So claims Nicetas Choniates in the opening lines of his compendious chronicle of the Byzantine Empire, the Historia, which begins with the reign of Emperor John II Komnenos and ends with the fall of Constantinople to Crusading armies from the Latin West in 1204. Apart from its narrative ingenuity, the Historia claims its importance as one of the contemporary accounts of the momentous events of 1204 and their aftermath. If Choniates's vivid — and often vituperative — tale strives 'to raise the dead,' its coda, the De Signis, attempts to accomplish a somewhat similar aim with respect to the sculptures that once adorned the glittering capital of Constantinople, now laid waste by the barbaric Latin invaders. In this brief but impassioned section of the Historia, Choniates's writing resurrects the magnificent statues that once delighted the Constantinopolitans, then razes them to rubble as he describes the acts of plunder committed upon them by the Latins. Where the prologue celebrates the resuscitating force of the 'written word,' the work closes with an ominous invocation of the literal and, I argue, the metaphorical death of images that, in Choniates's view, encapsulates the theme of the brutal disruption of history and the destruction of humanity itself. Describing the statue of a bull crushing a basilisk he ends with the grim remark: 'In this manner, each was killed by the other. Common to both was the contest, common the defense, co-equal the victory, and death the fellow contestant.' This essay examines the relationship between Choniates's life-giving words and the sculptures destroyed by the Latins. In particular, the essay explores the modes whereby the former medium might have shaped the Byzantine (or medieval) reader's apprehension of the latter in the broader scheme of Byzantine history. Titos Papamastorakis's exploration of the De Signis astutely suggests that Choniates's ekphrases encode political metaphors relating to contemporary events. My argument, based on an extensive literary analysis of passages from the De Signis, claims that Choniates posits images and their appreciation as the very hallmark of human civilization and historical continuity. This is evident from the attention he pays to portents and their correct visual interpretation, as Paul Magdalino has pointed out. However, I extend this insight by arguing that, in Choniates's view, both artistic products and their appreciation must needs be couched in skilful verbal discourse in order to be able to manifest themselves to their fullest extent. By deliberately pairing visual and verbal eloquence, Choniates projects them as the necessary and productively competitive twin elements informing historical consciousness. The De Signis merits close reading in order to highlight the sophisticated ways in which it develops these themes, intertwining sculpture, verbal virtuosity, and historical vision in a complex ménage à trois. The task of closely analyzing the Historia, however, is complicated at the outset by the very nature of Choniates's overwhelming literary gymnastics. Promising to deliver a narrative cut 'with the cloth of plain and simple words,' he offers no such thing, preferring instead to conduct the reader down a 'winding and dangerous path' of rhetorical display, filled with 'deep pits.' Anthony Kaldellis's brilliant reading suggests that this sort of paradox is a central mechanism of Choniates's text; that is, Choniates is concerned with delineating a series of historical reversals and paradoxes, all of which reveal a fundamentally unnatural course down which human history was plunged. Some of these unnatural events Choniates ascribes to the betrayals, the many incestuous affairs, and the domestic upheavals of the ruling family of Komnenos, all of which corroded the reigning principle of taxis, or order, integral to Byzantine conceptions of human society. The steady stream of disorder internal to the Byzantine Empire extends outwards in Choniates's account and culminates in the depredations of 1204 and the Fourth Crusade when the Latins, in an astonishing volte-face, sacked the stronghold of Christian Orthodoxy instead of reserving their zeal for the Islamic infidel in the Holy Land. Choniates's bitter denunciation of the Latins, therefore, is not simply an expression of outrage on the part of one who was personally forced into exile because of the sack. It is also a measure of bewilderment at this most extreme perversion of the natural order of human society: Christians (even if Catholic), turning against their fellow Christians. Apart from the historical sequences he recounts, the very rhetorical and grammatical reversals Choniates cunningly employs in his text reflect the inversions he inveighs against. The Historia, in other words, attempts to form a literal mirror of the history it describes. But its coda, the De Signis, works to a slightly different effect even as it sustains the previous chain of reversals. Choniates deplores the Latins' love of gold that spurred them on to ravage


The question on the origin of the optically active molecules in nature has puzzled scientists for a long time. Shortly after Lee and Yang discovered the parity nonconservation in the weak interactions, Vester and Ulbricht suggested that this phenomenon could explain the origin of chirality of bi...


Abstract Introduction: This work reports on the normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCP) from a UK cohort of previously treated peripheral lung SABR patients (n = 198) supplementing our previous publication on tumour control probabilities (TCP). Each patient was recalculated for alternative schedules. Materials and Methods: NTCP for 3 (54 Gy), 5 (55 and 60 Gy) and 8 (50 Gy) fraction (#) schemes were calculated with the Lyman Kutcher Burman (LKB) model in the software platform 'Biosuite' (Version 12·01) for lung and chest wall. Patients treated with 5 # or 8 # were then recomputed for alternative fractionations and doses (3 # and 5 #, for both 55 Gy and 60 Gy). Results: The mean lung NTCP (NTCPLUNG, for the outcome of radiation pneumonitis) was 2·8% (range 0·6 – 10·6). The mean chest wall NTCP (NTCPCW, for the outcome of rib fracture) was 1·4% (range 0·0–55·9). There were no statistically significant differences observed between male and female, tumour status or fractionation groups except for the NTCPLUNG between 5 # and 3 #. When recalculating NTCP and TCP individually, for 8 # patients, no differences were observed between mean TCP, NTCPLUNG or NTCPCW compared with 3 # or 5 # indicating that fractionation reduction is possible. Parity was observed between the 60 Gy group when recalculated for 55 Gy. For the 60 Gy in 5 # group, the NTCPCW increased significantly when recalculated for 3 #. Conclusion: NTCPs achievable with current UK planning techniques have been presented indicating SABR Consortium compliant centres are likely to have low complication population risks (< 3 %). 5 # schedules could be justified for 8 # patients, thereby reducing the number of treatment visits. Where there is a large overlap of PTV and chest wall, this indicates an NTCP/TCP calculation is required to investigate if fractionation reduction is individually appropriate.


PROC CORR is widely used to calculate the Cronbach's α, and it has been described as a lower bound for test reliability. However, previous research has shown that when certain assumptions are violated coefficient α can overestimate or underestimate reliability. Raykov has shown that structural equation modeling can be used to estimate reliability. This research illustrates Raykov's SEM method in PROC CALIS and shows that under certain violations of assumptions coefficient α estimates can show a substantial positive bias in the some extreme circumstances, and the magnitude of bias of coefficient α estimates are larger than that of structural equation modeling based reliability estimates.


In order to know the working situation of concrete liners of the tail-water tunnels of the Ming-tomb Pumped Storage Station,an all-round inspection has been conducted in No.1 and No.2 tunnels with non-destructive inspection.The authors introduced the methods and results of the inspection of concrete liners(quality,) and pointed out that the main defect of the liners is the existence of circumferential and longitudinal cracks.The cracks will affect the endurance and normal working of the tunnels.A scheme of crack treatment and corresponding material characteristics was presented.By adopting advanced equipment and construction technology of high-pressure grouting,treatment on the cracks of the liners was fulfilled in a short period,and good results were achieved.The experience may be used as reference in similar engineering practice for anti-seepage, water leakage clogging and strengthening of cracks in tunnel liners.


We present a VCSEL diode model including electrical, thermal and optical behaviors where noise is present in the rate equations. VHDL-AMS language is used to write this model. Langevin forces are introduced in equations and generated in Mentor Graphics ADVanceMS/sup /spl copy// by white noise signal generators, using the UNIFORM statement. The comparison of transient results with spice ones published in literature shows a good agreement.


FOLLICULAR carcinoma of the thyroid with distant metastases is considered a relatively progressive tumor associated with a poor five-year survival rate1-3and is rare in the absence of any abnormality in the neck by palpation or scan.4The following case illustrates two unusual features: (1) slow growth of a solitary metastasis from follicular carcinoma (2) distant metastasis from a small focus of follicular carcinoma that could not be detected by palpation or isotopic scanning of the thyroid. Report of a Case A 28-year-old woman was initially seen in October 1974, with a one-year history of left occipital headaches, which had increased in frequency over the previous three months. A skull roentgenogram (Fig 1) showed a 16-mm diameter lytic lesion of the left occiput. In December 1972, she had been beaten during a family quarrel and was taken to a local hospital. Skull roentgenograms (Fig 1) obtained from this


Pittsburg, Pa., April 1, 1908. To the Editor: —I beg to acknowledge with appreciation your editorial in a recent issue 1 on the Pittsburg housing situation. You rightly indicate that there are three prime factors in evil housing conditions—the landlord, the tenant and the health inspector. I feel, however, that your editorial does not do justice to Dr. James F. Edwards, superintendent of the local bureau of health. This bureau is not an independent department of the Pittsburg city government. It falls under the department of public safety. Two-thirds of its appropriations are engrossed by a contract system of garbage removal, over which the superintendent has no control. Since 1899 there has been no published report of the bureau of health. Previous superintendents of the bureau have not been physicians. I state these things to you to indicate the large work of reorganization which Dr. Edwards has had to undertake.


ABSTRACT Azo dyes are broadly used in different industries through their chemical stability and ease of synthesis. However, these dyes are usually identified as critical environmental pollutants. Hence, a mathematical model for the adsorption affinity of azo dyes can be applied for solving tasks of medicine and ecology. Quantitative structure-property relationships for the adsorption affinity of azo dyes to a substrate (DAF, kJ/mol) were established using the Monte Carlo method by generating optimal SMILES-based descriptors. The index of ideality of correlation (IIC) and the correlation intensity index (CII) improved the model's predictive potential, especially when they were used simultaneously. The statistical quality of the best model on the validation set was characterized by n = 18, r 2 = 0.9468, and RMSE = 1.26 kJ/mol.


A new process for the impregnation, consolidation, and curing of glass-fibre-reinforced polyester composites was developed to reduce manufacturing costs and secure end properties that compete with other traditional materials. This new process, based on the ultraviolet (UV) curing of prepregs, could be a viable alternative to infusion and other processes. In this paper, we showed that glass fibre composites 3 mm thick could be easily formed using suitable photoinitiating systems. We achieved improved mechanical properties through the application of favourable parameters to traditional manufacturing processes such as hand lay-up and infusion. The prepreg polymerization was monitored by dielectric analysis (DEA), and we evaluated the relationship between the UV radiation exposure time and curing degree. Both the exposure time and compaction pressure affected the fibre content of composites and interlaminar shear strength. Experimental results showed that compaction pressures higher than 4 bar are necessary to increase the mechanical properties of the UV-cured composites. Finally, the properties of the composites manufactured by this new process were compared to the properties of composites manufactured using traditional processes such as hand lay-up and infusion.


This paper discusses the relations between ■0-sn-network and cs-network. The main results are the followings: X be an■0-sn-weakly first-countable space and P be a point-countable cs-network for X. If Pis closed under finite intersections, then there exists a subfamily B of P such that B is an ■0-sn-network for X.The following results are equivalent for a topological space X :(1) X is an■0-sn-metric spaces;(2)There is a metric spaces M and countable to one, sequentially quotient, σ-map f M →X.


The most important mission of a print quality program is ensure that the print quality customers demand is desig into the finished product. To accomplish this, a print qual program must perform five tasks: (1) understand custom requirements; (2) assess objective print quality; (3) rel customer requirements to objective measures; (4) tolerance limits; and (5) benchmark the competition. Individually, these five tasks generate a wealth information useful in marketing and engineering decisio making. However, it is even more effective to organi these tasks into a single unified framework. The results c be surprising. Relationships between seemingly unrela tasks can be identified; critical items become more obvio and places where tradeoffs can be made become appa This paper describes how the technique of quality functi deployment (QFD) can unify these five print quality task thereby catalyzing beneficial interactions among marketin engineering, and print-quality organizations.


The prevailing normative model of contemporary journalism, drawn primarily from a liberal enlightenment tradition emphasizing universal notions of rights, contributes to what many perceive as a crisis in contemporary journalism; at the least, Kantian models are too "thin" to provide an adequate ethical standard. We consider the extent to which an ethic of care, reconceived to address weaknesses identified in recent scholarly critiques, provides journalists with an alternative framework for moral decision making. We use the concept of unequal ethical pull to rework caring and to promote caring for distant others because caring that remains at the personal level is inadequate as a moral value. We conclude by noting that public journalism and our retooled ethic of care share several important ideals. We suggest a program of mutually beneficial exploration, one that might help today's journalists cultivate the virtue of care as they work toward justice.


Abstract Ice particle multiplication mechanisms are summarized and considered to be incapable of producing the excess of ice crystals over ice nuclei (factors of 102–104) observed in several types of clouds. Contact freezing, sorption and immersion freezing nucleation are re-examined with regard to their temperature and mode of activation. A model of ice phase nucleation based on contact nucleation is advanced. The collection of contact nuclei by drops is considered to result from Brownian motion and phoretic forces. Based on estimated sizes for natural contact nuclei of 0.3–0.5 μm, contact nueleation is predicted to be suppressed in updrafts and enhanced in downdrafts or mixing zones. This correlation is in excellent agreement with observations of first ice in cumuli. Blanchard's drop freezing data are used to deduce concentrations of natural contact nuclei active at −4C of 100–1000 liter−1. These concentrations are noted to be consistent with Hobbs' observations of 1–10 ice particles liter−1 at −4C in a...


This paper aims to implement the emergency power of the Technical University of the North, the design of an interface data acquisition to monitor the different electrical parameters in real time, which should be helpful for the operator, because it is a practical and able to be understandable for computer users, also an Myrio system for synchronization with the PC is added, and also send data in real time to a tablet. The project is structured as follows: CHAPTER I formulated and defined the research problem, objectives raised; a general and four specific, which were the basis for the course of the investigation. CHAPTER II contains the theoretical basis of the systems of control, SCADA system, LabVIEW software, artificial vision, Myrio, and elements or equipment necessary for the preparation of the project. CHAPTER III research methodology used to prepare the project and the methods and techniques used for execution described. CHAPTER IV contains the development of the proposal for the design of a HMI on the front panel, as well as programming in the block diagram for the creation of the HMI screen and programming LabVIEW 2014 software was used in the packets of vision and motion, for data Acquisition webcam not very high quality is also implemented, and a lamp for proper illumination of the object to focus on camera, in this case installed would be the controller screen. CHAPTER V some recommendations based mainly on the findings for the project is drawn up, bibliographical sources, references, and photographic attachments are also included.


In this paper preliminary numerical investigations are presented which have been conducted at the Chair of Mechanics (LFM) of RWTH Aachen University during the course of the new experimental/numerical project Aero-Structural Dynamics Methods for Airplane Design (ASDMAD). The goal was to study the static and dynamic behaviour of the modified HIRENASD wing. After a short introduction of the project specifications the numerical method and model are described. The calculated results are compared with those of the original HIRENASD model, and conclusions are drawn with respect to the differences between the two models.


In view of the limitations of the existing crew virtual training system and the problems of vacant and difficult-to-understand teaching and learning of ship handling and collision avoidance courses, through sortes out the Rules for Preventing Collision at Inland Waters systematically, and extracts seven typical scenes including: berthing, unberthing, overtaking, head-on, encounter with ships limited to draught, avoidance of engineering ships underway, collision avoidance of the confluence of main rivers and tributaries. Use adaptive UI interface, three-dimensional models of ships and port buildings, and sea water to complete the construction of the scene frame, then design the reasonable assessment point realizes logical control, and integrates text and voice function. Finally, completes the development of a three-dimensional interactive simulation system that can be released across platforms. Through repeated and violent operations, the feasibility and stability of the system's operation are verified. In the context of the intelligent shipping revolution, the system is the application of virtual reality technology under the B/S architecture in the field of navigation. It can complement the advantages of large-scale ship handling simulators, and promote practitioners' internalization and absorption of collision avoidance rules and the improvement of their maneuvering and collision avoidance skills, the system has certain practical value.


Abstract - This research aims to analyze the use of e-commerce and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), especially the supply chain strategy for Small Business Enterprises (SMEs) as an effort to strengthen business competitiveness. This study uses an experimental design by providing intervention to respondents. Descriptive analysis was carried out to reflect the data obtained from the process of identifying the profiles of several SMEs and this study involved 40 SMEs in Yogyakarta. The data was processed using inductive analysis with paired sample t-test to find out the difference between e-commerce insights and IPR ownership before and after the experiment. One-Sample Kolmogorov Smirnoff is used to test data normality to determine different types of tests. The findings demonstrate that there are significant differences before conducting the experiment and after. The research shows that communication is a key tool ensuring the efficiency of supply chain cooperation as perceived seriously by the SME. The experiment indicates the significant level of 0.003 is lower than alpha of 0.05 for e-commerce. While the ownership of IPR such as trademarks showed significant gains as well, as indicated by the significant level 0.000 lower than alpha 0.05. The result of experimental method has made marketing techniques with e-commerce and IPR ownership.


SECTION I. FOOD LAWSMany of Russia's food and trade regulations have or are undergoing reform as the Russia-Belarus- Kazakhstan Customs Union (CU) continues policy integration. Russia also continues to adjust policies pursuant to its recent WTO accession.In practice, Russia continues coordinating policy reform closely with the European Union, and as a result, changes in regulation reflect those of its primary trade partner.In December 2011, WTO Trade Ministers approved the terms of Russia's accession and issued a formal invitation for Russia to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) as its 155th Member, culminating Russia's 18-year effort to join the multilateral trading system. Russia became a fully-fledged WTO member on August 22, 2012.Russia and the Customs Union have established the legal framework necessary for Russia to comply fully with the WTO SPS Agreement. In addition, Russia undertook commitments on how it will comply with the SPS Agreement and its other WTO commitments affecting trade in agricultural products. These commitments provide U.S. exporters of agricultural products with an enforceable set of disciplines against non-scientific trade restrictions. Russia also agreed to harmonize Russia's SPS measures with international standards. The Customs Union now has a mechanism for recognizing the equivalence of food safety systems of WTO members and rules on inspection of establishments in third- countries, such as the United States, that export product to Russia and the other CU Member States. Also part of Russia's commitments are: increased transparency, including the right to provide comments on SPS measures before they are adopted, and application of transition periods before new measures are applied.Russian Legislation and Principal Regulatory Documents on Foodstuff ImportsRussia's regulatory framework governing the import of foodstuffs consists of: (1) Customs Union documents, (2) Russian Federal Laws, (3) Russian Government documents, and (4) regulatory documents of the bodies of executive power of the Russian Federation. The major documents are the following:1. Customs Union documents:General* CU Customs Code, in force since July 1, 2010 (as amended through April 16, 2010) , includes unofficial translation into EnglishTariff and TRQs* Unified CU Customs Tariff, in effect from January 1, 2012, till August 22, 2012 * Unified CU Customs Tariff, in effect as of August 23, 2012 (as amended through December 25, 2012) * EEC Council Decision No. 54 of " On Approval of the Unified Commodity Nomenclature of the Foreign Economic Activity of the Customs Union and the Common Customs Tariff of the Customs Union" * EEC Collegium Decision No. 146 of August 23, 2012, " On Establishment of a Tariff-Rate Quota and the Volume of the TariffRate Quota on Imports of Certain Types of Whey to the Unified Customs Territory of the Customs Union" * EEC Collegium Decision No. 215 of November 13, 2012, " On the Tariff Rates of the Unified Customs Tariff of the Customs Union for Certain Types of Crustaceans and Products Prepared Thereof * EEC Collegium Decision No. 229 of November 20, 2012, " On the List of Goods, which are Subject to Tariff- Rate Quotas in 2013, and the Volume of Tariff-Rate Quotas for Imports of these Goods into the Member States of the Customs Union and Single Economic Space" (refers to beef, pork, poultry, and whey) General SPS Measures* CU Commission Decision No. …


Abstract Simple methods for predicting intercalation or groove binding of dyes and analogous compounds with double stranded DNA are described. The methods are based on a quantitative assessment of the aspect (width to length) ratio of the dyes. The procedures were validated using a set of 38 cationic dyes of varied chemical structures binding to well oriented DNA fibers and assessing binding orientation by linear dichroism and polarized fluorescence. We demonstrated that low aspect ratio dyes bound by intercalation, whereas more rod-like dyes were groove binders. Some problems that result and possible applications are discussed briefly.


Abstract: With the increase of the service time of shipborne aircraft, the overlarge impact load can affect the life of the hydraulic system accessories. At the same time, the vibration and the corrosion of the ser water will also affect negatively the accessories' life. The accessories are the important composition of the hydraulic system. Therefore, it is necessary to study the possible faults and their rules. This paper aims to establish the suitable model to predict the faults by use of the FEM and experiments.


Porous sunshade roof cover sheet is a new structure used for heat insulation on building roofs. This paper describes a wind tunnel study that investigated the effects of various parapets on wind loading on porous sunshade roof cover sheets for a low-rise building. The test model (200 mm high (H), 470 mm wide (B), 710 mm deep (D)) at a length scale of 1:50 had sixteen porous sunshade roof cover sheets on the roof, four of which were equipped with pressure taps. Wind pressures were measured simultaneously at many pressure taps on both the upper and lower surfaces of the porous sunshade roof cover sheets. Perimeter parapets (solid parapet, porous parapet and wind spoiler) of different heights were used to investigate their effects on wind loading on porous sunshade roof cover sheets through results of wind pressure coefficients, wind force coefficients, cross-correlation coefficients between upper and lower surface pressures, and probability density functions.


In this commentary, we argue that the term 'prediction' is overly used when in fact, referring to foundational writings of de Finetti, the correspondent term should be inference. In particular, we intend (i) to summarize and clarify relevant subject matter on prediction from established statistical theory, and (ii) point out the logic of this understanding with respect practical uses of the term prediction. Written from an interdisciplinary perspective, associating statistics and forensic science as an example, this discussion also connects to related fields such as medical diagnosis and other areas of application where reasoning based on scientific results is practiced in societal relevant contexts. This includes forensic psychology that uses prediction as part of its vocabulary when dealing with matters that arise in the course of legal proceedings.


The present invention was made respectively from a polycarbonate polymer based on bisphenol A, having at least one first polymer layer and second polymer layer, between the first polymer layer and second polymer layer a method is for making the structure element is arranged, comprising the following steps: a) element, or is disposed on the first polymer layer, a dent in facilities of the first polymer layer (1) is the step, b) a first polymeric layer coated on the side plate, the base into the top or the layer of the layer, element, a solvent or mixture of solvents and the disubstituted dihydroxydiphenyl cycloalkane geminally with a liquid preparations containing polycarbonate derivative to, steps which are arranged in the region of at least elements, optionally c), after step b), dry Is the step, after d) step b) or step c), the second polymer layer applied over the first polymer layer, the step of coating the device, e) the first polymer layer and the second at a temperature of the polymer layer is 230 ° C. from 120 ° C., time determined, steps that are laminated together under pressure.


Objective
To explore the effects of using proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on the outcomes of hip fracture.

Methods
Searches were conducted through Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database to identify the studies of the association between PPIs exposure and hip fracture. Quality of studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CIs) were calculated for the risk of hip fracture associated with current exposure of PPIs. And several subgroups were analyzed by dosing duration, dose, osteoporosis and corticosteroid usage to explore potential study heterogeneities. All statistical analyses were performed with STATA software.

Results
Among 11 publications included for final analysis, there were a total of 1 107 577 subjects with an average age of over 60 years. A positive relationship existed between PPIs exposure and hip fracture with an OR of 1.46 (95%CI: 1.26-1.70, P=0.000) as compared with non-PPI-users, especially those on concurrent corticosteroid and PPIs. A significantly increased risk of hip fracture was found in the group of a short-term duration for under 1 year (OR=1.18, 95%CI: 1.01-1.38, P=0.041), medium-term for 1-3 years (OR=1.23, 95%CI: 1.01-1.49, P=0.038) and longer duration for over 6 years (OR=1.38, 95%CI: 1.27-1.50, P=0.000). Furthermore, concurrent use of PPIs was not associated with an increased risk of hip fracture in a definite dose-response manner. As compared with non-PPI-users, no significantly increased risk of hip fracture was found in PPI-users with osteoporosis (P>0.05). Publication bias was not present.

Conclusions
Use of PPIs may be somewhat associated with an increased risk of hip fracture. Considering potential adverse effects, clinicians should prescribe cautiously PPIs for high-risk patients, especially elders.

Key words:
Fractures, bone; Hip; Proton pump inhibitor; Meta-analysis


illustrates a revolutionary change in how petroleum explorationists hunt for new resources. Production from the Bakken is attributed to a combination of factors that include things like the climate and geography of North Dakota 350 million years ago as well as the geological processes that have, over the intervening years, buried the organic matter contained within the Bakken to depths at which high temperatures are capable of converting the hydrocarbons preserved as solid kerogen into liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons. During hydrocarbon generation, petroleum is expelled from kerogen-bearing shale into very poorly permeable rocks that lie above, below and between the oil-generating source beds. Because the rocks that encase the oil-generating source beds are almost impermeable, the expelled oil must physically "push" pre-existing water from the pore space of these rocks. The force required to do this causes significantly increased fluid pressures in the source beds and neighboring reservoirs. It is the presence of these abnormally high fluid pressures, caused by oil generation and expulsion, that permits substantial oil and, to a lesser degree, gas production to be obtained from the horizontally drilled and hydraulically stimulated reservoirs surrounding the Bakken source rocks. Understanding the processes that cause overpressurized reservoirs may provide insights that can be used to explore for other similar petroleum accumulations.


One of the features of the budding revolutionary activity-system most celebrated by activists, journalists, and political scientists alike, was its 'spontaneity'. As Rosa Luxemburg posited with regard to the Russian Revolution of 1905, the notion of spontaneity is crucial to an understanding of the revolutionary process "[...] because revolutions do not allow anyone to play the schoolmaster with them" (Luxemburg 1970, 188). It is from the masses themselves that springs, in Trotsky's words, "[...] that leaping movement of ideas and passions which seems to the police mind a mere result of the activities of 'demagogues' " (Trotsky 2001, 18). A popular revolution is not engineered by demagogues, parties or activists, but it is the activity of the people itself. However, when spontaneity is opposed to organization, the concept acquires a mystical character. There was nothing unorganized about the committees that defended, cleaned,1 entertained, and governed Tahrir. If anything, they represented "spontaneous order out of chaos" (Bamyeh 2011). The notion of spontaneity does not exclude organization or centralization; it denotes the organic, bottom-up origins of the cohesion, coherence, and systematicity of a project. Leadership and organizational centralization are not antithetical to the spontaneous self-organization of the masses, but they constitute a higher, more elaborate phase in the development of its systemic activity. Moreover, there is no mystical emergence of 'order out of chaos': the sociogenetic logic behind 'spontaneous organization' is that of a collective learning process: performance produces competence.2 The 'outward'-oriented activity of occupation turned 'inward', transforming structures that had been developed


Abstract A simple and fast method for determination of cephalexin using test papers with immobilized Fehling's reagent is reported. Color scales for the naked-eye determination of cephalexin were constructed. Based on RGB-analysis linear correlations between the intensities of the blue and green color channels, the concentration of cephalexin were obtained. Furthermore, the possibility of using radar charts for the analyte was investigated. For detection of antibiotic, the authors' application for smartphone «Digital colorimetric test» was created. After loading a photo of the paper-based device, the application automatically displays the concentration of antibiotic on the screen. Moreover, for detection of the antibiotic, a small volume of sample (5 μL) is required. The limits of detection for developed methods were from 0.13 to 0.4 mg/mL (Sr < 0.12).


The NOvA experiment at Fermilab uses a beam of neutrinos and two detectors separated by an 810 km baseline to observe muon neutrino disappearance and electron neutrino appearance. These measurements have the potential to reveal the remaining unknowns in neutrino oscillations, namely the mass hierarchy, the $\theta_{23}$ octant, and perhaps even hint at the violation of CP in the neutrino sector. In this talk, I will describe the current status of the NOvA experiment, present results and discuss future sensitivities.


Abstract:"Spaghetti westerns," a broad subgenre of western films, produced primarily by European production companies and often filmed in Spain or Italy, reached the height of their popularity in the late 1960s and early '70s. Often perceived to be Italian, the Spanish contribution frequently goes unrecognized or is only tangentially mentioned despite the fact that most of these films were shot in Spain, and included many Spanish actors, producers, writers, directors, extras, and other technical personnel. I reevaluate the Spanish contribution to these films and see them as truly transnational products that represent concerns common to both countries. Through an analysis of trauma, revenge, violence, silence, and the pursuit of wealth in the "heroes" of Django (Corbucci, 1966), The Good the Bad and the Ugly (Leone, 1966), and Death Rides a Horse (Petroni, 1967), this study shows how Italy and Spain's status as "postwar" nations in the throes of rapid economic modernization is primary for understanding representations of heroism—and more often anti-heroism—in these films. War and its aftermath, in both Italy and Spain, is considered the psychological backdrop for the withdrawn, violent heroes who seek revenge for past wrongs, seemingly haunted by the "ghosts" of death and destruction that inform their psychic and physical landscapes. Spaghetti western heroes' incessant, wandering struggle may be indicative of the male individual's encounter with his own weakness, as well as a performative resignification of encounters with the abject.


The inconsistencies of the traditional numerical approach which utilizes dual companion model for base resistance is examined and a solitary companion model is described along with the effects of utilizing that companion model in circuit analysis.


King John has been neglected because it does not fall within the broad scope of the first or second tetralogy, and scorned as unpopular and untheatrical. In addition, much debate of its structure, characterization, and language hasn't been in a favorable view or angle. In this sense, many scholars have pointed that its structure is poorly unified, its characterization inconsistent, and its language indecorous. Especially, its structure has been mainly regarded as episodic and diffuse. However, some scholars maintain that King John shows a structural unity and an ingenious design. This paper aims to investigate the structural pattern of King John by examining the dramatic action of its central characters and its main themes. Above all, the play can be viewed as having a balanced structure based on the divergent fates of John and the Bastard. As Adrian Bonjour argued, King John's career shows a falling curve and the Bastard Faulconbridge's career a rising curve. John's fortunes begin to turn when he orders Arthur's death. Inversely, Faulconbridge rises from an obscure to a noble figure royal to England. In this sense, its structure can be seen as having a proper balance throughout the play. The structural unity of the play can be also examined by a systematic investigation of the opposing themes of legitimacy and commodity. A succession of episodes in this play are linked with an organic unity in its structure, that's why the events or episodes of the play are associated with the opposing values of legitimacy and commodity. Also in the conflicts between John and Arthur, the Bastard and Robert, Eleanor and Constance, John and Pandulph, John and Lewis, the Earls and John, and Lewis and Pandulph, each side has not only some legitimacy but also some commodity in making political decisions. In this aspect, it is not surprising that we can find out the structural unity by investigating the major themes of each episode in King John.


In this paper we consider a stochastic version of predator-prey systems with Watt-type functional response. We first prove the existence and uniqueness of the positive global solution by using the comparison theorem of stochastic equations. Then, we study the boundedness of moments of the solution. Furthermore, the growth rates, persistence and extinction of species are investigated.


The efficiency of software development (i.e. producing good software products based on an efficient software process) must be controlled by a quantification of the software development methodologies. This is a main aspect of a successful method/technology change in the area of software maintenance as a means of method adaptation. The descriptions of object-oriented (OO) methods or comparisons of some of these features are usually given by a listing of their features. These descriptions describe the functionality of a particular development method but often fail to address quality issues like efficiency, maintainability, portability, maturity, etc. This paper describes the evaluation of technology change related to OO development methods. It discusses the applicability of metrics-based evaluation as an indicator of the quality assurance of the OO development process.


In recent years, the number and scope of events in the Asia and Middle East / North Africa region has increased significantly. Events are one of the things that attracts the attention of foreign tourists to come to visit a country as a tourist destination. Refers toMinister of Tourism Regulation Number 2 Year 2017on Guidelines for Venues for Meetings, Incentive Trips, Conventions and Exhibitions, explains that criteria and indicators are needed to increase the competitiveness of venues for meetings, incentive trips, conventions and exhibitions at the regional and global levels. This is done to increase the number of visits, length of stay, and expenditures for domestic and foreign tourists. Therefore, visual indicators or data are needed that can present the location of the event and a list of events in DKI Jakarta. From these problems, this study aims to produce a web-based spatial information system for the distribution of tourism industry events to map event locations in DKI Jakarta. The methodology used in collecting this data is the method of observation, interviews, and literature studies. While the system development methodology uses PHP and MySQL with the Rapid Application Development (RAD) approach and uses the Unified Modeling Language (UML) which is a tool for system description and design, as well as the Google Maps API for digital maps. The results of this study are in the form of a spatial information system that can display a map of the distribution of event locations in DKI Jakarta based on event data and event categories at the DKI Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Department. While the system development methodology uses PHP and MySQL with the Rapid Application Development (RAD) approach and uses the Unified Modeling Language (UML) which is a tool for describing and designing systems, as well as the Google Maps API for digital maps. The results of this study are in the form of a spatial information system that can display a map of the distribution of event locations in DKI Jakarta based on event data and event categories at the DKI Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Department. While the system development methodology uses PHP and MySQL with the Rapid Application Development (RAD) approach and uses the Unified Modeling Language (UML) which is a tool for describing and designing systems, as well as the Google Maps API for digital maps. The results of this study are in the form of a spatial information system that can display a map of the distribution of event locations in DKI Jakarta based on event data and event categories in the DKI Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Department.


The role of psychological factors in the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) has attracted more and more attention in clinical practice.With the increasing of the social pressure,symptoms in IBS patients could not be completely ameliorated by drug treatment only,and behavioral psychotherapy has some efficacy for the treatment of IBS.The aim of behavioral psychotherapy is not for complete cure of disease but to alleviate clinical symptoms of IBS patients,save medical expenditure and improve the quality of life.This article reviewed the advances in study on behavioral psychotherapy for IBS.


Play is a well-documented educational tool, but one that has begun to decline in schools and early childhood education due to the increased pressure for cognitive-based school readiness programs. Play such as pretend play and video games engages children and helps them to develop literacies and competencies outside of the classroom. Additionally, play is a hands-on approach to curriculum that creates deeper understandings and relationships with the subject matter. In this article, two programs are highlighted that combine elements of play to foster these kinds of connections. In live action video games, aspects of video gaming and pretend play bring children into the world of the video game and teach them collaboration, resource management, and creative problem solving. In a strategy game that was designed to replace a book discussion, teens connected more deeply to the story by discussing their own responses, the structure of the narrative, and their feelings about the protagonist's choices. These programs are an attempt to bring play back into learning to encourage the development of new competencies and foster a love of learning.


Abstract : Recent U.S. Air Force programs are aiming to develop reduced toxicity propellants. In solid propulsion, investigation was performed for alternatives to ammonium perchlorate-based, space launch propellant. This was principally conducted under the auspices of the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP). This program was recently successfully concluded with a finding that green', ammonium nitrate-based propellant could be produced with performance that is similar to conventional propellant. For bipropulsion systems, USAF has worked toward the long range goal of producing a Space Maneuver Vehicle (SMV). The potential of replacing the storable bipropellant pair, dinitrogen tetroxide/monomethylhydrazine (NTO/MMH), with a green' alternative like hydrogen peroxide/hydrocarbon is attractive. Consequently, Congress directed USAF to conduct an SMV technical demonstration program aimed toward developing a higher performance engine for the peroxide/hydrocarbon propellant combination. Current U.S. Air Force programs are also aiming to develop reduced toxicity monopropellant formulations to replace spacecraft hydrazine monopropellant and exceed the monopropellant performance objective specified by the Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technology (IHPRPT) Program. The creation of such monopropellants can offer considerable cost savings associated with the handling and loading of propellants, longer spacecraft service life, smaller vehicle design, or heavier payloads. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) approach to replacing hydrazine is the development of energetic liquid salt mixtures with substantially less vapor toxicity and superior performance (specific impulse and density).These liquid salt mixtures show promise as one avenue toward replacement of hydrazine monopropellant. During the last year, work has centered on the production and characterization of a few of these reduced toxicity monopropellant formulations.


Many of tree kernels in the literature are designed tanking advantage of the mapping kernel framework. The most important advantage of using this framework is that we have a strong theorem to examine positive definiteness of the resulting tree kernels. In the mapping kernel framework, each data object is viewed as a collection of components, and a mapping kernel for a pair of data objects is determined as a sum of kernel values of component pairs over a certain range determined according to the purpose of use of the resulting mapping kernel. For those tree kernels known to belong to the mapping kernel category, the string kernel of the product type is commonly used to compute the kernel values of component pairs. This is because it is known that use of the product-type string kernel together with the mapping kernel framework allows us to have recursive formulas to calculate the resulting tree kernels efficiently. We significantly generalizes this result. In fact, we show that we can use partition able kernels, a new class of string kernels instead of the product-type string kernel to enjoy the same advantage, that is, efficient computation based on recursive formulas. The class of partition able kernels is abundant, and contains the product-type string kernels just as an instance. Also, this result, not limited to tree kernels, can be applied to general mapping kernels after we formalize the decomposition properties of trees as the new notion of pretty decomposability.


Thermostable and alkalitolerant a-amylase from Anoxybacillus sp. SK3-4 (ASKA) yields high level of maltose (69%) from starch hydrolysis. A putative raw starch binding domain was found in the C-terminal domain of ASKA. Starch binding domain (SBD) plays a role in hydrolyzing insoluble starch which enhances the amylolytic rate. The gene that encodes the ASKA is 1,518 bp. The present study involved in silico analyses and protein mutagenesis of two C-terminal truncated variants, namely mutant ?50 and ?100. The respective mutants had an elimination of 81 and 112 amino acids from C-terminal end of ASKA. Firstly mutagenesis was made in in silico structure. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the eight s-strand forms as an open-sided distorted s-sandwich fold which of putative domain C. Using Neighbor-Joining (NJ) method, the phylogenetic analysis of the domain C had confirmed that starch binding region of ASKA is the non-catalytic domain C and not the typical SBD of CBM families. Actual gene truncation was constructed via protein engineering approach and the truncated genes were expressed in Escherichia coli, under the promoter of T7. However, both recombinant proteins exhibited no activity with soluble starch as a result of inclusion bodies aggregation; despite several optimization on expression conditions were made.


A new mark‐capture technique involving field applications of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) to study the dispersal of potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), was investigated as a tool to improve information on the potential impact of insect pest dispersal on crop infestation and insecticide resistance. The acquisition and persistence of Bt on moths were characterized and potential contamination of moths from naturally occurring Bts was examined. This mark‐capture technique was developed to mark larger numbers of moths than had been previously achieved with laboratory marking using fluorescent dyes in mark‐release‐recapture experiments. Applications of commercial preparations of Bt to 0.3 and 1.0 ha potato fields were estimated to have marked ca. 50 000 moths in each experiment. Pheromone trap catches of potato tuber moths in the Bt‐sprayed fields and in potato fields at distances of ca. 80, 200, 350, and 750 m were assayed for the Bt marker using selective microbiological media and identification of characteristic Bt crystal inclusions. Marking rates of moths were 78–100% in the sprayed fields and, compared with our previous mark‐release‐recapture studies, marking at ca. 200 m was increased by 15–18‐fold to >3.0 moths per trap. This capture rate allowed the calculation of a dispersal curve that improved the reliability of estimates of movement at farm‐scale distances. These estimates indicated that 10% of the population dispersed to 240 m in 3 days, and suggested that moths can potentially disperse throughout a typical potato‐growing area in one growing season. This level of dispersal has implications for the spread and management of potato tuber moth populations, especially if insecticide resistance is present.


The main objective of decentralization is all settled based on the needs of local needs in the area of life governing system. Changes into a centralized system of decentralized government provides an apportunity for the region to undertake regional development through regional expansion into new autonomous regions. Constitutional guarantee provides the space within Article 18 UUD 1945 and then backed article 2, paragraph (1) of Law Np. 32 Year 2004 on Regional Govenment. The next problem is whether local governments are given the oppurtunity to manage their own household with broad authority to create development, maximum service and can create public welfare. Keynote : Autonomous Region, Regional Expansion


A further volume in the "Understanding Politics" series, this textbook has been written specifically for A2-level students and covers the comparative dimension of advanced level study. It follows closely the syllabuses of the main examination boards, being particularly helpful for those requiring a direct comparison between the two political systems. Clear and accessible in style, it offers insights into the similiarities and differences between British and American politics. These are summarized in useful boxes at the end of each chapter, where there are also details of relevant websites and likely examination questions. The book begins by examining the setting against which government and politics operates in Britain and the US, noting aspects of the history and social structure of each country before exploring the concept of political culture. The underlying ideals and values of British and American people are compared and the book goes on to analyse the constitution before considering the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government in detail. In addition, the nature of American federalism and moves towards federal devolution in the UK are assessed. Political parties, the media and elections, pressure groups and voting are all extensively covered, with some concluding thoughts on the current condition of democracy in Britain and the US. The text attempts the task of looking at government in the UK and the US in comparative terms. It offers students the chance to boost their knowledge and understanding of the two political systems and provides the basis for a strong comparative response to any likely A2 question.


A common objective in recent Australian and international corporate governance reform programs is the enhancement of shareholder participation. Active shareholder involvement brings account- ability to the board and management, and is appropriate considering that shareholders are the ultimate owners of the company. Curiously, however, while shareholder participation and representation has become a priority in the contemporary corporate governance arena, the bulk of recent governance reform initiatives operate on the assumption that there is a clear separation of the board and management from the general body of shareholders, and that this is necessary to achieve optimal performance. The requirement that directors be 'independent' of the company and its shareholders is a prime example. In this article, the authors propose the establishment of a mandatory shareholder committee in Australian companies as a way of enhancing shareholder participation and representation.]


The proposal is a research update where part of this research is to discuss the care to the writer needs to have in re-creating characters for a biopic in the construction of a screenplay. As a corpus, we will work with the writer Machado de Assis, who will guide us as a character in a writing proposal for his biopic. What are the main challenges of the writer: choosing a single biographical cut or keeping true to the facts? do we need to use poetic license? These are some of the questions that we intend to address, as well as the production adjustments for the realization of an audiovisual product.


Marine resources provide the foundation for livelihoods in the transboundary Grenadine island chain. A better understanding of the abundance and distribution of key marine resources and space-use patterns is critical for planning and management for sustainable use of the marine resources of the Grenada Bank. Stakeholder involvement in participatory mapping exercises is thought to be pivotal in the documentation of local spatial knowledge and the development of an integrated multi-knowledge marine resource space-use information system. This paper summarizes participatory methods used and lessons learned during the creation of Grenadine marine resource users' spaceuse profiles. Further mapping will be conducted with marine resource users' in order to highlight areas for management such as: critical habitats; areas of high aesthetic/cultural importance; areas important for livelihoods including fishing, shipping and tourism; as well as areas of space-use conflict. It is anticipated that participatory GIS will enable more holistic and integrated transboundary planning and management between government, NGOs and communities of the Grenadine Islands and will also contribute to stakeholder education and capacity.


The invention discloses a computer hardware monitoring system and an implement method thereof. According to the computer hardware monitoring system, a data processor is electrically connected with a single chip microcomputer and an audio decoder, the audio decoder is electrically connected with a loudspeaker, the single chip microcomputer is electrically connected with an image processor, the image processor is electrically connected with a display screen, and a hardware condition monitoring module, a fault transmission module, a power module, a clock module and a data microprocessor are further electrically connected with the data processor respectively; the hardware condition monitoring module is used for detecting the running status of computer hardware and transferring detection data to the data processor, and data information is displayed on the display screen through the data processor. The structure of the monitoring system can prompt a user by conducting real time monitoring over each hardware in a computer and displaying analysis results of faults, the computer hardware monitoring system and the implement method thereof are convenient to use, simple and applicable, meanwhile, convenience is brought to the computer user, and the degree of accuracy and degree of reliability are improved.


Musculoskeletal disorders contribute significantly to the workload of many clinicians, in particular to those in general practice and emergency medicine. General practice in particular is an area targeted for significant workforce growth over the coming years. However, with expanding student numbers, not all students spend time on a clinical rotation in trauma and orthopaedics. Deficiencies in musculoskeletal knowledge in both medical students and general practice doctors have previously been identified. This is a problem not just confined to Ireland, undergraduate education in musculoskeletal medicine is recognised as insufficient in many medical schools worldwide. As part of their studies, medical students in NUI Galway complete 'special study modules' (SSM). We identified this as an area of opportunity for supplementary structured musculoskeletal teaching. We offered "OrthoSim" as a SSM to Year Four students to deliver musculoskeletal education in a simulated environment.


Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of three dimensional conformal radiation (3DCRT) in the treatment of retroperitoneal metastatic tumor.Methods 56 cases of retroperitoneal metastatic tumor were treated with 3DCRT.Radiotherapy was delivered at 2.2 Gy~6 Gy per fraction,3~5 times per week.Results The overall response(CR+PR) rate was 83.9%,with complete remission 32.1%(18 of 56) and partial remission 52.4%(29 of 56).Conclusion Three dimensional conformal radiation can be used effectively to local control in patients with retroperitoneal metastatic tumor,improve life quality,and complication related to the treatment can be accepted by clinically.


Tributyltin pollution from antifouling paint is well known to disrupt the endocrine system in female marine gastropods. The masculinization of females, including the aberrant growth of a penis and vas deferens and occlusion of the capsule gland, has been reported primarily in neogastropods and is particularly well documented in muricids. Compared to temperate areas, few studies of imposex have been undertaken in the tropics, and there are few studies in general on non-neogastropods. Here we report a high frequency of imposex near the Pacifi c mouth of the Panama Canal in two species of muricids and two species of calyptraeids. The frequency of imposex declined rapidly with distance away from the canal, and several species appeared to be mostly normal less than 10 km from the entrance. This is the fi rst report of imposex in Acanthais brevidentata, Thaisella kiosquiformis, Bostrycapulus calyptraeformis, Crepidula cf. nivea, and Anachis fl uctuata. Because imposex has not previously been reported for the Calyptraeidae, a family of protandrous gastropods, a laboratory study was conducted to verify that imposex was not simply retention of the penis after sex change. The 2007 ratifi cation of the International Maritime Organization's convention on antifouling systems should reduce the levels of TBT worldwide, but the persistence of this compound in sediments suggests that imposex may continue to be a problem at the mouth of the canal as routine dredging and large tides frequently resuspend sediment.


National geographic conditions survey aims to acquire overall national geographic information on natural surface, ecological and human activity conditions. With Java open stack of Android operating system, and secondary development of mobile device, this paper achieved national geographic conditions survey field check system, which fulfills sample collection, path data saving, and geographic information data collection, greatly improves field check automation degree, thus effectively reduces labor intensity and increase work efficiency.


The energies of alkyl-substituted pyridines in the 2-, 3-, 4- and 2,6-positions, of their protonated forms and of reference derivatives of benzene were calculated at the RHF/6–31G(d,p) and B3LYP/6–31G(d,p) levels. The results were processed by isodesmic reactions, expressing the substituent effect separately for the base molecules, their protonated forms and for the gas-phase basicity. The substituent effect is greatest in the protonated forms, and in the uncharged bases it is approximately three times smaller. In both cases, it is stabilizing: basicity is given by the difference. No actual steric effect was revealed, merely a stabilizing effect in the 2-position, which can be explained in terms of polarization. This effect is almost equal in the protonated and unprotonated forms, so that it is not operative in the basicity. In water solution, all effects are attenuated and steric inhibition of solvation appears, particularly with 2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine and 2,6-diisopropylpyridine. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Using export similarity index, this paper analyzes the agricultural trade competition degree and its trends between China and ASEAN from the product and market angle. The results indicate that the similarity index of market between China and ASEAN is larger than that of product ones in agricultural trade. The difference in agricultural export product's structure makes the trade relation between China and ASEAN is not mainly competition. The cooperation in the field of agriculture between China and ASEAN is useful to promote the product difference and reduce the competition degree.


The invention relates to a transparent substrate, notably of glass, provided with a stack of thin layers comprising a plurality of functional layers, characterized in that said stack of thin layers comprising at least three functional layers based silver, in that said stack has a resistance R □


According to timespace distibution of precipitation,joining together with the climate characteristic and the geography environment,divide the whole city into four districts,and selected in each district a representative station.On the basis of analyzing the relation between autumn food yield and precipitation in key period in JinZhong,defined key dry period,and designed two meteorological factors of a period of ten days' precipitation anomaly percentage and precipitation anomaly level,in order to define the drought index.Through analysis on factors such as atmospheric circulation characteristic,500 millibar height field,the west Pacific ocean temperature field,groud meteorological key element and so on.Take advantage of the method of "the finest subset regression",form a drought index forecast equation of each distict in the whole city.


The rocket is a source of vitamins and minerals that has antioxidant action. With the objective of analyzing the effect of salicylic acid and saline stress in rocket, grown in a semi-hydroponic system. The experiment was carried out from May to November, 2015, in a greenhouse at the Federal Rural Semi-Arid University, Mossoró, RN, Brazil. It was conducted using the completely randomized design, with six treatments and three replicates. 1 Graduando(a), Universidade Federal Rural do Semiárido, Avenida Francisco Mota, 572, Bairro Costa e Silva, Mossoró, RN. Cep. 59625900. Tel. (84)9 9870-4042. Email: email@example.com 2 Doutoranda, Programa de Pós-Graduação em RecursosHídricos em Sistemas Agrícolas, Universidade Federalde Lavras, Lavras, MG 3 Mestrando em Ciência do Solo, UFC, Fortaleza, CE 4 Prof. Doutor, Departamento Ciências Ambientais e Tecnológicas, UFERSA, Mossoró, RN P. A. A. Costa et al. The plants cultivated in coconut fiber were conditioned in PVC ducts and fertirrigated with saline solution (3.5 dS m) and foliar application of salicylic acid (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 mM), Besides a control treatment (standard nutrient solution). The following variables were evaluated: height, leaf area, fresh mass and dry mass. Data analysis showed that the use of saline water in the preparation of the nutrient solution causes a reduction in all variables analyzed. In addition, it was found that salicylic acid has potential as a mitigating agent for the deleterious effect of salinity on arugula growth. KEYWORD: Eruca sativa. Saline Stress. Hydroponics


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how firms can use social media such as Facebook to recruit top job prospects. Design/methodology/approach – In the context of a fictitious event presumably sponsored by a potential employer, a sample of university students became members of a new private and secret Facebook user group dedicated to this event for a period of four days. They were exposed to event sponsorship activation messages varying systematically with respect to the mode of processing (i.e. passive or active) and their focus (i.e. the brand or the event). Findings – The results show that their expectations as regards the salary that they would require to become employees were higher in the active mode of processing. Also, their attitude toward the sponsor as an employer was more favorable when the activation messages focussed on the brand rather than on the event. In addition, further analyses showed that the effects of message focus and mode of processing on the attitudinal response...


ABSTRACT The 15th century cross-vaults of the medieval Modena Cathedral (UNESCO site) consist of intricate patches of different masonry portions bound by three types of lime mortars and at least two types of gypsum mortars. Such anomalous structure suggests multiple repair works over time after damaging earthquakes. The absolute dating of lime mortars (14C) and bricks (TL) integrated with the pollen record of mortars allowed to clarify the construction and restoration history of the vaults and to link the repairs to the earthquake chronology for the area. The results reveal that the original construction of the vaults (1404–1454) was carried out using lime mortar binding reused Roman and medieval older bricks. Lime mortar was used also for later repairs caused by earthquakes in the 16th and 17th centuries. Gypsum mortars were then used to entirely rebuild some vaults and to repair others in the 18th and 19th centuries. The study indicates that unexpected damage could be revealed by the detailed chronology of masonry binders. These data represent fundamental steps to implement earthquake risk assessments and strengthening projects of ancient buildings.


The whole method system of Marx's Theory of Capital is not only a enormous but also a complicated net,and the method of phenomenon-nature-phenomenon is a method which went through the three volumes of the Theory of Capital.In order to meet the need of understanding and mastering the mothod furtherly,the article,taking merchandise for example,divided into three parts,elabrates Marx's basic way of thinking and researching by means of applying the circle method of phenomenon-nature-phenomenon in the Theory of Capital.


In order to improve the cooling & purifying effect of exhaust, reducing the water-jetting phenomenon during working time, the waste-gas flow field simulation in water-washing tank of Explosion-Proof Diesel (EPD) was conducted through ANSYSCFX/Fluent. The results revealed the inner flow condition and outlet temperature of emissions in water-washing tank. It provided a reference for the future design and optimization of the water-washing tank of EPD.


In the medical sector, the digital image is multimedia data that contain secret information. However, designing an efficient secure cryptosystem to protect the confidential images in sharing is a challenge. In this work, we propose an improved chaos-based cryptosystem to encrypt and decrypt rapidly secret medical images. A complex chaos-based PRNG is suggested to generate a high-quality key that presents high randomness behaviour, high entropy, and high complexity. An improved architecture is proposed to encrypt the secret image that is based on permutation, substitution, and diffusion properties. In the first step, the image's pixels are randomly permuted through a matrix generated using the PRNG. Next, pixel's bits are permuted using an internal condition. After that, the pixels are substituted using two different S-boxes with an internal condition. In the final step, the image is diffused by XORing pixels with the key stream generated by the PRNG in order to acquire an encrypted image. R rounds of encryption can be performed in a loop to increase the complexity. The cryptosystem is evaluated in depth by his application on several medical images with different types, contents, and sizes. The obtained simulation results demonstrate that the system enables high-level security and performance. The information entropy of the encrypted image has achieved an average of 7.9998 which is the most important feature of randomness. The algorithm can take full advantage of parallelism and pipeline execution in hardware implementation to meet real-time requirements. The PRNG was tested by NIST 800-22 test suit, which indicates that it is suitable for secure image encryption. It provides a large key space of 2192 which resists the brute-force attack. However, the cryptosystem is appropriate for medical image securing.


Wyndham Lewis was the only writer and painter in England during the early part of the twentieth century who was consistently engaged by the continental avant-garde. His movement, vorticism, spearheaded by the 1914 magazine Blast, brought the radicalism of futurism and cubism into British painting and the theoretical concerns of continental manifestos into English writing, proclaiming both the importance of the individual and the artist's freedom from Romantic and Victorian


Unsupervised learning of visual temporal statistics drives postnatal development of position invariance in visual cortex. Unsupervised adaptation to the spatiotemporal statistics of visual experience is a key computational principle that has long been assumed to govern postnatal development of visual cortical tuning, including orientation selectivity of simple cells and position tolerance of complex cells in primary visual cortex (V1). Yet, causal empirical evidence supporting this hypothesis is scant. Here, we show that degrading the temporal continuity of visual experience during early postnatal life leads to a sizable reduction of the number of complex cells and to an impairment of their functional properties while fully sparing the development of simple cells. This causally implicates adaptation to the temporal structure of the visual input in the development of transformation tolerance but not of shape tuning, thus tightly constraining computational models of unsupervised cortical learning.


Objective: To express the usage of intelligent concepts in the architectural building construction field that are primarily concerned with reducing building energy use. Improved energy-saving methods and the use of environmentally friendly design principles are essential in this field. This type of managerial decision-making is necessary for the success of these types of projects. Methods: monitoring the performance of intelligent buildings use the cost variance (CV) and schedule variation as standard metrics to track the progress of a project based on the save energy concept. Also, this research conducted a comparative study on Building Information Modelling (BIM) and (MCDM) decision-making limitations as presented in the article. Analysis: the conventional technique, on the other hand, is unable to offer data on variance from typical performance levels. The main point based on Delphi results of construction cost variables has been observed 19 effective factors. Finding and Novelty: The RII observed that the most effective aspects of an intelligent building are the number of floors in the building, the kind of structural design, and the size of the shadow cast on the surface of the building. The Multi-Criteria Decision Maker (MCDM) observed significant differences in planned value (PV) and actual value (AC) results. In addition, as a result of the current approach, it is possible to track project costs and timelines more precisely. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-01-010 Full Text: PDF


This paper describes several system-level interconnection strategies for a coarse-grained reconfigurable fabric designed for low-energy hardware acceleration. A small, representative sub-graph for signal and image processing applications is used to predict the success of mapping larger applications onto the fabric device with these different interconnection strategies, which include 32:1, 8:1, 5:1, 4:1, 3553:1 (3:1, 5:1, 5:1, 3:1) and 355:1 (3:1, 5:1, 5:1) cardinalities. Three mapping techniques are presented and used to complete mappings onto several of these fabric instances including a mixed integer linear programming technique, a constraint programming approach, and a greedy heuristic. We present results for area (in number of required rows), power, delay, and energy as well as run times for mapping a set of signal and image processing benchmarks onto each of these interconnects. Our results indicate that the 5:1 interconnect provides the best overall results and does not require any additional hardware resources than the baseline 4:1 technique. When compared with other implementation strategies, the reconfigurable fabric energy consumption, using 5:1-based interconnect, is within 5-10X of a direct ASIC implementation, is 10X better than an Virtex II Pro FPGA and is 100X better than an Intel XScale processor.


This article investigates U.S. corporate lobbying of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in the U.S. on the exposure draft to Financial Accounting Standard No. 123 (FAS 123), Accounting for Stock‐Based Compensation. Essentially, firms lobbied the FASB in one of three ways: (a) against disclosure/recognition of any additional information beyond that already required in U.S. proxy statements, (b) for summary footnote disclosure of all employee stock‐based compensation (SBC), or (c) for either pro forma or formal income statement recognition of all employee SBC. This study finds that the higher the level of the SBC of the top five executives, the less likely firms are to favour disclosing that information. This finding supports the hypothesis that economic self‐interests motivated lobbying behaviour on FAS 123. Furthermore, the study finds that U.S. corporations lobby against disclosure of executive SBC in the annual reports even when the annual reports would disclose no additional information beyond that currently disclosed in proxy statements. This is evidence that managers perceive that the venue of disclosure (proxy versus annual report) matters. It is posited that managers lobbied against disclosure of SBC to avoid possible changes to compensation contracts which in turn could adversely affect stock prices. In sum, the results support the notion that managerial self‐interest affects lobbying behaviour on the venue as well as the format of disclosure.


A BSTRACT. Th is investigati on was ca rr ied o ut a t th e College of Agriculturc , Kin g Saud University on six pomegran ate i Punic« granatum L.) cu ltivar s , fo ur local nam el y A hmc r Bal ad y. Il amid Ahiod . Kh ob E l-Ja rnil a nd AI-Madin a . and two introduced from Spain namely Mol ar and De Ja tiva dur ing I'.liN and 1'.l'.lOseaso ns . Flower ing habits . yield and both ph ysical and ch emical prope rti es o f the fruit s we re determined.


Abstract : The work described in this report was performed to determine the practicability of using existing infrared punched card data with a computer to improve storage and retrieval. Prior to this work, Wyandotte-ASTM Punched Cards were used with sorting machines for the purpose of matching infrared spectra in qualitative analysis and for correlating chemical structure and absorption band positions. The increasing amount of data (10,000 cards per year) made it desirable to find a faster soring system. The data from 51,734 Wyandotte-ASTM infrared punched cards were transferred to a magnetic tape and a computer program was written which allows for any logical sorting operation to be performed. The program was designed for as many as thirty-six separate ''problems'' or requests. The identification of organic and inorganic compounds by rapidly locating matching infrared spectra for direct comparison has been significantly improved with the development of this computer program. The significance of this program lies in the almost immediate identification of unknown compounds that are amenable to analysis by infrared spectroscopy provided that a spectrum of the compound is indexed by the Wyandotte-ASTM punched cards. (Author)


The On-Orbit Servicing of a fleet of geostationary satellites was analysed in an ESA funded study name d Satellite Servicing Building Blocks (SSBB). The stu dy team was led by EADS Astrium; general background a results have been presented previously in the 2006 ASTRA workshop [1], and in the 2008 ASTRA workshop [2]. The focus of this paper is on the robotic aspe cts, and more specifically on the new SSBB gripper design and specific ground test results.


The diploma thesis is a research of how much do the pedagogical workers at the primary school know about the problems connected to learning of the children with ASD.
For the children with ASD the most important things are the early diagnosis and the treatment that helps to improve functioning of the children with ASD and to prevent additional problems. Besides medical institutions, parents and social environment, also a school that a child with ASD goes to, has a significant role.
More and more people believe that children with ASD should go the ordinary primary school, because they can there acquire "positive behaviour patterns" and imitate them. Besides they can improve their social and verbal deficits.
This diploma thesis tries to solve the above presented dilemmas and to answer some other questions such as: Are teachers ready for the inclusion of the children with ASD? How well do they know the characteristics of autism? Have they ever dealt with the children with ASD at work?
In the theoretical part of the diploma thesis I dealt with the general characteristics of autism, after school care education in the past and now and teaching the children with ASD in Slovenia and abroad. Then I focused on the characteristics of teaching the children with ASD and on the influence of the disorder on learning. I also exposed the approaches that are useful for effective teaching. I have described structural teaching or teaching based on TEACCH method which is one of the most acknowledged efficient methods used in schools.
The empirical part deals with the results of the research that included 66 primary teachers. The research is about the qualification of the primary teachers for how to recognise and consider the learning characteristics of children with ASD. To what extent do the primary teachers know the teaching methods associated with the children with ASD? What is the possibility for realization of the structural teaching elements?
There aren't many children with ASD included in the ordinary primary schools in Slovenia. According to the learning characteristics of the children with ASD, the use of the appropriate approaches and methods is obligatory. Still teachers know very little about these approaches and methods. They think that the reason for their insufficient knowledge, about the appropriate approaches and methods, is the lack of professional qualifications. They also noticed many difficulties concerning the organisation of the lessons in the way that would correspond to the children with ASD and the other learners.
Usually the children with ASD need to be treated individually through the whole teaching process, which, in large classes, according to the teachers' opinion cannot be done. The structural teaching approach is designed in a way, that the children with ASD develop independence, know what needs to be done and what follows next. Usage of the structural teaching can make the process of teaching the children with ASD easier for the teacher, enables current work in the classroom and by the same time encourages the child's independence, interest and strengthen his attention.


The research described in this paper is aimed at examining the possibility of using SPOT images for automatic generation of digital elevation models (DEMs). The research study discusses several aspects of the subject: accuracy of the geometrical solution with different ground-control-point configuration; accuracy of the results obtained by the automatic procedure with different algorithms and different land cover characteristics; and reliability of the results. The study is based on using existing technology for the geometric solution of the model and for DEM generation. The results of the automatic procedure are compared to the results of interactive measurements of DEMs from aerial photographs in the same areas. In general, it can be observed that the accuracy of DEM derived automatically from SPOT images is better than IO m for most cases. However, there is still a reliability problem in certain areas. The characteristics of these areas can be pointed out. Future research on this subject should concentrate on automatic quality control of DEM results. Such a quality control, although not expected to solve all the problems, will improve the reliability of the results considerably, even in difficult areas.


The review considers investigations presenting experimental data on the embryotoxic and teratogenic effects of exposure to ionizing radiation in zebrafish (Danio rerio) which is a convenient model for experimental embryology and radiation biology. The molecular mechanisms involved in response to the ionizing radiation influence as well as determining the embryonic death level, development disorders of embryos are examined. The data on acute and chronic effects of ionizing radiation on embryos of various stages of development with wide range of dose rates are presented. It was shown that the influence of γ-radiation on the death and development of zebrafish embryos is nonmonotonic and depends both on the irradiation conditions and on the stage of embryogenesis. The results of such studies are extremely important for understanding the mechanisms of radiation-induced biological effects formation in the embryogenesis of vertebrates, including humans, as well as for developing methods and approaches to assessing radiation risk for a developing organism.


The invention relates to a method for removing the bitterness of ganoderma lucidum and preparing ganoderma lucidum drinks. The method comprises the following steps of: (1) cleaning dried or fresh ganoderma lucidum fruiting bodies, and then cutting the fruiting bodies into ganoderma lucidum fragments; (2) soaking the ganoderma lucidum fragments into a debitterizing agent, then filtering the obtained mixture, and collecting the obtained filter residues to obtain debitterized ganoderma lucidum; (3) adding water into the debitterized ganoderma lucidum, boiling and then filtering the obtained mixture to obtain filter liquor, adding water into the filter liquor and centrifuging the filter liquor to obtain aqueous extract of debitterized ganoderma lucidum; (4) adding food additives into the aqueous extract of the debitterized ganoderma lucidum, and then blending to obtain blended liquid; (5) heating the blended liquid at the temperature of between 60 and 70 DEG C for 5 to 10min to carry out forced ripening processing to obtain ripened liquid; (6) packaging and performing pasteurization on the ripened liquid to obtain the finished products of the ganoderma lucidum drinks. The ganoderma lucidum drink is orange, and has a faint unique aroma of the ganoderma lucidum. According to different blending processes, three ganoderma lucidum drinks with different tastes, namely, a faintly fragrant and quietly elegant type ganoderma lucidum drink, an intensely fragrant and tasty type ganoderma lucidum drink and a sweet and sour and palatable type ganoderma lucidum drink can be prepared.


The nature of resistance in eleven NUWYT Rain Fed (RF) wheat advanced lines and in one variety of year 2004-05 were determined against Rhopalosiphum padi L. (Bird Cherry Oat Aphid). Results of Seedling Bulk Tests of wheat lines showed that three lines namely PR-87, NR-234 and NR-241 were resistant, while the one variety namely Chakwal-97 and one line V-002467 were susceptible to aphid attack whereas seven lines were moderately resistant. Most suitable wheat lines were resistant and moderately resistant lines with damage rating of 4. Another set of experiments was conducted for Antixenosis (Non-preference) Tests to find out the least preferred line in same rain fed wheat lines. In the Antixenosis test, two lines DN-44 after 24 hrs. and NRL-2017 after 48 hrs. were highly preferred in Seedling Bulk Test three lines namely PR-87, NR-234 and NR-241 were resistant, while V-00BT004 line was least preferred, after 24 hrs and 48 hrs of release of aphids in antixenosis Tests, so it was the most suitable line regarding Free Choice test against this insect pest.


Abstract:This paper argues that Aristotle's conception of epideictic speeches of blame (psogos speeches) did not reflect speaking practices in his day. It surveys the evidence available for speeches of blame, noting the paucity of such speeches, explains why they might not have been given, and recommends that we recognize this absence from classical Greek public address.


The present paper deals with interaction phenomena that may arise in the centrifugal compressor of helicopter engines when structural contacts occur between the blade-tips and the surrounding casing. Those phenomena may lead to increased levels of vibration and are currently under investigation for axial compressors of aircraft engines for which blade failures were observed. The growing understanding of these phenomena allows for more challenging numerical simulations with increased geometrical complexity such as centrifugal compressors. The simulation of blade-tip/casing contacts is carried out based on an existing strategy previouslyintroducedby the authors. An ovalized casing isconsideredand two contact configurations are investigated: (1) a single blade impacts the casing and (2) contact may occur on any blade of the cyclic assembly. Based on these two contact scenarios,an in-depth analysis is performed through both time and space Fourier transforms. Results highlight the plausibility of blade/casing interaction phenomena similar to those observed in axial compressors since interactions are detected with localized vibration levels on a single impacting blade. When contact is treated on all the blades of the centrifugal compressor, the witnessed interactions feature a higher degree of complexity and usual criteria become insufficientto predict interaction speeds as well as the location of significant peaks of vibration in the frequency domain.


Five families of exact axisymmetric solutions of the nonlinear shallow‐water equations in spherical geometry have recently been proposed as an aid to the development and testing of global numerical models. Sufficient conditions for the stability of these solutions are here derived to guide the choice of values for the family parameters. Thus it can be ensured that any significant time evolution occurring in a numerical model initialised with one of these exact solutions is of numerical origin, and does not reflect an inherent physical instability. With the caveat that only sufficient conditions for stability are examined, it appears that planetary rotation stabilises the solutions (as would be so if the flow were governed by barotropic vorticity dynamics), and that low Rossby and Froude numbers favour their stability. © Crown Copyright 2008. Reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd


Invention of the present application is to provide a standardized method for obtaining leaf extract from the swing Rare Gurutinosa (an, the Extract) and extracts (the the Extract), wherein, by this method, swing Rare · the amount of extract is about 60% of the weight of leaf Gurutinosa is produced. .BACKGROUND


Not only were more good vases produced by the further excavation of the sanctuary of Orthia in 1909, but much has also been done since the last report was written, in the matter of fitting together, restoring, and photographing those already found, so that it is now possible to proceed with a fuller publication of the Laconian style than could be made a year ago.


Now that allergy has become an established part of diagnosis, it is an integral part of the questioning phase of the adequate medical history. Allergic phenomena caused by unusual agents range from intestinal distress to epiphora. Many have been reduced to the commonplace with modern cutaneous testing and medical histories. The known locations of reactions and types of irritating substances are many and varied, and only an occasional new allergen or focus of action is discovered. The following account records an unusual but real cause of distress : Private R. D. was sent to the eye, ear, nose and throat clinic of a station hospital somewhere in Australia. The provisional diagnosis by his dispensary physician was acute recurrent bilateral conjunctivitis of undetermined cause. The patient was well built and muscular, in good health but complaining of redness and burning of both eyes. The vision was normal. The reaction was limited to


The invention discloses a wheeled liquid storage barrel for a liquid spraying device. When a liquid storage barrel of a traditional spraying device moves for work, many defects exist. The wheeled liquid storage barrel comprises a liquid storage cavity. The ratio of the width of the wheeled liquid storage barrel to the diameter of the wheeled liquid storage barrel is 1:0.5-6. A hollow shaft is assembled through joint cooperation of a left bearing and a right bearing fixed to a left bearing block and a right bearing block, and the wheeled liquid storage barrel can rotate around the hollow shaft. A partition plug is arranged in the middle of the hollow shaft. The hollow shaft is provided with an air inlet hole communicated with a barrel inner cavity. A one-way air inlet valve is assembled at the right end of the hollow shaft. The part, at the left end of the partition plug, of the hollow shaft is communicated with a liquid suction pipe through thread fastening, and the hollow shaft is arranged to be perpendicular to the liquid suction pipe. A liquid injection hole is formed in the outer edge of the wall of the wheeled liquid storage barrel. A bearing frame, a wheel and the liquid storage barrel are combined into one, liquid storage and wheel performing can be achieved, the wheeled liquid storage barrel can roll and run on the ground through a traction frame and traction power, and the wheeled liquid storage barrel is suitable for all spraying devices.


Social-ecological systems in modern environmental management bridge the traditional division between ecological and social sciences. These systems comprise frameworks encompassing both human and biophysical components, and in which ecosystem services are embedded. Ecosystem services and goods are the benefits received by humans from nature. One of the lesser explored areas of these benefits are cultural services – those related to the intrinsic knowledge of well-being derived from spending time in nature.
The current study examined the cultural effects of a conservation grazing project on an urban centred salt marsh in Widnes, Cheshire. Six Longhorn cattle grazed the unmanaged salt marsh to improve the ecology of the area and increase the value for biodiversity. Ethnographic surveys using participant observation and informal interview were used to survey amount of active interest taken by visitors. Visitors were categorised by activity and comments made by visitors were transcribed for later thematic analysis to extricate ecosystem services.
In total 75 hours of survey were carried out. Of 1890 individuals observed, 317 took an active interest in the grazing project. Of the ten bird watchers, 100% took and active interest although this category comprised 0.5% of total visitors. Dog walkers and walkers comprised the categories with the second and third highest interest of 40.54 % and 39.5% respectively. Thematic analysis of comments revealed three main ecosystem goods: natural history interest, historical value, and a sense of ownership.
The research shows empirical evidence of the cultural ecosystem services and goods received by humans from a practical nature conservation project on unmanaged salt marsh.


Information technology is a software and hardware used by humans in solving problems. One of its branches is the Web which is developing today. With the existence of this Information Technology helps in the introduction and existence of an area that has potential, especially in rural areas in Bengkayang Regency. Through this Information Technology will provide opportunities for villages to provide innovation to the village government. The village web is designed to make it easier for village administrators to manage existing human and natural resources, so that the existing village potential will be published and known by the wider community. Using the village Web to create a village profile and promote the potential of village tourism objects is an opportunity to improve the performance of the village government. This study aims to educate the village government on the use of village websites and to find out how to build and implement the use of the village web as an information medium. This village website was designed using the PHP programming language and phpMyAdmin for database storage. By utilizing this developed village web, it can provide village innovation and improve the performance of the village government to be able to implement the potential that exists in the village


Objective To investigate the value of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty(PTA) in treatment of arteriosclerosis obliterans in infrapopliteal arterial.MethodsBetween Oct.2006 and Feb.2009 in our hospital,the clinical and follow-up data of 32 cases(42 limbs) with arteriosclerosis obliterans in infrapopliteal arterial treated by PTA were studied retrospectively.Results39 limbs were angiographic success(defined as the residual stenosis of the treated segment was less than 30%),clinical success rate was 92.9%(39/42).Doppler ankle-brachial index(ABI) increased from 0.44+0.12 to 0.82+0.20(P0.05) at one week after treatment.The 6-month and 12-month patency rates was 85.7%(36/42)and 71.4%(30/42),12-month limb salvage rate and survival rate was 92.9%(39/42)and 93.8%(30/32)respectively.ConclusionPTA is a safe and effective method for arteriosclerosis obliterans in infrapopliteal arterial,yielding high clinical success with a low complication rate and a high limb salvage rate.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of MRI-HSG with semiquantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced perfusion, against the virtual multi slice computed tomography hysterosalpingogram (VHSG) as a reference standard.

METHODS AND MATERIALS
In this prospective study, 26 women (age >18 years) searching for infertility causes and with VHSG physician request. Thereafter, the assessment performance of both techniques was determined by two reader analyses. k statistics were used for the assessment of tubal patency. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to compare the capability for tubal patency assessment between both exams on a per-patient and per-tube basis. The McNemar test was used to compare the diagnostic accuracy measures.

RESULTS
Tubal patency, uterine morphological, ovarian, and extra uterine abnormalities were evaluated through both exams in all 26 women. There was no significant difference between diagnostic performance measurements between the methods. The ROC curve of VHSG was 0.852 for both per-patient and per-tube analyses, and one and 0.938 for MRI-HSG. Sensitivity and specificity for per-patient and per-tube for VHSG were 95.2 and 97.7, 80 and 87.5%, and for MRI-HSG 100% for both analyses and 100 and 87.5%, respectively.

CONCLUSION
This study demonstrates the feasibility of diagnosing tubal patency through MRI, using a semiquantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced perfusion sequence, and the satisfactory diagnosing of the uterine morphology, ovarian abnormalities, and ovarian and deep endometriosis.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE
Multiparametric MRI with a perfusion real-time sequence as a hysterosalpingography method can be used in the evaluation not only for uterine and ovarian abnormilities but also tubal patency.