The paper describes technological machinery schemes for simultaneous double-sided processing of components with high-precision spherical surfaces characterized by different sense of curvature. The paper also presents a developed mathematical modeling of stock allowance removal regularities during spherical surface formation by a free fitting-in method. The methodology of numerical computer-aided investigations has been developed for determination of the most favorable machine settings at the stage of technological process creation for simultaneous double-sided grinding and polishing of lenses. The paper describes a methodology for evaluation of lense stress state that allows to determine optimal plane position of their clamping to the side surface.


The serotherapy used to treat diphtheria starting in the 1890s involved injecting serum separated out from blood drawn from horses that had been immunized against the toxin responsible for the ravages of the disease. Thus, this therapy used a biological product in a double sense of being a product of biological origin (and organic composition), and being prepared by the specific biological (immunological - to talk anachronistically) functioning of a living organism. The central producer of this innovative biological drug in France was the Pasteur Institute in Paris, and much has been already been published about the work of Emile Roux and his colleagues in producing and distributing the serum. Here, I want to take the case of serum production and compare this with its use in Lyon and the surrounding region. In this context I distinguish between what I term 'industrial standardization' on the productions side and 'clinical standardization' on the side of the use of the product notably in hospitals. These two approaches to standardization are quite different both in terms of their goals and their application.


Research investigating how students who struggle with learning, as well as typically achieving students, can develop powerful self-regulation and academic strategies has become a major endeavor in both general and special education. In this article, we examine how one model of cognitive strategies instruction, Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD), has been and continues to be influenced by social cognitive theory, including Schunk and Zimmerman's (1997) social cognitive theory based model of the development of self-regulation. We also provide a description of how SRSD is used in the classroom as well as other resources for implementation.


Starbucks Coffee Company revolutionized the coffee-drinking habits of millions of Americans. Starbucks, whose bright green-and-white logo is almost as familiar as the golden arches of McDonald's, began in Seattle in 1971. Fifteen years later it had grown into a chain of four stores in the Seattle area. Then in 1987 Howard Schultz, a former Starbucks employee, who had become enamored with the culture of Italian coffee bars during a trip to Italy, bought the company from its founders for $3.8 million. In 2008, Americans were willingly paying $3 or more for a cappuccino or a latté, and Starbuck's had grown to become an international chain, with over 16,000 stores around the world.


A utility knife includes a blade carrier configured to releasably couple to a blade; and a blade retention mechanism coupled to the blade carrier. The blade retention mechanism includes a first actuator; and a second actuator coupled to the first actuator, wherein an actuation of the first actuator permits the second actuator to move from a locked position to an unlocked position for the blade.


For interplanetary missions and missions to the Lagrangian points, the compliance with planetary protection requirements should be verified as spacecraft and launchers used for these applications may be inserted in a trajectory that will impact the Earth or other planets. A new tool, SNAPPshot, was developed for this purpose. A Monte Carlo analysis is performed considering the dispersion of the initial condition and of other parameters such as the area-to-mass ratio. Each run is characterised by studying the close approaches through the bplane representation to detect conditions of impacts and resonances. The application of the tool to two missions (Solo and BepiColombo) is presented.


Chapter 5 explores conflicting expressions of ecopiety and consumopiety as worked out in and through thecontemporary remixing and remaking of vampire narratives for an age of environmental crisis. This chapter teases out how, as one reads across these popular narratives of piously "abstaining" vampires, a moral sensibility emerges that equates the deep, monstrous desire to consume and deplete the earth's resources with the vampire's voracious hunger to consume and drain the life of its host. Intermingled with messages of virtuous environmental temperance, however, vampire media franchises market endless tie-in consumer products to enthralled fans, in turn whetting a voracious appetite to consume. These counterpoints of pious consumer restraint and yet enthusiastic fan participation in vampire narratives via the virtues of consumer capitalism, ironically and strategically, tap into and feed off one of America's most powerful consumer demographics: teenagers.


The geomagnetism aided navigation is an important method to localize the position.One of the key techniques is a high accuracy geomagnetism map that can meet the demands of navigation.This paper introduced a combined method which based on multi-surface function and building geomagnetic field model that described the system error.Then the simulations on the method were performed to evaluate the effect of the algorithm.


The research attempts to empirically study the demand for money, especially the magnitudes of the price expectation and real cash balance adjustment for Zimbabwe. Price expectation and real cash balance adjustment models are estimated. The results show that both the interest rate and the rate of change in prices are relevant variables for explaining the variations in the demand for real cash balances in Zimbabwe. Overall, the findings suggest that the Zimbabwean hyperinflation does not appear to have been a self- generating process independent of money supply.


The reflection loss in imaging devices is one of the major drawbacks, which degrades efficiency resulting in lower responsivity. Since the reflected light is no longer available for conversion into electrons, it is very important to reduce the reflection from the top surface of the device as much as possible. Quarter wavelength and two index antireflection (AR) coatings have been developed to reduce reflection; however, these AR coatings are wavelength dependent and have not performed effectively in a broadband range. Attempts to make AR coating for broadband wavelengths by stacking multiple index AR layers result in thicker and expensive solutions, which still do not provide proper antireflection at all desired wavelengths. Moreover, the usage of AR coatings escalates material and fabrication costs of the device. We propose a novel nanostructure, which matches the refractive index of the device to that of free space to reduce reflection from the top surface, eliminating the use of AR coatings and hence reducing the device cost. It is shown via simulation that the proposed nanostructure effectively eliminates the reflection loss over the broadband spectrum of desired wavelengths e.g. Visible, Mid-wave IR (MWIR), Short-wave IR (SWIR) spectrums, opening various application opportunities.


A six month o ldmale Pomeranianweighing 1.1kg was presented to a local animal clinic withsymptoms ofdiarrohea, depressionand emaciation.Faecalexaminations, including direct smearand Baermann method,revealed that the dog wasseverelyinfected by aparasitic nematode,Strongyloides stercoralis , with a count of1,200larvaeper gramoffaeces. After confirmation ,ivermectin (0.05 cc, 1% w/v)wasadministeredsubcutaneously.On the second visit after n ine days of the first, no larvawas detected under microscopy andimprovement of body condition was observedwith normalstool consistencyandbodyweightof1.4kg.The dog was treated againwith the same dose of ivermectin and scheduledfor another visit in a week. On the third visit, the dog was negative forlarval shedding, withnormal stool consistency anda slight incre ase inbodyweightto 1.8 k g. The dog was scheduled for a final visit in two months to check re -infection; during this visit there were no parasite eggs or larvae and the clinical examination also revealed normal body condition and normal stool consistency with body weightof3.5 kg, which is within normal range. Thus,the result in the present case suggeststhat ivermectin is suitable for treatmentdogs naturally infected by S. stercoralis .


This study presents NMR signal detection by means of a superconducting channel consisting of a Nb surface detection coil inductively coupled to a YBCO mixed sensor. The NMR system operates at a low-fleld (8.9mT) in a magnetically shielded room suitable for magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recordings. The main fleld is generated by a compact solenoid and the geometry of the pick-up coil has been optimized to provide high spatial sensitivity


The practice of pediatrics is forever altered when a vaccine is effective in dramatically reducing the incidence of (or even eradicating) an infectious disease. As the targeted disease is rapidly declining in incidence, there are often exciting changes in the practice of pediatrics, with far-reaching effects in the everyday treatment of patients. Such is the case now due to the effectiveness of the conjugated polysaccharide vaccines against Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). The resultant rapid decline in the incidence of invasive disease due to Hib during the past several years has been documented in numerous studies.1-3 The effects of this dramatic decline in Hib disease on the approach to children who have (presumed) infectious diseases are the subject of this editorial.


We investigated the influence of the growth temperature on high temperature vapor phase epitaxy of GaN. An almost direct proportionality between the growth rate and the Ga vapor pressure is observed. At optimum conditions growth rates as high as 210 /spl mu/m/h (T=1150/spl deg/c) are achieved. The maximum growth rate is believed to be limited by the supply of ammonia and the starting composition of GaN. Under optimum GaN growth conditions AlGaN layers were grown starting from previously alloyed Al-Ga as well as from co-evaporation of Ga and Al. Adding Al leads to a significant reduction of growth rate and increases the homogeneity of the layers. However, in almost all cases phase separation is found. Besides the binary GaN and AlN phases an intermediate AlGaN phase appears.


BACKGROUND First described by Professor James from the University of Edinburgh,1 the Edinburgh position has been used to immobilise the injured hand for many years. The main aim of placing the hand in the Edinburgh position is to ensure the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint collateral ligaments are fully stretched in flexion and the interphalangeal (IP) joint collateral ligaments are maximally stretched in extension, thus preventing contraction from scar tissue. The ideal position is with the wrist in up to 30° degrees of extension, MCP joints in 90° of flexion and IP joints in full extension.2 Incorrect immobilisation of the injured


A huge production of fish and their processing waste give rise to by-products comprises up to 70% depending on the species, size and processing method. The waste includes visceral parts, head, frames, bones, skin and cut-offs are rich source of protein with high functional properties. It is generally discarded which is a wastage of nutrient source and leading to environmental issues. Therefore, it was aimed to utilized the by-products for maximum recovery of nutrients by enzyme hydrolysis method for the preparation of protein hydrolysate with the used of papain and pepsin for digestion following different hydrolysis conditions. With the hydrolysis of papain enzyme (1 to 6%), the protein content of finfish waste protein hydrolysate ranges from 19.17% ± 0.06 to 73.14% ± 0.08 and that of shellfish waste protein hydrolysate prepared with 5,10 and 15% papain enzyme showed 26.73% ± 0.04 to 40.4% ± 0.5 which is comparatively low. Whereas the highest protein content was observed in 1% pepsin enzyme treated finfish waste protein hydrolysate with 80.55% ± 0.07. Besides, the hydrolysates were composed of 6.91% ± 0.05 to 10.46% ± 0.05 (moisture content), 0.6% ± 0.01 to 2.4% ± 0.01 (ash content) and 0.02% ± 0.005 to 0.09% ± 0.005 (fat content). The hydrolysates were highly soluble ranges from 72.73% ± 0.05 to 93.83% ± 0.1 which indicates development of small size hydrophilic with highly solvated polypeptide particles. A reduced phenomena of foaming capacity and stability were observed in shellfish waste protein hydrolysate in contrast with finfish waste protein hydrolysate. Similar pattern was also resulted in emulsifying stability index. Whereas the emulsifying activity index was in the range of 6.15 ± 0.03 to 9.85 ± 0.07 m2/g. The water holding capacity of finfish and shellfish waste protein hydrolysate ranges from 3.4 to 4.23 gm/gm hydrolysate and 1.53 to 1.63 gm/gm hydrolysate respectively which is resulted by the difference in molecular weight of the peptide. The hydrolysates extracted from different sample with different enzyme and concentration at varying conditions were more or less similar ranges from 3.7 to 4.1 gm/gm protein hydrolysate (oil holding capacity). Hence, high protein content with good functional properties of the protein hydrolysate prepared with the utilization of fish waste is a positive impact on the attempt made to recover nutrient by enzymatic hydrolysis.


This paper studies the case of Ping An Insurance(Group) Company of China buying Shenzhen Development Bank Limited Company. Firstly,the paper estimates the wealth effect from capital markets;Secondly,it confirms whether the MA improve the bank value from the financial indicators. Research found that its cumulative abnormal returns have outperformed the market. The change from the trend of financial indicators showed that Ping An Insurance(Group) Company of China and Shenzhen Development Bank Limited Company have strong profitability. The growth and operations capacity gradually increased,the company's cash flow running smoothly,the level of financial risk is relatively low. In the long term,Ping An Insurance(Group) Company of China will create synergies and greater value. At the same time,the two sides achieve Win-Win consequence. Finally,through the study it draws conclusions and gives three suggestions. First,the merger provides a chance for the city commercial bank to run a risk dispersedly,achieves the mixed operation and the outward growth. Second,the financial holding organization form under the diversified management,the financial industry can carry out capital management which include the merger sanely in the right time.


Ethnic residential geographies have become increasingly spatially complex. While urban diversity is by far the dominant pattern in the UK, over the last two decades suburban and rural areas have experienced a modest but steady growth of ethnic minority populations. Yet despite these emerging patterns, a bias persists whereby most studies of ethnic residential segregation are concerned solely with metropolitan places. While spatial and local measures enable a more sophisticated analysis of the intricate geographical and scalar variations in residential segregation than traditional 'global' approaches, there have been surprisingly few analyses of the local dimensions of ethnic residential patterning, and these have tended to be metro-focused. This study analyses small area ethnic segregation in England and Wales using a spatially-weighted approach for 2011 Census data across all (small) areas, rather than just cities. To briefly summarise, the results demonstrate (i) the non-uniform scale effects of segregation between each ethnic group; (ii) spatial 'thresholds' at which segregation can be found, which challenge established wisdom about the relative levels of segregation between ethnic groups; (iii) the high spatial variability in segregation levels; and (iv) how segregation dimensions and group proportions are not strongly related in all neighbourhoods, providing justification for their use in conjunction. Exploring segregation across a national context, the research develops understandings of ethnic group interactions between spaces and across scales, and advances hitherto underdeveloped debates about the complexity of the conceptual and empirical distinctions that can be made between the dimensions of segregation.


A mediatorless microbial fuel cell was developed using Escherichia coli bacteria and platinised titanium mesh as electrodes, producing a maximum power density of 627 mW m−2. The performance characteristics of the fuel cell were evaluated using both electrochemical and optical techniques. Cyclic Voltammetry showed that an anaerobically grown cell suspension of E. coli was electrochemically active, and is consistent with a role for E. coli‐secreted mediators in the functioning of the cell, after the formation of a biofilm on the surface of the electrode. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) data show a variation in the internal resistance during bacterial growth. EIS analysis based on an equivalent circuit revealed that the initial internal resistance of the cell (5.6 MΩ) initially reduces by around 50 % over an 8 hour period; more or less the same time where the fuel cell reaches its maximum potential of 860 mV, whereupon the resistance begins to increase resulting in the corresponding fall in potential; this trend was reversible upon the introduction of further nutrients into the cell.


Fundamental principles of molecular chemistry, statistical mechanics, and plasma physics are used to derive theoretical output current and efficiency characteristics of vapor thermionic converters The results are obtained m terms of basic physical parameters which describe the converter electrodes and interelectrode gas and are m good agreement with corresponding experi mental measurements for a broad range of converter operating conditions The theoretical formalism is employed to study the thermal and electrical performance characteristics of a nuclear thermionic fuel element It is shown that, with realistic axial fission profiles, fuel void fractions, and temperature limits, over-all fuel element efficiencies in the vicinity of 12 to 14% can be achieved.


This chapter discusses comparison of thin-film transistor-liquid-crystal display (TFT-LCD) with active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) regarding their display performance and manufacturing. AMOLED has been expected to realize much excellent display quality, lower power consumption, and lower manufacturing cost than TFT-LCD. Such expectation has been partly realized in the category of small-sized organic light-emitting diode (OLED). However, manufacturing cost remains as an issue, the feasibility of production on glass whose size is comparable to the size of substrate of large format TFT-LCD has yet to be established. Furthermore, we discuss how to build a firm position for TFT-LCD.


The lack of information on the correlation between root causes and corresponding control criteria in the importance calculation of root causes of design problems results in less accurate determinations of core problems. Based on the interaction between customer needs, bad product parameters, and root causes, a hierarchical representation model of the design problem is established in this paper. A network layer of bad parameters, including various types of correlations, and a control layer, including technical feasibility and cost, are constructed. Then, a method based on the network analytic hierarchy process is proposed to rank the importance of root causes of the design problem and determine the core problems. Finally, a product design process based on the core problem solving is established to assist designers with improving design quality and efficiency. The design for the coolant flow distribution device in the lower chamber of a third-generation pressurized water reactor is employed as an example to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.


OBJECTIVE
To quantify the proportion of rural financial counsellors' (RFC) clients requiring social, emotional and stress-related (SESR) assistance and the referral of these clients to other services.

DESIGN
Survey of all Australian RFCs.

SETTING
Rural and remote agricultural locations in Australia.

PARTICIPANTS
Australian RFCs employed over the months of November and December 2004.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The proportion of counsellors' clients who required assistance with SESR problems and the proportion of these who were referred. Counsellors' usual referral networks, rating of referral difficulty and ranking of strategies to improve referrals.

RESULTS
Counsellors reported that on average 20% of their clients required SESR assistance and half of the counsellors referred more than 75% of these clients. Referrals were mainly to GPs, mental health teams, personal counselling and health and welfare organisations. Almost half (49%) reported that referrals were difficult because of rural clients' reluctance to acknowledge such problems and use mental health services, as well as the lack of these services. Counsellors were placed in a practical role dilemma when clients raised personal issues that were beyond the counsellors' role but were linked to the financial reason for presentation. Strategies identified to improve referrals were to network with mental health and personal counsellors in the region, training and a referral guide.

CONCLUSIONS
Because RFCs are a first contact for rural people in crisis, they could be brought into a local counselling network. This network could improve the process of referrals and build local mental health system capacity.


This paper tries to understand "Taiwan" other than contained in official history using two travel notes, Pi-Hai Chi-Yu and Charles Wm. Le Gendre Notes of Travel in Formosa. From the angles of these two travelers, a relatively analytic approach is used to explore the variations of regional space and humane aspect in Taiwan during Qing Dynasty.Travel notes are an individual's interpretation of the nature and humanity of the places he has traveled; and one's perception and thought are strongly subject to the educational and cultural background of his upbringing. This paper thus begins by exploring the backgrounds, ways of writing and purposes of Yu Yonghe and Le Gendre, hoping to offer clear and objective comments. And then, this paper tries to understand, through the descriptions of the regional space by these two travel notes, the ecology and native animals and plants in low lands, planes and low-altitude mountains along Taiwan's west coast, from Tamsui to Taiwan-foo during Qing Dynasty, and explore the changes in natural environment for the past seventeen decades.At last, travelers generally were intrigued by tribal cultures and custom where they went by, and they might have non-objective accounts, such as admiration and discrimination, were often involved; yet, these were the most fantastic part of the notes. Whether from Yu Yonghe or Le Gendreor, the mergence of "savages" and immigrants from Fujian and Guangdong Provinces, and special social atmosphere should be a considerable degree of difference between Qing Dynasty of Taiwan and their homeland (mainland of China or United States). This paper also tries to expound upon social class, women's status, ethnic relations and social structure in Taiwan during Qing Dynasty, in order to investigate the structural changes of the society and expound the real situation in Taiwan's society during Qing Dynasty.


With the rapid development of agriculture and industry in Taihu Lake Basin, Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) have become the focus of research. The paper performed ecological and health risk assessment for PAHs in Taihu Lake Basin. Based on the measured data from the centralized source of drinking water in Taihu Lake Basin and historical data from other regions, the paper analyzed the characteristics. The ecological risks of PAHs were assessed according to the environmental quality standards in sediment of USEPA, and the health risks were assessed with the exposure assessment method of USEPA. The results showed that PAHs in Taihu Lake Basin were in low ecological and health risk. The water quality from Taihu centralized drinking water source was good and in low ecological and health risk.


The chemical component and pulp-making property of different species and tree ages of American miscellaneous willow were studied.The results showed that the lignin content of two year AS625 was 17.49%,and holy cellulose content was 77.07%.The lignin content of two year AS25 was 21.18%,and holy cellulose content was 74.23%.The fiber length of AS625 was 14-20 mm,and the fiber length of AS25 was 8-15 mm.Three kinds of willow were the excellent paper-making material and A625 had the best paper physical property and strength property on the basis of the chemical composition,pulp-making property and property measurement.


Targeted cancer therapies are drugs or other substances that block the growth and spread of cancer by interfering with specific molecules ("molecular targets") that are involved in the growth, progression, and spread of cancer. Targeted cancer therapies are sometimes called "molecularly targeted drugs," "molecularly targeted therapies," "precision medicines," or similar names. Targeted therapies are currently the focus of much anticancer drug development. They are a cornerstone of precision medicine, a form of medicine that uses information about a person's genes and proteins to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. Many targeted cancer therapies have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat specific types of cancer. Others are being studied in clinical trials (research studies with people), and many more are in preclinical testing (research studies with animals).

 In the present book, fifteen typical literatures about targeted cancer therapies published on international authoritative journals were selected to introduce the worldwide newest progress, which contains reviews or original researches on medical science, bioinformatics, oncology, epidemiology, ect. We hope this book can demonstrate advances in targeted cancer therapies as well as give references to the researchers, students and other related people.


BACKGROUND: A relatively young man (43 years old) was found to have a cataract after receiving prednisone before each of 35 neutrophil (PMN) donations over several years. Because corticosteroids are known to induce posterior subcapsular cataracts (PSCs), additional repeat PMN donors were examined ophthalmologically.


This paper demonstrates the application of reinforcement learning (RL) to process synthesis by presenting Distillation Gym, a set of RL environments in which an RL agent is tasked with designing a distillation train, given a user defined multi-component feed stream. Distillation Gym interfaces with a process simulator (COCO and ChemSep) to simulate the environment. A demonstration of two distillation problem examples are discussed in this paper (a Benzene, Toluene, P-xylene separation problem and a hydrocarbon separation problem), in which a deep RL agent is successfully able to learn within Distillation Gym to produce reasonable designs. Finally, this paper proposes the creation of Chemical Engineering Gym, an all-purpose reinforcement learning software toolkit for chemical engineering process synthesis.


In exploring the effects of different strains and inoculation methods on primary (glycerol, acetic acid, and ethanol) and secondary (ethyl ester and acetate esters) metabolites, four Hanseniaspora uvarum strains and three Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains were used for mixed fermentation, and the contents of glycerol, acetic acid, ethanol, ethyl esters, and acetate were determined. In summary, the results obtained in this experiment indicated that different strains and inoculation methods had effects on primary (glycerol, acetic acid, and ethanol) and secondary (ethyl esters and acetate esters) metabolites. For glycerol, the inoculation method had a greater effect than the different strains. In the case of acetic acid and ethanol, the inoculation method also had an impact, but the impact of different strains was more pronounced. For ethyl esters and acetic esters, sequential inoculation had a significant effect on ethyl ester and acetate, by increasing their content and variety.


This paper proposes a Da-shaped slotted antenna, where the Chinese culture is integrated into the antenna design to achieve an artistic antenna that can be used in 5G communication system. The designed antenna has circular polarization characteristic, which is composed of ground plane, dielectric layer and metal sheet A engraved with Da-shaped slot, and a U-shaped wall (metal sheet B). A simple L-shaped feed probe is used to improve the working bandwidth of the antenna. A U-shaped metal sheet B is considered to improve antenna gain and axial ratio bandwidth. The simulation and optimization results show that the axial ratio bandwidth is 2.30-2.71GHz, and the impedance bandwidth is 2.44-2.7GHz, both of which can cover operating frequency in the range of 2.515-2.675GHz of 5G.


With the acceleration of triple play,the talent needs of the telecom operators are changing and the new requirements are put forward to the talent training and practice construction in higher vocational colleges.This paper analyzes the triple-play technology,designs the plan of triple-play practice platform construction and discusses the service realization and the training projects.


This study was carried out to get efficient of nutrient removal effects on the treatment of paper making wastewater using submerged biological film process. The concentration of average BOD at raw wastewater was 324 ㎎/l and COD was 435 ㎎/l. The average BOD of effluent was maintained 24.2 ㎎/l, and average COD was 37 ㎎/l. The concentration of average T-N at raw wastewater was 16.5 ㎎/l, and T-P was 1.2 ㎎/l. The average T-P of effluent was maintained 2.3 ㎎/l, and average T-P was 0.08 ㎎/l. The concentration of average SS at influent wastewater was 263 ㎎/l. The average SS of effluent was maintained 28.2 ㎎/l. The result of this experiment was wastage sludge did generated and the removal efficiency of nutrients were kept equilibrium.


We present CoSANG (Coupling Semi-Analytic and N-body Galaxies), a new hybrid model for cosmological dark matter and stellar halo simulations. In this approach a collisionless model (Gadget3) is used for gravitational interactions while a coupled semi-analytic model (SAGE) calculates baryonic effects at each time-step. This live self-consistent interaction at each time-step is the key difference between CoSANG and traditional semi-analytic models that are mainly used for post-processing. By accounting for the gravitational effect of the baryons, CoSANG can overcome some of the deficiencies of pure N-body simulations, while being less computationally expensive than hydrodynamic simulations. Moreover CoSANG can produce stellar halo populations via tagging tracer dark matter particles. We demonstrate the performance and dynamical accuracy of this approach using both controlled test simulations and a set of three cosmological zoom-in simulations of Milky Way (MW) mass halos. We simulate each target halo both without the coupling (dark matter only, hereafter DMO) and with the coupling (CoSANG). We compare the internal structure (subhalo distribution, shape and orientation) of the halos. The following changes are observed in the CoSANG model compared to the DMO model: 1) the total number of subhaloes close to the center of the halo is reduced, 2) the 𝑉 max distribution peaks at a lower value and lies below the DMO model, 3) the axis ratio is smaller. The difference between DMO and CoSANG simulations is more significant in early forming halos.


Pseudomonas aerugihosa has been shown to actively transport and accumulate twenty common amino acids by systems with enzymatic properties; that is the systems are energy dependent, temperature sensitive, are saturated at high amino acid concentrations and are lost by mutation. During growth on a synthetic, amino acid free medium this microorganism maintained a low, but s i g n i f i c a n t l y concentrated heterogeneous pool of amino acids for syntheses and this pool (native pool) was found to be in equilibrium with low levels of exogenous amino acids with at least one exception. Amino acid pools established from an exogenous source were found to behave d i f f e r e n t l y . Whereas some amino acids were unchanged during the passage through the i n t r a c e l l u l a r pool others underwent extensive degradation. Some amino acids or their degradation products were shown to be compartmentalized or made unavailable for metabolism. Proline did not form large pools under physiological conditions due to an imbalance between the rate of transport and the rate of protein synthesis. A m u l t i p l i c i t y of i n t r a c e l l u l a r proline pools was elucidated by inhibitors and studies at low temperatures. The amino acid transport systems operative at very low exogenous amino acid concentrations were shown to be strongly stereospecific. Several transport systems were elucidated by competitive i n h i b i t i o n studies and were found to recognize amino acids with si m i l a r chemical properties. Also very s p e c i f i c amino acid transport systems were demonstrated within the aromatic and basic amino acid families. The m u l t i p l i c i t y of amino acid c a r r i e r functions was confirmed by pool displacement studies and by the selection of appropriate transport negative (Tr ) mutants. Low a f f i n i t y amino acid permeases or carriers were shown to operate at high amino acid concentrations for most of the amino acids tested. Low and high a f f i n i t y permeases could be separately id e n t i f i e d by k i n e t i c studies. Amino acid transport was found to be induced to high levels by growth in the presence of the appropriate amino acid. Some evidence was presented to suggest that the control is coordinately linked to amino acid degradative enzymes. The constitutive levels of amino acid degradative enzymes were found to be lowered in the presence of glucose. With the exception of arginine, constitutive deaminases were inhibited by inorganic ammonia, whereas for the most part the constitutive transport functions were not changed. Induced transport levels were not markedly influenced by the presence of these nutrients. A novel mechanism for the transport and accumulation of amino acids was formulated. This mechanism provides for the accumulation of high and low i n t r a c e l l u l a r amino acid pools by an energy dependent mechanism.


This study tested the hypothesis that an osteoclastic protein‐tyrosine phosphatase, PTP‐oc, enhances osteoclast activity through c‐Src activation. The effects of several resorption activators and inhibitors on PTP‐oc expression, resorption activity, and c‐Src activation were determined in rabbit osteoclasts. PTP‐oc expression was assayed with immunoblots and semi‐quantitative RT‐PCR. Osteoclastic activity was determined by the resorption pit assay; and c‐Src activation was monitored by P‐tyr527 (PY527) dephosphorylation, and in vitro kinase assay. Treatment of osteoclasts with PTH, PGE2, 1,25(OH)2D3, IL‐1, but not RANKL or IL‐6, significantly stimulated resorption activity, increased PTP‐oc mRNA and protein levels, and reduced c‐Src PY527 level with corresponding activation of c‐Src protein‐tyrosine kinase activity. The PTP‐oc antisense phosphorothioated oligo treatment blocked the basal and IL‐1α‐mediated, but not RANKL‐mediated, resorption activity of isolated osteoclasts. The antisense oligo treatment also significantly reduced the average depth of resorption pits created by rabbit osteoclasts under basal conditions. Calcitonin and alendondrate, significantly reduced resorption activity and PTP‐oc expression, and increased c‐Src PY527 with corresponding reduction in its PTK activity. The cellular PTP‐oc protein level correlated with the resorption activity. Among the various signaling proteins co‐immunoprecipitated with PTP‐oc, the resorption effectors caused corresponding changes in the tyrosyl phosphorylation level of only c‐Src. The GST–PTP‐oc fusion protein dephosphorylated PY‐527‐containing c‐Src peptide in time‐ and dose‐dependent manner in vitro. In summary, (1) PTP‐oc is regulated in part at transcriptional level, (2) upregulation of PTP‐oc in osteoclasts led to c‐Src activation, and (3) PY527 of c‐Src may be a cellular substrate of PTP‐oc. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that PTP‐oc is a positive regulator of c‐Src in osteoclasts. J. Cell. Biochem. 97: 940–955, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The problem of diffuse water pollution originating from agriculture and other rural land uses poses particular challenges for public policy and may require innovative adaptive management approaches for its solution. Unlike point source pollution diffuse pollution cannot easily be controlled through monitoring and regulation. The polluters are typically uneducated in the environmental consequences of their land use actions, numerous, dispersed and often remote. Pollution pathways into the environment are diverse and difficult to trace, and pollution events are not evenly distributed, either spatially or 2 Laurence E.D. Smith, temporally. Thus monitoring and enforcement costs for regulation are high, even if the originators of pollution can be definitively identified. Catchments are heterogeneous and the available physical and socio-economic data needed to determine optimal technical solutions, and regulatory or other policy regimes, are rarely adequate. Solutions also ultimately require behavioural change on the part of land users, and must be flexible and adaptive to stochastic catchment conditions and to long-term trends such as climate change. To be sustainable an adaptive management approach is needed, in which the development of institutions and policies proceeds in parallel with improved scientific understanding and management of the catchment. Assessment of the social and economic implications of measures to reduce diffuse pollution is also challenging. In agriculture diffuse pollution is an externality of processes that produce goods, livelihoods and landscape attributes that sustain rural communities, are generally desired by society, and in some incidences can be recognised as 'public goods'. This raises questions of whether reducing water pollution will compromise the viability of the rural economy, and of how the costs of water protection should be distributed. Pollution mitigation measures can also have both positive and negative externalities. Analysis must extend beyond the farm to consider all aspects of land use, landscape heritage and the rural economy, including the viability of settlements, tourism, habitat management for biodiversity and recreation management. For policy the key point is that the incentives provided by markets will not signal all such values to land users, thus justifying both intervention by government and/or community, and an evolutionary approach. Identifying and ranking the goals for such interventions and how best to implement them merits wide stakeholder involvement and an appropriate degree of democratic accountability. In broad terms, means to address the problem include: economic policy instruments; regulation; voluntary agreements with land users; self-regulation; advisory and education campaigns; and direct Adaptive Management of Catchments for the Protection of Water Quality: Drawing on International Experience 3 land management strategies. The central challenges are how to determine and implement the best combination of measures for a specific catchment, given local conditions and wider policy constraints. Determination of the optimal governance regime for a catchment must take account of both national (or EU-wide) policy constraints and catchment specific characteristics. The latter including all relevant physical, socio-economic and cultural characteristics. This can only be achieved through an adaptive process. Internationally new models of governance for land and water resource management are developing. Subject to increasing scarcity of the resource and to growing pollution pressures, water governance can involve problems that are characterised by high levels of uncertainty and a diversity of competing values and claims. The problems may be intractable for a single agency working alone, but the establishment of effective partnerships and collective action must overcome the tendency of stakeholders to pursue narrow selfinterests. Catchment-scale projects must involve multiple agencies from different levels of government and from civil society, and thus partnerships and structures that result in effective cooperation and coordination at local level are essential. Complexity and conflicts of interest are inevitable, but these are conditions under which effective participatory and adaptive processes can deliver incremental benefits in terms of improved outcomes at affordable cost. This paper reports the results of a comparative analysis of international catchment management programmes and provides a synthesis of key programme elements and lessons of success. Whilst the empirical evidence shows there are no dogmatic solutions, some universal attributes can be identified and incorporated in the beginnings of a 'template' for land and water management at catchment scale. It is concluded that land management and diffuse sources of pollution have a local basis and protection of water at source necessitates the fostering of local instruments and participation of stakeholders in an adaptive process, supported by an enabling policy and regulatory environment. There is a need for local and wider legitimacy of organisational structures and institutions, and assimilation of duties and responsibilities in partnerships that offer a unified and 4 Laurence E.D. Smith, integrated catchment programme. Key elements include the legislative and policy provisions needed to support such programmes, and determination of the most effective balance between regulation, voluntary initiatives and economic incentives in changing the behaviour of land users.


Much of a controversial nature has appeared in the literature on the physical properties of methyl methacrylate. One of us (E. H. S.) has been working with this material for denture bases for some time. Because of this experience and in order to make it easier to avoid bias he continues the selection, examination and processing of the materials while the other of us (A. B. G.) determines the method of testing and collects and analyzes the data. This paper deals with the general observations on the behavior of these materials without consideration of their nature or method of processing. In the not far distant future it is hoped to present another paper in which these 2 types of data will be correlated. The purpose of this experiment is to study the deformation of methyl methacrylates used in dentistry under a constant compressive load applied over a relatively long period. During the course of the experiment slight digressions of a qualitative nature were made to throw additional light on phenomena observed in the regular course of the work. The apparatus (fig. 1) used was a Tinius Olsen tensile and crushing strength testing machine with a maximum load of 2000 pounds. The load weight and damping cylinder were removed and a small load of suitable size substituted. The load arm was supplied with a pointer which moves over the recording sheet. Recordings were made by marking on the sheet the location of the pointer at suitable time intervals. The specimens were micrometered to the 10,000th of an inch before insertion and after removal and the variations for the different time intervals calculated. The specimens were cylindrical and approximately .25 inches long by .20 inches in diameter. Variations in these dimensions were unavoidable because facilities for machining were unavailable. However errors resulting from this condition were largely overcome by regulating the load so as to apply a uniform force per unit area and by calculating the percentage change in length where comparisons were to be made. In the beginning the specimens were prepared by numerous individuals and the variations in behavior were extreme. By a process of elimination of types of specimens and numerous preliminary tests a constant load of approximately 7200 pounds per square inch (about twice the load for testing amalgam) was decided upon. This gave the desired results without injuring the material and allowed all readings to be made in a working day.


Forward osmosis(FO)is a novel environmentally friendly membrane separation technique.In recent years,FO has drawn a lot of attentions because it possesses many advantages,including low energy consumption,low fouling propensity and high water recovery.In this paper,the principles of FO are introduced.Moreover,the key techniques(draw solutions and membranes)and application progresses are reviewed.At last,the research tendencies of FO are discussed.


This paper seeks to produce evidence of a dynamic pattern of Central Bank reaction functions during macroeconomic turbulence and the responsiveness of the monetary policy to demand-type external shocks. In this study, we establish a nonlinear Taylor rule, a nonlinear Nominal Feedback rule and a nonlinear Exchange Rate rule, respectively augmented with a Foreign Exchange Reserves term. In these three models, Central Banks are considered to assign shifting weights to each target variable. We then analyze the reaction to macroeconomic conditions during 2000-2011 of four Asian Emerging Economies, which are China, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. Our findings show that only the People's Bank of China presents characteristics of a hierarchical nonlinearity and asymmetry of target variables in terms of weighting during the recent crisis. Both the Bank of Korea and the Bank of China (Taiwan) exhibit permanent inflation targeting commitment and a structural output-stimulus monetary policy. There are no concluding results as to the behavior of the Bank of Thailand.


Listening is an important component of the language arts. It is both an art and a skill which require development through planned, systematic instruction and practice. It is also a learning base for all the other language arts which combine to create an effective communication system. Despite its importance, research and experience have shown that listening instruction has long been a neglected area within the school curriculum. -- The purpose of this study was to prepare a booklet of planned, objective-based lessons for instruction in listening at the kindergarten level. -- The study consisted of two major parts, Part I dealt with the problem, the objectives and the need for the study, and a definition of listening. It presented a review of the literature which examined studies and professional writings related to listening from 1949 to 1982. The review of literature included references to the nature of listening, the possibility of improving listening skills through instruction, and the relationship of effective listening to reading. -- Part II consisted of a booklet of ninety-two lessons in ten specific skills at the kindergarten level, a foreword to teachers, and a bibliography. Ideas for the lessons were adopted and adapted from sources found in professional books, magazines, and an activities file developed by the writer. -- Recommendations for further consideration were offered. They suggested that listening should be given the same emphasis as the other language arts, that listening should be considered a base for reading, that teachers should be supplied with a ready source of material for systematic instruction in listening, and that in pre-service education teachers should receive preparation in the nature of listening the academic, social, and emotional benefits derived from effective listening, and the importance of giving listening instruction a place of priority within the school curriculum.


The electrochemical stability of ceftriaxone (CFTX), belonging to the third generation of cephalosporin antibiotics, was studied by electrochemical measurements recorded on a platinum electrode (Pt) in aqueous solutions containing sodium halides. The electrochemical behavior of ceftriaxone was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and constant current density electrolysis assisted by UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Cyclic voltammetry highlighted that the addition of CFTX in sodium halide solutions leads to significant changes in the hysteresis characteristics due to specific interactions with active species from electrolytes, as well as with the platinum electrode surface. After CV, when an exterior electric stimulus in short time (40 s) was applied, the UV-Vis spectra illustrated that CFTX is stable in the presence of F− ions, it is electro(degraded/transformed) in the presence of Cl− and Br− ions and interacts instantly with I− species. Electrolysis at constant current density confirms the results obtained from cyclic voltammetry, showing that (i) in the presence of fluoride ions CFTX gradually decomposes, but not completely, in about 60 min, without identifying a reaction product; (ii) chloride and bromide ions determine the almost complete CFTX electro(degradation/transformation) in 10 and 5 min, respectively, with completion of the electro-transformation reaction after 60 and 30 min, respectively; (iii) instantaneous interactions between CFTX and the iodide ions occurred.


IN THE SMALL PROVINCIAL UNIVERSITY of Giessen, Justus Liebig and two associates opened, in 1826, an institute for training pharmacists and chemists. The places available for students were soon filled. During the next three decades, the chemical laboratory at Giessen attracted growing numbers of students, pressing Liebig and his assistants to devise systematic programs of instruction and practical training. By the 1840s over fifty students at a time worked in the enlarged laboratory, and the Liebig school of chemistry was internationally famous. Its dramatic success prompted other German universities to emulate the training methods established at Giessen. Liebig initiated his teaching laboratory at a time when the major branches of natural science were becoming organized as distinct specialized disciplines. The formation of these disciplines-the most prominent of them being mathematics, physics, chemistry, and physiology-entailed systematic institutional arrangements for carrying out original investigations as well as for initiating newcomers into each field in a disciplined manner. The German universities played a prominent role in this development, especially in Prussia, because professors were expected both to contribute new knowledge and to teach existing knowledge.' The chemistry laboratory at Giessen was auspicious in fulfilling both of these functions. It became a highly productive research center, and it trained many chemists, some of whom became outstanding research chemists of the following generations. The genuine achievements of the Liebig school have been enhanced by the personal fame Liebig attained and by the collective influence of the students he inspired. Both he and they later recalled the Giessen laboratory as the place in which systematic instruction in experimental chemistry had been introduced for the first ime. With some qualification this view has persisted among recent historians of science.2 One of the sources of ambiguity in defining the innovations that occurred in


The racemic N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor antagonist ketamine is used in anesthesia, analgesia and the treatment of depressive disorders. It is known that interactions of hydroxylated norketamine metabolites and 5,6‐dehydronorketamine (DHNK) with the α7‐nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and the α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid receptor are responsible for the antidepressive effects. Ketamine and its first metabolite norketamine are not active on these receptors. As stereoselectivity plays a role in ketamine metabolism, a cationic capillary electrophoresis based method capable of resolving and analyzing the stereoisomers of four hydroxylated norketamine metabolites, norketamine and DHNK was developed. The assay is based on liquid/liquid extraction of the analytes from the biological matrix, electrokinetic sample injection across a buffer plug and analysis of the stereoisomers in a phosphate background electrolyte (BGE) at pH 3 comprising a mixture of sulfated β‐cyclodextrin (5 mg/mL) and highly sulfated γ‐cyclodextrin (0.1%). The method was used to analyze samples of an in vitro study in which ketamine was incubated with equine liver microsomes and in plasma samples of dogs and horses that were collected after an i.v. bolus injection of racemic ketamine.


Substation HV equipment comprises a wide variety of power network assets that are connected together, usually by busbars, to form the types of substation layouts described in Chapter 8. This chapter will examine underpinning design principles and performance characteristics of the main items of substation equipment, which are as follows: Circuit breakers (CBs), Earth switches, Disconnectors, Interlocking, Power transformers, Reactors, Quadrature boosters (QBs), Manually switched capacitors (MSCs), Static VAr compensators (SVCs), Voltage transformers (VTs), Current transformers (CTs).


Parasite infections in central nervous system(CNS) in human beings can result in very serious outcomes.Early diagnosis is important to reduce mortality.Parasitic infections in CNS include nematodes,cestodes,trematodes,and protozoans.This article discusses the clinical presentation,diagnosis,and treatment of some of the most common parasitic infections in CNS,these are Angiostrongylus cantonensis,Trichinella spiralis,Gnathostoma spinigerum,Strongyloides stercoralis,Toxocara spp.,Echinococcus spp.,Taenia solium,Spirometra spp.(sparganosis),Paragonimus westermani,Schistosoma spp.,Trypanosoma spp.,and Naegleria fowlerii.


To establish conjectures on groupware, learning and viability of a process of change in the information society, this paper is divided in three parts. Firstly, it states consecrated authors' recent contributions in Strategy and Innovation Economics. In the second part the probable characteristics of the structures evolution of companies that will act in the environment of the information society are presented. Finally, under a critical-comparative approach, the consistency of theoretical statements exhibited in this paper are evaluated. Two development models are brief presented. The Eastern model presents common properties to the institutional characteristics that support the learning in regions of the Southeastern Asia and of Japan. The western model encompasses similarities with the institutional characteristics that emerge in Occidental Europe and in the United States. In conclusion, it can be said that the western model seems to operate reasonably in economies strongly developed in great scale, such as the one from United States, while in emergent economies, as the one from Brazil, its effectiveness becomes incipient.


On this research, the potential of oleoresin extracted from the tree Copaifera reticulata was analyzed for the production of biofuel starting from the transesterification process. Properties like viscosity, acid, moisture, flash point and melt fluidity index were determined for both the raw and the chemically modified oleoresin. Its behavior on low temperatures and its oxidative stability were included on the characterization. It was determined that the route used for the production of biodiesel is not suitable because it generates a high loss of oleoresin, since the overall performance in biofuel production was approximately 10 %. Still, refining processes and transesterification had a positive effect on the oxidative stability of oleoresin. With respect to raw oleoresin, the  stability of refined oleoresin and copaiba biodiesel increased to 46 and 47 oC, respectively. According to the fluidity points, in all cases the behavior on cold fluidity significantly exceeds the established ranges. Copaiba biodiesel showed a fluidity point below –39 oC. According to the values of viscosity and density, the use of oleoresin in its raw or modified forms, although directly conditioned, could be considered in mixtures with gasoil or other biofuels to improve their low temperature properties. Further studies are needed to establish efficient routes for the chemical modification of oleoresin.


The paper presents active-person-oriented strategies of the modern teacher development that reflect the shift to a new paradigm level of pedagogical activities organization at a modern educational institution


Despite the increasing world‐wide popularity of contraceptive intra‐uterine devices (IUDs), their potential long‐term effects on the risk of developing endometrial carcinoma have been poorly studied. This paper reports on the relationship between intra‐uterine contraception and endometrial cancer by analyzing epidemiological data from a large, multicenter, population‐based, case‐control study of epithelial endometrial cancer. Cases were 437 women, 20 to 54 years of age, with histologically confirmed epithelial endometrial cancer ascertained through 6 population‐based cancer registries in the United States. Controls were 3200 women selected at random from the populations of these areas. The age‐ and parity‐adjusted odds ratio (OR) for the association between ever having used intra‐uterine contraception and endometrial cancer was 0.51 (95% confidence interval (Cl) 0.3–0.8). Although the protective effect increased with duration of use, a dose‐response relationship among users was not statistically demonstrable. The association did not vary significantly with age at first or last IUD use or with time elapsed since first or last IUD use. Years of education significantly modified the effect of intra‐uterine contraception. Thus, intra‐uterine contraception appeared to be strongly protective for women with at least 13 years of education (OR = 0.29, 95% Cl, 0.15–0.6). It is proposed that intra‐uterine contraception exerts its protective effect through local structural and biochemical changes in the endome‐trium that may alter endometrial sensitivity and response to circulating estrogen and progesterone.


CuS nanoparticles were prepared with chitosan as the synthesis template at normal temperature by in situ synthesis method. The morphology of CS/CuS nanocomposite film was examined by scanning electron microscopy, and the thermal behaviour of nanoparticles film was investigated by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The synthesised nanocomposite is the most stable form of CuS than CS. The binding of CS to the nanoparticles was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared. Optical characteristics of film were studied by the approaches of ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy and fluorescence; the experimental results indicated that the fluorescence emission of the nanocomposite films is very sensitive to the presence of phenolic. And microamount of phenolic makes the emissions increase dramatically. It is predicted that the films may be developed into an excellent sensing films for phenolic.


The computational study of intermolecular relationships of a given material can be used as a route for predicting quantities impossible or difficult to be determined experimentally. Furthermore properties of new materials can also be predicted by techniques of this type, when they are still in the modeling phase. This technique reproduces the classical dynamic relationships between the constituent elements of the material, atoms or unicorpuscular approximations of molecules, from interaction potential models called force fields. This work aims to develop a tool that performs the composition of linear polymeric chain systems through a self-avoided walk. For this, the concept of self-experimentation of long walks (SAWLC) was used, together with the Python language to develop MpolSys Modeler. This tool is a non-overlapping polymer chain generator, which in turn generates outputs that can be used as input to Moltemplate. To validate the tool's results, experiments were carried out in which the numbers and polymerization chains of the simulated polymer were varied, observing the overlap or not of the molecules that make up the simulation. At the end of the simulations, there were positive results that indicate a promising usage of the tool for the creation of polymers with a high number of chains and degrees of polymerization.


Background/Purpose: Worldwide, sunscreen sun protection factor (SPF) testing is based on 30‐year‐old technology. At the time the SPF test came into being, the highest SPFs available were in the 6–8 range. The SPF test is reasonably accurate for SPFs up to 15, but is much less reliable for measuring SPFs of 30 and higher. The method we propose addresses two primary reasons for this unreliability: 1) difficulties in applying products uniformly and 2) the subjectivity and variability of perception in evaluating and grading responses to UV doses.


Background: Chronic hypoxia in utero (CHU) is one of the most common insults to fetal development and may be associated with poor cardiac recovery from ischaemia-reperfusion injury, yet the effects on normal cardiac mechanical performance are poorly understood.


The dominant DNA damage generated by UV exposure is the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD), which alters skin cell physiology and induces cell death and mutation. Genome‐wide nucleotide‐resolution analysis of CPDs in melanocytes and fibroblasts has identified "CPD hyperhotspots", pyrimidine‐pyrimidine sites hundreds of fold more susceptible to the generation of CPDs than the genomic average. Identifying hyperhotspots in keratinocytes could enable measuring individual past UV exposure in small skin samples and predicting future skin cancer risk. We therefore exposed neonatal human epidermal keratinocytes to narrowband UVB and quantified CPDs using the adductSeq high‐throughput DNA sequencing method. Keratinocytes contained thousands of CPD hyperhotspots, with a UVB‐sensitivity up to 550 fold greater than the genomic average. As with melanocytes, the most sensitive sites were located in promoter regions at ETS‐family transcription factor binding sequence motifs, near RNA processing genes. Moreover, they lay at sequence motifs bound to ETS1 in CpG islands. These genes were specifically upregulated in skin and the CPD hyperhotspots were mutated in a fraction of keratinocyte cancers. Crucially for their biological importance and practical application, CPD hyperhotspot locations and UV‐sensitivity ranking demonstrated high reproducibility across experiments and across skin donors. CPD hyperhotspots are therefore sensitive indicators of UV exposure.


The methods and means of diagnostics of technical equipment and possibilities of their application to the diagnosis of machine tools. The technique of dynamic characteristics for the certification of lathes.


This paper presents our submission to the WMT 2022 quality estimation shared task and more specifically to the quality prediction sentence-level direct assessment (DA) subtask. We build a multilingual system based on the predictor–estimator architecture by using the XLM-RoBERTa transformer for feature extraction and a regression head on top of the final model to estimate the $z$-standardized DA labels. Furthermore, we use pretrained models to extract useful knowledge that reflect various criteria of quality assessment and demonstrate good correlation with human judgements. We optimize the performance of our model by incorporating this information as additional external features in the input data and by applying Monte Carlo dropout during both training and inference.


In the kidney, the flow rate of the pro‐urine through the renal tubules is highly variable. The tubular epithelial cells sense these variations in pro‐urinary flow rate in order to regulate various physiological processes, including electrolyte reabsorption. One of the mechanosensitive pathways activated by flow is the release of ATP, which can then act as a autocrine or paracrine factor. Increased ATP release is observed in various kidney diseases, among others autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). However, the mechanisms underlying flow‐induced ATP release in the collecting duct, especially in the inner medullary collecting duct, remain understudied. Using inner medullary collecting duct 3 (IMCD3) cells in a microfluidic setup, we show here that administration of a high flow rate for 1 min results in an increased ATP release compared to a lower flow rate. Although the ATP release channel pannexin‐1 contributed to flow‐induced ATP release in Pkd1−/− IMCD3 cells, it did not in wildtype IMCD3 cells. In addition, flow application increased the expression of the putative ATP release channel connexin‐30.3 (CX30.3) in wildtype and Pkd1−/− IMCD3 cells. However, CX30.3 knockout IMCD3 cells exhibited a similar flow‐induced ATP release as wildtype IMCD3 cells, suggesting that CX30.3 does not drive flow‐induced ATP release in wildtype IMDC3 cells. Collectively, our results show differential mechanisms underlying flow‐induced ATP release in wildtype and Pkd1−/− IMCD3 cells and further strengthen the link between ADPKD and pannexin‐1‐dependent ATP release.


In recent time, the technology is growing rapidly with increasing human needs and expectations. The technological growth is achieved with the help of machines that are designed and integrated in a way to meet current requirements. However there are various research fields for this but the robotics field especially the Robotic arms and Rovers has really catch our attention. Robotic arms work with the specified predefined command by the developer with a particular degree of freedom which make it one of the important tools for engineering applications. On other half Rovers too has its own significance in portability operation. This paper solely focuses on development of a device by integrating above technology, Robotic arm on top of Rover for picking and placing operation in hazardous environment. NodeMCU act as brain of the system and whole system is controlled using smart phone.


BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Inflammation is associated with various types of acute and chronic alcohol liver diseases. In this study, we examined whether umbelliferone (7-hydroxycoumarin, UF) ameliorates chronic alcohol-induced liver damage by modulating inflammatory response and the antioxidant system. METHODS Rats were fed a Liber-Decarli liquid diet containing 5% alcohol with or without UF (0.05 g/L) for 8 weeks, while normal rats received an isocaloric carbohydrate liquid diet. RESULTS Chronic alcohol intake significantly increased serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 levels and decreased interleukin 10 level; however, UF supplementation reversed the cytokines related to liver damage. UF significantly suppressed hepatic lipopolysaccharide binding protein, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor kappa B, and TNF-α gene expression increases in response to chronic alcohol intake. Masson's trichrome staining revealed that UF improved mild hepatic fibrosis caused by alcohol, and UF also significantly increased the mRNA expressions and activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in liver, and thus, decreased lipid peroxide and mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide levels. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study indicate that UF protects against alcohol-induced liver damage by inhibiting the TLR4 signaling pathway and activating the antioxidant system.


Arrays of liquid crystal defects—linear smectic dislocations—are used to trap semiconductor CdSe/CdS dot‐in‐rods which behave as single‐photon emitters. Measurements of the emission diagram are combined together with measurements of the emitted polarization of the single emitters. It is shown that the dot‐in‐rods are confined parallel to the linear defects to allow for a minimization of the disorder energy associated with the dislocation cores. It is demonstrated that the electric dipoles associated with the dot‐in‐rods, tilted with respect to the rods, remain oriented in the plane including the smectic linear defects and perpendicular to the substrate, most likely due to dipole/dipole interactions between the dipoles of the liquid crystal molecules and those of the dot‐in‐rods. Using smectic dislocations, nanorods can consequently be oriented along a unique direction for a given substrate, independently of the ligands' nature, without any induced aggregation, leading as well to a fixed azimuthal orientation for the dot‐in‐rods' dipoles. These results open the way for the fine control of nanoparticle anisotropic optical properties, in particular, fine control of single‐photon emission polarization.


Guided by the application requirements of imaging satellite,the model construction and heuristic rule design of multi imaging satellites joint scheduling problem are focused.All of the research are based on the analysis of the process of joint scheduling and imaging constraints.Firstly,this thesis analyses satellite imaging procedure,imaging constraints,input and output of the problem,ascertains the basic scheduling flow and characteristics of the multi imaging satellites joint scheduling problem.Secondly,in order to solve the problem the construction of heuristic algorithms is focused on.


Face recognition has been a quickly developing, testing and intriguing region progressively applications. An extensive number of face recognition calculations have been produced in a decade ago. In this paper an endeavor is made to survey an extensive variety of techniques utilized for face recognition exhaustively. This incorporate PCA, LDA, ICA, SVM, Gabor wavelet delicate registering instrument like ANN for recognition and different cross breed blend of this systems. This audit examines every one of these techniques with parameters that difficulties face recognition like illumination, pose variation, facial expressions.


Summary • Energy balance can be estimated/assumed using a variety of techniques o Change in body weight o Change in body condition score o Plasma metabolites o Calculated using established equations • Conjugated linoleic acid induced milk fat depression can improve energy balance parameters in lactating dairy cattle o During the transition period ƒ In TMR and pasture fed cows o During periods of nutrient limitation ƒ Heat stress o Whether the improved energy balance results in enhanced production or reproductive success is currently unknown


The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of directive and supportive leadership style on employee job satisfaction in commercial banks in Kenya. The study adopted the positivism research philosophy and descriptive correlational research design.  The target population of the study was 15,030 employees in all the 43 commercial banks licensed to operate in Kenya as of June 2018. Using a stratified sampling technique, the study drew a sample size of 386 employees reporting to middle-level managers. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The results of the study showed that a directive leadership style and supportive leadership styles positively and significantly predicted employee job satisfaction. The results of the regression analysis after moderation showed that environmental contingency factors significantly moderated the relationship between path-goal leadership style and employee job satisfaction.


Theuseofelectric motors inClassI,Division 2 locations isa commonpractice inthepetroleum and chemical industry. Experience hasshownthatinduction motorsdonotnormally provide sources ofignition forthe combustible vapors thatmayoccasionally bepresent. The application ofadjustable speeddrives (ASDs)introduces powerthat isnotpurely sinusoidal that will causethemotors torunathigher temperatures thanonpuresine-wave power. Theneedforfurther evaluation ofinduction motors powered byASDswasneeded toassure that themotors wouldnotbe anignition sourceforthecombustible vapors thatmaybe present. Thispaperdiscusses thetesting andtest results of somemediumvoltage motors powered byASDsforDivision 2application.


We report our experience of applying rigorous software specification and design methodologies to the development of applications for the emerging software-defined networking (SDN) paradigm. While much of the prior work in the SDN space focused on creating novel algorithms and protocols, in this paper we take the position that the implementation of those algorithms and protocols on the SDN platform is a hard problem on its own that deserves a systematic treatment from the software engineering perspective. Through a concrete case study of implementing an essential switching algorithm as an SDN app, we expose the challenges stemmed from the unique three-tier architecture of SDN, and propose a rigorous approach that flows from functional requirements through stepwise refinement to design and implementation. Our case study shows promises of the proposed approach in supporting correctness arguments for the software developed for the SDN platform.


Two years has been carried out the trial fields of institute of Agriculture - Skopje, department- Kocani, with the rice varieties monticeli and R 76/6 foliarly treated with combined crystal fertilizer Kristalon special with formula 18 +18 + 18


In this paper I consider some of the pedagogical implications of teaching whiteness within the classroom. I discuss the nature of whiteness as a dominant discourse and the challenges involved in enabling students to critically engage with the material presented. I advocate a twofold approach that both challenges the naturalised ways of seeing which sustain whiteness and encourage students to place themselves relationally in terms of whiteness. The paper also considers some of the problems I have encountered with regard to teaching whiteness such as the institutional framework which tends to subvert and domesticate difference; and the distancing strategies used by students to avoid the critical potential of understanding whiteness. Finally I examine the importance of the embodied performance of teaching whiteness, reflecting on my role in the classroom.


In this paper, we study the semantics for the logics of preference based on possibility theory. Possibility distributions representing the preference between worlds are associated with the possible world models for dynamic logics. Then the preference between actions are determined by comparing some measures of their consequences. We will define different logics of preference by considering the comparisons of possibility measures and guaranteed possibility measures. Some properties of the proposed logics will be studied and their relationships with deontic logics will also be considered.


Reimbursement for healthcare services provided is becoming increasingly more complex. The initial foray into healthcare cost containment began in the 1980's with payment being based on usual and customary charges. Insurance providers pooled data and provided payment of at a rate of 80% of the 60th percentile charge for a given service. The terminology of the stakeholders also changed from 'physicians caring for patients' to 'healthcare providers providing a service to clients.' Using the auto repair industry as a model, a relative value system was developed to create a specific number of units associated with each and every service offered by providers. This evolved into our current system, where hospitals negotiate a rate with insurance providers based on diagnostic-related groups, and physicians negotiate their compensation based on a dollar amount per relative value unit (RVU) provided. A lament in the surgeons' lounge is the complaint that there is no premium offered for quality or experience. A physician in his or her first year of practice is compensated the identical amount as the surgeon with 20+ years of experience. The insurance providers argue that we are simply a provider of a service, much like plumbers, electricians, and auto mechanics. Several insurance carriers in California are now using a single-payer system, where the hospital is paid a fixed DRG-related amount, and it is then up to the hospital and the physician provider how to divide that amount. Many physicians have also complained that there is no financial incentive for excellence, but they should be careful what they wish for. The Massachusetts' Group Insurance Commission initiated a cost-control regulatory action requiring health plans to stratify physicians into tiers.2 The reimbursement to the physician is not adjusted. Physicians in the top tier are assigned a lower co-payment than those in the lower tiers. Many physicians would find this improved access as a benefit if the tiering was based on what physicians consider quality, which they tend to base on improved patient outcomes and lower rates of treatmentassociated morbidity. Insurance providers, on the other hand, define quality based on cost-efficiency and adherence to some vague clinical practice guidelines.1 The early experience with physician tiering has not been very effective. Insurance companies do not agree which physicians belong in the upper tier and which belong in lower tiers, and this method has not yet demonstrated the anticipated cost savings.3 But just because the insurance providers' strategy is not meeting with success does not mean they will abandon these efforts. On the surface, cost efficiency and adherence to clinical practice guidelines seem reasonable. But as with many altruistic regulations, the devil is in the details. What will happen to patients with significant medical co-morbidities? Will surgeons deny care to patients who are likely to have complications and drive up the cost of care? Will surgeons think twice before offering treatment to diabetic or immunocompromised patients? Will institutions, with the advent of 'never' events and physician tiering, coupled with single-party payment programs, restrict the type of patients and the type of care offered to patients? Some institutions can already be seen restricting the use of some expensive and controversial technology. Will this lead to even further restrictions on access for indigent patients who have a higher incidence of medical co-morbidities? Will these complex, poorly compensated procedures on these patients be further diverted to academic medical centers that provide revenue draining care to indigent populations, thus further negatively impacting their ability to financially survive? What happens when academic medical centers limit access to indigent, medically co-morbid, financially draining patient populations? What are your thoughts? What is the solution? Provide your insight to the FootForum at mpinzur@ faijournal.com.


Introduction:
 The accuracy of clinical examination is limited for early diagnosis of Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD). The 2012 World Heart Federation (WHF) Criteria provides standardized echocardiographic (echo) guidelines for diagnosis of RHD. There is sparse data on echo prevalence of RHD in Brazil.

 Objective:
 Assess the prevalence of RHD in students (6-18 years) from public schools in low-income areas in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

 Methods:
 Over 4-days, experts used standard portable echo machines (GE, Vivid-Q) and the 2012 WHF Criteria to determine RHD prevalence. All consented and present children at the visited schools were eligible for participation. Studies identified as abnormal were blindly read by a second cardiologist, with non-agreement adjudicated by a third. RHD prevalence by gender and age (5-11 & 12-18) were compared using Fisher's Exact Test.

 Results:
 A total of 1381 students were screened across four schools in urban Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The mean age was 13.6±2.8 years, range 5-18 years; 59.3% were female. The prevalence of RHD was 3.8% (53/1381): 3.4% borderline RHD (n=47) and 0.4% definite RHD (n=6). Of these cases, 46 (86.8%) had pathologic mitral regurgitation (≥2cm, seen in 2-views, pan-systolic, and velocity ≥3m/sec) and 7 had pathologic aortic regurgitation (≥1cm, seen in 2-views, pan-diastolic, and velocity ≥3m/sec). One child had mixed mitral and aortic valve disease. There were no cases of mitral or aortic stenosis. There was no difference in RHD prevalence between males and females (p=0.57), but older children had a higher prevalence rate (5-11 years 1.3% vs. 12-18 years 4.5%, p=0.01). Minor congenital heart disease was detected in 8 additional children (5.8%), including one large ASD that was referred for closure.

 Conclusions:
 WHF Criteria make it possible to obtain and accurately compare echo prevalence of RHD among different regions of the world. The PROVAR study shows that, among children living in low-socioeconomic conditions in urban Brazil, RHD remains a significant health burden, comparable to that in other low-resource communities. Screening older children has higher yield. Contemporary data such as these provide justification for investing in comprehensive RHD control programs both in Brazil, and around the globe.


The long-standing controversy over whether speculators in a futures market earn a risk premium is analyzed within the context of the capital asset pricing model recently developed by Sharpe, Lintner, and others. Under that approach the risk premium required on a futures contract should depend not on the variability of prices but on the extent to which the variations in prices are systematically related to variations in the return on total wealth. The systematic risk was estimated for a sample of wheat, corn, and soybean futures contracts over the period 1952 to 1967 and found to be close to zero in all three cases. Average realized holding period returns on the contracts over the same period were close to zero.


This paper studies image median filtering and several fast algorithm,then designs and implements a novel median filtering algorithm based on proved sign test method.The new algorithm does not need to sort the pixel values in neighbourhood so as to greatly speed up the operation of median filtering.On the other hand,this algorithm employs a new statistics to solve the shortcomings of original sign test method,especially when samples of two massing are almostly the same.At last,the improved sign test method is employed to better the image median filtering algorithm.Algorithm analysis and a lot of experiment results show that the new algorithm can not only speed up the operation of image median filtering,but also retain more information of image edge,figure and texture,compared to several other fast algorithm of image median filtering.


To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims' crossing, a ship guided by an AI captain will embark on the same journey, doing science along the way.


BACKGROUND: Stroke has been the second leading cause of death and the third cause of disability worldwide. A record of hypertension and an increase in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) after the first stroke were associated with an increased risk of a second stroke. DBP has historically been considered as the leading cause of cardiac arrest in adults with hypertension. In the previous studies, it was found a relationship between DBP with stroke and functional outcomes.

AIM: This research was carried out to determine the relationship between DBP and the event of ischemic stroke for the 1st time in hypertension patients.

METHODS: This research is a case–control that was selected using a consecutive sampling technique, where 47 hypertensive patients with ischemic stroke as the case group were matched with 47 hypertensive patients without stroke as the control group. The research was conducted at H. Adam Malik Hospital, Medan and a network hospital.

RESULTS: In this research, most samples in the case and control groups were men with 30 subjects (63.8%) with a mean age value of 58.11 ± 10.85 years. At TDD ≥90 mmHg, 34 subjects (72.3%) had ischemic stroke and 21 subjects (44.7%) did not. At TDD <90 mmHg, the percentage of ischemic stroke was 13 subjects (27.7%) and 26 subjects (55.3%) were non-ischemic stroke with p = 0.006, OR = 3.02.

CONCLUSION: There is a significantly close relationship between diastolic blood pressure and the event of ischemic stroke.


In C language, those which are regarded convenient by experts tend to be misused. Based on the author's many-year-study in C programming, this article, combining quite a number of examples, tries to explore C language from the angle of statement structure, which will provide some lessons for C language programmers.


A significant portion of planned energy and mineral resource investment into Australia is now for hydrogen (H2). Whether from fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage or from electrolysis of water using renewable energy, there is a price premium for manufactured hydrogen. The production of H2 from geological sources (geologic H2) could be more cost-effective. The majority of sources for geologic H2 are abiotic and their resource potential is largely unknown. Biogenic (microbial and thermogenic) sources also exist. The focus for this study is on a thermogenic source where chemical kinetics of H2 generation from the thermal breakdown of land-plant-derived organic matter has been applied within a petroleum system modelling framework for the Cooper Basin. Modelling of mid-Patchawarra Formation coals and shales, the main source rocks for petroleum, indicate that free H2 is available at maturities >3.5% vitrinite reflectance and that a large volume of free H2 is predicted to occur in a 'sweet spot' deep within the Nappamerri Trough. In-situ free H2 concentrations deep within the Nappamerri Trough are predicted to be comparable to methane concentrations in productive unconventional shale gas plays. Nevertheless, exploration drilling within the Cooper Basin's depocentre is sparse and a deep H2 system remains largely untested.


DC-link capacitors are widely used in power electronic converters to balance the instantaneous power difference between the input source and output load and to minimize voltage variation in the DC-link. In some applications, they are also used to provide energy storage. Figure 3.1 shows some typical configurations of power electronic conversion systems with capacitive DC-links. Such configurations cover a wide range of power electronics applications, for example, power factor corrections, wind turbines, photovoltaic systems, motor drives, electric vehicles, and lighting systems. It should be noted that a capacitive DC-link discussed here does not necessarily consist of capacitors only. There could also be some inductive components (e.g., DC choke) in the DC bus in some of the above applications.


Provided is a video protection method using digital fingerprinting technology. The method comprises: a user equipment sending a video request to a network side device, and then receiving a video stream issued by the network side device based on the video request, wherein the video stream comprises a digital fingerprint protection strategy; and the user equipment acquiring a digital fingerprint based on hardware information about the user equipment according to the digital fingerprint protection strategy, and then displaying the digital fingerprint according to the digital fingerprint protection strategy. According to the method, a flexible digital fingerprint protection strategy can be configured with regard to a specific channel, a specific user group and a designated user equipment, thereby preventing video contents from being pirated.


Dual infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis substantially affects the epidemiology of tuberculosis in sub-Saharan Africa. Chronic diarrhea has also become a problem but the etiologic agent varies. Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) which disseminates in 80% of HIV-infected patients is the dominant mycobacterial species affecting patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the west; however results of African studies differ. A Zambian study produced no evidence of MAC in AIDS patients with or without diarrhea. One in Zaire by Colebunders and colleagues isolated MAC from 12% of HIV positive patients and 22% of HIV negative patients. At the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka a cross-sectional study was conducted by the authors of this letter on the prevalence of mycobacteria in 120 fecal samples from 69 individuals (58 with AIDS-defining diagnoses) with HIV-related diarrhea lasting longer than 3 weeks; fecal specimens from 7 of the patients grew mycobacteria (2 MAC 4 M tuberculosis and 1 M flavescens). 2 of the patients had diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis at the time of endoscopy but had not begun chemotherapy. 1 had a spouse with tuberculosis and 2 others (1 M tuberculosis 1 MAC) died within 2 weeks probably as a result of the diarrhea. Biopsy specimens showed scanty acid-fast bacilli in 1 of the stool positive cases (MAC); the organism was cultured with the specimen. The person also had cryptosporidiosis. There were no apparent differences in nutritional status or villus morphology between patients with mycobacteria and those without. In a parallel London study the rate of recovery of mycobacteria was similar (12%) but 7 of the isolates were MAC and 1 was M tuberculosis. Over the next 6-12 months 50% of the stool-positive cases developed disseminated disease. In summary the authors findings indicate that M tuberculosis and MAC colonize the gut in 10% of African patients with HIV-related diarrhea but there is little evidence of the small intestinal infiltrative mycobacterial disease seen in industrialized countries and M tuberculosis is not a substantial contributor despite high rates of infection in AIDS patients.


The study of the influence of Lewis Carroll's Alice on French literature explores the purely dreamlike dimension of Alice's adventures and reveals recurrent themes in Carroll's imaginative world. These themes derive from the dream condensation process which inspired French writers from the beginning of the 20th century. In France the author's imaginative crualty towards the child has developed via the metaphor of the animal seen as the incarnation of agressive urges, predominantly cannibalism. Going "through the looking-glass" is a recurring image in the poetry of Jean Cocteau and Louis Aragon. This theme is inseparable from the "roman des origines. " The mirror represents the poetic reverse side of reality which intrudes upon the real world. It is also a metaphor for disappearance and death. Alice is the precursor of other characters that are subject to the same incestuous, nightmarish dimension of the original story. These characters are variously the little girl who is a subject of sadistic fantasies, the child who is eroticized by a man's observation and the child who is freed from all constraints by poetic imagination. Alice prefigures the phenomenon of the child-woman.


Multilayer membranes of 1,2‐dipalmitoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphorylcholine were prepared in D2O and exposed to γ‐radiation. Changes in the chemical structure due to irradiation were studied by 1H, 13C and 31P NMR after lyophilization and dissolution in chloroform‐methanol (1 : 2, v/v). One‐ and two‐dimensional techniques were used. 1‐Palmitoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphorylcholine, 2‐palmitoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphorylcholine, glycero‐3‐phosphorylcholine and palmitic acid were identified as new components. Their development during irradiation was quantitatively determined. The results were discussed in terms of possible reaction steps responsible for the radiolytic decomposition.


During the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions (HEIs) faced serious challenges that raised concerns about sustaining the quality of education delivered to students and the quality of the graduates produced. Many HEIs throughout the world were unable to sustain the quality of teaching and learning due to many issues including lack of clear strategies, policies, procedures, and practices. This chapter will identify successful practices of HEIs for achieving sustainable quality education during COVID-19, based on transformation strategies in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This chapter will also highlight the role of governance in strategic decision making throughout strategy transformation and the impact of leaders on effective decision making during the crisis in developing successful practices for sustainable quality education.


Plastic electronics has shown remarkable progress to realize future flexible-image devices. However, there are huge amount of issues to be solved as "nanoscale interface issues" in the plastic electronics, especially in transistor. The nanoscale interface issues are actually serious problems for the transistor operation delay and a future device miniaturization. For example, the interface resistance between the plastic channel and the metal contact dominates the transistor resistance in a short channel transistor, which cannot allow us to control the desirable current switching operation. To investigate these issues, we proposed and established a laser etching method to form a four-terminal device and directly showed gate-dependent contact resistance. Furthermore, an interface between the organic channel and substrate also affects the transistor performance. Controlling these nanoscale interfaces, we integrated a pixel of the organic transistor with the organic light emitting diode, and investigated detail of the operation properties for the future flexible display device.


Abstract Objectives To determine if relationships exist between maternal concentrations of hepcidin and serum ferritin (SF) throughout pregnancy and infant SF concentrations at 3 months of age. Methods Pregnant women from Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta, Canada were recruited into the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) cohort study from 2009–2012. Blood samples were collected from 358 women at each trimester of pregnancy and their infants at 3 months of age. Maternal hepcidin concentrations were assessed using enzyme linked immunosorbent assays. Maternal and infant SF concentrations were measured by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassays. General linear models and multiple regression models, adjusting for maternal age, ethnicity, pre-pregnancy body-mass-index, and inflammation via direct acyclic graphs, were performed by SAS−9.4. Results In the maternal cohort, 63.4% had suboptimal iron stores (SF < 15 ng/mL) during late gestation. Infant SF concentrations were ordered into quartiles arranged by maternal SF and hepcidin concentrations (Q1 being the highest). During the second trimester, women with hepcidin concentrations in Q3 (4.8–9.9 ng/mL) had infants with significantly higher concentrations of SF at 3 months [β = 39.6 ng/mL (11.6,67.6); p = 0.013], compared to those in Q1, Q2, and Q4. Infant SF concentrations were significantly higher when second trimester maternal SF concentrations were in Q2 (31.5–46.5 ng/mL) [β = 33.1 ng/mL (5.6,60.5); p = 0.018] and Q3 (18.0–31.4 ng/mL) [β = 30.8 ng/mL (3.5,58.2); p = 0.027] compared to Q1 and Q4. There were no relationships between maternal SF and hepcidin concentrations during the first or third trimesters and infant SF concentrations. A positive relationship was found between maternal hepcidin and SF concentrations during mid-gestation (P < 0.0001), which may partly explain why higher infant SF concentrations were similarly associated with moderate maternal concentrations of both iron biomarkers. Conclusions Second trimester maternal concentrations of SF (18.0–46.5 ng/mL) and hepcidin (4.8–9.9 ng/mL) were associated with higher SF concentrations in 3-month-old infants. Future studies are needed to explore the complex relationships between maternal iron status and infant iron status during the first year of life. Funding Sources APrON study by Alberta Innovates, CIHR; J. Evanchuk by CIHR, WCHRI.


Microstructure evolution during the homogenization heat treatment of an Al-Zn-Cu-Mg (AA7475, which is typically used for the manufacture of aircraft design) alloy, was investigated using a combination of light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Ingots after different types (one-or two-steps treatments) of temperatures (from 380 to 510 °C) of homogenization and cooling conditions (cooling with an air or quenching to water) were investigated. The results show that the microstructure of ingot presents a typical microstructure with some isolated Al7Cu2Fe particles, which after homogenization almost remains in both the size and morphology. The structure ingot after homogenization below 400 °C contains secondary phases, based on η (MgZn2), S (Al2CuMg) and T (Al2Mg3Zn3) are distributed along the grain boundary. In the T (Al2Mg3Zn3) phase copper dissolves up to 30 wt.%. Then the increase in temperature and the complication of heat treatment of homogenization, which led to the complication of the kinetics of the evolution of inter-dendritic phases, were found. The two-steps homogenization has a better effect than a single homogenization, as its completely dissolution of non-equilibrium phases was established.


The harpaphine xystodesmid milliped genus Isaphe, characterized by two telopodal branches and a prefemoral process that angles across the medial face of the telopodite, comprises two species. Isaph...


This invention provides one zero block pre-judging condition determining method, which comprises the following steps: taking visual frequency image 4 times 4 block and front frame reference 4 times 4 block; taking the sum of the said reside image block relative isolate errors; according to the sum using integer change theory expression taking the said prediction reside image block integer direct parameter values; taking the said direct parameter value as zero for zero block pre-judging condition. This invention also discloses one zero block judging method and is suitable for H.264 standard compression coding process to improve the compression coding efficiency.