Objective To observe the curative effect and security on Mifepristone curing ectopic pregnancy. Methods Chose 44 ectopic pregnancy patients and had a single intramuscular injection with 50mg/m , MTX and 50mg Po Bid. Mifepristone separately for 5 days. The total was 500mg. After injection, observed closely the pulse, blood pressure, abdominal pain and vaginal hemorrhage of the patients, determined β - HCG level of the blood on term and made B - ultrasonic examination. Results The cure rate of MTX was 75 .86 % and Mifepristone, 73.33%. β - HCG declined a bit slowly while using Mifepristone. Conclusions The treatment of ectopic pregnancy with Mifepristone has the same curative effect as MTX. While Mifepristone is more convenient, safer, more efficacious and has less side effects than MTX,the dosage and time of it still need probe.


Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg, Vol. 34, No. 5, 2018 e179 A 94-year-old woman with advanced dementia presented to the emergency department with a progressive growth on the left eye resulting in a several month history of constant rubbing. On examination, the cornea was not visible (Fig. A). CT demonstrated an intact globe with homogenous tissue anterior to the cornea of the left eye (Fig. B). Histopathology demonstrated a bland undulating, moderately inflamed squamous lesion consistent with a squamous papilloma (Fig. C). Flow cytometry showed no suggestion of lymphoma. The lesion was debulked.


The housing crisis is a debt-deflation Minsky's type crisis. The new economy bubble was replaced by the housing bubble. However, it is a deflationary crisis with specificities. It seems to point to the limits of a securities-backed financial regime, which forces a review of the regulation of financial markets and a return to more conservative credit practices. That crisis is global both in terms of its causes and its repercussions. It is far from over. Although the injection of liquidity by central banks has restored a relative stability in financial markets and a greater drop in stock markets, both remain unstable. The repercussions of the crisis will also be global, since decoupling does not exist. The United States continues to be the world economy's buyer of last resort. While some countries, like the BRIC countries will continue to grow, although more slowly, others will sooner or later experience recessions.This paper was presented May 22, 2008, at the 18th International Conference of the International Trade and Finance Association, meeting at Universidad Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.


Materials for Pressure-Induced Solid-State Cooling I recent years, organic−inorganic hybrid perovskites have attracted increased interest among scientist working in diverse areas, such as solid-state chemistry, condensed matter physics, and materials science. This family of materials exhibits a wide chemical diversity based on the general formula ABX3, and the perovskite structure, where the A-site can be midsized protonated amines (CH3NH3 , (CH3)2NH2 , (CH3)4N , etc.), the B-site can be different divalent transition metal cations, and the X-site can be different halides or bidentate-bridge ligands (HCOO−, N3 −, N(CN)2 −, etc.) (see Figure 1).


We demonstrate broadband mode-selective wavelength conversion based on cross-phase modulation in a silicon multimode waveguide. We obtain error-free operation for 10 Gb/s RZ-OOK signals with a power penalty of <; 1.5 dB over a conversion range of ±10 nm.


Donbas is an industrial region; its diversified cities unite similar problems that have been considerably intensified. Military operations on territory of Donbas assisted the appearance of the new state – Donetsk Republic (DPR) of People's, that result in native socio-economic and political transformations which rendered substantial influence on the processes of organization of vital functions of region.  Building of the new state system, as the strategic purpose of DPR, demanded mobilization all kinds and forms of state-economic policy. For the achievement of this policy the is key trends are the preparation of highly skilled specialists providing not only administrative activity of the again formed organs of the system of state administration but also able to adapt oneself to the new terms. As the folded practice of education in a country shows, the forms and methods of educational activity, that used now, does not allow, to a full degree, to provide the decision of the tasks due to objective and subjective reasons. At the same time, presently, in Donetsk Republic of People's, the process of search of ways of perfection of education began. So, an Act "About education", that pawned legal framework of creation of its integral system, was passed in 2015. So, the basic principles of public policy and legal adjusting of relations are certain in the field of education, the new standards of education are developed. But as practice  shows, in the folded system of education, an effective educational policy is not yet mine-out and management mechanisms are not produced by education, called to provide preparation of specialists, both for a socio-economic sphere and for the system of public authorities. A purpose was put in this connection, using innovative forms and methods of development of educational complex to conduct the search of approach that in the present conditions of development of the state system of DPR would allow to conduct perfection of state administration educational industry as by the system and state mechanisms of its management. Transformation processes, development of market relations, and also demand on upgrading of educational, educator, educational (didactic) services give the foundation to using of bases of management and marketing in industry of education and induce to go out for scopes only pedagogical researches of these problems and to consider them from position of management and marketing. Using approach of the systems and method "Tree of aims" the chart of modernization of educational complex of country is offered, on the basis of that the system of educational management, including an administratively-methodical management, pedagogical management, didactic management lies. This system, is based on methodologies of educologion, strategic and project management, using of the newest  technologies of management and allows effectively to use the resources of educational organizations. Such approach for determination of role and place of educational management in the system of state administration education, in our view, creates solid grounds for perfection of trade of all teachers, including those that do not have base pedagogical education, for  the increase of competence of all educational managers which are civil servants.


It is a requirement by law for every surgical patient to have informed consent. The literature suggests that consenting of elective patients, which is usually performed by senior staff, is of a higher standard than that for emergency cases (1). However the consenting of trauma patients is often left to junior doctors who may have no previous orthopaedic experience. It has also been noted in the literature that a significant proportion of medical negligence claims are as a result of poorly informed consent (2). The aim of this study was to determine the quality of informed consent in trauma patients in a busy district general hospital.


An observed discrepancy in the acceleration contribution from the out-of-plane (OOP) maneuver calibration of the Metop-B satellite has instigated a detail study that involves the reconstruction of the attitude model and thrust segments for precise maneuver calibration. The reconstruction and refinement of the models are based on telemetry values extracted from the Flight Dynamics system. A typical OOP maneuver for Metop satellites comprises a slew, a main thrust, and an anti-slew maneuver. Since the beginning of the Metop-A mission, the OOP maneuvers have been calibrated without accurate attitude knowledge in the POD. The main OOP thrust estimate obtained is sufficient for operations planning and the expected acceleration contribution from the slew and anti-slew maneuvers agrees closely to the theoretical values. In the case for Metop-B, an unexpected anomaly in the along-track acceleration contribution was observed in the two most recent OOP maneuvers. In view of that, a detailed attitude and thrust models during the OOP maneuver is reconstructed based on information retrieved from the spacecraft telemetry. The refined attitude model is used in the POD to help improve the calibration of each segment of the maneuver to better understand the cause of the discrepancy.


PURPOSE: An unattended terminal providing Internet service and a method for providing Internet service thereof are provided to use Internet service without the limitation of places, print documents without an additional printer, and easily use Internet service according to announcement messages. CONSTITUTION: A user receives data input wire and wireless from a personal mobile terminal through an interface part(S10). A control part edits and processed the input data(S11). The user requests to transfer the edited or processed digital data to the other part(S20). The control part outputs an announcement message to input service use money(S21). The user inputs a credit card to a card reader or inputs cash to a money input/output part directly(S30). The control part transmits the edited or processed digital data to the affected Internet providing server through a communication network(S31). The user requests to output the edited or processed digital data(S40-S50). The control part controls a small printer for printing the edited or processed digital data in a document form(S51).


Objective Describe the landscape of tobacco-related topics, funders and institutional networks in Africa. Data sources We searched PubMed, Embase and African Index Medicus for published articles from January 1996 to August 2018 in any language. Study selection Two researchers independently reviewed titles and abstracts for a focus on nicotine or tobacco product(s) and describe data or recommendations specific to Africa. Ultimately, 818 articles were identified. Data extraction Three independent coders conducted qualitative analyses of articles and extracted funders, study populations, countries of research focus, research topics, tobacco products, study design and data source. A bibliometric analysis estimated coauthorship networks between the countries of authors' primary institutional affiliation. Data synthesis All 54 African countries were represented in two or more articles. The coauthorship network included 2714 unique authors representing 90 countries. Most articles employed a cross-sectional study design with primary data collection, focused on cigarettes and studied use behaviour. Few articles examined tobacco farming or interventions for cessation or prevention. The most frequently cited funder was the US National Institutes of Health (27.2%). A range of coauthorship patterns existed between African institutions with some coauthoring with one institution while others coauthored with 761 institutions in other African countries. Conclusions The literature review identified the need for implementation research for tobacco control interventions and policies, economic and development impacts of tobacco use research, and tobacco industry and tobacco production and farming research. Numbers of research collaborations between institutions in Africa vary, suggesting the need for regional institutional capacity building.


Family women play significant and crucial role in  agricultural development and allied fields. Several factor both economic and non economic factors are responsible for women participation. However, it is most unfortune that role of women in agriculture has not highlighted..Therefore the effort were made to analyse the work performed by women in agriculture. This study was under taken in Valikamam area of Jaffna district. A total of 185 household were selected through proportionate random sampling. The selected respondents were interview personally using pre tested well structured questionnaire. The data were analysed using appropriate statistical tool -probit model. The finding showed that the women contribution to the agricultural production is highly in family-women. The family-women age, income level and tenure rights had inverse relationship with participation in agriculture while, educational level, years of experience, distance of the woman's farm from homestead, member of cooperative ,woman contribution in agriculture ,extension services and level of contribution had positive and significant relationship. Keywords :agricultural production , family-women, valikamam , probit.


To improve the shift quality of a vehicle equipped with an automated manual transmission, the dry clutch engagement process needs to be controlled precisely. This paper proposes to generate the optimal engine and clutch reference speeds based on the optimal control theory. The gear-shift duration weight is used to balance the performance of gear-shift duration and shift smoothness to ensure fast engagement (low slipping loss) with smooth shift. A simplified vehicle system model is developed for the vehicle level simulation validation; and a decoupled controller is used to study the vehicle launch process. Numerical simulation results indicated that the balanced shift performance can be achieved through using decoupled tracking control of the optimal reference speeds during the clutch engagement process.


This study aims to develop a valid, practical, and effective ethnomathematics-based student worksheet using a contextual approach to improve the mathematics learning outcomes of junior high school students. This development research applied the Dick And Carey development model consisting of ten stages of development. The trial was conducted on 16 Year 7 students from one of the Islamic junior high schools in Bireuen, Aceh, Indonesia. The instruments used in this study were the assessment sheet of student worksheets, interviews, and student questionnaires. The student worksheet was said to be valid, practical, and effective. The validation results of two mathematics education lecturers and one junior high school mathematics teacher showed that the student worksheet satisfied the 'good' criteria. Furthermore, ten students showed very positive responses, and six others expressed positive responses. The student learning outcomes test also indicated that students' scores were above the minimum criteria for mastery learning.


On September 21, 2004, the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian (nmai) opened on the National Mall in Washington dc to great fanfare and publicity. Indigenous peoples from throughout the hemisphere came together to celebrate the opening of an institution more than fifteen years in the making. According to one estimate more than eighty thousand people came to the opening ceremonies. The enthusiasm in the air, during both the opening ceremonies and the six-day First American Festival that followed, was palpable. I can honestly say that I have never seen so many Native people in one place. For more than a week we made our presence known in Washington dc. Everywhere you went—walking on the streets, in restaurants, at your hotel, at the museums, at the historical monuments throughout the city—Native people were there. It was a time to celebrate, to honor both the Indigenous past and present, to spend time with family, and to get reacquainted with old friends and make new ones. During the time of the initial celebration and since, the museum has generated a great deal of attention, and many voices have weighed in on its significance. Whereas the building, its landscaping, and its restaurant have overwhelmingly been viewed as a great success, less uniform have been the views of what is inside the museum walls. The inaugural exhibitions received a range of responses from the media, the larger American Indian community, museum professionals, the general public, and scholars. Many of the reviews of the museum have been glowing, others ambivalent, and many have been downright scathing. These varied responses to nmai's new museological approach is recognition that


Aims: To perform an evaluation of hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) implementation and good manufacturing practices (GMP) in a multi-product soft drink company in Nigeria. Study Design: Semi experimental study combined with survey. Place and Duration of Study: Study was carried out in December 2015 in a bottling facility in south-east Nigeria. Methodology: HACCP audit and failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) were performed and scored after responses to specific questionnaires were obtained from plant staff. The GMP compliance (%) for corrective action taken on operational audit issues was determined by scoring the number of issues corrected over the total advised. Microbial quality of products was verified using membrane filtration and fill content was established with a 500 mL measuring cylinder. The Original Research Article Nwaiwu and Ibekwe; CJAST, 24(3): 1-12, 2017; Article no.CJAST.37310 2 beverage brix (%) was determined with a density meter and CO2 content (g/L) was ascertained using a CO2 tester according to manufacturer's instructions. Traceability was performed by using the date code stamped on the finished bottled products as a reference point. Results: The average percentage conformity was 90% for HACCP implementation and 74% for functioning of HACCP in practice. Application of FMEA to the audit showed that minor risks existed in HACCP implementation whereas moderate risks were found in functioning of HACCP in practice. Evaluation of GMP compliance showed that raw materials and intermediate products were traceable and a review of previous audits which covered HACCP pre-requisite programs showed 90-100% compliance with corrective action required. Checks on microbial quality, brix, fill content and carbonation showed results that were within prescribed limits which indicated that safe products were manufactured. Conclusion: The seven principles and 12 implementation steps of the HACCP system were firmly established and GMP was effective. However, the maintenance of the HACCP structure during operations requires improvement.


Bi-directional horizontal loads were applied to lead rubber bearings (LRBs) to investigate the varying characteristics and torsional deformation of LRBs with different cross sections. Three types of specimens were used that had identical design characteristic values and a varying cross section: single-lead-plug circular and square LRBs, and a quadruple-lead-plug square LRB. As a result of the testing, it was found that the single-lead-plug circular and square LRBs exhibited identical characteristics and torsional deformation under bi-directional loading. It was, however, revealed that the quadruple-lead-plug square LRB suffered smaller torsional deformation than the other specimens. Its characteristic value was slightly different from that of the other specimens.


Although 18F-FDG is now a days the universal tracer in PET for oncology, it is a marker of metabolic activity that is not specific enough to give positive results in a variety of benign physiological and pathological conditions. Not all cancer pathologies are detected by PET, which should be taken into account at the time of interpretation. In the case presented below, with the use of intravenous furosemide, it was possible to reduce the artifacts caused by the physiological excretion of FDG-F18 by the renal system, which allowed to identify one of the lesions that was close to the left ureter And that it was not informed in the previous CT study, for which the PET-CT was prescribed for confirmation of the diagnosis and planning of the SBRT. Background A 49-year-old Female patient, 62 kg in weight, 1.60 m in height, an independent lawyer, divorced, a son. Diagnosed histologically with epidermoid carcinoma and clinically with cervical uterine cancer (CaCu) with stage and clinical stage IB. She was submitted to a hysterectomy in 2015. She received radiotherapy for curative purposes (45 Gy to the pelvic area) from March to April 2016. In January 2017, the patient referred pain at the lower back and left leg for which an abdominal-pelvic CT, Showing a mass of 4.8 cm attached to the stump surrounding the left ureter and a para-aortic ganglion whose biopsy was positive for carcinoma. Indication Sincé the patient was already irradiated in the pelvic area, the radiotherapist, requested a simple study of PET-CT with 18F-FDG in order to establish a new treatment plan. The investigated nuclear doctor, after evaluating the case, requested injection of furosemide posterior to the whole body scanner for the accomplishment of a second pelvic scanner 30 minutes after the injection, for a better evaluation and identificación of recurrence of the illness [1]. PET-CT or Positron Emission Tomography with Computed Tomography is an imaging study of Nuclear Medicine, which is a sub specialty in the field of Radiology, in which very small amounts of radioactive material are used to diagnose And determine the severity, or to treat, a variety of diseases (various cancers, heart, gastrointestinal, endocrine, neurological disorders, and other abnormalities within the body) [2]. The CT part gives us the anatomical information, while the PET part gives us the metabolic information. The fusion of both images allows us to obtain the diagnoses by PET-CT images. Pharmacological Background Oral Route Clexane, IVEnanthyum and Vitamin C 3.1.1 Pet-Ct Study Patient Preparation: It is necessary to prepare the body to optimize the uptake of the radiopharmaceutical [3]. 3.1.2 Before the study: The day before the study the patient took a low carbohydrate diet (she did not consume sweets, potatoes, flour, rice, yucca, bread, gum, cough syrups, vitamins, sugary drinks and coffee). He was told he could eat protein in the form of beef, fish, chicken, legumes are also allowed. He did not make any physical effort or exercise 24 hours before the study. The day of study had 12 hours of fasting (minimum 6 hours of fasting is required for the same, except in children under 6 years, fasting in that case will be 3 hours). Drank only water (not flavored) on the day of the test, as directed. He took his usual medications 12 hours before the study (clexane and enantyum). The day of the study the patient was told to dress in comfortable clothes without metal accessories, but a disposable


GR GREENBERG, Corticosteroid therapy for IBO: Old and new. Can J Gastroenterol 1993;7(2):127-131. Corticosteroids remain the most effecttve treatment for the management of patients with acute inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The superior efficacy of corticostcroiJs has been demonstrated when administered topically for distal ulcerative colitis or systemically for pancolitas, and for active Cmhn's disease of the small bowel alone or when combined with colonic disease. Notwithstanding the symptomatic benefit of prednisone in acti\'e Crohn's disease, however, only a minority of patients achieve endo~copic remission. Corticosteroids have a broad range of anti-inflammatory effects, including reductions of interleukin-I production by macrophages and interleukin-II synthesis by lymphocytes, inhibition of platelet-activating factor and decreased margmat1on of neutrophils. At pharmacological doses, corticosteroids also induce the synthesis oflipomodulin which, m tum, blocks phospholipase A2 and so ltm1ts availability of arachidonate for the production of leukotrienes and prostaglandins. Because corticosteroid treatment is associated with s1gmficant side effects, new agents have been sought to achieve equivalent efficacy but with a lower adverse event profile. This approach is predicated on structural changes to the basic hydrocortisone molecule to achieve potent topical anti-inflammatory effects, sufficient water and lipid solubility that allows dissolution within the inte~tinal lumen and rapid high-first pass metabolism by the liver to products with little or no biologic activity. Three steroid preparations JevelopeJ for rectal administration include ttxocortal pivalate, bcclomethasone and buJesonide. C.mcrolled trials undertaken in patients with active distal ulcerative colitis indicate each of these products has equivalent or superior efficacy when compared with hydrocortisone and without reductions of serum cortisol. Two preparations, t1uticasone and budesomde, have been developed for oral administration and preliminary studies suggest l.'fficacy for both drugs in patients with active ileal Crohn's disease. The first pass corticosteroids are potentially promising new therapeutic agents for the management of IBO.


The recently revised American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) sixth edition staging system increased the stratification within colon cancer stages II and III. O'Connell et al. (p. 1420) used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) to compare survival rates associated with colon cancer stages defined according to both the new (sixth edition) and the old (fifth edition) system. They found that the new AJCC system stratifies survival more distinctly than the old AJCC system by providing more substages. However, they point out, under the new system, stage IIIa colon cancer is associated with statistically significantly better survival than stage IIb. In current clinical practice, stage III patients receive chemotherapy but stage II patients generally do not; this practice, they conclude, may be the reason for the differences in survival. In an editorial, Burke (p. 1408) points out that the TNM staging system does not include new molecular biomarkers or therapies other than surgery. These and other limitations reduce its clinical utility. He concludes that a new, computerbased system may become necessary for accurate outcome prediction.


Purpose. The article deals with the linguistic and cultural features of zoonym proverbs in both the English and Russian languages. Proverbs are an integral part of the linguistic and cultural foundation of a language, they represent the historical, cultural and linguistic specifics of a nation's life. The considered form of folk art is a genre of folklore, illustrating the peculiarities of people's thinking, reflecting their everyday life, which is the reason for the interest in this issue and determines the relevance of the study. The author sums the variations of proverbs definitions in English and Russian literature, analyzes their components, and identifies the frequency of zoonym proverbs use in both the English and Russian languages, examines the specific qualities of proverbs. Method or methodology of the work. In the course of the study the author uses such methods as axiological method, revealing the specificity of linguistic and cultural peculiarities as a structure, combining material and spiritual values; a systematic method for analyzing the relationship of language and culture; the method of continuous selection to obtain practical research material. Results. Based on extensive material of theoretical research and practical data, the authors of the study conclude that zoonym proverbs are a productive phenomenon in folklore in Russian and English languages. They reflect its linguistic and cultural properties and features. Having studied the linguistic and cultural features of proverbs, the author comes to the conclusion that despite the geographical distance in the English and Russian languages the semantic correspondence of many proverbs is typical. Practical implications. The results of the study can be applied in the sphere of contact linguistics, linguistic variation, intercultural communication.


Students with learning disabilities are suspended at disproportionate rates in schools. Although research has shown the ineffectiveness of suspension as a disciplinary tool, school administrators continue to use it to combat behavior infractions. This column presents a review of the literature on suspension for students with learning disabilities, its impact on their academic achievement, and sociodemographic factors that put students with learning disabilities at risk for suspension. Implications are discussed and further areas of research are suggested.


Since the mid-1980s the proportion of AIDS cases among African Americans has been steadily increasing and in 1998 more African American were reported with AIDS than any other racial/ethnic group in the US. Estimates show that in 1998 nearly half (45%) of the 48269 US AIDS cases reported were African American. Homosexuals represent the largest proportion of African-American men diagnosed with AIDS followed by injection drug users and then heterosexuals. While among women heterosexual contact accounted for the majority of cases followed by injection drug use. The factors that contribute to the disproportionate impact of the AIDS epidemic in the African-American community are unclear. While race is not itself a risk factor for HIV infection it may be a marker for socioeconomic factors. Nevertheless racial disparities remain even after taking socioeconomic status into account. Other likely contributors are high rates of sexually transmitted disease and a higher frequency of sexual risk behaviors including lower rates of condom use and higher rates of partner change than in other racial groups. Social and economic factors such as poverty underemployment and poor access to health care also increase the challenge of HIV prevention in this community. Although there have been studies to enhance the impact of prevention among African Americans strong partnerships with African-American leaders and institutions are still required.


We studied a 10-GHz 32-pixel two-dimensional photodetector array for advanced optical fiber communications and LIDAR applications. Electromagnetic field simulation revealed the RF crosstalk problem between pixels. A fabricated high-speed photodetector array will be discussed.


Detecting protein complexes from protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks allows biologists reveal the principle of cellular organization and functions. Existing computational methods try to incorporate biological evidence to enhance the quality of predicted complexes. However, it is still a challenge to integrate biological information into complexes discovery process under a unified framework. Recently, network embedding methods showed their effectiveness in graph data analysis tasks. It provides a framework for incorporating both network structure and additional node attribute information. This salient feature is particularly desirable in the context of protein complexes identification. However, none of the existing network embedding methods take node attribute proximity and high-order structure proximity into account at the same time. In this paper, we propose a novel global network embedding method, which preserves global network structure and biological information. We utilize this global representation learning method to learn vector representation for proteins. Then, we use a seed-extension clustering method to discover overlapping protein complexes with the embedding results. This novel protein complexes detection method we called GLONE. Evaluated on five real yeast PPI networks, our method outperforms the competing algorithms in terms of different evaluation metrics.


Objcetive To observe the curative effect of carvedilol in chronic heart failure patiente. Methods 102 chronic heart failure patient classified into two groups on random were Carvedilol group (n=117)or routine treatment group(n=115). Functional parameters were obtained by echocardiography. Results After two groups of patient treats 1 months, left ventricle diastole end way, left ventricle diastole end volume, left ventricle contract end volume, left ventricle shoot blood grade and treatment more around comparison do not have statistics discrepancy. The changes of functional parameters were observed only after 3 or 6 month treatment(P0.05). Conclusion Carvedilol can enhance left ventricular function in chronic heart failure patients.


Objective To compare the advantages between CT and MRI examination and to evaluate the applied value of diffusion weighted imaging(DWI) in acute cerebral trauma.Methods 54 cases with cerebral trauma were undergone CT and MRI simultaneously,the advantages and disadvantages of both examination were analysed using self-comparative method. Results In showing subarachnoid hemorrhage, ultra-acute cerebral bleeding and bone fracture,CT was better than MRI,but cerebral contusion in 5 cases,laceration of white matter in 5 cases,acute white matter swelling in 2 cases and subdural haematoma in one case were misdiagnosed by CT.DWI was much better to show laceration of white matter and acute cerebral matter swelling than CT and conventional MRI.Conclusion In diagnosing acute cerebral bleeding and bone fracture, CT is better than MRI, for other diagnoses MRI better than CT. DWI should be applied to be a common scan method in diagnose of acute cerebral trauma.


Chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora T.) is one of the most widely cultivated herbaceous perennial plant belonging to family Asteraceae and commonly known as 'Autumn Queen' or 'Queen of East'. In cut flower trade, chrysanthemum ranks second after rose at the Dutch auctions, which is a good indicator of its global trade. In India, chrysanthemum occupies a place of pride, both as commercial flower crop and as a popular exhibition flower. It is very popular as cut flower, loose flower as well as pot plant. Success in any crop production technology depends on thorough weed management practices. Weeds are of special significance when the chrysanthemum is grown in the field for commercial production. Weeds cause heavy damage to this crop by competing with main plants for water, nutrients, light and space besides acting as alternate hosts to a number of pathogens and pests. Hence, for protection of this commercially important crop, proper weed control is of utmost significance. In International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 6 Number 8 (2017) pp. 3028-3034 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com


98.5Sn0.5Ag1Cu0.05Mn (SAC0510M) exhibits a melting behavior similar to SAC105. It is two times better than SAC105 in the dynamic bending test; more than 8 times better in the modified JEDEC drop test; and more than 40-60% better in the -55°C/125°C thermal cycling test. The reduced hardness and much thinner and stable IMC layer on Ni are responsible for the superior non-fragility, while the stabilized IMC and microstructure are responsible for the thermal cycling performance. A thinner IMC layer on Ni is more important than reduced hardness in improving non-fragility. The thermal cycling performance of SAC0510M may override SAC305. A high Tg brittle board causes poor drop test results due to pad cratering.


The work is devoted the analysis and construction of model of physiology and any occurrence of a pain. In work the analysis of physiology of occurrence of a pain is carried out at organism damage (mechanical, chemical, psychological). On the basis of the available data the system analysis with ways of carrying out of an impulse on functional systems of the central nervous system is carried out. It is as a result constructed models for the further construction of systems of diagnosing and the general mathematical model of any occurrence of a pain.


Explosives concealed in trucks or large containers can be detected utilizing a system based on pulse fast neutron analysis (PFNA) or thermal neutron analysis (TNA). These systems are able to determine the spatial distribution of the various elements in interrogated volume. In the design of the above systems, the charged and neutral particles are traced from the source through their arrival time in the detectors. On-line analysis of the signals from the detectors is used to identify the materials which constitute the sample employing statistical and inverse methods. An extensive research program to develop the computational capability to model this process is underway. The results will produce an optimized and cost effective design of a TNA and PFNA system.


P. aeruginosa 1244 pilin is covalently modified with a carbohydrate moiety, which is structurally similar to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O-antigen repeating unit. Studies were conducted using transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with the monoclonal glycan-specific antibody, 11.14, to determine the location of the glycan. It was found that the glycan is evenly distributed over the entire surface of the pilin fiber and not restricted to the tip. The immunogenicity of the pilin glycan was also studied. Rabbits were immunized with pure LPS-free pili to determine if the pili produce anti-LPS antibodies. The serum obtained from the rabbits was analyzed using ELISA assay and was found to have a high titer of IgG anti-LPS antibodies. Mice were also immunized with pure reaggregated pili to determine a titer level to IgG, IgA, and IgM antibodies. A response was seen with the IgM antibodies in the serum, however the levels were similar to the sham-immunized mice. Protection studies were also conducted using the rabbit serum to determine if there was serum resistance or PMN killing. There was no serum sensitivity or PMN killing detected in the strains tested.


Book reviewed in this article:

Handbook of Reading Research, Volume III. Edited by Michael Kamil, Peter B. Mosenthal, P. David Pearson, and Rebecca Barr. 2000.


Background: Physical activity has been recommended for the prevention and even treatment of osteoporosis because it potentially can increase bone mass and strength during childhood and adolescence and reduce the risk of falling in older populations. However, few reports have systematically investigated the effect of physical activity on bone in men and women of different ages. Purpose: The goal of this study was to review the literature relating to the effect of physical activity on bone mineral density in men and women of various ages. Method: This review systematically evaluates the evidence for the effect of physical activity on bone mineral density. Cochrane and Medline databases were searched for relevant articles, and the selected articles were evaluated. Results: The review found evidence to support the effectiveness of weight bearing physical activity on bone accrual during childhood and adolescence. The effect of weight bearing physical activity was site-specific. In contrast, the role of physical activity in adulthood is primarily geared toward maintaining bone mineral density. The evidence for a protective effect of physical activity on bone is not as solid as that for younger individuals. Conclusions: The effect of weight bearing physical activity is seen in sites that are exposed to loading. There also seems to be a continuous adaptive response in bone to loading. Additional randomized, controlled studies are needed to evaluate the effect of physical activity in the elderly.


According to the regional setting of geology and mineralization,and the geological exploration information of Jiaoguan gold deposit,the paper states the strata,structure,orebody feature,ore characteristics and hydrothermal alteration in the mine.It also analyzes the deposit origin,ore-control conditions,mineralization regularity and the prospective sign.The prospecting direction is discussed as well.


Introduction Improving complementary feeding in Ethiopia requires special focus on dietary diversity. The Sustainable Undernutrition Reduction in Ethiopia (SURE) programme is a government-led multisectoral intervention that aims to integrate the work of the health and agriculture sectors to deliver a complex multicomponent intervention to improve child feeding and reduce stunting. The Federal Ministries of Health and Agriculture and Natural Resources implement the intervention. The evaluation aims to assess a range of processes, outcomes and impacts. Methods and analysis The SURE evaluation study is a theory-based, mixed methods study comprising impact and process evaluations. We hypothesise that the package of SURE interventions, including integrated health and agriculture behaviour change communication for nutrition, systems strengthening and multisectoral coordination, will result in detectable differences in minimum acceptable diet in children 6–23 months and stunting in children 24–47 months between intervention and comparison groups. Repeated cross-sectional household surveys will be conducted at baseline and endline to assess impact. The process will be assessed using observations, key informant interviews and focus group discussions to investigate the fidelity and dose of programme implementation, behavioural pathways of impact and contextual factors interacting with the intervention. Pathways of impact will also be explored through statistical analyses. Ethics and dissemination The study has received ethics approval from the scientific and ethical review committees at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The findings will be disseminated collaboratively with stakeholders at specified time points and through peer-reviewed publications and presentations.


The main object of this paper is to study some properties of certain subclass of analytic functions with negative coefficients defined by a linear operator in the open unit disc. These properties include the coefficient estimates, closure properties, distortion theorems and integral operators.


For constructing a decentralized optimal control strategy for networked multi-agent systems that can accomplish consensus in a leaderless structure, we employ the inverse optimal control approach which circumvents the task of solving a HJB equation by introducing a cooperative control Lyapunov function. The decentralized controller we obtain is more flexible than the controller u = Lx in fixed network, because it not only has the advantages to handle systems of high relative degree, but it can also improve the performance of networked multi-agent systems by adjusting a positive definite and symmetrical matrix. On the other hand, the decentralized controller is optimal with respect to a meaningful cost functional which is useful to quantify and improve the performance of networked multi-agent systems. Finally, examples are presented to illustrate both the design process and performance of cooperative controls.


Intracavity Laser Spectroscopy (ICLS) is one of the most sensitive techniques of absorption spectroscopy. ICLS has a wide field of applications: molecular spectroscopy, spectroscopy of atmospheric gases and pollutions, investigation of kinetics chemical reactions and nonlinear optical phenomena such as stimulated Raman scattering, two-photon absorption, etc. The sensitivity of ICLS is limited by nonlinear processes in laser active media. The investigations of these processes permit achieving of ICLS sensitivity up to 10 -11 cm -1 .


Let ? denote the set of two-element subsets of the projective line PG(1,q ), where q= 2e, e? 1. The character table of the association scheme X(PGL(2, q), ?) is calculated. Then by using this character table, we prove that the conjectured subscheme of de Caen and van Dam is indeed an association scheme.


This chapter examines the status of natural law in the legal system over the past century. In law schools, natural law never ceased to be a topic of study. This academic interest in natural law has had almost no effect on the working legal system, where natural law has been relied upon by only the most idiosyncratic of judges and lawyers. The history of our use of natural law has nevertheless continued to exert influence on the legal system, which still contains doctrines and practices that were once based on the law of nature.


Reading Wikipedia is the entry to more involved activities such as editing. However, the jump from reading to editing could be too big for some wikipedians who can be intimidated by exposing their content to public scrutiny. Annotating might foster not only reading but also be the prelude to editing. Different annotation tools exist for the Web (e.g., Diigo, A.nnotate). Being a Web application, Wikipedia can benefit from these tools. However, general-purpose annotation tools do not make annotation a natural gesture within Wikipedia. That is, annotation editing, rendering or retrieval in e.g. Diigo is dissociated from the edition, rendering or location of articles in Wikipedia, hindering the role of annotation as the prelude to article edition. WikiLayer is a Wikipedia-specific annotation tool. The implications include: (1) wikinotes (i.e. annotations on Wikipedia articles) might be WikiText formatted; (2) wikinote rendering is seamlessly integrated within the Wikipedia front-end; (3) wikinote editing, management and sharing is achieved without leaving Wikipedia (no separated annotation repository). WikiLayer is available for Firefox and Chrome.


Material Engineering of GexSbyTez and GaxSby Phase Change Materials for High Performance Phase Change Memory Huai-Yu Cheng, Simone Raoux, Tzu-Hsuan Hsu, Chao-I Wu, Matthew BrightSky, Hsiang-Lan Lung and Chung Lam IBM/Macronix PCRAM Joint Project Macronix Emerging Central Lab., Macronix International Co., Ltd. 16 Li-Hsin Rd., Science Park, Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, P. O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA Tel: +1-914-945-2664, email: email@example.com; firstname.lastname@example.com Phase change memory (PCM) is a promising candidate for next-generation nonvolatile memory technology due to its remarkable characteristics, such as high switching speed, long cycle life and good scalability. This technology development started out by using phase change materials which were originally developed for phase-change rewritable optical storage. Today almost all phase change memory ICs still use Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST-225) which has the best performance for materials along the GeTe-Sb2Te3 tie line (Fig. 1) originally studied for optical disk application [1]. Unfortunately, it also has several drawbacks in IC application, such as slow set speed (when doped with nitrogen or other dopants), high reset current, and poor data retention at elevated temperatures. The latter in particular so far impedes the attempts for automotive applications, and the slow set (crystallization) speed limits its potential for high-speed applications. Many efforts were made to improve the low crystallization temperature (Tx) of GST-225 (~150 C) by materials modification [2-3] but fast crystallization seemed always associated with poor thermal stability. In the first part of this paper we explore the engineering of Ge-Sb-Te ternary alloys along an isoelectronic tie line and the Ge/Sb2Te3 tie line with the hope of finding a high performance material. Previously, we investigated a special group of Sb-based Ge1SbxTe1 materials along an isoelectronic tie line in the phase diagram (blue line in Fig. 1) [4]. These isoelectronic materials exhibit fast crystallization but also suffer from an inverse correlation between speed and thermal stability. We selected the best compromise material (GST-212) on the isoelectronic tie line and further enhanced its high temperature stability by moving along a second tie line between Ge and Sb2Te3 (dash purple line in Fig. 1), expecting alloys with higher Ge concentration to have increased thermal stability. This maneuver produced a "golden composition" that gives fast speed (80 ns) and high Tx (~250 C compared to ~ 150 C for GST-225). The promising properties of this new material are demonstrated in a 128Mb chip and tested both at wafer level and as packaged dies. These devices showed 1E8 cycling endurance, with ~ 30% lower reset current and withstood 190 C testing. In the second part we report on switching properties of phase change alloys based on Ga-Sb phase-change materials. We investigated Ga-Sb materials with variable compositions and systematically explored their properties in terms of usefulness for PCRAM applications, including crystallization times (τx), crystallization temperatures (Tx), crystallinity and resistivity as a function of temperature (R vs. T). Figure 2 shows the crystallization temperatures Tx as a function of composition in the Ga-Sb-Te ternary phase diagram. The Tx of the compositions of this study, as indicated from H to G in the phase diagram, was determined by resistivity vs. temperature measurements. The stoichiometric compound (composition G) had the highest resistance at its crystalline state promising a benefit for reducing the reset current during the PCRAM cell operation. However, it had the lowest electrical contrast among the films. This study opens a new possibility for promising candidates for phase-change memory materials. The stoichiometric Ga50Sb50 material and the Ga13Sb87 material (very close to the eutectic composition) show the fastest crystallization speed among the films we studied. The former also has the highest Tx, highest resistivity, but with low resistance contrast; the latter has lower Tx and resistivity, but the resistance contrast is much higher. The trade-off needs to be made when choosing the optimum composition for a given application. The fast re-crystallization time and much better thermal stability are encouraging but attention will need to be paid to possible phase segregation for these new materials, especially for off-stoichiometric alloys.


AS A COROLLARY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOTAL JOINT ARTHROPLASTY, THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASED INTEREST IN THE PROBLEM OF WOUND SEPSIS FOLLOWING CLEAN RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY AND IN THE VARIOUS METHODS AVAILABLE TO DECREASE ITS LIKELIHOOD. REDUCING THE NUMBER OF AIR-BORNE BACTERIA IN THE OPERATING ROOM BY ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION IS ONE AVENUE OF APPROACH AND IS CURRENTLY IN USE AT THE TWO BRIGHAM HOSPITALS. A REDUCTION IN THE DEEP WOUND INFECTION RATE FROM 3.5% TO 0.89% FOLLOWING ALL TOTAL HIP AND TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENTS, WHETHER PRIMARY OF SECONDARY, AND FROM 2.6% TO 0.29% FOLLOWING PRIMARY REPLACEMENTS FOLLOWED ITS ADOPTION.


A new, computerized transitive reasoning test was constructed using 16 well-structured, theory-based tasks. The test was administered to 615 elementary school children. Within-subjects ANOVA showed that task format and presentation form influenced task difficulty level. Mokken scale analysis supported a unidimensional scale that was reliable. Evidence was collected for an invariant task ordering. The misfit of two pseudotransitivity tasks supported discriminant validity.


Alan Greenspan recently stated that the law of supply and demand has not been repealed, arguing that increased inflation is inevitable if the economy continues on its current course. Behind this reference lies a belief in a natural rate of unemployment, itself determined by supply and demand in the labor market. Side by side with this belief, many economists (including most at the Fed) also claim that optimal monetary policy should aim for zero inflation. However, the claim that this is optimal is inconsistent with the theory of a natural rate of unemployment.


The number of big events in Germany is increasing dramatically. These include not only music and sports events but also mass rallies, demonstrations and other kinds of big events which all carry numerous risks. They represent not only an obligatory part of public life but also a not negligible economic factor. In addition to fire prevention and consideration of the requirements for building safety, the organizers must also take responsibility for the provision an adequate medical service.


Background Few studies used nationwide data to assess the survival rates (SRs) and death risk for idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH; ICD-10 I27.0) in Korea. Methods IPAH data (N = 9,017; female:male = 6:4) were collected from the National Health Insurance Service in Korea, from 2006 through 2017. The data consisted of primary diagnoses related to IPAH. The Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional-hazards analyses were carried out. Results The mean age was 62.3 (± 19.4) years, 64.2 (± 18.9) years in female and 59.4 (± 19.8) years in male (P < 0.001). The one-, three-, five- and 10-year SRs for IPAH were 89.0%, 79.8%, 72.3% and 57.0%, respectively. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of IPAH was 1.81 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26–2.59) in 60–69 age group, 3.42 (95% CI, 2.40–4.87) in 70–79, and 7.73 (95% CI, 5.43–11.0) in 80s. Other risk factors were male, low-income status, diabetes, myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and malignant neoplasm. Conclusion The 10-year SR of IPAH was 57% in Korea. The HR for IPAH was significantly high in patients with older age and other risk factors.


Environmental impact of oil industries has constituted great hazard. This paper therefore evaluates the impact of gas flaring in Ogba /Egbema/Ndoni on the socio –economic well-being, environment, and health status of the inhabitants and the effort by the Industry to alleviate these effects. Mitigative   measures and more effective management options   were recommended.  The research adopted analytical and survey research design methods. The data were obtained from questionnaire, interview and personal observation. 200 copies of structured questionnaires, were administered, while 192 were retrieved. The result showed that the gas flaring of the Industry impacted negatively from environmental to health status and socio-economic well-being, through constant rise in temperature and sooth pollution which in turn affect the agricultural produce both in quality and quantity. Cough, catarrh, skin and other respiratory diseases are associated with the activities of the oil industries in the area. The degradation of the environment weakened the economic life of the people as they depend on the agricultural yield for their income. Finally, recommendation on the need for public awareness on any project and engagement on the potential benefits of the project and abatement methods of the impact   to the environment. Government to draw a line between technical and political decision as to guide office holders also Community Development Commission (CDC) staff should develop project initiative to reinforce the assessment and awareness on environmental sustenance. Health facilities to be improved and resistant species be given to farmers.


Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS) is a debilitating autoimmune disease where the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) does not function normally. A patient with LEMS has damaged voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC), which in return does not allow their NMJ to release an adequate amount of acetylcholine for muscle contraction. A novel treatment for LEMS is administering 3,4-Diaminopyridine (3,4-DAP), because the drug blocks presynaptic potassium channels and broadens presynaptic action potentials. Since presynaptic action potentials are broadened, more influx of calcium through VGCC occurs, and additional acetylcholine is released, reducing the muscle weakness associated with LEMS. To further LEMS research, we used a frog model (gastrocnemius muscle and the sciatic nerve). The frog muscle and nerve were soaked in different calcium concentrations to simulate LEMS. After we collected control data, we treated the muscle-nerve preparation with 3,4-DAP and investigated the effects 3,4-DAP has on muscle excitability and nerve excitability. We predicted that muscle twitch (force) generated by nerve stimulation would be enhanced by 3,4-DAP treatment but that direct muscle stimulation would be unaffected. We find that the research supports our original hypothesis.


We revisit the computation of the 1-loop AdS{sub 5}xS{sup 5} superstring sigma model correction to the energy of a closed circular string rotating in S{sup 5}. The string is spinning around its center of mass with two equal angular momenta J{sub 2}=J{sub 3} and its center of mass angular momentum is J{sub 1}. We revise the argument that the 1-loop correction is suppressed by (1/J) factor [J=J{sub 1}+2J{sub 2} is the total SO(6) spin] relative to the classical ({lambda}J{sub 2}/J{sup 2}) term in the energy and use numerical methods to compute the leading 1-loop coefficient. The corresponding gauge-theory result is known only in the J{sub 1}=0 limit when the string solution becomes unstable and thus the 1-loop shift of the energy formally contains an imaginary part. While the comparison with gauge-theory may not be well defined in this case, our numerical string-theory value of the 1-loop coefficient seems to disagree with the gauge-theory one. A plausible explanation should be in the different order of limits taken on the gauge-theory and the string-theory sides of the anti-de Sitter/conformal field theory duality.


We present proton–proton multiple-quantum investigations on a series of monomodal and strongly bimodal end-linked poly(dimethylsiloxane) model networks. A robust pulse sequence characterized by a well-defined double-quantum Hamiltonian along with a specific normalization approach is used to obtain double-quantum build-up curves. These curves are analyzed in terms of the spin dynamics of a local subsystem of monomer-fixed spins, where analytical fitting functions yielding residual dipole–dipole coupling constants are derived on the basis of exact solutions provided by simulations. Further employing the novel experimental strategy of double-quantum preselection of elastically active network chains, it is shown that the network response is purely heterogeneous, and that the data can be analyzed in terms of distributions of local dynamic order parameters using different models. The results yield consistent proof that local chain order in bimodal networks obeys a linear mixing law of short- and long-chain comp...


Laboratory and field experiments were conducted to determine the efficacy of some insecticides on the control of Sarta longhorned beetle, Aeolesthes sarta Solsky adults and larvae. In the laboratory, three pairs of mated and non-oviposited adults were released on the logs of field elm, Ulmus minor Mill that had been treated with chlorpyrifos, carbaryl, permethrin or imidacloprid. In the field experiments, artificially infested U. minor var. umbraculifera Rehd trees were treated by imidacloprid and oxydemeton-methyl through soil and trunk injection. In the laboratory test the best results were obtained from imidacloprid and permethrin applications, because of occurrence of high adult mortality after short period and also preventing egg laying. Despite a few eggs that were laid on the chlorpyrifos treated logs, there were no living larvae in the sprayed logs. Results of the field tests showed that the number of living larvae did not differ significantly between oxydemeton-methyl and control treatment, however, imidacloprid injection was effective in controlling this pest. Keyw ords: bark spray, Cerambycidae, Sarta longhorned beetle, injection, urban pests


The fresh air intake of the hotel kitchen that air flow is introduced from the ground is investigated by the approach of numerical simulation. The results show that the proportion of fresh air intake from the ground is 8%~13%. At this time, the distribution of temperature is uniform relatively. And the environment of common kitchen is comfortable comparatively.


Although widely read and the object of considerable scholarly study in the Soviet Union since World War II, Kuprin has received little attention in the West. Dynnik's timely monograph, however, falls far short of its avowed aim—to provide an integrated view of Kuprin, the writer and the man. Quite the contrary, it approximates an uncritical, sketchy pastiche of quotations, assertions, and paraphrases taken from diverse sources. A sparse chronological sketch of Kuprin's life up to 1914 (chap. 1) stresses the autobiographical origins of his fiction, mentions a few of his literary ties, and enumerates recurrent themes such as love, the sincerity, purity, and lack of artificiality in children and animals, and admiration for artists and circus performers. Many valid observations appear to be trite or even meaningless owing to the lack of amplification, an extreme example of which is the laconic paragraph (p. 26) : "V 'Izumrude,' naprimer, mnogo obshchego s tolstovskim 'Kholstomerom.'" An idealized description of Kuprin's direct, unassuming, and compassionate nature (chap. 2) introduces an interesting discussion of his view that art must not only be based on the observation of real life but also should "adorn life" (the origin of Kuprin's phrase is not made clear). The seven works included in the subsequent discussion of Kuprin's language and style (chap. 3) well illustrate basic points such as Kuprin's increasing interest in social significance ("Molokh"), compositional maturity ("Olesia"), and individualized dialogue ("Poedinok"), but there is no extended critical analysis of an individual work, and the discussion concludes with the unsupported assertion that Kuprin was a "notable innovator" as a short-story writer. After a further examination (chap. 4) of prominent themes— art as the manifestation of life's eternal beauty, the evils of alcohol, the mysterious and inaccessible great love—there follows an uneven, cursory description (chap. S) of Kuprin's emigration and return to the Soviet Union. The negative evaluation of Soviet critical literature (chap. 6) could have been greatly improved by the identification and discussion of Kuprin's works unacceptable to the Soviet press. The fifteen-item bibliography includes only one work not mentioned in the footnotes, but excludes many that were extensively used or praised by the author (Arsenieva, Miasnikov, Mikhailov, Paustovsky). The absence of prerevolutionary critics such as A. Bogdanov, A. Izmailov, and V. Kranikhfeld, as well as of the most complete Soviet edition of Kuprin's works (9 vols.; Moscow, 1964), is striking.


The crime of murder is planning a crime eliminates the life of another with a double a mature plan which can be caused by many factors such as economic conditions, social status, religion and others, where a criminal offence is including a criminal offence related to humanity. Accountability law against the perpetrators of the crime of murder was planned in accordance with article 340 of the book the laws of criminal law, namely in the form of  criminal dead or in jail. In applying such article is inseparable from the rule or rules that apply in the law of criminal procedure so that created a system of conviction that can fulfill the purpose conviction itself. The overthrow of the criminal perpetrators of criminal acts against the assassination plan must be with the deliberations of judges such as the elements of a criminal offence which must be met, as well as evidence of the facts in the trial, so that the resulting verdict later can be accounted for.


319 samples were collected in each functional areas of a city with GPS.By the software excel and Matlab etc.,the statistical parameters of the heavy metals element of the samples and its pollution load index were analyzed and calculated.The cluster analysis of these elements was done with these software.The mathematical model of the measured profile curve was established.The results show that the average pollution load index of the industrial area is the largest,followed by the traffic zone.The pollution load index of the mountain zone is the smallest.The heavy metal pollution load index is negatively correlated with the elevation of the samples.Cr,Ni and Cu are mainly derived from the industrial pollution sources.Cd,Pb and Zn are mainly from the industrial pollution sources and the traffic pollution sources.As and Hg come from the elemental material.


This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude and practices of asthma and its associations with demographic factors in patients in a tertiary care-setting, Sri Lanka. A sample of 118 patients with asthma were enrolled for the study. Investigator administered, 44 item validated questionnaire was used to assess the cognitive variables of participants. Ethical approval was obtained from Ethics Review committee, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna. Data analysis performed using SPSS version 20. Overall knowledge about asthma was significantly higher (p=0.009) in females (11.75±2.39). The knowledge level was associated with patient's age. Elderly patients above 51 years of age had low level knowledge (p<0.05) than patients between 31-50 years age. Patients who educated above grade 10 (12.07±2.43) had higher level of knowledge (p=0.001) about asthma compared to patients educated up to grade 5 (10.44±2.06). 64.4% of the sample had positive attitudes towards management of asthma. However, only 12.7% of the sample inhabit with good practices. Patient's knowledge about asthma and its medication are associated with demographic factors of patients predominantly education level and age.


In the Spring of 2000, the journal Nature published a page long 'brief communication' by Williams, Pepitone, Christensen, Cooke, Huberman, Breedlove, Breedlove, Jordan, and Breedlove. These researchers had interviewed 720 participants at street fairs in the San Francisco Bay Area in California and questioned them about their sexual orientation and family history. They also photocopied each participant's hands. Later, in the lab, they replicated past findings that the ratio of the length of the second finger to the fourth finger (2D:4D) on the right hand is larger among heterosexual women than among heterosexual men. (Their mean ratios were about 0.973:1 and 0.955:1 respectively). The gender difference among lesbianand gayidentified participants was considerably smaller. (Their mean ratios were about 0.963:1 and 0.955:1 respectively). Overall, the sex difference was highly significant, p < .001. Bisexual-identified people that the researchers encountered were not mentioned in this report.


Satellite broadband services are likely to be part of the infrastructure mix delivering functional and higher speed broadband to homes and businesses in the UK given the aim is to provide universal coverage. It is in the interests of industry and Government to help ensure satellite services are as cost effective as possible and meet consumers' reasonable needs on service provision and support. The decision maker is the individual consumer and their interests will be met if satellite is allowed to compete with other infrastructure technologies on a level playing field. This includes providing the consumer with information on all of the infrastructure options likely to available to them and neutrality on the provision of public sector support where this is necessary.


Herein is a synopsis of the main research and clinical findings presented at the British Association of Dermatologists meeting held during 6–9 July 2004, in Belfast, U.K. The conference highlighted the progress that has been made in understanding the increasing biological, epidemiological and therapeutic advances that have been made recently in the field of dermatology. The authors highlight the more important advances or summaries, but this is not meant as a substitute for reading the conference proceedings and related references quoted in this article.


In this article, we present an implementation of a flexible framework for non-parametric variational image registration, realized as part of ITK's finite difference solver hierarchy.In a variational registration setting, the transformation is found by minimizing an energy functional that consists of (at least) two terms: a distance measure between fixed and transformed moving image and a smoothness condition for the transformation. The specific choice of these terms depends on the particular application and requires consideration of, for example, image content and imaging modalities. Following this view, the presented framework can be seen as a generalization of the demons algorithm in which two key aspects remain exchangeable: the force term (or registration function, according to the distance measure) and the regularizer (according to the smoothness condition). Moreover, two transformation models are realized: either a dense displacement field or a stationary velocity field to restrain the transformation to the space of diffeomorphisms.In its current state, the framework includes implementations of forces based on the Sum of Squared Differences (SSD), Normalized Cross Correlation (NCC) and the demons algorithm as well as Gaussian, diffusion and elastic smoothing. However, the implementation of further components is possible and encouraged.


Infantile digital fibromatosis (IDF), also known as inclusion body fibromatosis, is a rare benign myofibrous neoplasm [1]. It was first reported by Reye in 1965 [2]. A third of cases are present at birth, and most cases develop clinical symptoms within the first year of life, occasionally in adolescents and adults [3]. IDF can occur singly or in multiple cases, usually presenting as smooth, round, hard pink papules or nodules. IDF most often occurs on a child's little finger or little toe. The third, fourth, and fifth fingers and toes are more commonly affected, while the thumb and big toe are rarely affected. This mainly occurs on the dorsal and lateral sides. Most of the skin lesions are free of itching and pain. These lesions initially progress slowly and then grow rapidly over the next few months, which may lead to functional impairment and contractures. Histopathology usually shows spindle cell hyperplasia in the dermis with interwoven bundles of hyperplastic cells. The most typical feature is perinuclear eosinophilic inclusions in the cytoplasm, but the cells show no atypia or mitosis [1, 4]. The cause of IDF is unknown, and trauma may be the predisposing factor [3]. The differential diagnoses includes keloids, juvenile aponeurotic fibroma, pachydermodactyly, terminal osseous dysplasia with pigmentary defects, and fibrous hamartoma of infancy [5, 8]. The treatment of IDF includes surgery and intralesional injection of drugs (5-fluorouracil or triamcinolone), all of which carry a risk of recurrence [68]. These lesions have a tendency to regress spontaneously. Conservative management is often recommended to avoid morbidity and disability secondary to extensive surgery, in addition to severe functional impairment, especially when these patients are treated by non-dermatologists.


We may be drowning in paper. And recycling the flood may save a lot of trees. But first let's selectively cull out for preservation the documents on which future analyses can be based. So pleads the author in this paper she presented to the Association of the Professors of Mission at Dubuque, Iowa, last June. Our neglect of both yesterday's and today's documentation arises in large part from practical/financial factors. But in the end, solutions depend on how much we care — not only about our own history, but also the research which emerging scholars of the younger churches are already undertaking.


Patents relate to ideas that become protectable inventions. In contrast, copyrights provide protection for the expression of ideas but do not protect the idea itself. While ideas are at the heart of both, patents address inventive works while copyrights address expressive works. But getting to this current state with copyright law required adaptation to new technologies and societal circumstances. This paper explores this evolution and the means by which economic value for copyrights and other types of intangible assets can be assessed.


Spanish is one of the pro-drop languages that does not need to express the subject phonetically because it has a rich morphological system of person and number marking on finite verbs. Researchers explain the appearance of subject pronouns as a marker of switch reference (Cameron 1992), contrastive intention between the subject and others (Enriquez 1984) or functional compensation for deleted word final inflectional marker /s/ (Hocheberg:1985). As Enriquez (1984) demonstrates it is also true that verbs of certain types of meaning occur with a subject pronoun at a higher rate than others. Based on Jackendoff's Conceptual Semantics, this work illustrates that inclusion of an Agent and a mental or perceptual act are some of the (semantic) factors that elicit the appearance of subject pronouns.


The utility model discloses a highly energy-efficient fermentation tank, which includes a tank body. The tank body is equipped with an air inlet on the sidewall. The air inlet connects to an annular liquid beater equipped with gas holes set up on the inner bottom of the tank body via a pipeline. The tank body is equipped inside with a dangling liquid circulation hood that is movable. There is a gas outlet set up on the top of the tank body. The tank body is inserted with a liquid spawn feeding pipe on the top. With regard to the principle thereof, the clean air is introduced from the air inlet into the liquid beater through the pipeline, puffed out through the gas holes set up on the liquid beater and rushing to the liquid circulation hood in the form of bubbles that carry the culture liquid before it is guided by the liquid circulation hood to the interspace when the surrounding liquid rushes to the interspace. Because the culture liquid at the bottom of the tank body is snatched away by the stirred current, the culture liquid rushing to the interspace of the liquid surface is needed in time to supplement. The descending liquid current therefore takes the bubbles to fall with it and absorbs the bubbles in the end. The highly efficient beating of gas and liquid is realized with a stationary structure. The difficult problem of eliminating bubbles is also solved.


Objective:To study the condition of economic burden of stroke in the countryside and to explore the related factors.Methods:PPS was used for sampling,Human capital method and Willing-to-pay method were used in the calculation of economic burden of disease.Results:The total sample size was 6 000 with 35 persons suffered from stroke.The total economic burden of stroke was 421 398.14 Yuan.The direct economic burden of stroke was 387 315 Yuan and the indirect economic burden of stroke was 34 083.14 Yuan.The influential factors of direct economic burden were different occupation and income per capital;sex and different serious deformity were influential factors of the total economic burden and the indirect economic burden of stroke.Conclusion:Giving priority of health investment to poor rural area and alleviating economic burden will decrease incidence of stroke.


Proteins, in particular enzymes, are structurally and functionally complex entities that have important pharmaceutical applications due to their specificity and high activity.[1] However, when administered orally, they can be rapidly inactivated by the denaturing conditions encountered in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. While the stabilization of systemically administered proteins has been widely investigated, comparable efforts for proteins designed to be active in the GI tract are lacking. This is in part due to the difficulty of stabilizing a protein in an environment designed to promote its biodegradation, and, until recently, to the absence of convenient tools for monitoring enzyme activity in real time in the GI tract. Our laboratory has recently developed a non-invasive method for monitoring the activity of proline-specific endopeptidases (PEPs) in real-time in the GI tract.[2] These enzymes are of interest as a potential adjuvant therapy for celiac disease, a severe autoimmune-based illness of the small intestine for which no pharmacological treatment is currently available.[3] For their successful use, PEPs should degrade immunogenic gluten peptides in the upper part of the GI tract, before the latter can reach the sensitive areas of the intestine. Unfortunately, orally administered PEPs are rapidly denatured in the stomach with concomitant loss of activity.[2] To address this challenge, we have investigated the protection and retention of PEPs in the GI tract using functional polymers.[4] The conjugation of polymers to orally administered proteins has thus far only received minimal attention. Architecturally and functionally diverse polymers were evaluated to sterically protect enzymes from inactivation and to promote interactions with stomach mucin. A first generation dendronized polycation (PG1), methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG), and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were conjugated to PEPs and their activity and transit evaluated in vivo (Fig. 1). An exceptional enhancement of the in vivo performance of PEPs was achievable, both in the stomach and/or in the small intestine. PG1 strongly stabilised PEPs in the stomach, and preserved their activity at this location, due to mucoadhesion, for up to 3 h following administration. In contrast, mPEG and PAA did not promote mucoadhesion and their corresponding conjugates rapidly transited to the small intestine without displaying activity in the stomach. Nevertheless, the activity of mPEG-modified PEPs was partly regained in the small intestine. These findings provide new insights for the development of novel therapeutic strategies based on orally administered proteins using a simple and accessible technology. Polymer functionality was demonstrated to be a key factor influencing the properties of protein–polymer conjugates, which permitted their stabilization and/or retention at different locations in the GI tract.


To further understand engineering properties of grouted macadam composite materials (GMCM) used as a surfacing layer in pavement, the mechanical properties and durability characteristics of GMCM were evaluated, and the relevant strength mechanisms were investigated at the micro level. Results indicate that GMCM has better high-temperature stability, fatigue performance and moisture stability than that of conventional asphalt mix, while it shows an acceptable decrease in low-temperature crack resistance due to the relative brittleness of hardened cement paste. The hardened cement paste also generates a spatial network crystalline lattice in asphalt mix skeleton to form a three-dimensional integral coagulation-crystalloid structure. This facilitates the asphalt mix skeleton and hardened cement paste to bear loads in unison and increase durability of the GMCM. Further, the fibre-like hydrated products of fresh cement slurry on the bitumen film surface increase the interfacial strength between bitumen and hardened cement paste due to toughening and bridging effects, which plays an important role to enhance mechanical properties and durability of GMCM. Finally, GMCM strength is from the internal friction of asphalt mix skeleton, the network structure of hardened cement paste and the adhesion between porous asphalt mix and hardened cement paste. It is concluded that GMCM can better meet the requirements of mechanical properties and durability characteristics than the conventional asphalt mix.


Digitizing and repurposing taxonomic descriptions of living organisms is an urgent task facing biodiversity informatics researchers. Semantic annotation is the essential technology that makes taxonomic descriptions' reuse and repurpose possible. However, annotation systems performance often vary by collections. Given large content and structural variations inherent in different collections of taxonomic descriptions, this paper looks into corpus characteristic measures in an attempt to establish a performance prediction model which, when given a small set of samples, predicts a system's performance for a collection. The predication model helps deepen our understanding of strengths and weaknesses of an annotation system, but more importantly provides a valuable decision-making tool for end users. We started this research by using MARTT (Markuper for Taxonomic Treatments) system as a base. Although an universal performance predication model for all systems and all corpora may not be possible at this time, we hope more and more individual systems would offer such tools as a regular component in their delivery package.


Recently, Rivera and h s co-workers [ l ] described the results of therapeutic protocol studies for children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) during the past two and onehalf decades at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. There has been progressive improvement in the proportion of children achieving long-term disease-free survival, a result which has also been achieved at other pediatric cancer centers around the world. Equally impressive have been the advances of our understanding of the biology of childhood ALL that is a product of research conducted mostly during the past decade [2]. It is certainly fitting to review


Its very difficult to distinguish hydrocarbon bearing reservoirs from water bearing reservoirs electrically because of the similar resistivity between them.Based on the typical low-resistivity(LR) oil layer of Jiyang depression and study of micro-geological causes,the geologic characteristics of LR oil layer with various micro-geological causes were analyzed,and the interaction between micro-geological causes and macro-geologic genesis was investigated.The results show that the forming and distribution of LR oil layer are controlled by geofactors including depositional background,sedimentary facies,diagenesis,motive power of petroleum deposit and formation water.The LR oil layers caused by formation water with high salinity water are controlled by ancient salty deposition environment or faulted structure;those caused by high free water saturation are controlled by the low structure;those caused by high bound water saturation are controlled by deposition and diagenesis.Low resistivity pays resulting from the added conductivity of shales are controlled by the active blets of volcanos rich in rags and tuff,which leads to the aggregation of montmorillonite.Combination of micro-geological causes and macro-geologic genesis is more promising in recognition of LR oil layers.


The first kind of boundary value proplem for Laplace Equation in an elliptical area with a circular centre hole is similar to the problem of the flow from a point source to two parallel straight line boundaries. It is solved by the method of substitution with the similar flow. The error of the substitution method is computed and analysed. It shows that the error is generally negligible. The same kind of the problem but with a elliptical centre hole is more complex. It can be divided into two problems in an inner and an outer area respectively. The inner area is between two confocal elliptical boundaries. The inner problem is solved by a conformal transformation. The outer area is an elliptical area with a circular centre hole. The outer problem can be solved by the method above in this paper. The whole analytic solution of the problem is obtained by combining the solutions of the inner and outer areas. The flow through anisotropic oil reservoirs is typical in petroleum engineering, but has never been solved before. This problem can be transformed to the problem above. The analytic solutions of pressure distribution and production rate are presented and compared with the isotropic reservoir results. The effects of reservoir anisotropy are respectable. This is very important for computations and designs in oil reservoir engineering.


We extend the work of M.Borovoi on the nonabelian Galois cohomology of linear reductive algebraic groups over number fields to a general base scheme. As an application, we obtain new results on the arithmetic of such groups over global function fields.


The performance of five methods,which simulate colored Gaussian random processes based on sum of Rician sinusoid are analyzed.We conclude that MEDS method is the best one on performance,and MSEM method comes second,that the MED and MEA methods are following.The worst one is MCM method.Compared with the theoretical value,the conclusion is proved that the larger the number of sinusoid is,the better the approximation is.


It is pointed out that the success of quality circles at NEC America (NECAM) is attributed to the cooperative efforts of many organizations within NECAM and the unique approach for managing quality by the Software Quality Control organization. The structured methodology used in managing the quality circles is discussed. It is concluded that quality circles are now recognized by an increasing number of employees at NECAM as an acceptable vehicle for solving development-related problems or implementing process improvements.<<ETX>>


Grammar teaching is always a hot issue in the field of foreign language research.Even the theories of foreign language teaching has kept upgrading and improving,some problems still exist in grammar teaching of English major.Emotion elements play an important role in students' learning and even directly influence the result of grammar learning.Grammar teachers of English major should set up examples and make an effort to move,to attract and to motivate students by emotions in order to get good teaching results.


Although many more of Vietnam's mobile providers have recognized the importance of improving customer needs, they find it hard to satisfy their customers in a competitive market. This study attempts to investigate the critical factors which have a strong impact on the satisfaction of mobile phone users. Secondly, to analyze the reasons for it, and to find out the compelling reasons behind them. Furthermore, the study has also found the right direction for Mobile Telecom providers to move forward in the near future. An online survey was carried out using a quantitative method with the participation of 270 online subscribers who usually choose between three mobile service provider companies. The research indicated that all three variables including perceived value, service quality, and brand image, have a positive relationship with customer satisfaction. Moreover, the most important factor that has an impact on mobile service users' satisfaction is brand image.


the passionate love Macbeth had for his wife in this version, I prefer a quieter, bleaker interpretation that includes the audience in its numbed perspective. The nihilistic version of the speech also seems more in keeping with the actual words of the passage, which are brooding rather than baroque. A more pensive rendition of this moment also sets the stage for Macbeth's rallying for the final battle, for it makes rashness seem to emanate from a darker, more reckless place. Finally, this choice did not play to Thompson's strength since he is much more compelling when he speaks directly to the audience. No review of Macbeth is complete without mention of the Porter, particularly when it is as perfectly pitched as it was here. It was performed simply as written, not drawn out with added jokes and audience participation as is sometimes the case. The lights came up to take us in as John Christopher Jones addressed us, moving to each corner of the thrust so as not to leave anyone out. The inclusion of the audience made more pointed Macduff 's utterance, upon hearing of the murder of his family, that heaven looked on and did nothing, for in this moment came the awareness that we were also looking on, trapped in the seemingly inescapable march of events, and we could do nothing. John Douglas Thompson's Macbeth continues an impressive series of leading roles he has taken on since his performance of Othello at Shakespeare and Company in the summer of 2008. This performance was followed by his Othello in Arin Arbus's exceptional directorial debut at TFANA the following spring, and another performance as Othello at Shakespeare and Company that summer. A year later, in the summer of 2010, Thompson played a powerful Richard III at Shakespeare and Company. Next came his Tamburlaine-like Antony in Hartford Stage's production of Antony and Cleopatra that autumn. To each role Thompson brought his commanding stage presence, highly trained classical voice and profound understanding of Shakespeare. He has been justly lauded by Ben Brantley as "one of the most compelling actors of his generation." This production of Macbeth, though worthy, was a missed opportunity by a fine actor and an astute director. One can only hope that, as with Othello, Thompson will give it another go.


The Gutzwiller wave function is shown to be the exact solution of a supersymmetric t-J-type model. The model realizes a Fermi-liquid state in one dimension with a discontinuity in the momentum distribution. Analytic results are obtained for spin and charge susceptibilities, and the specific-heat coefficient with the help of the Luttinger-liquid theory. In the high-density limit the model exhibits a Mott-Hubbard gap and reduces to an antiferromagnetic spin chain with long-range exchange solved by Haldane and Shastry


In this issue of the Journal, Kato et al8 report on the effect of concomitant LAA closure/amputation (LAAC/A) at the time of cardiac surgery on early outcome (≤6 months) after the procedure. Their efficacy endpoint was the incidence of cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), while their safety endpoints were comorbidities associated with LAAC/A. As a primary study, they compared outcomes in patients with and without LAAC/A, and they further stratified patients according to the trial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia, present in 1–2% of the general population. Its prevalence is projected to increase approximately 2.5-fold by the year 2015.1 The risk of developing stroke is at least 5-fold higher in patients with AF than in those without AF.2 Approximately 90% of all strokes are ischemic and 15–20% of all ischemic strokes are associated with AF.3–5 The left atrial appendage (LAA) has been identified as the source of up to 90% of LA thrombi in nonvalvular AF and 57% in valvular AF.6 The striking echocardiographic sequence shown in Figure 1 of a migrating LAA thrombus that resulted in a severe stroke reminds us that this is a potentially grave comA


Even though only about 5 mol% glycosphingolipids are found in cellular membranes, glycosphingolipids are essential during development, as a lack of these lipids was embryonically lethal in mice. A mutant cell line GM95 deficient in these lipids, was derived from the pigmented mouse melanoma cells MEB4. The first observation was that pigmentation is lost in the mutant glycosphingolipid-deficient GM95 cells. This was caused by mislocalisation of tyrosinase, the rate-limiting enzyme in pigment synthesis. We were able to locate the sorting signal in the lumenal domain of melanocytic proteins. Subsequently, we found that a lumenal determinant, pH, was less acidic in the TGN and lysosomes of mutant GM95 cells compared to the wild-type MEB4 cell line. Interestingly, the pH in both organelles of GM95 was comparable to HeLa cells and mouse fibroblasts. Therefore, it is the wild-type MEB4 cell line that has an abnormally low pH in its TGN and lysosomes. A similar low pH was found in a different melanocyte cell line, melan-a. As far as we know, this is the first study reporting that melanocytes have an exceptionally low pH in the TGN and lysosomes. The pH in GM95 organelles was lowered to the level of wild-type cells after restoration of the glycosphingolipid content by transfection with the missing glucosylceramide synthase (GCS). In this thesis, we addressed the question how glycosphingolipids regulate the pH. In the cell line lacking glycosphingolipids, we found that two determinants of lumenal pH were affected: (1) We stumbled upon a novel GCS-dependent pathway for the expression of the putative anion channel Oca2. (2) In addition, the activity of the vacuolar-type H+-translocating ATPase (V-ATPase) was 2-3 fold reduced in the GM95 cells. Competition studies and labelling with photoactivatable and clickable GlcCer analogues indicate that the V-ATPase may be regulated via a direct interaction with glucosylceramide (GlcCer), the precursor of the higher glycosphingolipids. Glycosphingolipids have been implicated in functions as the impermeability barrier of the plasma membrane, cell-cell interactions and signalling. The identification of two additional functions of glycosphingolipids, regulation of gene expression and pH, assigns to the glycosphingolipids a versatile and central role in cell physiology


1Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) (EC 188.8.131.52) is a cytoplasmic, heme-containing enzyme that mediates the initial and rate-limiting step in the oxidative catabolism of the essential amino acid L-tryptophan (L-Trp) [1]. Recently, an additional IDO molecule, termed IDO2 has been identified [ 2]. The gene encoding IDO2 is adjacent to the IDO gene. The IDO2 protein has a different expression profile to IDO and while it is able to metabolize L-Trp, IDO2 has a much higher Km for this substrate. In addition both enzymes differ in their selectivity for some inhibitors. Degradation of L-Trp via IDO leads to the production of several metabolites, including N-formyl-kynurenine and Kynurenine (Kyn). The main physiological inducer of IDO is the pro-inflammatory cytokine, IFNγ, although other cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1) [3] and TNF-α [4] have also been shown to enhance IFNγ-induced IDO activity, as has the bacterial cell wall component, lipopolysaccharide [3]. IDO is hypothesized to suppress the immune response by two mechanisms. Firstly, by exhausting the local environment of L-Trp, a process referred to as immunosuppression by starvation [5]. Secondly, Trp catabolites, such as Kyn and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid also inhibit by inducing apoptosis of activated T cells [6,7] and inducing production of regulatory T cells (Tregs) [8]. In terms of its biological actions, IDO has traditionally been recognized for its immunomodulatory role in infection, pregnancy, autoimmunity and neoplasia. Infection Control The biological importance of IDO was first identified in studies examining its role in bacterial, viral and parasitic infections. Such pathogens elicit a strong IFNγ cytokine response that in turn leads to an elevation in local IDO activity. IDO expression and activity was found to increase in antigen presenting cells, such as dendritic cells and macrophages. The increased expression in these cells led to a decrease in the local environment of free Trp, aiding in the control of intracellular pathogens [9]. Further evidence demonstrating the importance of IDO in controlling infections has been the demonstration that inhibition of IDO activity is an evasion mechanism used by herpes simplex virus [10]. Thus the local metabolism and production of Kyn metabolites aids in the localization of both intra and extracellular pathogens.


For large-scale networked plant-wide systems composed by physically ( or geographically ) divided subsystems, only limited information is available for local controllers on account of region and communication restrictions. Concerning the optimal control problem of such subsystems, a neighbor-based distributed model predictive control ( NDMPC ) strategy is presented to improve the global system performance. In this scheme, the performance index of local subsystems and that of its neighbors are minimized together in the determination of the optimal control input, which makes the local control decision also beneficial to its neighboring subsystems and further contributes to improving the convergence and control performance of overall system. The stability of the closed-loop system is proved. Moreover, the parameter designing method for distributed synthesis is provided. Finally, the simulation results illustrate the main characteristics and effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.


The evaluation of traffic signal systems on an agency level can be of great importance for identifying problems, self-assessing, budgeting, creating a strategy for future steps, and so on. The most famous similar effort of this type is the National Traffic Signal Report Card, which is used as an evaluation methodology for agencies countrywide. The main difference in the proposed methodology is that it steps away from qualitative evaluation and grading and presents a new set of procedures for implementation of quantitative—and therefore more unbiased—evaluation methodology. The proposed methodology should enable self-evaluation and comparison between agencies in relation to agency management, traffic signal operations, signal timing practices, traffic monitoring, data collection, and maintenance. For two agencies, the numerical and logical values of the answers are used in the evaluation process to obtain preliminary results that are displayed with a confidence measure to explain that process. The proposed methodology shows potential, especially if the number of the available data types increases with the introduction of high-resolution data-logging controllers into regular operations. With those additional performance measures, the methodology could be used for tracking the results of operating traffic signals by government institutions or private companies.


Heat and water exchange in forest areas constitutes one of the most important hydro-meteorological systems. In this study, the energy balances above three forests were measured during winter. Two were evergreen conifer forests and the third was a leafless deciduous forest. From this study, we gained the following new insights: there were no significant differences between the magnitudes of the net all-wave radiation and sensible heat, and the ratio of sensible heat to net all-wave radiation between the three experimental forests, despite the marked differences in canopy conditions. The net short-wave radiation was larger above the evergreen forests than above the deciduous forest, because of the low albedo above the evergreen forest. The converse was true, however, for net long-wave radiation, especially in the daytime. This was due to the difference in the upward long-wave radiation, because the deciduous forest canopy was quite sparse and some of the long-wave radiation emitted from the snow surface reached the atmosphere through the canopy. There was no clear difference in the net all-wave radiation above the two types of canopy. Canopy conditions caused major differences in roughness length and zero plane displacement. In the deciduous forest, the zero plane displacement was small and the roughness length was large, while in the evergreen forest the opposite was true. In the deciduous forest, the area in contact with the atmosphere increased because of the low position of the active surface', and the roughness length was also high. Consequently, the sensible heat from the deciduous forest did not differ from that of the evergreen forests.