley-Hamilton theorem. Then, we will show whether massive graviton terms of five-dimensional massive (bi-)gravity behave as effective cosmological constants for a number of physical metrics compatible with fiducial ones such as the Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker, Bianchi type I, and Schwarzschild-Tangherlini metrics. Finally, we will show the corresponding cosmological solutions for the five-dimensional massive (bi-)gravity.


Abstract. Substantial biases exist in the Satellite Precipitation Estimates (SPE) over complex terrain regions and it has always been a challenge to quantify and correct such biases. The combination of multiple SPE and ground observations would be beneficial to improve the precipitation estimates. In this study, a flexible two-step approach is proposed by firstly reducing the systematic errors of each SPE using rain gauge observations as references, and then merging the improved multi-SPE with a Bayesian weighting model. In the 1st stage, gauge references are assumed as a generalized regression function of SPE and terrain feature. In the 2nd stage, the weights assigned to the involved SPE are calculated according to the associated performance relative to gauge references. This blending method has the ability to exert benefits from multi-SPE in terms of higher performance and mitigate negative impacts from the ones with lower quality. In addition, Bayesian analysis is applied in the two phases by specifying prior distributions on the model parameters, which enables to produce posterior ensembles associated with their predictive uncertainties. The performance of the two-step blending approach is assessed using independent rain gauge observations during the warm season of 2014 in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Results show that the blended multi-SPE are significantly improved compared to the original individuals, especially during heavy rainfall events. This study can also be expanded as a data fusion framework in the development of high-quality precipitation products in high-cold regions characterized by complex terrain.


Automated decision making is one of the important problems of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Planning and scheduling are two sub-fields of AI that research automated decision making. The main focus of planning is on general representations of actions, causal reasoning among actions and domain-independent solving strategies. Scheduling generally optimizes problems with complex temporal and resource constraints that have simpler causal relations between actions. However, there are problems that have both planning characteristics (causal constraints) and scheduling characteristics (temporal and resource constraints), and have strong interactions between these constraints. An integrated approach is needed to solve this class of problems efficiently. The main contribution of this thesis is an integrated constraint-based planning and scheduling approach that can model and solve problems that have both planning and scheduling characteristics. In our representation problems are described using a multi-valued state variable planning language with explicit representation of different types of resources, and a new action model where each action is represented by a set of transitions. This action-transition model makes the representation of actions with delayed effects, effects with different durations, and the representation of complex temporal and resource constraints like time-windows, deadline goals, sequence-dependent setup times, etc simpler. Constraint-based techniques have been successfully applied to solve scheduling problems. Therefore, to solve a combined planning/scheduling problem we compile it into a CSP. This compilation is bounded by the number of action occurrences. The constraint model is based on the notion of "support" for each type of transition. The constraint model can be viewed as a system of CSPs, one for each state variable and resource, that are synchronized by a simple temporal network for action start times. Central to our constraint model is the explicit representation and maintenance of the precedence constraints between transitions on the same state variable or resource. We propose a branching scheme for solving the CSP based on establishing supports for transitions, which imply precedence constraints. Furthermore, we propose new propagation and inference techniques that infer precedence relations from temporal and mutex constraints, and infer tighter temporal bounds from the precedence constraints. The distinguishing feature of these inference and propagation techniques is that they not only consider the transitions and actions that are included in the plan but can also consider actions and transitions that are not yet included in or excluded from the plan.


The Vilsmeier-Haack reaction of cyclic ketones with PBr3 and DMF is an effective means for generating β-bromo-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, which are readily transformed into their dimethyl acetals. These bromides are conveniently amenable to halogen-metal exchange in the presence of tert-butyllithium. The resultant organometallic intermediates, when treated with an equimolar amount of diisopropyl squarate, undergo 1,2-addition to deliver α-hydroxy ketone adducts that have proven to be sensitive to different rearrangements when in the presence of silica gel or boron trifluoride etherate. Although both processes involve net ring expansion of the cyclobutene ring with loss of methanol, the similarity stops there. In the first instance, spirocyclic diketones are produced by 1,2-shift of either of two ring carbons. In the second, extensively conjugated lactones are generated. The behavior of the adduct originating from a lithiated quinone bisketal has also been scrutinized.


In this paper, I study implementation by agenda voting, a straightforward mechanism that is widely used in practice. The main result establishes that any candidate neutral majority voting rule which satises the two necessary conditions identied


Whether COPD is generally known as a small airway disease, recent investigations suggest that vascular remodeling could play a key role in disease progression. This paper develops a specific investigation framework in order to evaluate the remodeling of the intrapulmonary vascular network and its correlation with other image or clinical parameters (emphysema score or FEV1) in patients with smoking- or genetic- (alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency - AATD) related COPD. The developed approach evaluates the vessel caliber distribution per lung or lung region (upper, lower, 10%- and 20%- periphery) in relation with the severity of the disease and computes a remodeling marker given by the area under the caliber distribution curve for radii less than 1.6mm, AUC16. It exploits a medial axis analysis in relation with local caliber information computed in the segmented vascular network, with values normalized with respect to the lung volume (for which a robust segmentation is developed). The first results obtained on a 34-patient database (13 COPD, 13 AATD and 8 controls) showed significant vascular remodeling for COPD and AATD versus controls, with a negative correlation with the emphysema degree for COPD, but not for AATD. Significant vascular remodeling at 20% lung periphery was found both for the severe COPD and AATD patients, but not for the moderate groups. Also the vascular remodeling in AATD did not correlate with the FEV1, nor with DLCO, which might suggest independent mechanisms for bronchial and vascular remodeling in the lung.


At present,most of the gas well deliverability analysis use systematic well testing,but it has to meet the requirements of steady test,however,in the practice of field,because of some uncertain factors,they begin to test the well flow rate and bottom hole flowing pressure without steady test condition and result in negative value of the slope of binomial deliverability index curve,which makes the calculation of it's AOF become impossible.Especially in the acquirement of deliverability equation of low permeability gas reservoir,if we have to access to the stable testing time that the backpressure test needs,which is too long to harm of the gas field production.And the requirement of gas supply,shut in for the build-up is not allowed,so it can't meet the requirements of systematic well testing,so we can't calculate the AOF accurately in the gas well deliverability equation.So this paper puts forward a new method to acquire gas well binomial deliverability equation without shut in.the new method can acquire the gas deliverability equation and AOF with several groups of production rate and flowing pressure.The field practice has showed that the new method is practicable.


Use of a bulky bidentate bis(NHC) ligand allows isolation of a stable cationic methylpalladium carbonyl complex that undergoes clean carbonylation to an acyl complex under excess CO, modeling a key step in CO/alkene copolymerization.


In the industrial heat-exchangers, there are many cases of unsteady heat transfer in the hydrodynamic entry length with temperature distributions of pipe-walls along the axial direction of double pipes and the pressure-drop from the inlet to the outlet, and in the atomic reactors (LMFR), the heat generates from the inside of the fluid. Therefore, in these cases, the research of unsteady heat transfer generating heat from the inside of the fluid is necessary. In this paper, theoretical solutions of the unsteady heat transfer in the hydrodynamic entrance length of vertical double pipes are made. In these solutions, such cases of unsteady heat transfer in the hydrodynamic entry length of vertical double pipes are treated that the heat generates from the inside of the fluid, free convection and laminar flow coexist at the same time, the pressure drops from the inlet to the outlet, and arbitrary temperature distributions of pipe-walls vary in the axial direction. In the solutions, the finite Hankel transform, the finite Fourier transform, the Laplace transform and Bessel functions are used. But, there is not a case of such an experiment. Theoretical solutions are reduced to the steady heat transfer and compared with experiments.


4-(N-Arylmethylideneamino)-2,6-t-butylphenols (I) were synthesized through the condensation of 4-amino-2,6-di-t-butylphenol hydrochloride and arylaldehydes, and the infrared and electronic spectra of phenols (I) were discussed. The oxidation of phenol (I) with lead dioxide gave a stable phenoxyl radical (II) in solution, and 4,4′-bis[4-(N-arylmethylideneamino)-2,6-di-t-butyl-2,5-cyclohexadien-1-one] (III) was isolated as a crystalline oxadation product, which was in equilibrium with the radical (II) in solution.


Some embodiments include a high voltage direct current (HVDC) power generator system for information technology (IT) racks. The HVDC power generator system can include a three-phase alternating current (AC) transformer having a primary winding and a plurality of secondary windings. A plurality of three-phase bridge rectifier circuits can be electrically coupled respectively to the plurality of secondary windings. The HVDC power generator system can include output terminals for powering its load. A first string of bridge rectifier circuits can be in series with each other and a first inductor. A second string of bridge rectifier circuits can be in series with each other and a second inductor. The first and second strings can be electrically coupled in parallel to the output terminals.


The Federal Trade Commission Statistics state that the complaints of ID Theft in the year 2005 were 255,565. This number is only expected to multiply as the statistics for 2006 are calculated. The effect that these victims have on business owners is staggering. The owners themselves could become victims, their employees or customers could become victims and their customers may be victims. Not to mention the problems the owner would face if the business itself became a victim. All of these problems not only affect the bottom line for business owners, but effect productivity and mental health of the owner and their employees. Brian Gruss' book: Small Business and Identity Theft: Just the FACTA's presents a relief for business owners. The book leads business owners through the steps of protecting the most valuable asset any person or business could possess – their identity. More details are available on Brian Gruss' book at www.smallbizplan.com or contact the author at (949) 273-4206.


Background. Diabetes mellitus (DM)is a group of metabollic disease that classified in cronic disease with  characteristic hyperglicemia that happen because of insulin secretion defect, work of insulin, or both. The impact of illness and treatment procedures are the stressor that can cause depression. Objective. The objective of this research was to describe the level of depression in patients with DM type 2 in Puskesmas Purnama Pontianak. Method. The method used for the research was descriptive survey study. The subjects of this study were 40 patients with DM type 2 in Puskesmas Purnama Pontianak. Sample taken by consecutive sampling. The qualified sample was interviewed with Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI II) for determining the level of depression. Result. The result shows that the prevalence of depression in patients with DM type 2 is 25 %. In details, mild depression is 20 % and moderate depression 5 %. Conclusion. Majority of the depression level in patients with DM type 2 in puskesmas Purnama Pontianak is mild depression and the dominant characteristics in respondent with depression are: age >60, female, married, senior high school graduated, and housewives. Keywords: Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM type 2), Depression, Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI II) 1)Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Tanjungpura, Pontianak, West Kalimantan 2)Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Tanjungpura, Pontianak, West Kalimantan 3)Department of Health Community, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Tanjungpura, Pontianak, West Kalimantan


Background and Purpose: Incidence of fungal infections caused by opportunistic fungal pathogens, such as yeasts and yeast-like species, has undergone an increase in otherwise healthy individuals. These pathogens account for high mortality and show reduced susceptibility to the routine antifungal drugs. Accordingly, antifungal susceptibility testing is an urgent need in the determination of the susceptibility spectrum of antifungals and selection of appropriate antifungal agents for the management of patients with fungal infection. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted on 110 yeast strains belonging to 15 species recovered from clinical specimens. Susceptibility of the isolates to four antifungal drugs (i.e., fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole) was tested according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines M27-A3 and M27-S4. Results: Fluconazole exhibited no activity against 4.3% (n=2) of C. albicans isolates, whereas the remaining 44 isolates had a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) range of 0.125-4 μg/ml. Voriconazole had the lowest geometric mean MIC (0.03 µg/ml) against all isolated yeast species, followed by posaconazole (0.07 µg/ml), itraconazole (0.10 µg/ml), and fluconazole (0.60 µg/ml). Overall, all of the isolates had reduced voriconazole MICs with a MIC range of 0.016-0.5 μg/ml, except for one isolate of C. albicans that had a MIC of 1 μg/ml. Candida haemulonii as a multidrug-resistant fungus showed a fluconazole MIC of > 64 μg/ml. Conclusion: The current study provides insight into the antifungal susceptibility profiles of clinically common and uncommon yeast species to four triazole antifungal agents. According to our findings, voriconazole was the most active agent. Awareness about antifungal susceptibility patterns is highly helpful in the selection of appropriate antifungal drugs and identification of the efficiency of the currently used agents.