40 41 The N-succinylamino acid racemase/o-succinylbenzoate synthase (NSAR/OSBS) 42 subfamily from the enolase superfamily contains different enzymes showing 43 promiscuous N-substituted-amino acid racemase (NxAR) activity. These enzymes were 44 originally named as N-acylamino acid racemases because of their industrial application. 45 Nonetheless, they are pivotal in several enzymatic cascades due to their versatility to 46 catalyze a wide substrate spectrum, allowing the production of optically pure Dor L47 amino acids from cheap precursors. These compounds are of paramount economic 48 interest, since they are used as food additives, in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics 49 industries and/or as chiral synthons in organic synthesis. Despite its economic 50 importance, the discovery of new N-succinylamino acid racemases has become elusive, 51 since classical sequence-based annotation methods proved ineffective in their 52 identification, due to a high sequence similarity among the members of the enolase 53 superfamily. During the last decade, deeper investigations into different members of the 54 NSAR/OSBS subfamily have shed light on the classification and identification of 55 NSAR enzymes with NxAR activity of biotechnological potential. This review aims to 56 gather the dispersed information on NSAR/OSBS members showing NxAR activity 57 over recent decades, focusing on their biotechnological applications and providing 58 practical advice to identify new enzymes. 59 60 Introduction 61 62 As for other enzymatic racemization methodologies involved in dynamic kinetic 63 resolution (DKR) processes, the driving force boosting N-succinylamino acid racemase 64 (NSAR) 1 research is most likely the existence of a previous enzymatic kinetic resolution 65 (KR) method for the production of optically pure amino acids. This KR process was 66 1 We will use different acronyms (NSAR, NAAR) through the manuscript to refer to enzymes belonging to the N-succinylamino acid racemase/o-succinylbenzoate synthase (NSAR/OSBS) subfamily. already known since middle of the twentieth century [1], and takes advantage of the 67 stereospecificity of acylases (or aminoacylases, E.C. 18.104.22.168) to produce optically pure 68 amino acids from racemic mixtures of N-acetylamino acids (NAAs) [2, and references 69 therein]. Evonik (Degussa) industries already manufactured L-methionine at industrial 70 level in the 70`s using the "Acylase process" [3]. Furthermore, patents on the chemical 71 racemization of NAAs by different companies clearly illustrate the interest to develop a 72 chemo-enzymatic DKR before the eighties (e.g., Ajinomoto or Evonik/Degussa [4,5]). 73 Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd discovered the N-acylamino acid racemase (NAAR) 74 activity in different microorganisms by the end of the 80's, demonstrating a potential 75 NAAR/acylase enzymatic tandem, also providing a new DKR approach for optically 76 pure Dand L-amino acids [6-8]. The industrial relevance of these enzymes is clear by 77 the extensive number of patents issued [6-43] (Table 1). 78 79 To the best of our knowledge, the first paper dealing with an NSAR enzyme was not 80 published until the 90s. Tokuyama's group described NAAR activity in some 81 actinomycetes strains belonging to the genus Streptomyces, Actinomadura, 82 Actinomyces, Jensenia, Amycolatopsis and Sebekia. However, they did not find this 83 activity in other bacteria, yeasts or fungi, from more than 44000 strains tested [44,45]. 84 From the organisms described in that work, enzymes belonging to Streptomyces atratus 85 Y-53 (SatNSAR) [46], Sebekia benihana (SebeNSAR) [22-24] and Amycolatopsis [4786 49] were characterized and used (Table 1). Whereas the principal interest of these 87 enzymes was the racemization of NAAs, their ability to racemize different N88 substituted-amino acids (NxAs) was also soon reported, showing them to be active 89 towards N-acetyl (NAAs), N-carbamoyl (NCAs), N-chloroacetyl (NChAs), N-butyril 90 (NBtAs), N-propionil (NPrAs), N-benzoyl (NBzAs) or N-formyl-amino acids (NFAs), 91 among others [46,47]. Despite the potential DKR application of these enzymes, only a 92 discrete number of NAAR enzymes were identified and/or characterized in the 93 following years, mainly from Amycolatopsis and Deinococcus genus, mostly boosted by 94 their industrial interest [25, 50-53, see also Table 1] or for structural characterization 95 [54,55]. Additional actinomycetes strains were shown to possess NAAR activity, 96 although no further information has been reported on the enzymes from these 97 microorganisms [56]. NSAR was already shown to be a member of the functional 98 diverse enolase superfamily before the beginning of the new millennium [51]. Several 99 works at the beginning of the 21 st century focused on deciphering the natural function of 100 NSARs and some evolutionary aspects [51,57,58, 69-76] (see below), allowing to 101 localize new NSARs in Bacillus/Geobacillus genera. Some of the NSARs belonging to 102 this genera have been highly characterized and/or applied to the production of optically 103 pure amino acids [27-38,59,61-68]. A different N-succinyl arginine/lysine racemase 104 from Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579, highly specific for NS-Arg and NS-Lys has been 105 reported, although it does not belong to the NSAR group reviewed in this paper [59]. 106 The characterization of an NSAR from Chloroflexus aurantiacus (CauNSAR) [26] and 107 the determination of the crystal structure of Thermus thermophilus NSAR (TteNSAR) 108 [60], further expand the organisms in which NSAR activity has been found. Finally, 109 Exiguobacterium, Lysinibacillus, Roseiflexus, Enterococcus or Listeria genera have also 110 been reported to present NSAR activity, although they have been studied in less detail 111 from the biotechnological point of view [72-74] 112 113 Natural function and evolutionary aspects on NSAR enzymes 114 115 After one decade using the industrially-biased NAAR nomenclature, Gerlt's group gave 116 an important step towards understanding the natural function of NSAR, suggesting that 117 the "correct" function of Amycolatopsis sp. TS-1-60 NAAR (AmyNSAR) was the o118 succinylbenzoate synthase (OSBS) reaction in menaquinone biosynthesis [51], due to 119 the sequence similarity to Bacillus subtilis OSBS. The NAAR activity was suggested as 120 a secondary and promiscuous activity of OSBS, with no impact on the organism in its 121 metabolic niche (Figure 1). Despite the significance of this work in the comprehension 122 of the promiscuous NSAR activity, the NAAR nomenclature continued to be used for 123 several years in the literature. Another milestone in the understanding of the function of 124 NSAR enzymes was achieved in 2006 [57]. Geobacillus kaustophilus was shown to 125 contain a member of the enolase superfamily with NSAR activity (GkaNSAR), 126 homolog to the well-characterized enzymes from Amycolatopsis. GkaNSAR was 127 encoded in a new gene cluster, different to the menaquinone biosynthesis operon in 128 which OSBS is included [51] (Figure 2). A similar cluster was identified for 129 Amycolatopsis and Thermus genera [57] (Figure 2). After two decades of the discovery 130 of NSARs, the authors concluded that GkaNSAR constitutes part of a novel, irreversible 131 pathway for the conversion of Dto L-amino acids (Figure 2, lower panel), different to 132 the previously proposed menaquinone biosynthesis [51]. Since i) this enzyme was 133 functionally promiscuous, also catalyzing efficiently the OSBS reaction, and ii) no other 134 potential OSBS was encoded in the menaquinone operon or elsewhere in the genome, 135 the authors raised the possibility that the NSAR is a bifunctional enzyme rather than an 136 accidentally promiscuous enzyme, as previously suggested [51]. The nomenclature 137 OSBS/NSAR subfamily was proposed, due to the probable overlapping activity of both 138 enzymes. A seminal and must-read paper by Glasner et al. on the evolution of the 139 OSBS/NAAR subfamily showed that NSARs of known activity were phylogenetically 140 included under the so-called Firmicutes OSBS/NSAR subfamily (Figure 3), together 141 with other enzymes for which NSAR activity could not be detected [58]. This work 142 showed the complex scenario of functional evolution in this subfamily, and helps 143 explaining why only a discrete number of biotechnologically relevant NSAR enzymes 144 had been discovered by that time, since sequence-based approaches also identified 145 OSBS enzymes not necessarily containing NSAR activity (see below). 146


In the present study, the real-world performance of a ground-to-air heat exchanger (GAHE) was analyzed in the Polish climate which is characterized by warm summers and cold winters. The heat exchanger's performance was monitored over a period of three years (2017 to 2019), and real-world conditions were compared with a Typical Meteorological Year (TMY). The aim of the study was to assess the exchanger's energy-efficiency potential in various ventilation scenarios in a single-family home under variable real-world conditions, rather than to simply determine its heating and cooling capacity. The analyzed single-family home was a modern, single-story building with a usable floor area of 115 m2. The building's thermal insulation and airtightness met stringent energy-efficiency standards. Energy consumption in a building equipped with a natural ventilation system was compared with three other scenarios: ventilation coupled with a GAHE, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and a high-efficiency heat exchanger (HE), and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery coupled with a GAHE. Sensible heating and cooling loads were calculated based on standard ISO 13790:2008, and latent heating and cooling loads were also included in the energy balance. During the year, the GAHE generated around 257.6 W of heating energy per hour and 124.7 W of cooling energy per hour. Presented results can be used to select the optimal HVAC system scenarios for engineering projects as well as private investors.


Targeted therapy with tumour‐associated macrophages (TAMs) has emerged as a new paradigm for immunotherapy of cervical cancer. Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton (Nr‐CWS) for external use is an immunotherapeutic agent. In this study, we aimed to explore the effects of Nr‐CWS on TAMs and the potential mechanisms. Cervical tissue samples were collected before and after Nr‐CWS treatment from patients with high‐risk HPV infection and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). The effect of Nr‐CWS on macrophages in vivo was examined by immunohistochemistry and double‐labeling immunofluorescence histochemistry. In vitro experiments were performed using a TAM model established by THP‐1 cells under Nr‐CWS treatment. We found that Nr‐CWS treatment significantly reduced the numbers of total macrophages and M2 macrophages, increased the proportion of M1 macrophages and decreased the proportion of M2 macrophages in cervical tissues. After Nr‐CWS treatment in vitro, the expression levels of the M1 macrophage markers were increased, while the expression levels of the M2 macrophage markers were decreased. Nr‐CWS treatment also activated STAT1 pathways but inhibited STAT6 pathways. These results indicated that Nr‐CWS may improve local immune response and reverse immunosuppression by regulating the M2 to M1 polarization of TAMs via STAT1/STAT6 pathways.


A novel Y-type polyurethane 3 containing 4-(4-nitrophenylazo)catecholic groups as nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores was prepared and characterized. Polyurethane 3 is soluble in common organic solvents such as acetone and DMF. Polymer 3 shows a thermal stability up to 270°C from TGA thermogram and the T g value obtained from DSC thermogram is around 96°C. The second harmonic generation (SHG) coefficient (d 33) of poled polymer film at 1064 nm fundamental wavelength is 4.58 × 10−9 esu. The dipole alignment exhibits a thermal stability even at 4°C higher than T g, and there is no SHG decay below 100°C due to the partial main-chain character of the polymer structure, which is acceptable for nonlinear optical device applications.


DURING TRAINING AND COMPETITION, ATHLETES ARE SUBJECTED TO PHYSICAL LOADS THAT MAY CREATE LEVELS OF STRESS AND FATIGUE. THE SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT OF THIS FATIGUE, THROUGH APPROPRIATE PERIODIZATION, CAN ENHANCE PERFORMANCE AND WELL-BEING. TO ACHIEVE THIS, THE PRACTITIONER MUST HAVE A THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF FATIGUE. THE USE OF SALIVARY SAMPLES TO ANALYZE BIOMARKERS, SUCH AS IMMUNOGLOBULIN A, CORTISOL, AND ALPHA-AMYLASE, HAVE BEEN PROPOSED AS USEFUL MEASURES OF IDENTIFYING ATHLETE FATIGUE AND HEALTH STATUS. THE RESULTS FROM SALIVARY ANALYSIS CAN SUBSEQUENTLY BE USED TO MONITOR ATHLETE LOAD TO OPTIMIZE RECOVERY AND PROMOTE POSITIVE ADAPTATIONS AND ENHANCE ATHLETE HEALTH STATUS.


This paper is concentrated on analyzing the performance of passive ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in which different impedance matching approaches have been used. Analysis and discussion is based on modeling results and measurements of the tags in active state. In the analysis, we will concentrate on comparing the performance of a dipole-type tag antenna with T-match, two-wire and three-wire folded dipole tag antennas and a microstrip patch-type tag antenna.


Visiting a stately home open to the public can be a geological excursion in addition to a journey into social history. This is an experience akin to Darwin speculating whether his next landfall would present him with 'igneous or metamorphic' rocks to test his early geological knowledge, even before he had received Lyell's Principles when the Beagle reached Buenos Aires. In Britain the prospects are good when the house is Victorian or Edwardian, and we are facing the rich industrialists investing his wealth in opulent interiors within a High Gothic external architecture. In the West of England, this can be tested by a visit to Tyntesfield, a mansion acquired by the National Trust to the south of Bristol in South West England in 2002. Reputed to be little changed from being a family home, it has become a place where booking a timed visit is advised, such is public interest. It also has an added interest in that the Trust is in receipt of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund in order to carry out repairs and refurbishment of the many ancillary buildings of the landscaped estate. The work is proceeding alongside public visits, so offering insight into building conservation.


Like shared-memory multi-threaded programs, event-driven programs such as client-side web applications are susceptible to data races that are hard to reproduce and debug. Race detection for such pr...


Unhappily, some pregnancies do not produce the results desired by parents or physicians. Indeed, early pregnancy loss or perinatal mortality may occur and be devastating to the parties involved. The possibility of maximizing perinatal outcomes has led to the concept of high-risk pregnancy. Prospective designation as high risk and special surveillance with selective intervention are considered beneficial. Pregnancies may be designated as high risk for many reasons, and the particular risk factor may determine the type of surveillance indicated. For example, the pregnant woman whose only identifiable risk factor is a previous pregnancy with early, asymptomatic cervical dilatation is at risk for preterm delivery. Appropriate surveillance might include intensive patient education and frequent clinical and ultrasound evaluations of the cervix. In other pregnancies, the high-risk designation is applied because of concern for the insidious development of uteroplacental insufficiency (UPI). UPI may be considered inadequacy, sometimes progressing to frank failure, of uteroplacental exchange. In pregnancies at risk for UPI, appropriate surveillance should be directed toward the detection of this inadequacy. UPI may result in fetal growth restriction, fetal demise, or intrapartum fetal distress. For the detection of UPI to be clinically useful, periodic fetal testing must, in a timely manner, alert the obstetrician, who may then take measures to prevent or at least minimize any adverse effects on the fetus. Currently, most fetal surveillance for UPI is with antepartum fetal heart rate (FHR) testing, using external fetal monitoring equipment, complemented by assessments made by ultrasound. The two types of FHR tests are the nonstress test (NST), described in another chapter, and the contraction stress test (CST), to which this chapter is devoted.


The author report his experience with Teclozine in the treatment on 40 patients suffering chronic intestinal amebiasis, employing a new therapeutical schedule - 1,500 mg as the total dose, within the period of 24 hours. After a follow-up on the 4th, 8th, 12th, and 20th days of treatment, the parasitological cure rate obtained was 75% (30 cases), and the drug was very well tolerated by all the patients.


Genome editing is a type of genetic engineering technique to alter genomic information, especially to insert, delete or change genomic DNA sequences. Currently, CRISPR/Cas system has been emerging as a precise and powerful tool for genome editing, which is widely used in basic research and holds great potential in therapeutics. The application of high-throughput sequencing and related computational pipelines 王 滢, 等. 计算生物学分析在基因组编辑研究中的应用 · 29 · in CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing achieves gene functional screening in a genome wide scale, and also improves the analysis of genome editing efficiency and accuracy. Importantly, bioinformatic analyses and machine learning, including deep learning, can also be used to evaluate/optimize gRNA design and to predict the genome editing outcome. Here, we briefly describe the application of computational analyses in CRISPR/ Cas-mediated genome editing.


The study of personality and politics is possible and desirable, but systematic intellectual progress is possible only if there is careful attention to problems of evidence, inference, and conceptualization. This essay reviews such problems, setting forth a conceptualization that takes account of, and builds on, many of the recurring reservations that are advanced about the utility of studying the personalities of political actors. In doing do, it takes selective account of the classical literature on political psychology and more recent developments in the field.


The work monitored rheofermentation properties of dough prepared from composite flours formed by 70% of wheat flour T650 and the addition of 30%. Three kinds of additions were used, namely spelt flour, amaranth flour and buckwheat flour. To determine rheofermentation properties Rheofermentometer Rhea F4 was used, by means of which the dough development, the production of fermentation gases, retention ability of dough and the activity of used baking yeast were analysed. The best ability to retain formed fermentation gas had wheat flour (control) and composite flour with the addition of spelt flour. The composite flour with addition of amaranth flour showed a retention coefficient compared to the control lower by 13%, and the composite flour with addition of buckwheat flour showed a retention coefficient compared to the control reduced by 20%. Control flour and composite flours were then processed in the baking experiment. Based on its results it was possible to evaluate the effect of the addition and retention capacity of dough on the quality of the final products (experimental loaves). The biggest loaf volume (200 cm 3 ) and the optimal vaulting (0.65) were found in the control and a loaf made of composite flour with addition of spelt. Loaf volume, produced from composite flours with the addition of amaranth, and buckwheat was compared to control lower by 18.7%, and 16.3% respectively. The value of vaulting of these products (0.40) can be evaluated as unsatisfactory. Based on the evaluation of results observed by measuring on the rheofermentometer and baking experiment results it can be concluded that a better ability to retain the formed fermentation gas, thus ensuring high volume, had loaves made from wheat flour T650 and composite flour with addition of spelt flour. Based on the findings, it is possible to state that the results of rheofermentometric measurements predict the volume and vaulting of bakery products. By means of Rheofermentometer valuable information has been gained concerning the quality of bakery ingredients, especially flour and yeast.


Background: Although technology-enhanced simulation is increasingly used in health professions education, features of effective simulation-based instructional design remain uncertain. Aims: Evaluate the effectiveness of instructional design features through a systematic review of studies comparing different simulation-based interventions. Methods: We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO, Scopus, key journals, and previous review bibliographies through May 2011. We included original research studies that compared one simulation intervention with another and involved health professions learners. Working in duplicate, we evaluated study quality and abstracted information on learners, outcomes, and instructional design features. We pooled results using random effects meta-analysis. Results: From a pool of 10 903 articles we identified 289 eligible studies enrolling 18 971 trainees, including 208 randomized trials. Inconsistency was usually large (I 2 > 50%). For skills outcomes, pooled effect sizes (positive numbers favoring the instructional design feature) were 0.68 for range of difficulty (20 studies; p < 0.001), 0.68 for repetitive practice (7 studies; p = 0.06), 0.66 for distributed practice (6 studies; p = 0.03), 0.65 for interactivity (89 studies; p < 0.001), 0.62 for multiple learning strategies (70 studies; p < 0.001), 0.52 for individualized learning (59 studies; p < 0.001), 0.45 for mastery learning (3 studies; p = 0.57), 0.44 for feedback (80 studies; p < 0.001), 0.34 for longer time (23 studies; p = 0.005), 0.20 for clinical variation (16 studies; p = 0.24), and −0.22 for group training (8 studies; p = 0.09). Conclusions: These results confirm quantitatively the effectiveness of several instructional design features in simulation-based education.


Background & Aim of work: In recent years there has been an increase in life-threatening infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii with multiple antibiotic resistance, especially, in case of biofilm formation. This study aimed at assessing the rate of multidrug resistance (MDR) among A.baumannii isolates, incidence of biofilm formation and evaluating the role of, recently produced medications from 2 different antibiotic classes; tigecycline (glycylcyclines) and moxifloxacin (flouroquinolones), in prevention of Acinetobacter biofilm formation. Methods: The current investigation was carried out on 30 strains of A. baumannii isolated from different samples at King Khalid University Hospital. Strains were identified and characterized for their antibiotic sensitivity. The MICs tests were conducted to all yields for tigecyclin and moxifloxacin antibiotics. The frequency of biofilm formation and strength was determined by modified microtitre plate method. Finally, prevention of biofilm formation was done using 1X MIC, 2X MIC and 0.5X MIC concentrations of tigecyclin and moxifloxacin. Results: All A. baumannii isolates were found to be MDR strains, resistance to tested antibiotic discs were found to be 100% in 23.3% of the tested strains, 90% of them were biofilm formers. MIC to tigecyclin was found to be 100% sensitive to all yields with MIC90 and MIC50 equal to 0.5 μg/ml and 0.25 μg/ml respectively. However, 83.3 % of the strains were resistant to moxifloxacin with MIC90 and MIC50 equal to 32 μg/ml. In testing their ability in avoidance of biofilm formation, unexpectedly, the reduction in biofilm formation were more noticed in the tested concentrations of moxifoloxacin with high significance compared with controls in the 3 concentrations tested with (p < 0.001). While, tigecycline gave a gradual reduction; double MIC, MIC, 0.5 MIC concentrations showed the significance of (p < 0.001, < 0.01 and < 0.05) respectively. Conclusion and Recommendations: Most A. baumannii isolates are MDR isolates with high tendency of biofilm formation, tigecyclin was the most effective tested antibiotic used on the planktonic cells while its effect on biofilm was exceeded by moxifloxacin. Further investigation is needed to understand the molecular basis of such an interesting finding. [Nermin H. Ibrahim, Ali M. Somily, Rasha H. Bassyouni and Amani Zain El-Aabedien Comparative Study Assessing the Effect of Tigecycline and Moxifloxacin in Prevention of Acinetobacter baumannii Biofilm . Life Sci J 2012;9(3):1016-1024]. (ISSN: 1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 143


Constructionism places an emphasis on the process of creating personally meaningful artefacts in order to explore, test and extend understanding. To achieve this, learners engage in a creative process in which they develop skills, generate and evaluate ideas and share their knowledge and understanding through the artefacts that they create. This paper explores this process through a distributed constructionist learning experience in a non-goal orientated virtual world with 24 learners. The stages of the creative process identified by Shniederman are used as a theoretical lens to examine codes and categories generated through constant comparative analysis of data, along with the original interviews, artefacts and learners' reflections. The findings identify ways in which the features of the technology, the built environment and design of the learning experience influenced the creative process.


A particulate precursor compound for manufacturing a lithium transition metal (M)-oxide powder usable as an active positive electrode material in lithium-ion batteries, wherein (M) is NixMnyCozAv, A being a dopant, wherein 0.33<=x<=0.60, 0.20<=y<=0.33, and 0.20<=z<=0.33, v<=0.05, and x+y+z+v= l, the precursor having a specific surface area PBET in m2/g, a tapped density PTD in g/cm3, a median particle size PD50 in [mu]m, and wherein (I).


Abstract : The Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) of an aircraft carrier is one of the most important milestones in a carrier's lifecycle. An RCOH supports the future modernization efforts that will sustain the carrier and extend its nuclear fuel lifetime an additional twenty-five years. To date only two Nimitz class carrier overhauls have been completed, with a third in progress. Although these RCOHs were viewed as overall successes, they were unsuccessful from a risk management perspective because ultimately resulted in consecutive delivery delay and increased cost. This research assessed three (3) possible risk mitigation strategies for achieving cost and time effectiveness of a Nimitz class nuclear powered aircraft carrier (CVN) in dry-dock during the execution phase of an RCOH. The strategies evaluated were (1) to maintain the current RCOH process, (2) reduce and defer non-nuclear maintenance coupled with schedule compression, and (3) increase the efficiency of power usage of carriers with the intent of eliminating the need for refuelings. The results of this research indicate that eliminating a carrier's RCOH increases its overall cost and time effectiveness. It also reveals that a 33-year carrier lifecycle, as opposed to a 50-year lifecycle, increases the ship?s operational availability and modernization capability.


Homicide is predominantly committed by and against men, especially young men, all over the world. This has been documented in many societies across various times and cultures and has been considered to be one of the universal patterns of homicide. However, the homicide rate in Japan has decreased drastically since the end of the SecondWorld War, owing to a huge decrease in the homicide rate by men in their 20s, and as a result, the usual peak in the age-related homicide curve completely disappeared in recent Japan. When homicide rates are calculated for each cohort of men, however, age effects remain clear, regardless of the actual homicide rates. I investigated the relevance of sociocultural factors hypothesized to affect the risk proneness of men in relation to age. D 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


For video surveillance systems, visual event detection is an interesting resource since it can reduce the volume of data to be transmitted or stored. Furthermore, visual event detection offers information about physical events occurring inside the scene. This article presents a low cost algorithm for visual event detection. The proposed algorithm is based on the partial decoding of the JPEG (Joint Picture Expert Group) flow produced by the IP cameras hardware and the analysis of the DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform) coefficients on contiguous frames. Two are the main advantages of this algorithm: It runs over a reduced memory space and it is inexpensive in terms of CPU resources. In order to show the advantage of the proposed algorithm, a visual event detection system has been implemented in C language over Linux.


Objective: To investigate the effects of Capsule Yi-Zhi (CYZ is extracted and purified by our department mainly from Polygonum Multiflorum, Ginseng and Korean Epimedium herb, among which quantitatively effective ingredients are more than 50%.) on learning and memory disorder and â-amyloid protein induced neurotoxicity in rats. Methods: Various doses of CYZ were administered to Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats for 8 days, twice a day. Then scopolamine hydrobromide (Sco) intraperitoneal injection was performed on each rat and the Morris water maze test and step-though test were carried out respectively to explore the changes of the rats' learning and memory capacities. Primary rat cortex neurons were cultured in vitro for 7 days and then, serum containing CYZ was added to neurons before or after the addition of â Amyloid peptide25–35 (Aâ25–35) to see the extent of CYZ's protectiveness on neurotoxicity. MTT assay and test of level of LDH in the culture media were performed to achieve this aim. Results Compared with control group, rats in Morris water maze test required significantly decreased time in finding the platform under the water surface from 19.5 ± 11.40 to 8.5 ± 2.39, 8.8 ± 3.07, and 7.4 ± 3.87 sec, respectively, and in step-though test, the latent period rose from 22.70 ± 23.07 to 148.50 ± 124.02, 176.50 ± 143.36, and 196.60 ± 128.00 sec and the error number decreased from 14.20 ± 7.74 to 7.50 ± 8.02, 3.40 ± 4.43 and 2.50 ± 3.10 respectively, all with statistical significance. Moreover, in cultured primary neurons, the dramatic drop of LDH level in culture media from 3670.2 ± 437.65 to 864.5 ± 371.69 and 1444 ± 635.18 U L and the high A scores rising from 0.68 ± 0.193 to 0.93 ± 0.009 and 0.96 ± 0.239 in MTT test indicated that CYZ could effectively resist the neurotoxicity induced by Aâ25–35. Conclusions: CYZ presented promising effects on learning and memory dysfunction and Aâ induced neurotoxicity in vitro.


The performance of a new near-field planar-scan single-intensity phase retrieval minimisation algorithm for predicting the far-field has been presented and compared with holographic measurements. The algorithm requires an aperture estimate with diffraction effects for optimum performance. The approach of combining diffraction modellings, minimisation and error-reduction has been successful and efficient in dealing with substantial astigmatic deformation and diffraction effects in a front-fed reflector. More accurate determination of axial and astigmatic feed misalignments have been obtained from a weighted modulus-error function. At present, the method is clearly capable of useful far-field prediction and the results are therefore very encouraging for the phase retrieval metrology of millimeter and sub-millimeter reflector antennas.


Sloshing is an important phenomenon in the fluid dynamics, in turn mainly considered for the designing of components in many industries for better vehicle stability. The goal of this work is to first study the sloshing pattern and then improves the tank design to reduce noise levels, stresses on the structure and optimize the baffle arrangements. Tanker trucks are the majorly preferred for transporting flammable or inflammable liquids from one location to another. When the liquid starts to slosh in the tank, it causes huge weight shifts and builds momentum and does not settle down quickly, results in a chance of accident or skid of vehicle. Further the effect of sloshing is controlled by introducing baffles inside the tank. The baffle plates are rigidly fixed inside the tank. The sloshing inside the tank increases the pressure. The modeling is done by using CREO PARAMETRIC 2.0, and then sloshing is analyzed by using CFD.


Methamphetamine (METH) ‐induced behavioral sensitization depends on long‐term neuroplasticity in the mesolimbic dopamine system, especially in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). miR‐128, a brain enriched miRNA, was found to have abilities in regulating neuronal excitability and formation of fear‐extinction memory. Here, we aim to identify the role of miR‐128 on METH‐induced locomotor sensitization of male mice. We identified a significant increase of miR‐128 in the NAc of mice upon repeated‐intermittent METH exposure but not acute METH administration. Microinjection of adeno‐associated virus (AAV)‐miR‐128 over‐expression and inhibition constructs into the NAc of mice resulted in enhanced METH‐induced locomotor sensitization and attenuated effects of METH respectively. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) technology and ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) were carried out to uncover the potential molecular mechanisms underlying miR‐128‐regulated METH sensitization. Differentially expressed proteins, including 25 potential targets for miR‐128 were annotated in regulatory pathways that modulate dendritic spines, synaptic transmission and neuritogenesis. Of which, Arf6, Cpeb3 and Nlgn1, were found to be participating in miR‐128‐regulated METH sensitization. Consistently, METH‐induced abnormal changes of Arf6, Cpeb3 and Nlgn1 in the NAc of mice were also detected by qPCR and validated by western blot analysis. Thus, miR‐128 may contribute to METH sensitization through controlling neuroplasticity. Our study suggested miR‐128 was an important regulator of METH‐ induced sensitization and also provided the potential molecular networks of miR‐128 in regulating METH‐induced sensitization.


The paper presents the development and the validation for an upper limb rehabilitation system for stroke patients. The system uses the functional electrical stimulation (FES) based on surface electrodes knitted into a novel textile glove. The passive mobilization is done by using an exoskeleton mechatronic system. The overall control system accounts for a balanced control between FES, mechatronic exoskeleton, and any remaining patient voluntary control. This project helps the upper limb rehabilitative process and also provides a record of the quantified improvements on a daily basis. This final design will be tested in a clinical environment aiming to help the patients with neuromuscular diseases to evaluate and train their grip force control.


completeness similar to that of an ethnic community, but with the addition of an elaborate system of sexual opportunities. This system is analysed using an ecological model, in terms of population, territory, time, niches, and energy source. The basis of an expanding gay community of limited liability is considered both at the subcultural level and the level of individual choices of social and sexual asso-


Redox-active solids with accessible porosity are currently in the focus of materials research due to their numerous and prevailing applications like in sensing, as corrosion inhibitors, in organic synthesis, heterogeneous catalysis and last but not least for electrochemical energy storage e.g. in the form of supercapacitors. Examples include nanostructured transition metal oxides like RuO2 or MnO2. Although these oxides oen have high capacities and seemingly high structural stability they nevertheless may dissolve upon electrochemical cycling. Additionally, their composition is oen very complex and sensitive already to small changes in crystallinity or hydratization, which leads to problems with regard to reproducibility and dened redox properties. Alternatively, organic compounds like redox active polymers can be applied, like polyaniline or polymers, with redox active groups (e.g. ferrocenes, etc.) attached to their backbone. However, redox active polymers oen lack in chemical and structural stability. They may even change their conformation by changing the redox states, which impedes reversibility and durability. Nevertheless, it still appears worth exploiting organic entities known for their advantageous redox features, but one requires a matrix with higher structural and chemical stability. A powerful method to equip surfaces with organic functionalities is the generation of nanoporous, organic–inorganic hybrid


Abstract : The Integrated Command ASW Prediction System (ICAPS) is an on-scene computer system designed as an anti-submarine warfare aid consisting of environmental, acoustic, and tactical products. One tactical model in ICAPS is the Active Acoustic Sensor Range Prediction model (ACTIVE ASRAP) which gives 50% probability of detection ranges for the SSQ-47 and the SSQ-50 sonobuoys. This report consists of a detailed description of ACTIVE ASRAP. The description is in terms of explict formulation of the mathematical techniques used in the model so that the reader can examine the inherent assumptions and the applicability of the program for his use. The audience is the general antisubmarine warfare community within U.S. Naval Forces.


A low-voltage insulation system comprises a multitude of materials, carefully chosen to provide the desired service life of the device. As such, the interaction of the materials with the design and in the manufacturing process, as well as aging in use, needs also to be considered. This paper gives an overview of types of low-voltage of motors and generators, including critical factors regarding application and operation as well as technical insulation solutions.


There is an increasing demand for streaming video applications over both the fixed Internet and wireless IP networks. The fluctuating bandwidth and time-varying delays of best-effort networks makes providing good quality streaming a challenge. Many adaptive video delivery mechanisms have been proposed over recent years; however, most do not explicitly consider user-perceived quality when making adaptations, nor do they define what quality is. This chapter describes research that proposes that an optimal adaptation trajectory through the set of possible encodings exists, and indicates how to adapt transmission in response to changes in network conditions in order to maximize user-perceived quality. IDEA GROUP PUBLISHING This paper appears in the publication, Digital Multimedia Perception and Design edited by Gheorghita Ghinea, Sherry Y. Chen © 2006, Idea Group Inc. 701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Suite 200, Hershey PA 17033-1240, USA Tel: 717/533-8845; Fax 717/533-8661; URL-http://www.idea-group.com ITB12981


Objective
The research aimed to understand the impact of family concern and psychological capital on antenatal depression of pregnant women, and to test the mediating role of psychological capital between two variables.

Methods
The questionnaire survey was performed in 221 pregnant women with random sampling, statistic analysis was conducted with structural equation model.

Results
The incidence of depression of pregnant women was 17.65% (39/221), family concern (β=-0.15) and psychological capital (β=-0.42) were negatively correlated with depression of pregnant women, psychological capital played a partial mediating effect between relation.

Conclusions
Positive family concern can improve the psychological capital and reduce incidence of depression of pregnant women, the finding will provide some scientific evidence on pregnancy care for pregnant women.

Key words:
Pregnancy; Depression; Psychological capital; Family concern


Due to the importance and benefits of multipurpose plant Moringa oleifera and its use in the region of Tolima and the country as well as the absence of a management information system, this document provides a Geographic Information System of this plant in the department , through the identification of major producers and farming as well as their geographic distribution in order to promote their position in the production chain.


Contemporary psychobiography of Jesus develops on the foundation that previous scholars search for "Christ of faith" and "Jesus of history",its announcement about Jesus' psychological characteristics reaches at an unprecedented height.Applying the theories of personality,developmental and social psychology,and spreading out some investigations in the overlapping field between character biography and psychological research,we can find that Jesus was a fatherless son,lacking of a family status conformed by the convention,this state made him try hard to seek a father in heaven.His "Abba" was a name with some shelter functions which could give a kind of ability to him for resisting outside threats and dispelling inside anxiety.


A consistent plate finite element model is formulated for coupled composite plates with induced strain actuation and validated with test data obtained from cantilevered isotropic and anisotropic plates. Actuators are modeled as additional plies fully integrated into substrate laminae, and the formulation is based on modified thin classical laminated-plate theory. The analysis is formulated for a generic anisotropic plate with a number of piezoactuators of arbitrary size, surface-bonded or embedded at arbitrary locations. Composite plates with extension-twist and bending-twist couplings were built and tested. Two rows of piezoceramic elements are surface mounted on both top and bottom surfaces near the root. Static tests are carried out using induced strain actuation, and mechanical loading and measured data are correlated with predictions for bending and twist distributions. For an extension-twist coupled plate, the agreement between predicted and measured induced twist due to extensional strain with piezoactuation is excellent. For the strongly bending-twist coupled composite plate, the predicted induced twist due to bending strain with piezoactuation agreed well in trends, but magnitudes were underpredicted by a maximum of 20% from measured values. For the weakly bending-twist coupled composite plate, the predicted induced-twist angle agreed extremely well with measured data. The modeling and validation results show the usability of the piezoactuation in the field of plate shape control.


From the Publisher:
This guide proposes a unified theory for explaining and evaluating defect behavior in software and achieving the highest quality level. It uses an interdisciplinary approach to explore the character and behavior of defects and shows how to develop predictive parameters to control the volume, nature, and form of defect behavior in software. No advanced mathematical skills are required to understand the explanations of how to analyze, anticipate, and control defects in complex software systems; quantify the occurrence of defects in systems; determine how the number of expected defects in a system relate to the size, complexity, and structure of the system and the environment; develop Zero Defect systems; and make appropriate tradeoffs between productivity and quality, and investments and return. Closed-form solutions provide insights into the interplay between variables that affect quality productivity, and other system properties. Software engineering metaphors and examples are used throughout to maintain the focus on practical issues. New areas covered include module sizes, the latest measures of quality, zero-defect systems, and how to quantify complexity. Formulas that describe important system properties in software development are included. Systems, Software, and Quality Engineering: Applying Deficit Behavior Theory to Programming will meet the needs of professionals in computer science, systems engineering, software engineering, operations research, and quality control. It will serve as a text for senior and graduate level courses related to these professions.


Experimental trampling was conducted in a coastal sand dune community located in a State Park in South- eastern, Brazil. To evaluate the effects it was used 5 permanent plots. The trampling intensities were 25, 75, 200, 500 and 1,000 passes and each plot had a control area. Response to trampling was assessed by determining species compo- sition, vegetation cover and height evaluation, right after trampling, 2 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 1 year after trampling. The same parameters were evaluated just before trampling. Although there was a substantial loss of vegetation cover on 500 and 1,000 treatment plots, the study area was recovered in a few months. Reductions in height occurred with less impact: 200 passes. The 500 and 1,000 pass interference didn't show statistical difference for cover and 200, 500 or 1,000 passes were statistically similar for the community, suggesting weak linearity between impact and amount of use. The results show that this community has a good resilience; probably in response to the natural stress the vegetation suffers continuously. The vegetation's changes in species composition seem to be more accurate; especially the extinction of rare species and the introduction of alien ones.


Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by café au lait macules, axillary freckling, neurofibromas, Lisch nodules, skeletal abnormalities, and a tendency to develop neoplasms. Neurofibromas are benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors that occur commonly in individuals with NF-1. Neurofibromas originating from the vagus nerve and spinal nerves are rarely reported in the literature. Here, we report an interesting case of NF-1 with a striking cutaneous presentation and bilateral localization in the great auricular nerve with bilateral vagal and multiple spinal neurofibromas. This is the first report of an NF-1 case with bilateral symmetric localization in the great auricular nerve.


Special importance in modern unfavorable environmental conditions is given to nutrition, which should ensure the weakening of the negative effect of harmful eco-factors on the human body, contribute to increasing its protective and adaptive capabilities, and, as a result, reduce the risk of developing various pathologies. At the same time, it should be taken into account that the diet of a modern person should be rich in biologically active components that can exhibit antioxidant properties. Recently, scientists are increasingly considering plant extracts as sources of antioxidants. Among them, a special role is assigned to Sorbus aucuparia, whose antioxidant activity is described as comparable, or even higher than other fruits. The article presents data on the study of the antioxidant activity of water extracts of mountain ash by biotesting. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using a biological model – Paramecium caudatum, determining the stress resistance of infusoria to hydrogen peroxide. The study revealed an increase in the stress resistance of Paramecium caudatum infusoria when adding extracts of mountain ash to the nutrient mixture compared to the control.


Tungsten trioxide (WO3) nanocuboids are preferentially developed through control over three important processing parameters: fluoroboric acid concentration, hydrothermal reaction time and temperature. Fluoroboric acid concentration has significant influence on the phase transformation from triclinic to monoclinic followed by intermediate metastable hexagonal tungsten trioxide and simultaneous formation of thin plates to cuboid shapes. Optimum temperature and time are essential to achieve cuboid morphology without crystalline water molecules. Orthorhombic tungstite (H2WO4) grows from virgin precursors below 180 °C temperature prior to the formation of triclinic WO3. The monoclinic nanocuboid has average dimensions of 140 nm length, 120 nm width and 85 nm thickness but its surface area is reduced and its crystallinity is enhanced for times greater than the optimum reaction time. A probable hydrothermal assisted reaction has been proposed to justify the formation of morphology and phase selection. The band gap energy of WO3 insignificantly varies with respect to processing conditions, with the lowest at 2.75 eV. The current density of 3.15 mA cm−2 is attributed to the high-symmetry electrochemical reaction of the dip-coated nanocuboid WO3/ITO electrode. Coloration and bleaching kinetics depict the proton assisted-bleaching as faster than the coloration phenomenon with the appearance of 72.2% electrochromic reversibility. The fabricated nanocuboid WO3-coated ITO glass has fairly good optical transparency, electrochromic stability and reversibility.


Reggianito argentino is a hard cooked cheese, which is normally produced with natural 'wild' whey cultures. In the present work, we compared proteolysis during the ripening of cheeses made with natural whey cultures and defined multiple-or single-strain cultures of Lactobacillus helveticus (SF133, 138 and 209). For that purpose, we performed RP-HPLC of ethanol (70%)-soluble and -insoluble fractions of the cheese and analysed levels of free amino acids. Principal component and non-hierarchical cluster analyses were applied to chromatographic and free amino acid data and samples were classified into three clusters with increasing proteolysis. Cheese produced with strains of L. helveticus 133-138 was grouped in the cluster with lowest proteolysis, while cheese manufactured with strains 209-138 was in the group with highest proteolysis. The remainder of the cheeses were grouped in the intermediate cluster or in the group with highest proteolysis, depending on the index of proteolysis studied. Control cheese and cheese made with the three-strain starter (133-138-209) were always grouped in the same cluster, which indicates that reggianito argentino can be produced with this defined starter culture without changes to its patterns of proteolysis.


Russian speakers make up the biggest group of foreign-language speakers in Finland. Their use of Finnish words in
Russian discourse can be interpreted as an example of multilingual practices, such as code-switching. It can also be
viewed as an example of how loanwords are assimilated. While speakers of Russian in Finland are part of a worldwide internet community, they also represent a local community that can have a language form of its own. This article presents an analysis of about 500 cases of Finnish lexical items and word combinations usage in written Russian (260 different lemmas). The material for the research was selected from written internet discourse of a Russophone community on Facebook, a social media platform. Members of this community are Russian women who have been living in Finland for some time. The Finnish words were studied in the context of posts and replies to them. The 475 Finnish words found amounted to 4 % of the total 12,022 words used in the source. The analysis of the material took into account semantic and grammatical features of the items. Semantic features included the categories of proper nouns, terms and other words related to life in Finland. The grammatical analysis began by studying the choice of writing system, i.e. whether the units retained their original spelling which is either in Latin or in Cyrillic. After that, the Finnish words that had been transliterated were studied for the presence or lack of declension as compared to the Russian norm in similar uses. It was suggested that the tendency not to decline Finnish words written both in Cyrillic and Latin in the discourse also affected the syntactic positions in which they were used, making positions that did not require declension overrepresented. The number of examples subjected to the assimilation rules for loanwords in Russian (transliteration and using declension) was small. Therefore, most of the examples represent code-switching, a natural consequence of those living in Finland, and provide evidence for the existence of a local version of Russian.


This paper presents an evaluation of the urban mobility with a use of the textual data recorded at the level of transit spaces "Example: Hotel" and quantitative data recorded via traffic management applications.In this paper we seek to have a look at what level the correlation between collected data is present, and how we can improve planning and decisions of urban mobility via the results of open source applications.


Using cosmic ray intensity data from the Deep River Neutron monitor and the relation between solar wind velocity and heliomagnetic latitude, an attempt is made to evaluate quantitatively the latitudinal gradient of cosmic ray intensity during the periods dominated by a two sector pattern. Assuming a constant orientation of the heliospheric current sheet on a time scale of the order of a year, a relationship is determined between cosmic ray intensity and heliomagnetic latitude.


Objective To establish diagnostic model for prostatic carcinoma based on artificial neural network(ANN) by combining the serum markers of prostatic carcinoma and clinical information in order to provide references for clinical diagnosis and treatment of prostatic carcinoma. Methods Based on experiment information system and hospital information system,365 patients whose serum markers of prostatic carcinoma were tested and collected from January 2010 to July 2011 were retrieved and they were divided into prostatic carcinoma group(60 cases) and non-prostatic carcinoma group(305 cases).The indicators were evaluated with the method of area under the ROC curves,and 244 cases(40 cases from prostatic carcinoma group and 204 cases from non-prostatic carcinoma group) were used to built the diagnostic model with artificial neural network and 121 samples(20 samples from prostatic carcinoma group and 101 samples from non-prostatic carcinoma group) were used to assess this model. Results Age,AFP,CEA,tPSA and cPSA were involved into the analysis.The areas under the curve of the indicators were 0.623,0.517,0.499,0.907 and 0.913,respectively.The incidence of prostatic carcinoma were related to age,tPSA and cPSA(P0.05) and the three indicators showed statistically significant differences between prostatic carcinoma group and non-prostatic carcinoma group by analysis of variance(P0.05).The specificity and sensitivity of this model were 93.63% and 82.50% for the exercise sample and 93.07% and 80.00% for the test sample. Conclusion The technology of data mining can extract effective information of diagnosis and treatment.The diagnostic model for prostatic carcinoma which was based on artificial neural network may be a valuable clinical tool for early diagnosis of prostatic carcinoma.


Interconnection of (linear, time-invariant, resistive) <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${n}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-ports is a fundamental concept of circuit theory. We discuss their full and terminal interconnectability, analogously to full and terminal solvability of networks and provide a necessary condition for the full interconnectability (also sufficient under some genericity assumption), which can be checked in polynomial time using matroid algorithms. Reciprocity is another fundamental concept for ordinary <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${n}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-ports, where the number <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${r}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> of linearly independent equations equals to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${n}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, There is a well-known concept of generalized or <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${g}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-reciprocity if <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$r>n$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. For <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$r< n$ </tex-math></inline-formula> we introduce the concept of potential or <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${p}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-reciprocity if further equations can be added to the equation system of the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${n}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-port to obtain an ordinary reciprocal <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${n}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-port. We prove that an <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${n}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-port is p-reciprocal if and only if its dual is g-reciprocal and study the relations of these concepts to the spectrum of the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${n}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-port, leading to a hierarchical classification of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${n}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-ports. We also prove that the interconnection of p- or g-reciprocal <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${n}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-ports preserves these properties, give polynomial algorithms to recognize p- or g-reciprocity and, in case of p-reciprocity, to extend the equation system to that of a reciprocal <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${n}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-port.


Typing every character in a text message may require more time or effort than strictly necessary. Skipping spaces or other characters may be able to speed input and reduce a user's physical input effort. This can be particularly important for people with motor impairments. In a large crowdsourced study, we found workers frequently abbreviated text by omitting mid-word vowels. We designed a recognizer optimized for expanding noisy abbreviated input where users often omit spaces and mid-word vowels. We show using neural language models for selecting conversational-style training text and for rescoring the recognizer's n-best sentences improved accuracy. On noisy touchscreen data collected from hundreds of users, we found accurate abbreviated input was possible even if a third of characters was omitted. Finally, in a study where users had to dwell for a second on each key, sentence abbreviated input was competitive with a conventional keyboard with word predictions. After practice, users wrote abbreviated sentences at 9.6 words-per-minute versus word input at 9.9 words-per-minute.


This paper presents a comparison study on load property of China's power grid including 5 regional power grids taking into account the characteristics of load property change of power grid of our country in recent years.It establishes a foundation for the study of the change rule of load property in our country and also for the study of the change trend of power load property in the future.


This paper utilizes distributed multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) based optimization technique to arrive at the efficient reactive power control (ERPC) in electric power systems by considering the inaccurate power network. Every agent will incorporate with the adjacent agent only if it is electrically combined for data sharing utilizing global information sharing by using the consensus-based algorithm. A Q-learning-based distributed RL-based algorithm is used and incorporated with the consensus algorithm for the global reward search to limit the power losses and operational constraints. It is demonstrated to be applicable for online learning, and a model-free methodology has been considered and provides the optimal solution. It has been observed that supervised learning can speed up the learning process and reduce undesired results.


Summary

Data are based on more than 200 h of observation at Ethiopia's Lake Shala from 1966 to 1972.

Except for differences in size of bill, there are no useful field characters separating male and female Sacred Ibis. The breeding plumage is described; vivid blood-red colour underneath the wings and the ornamental plumes are especially obvious when nesting commences.

Physical and biological features of Lake Shala, Ethiopia, and its nesting islands are described; the species of birds nesting on the Shala islands are given.

Ibises nest at Shah from March to August; no nesting has been recorded from September to February during the last months of the 'big' rains through the main dry season. Nesting normally begins in the 'small' rains (between 14 March-24 April), although instances were recorded as early as 1 March and as late as 20 August. The ibises normally nest once per year, although it is possible that occasionally a second nesting may occur after an unsuccessful first attempt.

The ibises at Shala nest in discrete groups; several nesting groups may form on any or all of the islands; the number of groups attempting to nest varied from year to year. Nesting activity begins when males arrive and establish pairing territories, usually in a small tree but sometimes on the ground. When females and other males arrive at the pairing territories, pair formation ensues. At this time males perform forward threat, modified forward threat, pursuit flight, supplanting attack and modified snap displays, while both sexes perform stretch and bow displays. Once established, the pair abandons the pairing territory and moves to the nesting area, usually near but always distinct from the pairing territory, and establishes a nest-site territory. Most members of the nesting group move to the nesting area on the same day. Copulation then takes place, and is followed by collection of nest material, usually by the male. Nests are built close together. The average area of 10 nests measured was 0.09 m2. Nests are usually less than 20 cm thick and are made of many small branches and sticks.

The average clutch in 34 nests was 2.24 eggs; the average size of 34 eggs was 63.4×43.5 mm. Incubation probably begins when the clutch is complete. Both sexes incubate, and the incubation period probably lasts 28–29 days.

The development of the young is described. The young leave the nest-site territory when 14–21 days old. Although they are capable of some flight when 35–40 days old, the young do not leave the colony until they are 44–48 days old. In the colony, both parents care for the young. Usually only one parent at a time is with the young. The parents recognize their own young and are usually recognized by them. The behavioural interactions between young and parents are described.

Fledging success in 1968 was 1.06 young per pair. The number of pairs successfully rearing young varied annually from none to 81%, on average over six years (1966–70, 1972) 35%.

Predation at the breeding colonies is minimal. The food of one one-month old chick consisted of beetle larvae, lepidopteran larvae and beetles. Feeding areas, although undetermined, must be widespread.

Inter-specific competition between Sacred Ibis and other nesting birds at Shala is discussed.

Among possible factors stimulating nesting at Shala one, fairly heavy rainfall, seems to be especially important. It is also suggested that especially heavy rain-storms cause ibises to abandon the colonies, and result in poor breeding success.


We study topological magnons on an anisotropic square-hexagon-octagon (SHO) lattice which has been found by a two-dimensional Biphenylene network (BPN). We propose the concepts of type-II Dirac magnonic states where new schemes to achieve topological magnons are unfolded without requiring the Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interactions (DMIs). In the ferromagnetic states, the topological distinctions at the type-II Dirac points along with one-dimensional (1D) closed lines of Dirac magnon nodes are characterized by the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ invariant. We find pair annihilation of the Dirac magnons and use the Wilson loop method to depict the topological protection of the band-degeneracy. The Green's function approach is used to calculte chiral edge modes and magnon density of states (DOS). We introduce the DMIs to gap the type-II Dirac magnon points and demonstrate the Dirac nodal loops (DNLs) are robust against the DMIs within a certain parameter range. The topological phase diagram of magnon bands is given via calculating the Berry curvature and Chern number. We find that the anomalous thermal Hall conductivity gives connection to the magnon edge current. Furthermore, we derive the differential gyromagnetic ratio to exhibit the Einstein-de Haas effect (EdH) of magnons with topological features.


It is significant that the dangers of driver fatigue have not found an equivalent expression in the public arena as related concerns, such as drunk driving. The reasons fatigue has traditionally played a secondary role in road transport safety research and policy were outlined by Brown (1994), namely: (a) that evidence of a causal influence of fatigue in accidents is often circumstantial, and (b) a lack of political will to research the limitation of the hours of work for professional drivers, but underpinning both is the fact that (c) fatigue is a complex and ambiguous concept with no standard measurement index. The latter absence of definition lies at the crux of the fatigue problem, both in terms of research and policy. A recent survey of drivers in the UK conducted by G. Maycock (1995) revealed that 29% of his survey sample (N = 4,600) had experienced feeling close to falling asleep at the wheel during the previous 12 months. Only 7% of the same sample reported fatigue as a contributory factor in accident involvement (adjusted by Maycock to implicate fatigue in between 9% and 10% of accidents for the sample). The general point is made that experiences of extreme fatigue do not have a one-to-one correspondence with accident involvement. This chapter is concerned with a description and operationalisation of compensatory strategies to cope with fatigue and impairment in more general terms. It is hypothesized that such compensatory mechanisms are based on the investment and conservation of mental effort (Hockey, 1986, 1993, 1997). Furthermore, the measurement of these compensatory mechanisms may constitute an appropriate basis on which to assess the influence of fatigue on behavior. For the covering abstract see ITRD E108674.


Large-scale tropical phenomena such as the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are oŸen studied using the longwave approximation to equatorial β-plane theory. is approximation involves the neglect of the (∂v/∂t) term in the meridional momentum equation. e approximation does not distort Kelvin waves, completely lters inertia-gravity waves, is reasonably accurate for long Rossby waves, but greatly distorts short Rossby waves. Here we present an improvement of the longwavemodel, based on an approximation of the (∂v/∂t) term rather than its complete neglect. e new model is similar to the longwave model in the sense that it does not distort Kelvin waves and completely lters inertia-gravity waves. However, it dišers from the longwave model in the sense that it accurately describes Rossby waves of all wavelengths, thus making it a useful tool for the study of a wider range of tropical phenomena than just the MJO and ENSO. Althoughmost of the mathematical analysis performed here is in the context of equatorial β-plane theory, we briežy discuss how the ideas can be generalized to spherical geometry.


This research paper will assess the method, tools and techniques, and the effectiveness of measuring performance in Malaysian manufacturing with wide coverage and across industries from electrical & consumer goods, food and beverages, steel and metal manufacturers, transportation & logistics, construction industries, consumer goods, car manufacturing, wood industries, pharmaceutical and others.


Intelligence is often used as a controlling variable in psychology research; one that determines group membership in order to make certain predictions about a population's behavior. The Divergence Hypothesis, related to intelligence research, states that the correlation between the individual components that are measured in an IQ test (verbal ability, analytical ability, etc) and the test score itself, is only strong for a proportion of the general distribution. The correlations are the strongest at the low end of the distribution, and weaken as they approach the high end, completely breaking apart when scores reach the "high ability" range. If the amount of variance that each sub-component contributes to the overall measure of intelligence, or g, is so different at each level, this would imply that the construct of g is structurally different for low ability and high ability individuals. This poses problems when we speak of the predictive validity of g to determine other behaviors. How do we know which factor or factors are contributing to the group differences in individuals with high ability, if there is no strong correlation between the sub-factors and overall g? How can we determine which factors are contributing the most variance to the whole construct as we reach the high end of the distribution of intelligence? Is the construct of g different for low ability and high ability? If so, how valid is it to use those two groups to predict other behaviors? Several different methods of statistical analysis have attempted to address these issues; the benefits and the shortcomings of each method are presented here. Additionally, there is discussion of the validity of using the current definition of g as a construct across all ability levels, given the differential composition of g that is implied by the Divergence Hypothesis.


Nursing-led innovation is showing the way to improved multidisciplinary mental health service provision. As they head toward Magnet Recognition Program designation, New Zealand's Hutt Valley District Health Board (DHB) mental health and other nursing programs are shaking up multidisciplinary mental health care.


Purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.) plants were analyzed for free reducing sugars, free glucose, free plus acid hydrolyzable fructose, phosphorus, and iron. The only sugars detected were sucrose, glucose, and fructose. Sucrose was the most concentrated sugar in the shoots with the greatest concentration in the younger leaves. Sucrose was also the most concentrated sugar in mature rhizomes. Glucose and fructose were the most concentrated sugars in the actively growing rhizomes and tubers. Phosphorus was concentrated in the actively growing leaves and rhizomes, while iron was most concentrated in older tissues including rachises with seedheads, mature shoots, tubers, and rhizomes.


We create multi-modal fusion models to predict relational classes within entities in free-form inputs such as unseen movies. Our approach identifies information rich features within individual sources -- emotion, text-attention, age, gender, and contextual background object tracking. These information are absorbed and contrasted from baseline fusion architectures. These five models then showcase future research areas on this challenging problem of relational knowledge extraction from movies and free-form multi-modal input sources. We find that, generally, the Kinetics model added with Attributes and Objects beat the baseline models.


The dynamics of α‐fetoprotein (AFP) production by hepatocytes following different experimental manoeuvres that are known to induce regeneration of the liver was studied in young adult mice by simultaneous identification of dividing cells arrested during mitosis and of cells containing immuno‐histochemically detectable AFP. After 70% hepatectomy AFP was produced by a few, largely periportally located hepatocytes, following waves of brisk and active cell division. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)‐induced hepatic injury, on the other hand, led to participation of a relatively larger number of cells in early AFP synthesis preceding a less extensive cell proliferation. Initially, AFP‐producing cells were located in the peripheral part of the lobule but later they were more centrally placed, most often surrounding the zone of necrosis. Cells in mitosis often contained large amounts of AFP. CCl4 administration 48 h after 70% hepatectomy resulted in extensive AFP production by approximately a quarter of all surviving liver cells, although the concurrent rate of cell division was low. Intoxication with dimethylnitrosamine showed a pattern identical to that of hepatectomy but both cell division and AFP production were of comparatively lower magnitude. It is concluded that at least two distinct modes exist for augmented synthesis of AFP by hepatocytes of adult animals. In one, pre‐existent cells are stimulated to produce the protein before and irrespective of cell division while in the other, small amounts are synthesized by newly generated cells. Combination of the two mechanisms results in high levels of AFP production by stimulation of a large number of young hepatocytes.


We present a novel approach for locally guiding a group of agents amidst static and dynamic obstacles using the concept of prioritized formations. Our approach plans over a joint formation-velocity space employing a Bayesian scheme for evaluating the priority values of formations and a collision avoidance algorithm that accounts for the anisotropic nature of rotating formations. It guarantees collision-free navigation for the group, while exhibiting fast running times and smooth avoidance behaviors.


Until recently, scholars paid relatively little attention to chapter 23 of Leviathan, in which Hobbes discussed "the public ministers of sovereign power." In the past few years, however, political theorists have used chapter 23 extensively in discussions of Hobbes' concept of the state. But what was the significance of the chapter in its own time? This article suggests it served two purposes. First, it allowed Hobbes to bolster and elaborate arguments made elsewhere in Leviathan. Second, it responded to 1640s debates between royalists and parliamentarians over the role of subordinate magistrates in a polity. By the time Leviathan was published in 1651 these debates were no longer pressing, which explains the chapter's rapid descent into obscurity. Nonetheless, recovering this polemical context helps to understand the genesis of this small but significant part of Hobbes' political thought.


High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a 205 nm UV detector was evaluated for usefulness in determining fatty acid compositions, especially unsaturated fatty acid compositions, of edible oils such as perilla, soybean and safflower oils, which mainly consist of triglycerides that contain mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fatty acids were obtained by lipase-hydrolysis followed by petroleum ether extraction. Sample fatty acids were analyzed by HPLC without conversion to the derivatives. Butyric acid served as the internal standard for determination of fatty acids. The results showed close agreement with those of GC. The present method is applicable to the simple determination of fatty acid compositions, especially unsaturated fatty acid compositions, of edible oils without degradation due to heating and/or the oxidative deterioration of unsaturated fatty acids.


The invention discloses a method for producing blueberry and pine nut compound nutritive jam, and relates to a method for producing jam. The jam is rich in nutrition and health care components such as anthocyanin, unsaturated fatty acid, lecithin and the like, and is suitable to be eaten by various crowds. The method comprises the following steps of: 1, cleaning pine nuts, soaking, grinding, centrifuging, and adding phospholipid, monoglyceride and condensed milk and homogenizing under high pressure to obtain pine nut milk; 2, selecting mature blueberry fruits, cleaning, removing impurities, and pulping to obtain blueberry pulp; 3, boiling the blueberry pulp, adding sugar, and concentrating to obtain jam A; 4, adding the pine nut milk into the jam A, concentrating, adding pectin and citricacid, and stopping heating to obtain jam B; and 5, bottling, sealing, sterilizing at high temperature, and cooling stage by stage to obtain the blueberry and pine nut compound nutritive jam. The jam is rich in nutrient components such as the anthocyanin, the unsaturated fatty acid, the lecithin and the like. The method is applied to the field of food production.


John Dewey's educational ideas are alive and well and their influence on millions of children in the United States and around the world is undeniable. 1 In this context, it is relevant to look at some of his ideas that have currency in educational discourse and practice. On the ensuing pages, therefore, first, his dominant theme of human fulfillment is discussed. Second, his educational vision—especially his concepts of education as growth and the democratic education—is examined. Finally, his ideas are critiqued in the context of nonpublic and Christian education and show that the Christian education complements Dewey's educational vision.


In the last decade, fresh-cut plants have become a more popular flavoring additive in food. It is important to find an effective method for ensuring the safety and quality of plant materials used as food additives. Ozonated water is being considered by the EFSA for approval as a cidal agent for plant protection. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ozonated water in improving the microbial safety of fresh-cut parsley leaves, with a particular focus on mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria and fungi. The yeasts and bacteria were identified with the MALDI-TOF MS system. Color changes on the surface of the parsley samples were measured in the CIE L*a*b trichromatic color model. The chemical composition of the essential oil was evaluated via gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GCMS). The microbial level of the fresh leaves varied and depended on the season. The highest microbial levels were found in the leaves picked in the summer and autumn, at 104 to 106 CFU/g for fungi and 106 to 108 CFU/g for bacteria. Among the isolates with the highest isolation frequency, bacteria belonging to Pseudomonas fluorescens, Staphylococcus warneri, and Bacillus megaterium dominated. The dominant yeasts and molds were Candida sp., Rhodotorula sp., Cladosporium sp., and Fusarium sp. The conditions for water ozonation (ozone dose and time) were established for both mono- and mixed cultures. Time of 3 min, ozone content of 0.5, O3 mg/L or 1 min, and 1.5 mg of O3 mg/L were sufficient for a 90% reduction in the number of living microorganisms. Yeasts and bacteria were sensitive to ozone treatment, excluding P. fluorescens rods. The tested mold strains were the most resistant. However, it was noted that organic matter might reduce the decontamination effect. The effectiveness of ozonation was negatively influenced by organic compound content above 1%. Spectrophotometric measurements of parsley leaves after ozonation, especially after 3 min treatment at 1.5 O3 mg/L, revealed morphological changes. The CIELAB color space (L*a*b*) changed in the direction of lightness and yellowness; however, ΔE showed no statistically significant differences in comparison with the untreated leaves. In preliminary studies, no differences were noted in GLC-MS chromatograms for essential oils of parsley leaves before and after ozonation. The aroma of parsley treated with ozonated water was more intensely herbal than the control sample, probably due to the higher content of α and β phellandrene. The results of this study show that decontamination of parsley leaves by ozonated water containing 1.5 O3 mg/L in a closed 5 min process can effectively ensure the microbiological quality of fresh-cut parsley leaves. It can be concluded that ozone treatments in aqueous form appear to provide promising qualitative and quantitative results for the decontamination of this fresh-cut plant material. However, more work is necessary to study chemical and volatilome changes. Especially the sensory analyses should be conducted before and after ozone treatment.


Cooling slowly from the melt and annealing at 250 K for a month isotactic polyhexylethylene becomes partially crystalline. The degree of crystallinity, calculated according to the method of Hermans and Weidinger, is 0.3. The wide-angle x-ray diffraction diagram shows seven reflections, not completely independent of one another. These x-ray data do not allow an exact determination of the structure. The main chins possibly form quaternary helices (e. g., 4/1 or 7/2 helices) and the side chains are arranged in triclinic structure. The unit cell may be monoclinic: a ∼ 0.56 nm, b ∼ 3.8 nm, c ∼ 0.76 nm (in case of a 4/1 helix), β ≃ 97° The melting temperature is 278 K and the heat of fusion amounts to 30 J/g.


Purpose: The era of the industrial revolution 4.0 applies digitalization in all systems, including sports equipment. The physical education learning process from being conventional can change using modern digitizing equipment. This study aims to make models of thinking and moving activities in the physical education learning process applying a microcontroller.
Methods: Research and development as the main method of this research. To see the effectiveness of quasi experiments used, for four weeks. Forty students (20 girls and boys) in grade VIII junior high school (ages 13 to 15 years) participated in the role model using microcontroller. Each group of 5 students makes a game by determining the direction of the envelop run to be passed with a map from a handphone. Group discussion can determine the agreement of the order that ran first and the direction (the way to think). The fastest average from the team to the finish is declared champion (movement activity). A complete factorial mixture variance analysis was performed, in which the grouping of abilities functioned as variables in thinking ability and physical quality. Hierarchical linear regression analysis is used to determine the effect of role games using a microcontroller, grouping conditions, and gender on thinking ability and moderate-strong physical activity.
Results: There is a significant increase in the application of microcontroller role games for physical education learning to critical thinking abilities and physical abilities (speed, agility, endurance, reaction speed, and flexibility) for both male and female students. There is a disordinal interaction between skill level and ability grouping on each of the three performance variables (percentage of success, level of thinking ability and physical performance increases). The level of thinking ability and performance significantly increased.
Conclusion: Physical education learning models with digitizing microcontroller role games improve critical thinking skills and physical abilities both individually and in group collaboration. The limitations of research do not reveal the game skills or physical strength.


To investigate the postannealing temperature effects on the surface etching behavior and electron field emission (EFE) properties of the Cu‐implanted microcrystalline diamond (MCD) films, they are subjected to furnace annealing in a temperature range of 600–900 °C under N2 atmosphere at a rapid annealing rate. The etching behavior happens when the samples are annealed at 700 °C and above. The EFE performances enhance first and then decrease with the increasing annealing temperature. The optimum EFE property with a low turn‐on field of 6.42 V μm−1 is obtained after the Cu‐implanted MCD film is annealed at 700 °C. The enhancement in EFE properties originates from the presence of nanographitic phase and the formation of electron‐rich Cu nanoparticles, which encourage a higher efficient electron transport. In contrast, the structural studies reveal that when the samples annealed at 800 °C and above, Cu nanoparticles evaporate from the diamond surface and the sp2‐bonded carbon decomposes. Consequently, etch pits appear on the surface of the MCD sample. Moreover, it demonstrates that graphitization is the dominant mechanism of the diamond surface etching behavior and the enhancing of EFE properties.


Buildings, infrastructure and the environment are inextricably linked. Energy, materials, water and land are all consumed in the construction, operation of buildings and infrastructure. These built structures in turn become part of our living environment, affecting our living conditions. It is therefore important to explore environmental design and development techniques in order to design buildings according to be sustainable, healthy and affordable. Until recently, much of the development of building materials has predominantly focused on producing cheaper, stronger and more durable construction materials. The building sector is responsible for creating, modifying and improving the living environment of humanity. But the basic problem here that are construction and buildings have considerable environmental impacts, consuming a significant limited proportion of resources in the planet including energy, raw material, water and land. The main aim of this paper is looking at appropriate tools and concepts for the design and assessment of the sustainability impacts of materials, components and technologies used in buildings and their construction, then achieving how to realize Sustainability in several types of construction projects. Hence, this paper is intended to highlight some projects that show new innovative ways of achieving sustainability of construction materials and technologies.


cultural eras which—like Frankenstein's monster—becomes both frightening and awesome, is intelligent but frequently misunderstood, and shockingly reflects our own cultural images. In essence films parodied are about us. The recently releasedAmerican Beauty is a case in point. When I saw this picture for the first time, I was one of the few in a packed house laughing ! Was suburbia afraid to recognize itself up there on a screen? Because parody pokes fun at what we have created, fear of recognition can be diminished by laughter, but laughter should not make the vision less relevant. Whether or not we warm up to the parody (Frankenstein's monster) or turn against it, remains the jurisdiction of the viewing audience (the mob). Film parodies are much more than superficial guffaws ! Beam me up, Wes. I'm ready for the Dark planet! Ron Briley Sandia Preparatory School firstname.lastname@example.com


I have been involved in research on medicinal properties of edible mushrooms for the last 15 years and have reported that, of all medicinal mushrooms studied, Maitake mushroom (Grijola frondosa) has the strongest antitumor activity in tumor growth inhibition both when administered orally and intraperit0neal1y.l~~ In fact, most of the other mushroom extracts are reported ineffective when given orally?> In this report, I have investigated Maitake's activities on the inhibition of carcinogenesis and formation of the secondary focus due to metastasis of tumor cells in lymph and blood.


Radley is an independent school of some 130 years stand i ng with about 540 boys and 5 daughters of masters who are resident for the duration of each term . As a starting place for a design department it would seem about a s suitab l e as a pres s ure cooker because of its considerable emphasis on academic and sporting prowess . The subject unl i ke the rema i nder at Radley is a relative infant . At present the Oxford Boards '0' and ' Au levels are t aught to what has been a steadily increasing n umber of pupils so that this coming schoo l year we can expect 48 boys on two years of the course to ' 0' level and about twelve on the two years of the course to ' A' level .


In this paper, the feasibility of achieving in-phase synchronization in a diffusion-based nanonetwork using a two-way message exchange is studied and investigated. Nanomachines are equipped with biochemical oscillators that provide and maintain timing information. Overtime, the oscillators tend to have clock offsets which results in desynchronization. The proposed two-way message exchange synchronization scheme aims to mitigate these clock offsets, but without the explicit use of time-stamps. Instead, the intrinsic characteristic of the biochemical oscillator to be able to modify its oscillations in response to a chemical signal is taken into account. This allows the clock offsets of the oscillator to converge and achieve in-phase synchronization. Computer simulations are performed to analyze the accuracy and the synchronization error. Further investigations were carried out to study the effect of propagation delay on the performance of the proposed scheme.


Background and purpose: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder in hemodialysis patients. These symptoms cause distress and disability during rest, discomfort, stress and weakness, with secondary effects on performance, disruption of work and family life. This study investigated the effect of heat wrap on the severity of restless legs syndrome in hemodialysis patients. Materials and methods: A quasi-experiment (before-after design) was conducted in 40 RLS patients who were randomly selected from hemodialysis departments in three hospitals in Yazd, Iran. The restless leg syndrome International questionnaire was completed by patients before and after using hot water bags. Data analysis was done in SPSS V. 17 applying descriptive statistics and Chi-square. P> 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Most of the patients were ≥ 60 years of age (64%). 61.5% had been on dialysis for one to five years. The severity of symptoms were in moderate level before and after the intervention (69.5% and 61%, respectively). The mean score for RLS was found to be significantly different before and after the intervention (P= 0.000). Conclusion: Application of hot water bag is suggested as an effective, safe, and low cost method that could be easily used by patients and their caregivers to reduce the severity of RLS in hemodialysis


The paper contains description along with illustrations of a new species of an oribatid mite Graptoppia (Graptoppia) jyotikanae sp. nov. from Tripura, India. The new species differs from other known species by the presence of smooth prodorsal and notogastral setae, 10 spines on outer border of head of sensillus and body punctuation.


Mycobacteria produce a number of 'extractable glycolipids', which are present at the outer periphery of their cell wall structure. These molecules are believed to play important roles in mycobacteriahost interactions, although for many of these species the manner in which they mediate biological events is poorly understood. We summarize here the structures of one class of these molecules (lipooligosaccharides), highlight briefly their biological role, and discuss synthetic work done to access this complex and diverse group of bacterial glycolipids.


SOA is a service oriented architecture that allows development of software with interoperability and weak coupling. Nowadays WS-* is the most used SOAP-based specification set for constructing web services. REST is an architectural style that permits the development of services in a simpler way and obeys the SOA's paradigm, however, it does not provide standardized support to address some nonfunctional requirements of services, for instance, security, reliability, transaction control. This article proposes a technique, based on REST, to support the web services transactional control implementation. The technique uses the optimistic method to control distributed systems transactions. An example of application was implemented to show its feasibility.


In the present paper the numerical approach for the modeling of the flow past rotating geometries is presented. Practical methods for two cases are described: the one where whole domain is moving with uniform angular velocity, where the rotation might be included in the governing equations only (in the terms related to Coriolis and centrifugal forces), and the one where part of the domain is rotating, whereas another one is stationary. The second case is illustrated by examples describing the steady and transient flow around a rotating propeller and by a centrifugal pump. Simulations are performed using OpenFOAM CFD solver, with the models covering flow rotation: MRF (multiple reference frame) and AMI (arbitrary mesh interface).


This research aimed to identify and to test that influence audit fee, ethics realization and locus of control to external auditor's behavior. The research has been done in Jakarta with auditor respondent working for public accountant company. Retrieval of sample has been using convenience sampling. Number of questionnaires propagated was 153 copies but only 107 copies question returned and 102 may be used. The data were analysis for hypothesis tester was done with multiple regression. The result of research indicates that audit fee, ethics realization and locus of control have significantly influence to external auditor's behavior. Keywords: Audit Fee, Ethic Realization, Locus of Control, External Auditor's Behavior


ABSTRACT New cyano bridged transition metal complexes, [Cu(detu)4Ni(CN)4]-2H2O (1) and [Zn(H2O)(detu)Ni(CN)4]-2H2O (2) (detu = N, N' diethyl thiourea) have been synthesised in powder form. Their structures were illuminated by using spectroscopic, thermal and elemental analysis techniques. The nickel atom exhibits square planar geometry in these complexes by coordinating with the cyano group's nitrogen atoms. The copper atom of 1 is six coordinated with two bridging cyano groups and four detu ligands. In contrast, the zinc atom of 2 is six coordinated with four bridging cyano groups, one detu ligand and one aqua ligand. In addition, the structure of 2 is formed from polymeric layers of |Zn-Ni(CN)41 " with the detu and aqua ligands bonded to the zinc atom. Thermal stabilities and decomposition products of 1 and 2 were examined in the static air atmosphere between 30 and 900 °C. Keywords: btetracyanonickelate(II) complex, N,N'-diethyl thiourea, cyano-bridged complex, vibration spectra, thermal analysis.


The goal of this article is to develop an analytical framework for the conceptualization of international judicial independence. First, it will be argued that judicial independence is not to be conceived as an end in itself but rather as a condition for the legitimacy of international courts (ICs). Also, independence is not a monolithic concept, but one of degree and the optimal degree of independence might vary according to the function and type of ICs. Second, I will provide a taxonomy of judicial independence in the international sphere and identify and systematize the relevant actors and variables. While studies about international judicial independence tend to focus on the mechanisms available to state governments, this work will take into account a broader set of actors and variables. Finally, a notion of interdependence will be advanced as a framework for institutional design that combines the need to enable adjudication free from undue influence or pressure with mechanisms to counterbalance judicial power. Forms of interdependence on the grounds of the principles of accountability and checks and balances might contribute to the overall legitimacy of ICs.


e16337 Background: Appendiceal adenocarcinomas (AAs) are a rare and heterogeneous mix of tumors for which few preclinical models exist for drug discovery. These tumors are commonly treated with chemotherapy according to best practices developed for colorectal cancer, despite clear evidence that the two cancers are distinctly different in their clinical behavior and molecular profiles. In this study, we created functional tumoroid models (MicroOrganoSpheres or MOS) of peritoneal carcinomatosis from appendix cancer and mesothelioma and used these MOS to test the efficacy of different chemotherapy treatments. Methods: After obtaining informed consent, fresh tumor samples were obtained from 5 patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis undergoing surgical resection at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and 5 samples were obtained from previously established PDX models. Tissue was digested using xMRS solution and MOS culture was established. H&E was performed on tissue and paired MOS. Results: Five MOS models were successfully established, including four AA and one primary peritoneal mesothelioma (to our knowledge the first time this has been done from a peritoneal mesothelioma). Four (80%) of the 5 PDX models samples successfully generated MOS. Three out of five from the fresh samples generated p0 MOS, but only one continued to grow (20%). The MOS successfully established from fresh biopsy was a moderately differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma with GNASR201C and KRASG12R mutation, to our knowledge the first time a Patient Derived Organoid (PDO) model of this disease has been created. Identified failure modes were delayed processing times (>48 hours after extraction in 3 out of 5 clinical samples) and low tumor content in samples. Histologically, the MOS recapitulated several important characteristics of the original patients' tumors, including degree of differentiation, abundance of mucin, and presence of signet ring features. Response of AA MOS models to chemotherapeutic agents and regimes has been evaluated in one model thus far. AAPDX-13, derived from a low-grade mucinous adenocarcinoma, was tested against common CRC treatments: 5-FU (pIC50 5.90), Oxaliplatin (pIC50 4.51), SN-38 (pIC50 5.16). Relative to the mean from multiple CRC MOS, this was less sensitive to 5FU and more sensitive to irinotecan. Conclusions: Novel MOS models for AA and peritoneal mesothelioma were successfully established. MOS recapitulated key histologic features of AA and mesothelioma. Data acquired from this MOS system can aid in identifying appropriate chemotherapy treatments in select patients where there are no existing preclinical disease models.