A study was conducted of students participating in on-line academic courses in institutions of higher education to ascertain if there was a generational influence on learning styles. The specific research question was: What, if any, relationships exist among learning styles, generational groups, and satisfaction with online learning? Inferential and descriptive statistics were used to determine there was a statistically significant differences between Baby Boomers and the Millennial Generation as well as Generation X. Baby Boomers were found to have significantly lower scores on this subscale as compared with both the Millennial Generation and Generation X. In addition, the Millennial Generation reported lower scores on overall satisfaction survey components as compared with both Generation Xers and Baby Boomers.


The article examines meanings and attitudes to female genital mutilation among migrated minorities in Sweden. It explores the importance of family, networks, work, the role of laws and regulations, and the meaning and importance of female genital mutilation. It draws conclusions on power structures around and determinants of female genital mutilation in relation to attitudes and attitudinal change. The material was collected via four focus groups with 47 migrated men and women, originally from Somalia. Theoretically, the article draws on feminist institutionalism and the framework on gender regimes, and scholarship on intersectional violence, and expands the concept of violence beyond the physical, individual and intentional.The article argues that the risk of female genital mutilation decreases considerably with migration. While some previous research has failed to consider migration as a process of attitudinal change, the article shows that attitudes do not simply migrate with migrants; they change through the processes of migration. It contributes to debates on violence from an integration-theoretical perspective, and shows how the concepts of isolation and mobility can contribute to better explanations of attitudes and practices of female genital mutilation.


Summary On May 17, 2001, an arbitral tribunal established by the minister for natural resources of the government of Canada issued its decision in Phase I of the dispute between the provinces of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador over the boundary dividing their respective offshore areas. The tribunal was required to determine in Phase I, in accordance with the principles of international law governing maritime boundary delimitation, whether the line dividing the offshore areas of the two provinces had been resolved by agreement. This note discusses the dispute settlement mechanism set up to deal with this issue and the arguments made by the parties before the tribunal, and it summarizes the decision of the tribunal.


The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) operates five parks in New York City, including the zoos at Central Park, Queens, and Prospect Park, the New York Aquarium and the Bronx Zoo. In addition, WCS manages some 400 conservation projects in 60 countries around the world. The commitment to the well-being of animals in zoos and to the conservation of critical landscapes around the globe provides a unique and robust set of competencies to provide critical health care programs that work to ensure the health of people, domestic animals, and wildlife. This was clearly demonstrated in 1999, when veterinary pathologists of the WCS were the first to connect the deaths of people, wild free-ranging birds, and zoo birds to a new disease to the Western Hemisphere. With samples from the WCS wildlife health surveillance program, the disease was confirmed to be West Nile virus. The Field Veterinary Program (FVP) of the Wildlife Health Sciences Unit of WCS is active on four continents and performs community-based wildlife population health monitoring and surveillance. This on-the-ground commitment to assessing the long-term health of wild populations provides critical information that can serve as an early warning system for the emergence of new and renewed pathogens at the rural wildlife interface as well as the regional urban marketplace. It has been WCS FVP teams that provided the observations and samples that confirmed that gorillas were dying of Ebola virus in central and west Africa. During recent years, the broad disease surveillance techniques of the FVP have provided a baseline of information on the health of mammals, YALE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 78 (2005), pp.339-349. Copyright © 2005. All rights reserved.


Background: Among the traditional dairy products, burfi is the most popular khoa based confection in Indian subcontinent. Burfi has special importance in different functions like birthday, anniversary, wedding, etc. Consumers in India are becoming more health conscious and demand for healthier food because of rise in disposable income, educational level and awareness of nutrition. In wedding ceremony, now a days, besan burfi is famous instead of laddoos because of nutrition in pulses. Therefore, black gram can be also used in burfi due to it is rich in protein and having best results against many diseases in humans.
Methods: Burfi was prepared from milk with constant level of sugar (30 per cent by weight of khoa) and different levels of black gram flour (2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 per cent by weight of khoa). Properly blending khoa and sugar with black gram flour on low flame and then cut into pieces after setting.
Result: The overall acceptability score for treatment T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 were 8.27, 8.38, 8.51, 8.03 and 7.64 respectively. Burfi sample was evaluated for storage study conducted at room (30±2oC) temperature and refrigerated (7±2oC) temperature conditions. The cost of production of burfi with black gram powder was Rs. 255.38, Rs. 252.45, Rs. 249.62, Rs. 246.90 and Rs. 244.28 per kg for treatment T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively.


The Delta method uses truncated Lagrange expansions of statistics to obtain approximations to their distributions. In this paper, we consider statistics Y=g(μ+X), where X is any random vector. We obtain domains 𝒟 such that, when μ∈𝒟, we may apply the distribution derived from the Delta method. Namely, we will consider an application on the normal case to illustrate our approach.


Objectives: The advancement of digital structure human body images are created by Medical imaging. Compression of these images is hence needed for the images to be stored and transmitted. Compression of these images needs to be attained considerably, without compromising the image quality. Methods/Statistical Analysis: The most particular element of Haar Transform lies in the way that it lends itself effectively to fundamental manual estimations. It has been turned out to be an extremely constructive mechanism for image handling. The Haar convert reconverts a unique indication into Bi sub-level signals of quasi- its extent.3 Dimensional Haar Wavelet Transform (3 Dimensional HWT) is one of the computations which can moderate the estimation work in Haar Transform (HT) and Fast 3 Dimensional Haar Transform (3 Dimensional HT). Findings: The proposed work of 3 Dimensional HAAR WAVELET TRANSFORM (HWT) through parameterization cause to enhancement of efficiency in picture pressure with regards to unique choice of the wavelet and logarithmic DWT. Correlation between different lossy and lossless segments in 1−D image channels is investigated in this paper and a technique to make use of this redundancy is suggested. Application/Improvement: Any medical image compression application can adopt this technique and further improvements can be done on 3 Dimensional HAAR picture quality enhancement along with lossy compression.


STUDY OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the clinical utility of actigraphy as compared to sleep questionnaires prior to the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) in a sleep disorders clinic population.

METHODS
Twenty-eight clinically referred participants (mean age 42.3±18.8) completed the study protocol. On day 1, participants completed questionnaires: Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS affect, vigor), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form (MFSI-sf). On days 1-8, participants wore an actigraph and completed a sleep diary to assess mean nighttime and mean daytime total sleep time (TST) and sleep efficiency (SE) or sleep percent. On day 9, participants repeated the ESS and completed an MSLT. Correlations assessed mean MSLT sleep onset latency (MSLT-SOL) vs. actigraphy, sleep diary, and questionnaires. Chi-square analyses assessed abnormal MSLT-SOL (≤8 minutes) or daytime sleepiness (ESS ≥10) and referral question (i.e. sleep-disordered breathing vs. hypersomnolence disorder).

RESULTS
Mean MSLT-SOL was correlated with nighttime TST assessed via both actigraphy and diary, but not with questionnaires. Significant correlations emerged for ESS score day 1 vs. 9, actigraphy vs. sleep diary mean nighttime TST, and PSQI vs. mean sleep diary SE. There was no significant relationship between mean MSLT-SOL and referral question.

CONCLUSIONS
Our finding that TST measured by actigraphy was associated with MSLT-SOL suggests it is useful in informing interpretation of MSLT findings; however, it does not appear to be a viable substitute for MSLT for the measurement of objective sleepiness in clinical settings.


The author (restorer) describes the restoration and conservation of the 14th-century manuscript of Jami' al-Tawanikh by Rashid al-Din. The manuscript itself being in good condition, the problems come mainly from the work of later bookbinders and repairers. Great areas of poor quality blue-tinted paper had been applied, using acidic paste. Another source of damage was the method of sewing, when the manuscript was rebound in the nineteenth century; in this way, the book had been reduced to single leaves by trimming all round. Old repairs were removed by using a Solomon's Steam Generator. New repairs were made with Japanese papers toned with Dylon Cold Water dye. Soft areas were resized with hydroxypropyl cellulose in alcohol. The pigments were examined in detail: burning blue pigment, lapis lazuli plus traces of azunite and malachite, non-burning blue-green, indigo, orpiment, bright red, vermilion, brown red. When the repair of the folios is complete, each page will be mounted in acid-free double-sided mounts so that it will be possible to exhibit many more of the miniatures at the same time.


This research reveals the effects that are presented in families, due to the labor mobility of the oil worker, mainly in its dynamics (communication, cohesion, family adaptability, roles and hierarchy) since it generates a series of problems in the inside of her. In the city of Poza Rica, the main work activity of parents is the oil industry, some of them work in the same city, but others in Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, on marine platforms, where they have to be absent for 15 days, hence this research seeks to answer: What are the effects of labor mobility on family dynamics? This work is of a qualitative type, with the phenomenological method, it arose from the interest of venturing into reflection, analysis on the subject, which allowed us to dimension the complexity of labor mobility in which various families from urban communities are involved, also because this research means a first approach to the analysis of the effects of labor mobility on the family dynamics of workers in the oil industry, because there is no regional background of research work related to this problem.


The project and its development The No-Stop City, developed by the Florentine group Archizoom between 1970 and 71, is, along with the Continuous Monument by Superstudio, the best-known and more studied and interpreted project of the Italian Radical Architecture. It should be noted that this is not a unitary project with de ined boundaries, but different crystallizations of an idea due both to the different stages of its development and the occasion that motivated them (internal research, journal publications, competitions...). Even if the grouping of these proposals constitutes a single metaproject that can be discussed under the denomination of No-Stop City, quite often its pluralistic nature has not been taken suf iciently into account.


capillary ref sample δ δ χ χ − − = ) ( ) ( (1) where G is the geometric factor of the set-up, which was determined by a calibration step prior to the experiment. Chloroform (CHCl3) was chosen as a reference solvent for our application, since its peaks lie well outside the fat spectra. The temperature dependence of the susceptibility of deuterated chloroform has been reported [7]. We used CHCl3, because of the increased signal intensity required for the detection of the reference peaks in the fat spectra. The CHCl3-filled cs-tube was transferred into the tissue sample tube. This cs-setup was placed in a 600 MHz NMR spectrometer (Bruker Ultrashield) and high resolution 1D NMR spectra were acquired. The temperature of the sample was altered using the air-blower device incorporated in the spectrometer, from T = 298 K to T = 328 K in steps of 1 K. Sufficient time was allowed between the measurements to ensure a homogeneous temperature distribution inside the NMR sample tube (>20 min). Data analysis All spectra were analyzed using MestReC [Mestrelab Research, Spain]. The acquired data were apodized with a 10-Hz exponential filter prior to the Fourier transform. A zeroth and first order manual phase correction was applied per spectrum. The peak positions δcapillary and δsphere of the reference solvent were determined by the peak picking algorithm as implemented in MestRec. The sample susceptibility was calculated per spectrum (i.e. per temperature step) using Eq. 1 and plotted against temperature. A linear fit was performed to determine dχfat/dT.


Large and less-biased samples of star-forming galaxies are essential to investigate galaxy evolution. Hα emission line is one of the most reliable tracers of star-forming galaxies because its strength is directly related to recent star formation. However, it is observationally expensive to construct large samples of Hα emitters by spectroscopic or narrowband imaging survey at high redshifts. In this work, we demonstrate a method to extract Hα fluxes of galaxies at z = 2.1–2.5 from K s broadband photometry of ZFOURGE catalog. Combined with 25–39 other filters, we estimate the emission-line fluxes by SED fitting with stellar population models that incorporate emission-line strengths. 2005 galaxies are selected as Hα emitters by our method and their fluxes show good agreement with previous measurements in the literature. On the other hand, there are more Hα luminous galaxies than previously reported. The discrepancy can be explained by extended Hα profiles of massive galaxies and a luminosity dependence of dust attenuation, which are not taken into account in the previous work. We also find that there are a large number of low-mass galaxies with a much higher specific star formation rate (sSFR) than expected from the extrapolated star formation main sequence. Such low-mass galaxies exhibit larger ratios between Hα and UV fluxes compared to more massive high sSFR galaxies. This result implies that a "starburst" mode may differ among galaxies: low-mass galaxies appear to assemble their stellar mass via short-duration bursts, while more massive galaxies tend to experience longer-duration (>10 Myr) bursts.


The routing protocols designed for wired networks can hardly be used for mobile ad-hoc networks due to unpredictable topology changes, and thus several routing protocols for mobile ad-hoc networks have been proposed. The goal of this paper is to select the most reliable route that is impervious to failures by topological changes by mobile nodes' mobility. To select a reliable route, we introduce the concept of stable zone and caution zone, and then apply it to the route discovery procedure of the existing on-demand routing protocol (i.e. AODV). The concept of the stable zone and caution zone, which are located in a mobile node's transmission range, is based on a mobile node's location and mobility information received by Global Positioning System (GPS). The proposed protocol was evaluated by simulation in various conditions and we got an improved performance.


The 10 Minute Guide to Managing Your Time offers simple, practical help for busy people who need fast results. Through goal-oriented, 10-Minute lessons, you learn all the skills you need to effectively use your time!


We have studied photoluminescence of direct‐gap and ''indirect‐gap'' GaAs‐AlAs superlattices under electric field perpendicular to the layers. In the former case, the quantum confined Stark effect is observed as expected. In the latter case, reverse effects are found, providing evidence that X‐like electron states are confined in the AlAs slabs.


report a 40-year-old right-handed woman with right posterior cerebral artery (PCA) infarctions af-fecting the right thalamus, the hippocampus, the optic radiation, and the splenium of the right side of the corpus callosum. Neuropsychological examinations did not reveal typical callosal disconnection signs except for the abnormal sensation, and hemianopia. The patient complained of abnormal sensation of her right hand, and described this abnormal sensation as feeling like a miscellaneous hand. The alien hand sign defined by Brion (1972) might apply this case; however, prior reports have attributed the alien hand sign to the medial part of the frontal lobe. Moreover, the results of her neuropsychological examinations lacked the typical callosal disconnection signs consisting of left-sided apraxia, diagonistic dyspraxia, left-sided agraphia, left-hand tactile anomia, left hemialexia, and right-sided constructional disability. Callosal disconnection syndrome which re-veals right-hand abnormal sensation only is rare. The present case indicated that damage to the posterior part of the corpus callosum can result in a loss of body images, such as "a feeling like a miscellaneous hand".


Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid(PLGA) is biodegraded mainly through hydrolysis of its ester linkages,self-catalysis,or phagocytosis by macrophage.Lactic acid and glycolic acid,the products of hydrolysis process,are then eventually catabolized into carbon dioxide and water which are eliminated via lungs and kidneys,respectively.Only trace PLGA is excreted in urine.No accumulation of PLGA is found in the body.PLGA showed excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability,so it is safe for using as materials for scaffolds of tissue engineering and drug controlled release system,and the US Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has approved its use for preparation of scaffolds for tissue engineering and carrier of drug.It has been used in the market in United States and Japan for many years,and no serious side effects have been reported.At present,the quality of domestic PLGA and the development of drug controlled release system with this material still need improving,especially amount of drug loading,release controling,and stability of the preparation.This paper describes recent advances in the studies on biodegradation and safety of PLGA,which will provide the reference for the development of PLGA controlled release system.


For a better understanding of the problems facing university sci-tech academic journals in transformation period,as many as 116 school journals were investigated in terms of publication schedule,publishing scale,level of digitalization and internationalization.The findings include that quarterly or bimonthly journals account for the majority of the school journals of Jiangsu universities with a high proportion of separate publishing.Another problem is the poor information service offered on their websites.The relatively low level of internationalization constitutes a third problem.It is proposed that efforts be made to produce top- class school journals through effective resource integration,development of digitalization and promotion of internationalization so as to advance the incorporated publication,facilitate digitalizd access and boost their international influence.


This article examines the incidence of menswear in fashion exhibitions, staged worldwide, over the past 45 years. Drawing on two related sets of data I delineate statistical and thematic tendencies relating to the exhibition of menswear and, through examination of a sample of exhibitions visited, I reflect on the inclusion of menswear in fashion exhibitions in relation to a defined typology of fashion exhibitions. Subsequently, I discuss in detail the presence and presentation of menswear in one particular fashion exhibition type – the designer monograph. The article is completed with review of Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear 1715–2015 (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 10 April-21 August 2016) which, through presentation of over 350 items of menswear spanning over 200 years, was one of the largest exhibitions of fashionable menswear of recent years.


Investigations are conducted to alter the spanwise wing load distribution and reduce the induced drag of a flexible wing by utilizing Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW) technology and aeroelastic tailoring subject to trimmed flight of a tailless HALE UAV. The work is demonstrated by Finite Element modeling and analysis of a composite slender wing for the UAV. The AAW technology for a wing of multiple control surfaces is implemented by employing conformal trailing edge, conventional hinged control surface and a combination. The effects and performances of these different trailing edge sets are evaluated and compared. Moreover, two aeroelastic tailoring optimizations are posed for passive lift distribution control for minimum active control demand based on different objective functions. The design philosophy of an adaptive wing is hence explored and discussed in this investigation.


A reflection is made about certain implications of european construction in the domain of the institutional support universities and other learning institutions should provide to european conferences that implicitly are underlying bologna Process. Some rules are deduced and some good practices are suggested, which should in fact be extended to a global space of Higher education. Key-words european construction; bologna process; international conferences; Higher education 1 le paper de base a ete envoye a la convention europeenne "re-construire notre europe", organisee par l'universite d'Ete / institut europeen de cluny (du 6 au 16.07.2006), que l'auteur a ete invite a frequenter.


Rhinoplasty is a complex surgical procedure used to correct nasal deformities. The main aim of this procedure is to improve the function and aesthetic aspect of the nose, enhancing facial harmony and the symmetry of the nose .It is considered as one of the most challenging operations in the field of Otolaryngology practice. In primary rhinoplasty, the two common techniques used are sub superficial musculoaponeurotic system (Sub- SMAS)layer dissection and Supra SMAS deep Temporalis Fascia (DTF)blanketing for prevention of dorsal nasal irregularities. The aim of this study is to compare the irregularity of the nasal dorsum after rhinoplasty between(DTF)blanketing supra SMAS layer and(SubSMAS) layer dissection and preservation in primary rhinoplasty.


The following is a review of the studies carried out in this laboratory during the past seven or eight years with the view of (a) elucidating the effect of certain exogenous tumor-producing chemical agents and (b) ascertaining the presence within the human body of chemical substances that may call forth the formation of tumors. The present review is based in the main on the results obtained by the author and his associates; data from the literature will be only occasionally mentioned.


Oropharyngeal candidiasis is the most common fungal infection among HIV-positive patients. This condition can be treated with either systemic or topical antifungal agents; treatments are usually indicated empirically on the basis of clinical data. The knowledge of in vitro antifungal susceptibility is important to determine correct therapeutic guides for the treatment of fungal infections. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the antifungal susceptibility profile of oral Candida isolates from HIV-positive patients and control individuals. Amphotericin B, fluconazole, flucytosine, nystatin and ketoconazole were tested according to the methodology of microdilution proposed by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI); results were recorded in values of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). A total of 71 Candida isolates from HIV-positive patients were examined with the following species represented: C. albicans (59), C. tropicalis (9), C. glabrata (1), C. guilliermondii (1) and C. krusei (1). A total of 15 Candida isolates were evaluated from control individuals comprised of 11 C. albicans and 4 C. tropicalis samples. Our results demonstrated that the tested antifungal agents showed good activity for most isolates from both groups; however, variability in MIC values among isolates was observed. Descriptors: HIV; Antifungal Agents; Candida. Introduction The oral cavity is inhabited by more than seven hundred microbial species; many intrinsic and extrinsic factors impact the composition, metabolic activity, and pathogenicity of these highly diversified oral microflora.1,2 Yeasts from the Candida genus are commonly found in oral human microflora and are considered to comprise the majority of fungal species present in the oral cavity. Although the growth of Candida in the oral cavity is usually controlled, under certain conditions Candida species can rapidly multiply resulting in disease and possible tissue invasion. The incidence of oropharyngeal candidosis has increased over the last several decades due to the widespread use of antibiotics, antifungal drugs and immunosuppressive drugs and some conditions, such as HIV-infection.2,3,4 Oropharyngeal candidosis is the most common fungal infection among patients infected with HIV. Oral candidosis occurs in more than 95% of AIDS patients, and it is considered an important marker of the AIDS disease and its progression. The prevalence of oral candidosis in Brito GNB, Inocêncio AC, Querido SMR, Jorge AOC, Koga-Ito CY Braz Oral Res. 2010 Jan-Feb;25(1):28-33 29 HIV-positive patients appears to be correlated to the severity of immunological disfunction.5,6 The occurrence of oral candidosis at initial stages of AIDS is common, particularly when the CD4 T cell count is low (400-700 cells/mm3).5 The widespread use of antifungal agents to prevent the occurrence of oral candidosis in HIV-infected patients has been cited as an important factor for the positive selection of non-albicans species as opportunistic pathogens; these species have different susceptibilities to the antifungal agents utilized to treat C. albicans.7 Certain non-albicans species, such as C. glabrata and C. krusei, are inherently less susceptible to fluconazole than C. albicans and have been isolated with increasing frequency in HIV-infected patients.7,8,9,10,11 The increasing resistance to antifungal treatments and expanding drug therapy options has prompted the need for clinically relevant antifungal susceptibility testing; these results could act as a guide in the selection and control of antifungal therapy. For this purpose, the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) proposed a reference method for yeast antifungal susceptibility testing using serial dilutions and obtained values of minimal inhibitory concentration.12,13,14 Fluconazole is considered to be the drug of choice for the treatment of most common HIVassociated opportunistic yeast infections.14,15 It has been the most widely used drug because of its good absorption, low toxicity and ability to be administered through both oral and intravenous routes.16 Fluconazole resistance is associated with prolonged exposure to azoles.14,17 Further, in 2002 Espinel-Ingroff18 reported an association between the in vitro resistance of Candida to fluconazole and clinical failure in the treatment of candidosis. Ketoconazole is the first drug of the azole class of agents capable of achieving therapeutic blood levels when administered orally. While ketoconazole is used to treat immunocompromised patients, its adverse side effects, including nausea and hepatotoxicity, has restricted its use.19 However, despite the toxicity, it shows several adverse drug interactions, disabling its use in association with some drugs, including antiretrovirals.16 The antifungal drug amphotericin B decreases the adherence of Candida to buccal epithelial cells and can interfere in the pathogenesis of candidosis. The use of amphotericin B in dentistry is common; it is indicated for the treatment of superficial candidosis cases and is used locally. The systemic use is generally indicated for the treatment of disseminated cases and is highly toxic to the patient, causing kidney disorders.16 The antifungal drug flucytosine has better gastrointestinal absorption compared to amphotericin B. However, flucytosine also has toxicity, negatively impacting metabolic and liver function.19 Based on this information, it can be observed that all antifungals have "pros and cons" when used in the treatment of candidosis. Thus, the evaluation of the susceptibility profile of oral Candida isolates is important in determining the proper method of treatment in candidosis. The objective of this study was to determine the antifungal susceptibility profile of oral Candida isolates from HIV-positive patients and control individuals. Materials and Methods Oral rinses and dental biofilm samples were collected from HIV-positive patients and control individuals. The isolates were identified by germ tube test, hyphae/pseudohyphae, chlamydospore formation, assimilation and fermentation of carbohydrates as previously described20 (Local Ethics Committee 012-PH/CEP). In total, 59 C. albicans, 9 C. tropicalis, 1 C. glabrata, 1 C. guilliermondii and 1 C. krusei isolates from HIV-positive patients and 11 C. albicans and 4 C. tropicalis isolates from control individuals were evaluated. The isolates were inoculated onto Sabouraud dextrose agar and were incubated for 48 h at 37°C. After this period, the colonies were suspended in sterile saline solution (0.85% NaCl) resulting in an initial concentration of 1.5 x 106 cells/ml. Subsequently, the suspension was diluted in 1:2000 in RPMI 1640 medium (Sigma, St. Louis, USA) and buffered to pH  7.0 with 0.165  M morpholinepropanesulfonic acid (Sigma, St. Louis, USA) to obtain a final concentration of 0.5 x 103 2.5 x 103 cells/ ml. In vitro antifungal susceptibility of Candida spp. oral isolates from HIV-positive patients and control individuals Braz Oral Res. 2010 Jan-Feb;25(1):28-33 30 The antifungal agents tested were: amphotericin B (Sigma Chemical Company, St. Louis, USA), fluconazole (Galena Chemical and Farmacêutica, São Paulo, Brazil), ketoconazole (Galena Chemical and Farmacêutica, São Paulo, Brazil), nystatin (Galena Chemical and Farmacêutica, São Paulo, Brazil) and flucytosine (Sigma Chemical Company, St. Louis, USA). Amphotericin B and ketoconazole were dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide (Sigma, Irvine, United Kingdom). The other antifungal agents were dissolved in sterile distilled water. The drugs were prepared at the following concentrations: 320  μg/ ml for amphotericin B, 1000 μg/ml for flucytosine, 1250 μg/ml for fluconazole, and 640 μg/ml for ketoconazole. The solutions were diluted in RPMI medium and final drug concentrations ranged from 64 to 0.03 μg/ml. Antifungal susceptibility was determined by the microdilution method in 96-well microplates as described by the CLSI.21 An aliquot of 100 μL of the final concentration of antifungal drug and 100 μL of the inoculum test sample were added to each well. The plates were incubated at 37°C and readings were performed after 48 h. The plates with amphotericin B were covered with aluminum foil to protect against light. Result readings were based on the visual scale of turbidity of control tubes represented by: 0 (completely clear), 1 (slightly cloudy), 2 (intermediate turbidity), 3 (prominent turbidity) and 4 (completely cloudy). For the members of the azole drug class and flucytosine, the MIC were defined as the lowest drug concentration that resulted in 80% growth inhibition. For amphotericin B, this value was defined as the value in which 100% growth inhibition was observed. The results are expressed as ranges of minimum and maximum MIC values and the values of MIC50 and MIC90. These values represent the drug concentration that inhibits the growth of 50% and 90% of the isolates, respectively. C. parapsilosis ATCC 22019 was used as a reference for quality control in all the experiments. The endpoints for fluconazole, flucytosine and ketoconazole considered for the classification of the isolates followed the values of the CLSI21 represented in Table 1. There were no CLSI endpoints defined for amphotericin B and nystatin. Results The number of isolates from both studied groups according to the MIC value for each tested drug is displayed in Table 2. The results obtained for Candida isolates to the drugs tested are presented in Table 3. The values are Antifungal agents Susceptible S-DD Intermediate Resistant Fluconazole ≥ 8 16 32 − ≥ 64 Flucytosine ≤ 4 − 8 16 ≥ 32 Ketoconazole ≤ 8 − > 16 S-DD: susceptible dose-dependent. Table 1 Endpoints for fluconazole, flucytosine and ketoconazole (μg/m). Table 2 Distribution of Candida spp. according to the MIC of each antifungal agent tested. Number of isolates inhibited at concentrations (μg/ml) of: 0.03 0.06 0.125 0.25 0.5 1 2 4 8 16 32 64 Am


The fate of caring labor was up for grabs in the 1970s, when Americans debated how to value feminized work—paid or unpaid, professional or service-oriented, performed in one's own home or beyond it—as women's social roles shifted. President Richard Nixon and his allies proposed reassigning caregiving functions to volunteers as a way to resist new demands on the welfare state and shrug off unmet social needs. Although many women's groups objected, their varied approaches to feminized labors also kept them from forging a united response. Recovering these volunteering wars offers up a vital perspective on the conflict between postwar movements advancing broad rights claims and the New Right's frontal assault on the "undeserving." Manipulating notions of benevolence, Nixon and his associates found new ways to puncture the social safety net—a process that political leaders from both major parties would emulate and accelerate.


Over the last few years, sponge iron-based production transportation and pollution problems for major sponge iron producing countries are triggering a critical issue. The excess of marginal pollution from production industries and their disintegration takes drives towards the change of policymaking. The sustainable development of any country signifies the reduction of biohazards, which in turn improves the health index and livelihood status of people across the world. Keeping this in mind, a cost depreciation problem for the bi-layer integrated supply chain model has been built up. We consider the functional dependencies among all considerable decision variables like production rate, consumption rate which leads to the pollution rate of different countries exclusively. In this study, we have shown how production and rail freight transport relates to pollution. To draw several graphs and numerical computations we use MATLAB software and LINGO software via solution algorithm respectively. The comparative study has been presented using general fuzzy as well as cloudy fuzzy systems. Lastly, we have justified our proposed model using sensitivity analysis along with graphical interpretation.


A succinct documentation on the 74 art works received in donation by the Musee d'art contemporain de Montreal since its creation is preceeded by the director's comments on the state of the permanent collection.


Processor cache memory management deeply impacts performances and power consumption of electronic devices. As technology empowers to integrate more functionalities into these electronic chips, their design becomes more challenging. Computer-aided design softwares developed to generate chips are significantly faster but do not optimize power consumption. It is the reason why this work is concerned with the optimization of cache memory allocation. The problem addressed is called MemExplorer, it can be formulated as follows: for a given number of memory banks and an external memory, find the allocation of data structures so as to minimize loading time. MemExplorer is similar to the k-weighted graph coloring problem if banks are not subject to capacity constraints. A close problem is to determine the minimum number of memory banks with infinite capacity so as to have no open conflict, this turns out to be the classical graph coloring problem. As both problems are NP-hard we propose a VNS metaheuristics.


Although soils on the Krakatau Islands where the ecosystems were completely destroyed by the well known catastrophic eruptions in 1883 are virtually "immature" soils derived from volcanic ashes and scorias in an early weathering stage, the following soil characteristics supporting the luxuriant forest vegetation could be pointed out: high base saturation degree, high intensity of nutrient release and intermittent supply of fresh ashes from the active Anak Krakatau volcano. All these characteristics appear to be responsible for the efficient cycling of nutrient elements in the plant-soil system. Nutritional status of soils, i.e. amounts of exchangeable bases, available P and inorganic N, was relatively enriched on Rakata Besar where the soils are derived from volcanic ashes deposited in the form of pyroclastic flows in 1883 with little overlying volcanic ashes and scorias originating from the active Anak Krakatau volcano since 1929. Correlation study of the amounts of macronutrients with the total ABH (Are...


Trans-scaphoidperilunate dislocations are rare lesions, with a guarded prognosis and complex treatment. The authors describe a clinical case of a 17-years-old man who presents with a transscaphoid perilunate dislocation after a bicycle fall. The surgical treatment adopted is described, an open reduction and internal fixation was performed using a dorsal and volar approach, as well as the clinical and radiographic outcomes after a follow-up of four years. The treatment options are pointed out, particularly a combination of a dorsal and volar approach and its potencial advantages.


The controversy over a 1998 public art project by Krzysztof Wodiczko at the Bunker Hill Monument dramatizes how the meanings of monuments are subject to constant renegotiation. Reaction to Wodiczko9s art,
 which used the monument to comment on crime in Charlestown, Massachusetts, demonstrated both changes and continuities in the understandings of monuments since the Bunker Hill Monument was first designed
 in the 1820s. Both Wodiczko and the monument9s original planners defined it as a tool capable of providing "eternal" recognition of heroism and sacrifice. Experimental projects may have great power to teach
 the public about the changing meaning of the past.


ED FROM Brent D, Emslie G, Clarke G, et al. Switching to another SSRI or to venlafaxine with or without cognitive behavioural therapy for adolescents with SSRI-resistant depression: the TORDIA randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2008;299:901– 13. Correspondence to: David Brent, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, 3811 O'Hara Street, Room 315 Bellefield Towers, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; firstname.lastname@example.com Source of funding: National Institute of Mental Health, and Advanced Center for Early-Onset Mood and Anxiety Disorders. c Additional notes are published online only at http://ebmh.bmj.com/content/vol11/ issue4 C O M M EN TA R Y T he results of the TORDIA trial make an important contribution to the current debate on the treatment of adolescent depression. This is the first study to examine SSRI-resistant adolescent depression and to compare the use of SSRIs to venlafaxine. TORDIA is a large trial, with minimal exclusion criteria, mainly recruited from clinical sources, thus representative of a significantly depressed and suicidal sample, in contrast to many earlier studies in this field. The overall results of TORDIA are encouraging, as Brent and colleagues report that about half of these difficult to treat adolescents will respond to a further intervention within 12 weeks. The principal findings were that higher rates of response were found if CBT was added to an antidepressant switch, but there was no difference in response or suicidality between venlafaxine and an SSRI, although venlafaxine was associated with more physical adverse effects. There was no evidence of a protective effect on suicidality with CBT. The implications of this study are that an alternative SSRI should be the second line drug treatment in these cases, in line with current NICE recommendations, due to the excess of adverse physical side effects with venlafaxine. Venlafaxine is currently contra-indicated in youths in the UK on the basis of lack of efficacy and suicidality. TORDIA findings do not support these conclusions but still indicate that it should not be used as a first or second line treatment. Although TORDIA found a significant difference in response for CBT, there was no effect on clinician or adolescent rated depression symptom scores, impairment or suicidality, so overall the findings were mixed with regards to the benefits of CBT. Results from other trials have also been contradictory, most likely due to the heterogenous nature of adolescent depression. 2 More research is still needed regarding the different phenotypes and predictors of treatment response, as well as health economics data to guide us on how best to individualise treatment packages for optimal response. However, TORDIA is an important step forward in the understanding of a high-risk group of adolescents. Dr Bernadka Dubicka Locum Consultant in Adolescent Psychiatry, Lancaster, and Honorary Lecturer, University of Manchester, UK Competing interests: BD has attended educational meetings sponsored by Lilly. 1. The TADS Team. The Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS): Long-term Effectiveness and Safety Outcomes. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2007;64:1132–43. 2. Goodyer I, Dubicka B, Wilkinson P, et al. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and routine specialist care with and without cognitive behaviour therapy in adolescents with major depression: randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2007; 335:142–6. Therapeutics 110 EBMH November 2008 Vol 11 No 4


This study aims to empirically show the effect of of original local government revenue on local government scope, the dependence level of local government and audit findings against  financial statements disclosure of local government. The sample selection uses the total sampling method. Original local government revenue is measured by using the natural logarithm of regional revenue, local government scope is measured by total local government assets in LKPD, dependency level of local government is measured by fund transfers divided by total revenue, audit findings are measured from the results of audits of the Indonesian Supreme Audit Institution on the internal control system of government (BPK). This findings show that the level of local government dependency has positive effect on the level of financial statements disclosure in local government. The findings with the sig value of 0,000 tt table 2.006, it can be concluded that the H3 Hypothesis Accepted, and this study can contribute empirically by 28.91%. Meanwhile, the original local government revenue on local government scope variable, size of local government and audit findings do not affect the level of financial statement disclosure. The suggestions for further research are expected to improve the number of research samples and observation year. Moreover, the other variables can be used to measure the level of disclosure , and the data analysis techniques is qualitative using interview method to obtain information about disclosure of financial statement


Balloons are typically sized 1–2 mm longer than endovascular stents, yet the effects of the degree of balloon overhang are unknown. In this study, a computational model capable of predicting balloon/stent/artery interactions and their effects on arterial stresses was developed to assess the effects of length mismatch on stent expansion characteristics and arterial stress. A 16mm long, 1mm unexpanded diameter, slotted tube stent was modeled and expanded using contact frictional elements by a symmetrically-placed, tapered 17mm and 18mm balloon within an artery model. ANSYS was used to perform the FEA. This model takes into account the multilinear elastic balloon expansion, non-linear plastic stent expansion, and the hyper-elastic arterial deformations. In this study, endflare was defined by stent diameter at proximal end with respect to stent diameter at the midpoint. Results from this study indicate that maximum arterial stress at balloon contact is approximately proportional to the degree of balloon overhang. A 100% increase in balloon overhang results in a 4% increase in maximum endflare and a 39% change in peak arterial stress. However, at the end of expansion, which is of most clinical importance, the increase in max endflare is 2% and the increase in maximum arterial stress is 93% at the balloon point of contact and 45% at the point of contact with the far proximal and distal ends of the stent.


The nature of the asymmetry that gives rise to Type I X-ray burst oscillations on accreting neutron stars remains a matter of debate. Of particular interest is whether the burst oscillation mechanism differs between the bursting millisecond pulsars and the non-pulsing systems. One means to diagnose this is to study the energy dependence of the burst oscillations: here we present an analysis of oscillations from 28 bursts observed during the 2003 outburst of the accreting millisecond pulsar XTE J1814-338. We find that the fractional amplitude of the ' burst oscillations falls with energy, in contrast to the behaviour found by Muno et al. in the burst oscillations from a set of non-pulsing systems. The drop with energy mirrors that seen in the accretion-powered pulsations; in this respect XTE J1814-338 behaves like the other accreting millisecond pulsars. The burst oscillations show no evidence for either hard or soft lags, in contrast to the persistent pulsations, which show soft lags of up to 50 μs. The fall in amplitude with energy is inconsistent with current surface-mode and simple hotspot models of burst oscillations. We discuss improvements to the models and uncertainties in the physics that might resolve these issues.


This paper delves into the link between residual government ownership and investment efficiency in privatised firms in a transitional economy. The study uses a data set covering firms listed on the Ho Chi Minh City stock exchange, Vietnam, over the period from 2007 to 2015. It is found that firms with higher residual government ownership are associated with lower levels of investment efficiency. The finding suggests that government ownership is less beneficial than private ownership in privatised firms. The paper has important implications for policymakers in supporting privatisation policy and in designing a framework to promote better corporate governance in privatised firms after privatisation.


A generalized Hamiltonian method (GHM) is proposed for passivity test of descriptor systems (DSs) which describe impedance or admittance input-output responses. GHM can test passivity of DSs with any system index without minimal realization. This frequency-independent method can avoid the time-consuming system decomposition as required in many existing DS passivity test approaches. Furthermore, GHM can test systems with singular D + DT where traditional Hamiltonian method fails, and enjoys a more accurate passivity violation identification compared to frequency sweeping techniques. Numerical results have verified the effectiveness of GHM. The proposed method constitutes a versatile tool to speed up passivity check and enforcement of DSs and subsequently ensures globally stable simulations of electrical circuits and components.


The AKP was not prepared for the start of the Arab upheavals in late December 2010. As part of its policy of ostpolitik, Ankara had built much of its regional policy around its embrace of the status quo and the development of closer ties with the region's autocrats. Consequently, as events unfolded, Turkey initially reacted cautiously and advocated for cosmetic democratic changes in every country affected except Egypt. However, after it became clear that the AKP-supported leaders would fall, Ankara chose to support the political party with links to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Syria. The AKP, in turn, was heralded by many in the West as a potential 'model' for the new crop of religiously conservative political movements poised to take power in these countries in the wake of the upheavals. In retrospect, it is clear that while Turkey's regional influence reached its zenith in early 2011, it quickly began to fade after the subsequent transformation of the upheavals – and the onset of an antiBrotherhood backlash in much of the Arab world. The decline of the 'zero problems' approach began in February 2011, after Ankara's policy of support for the Muslim Brotherhood in different Arab polities cast Turkey as a partisan actor and exposed it to backlash from those political elements that did not support the Brotherhood. Indeed, Ankara's response to the Arab upheavals tied Turkey's foreign policy to the success of one particular political group. This ultimately limited Turkish influence, as the Brotherhood lost its widespread appeal and lost ground to forces in the Arab world uncomfortable with the group's synthesis of politics and Islam. Moreover, tension increased between Turkey and the UAE, Jordan and Saudi Arabia – the latter being of particular importance, given its position as the Arab world's most powerful state. Turkey's political fortunes began to suffer as the region's politics moved on after the Arab upheavals and the old and antidemocratic Arab elites pushed back against the empowerment of the Brotherhood.


Light-emitting diode (LED) lamps are becoming popular in a wide range of applications, due to low power, high efficiency, and low maintenance. To achieve high efficiency in energy, transfer in the LED driver, a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) topology is applied. SMPS operates at a constant frequency; it generates significant emission in some of the frequencies through conducted and radiated mechanisms. Several solutions are proposed to mitigate the EMI (electromagnetic interference), such as converter design, component selection, EMI filtering, and spread spectrum techniques. Spread-spectrum is a cheap and efficient solution in the conducted emission mitigation. This research performs conducted emission mitigation by modifying the switching on the LED driver using chaotic signals. The Lorenz equation was selected to produce chaotic signals. The effect of EMI caused by the chaotic signal has been analyzed toward the performance of the system, compared with performance when periodic signals modulated it. Lorenz's injection signals have reduced distribution over broader bandwidth compared to other injection signals. The average EMI reduction produced by Lorenz signal was the highest compared with other modulated signals of 10.63 dB.


A survey of results for Mahler measure of algebraic numbers, and one-variable polynomials with integer coefficients is presented. Related results on the maximum modulus of the conjugates (`house') of an algebraic integer are also discussed. Some generalisations are given too, though not to Mahler measure of polynomials in more than one variable.


The experiment was conducted during rabi seasons of 2007–08 to 2009–10 at Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat. A total of 14 brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) genotypes received under All India Coordinated Research Project on Vegetable Crops including local ones were tested for resistance to bacterial wilt and performance of yield and its component characters. Promising varieties were tested in Lower Brahmaputra Valley Zone (LBVZ), North Bank Plain Zone (NBPZ) and Hill Zone (HZ) of Assam. Pooled data of 3 years trial conducted at Jorhat revealed that 'Utsav' exhibited lowest bacterial wilt incidence of 2.23% only as against 65.8% in the susceptible check PPL. The yield of 'Utsav' was the highest (168.6 q ha−1) which was 43.4% higher than the best check SM 6–6. The yield of 'Utsav' was 124.8, 8.6 and 14% higher in LBVZ, NBPZ and HZ, respectively. The duration of the crop as revealed from flowering and first harvesting was also shorter than the check varieties. 'Utsav' showed highest benefit: cost ratio of 3.64 as against 2.54 in SM 6–6. Hence, 'Utsav' may be recommended for both plain and hill areas of Assam and North Eastern region.


In this short note we discuss the origin of spikes in physical distributions in dijet production, originating after the Monte Carlo shower of POWHEG Les Houches events. We introduce a refinement of the way in which the POWHEG BOX separates the singular regions that reduces the appearance of spikes in the computed distributions. We also study the sensitivity of the results due to a modification of the way the POWHEG events are passed to the shower Monte Carlo program. We recommend that the new features should be used always in dijet production.


This study employed a quasi-experimental design to test the effect of a "Weed and Seed" program in a Santa Ana, California, neighborhood. The authors were specifically interested in learning how it affected the residents'attitudes about their neighborhood and their fear of crime. Interviews were conducted before and after a major "gang sweep" and Seeding in a targeted community. The results of the analyses failed to reveal any positive effects of the program on residents' attitudes and may have had the unintended consequence of enhancing citizens' fears of gang activity and crime.


Abstract The study investigated library services rendered by Nigerian university libraries in support of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. To this end, three research questions guided the conduct of the study. The study adopted a descriptive research design for a population of 80 academic librarians in selected university libraries in South-South and South-West geo-political zone of Nigeria. Data were collected using an online questionnaire and a total enumeration sampling technique was used. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics such as frequency count and simple percentage. A total of 100 academic librarians were sent the online questionnaire and 80 librarians responded to the questionnaire given a total response rate of 80%. The findings revealed that vital library services were rendered in support of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. These services include provision of links to other open-source library resources, reference and information services, seamless and organized access to e-resources, creating awareness about emerging technologies for teaching and learning, providing links to access several e-resources directly from the publisher's websites, information literacy skills, spread news and service alerts, online workshop and tutorials, providing training to lecturers on the use of online platforms for teaching, live chat with the students and conducting orientation for the new students. Furthermore, the study showed that most of the services rendered by academic libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown were rendered occasionally due to the problems faced by libraries in services delivery which includes poor funding, epileptic power supply, lack of adequate support from the government, and inadequate library infrastructure. Thus, the study recommended that the government should have a total commitment to libraries in general by providing adequate funding for infrastructural development, recruitment of competent librarians, and improved welfare packages for effective library service delivery. Therefore, governments at all levels should make library development a top priority.


Abstract : Investigations of ELF ground system corrosion at the Navy's Wisconsin Test Facility were undertaken in response to concerns expressed by the National Academy of Sciences. Ground areas were excavated in several locations and the cable strand diameters measured for comparison with an unused cable. No evidence of corrosion in the ground system was observed. (Author)


On 6 October 1934 Lluís Companys proclaimed the Catalan State ( Estat Català) within a 'Spanish Federal Republic'. 83 years later, Catalonia – unbelievable as it may sound – is on the verge of unilaterally declaring its independence, again. At this crucial moment, one has to seriously wonder whether there is any realistic way to de-escalate this grave constitutional crisis. Before, we try to suggest some principles that could potentially lead to the lifting of this gridlock, let us consider some facts.


Electromagnetic surface modes present in one dimensional photonic crystals composed of left and right handed materials are determined by using the formalism of equivalent systems. It is found that surface waves in these systems may present notable differences against those modes found in completely dielectric photonic crystals, since they can be present inside the evanescent zone of the system as if they were cast out from the band of interface modes. These modes appear only in periodic systems that include left and right handed materials in the unit cell.


Peach endopolygalacturonase was isolated from the mesocarp tissue of soft ripe, free-stone peach fruit, but was not detectable in mature pre-ripening fruit. (...)


Parks and open green spaces within urban landscapes provide opportunities to elderly to promote social cohesion and community ties, engage in light physical activity, relax and sometimes escape. Such public spaces bring elderly men together in neighbourhood and provide meeting opportunities and raise the potential for developing social cohesion which are significant for their social well-being. Based on 47 indepth interviews this study explores the different meanings that the parks as social spaces hold for these elderly men. This paper argues that being isolated and sometimes neglected by the society in general and by the family members in particular the elderly men involve in their daily activities in the parks with their fellow elderly and thus parks becomes an integral part in their everyday lives bringing about a feeling of well-being and thus having a positive affect on their overall well-being.


The objective of this study was to investigate if UPLC/MS system without chip or Jetstream technology could be used in proteomics. A regular UPLC column (2.1 mm × 150 mm, 1.7 μm) was used to separate peptides at a flow rate of 0.200 mL/min. First, bovine serum albumin samples were analyzed with intraand inter-day (11 days) experiments. In Escherichia coli experiments, 518 proteins were identified and subsequently investigated with PANTHER gene list and KEGG pathway. Results demonstrated that UPLC/MS provides detailed information regarding cellular process. Finally, we analyzed human plasma sample to observe if UPLC/MS system could be used to analyze body fluids. We identified 87 proteins in the plasma sample, and the identified proteins were investigated in terms of molecular biology. The results showed that UPLC/MS system could provide promising results for experimental and clinical proteomics.


Materials design using first-principles techniques is one the ultimate goals in computational materials science. Due to the recent advancement in first-principles electronic structure theory and computing power, it is now possible to perform knowledge-based computational design of materials with unique optical, electrical, or magnetic properties that are tuned to specific energy related applications. This vital tool, therefore, has the great potential to accelerate scientific discovery of energy materials. In this talk, selective works from my group will be discussed to illustrate how computational methods can be used to design functional materials. Some of the examples include (i) absorber materials through cation mutation for solar cells, (ii) bipolarly dopable transparent conducting oxides (TCO) for optoelectronic devices, (iii) low band gap oxides for photoelectrochemical hydrogen production through water splitting, (iv) hydrogen storage material with enhanced s-s interactions, and (v) filled-interstitial nitrides for green solid state lighting materials. Biography Su-Huai Wei received his B.S. in Physics from Fudan University (China) in 1981 and his Ph.D. from the College of William and Mary in Virginia in 1985, where he studied quantum theory of solids. Together with Prof. H. Krakauer, he developed a new and completely general full-potential, self-consistent Linearized Augmented Plane Wave (LAPW) code to study electronic and structural properties of semiconductors, metal surfaces, d-band and f-band metals and compounds. He joined the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in 1985 and is currently a Principal Scientist and Group Manager for the Theoretical Materials Science Group. He has made original and significant contributions to the understanding of electronic structures and stabilities of alloys and superlattices; effects of d electron in II-VI and magnetic semiconductors; electronic structure of chalcopyrite compounds; chemical trends of band offsets and deformation potentials of semiconductors; electronic structure of wide band gap nitrides and oxides; mechanism of magnetic coupling in semiconductors, defects in semiconductors and quantum dots, and nano structured materials for energy storage and production. He has published more than 330 peer-reviewed papers, including more than 52 articles in the Physical Review Letters, and with more than 12,000 citations (with an H-factor of 58). He has been an invited speaker in many international conferences and is a Fellow of the American Physical Society since 1999.


There is provided a process for the preparation of vinyl ester urethane resins described in which a dianhydrohexitol compound with a diisocyanate in the presence of a monomeric radical-copolymerizable compound is reacted as solvent and the product with a hydroxy-substituted (meth) acrylate is reacted. This makes vinyl ester can be obtained easily and in high yields based on dianhydrohexitol compounds and based on renewable raw materials. The resins are suitable as binders for the chemical fastening.


Abstract : According to the Program of Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen's second Government the aim of Finland's foreign and security policy is to strengthen the country's security and international influence as well as to promote the country's interests in a world of increasing cooperation. The Government's main objective is the consolidation of relations with Russia, the Nordic countries and the Baltic States. It is a stated fact that the cornerstone of Finland's security policy is a credible defense and non-alliance. However, the Government is also strongly committed to a further strengthening of the European Union's (EU) Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the EU's ability to react to crises with its own military power. The three Baltic States see NATO membership as a way to guarantee their safety and promote prosperity for their countries. Many other Eastern European countries are seeking similar solutions or have already joined NATO. Russia, on one hand, fiercely opposes NATO's enlargement eastward, while on the other hand is seeking cooperation with the EU. Sweden and Finland are the only Nordic countries, which are not members of NATO. The Government's current written security policy on non-alliance is somewhat inconsistent with actual practice. Therefore, to guarantee Finland's security in the future, it must choose whether to remain a non-aligned member of the EU striving for a militarily strong European Union, or seek membership in NATO. In deciding the future course of action, Finland must take into consideration the contradictory objectives and security policies of its neighboring countries. The thinking and reasoning of the nation's leaders and common citizens cannot be understood without knowing the history. The fierce, desperate, and often frustrating experiences of the past provide an understanding of the viewpoints and choices for Finland today.


Fagiphagus Smith, 1974, is considered to be a junior synonym of Grylloprociphilus Smith and Pepper, 1968, and Grylloprociphilus frosti Smith and Pepper, 1968, is a synonym of Eriosoma imbricator Fitch, 1851. Grylloprociphilus imbricator (Fitch), n. comb., has American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) as its primary host and the roots of bald cypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.) as its secondary host. The synonymy is discussed and a description is given of the apterous alienicola. Pheidole moerens (Wheeler) and Solenopsis invicta Buren (Formicidae) have been found as ant tenders.


The regulation of intracellular pH′ in the brain was studied in rats exposed to about 11% CO2 for periods of 15 min to 72 h. At the end of each exposure period cisternal cerebrospinal fluid, as well as the supratentorial parts of the brain, were sampled and analysed for the CO2 contents. The intracellular HCO3- concentration was calculated assuming extracellular volumes of 12, 15 and 20%, respectively, and the intracellular pH′ was derived from the HCO3- concentration and the mean tissue CO2 tension. Acute hypercapnia (15 min) was associated with an increase in the intracellular HCO3- concentration of about 6 meq/kg of i.e. water. With an extracellular volume of 15% the corresponding decrease in pH′i was from 7.06 to 6.93. When the hypercapnia was upheld there was a further increase in the intracellular HCO3- concentration of about 5 meq/kg and an increase in pH′i to about 7.03. Most, if not all, of this regulation of pH′i occurred during the first 3 h. An analysis of the regulating mechanisms suggests that physicochemical buffering, metabolic consumption of acids, and transmembrane fluxes of H+ or HCO3- each contributed about a third of the total accumulation of bicarbonate in the cell during hypercapnia.


As the third-largest economy in the world and a precursor of global trends in population aging, Japan's recent experiences provide important lessons regarding how demographic shifts affect the labor market and individuals' economic well-being. On the whole, the labor market showed a remarkable stability during the financial crisis, despite decades of economic stagnation and sluggish real wage growth. Rapid population aging, however, has brought substantial changes to individuals in the labor market, most notably women, by augmenting labor demand in the healthcare services industry.


of the papillomata was modified to some extent by various procedures. Eventually papillomata on domestic rabbits developed into undoubted carcinomata which metastasized and killed their hosts; papillomata on cottontail rabbits rarely became malignant. Virus was not recovered from the carcinomata, though serological evidence in favour of its presence was obtained. The papillomata developing on normal scarified skin were benign tumours remarkably uniform in type; they grew for many months before malignant characteristics were apparent. Rous and Kidd' then found that virus injected intravenously often localized in rabbits' ears which had been repeatedly tarred and produced a variety of benign papillomata and carcinlomata differing from the ordinary. The distinctive peculiarities of these anomalous tumours were noted at their first appearance; continued tarring stimulated the growth of the tumours and accentuated the anaplasia of the malignant ones, but it did not hasten the change of papillomata into carcinomata. Virus localizing in skin which had been tarred for short periods gave rise to papillomata of the ordinary type. Some preparatory change in the epidermal cells was essential for the development of the anomalous tumours, and as a rule it was not accomplished until the skin had been tarred to almost the extent necessary for initiating tar warts in some of the rabbits. Lacassagne and Nyka7 obtained similar results by using benzpyrene instead of tar, and somewhat similar observations, as yet unconfirmed, were reported by Andrewes, Ahlstrom, Foulds, and Gye.8 Two sarcomata were induced by the injection of Shope fibroma virus into rabbits which had received intramuscular injections of tar. One sarcoma was transplanted, but no evidence of the persistence of virus was obtained. In normal rabbits the fibroma virus causes fibromatous lesions which invariably regress. Recent researches, therefore, focus attention on the possibility of a co-operation between viruses and chemical agents in the origin of tumours. It is conceivable that mammalian tumours contain agents which cannot transform normal tissues into tumours but which might transform tissues altered by carcinogenic agents. Woglom,9 who investigated this possibility, injected preparations of the transplantable mouse tumour 37S into mice which had been painted with benzpyrene but observed no modification of the benzpyrene lesions, so that no extracellular agent was demonstrated by the method used. Woglom's experiment is open to criticism, for it is improbable that epithelial lesions


D URING the past few years, recognition by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and many of its fellows has been growing that gynecologic surgery has become the "forgotten half of the specialty." Indeed, as Dr. James L. Breen, the past president of the College, commented in an editorial, "The direction our specialty has taken in the past twenty years has led to a superior scientific understanding of fetal-maternal medicine, reproductive endocrinology, and gynecologic oncology. During this same period, however, operative gynecology appears to have been relegated to a lesser position. While some obstetricians and gynecologists are hoping for a turnabout to restore surgery to a higher status and improve our surgical educational programs, we must be realistic about the fact that there is a degree of lethargy both in seeing the extent of the problem and finding a solution to it. We must recognize that attitude and counter it."' If we accept that to be conscious that one is ignorant of the facts is a great step to knowledge, it would seem inevitable that we shall acquire a superior scientific understanding of operative gynecology. Traditionally, the goal of the gynecological surgeon has been to provide expert, up-to-date, skilled, coordinated team care preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively to women who had been carefully evaluated and properly informed, to achieve cure without deformity and without loss of function. Should our generation merely aim to send a satisfied, happy, wellhealed, nonlitigious patient home after a short postoperative recovery? It does seem that more scientific information is needed to support our choices of preoperative and postoperative routines such as shaving, prepping, antibiotic prophylaxis. We need more data to guide our selection of drapes, instruments, suture materials, wound closure techniques, etc. We need to understand why every operation is an experiment in surgical microbiology and immunology, and how we can achieve healing without scarring.


Quicksort is the preferred in‐place sorting algorithm in many contexts, since its average computing time on uniformly distributed inputs is Θ(N log N), and it is in fact faster than most other sorting algorithms on most inputs. Its drawback is that its worst‐case time bound is Θ(N2). Previous attempts to protect against the worst case by improving the way quicksort chooses pivot elements for partitioning have increased the average computing time too much – one might as well use heapsort, which has a Θ(N log N) worst‐case time bound, but is on the average 2–5 times slower than quicksort. A similar dilemma exists with selection algorithms (for finding the i‐th largest element) based on partitioning. This paper describes a simple solution to this dilemma: limit the depth of partitioning, and for subproblems that exceed the limit switch to another algorithm with a better worst‐case bound. Using heapsort as the 'stopper' yields a sorting algorithm that is just as fast as quicksort in the average case, but also has an Θ(N log N) worst case time bound. For selection, a hybrid of Hoare's FIND algorithm, which is linear on average but quadratic in the worst case, and the Blum–Floyd–Pratt–Rivest–Tarjan algorithm is as fast as Hoare's algorithm in practice, yet has a linear worst‐case time bound. Also discussed are issues of implementing the new algorithms as generic algorithms, and accurately measuring their performance in the framework of the C+:+ Standard Template Library. ©1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The field experiment was conducted from kharif 2010 to rabi 2012 at Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh on permanent plots under pearlmillet (Pennisetum glaucum [L.] R. Br. Emend. Stutz) - mustard (Brassica juncea [L.] Czern. & Coss.) cropping sequence. The study was aimed to find out the effect of addition of organics alone and their respective combinations with chemical fertilizers on different pools of organic carbon. The results showed that the very labile (CVL), labile (CL), less labile (CLL) carbon and active (ACT) pool of carbon were significantly increased in 0.3 m and 1.0 m soil depth, respectively under organic treatments as 100% N from vermicompost (@ 5t ha-1 crop-1) and 100% N from FYM (@10 t ha-1 crop-1) over the control and other fertility treatments. The highest value of non labile (CNL) and passive pool (PSV) of carbon was recorded in control by 9.2 and 9.9 Mg ha-1 for 0.3 m depth at initial period of study. Similarly, treatment receiving 25%NPK + 75% N from vermicompost recorded maximum PSV pool (21.3 Mg ha-1) of carbon for 1.0 m soil depth at the end of study. Continuous cultivation without addition of amendments depleted the total organic carbon (TOC) content in control plot by 13.4 to 12.4 and 26.6 to 25.4 Mg ha-1 for both soil depths, respectively at the end of study; whereas maximum sequestration was recorded by 18.1 and 45.4 Mg ha-1 for 0.3 and 1.0 m soil depth, respectively in treatment receiving 100% N from vermicompost.


Intrathecally administered morphine is a safe and effective method of providing analgesia, with the indicated constraints. Unencumbered by pain and the soporific effect of systemic narcotics, many, if not most, patients are able to lead productive lives. Neuroablative procedures are, in many instances, either delayed or eliminated entirely. As the number of support personnel familiar with the management of implantable systems increases, this avenue of treatment should become widely available.


Carbon Monoxide(CO) of exhaust gases play an important gas specie for combustion efficiency and emission of pollutant in combustion. Typically, it is difficult to accurate CO gas in real-time on large combustion system due to harsh environment. Recently, tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) which is optical measurement method has been studied to measure CO concentrations in combustion gases. TDLAS method has several advantages such as non-intrusive, high response, high precision and real-time measurement. In this study, combustion systems, which are divided into a part of combustion and a part of exhaust line, are designed to control the equivalence ratio. The measurement of CO according to the change of equivalence ratio is confirmed through TDLAS method. In order to measure CO concentration, a near-infrared laser at 2.325 um were selected. Detailed explanations of TDLAS method and CO concentration are discussed in this presentation.


Abstract : Two implementations of quadriphase direct-sequence spread-spectrum multiple-access (QDS/SSMA) communication systems are discussed and their performance is investigated. The average signal-to-noise ratio is related to the correlation parameters of the signature sequences for each system. The asymptotic behavior of the key aperiodic correlation parameters is investigated and preliminary numerical results are obtained. The results for QDS/SSMA are compared and contrasted with previous results on biphase direct-sequence spread-spectrum multiple-access systems. (Author)


A study has been made of the mass physical properties and electrical resistivity of marine sediments. The well‐known linear correlation of density with porosity was confirmed. A third‐degree polynomial curve was found to be the best fit for our data relating porosity and the formation factor, which is the ratio of the bulk resistivity of marine sediments, to the resistivity of interstitial water. An electrical resistivity probe has been devised to obtain "in‐situ" profiles of resistivity versus depth. The instrument is 13 m long and weighs 700 kg in water. About thirty rapid measurements on the sea floor can be made in one lowering. Good correlation was obtained between electrical probe measurements and direct porosity measurements made on cores taken nearby.


ABSTRACT On 12 October 1992, a moderate earthquake with magnitude, Mw 5.8 was occurred in Cairo; the epicentre is located 25 km south west of Cairo, resulted in great damage in the surrounding area and extended 300 km away from the epicentre. Subsequently, the government established Egyptian National Seismological Network (ENSN) under the supervision of National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) with 66 stations of different recording bands (e.g. short period, broadband) for monitoring the seismic activity in and around Egypt. The network started operation since mid-1997 up till now, consider revising 20 years of operation, a lot of changes were done (sensors, digitisers, station locations and even stations name), there is still the absence of adequate documentation of the type of changes made. This article is the first attempt to study the recorded data to track all changes done in the network, as a first step towards a different studies regarding determination of the detection capabilities of ENSN's stations and proposed an optimisation solutions for the current faced problems. A software code was designed under Matlab programme to read around 55,000 recorded events and track different changes that took place during the operational time. The output of this study will affect all related research work including magnitude determination and hazard analysis.


The present paper outlines the numerical calculation of wave interactions with a thin vertical slotted barrier extending from the water surface to some distance above the seabed, and describes laboratory tests undertaken to assess the numerical model. The numerical model is based on an eigenfunction expansion method and utilizes a boundary condition at the barrier surface that accounts for energy dissipation within the barrier. Numerical results compare well with previous predictions for the limiting cases of an impermeable barrier and a permeable barrier extending down to the seabed. Comparisons with experimental measurements of the transmission, reflection, and energy dissipation coefficients for a partially submerged slotted barrier show good agreement provided certain empirical coefficients of the model are suitably chosen, and indicate that the numerical method is able to account adequately for the energy dissipation by the barrier. The effects of porosity, relative wave length, wave steepness, and irregular waves are discussed and the choice of suitable parameters needed to model the permeability of the breakwater is described.


Abstract Bill Beckley with David Shapiro, eds. Uncontrollable Beauty Allworth Press and the School of Visual Arts 423 pp. $19.95 Venus in Exile: The Rejection of Beauty in Twentieth-Century Art Wendy Steiner The Free Press 280 pp. $26.00


Mismatch repair (MMR) systems enhance genomic stability by correcting DNA replication errors. The events in mammalian MMR pathways remain poorly understood. Using HeLa cell nuclear extracts, we analyzed correction of mispairs in circular DNA substrates with single defined nicks and measured excision in the absence of exogenous dNTPs by annealing specific oligonucleotide probes. In reactions initiated by concomitant temperature shift and addition of ATP or Mg 2 to otherwise complete mixtures on ice, ATP-initiated excision and final error correction lagged behind Mg 2 -initiated reactions, suggesting a very early requirement for ATP but not its hydrolysis. Subsequent stable commitment (resistance to added excess competitor substrate) began within 30 s, required hydrolyzable ATP, and plateaued after 60 –70 s. This may reflect formation of hydrolysisdependent translocating and/or pre-excision complexes. Excision along shorter nick-mispair paths began 15 s later than commitment. Both 3 to 5 and 5 to 3 excision gaps appeared at rates of 0.0055 of final yields per second, respectively, 30 or 2.5 times the nonspecific excision rates. The lag between 3 to 5 excision gaps at two different positions yielded an excision progress rate of 5.2 nucleotides/s. In both substrates, corrected products appeared at fractional rates of 0.0027 of final yield per second. Aphidicolin, known to inhibit both the DNA synthesis and 3 to 5 exonuclease activities of polymerases and , reduced appearance of 3 to 5 excision tracts roughly 4-fold at 90 M but had no effect on 5 to 3 excision.


Presently,different literatures dealing with 6σ management give different kinds of transformation table from σ to DPMO.That reflects the bias lying in the transformation process.As a result,it is necessary to make it clear the theory that explains the relationship between the values of σ and DPMO.Table 2 in this paper is based on the theory,and apparently it is an adjusted one for the existing tables.


Defatted sesame cake and rice bran are all by-products of agricultural processing. The aim of the study was to optimize the recipes of kefir added with defatted sesame flour and rice bran. The previous study has yielded some results including dietary fiber content, pH values and sensory evaluation values of kefir samples added with 0, 2 %, 4 %, 6 %, 8 % DSC and 0, 0.1 %, 0.3 %, 0.5 %, 0.7 % RB, but made no optimization of kefir products. Based on these data, formulation optimization was done using a mathematical model. Two central composite designs for the two-factor analysis (x1x2 and x1x3, respectively) and one three-factor design (x1x2x3) were drawn up to predict the optimal formulation and reduce the number of future experiments. After studying the results of mathematical modeling, the optimal prescription composition corresponds to the 2 % DSC or 0.1 % rice bran content or 2 % DSC and 0.4 % RB content in the recipe. Through mathematical optimization, products with high dietary fiber content, suitable acidity and excellent sensory quality can be obtained. The products meet the current social demand for healthy food and have very good research value. In practical use, three kinds of kefir can be developed:
1. DSC should be ground separately before used, 2 % DSC was introduced into cow milk (m/v), fermented at 28°C for 22 h until pH reached 4.7, then stored at 4 °C;
2. RB should be ground before used, 0.4 % RB was introduced into cow milk (m/v), fermented at 28°C for 22 h until pH reached 4.7, then stored at 4°C;
3. DSC and RB should be ground before used, 2 % DSC and 0.4 % RB were introduced into cow milk (m/v), fermented at 28 °C for 22 h until pH reached 4.7, then stored at 4 °C


This paper presents a new way of introducing invariant subspaces for singular systems : this leads to somewhat known geometric algorithms but, in most cases, with different initial conditions and enlightens the accurate duality holding for singular systems. Many results from the proper case can thus be generalized : the algebraic characterization of these invariant subspaces (see SCHUMACHER [10]), the geometric definition for complete controllability indexes [15] (see KU¿ERA and ZAGALAK [14]), the MORSE's canonical decomposition [2]... Singular systems are systems described by : E {(t) = Ax(t) + Bu(t) { t>0 (1) y(t) = Cx(t) where x(t)¿ X ¿ Rn, u(t) ¿ U ¿ Rm, y(t)¿ y ¿ RP, and RankE ¿ n. A lot of interest has been brought to the study of these systems (many references can be found for instance in [11]) and many authors have generalized well-known concepts and results of the proper case (E=I) to those more general systems. As concerns the geometric approach of proper systems, the main contributions are due to WONHAM & MORSE (see for instance [4]) and BASILE & MARRO [1] ... (for the notions of invariant subspaces) and to WlLLEMS [6] (for the notions of almost invariant subspaces). One can describe those particular subspaces of the state space within the algebraic framework proposed by SCHUMACHER [10] which is directly resting upon the study of trajectories. Denote B the image of B and K the kernel of C in (1) and recall that a subspace V is called (A,E,B) invariant whence [5], [11]: AV ¿ V + B (2) with : v =: EV


Astheprice ofgold twice increases inyearof2007-2008, the substitute material wasfocused onAu-CuwireorCuwirejust for Inthepresent paper, thecharacteristic ofheataffected zone(HAZ) costdown.However, thehigher rigidity andmorehardness [6-7] onbothAu wireandCu wirehavebeencarefully experimental results ineasily bumpinginpadaround thesmashed ball.The evaluated. Inaddition, thedynamic response onAl-Cupadand Nitrogen hastobegassed into asmall chamber involved inEFOto beneath thepadofCu/low-k wafer during wirebonding process has avoid oxidation ofCuwire[8]. Thealuminum padhasbeenreplaced beenpredicted byusing finite element method. Material property for by Al-Cupadinaccordance withCu material property in Cuwirefrommechanical tensile test hasshownmuchmorerigidwirebonding process. Because thecomplete mechanism ofwire thanAuwire.Thiswouldresult inAl-Cupadoverflowing aroundbonding process includes z-motion, impact andultrasonic vibration themeshed ball during impact stage andtheconsequent thermosonic stages [5], manymaterial properties ofbondwirewerescarcely vibration stage. Theexperimental obtained hardening index (n)in realized. Thewirebonding istherefore essentially difficult to Hell-Petch equation hassignificantly influence onthelocalize simulate bynumerical approach. Fewpapers [3-5] published the stressed areaonAl-Cupad.Allthemeasured dataserves asmaterialreliability of wirebonding process by usingFEA software inputs fortheexplicit commercial finite elementsoftwareANSYS/LS-DYNA. However, someofthebonding material data in ANSYS/LS-DYNA. Itisalso demonstrated that thepadmaterial for thesepaperswerenumerical assumption. Withsufficient Cu/low K wafer canbereplaced byAl-CupadorCupadtoavoidexperimental material properties obtained inthis research, both2-D large deformation onpadandcracking beneath thesurface. A and3-DFEA modelsweredeveloped topredict thedynamic secondary electric flame-off (EFO)methodhasbeenconducted to response ofwirebonding process. reduce thestrength ofCu wireandincrease bondability and reliability. Aseries ofcomprehensive experimental works andFEA


Background. Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in nature exists due to the constant circulation between vertebrate animals and tick viruses. To study the characteristics of reproduction of TBEV in the cells of vertebrate hosts of various species, it is necessary to simulate infection in the cell lines of both natural and accidental hosts of TBEV. Aim . To study the possibility of reproduction of TBEV in the cell line of the kidney of Siberian bat Myotis sibiricus (Kastschenko, 1905) – an accidental host of the virus. Materials and methods. The cell line of Siberian bat M. sibiricus was established by serial passages of primary culture of kidney cells. The SPEV line porcine kidney cells were used as reference. Cells were infected with a strain of TBEV of the Siberian subtype 92M and both cells and cell culture fluids were sampled every 2 hours during first 24 hours post infection. In addition, the samples were collected daily up to 5 days post infection. Evaluation of the amount of intracellular RNA of TBEV of positive polarity (+RNA) was performed  using quantitative real-time PCR. The concentration of infectious TBEV was evaluated using the method of titration TBEV on plaque forming units. Results. The continuous cell line, designated as MdbK, was established from the kidney cell suspension of M. sibiricus and was used for experiments after 20 serial passages. MdbK cells were able to support the replication of TBEV RNA and production of infectious virus was also possible. The concentration of intracellular RNA had reached 9.1 lg copies/μl by day 3 post infection, whereas highest titer of infectious TBEV in cell culture fluid had comprised 5,5 PFU/ml and was detected by day 4. The concentration of intracellular RNA and the virus infectivity in MdbK cell line was significantly lower than in convenient SPEV line porcine kidney cell. Conclusions . The results suggest the low fitness of TBEV to the intracellular environment of an accidental host.


The healthy living community movement (GERMAS) aims to increase awareness, willingness and the ability of people to behave in an effort to improve the quality of life. GERMAS is carried out as a reinforcement of community promotive and preventive efforts. Some observations made on the dasawiwma group do not have a family medicinal plant (TOGA) yet, partners are very hopeful that the provision of health education to the dasawisma group in order to better understand the benefits of TOGA. This dedication activity has been carried out in Kenali Asam Bawah Kelurahan with the target of dasawisma and the community, carried out in Juny 2019. Through this service the team facilitated, assisted the homeless and residents in identifying, identifying, and coping with public health problems. The team also helped prepare toga, demonstrations in making drinks from celery and soursop leaves, Provision of posters / booklets


The revolution in the Internet of Things (IoT) is redesigning and reshaping the healthcare system technologically, economically and socially. The emerging and rapidly growing IoT-based Smart Healthcare System (SHCS) is seen as a sustainable solution to reduce the burden on the existing healthcare system due to increasing diseases and limited medical infrastructure. IoT-based SHCS plays a vital role in delivery of healthcare services in rural and remote areas where the essential medical amenities, necessary infrastructures and qualified medical practitioners are not available. Therefore, in this paper, a comprehensive investigation of futuristic IoT-based SHCS and its constituents is presented. This paper provides exhaustive review on different techniques and technologies dealing with smart healthcare framework, physiological sensing, signal processing, data communication, cloud computing and data analytics used in IoT-based SHCS. A comparative analysis of existing literature has been carried out to identify the recent trends and advancements in this very dynamic field of global importance. In addition to this, it highlights different issues and challenges, along with the recommendation for further research in the field. The prime objective of this paper is to deliver the state-of-the-art understanding and update about IoT-based SHCS and its constituents by providing a good source of information to the researchers, service providers, technologists, medical practitioners and the general population.


A new type of disk record, known as the Victrolac record, is described. The material of which it is made is a thermoplastic resin, which must be cooled before being removed from the mold. The paper discusses briefly the characteristics of this material, the time of playing of records made of it, operating features of the tone arm and pick-up system, resonance characteristics of the tone arm, and the characteristics of the chromium needle.


Charge trapping effects were studied in bilayers of conducting polymers composed of poly(N-methylpyrrole) (PMPy) and polypyrrole (PPy), by comparing redox charges of the polymer [Q(ox/red)] obtained by integration of cyclic voltammetric and chronoamperometric curves for single films and bilayers with variable thickness of both components. Charge trapping factors, TF, for PMPy(inner layer)/PPy(outer layer) bilayers were determined using the definition: TF = 1 - Q(ox/red)/Q(ox/red)PPy where Q(ox/red) is redox charge of PPy in the bilayer, Q(ox/red)ppy relates to the charge for a single PPy film of the same thickness as that in the bilayer. Since the formal potential of PMPy is higher than that of PPy, the outer PPy film cannot be entirely reduced due to low conductivity of PMPy at negative potentials. The estimated charge trapping factor is independent of the outer layer thickness, it depends, however on the thickness of the inner film. For the reverse sequence of polymers, PPy/PMPy, charge trapping was not observed. Modification of the outer PPy layer by immobilized poly(4-styrenesulfonate) anions changes the response of the bilayer due to low permeability of the cation-exchanging outer polymer to anions. Therefore perchlorate anions compensating charge of PMPy film were found to be entrapped in the polymer matrix under conditions of cyclic voltammetry.


The melting curve of the modified Lennard-Jones system, which has been obtained by equating the free energies between the solid and liquid phases, was reinvestigated using the nonequilibrium relaxa...


The freshwater unionid mussel Cristaria tenuis inhabits ponds and rivers in East Asia (Japan and China) and Southeast Asia (Vietnam and Cambodia) (Imai, 2008; Kitano & Imai, 2012). It was first recorded in Japan in 2006 (Imai, 2008). The larvae of unionid mussels (glochidia) parasitize living fish (Dudgeon & Morton, 1984; Itoh et al., 2003; Itoh et al., 2008; Kondo, 1989), Host Species for Glochidia of the Freshwater Unionid Mussel Cristaria tenuis in Ishigakijima Island, Japan


The discussion of interpretations resulting from the application of descent theory on the one side and alliance theory on the other (for instance Schneider 1965) should give rise to a reconsideration of our scientific terminology, since it apparently may depend not so much on the ethnographic facts but on the preconceived implications of the terminological tool when our understanding is asked to rely on two contradictory approaches. We should doubt the validity of the confrontation of an African and an Asian "type of society" as well as any correlation of philosophical orientation of the theories and regional predilection of anthropologists. Alliance theorists tend to confound structure and function no less easily than descent theorists who hypostatise special functions into an all pervading idea resulting, for instance, in "matrilineal societies." Any intention, therefore, to prove the validity of descent theory not only for African but also for Asian societies will risk to repeat the usual procedure of presenting "correlations" which can be explained by the application of one's theory, although they may be quite accidental. The only way to overcome this speculative functionalism, whether positivistic or idealistic, is (in my view) to disentangle the multiple aspects of "descent" and "alliance" by refining instead of redefining our terminology. In this paper I shall try to concentrate on one aspect, that of exogamy, which can, in most cases, be separated rather easily from descent but has been engulfed by alliance theory. It is therefore alliance theory against which I shall have to maintain my arguments. Still, I hope not to defend descent theory. The analysis will be restricted to a few examples which recently have received the attention of alliance theory: "marriage classes" (sections), systems with "prescriptive marriage," and finally those with "preferential marriage."


Objective To analyze and assess the clinical effect of triple surgery for complete proctoptosis. Methods Inside and outside rectum Xiaozhiling was injected ,scar fixed rectum, anus of triple banding surgery for complete proctoptosis. Results A 6-year follow-up proved that one-off curative rate reached up to 96.4%, with no serious complications and sequelae. Conclusion The triple procedure is a sort of simple, safe, effective surgery and should be promoted.


C-axis-oriented LiNbO3 thin films were prepared on Pt(111)/ SiO2 /Si substrates by rf magnetron sputtering. The LiNbO3 films grown showed pyroelectricity and piezoelectricity. The pyroelectric coefficient of the film was 71×10-6 C/(m2K) , which was 86% of the value of a LiNbO3 bulk crystal. The surface acoustic wave (SAW) velocity measured was 3980m/s. In order to control the polarization, bias sputtering was applied. When bias voltage was applied to the substrates during film growth, polarization reversal was observed. From these experimental results, it was found that bias sputtering effectively controls the polarization of LiNbO3 films.


Abstract: In current situations many advancements have been made in License Plate (LP) recognition techniques to enhance accuracy, they are often limited to ideal scenarios with accurately annotated training data and restricted situations. Furthermore, monitoring systems frequently employ low-resolution (LR) images or videos. Our project focuses on addressing the challenge of LP detection in digital images captured in naturalistic environments. We aim to improve the quality of LP images by combining character segmentation and recognition with adversarial Super-Resolution (SR) methods. Specifically, we utilize the SRGAN approach, which is capable of processing tiny 72 × 72 LP images. This research investigates the performance of SRGAN across various aspects, including peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity index (SSIM). By leveraging these methodologies, we aim to overcome the limitations of existing LP recognition techniques, especially in scenarios where training data is not perfectly annotated and LR images are prevalent. Our approach integrates character segmentation and recognition with SRGAN-based super-resolution techniques to enhance the quality and accuracy of LP images.