The emergence of artificial intelligence is mostly linked to software-driven robotic systems, including mobile robots, unmanned aerial aircraft, and, to a growing extent, semi-autonomous automobiles. Nevertheless, the significant disparity between the algorithmic realm and the physical realm hinders current systems from achieving the desired outcome of creating intelligent and user-friendly robots that can effectively engage with and manipulate our human-centric environment. The nascent field of machine intelligence (MI), which combines robotics and artificial intelligence, strives to develop reliable and embodiment-aware artificial intelligence systems. These systems possess self-awareness and an understanding of their environment, enabling them to adapt to the interacting body they are operating. The incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics into control, perception, and machine-learning systems is necessary for the realization of fully autonomous intelligent systems in our everyday existence. This review provides an overview of the historical development of machine intelligence, tracing its origins to the twelfth century. It then proceeds to examine the present state of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), discussing significant systems and contemporary research directions. Additionally, the article outlines the remaining challenges in these fields and speculates on the potential future of human-machine interactions that has yet to be realized.


Water stress is the most common adverse environmental condition that seriously reduces crop productivity. Increasing crop tolerance to water stress may be the most economical approach to improve agricultural productivity and to reduce agricultural use of fresh water resource in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). The study was undertaken from 2008 to 2010 to evaluate tissue culture (TC) regenerates of sorghum cultivars with respect to nutritional value and safety, water stress tolerance and to establish the genetic diversity among the sorghum bicolor cultivars. The parent plants were used as controls in the study. The study involved Seredo, El Gardam and Mtama 1 cultivars. Selection of these cultivars was based on tannin content. The genetic variability was investigated using five simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers. Parameters associated with water stress tolerance were measured in the field and in hydroponics experiment and the data were recorded for all the cultivars and subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The nutritional and safety analysis experiment were also done and data recorded and subjected to ANOVA. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) marker used in the analysis showed a significant amount of polymorphism with an average of 0.675 similarity coefficient. Phylogenetic analysis clustered the 3 cultivars into two main clusters. The TC regenerates compared to their parental controls showed no significant variations (p<0.05) for physiological and morphological traits except for water potential under field and hydroponics experiments. The TC regenerates for all the cultivars showed better tolerance (p<0.05) to water stress than the parents except for Seredo. No significant variations were observed for proximate composition, B vitamins and mineral composition between the TC regenerates and their xvii
parental plants. Significant variations (p<0.05) were however noted in the anti-nutrient content specifically the phytates between the TC regenerates and their respective parental controls. The phytates content ranged between 124.3 – 351.4 mg/100g with Mtama 1 TC regenerates having the lowest (124.3 mg/100g) and Seredo parent having the highest (351.4 mg/100g). The anti-nutrient amounts were observed to be elevated in the Seredo cultivar (Red sorghum) compared to Mtama 1 and El Gardam cultivars (White sorghum). Protein digestibility percentages were higher (p<0.05) for the TC regenerates than the parental plants. The outcome of this study has shown that tissue culture technique as a method of hardening the sorghum to introduce any somaclonal variation in the regenerated plants is not effective. The outcome of the food analysis would also be useful in determining the varieties suited for particular industrial use and as animal and human food according to the nutritional properties.


This short review summarises research and key debates in the conservation and management of wildlife, biodiversity and valued environments in Africa. It is broadly grounded in a political ecology approach, and indicates the importance of considering ways in which power and meanings conferred on the landscape play out in the realm of conservation. The review highlights the paradigm shift that has occurred in thinking about African environments and shows how this has shaped approaches to conservation. It considers factors that influenced the origin of conservation initiatives in Africa, including the preservation of game for hunting and the establishment of national parks in the United States. The shift from an early fortress conservation model to later community conservation approaches is traced and a summary of the critique of community conservation with a analysis of the CAMPFIRE programme in Zimbabwe, is presented. More recently the conservation agenda seems to have turned towards transfrontier conservation. The conclusion cautions that despite the weight of critical analyses of community conservation, its abandonment would be somewhat premature and potentially detrimental to desirable conservation and development outcomes.


Background

To understand the effects of diet and age on the rumen bacterial community and function, forty-eight dairy cattle at 1.5 (M1.5), 6 (M6), 9 (M9), 18 (M18), 23 (M23), and 27 (M27) months old were selected. The M1.5, M6, and M27 had the high protein and starch dietary, while the M9, M18, and M23 had the high fiber dietary. Fermentation profile, enzyme activity, and bacteria community in rumen fluid were measured.
Results

The acetate to propionate ratio (A/P) at M9, M18, and M23 (high fiber diet) was higher than other ages, and M6 was the lowest (P < 0.05). The total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) at M23 and M27 was higher than other ages (P < 0.05). The urease at M18 was lower than M1.5, M6, and M9, and the xylanase at M18 was higher than M1.5, M23, and M27 (P < 0.05). The α-diversity indexes (Ace and Chao1) of ruminal bacteria increased from M1.5 to M23, while they decreased from M23 to M27 (P < 0.05). Thirty-three bacteria were identified as biomarkers of the different groups based on the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) when the LDA score > 4. The variation partitioning approach analysis showed that the age and diet had a 7.98% and 32.49% contribution to the rumen bacteria community variation, respectively. The richness of Succinivibrionaceae_UCG-002 and Fibrobacter were positive correlated with age (r > 0.60, P < 0.01) and also positively correlated with TVFA and acetate (r > 0.50, P < 0.01). The Lachnospiraceae_AC2044_group, Pseudobutyrivibrio, and Saccharofermentans has a positive correlation (r > 0.80, P < 0.05) with diet NDF and negative correlation (r < -0.80, P < 0.05) with diet CP and starch, which were also positively correlated with the acetate and A/P (r > 0.50, P < 0.01).
Conclusion

These findings indicated that the quantitative effect of diet and age on the rumen bacteria were 7.98% and 32.49%, respectively. The genera of Lachnospiraceae_AC2044_group, Pseudobutyrivibrio, and Saccharofermentans could be worked as the target bacteria to modulate the rumen fermentation by diet; meanwhile, the high age-correlated bacteria such as Succinivibrionaceae_UCG-002 and Fibrobacter also should be considered when shaping the rumen function.


A method for preparing a lens having UV-absorbing properties, which comprises forming a monomer mixture containing a monomer and the lens is substantially non-UV absorbing compound is added to a mold and cured to form a monomer mixture lens, the lens is then treated to substantially non-UV-absorbing compound into an ultraviolet absorber.


In terms of governance, Burkina Faso has undergone two major changes at the top of the State in the space of eight months, leading to the establishment of the Transi8on bodies and the adop8on of the Ac8on Plan for Stabiliza8on and Development (PA-SD) in January 2023 as a framework for guiding the Transi8on's priori8es. The strategic objec8ves of that Ac8on Plan are: i) to fight terrorism and restore territorial integrity; ii) to respond to the humanitarian crisis; iii) to rebuild the State and improve governance; iv) to work towards na8onal reconcilia8on and social cohesion.


Microparticles (MPs) are membrane bound vesicles that express phosphatidylserine and released by activated and apoptotic cells. MP amount increases under inflammatory conditions. The objective of this study is to investigate if streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats had increased circulating MPs and the roles of MPs in development of diabetic microvascular complications. Plasma MPs were quantified by flow cytometry with Annexin‐V staining and isolated by centrifugation. MP interaction with endothelium and blood cells was investigated by perfusing isolated MPs to individually perfused rat mesenteric microvessels and observed by confocal imaging. The diabetic plasma MP count significantly increased from 5.3 × 106 (normal rats) to 33 × 106 per ml. Perfusing isolated diabetic MPs to the normal venule resulted in rapid MP adhesion on the microvessel wall, which induced immediate leukocyte adhesion following resumed blood flow (19 leukocytes/100 μm vessel length). Although MP‐mediated leukocyte adhesion did not affect basal permeability, the application of a chemoattractant fMLP caused a 5‐fold increase in Lp. These results indicate that the increased circulating MPs under diabetic conditions are not only results of vascular cell activation and apoptosis, but also mediators that promote blood cell adhesion and activation resulting in exacerbated microvessel dysfunction. Supported by HL56237 and HL084338.


Delineating the signaling pathways that underlie ESC pluripotency is paramount for development of ESC applications in both the research and clinical settings. In culture pluripotency is maintained by leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) stimulation of two separate signaling axes: Stat3/Klf4/Sox2 and PI3K/Tbx3/Nanog, which converge in the regulation of Oct4 expression. However, LIF signaling is not required in vivo for self‐renewal, thus alternate signaling axes likely mediate these pathways. Additional factors that promote pluripotency gene expression have been identified, including the direct regulation of Oct4 by liver receptor homolog‐1 (Lrh‐1) and β‐catenin regulation of Nanog. Here, we present genetic, molecular, and pharmacological studies identifying a signaling axis in which β‐catenin promotes pluripotency gene expression in an Lrh‐1‐dependent manner. Furthermore, Lrh‐1 was identified as a novel β‐catenin target gene, and Lrh‐1 regulation is required for maintaining proper levels of Oct4, Nanog, and Tbx3. Elucidation of this pathway provides an alternate mechanism by which the primary pluripotency axis may be regulated in vivo and may pave the way for small molecule applications to manipulate pluripotency or improve the efficiency of somatic cell reprogramming. STEM CELLS 2010;28:1794–1804


Bandealit is one of the resorts in Meru Betiri National Park (MBNP). This area has many endemic floras and faunas affected by the presence of invasive alien spesies plants. These plants tend to give negative impacts on savana ecosystem among them is, Lantana camara L. The distribution of this invasive alien spesies in the savana can be used to provide information about the characteristic of the environment. This study was conducted to investigate the patterns of spatial distribution of invasive alien L. camara population in the Pringtali Resort Bandealit savana region. The characters of plant species morphology was recorded for species name identification and validation. Percent cover of the individual L. camara species was collected within 50 plots (5x5 m2), while each of coordinate species found in the plots was recorded by using GPS (Global Positioning System). Abiotic factors such as temperature, pH, light intensity, and soil moisture were measured within the plots. The location of the data collection is 5,000 m2. The distribution pattern of invasive alien L. camara population was analyzed using ArcGIS and Dispersion Morisita's Index (Ip). The result showed that 51.7% of L. camara population grew spasially close together (clumped) or overlapped one another based on the ArcGIS. This means that L. camara individuals distributein clumped pattern. While the other individuals (48.3%) grew apart randomly from each other. This distribution pattern showed by Ip value, 0.51 was also clumped or clustered. It can be concluded that the distribution pattern ofinvasive alien species L. camara is clumped because the reproduction of plant was by seeds dispersal or vegetative buds that lived around parental individuals.Keywords: ArcGIS, Lantana camara L., Invasive Foreign Plants, Morisita index, Distribution Pattern.


Upon reaction of 2-methyl-, 3-ethoxycarbonyl, and 4-ethoxycarbonylbenzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate with 1-cyclopropyl-3-phenylaminohex-2-en-1-one 3-cyclopropylcarbonyl-1-(substituted phenyl)-5-ethyl-4-phenylamino-1H-pyrazoles are formed. On the other hand, the reaction of 1-cyclopropyl-3-phenylaminohex-2-en-1-one and 5-methylaminohept-4-en-3-one with sterically more demanding 2-ethoxycarbonylbenzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate does not give the corresponding pyrazoles but the probable intermediates on the route to the pyrazoles: 1-cyclopropyl-3-phenyliminohexane-1,2,4-trione 2,4-bis(2-ethoxycarbonylphenylhydrazone) and 3-methyliminoheptane-2,4,5-trione 2,4-bis(2-ethoxycarbonylphenylhydrazone), respectively. All the compounds were identified on the basis of 1H- and 13C-NMR spectra. The structure of 1-cyclopropyl-3-phenyliminohexane-1,2,4-trione 2,4-bis(2-ethoxycarbonylphenylhydrazone) was confirmed by means of 15N-NMR spectra and X-ray. The bis(2-ethoxycarbonylphenylhydrazones) were found to show atropoisomerism due to a hindered rotation around the bond between the carbons of imino group and the hydrazono group next to carbonyl. In the case of the crystalline cyclopropyl derivative, the unit cell was found out to contain two molecules of opposite chirality. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2011).


Early warning satellites is one of the important detective equipment of anti-missile early warning system. Learning its basic principle and common technology is indispensable for training qualified people to meet the needs of future anti-missile early warning operations all over the world. Based on analyzing the advantages of the application of flipping classroom teaching mode and the breakthrough of traditional teaching mode, this paper explores the specific teaching implementation method of flipping classroom to the course of 'Principle and Technology of Early Warning Satellite', reflecting on the shortcomings, and proposing rationalization suggestions. Keywords—Early warning satellite, Equipment teaching, flipping classroom


Objective To observe the effect of Zeqi decoction on hemodynamics and liver fibrosis indexes in liver cirrhosis patients with portal hypertension. Methods 60 cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension were randomly divided into treatment group and control group. Patients in two groups received conventional protecting liver,reducing enzyme and other symptomatic treatment; the patients in the treatment group were added to Zeqi decoction,patients of the control group received oral propranolol. The course was three months in the two groups. Liver fibrosis markers hyaluronic acid( HA),procollagen type Ⅲ( PC Ⅲ),collagen type Ⅳ( Ⅳ- C),laminin( LN),and detect the diameters of the portal vein( PVD),splenic vein( SVD),portal vein flow velocity( Spv),portal venous blood flow( Qpv) were measured before and after treatment. Results After treatment,HA,PC Ⅲ,Ⅳ- C,LN were decreased in treatment group( P 0. 05),portal vein diameter,blood flow velocity,blood flow before and after treatment were significantly different( P 0. 05),compared with the control group after treatment also showed a significant difference( P 0. 05). Conclusion Zeqi decoction can improve the liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension,decrease the fibrosis index. Curative effect is better than that of propranolol,is an effective prescription in treating liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension.


Objective To evaluate endovascular treatment for distal intracranial wide necked aneurysms with microwire assisted coiling technique. Methods Twenty five patients with ruptured small wide necked aneurysms were treated with this procedure including 12 aneurysms located in anterior communicating artery, 12 in bifurcation of middle cerebral artery and 1 in PICA. Microcatheters were firstly introduced into the aneurismal sacs. We remodelled the microwire in line with parent artery and advanced it across the aneurismal neck. The aneurysms were then packed with guglielmi detachable coil through microcatheter. Results Technical success was achieved in all cases with no associated complications. The aneurysms were totally occluded with patency of parent artery and the patients recovered uneventfully. The follow up of 16 cases, showed no recanalization of aneurysms. Conclusions Microwire assisted coiling is a novel alternative for endovascular treatment of distal, small wide necked aneurysm with satisfactory safety and economical efficacy.


The equilibrium dialysis of salicylic acid from solutions of polysorbate 20 and 80 has been investigated. The system has been simulated using an analogue computer. Rate constants for the partition of salicylic acid out of polysorbate micelles into water have been obtained by fitting computer generated curves to experimentally determined data. Under the present experimental conditions the release of salicylic acid from polysorbate micelles is independent of surfactant concentration but depends on the micelle : aqueous partition ratio of salicylic acid and its concentration in the donor and recipient cells.


The most known proof of uncountability of the transcendental numbers is based on proving that A is countable and concluding that R\A is uncountable since R is. Very recently, J. Gaspar [1] gave a nice "direct" proof that the set of transcendental numbers is uncountable. In this context, the word direct means a proof which does not follow the previous steps. However, we point out that his proof is based on the transcendence of π which is, to the best of the author's knowledge, proved by an indirect argument. In this note, in the spirit of Gaspar, we present a "direct" proof of the following stronger result.


In any diverse society, public policy can help to provide equal access to opportunities for achieving one's potential in school and work. However, even as policies in the United States have sought to eradicate institutionalized discrimination on the basis of race or sex, women and minorities continue to underperform academically and are systematically underrepresented in the highest earning occupations. Social psychological research suggests that negative stereotypes about women and minorities can create subtle barriers to success through stereotype threat. This occurs when individuals become concerned that they might confirm a negative stereotype about their group. This article outlines current research on the processes that underlie stereotype threat and how this work informs effective policies to reduce its effects. Using an evidence-based analysis, we review the risks and the benefits of four policies to narrow gender and racial gaps in academic and workplace performance: affirmative action, diversity training, creating identity-safe environments, and teaching coping strategies. Policies informed by social psychological theory and research can help recover the lost human potential due to stereotype threat without disadvantaging or cuing backlash among the majority.


Abstract The iodine induced cyclization reaction of δ,∊- or δ,γ- unsaturated phosphate, phosphonate or phosphoamidate were investigated by P-31 and C-13 NMR spectra. In each case, the diiodo-derivatives were observed and identified. For the δ,∊-unsaturated phosphate and phosphonate the cyclized products formed predominately.


A multi-mode dynamic deterministic point model for dynamic traffic assignment is proposed.The mode classes typically refer to different vehicle types such as passenger cars,trucks,and buses sharing the same road space.Each vehicle type has its own characteristics,such as free flow speed,vehicle size.A single mode deterministic point mode is extended to multimode deterministic point model for modeling the asymmetric interactions among various modes.It is proved that the multimode deterministic point model within each mode-user meets the FIFO discipline,the speeds of different modes approach consistent during congestion,and the causality of different modes on link.


The uncertain group decision making with interval numbers was studied.First the possibility degree matrices of uncertain evaluation provided by group decision makers were obtained on the basis of the concept of possibility degree of two interval numbers,and they were transformed into ranking vectors of alternative set.Then a relative entropy aggregation optimal model was proposed based on the concept of relative entropy,and the solutions of this model were also discussed.Finally the numerical example showed the effectiveness and feasibility of this model proposed in this paper.


Comer's handwriting and used the 'modernized method' to smoothe out archaisms and inconsistencies. More important, he has fleshed out Comer's terse references with deft explanations on subjects that range from post-glacial uplift to the spiritual seances of the Inuit. These notes cover more aspects of northern ethnography, ecology, and politics than a short review can enumerate. Some thirty-four photographs, many of them Comer's own, are collected at the front of the volume. In certain respects readers may still usefully refer to F. Calabretta's short biography of Comer (in The Log of Mystic Seaport, winter •õ84), especially for Comer's financial ffairs; but Ross's annotations are copious and authoritative. He has also added pertinent comment from other Comer papers and from members of the Neptune and Arctic parties. The introduction is only slightly less impressive. Unhappily, itshows igns of hasty preparation: in one paragraph (26) the bark Canton hails f3⁄4om two ports simultaneously; the date of British penetration f Cumberland Sound is off by a year (5), while floe-whaling and wintering there are misplaced by a decade (7) and the disaster that befell James Knight is delayed for century ( • 7). This last is certainly amisprint, one of several in the introduction though the text is free of errors. The conception and arrangement of the introduction are excellent; the execution falls short. These problems do little to mar the introduction, a series of short essays on Arctic whaling, the Eskimos, Comer himself, and the issue of sovereignty. These passages take the reader through territory of which Ross has shown his mastery in a published •'HD thesis and in several articles over the past decade. The description of the capture and flensing of whales (8-•o) shows Ross at his best precise and economical in describing technical processes. Arctic WhalingDiary will entertain and inform every northern enthusiast and specialist; it offers an enlightening welcome to this complex and little-known coast for those who have yet to discover it. PHILIP GOLDRING National Historic Parks and Sites Branch, Ottawa


In order to monitor environmental quality and its trends timely,accurately,monitor pollution source and its management,this paper using computer automatic control technology,embedded data acquisition and transmission technology,wireless and wireline communications technologies,distributed computing and data processing,service-oriented architecture(SOA),geographic information systems(GIS),mobile computing and other technologies,realized automatic monitoring and control to many kinds of environmental factors.Multilevel environment automatic monitoring system is applied to Shandong province to improve the efficiency and quality of environmental regulation.


Transplantation of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells (allo-HSCT) is an effective treatment method for non-malignant diseases and inherited disorders. Development of acute GVHD is a negative factor for outcomes. Using «novel» strategies for drug prophylaxis, such as posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PtCy) allows to decrease the GVHD risk. The aim of this study: to assess efficiency of PtCy as a prophylaxis aGVHDin the patients with non-malignant diseases of hematopoiesis and inherited syndromes. 97 patients with non-malignant blood disorders and metabolic diseases received 118 underwent allo-HSCT at the R. Gorbacheva Memorial Institute of Children Oncology and Transplantation. The aGVHD prophylaxis in 89 cases was performed by a standard schedule (with calcineurin inhibitors). 29 patients were treated according to PtCy regimen, at a dose of 50 mg/kg at days + 3, + 4. Cumulative incidence (CI) of aGVHD comprised 32%. Patients treated with PtCy exhibited lower rates of this condition compared to the group with standard prophylaxis schedule (26 vs 47%, р = 0.05). CI of skin aGVHD was also less common in the PtCy group (23 vs 45%, р = 0.046); gastrointestinal aGVHD was observed at equal rates in the both groups. Stem cell engraftment after nonmyeloablative conditioning in HSCT patients with subsequent PtCy administration proved to be sufficiently weaker compared to other patients (86 vs 50%, р = 0.004). Conclusions: aGVHD prophylaxis based on posttransplant PtCy is an efficient method which may decrease aGVHD risk. However, one should take into account a higher non-engraftment rate as a potential hazard of HSCT when using non-myeloablative conditioning regimens and PtCy-based GVHD prophylaxis. Key allogeneic stem cell graft-versus-host posttransplant


Sum-Product Networks (SPNs) are recently introduced deep probabilistic models providing exact and tractable inference. Even if SPNs have been successfully employed in several application domains, learning their structure from high dimensional data still poses a challenge in terms of time complexity. Classical SPNs structure learning algorithms work by exploiting two high cost operations repeated several times: determining independencies among random variables (RVs)–introducing product nodes–and finding sub-populations among samples–introducing sum nodes. Even one of the simplest greedy structure learner, LearnSPN, scales quadratically in the number of the variables to determine RVs independencies. In this work we investigate some approximate but fast procedures to determine independencies among RVs whose time complexity scales sub-quadratically. In particular, we propose two procedures based on a random subspace approach, and a third one adopting entropy as a criterion to split RVs. Experimental results, on many state-of-the-art datasets for density estimation, prove that LearnSPN equipped by our splitting procedures is able to reduce learning and/or inference times while preserving comparable inference accuracy.


Introduction In 2006, a fate study on selected brominated flame retardants (BFR) was conducted under outdoor conditions in the Artificial Stream and Pond System (FSA) of the Federal Environment Agency. Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) and 1,2-bis(pentabromophenyl)ethane (DBDPE) were dosed once resulting in an initial concentration of approximately 100 ng/L in two ponds and one stream mesocosm. One pond and one stream mesocosm served as control systems. BDE-209 and DBDPE were analysed in water samples over a period of 52 days and quantified by use of short column GC/ECNI-MS. On day five a massive increase of the water concentrations was observed for BDE-209 and DBDPE, exceeding the starting concentration by a factor of more than five. This phenomenon was also observed in the controls. As analytical errors and faults in sampling and sample preparation could be excluded, it was suspected that the enormous increase in concentrations was due to atmospheric deposition after heavy rainfall. This incident prompted the present study focusing on the identification and quantification of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in dust collected close to the FSA. Here we report on the identification of tetrabromobisphenol-A-bis-(2,3-dibromopropylether) (TBBPA-DBPE), a BFR, which to our knowledge has only once be suspected to be present in environmental samples. Moreover, concentrations of 19 BDE congeners, and several non-BDE based BFRs are given.


Abstract The work of Bateson (1902); Hurst (1905), Hadley (1913), and others has shown quite conclusively that individuals of the White Leghorn breed carry an autosomal gene capable of preventing the development of black pigment in the plumage. When Leghorns from a family breeding true for white plumage color are crossed with individuals of varieties which regularly exhibit black pigment only, in all the plumage, all of the offsprings are predominatingly white in plumage. Hadley (1914) went a step further and showed that, in the case of the particular White Leghorns he used the genes necessary for the development of black pigment in; the feathers were present, but were prevented from manifesting themselves by the inhibiting action of the gene mentioned above. This gene which he designated as I, is popularly referred to as a gene for dominant white. For some time the writer has been interested in the hereditary . . .


With a parking brake device, the following driving method can be carried out during a parking brake operation: DOLLAR A - with the service brake cylinder (1) is supplied spans the brake, DOLLAR A - the position of the piston rod (3) (by turning the self-locking rotary spindle (12) and applying said rotary spindle 12) fixed to the piston rod (3) or of an upstream element, and DOLLAR a - by rotation of said rotary spindle (12) during the parking brake is called a compensation of occurring as a result of cooling of the brake shrinkages, in particular of the brake disc and / or the brake linings.


The existing methods for obtaining serum for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes, especially from the horse, are open to two main objections, namely, a low yield of serum compared to the theoretical possibility and the presence of hemoglobin from destruction of red cells. The principle of the methods commonly used is the same, although the practice varies in essential details : usually the blood is allowed to clot and the serum withdrawn once or many times during contraction of the clot; or the clot is compressed by weights in order to squeeze out the serum; or the blood may be allowed to clot on some meshed material suspended to secure a better separation of the serum. According to experience, the largest yield is obtained by pressure on the clot by a weight, but any of the methods in use in which the blood clot is subjected to pressure or other manipulations results in the destruction of some of the red cells. In addition, when pressure is used, the choice of the proper weight is difficult; too light a weight defeats the purpose of the method; too heavy a weight causes lysis of so many red cells that the serum becomes unfit for use. The method now described is an application of pressure by weight without destruction of red cells. The cells are separated before clotting, and the clotted plasma subjected to pressure to yield the maximum of serum. A sufficient pressure can be applied to the clotted plasma to cause almost complete separation of the fibrin and serum with no danger of hemolysis. There are two methods for obtaining plasma free from hemoglobin, namely, (1) the addition of chemicals, such as sodium citrate and oxalate, to the freshly drawn blood, and (2) cooling the blood and maintaining it at a low temperature. In both cases the plasma can be syphoned off after the cells have settled and before clotting.


In this article results of long-term supervision over 4 species of Catalpa from collection of botanical garden are given. Data on morphology of separate individuals, phenology and winter hardiness of all taxons of collection of Catalpa are provided.


The automated heart murmur detection has become increasingly relevant to aid the medical diagnosis. The George B. Moody PhysioNet Challenge 2022 proposed a similar problem to encourage research in this field Our team's (AIMS-LAB) approach focuses on an accurate classification method using segmented S1, S2, systole, and diastole sections. A custom segmentation process was developed based on wavelet decomposition and Shannon entropy (WT-SE) for detecting the heart sounds, then later the systole and diastole regions could be determined. Along with this algorithm, a Hidden Semi-Markov Model (HSMM) was trained for comparing the results. To help segmentation a breathing noise suppression step was also developed. Multiple types of features were obtained for each segment, in time domain, frequency domain, and other features (e.g. Lyapunov exponent). Dimensionality reduction on the extracted feature-space was performed with two approaches, principal component analysis (PCA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA). For classification a support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF) was tested. Locally a 10-fold cross-validation was performed. During the official phase the best validation scores were 0.574 for the murmur and 9178 for the out-come task. We did not receive an official test score.


Little is known about the relationship between blockholders and their influence on firm's level of diversification. This paper aims to contribute to already existing literature on both topics and to constitute a link between them. To do so the following research question is formed for my study: "What is the relationship between blockholders and the likelihood of firm diversification?"
I provide empirical evidence on the influence of firm's level of diversification by the presence of blockholders in a firm using a sample of 1,337 US firms. In order to present it I distinguish between two types of diversification – business and geographical, as well as com-puting two measures of them – the number of segments and Herfindahl index. Concerning blockholders I make a distinction between inside and outside blockholders, and as in the case of diversification I measure the presence of blockholders in two ways – by the number of in-side and outside blockholders and by the percentage of shares they hold respectively.
My final data set consists of 11 variables. Based on distinction between two types of di-versification and two measures of them I constructed 4 dependent variables – Number of business segments, Number of geographical segments, Herfindahl index by business segments and Herfindahl index by geographical segments. Data set includes 7 independent variables that represent the factors which may influence the level of firm's diversification, forming in total 5 variables in each analysed pattern. After performing a statistical analysis using Stata, 3 of these variables are found to have a significant relationship with Number of business seg-ments and Herfindahl index by business segments – Number of outsiders, Debt/assets and Assets; and only 1 variable is found to have a significant relationship with Number of geo-graphical segments and Herfindahl index by geographical segments – Assets.
The findings suggest that the presence of outside blockholders decrease the likelihood of firm's business diversification, while they are found to have no impact on geographical diver-sification. Concerning inside blockholder ownership, it is found to have no impact upon both types of diversification at all. I conclude that outside blockholders have a strong relationship with firm's level of business diversification due to the so called "principal-agent" problem between them and managers. No impact of insiders on level of diversification is still not clear. However, I suggest that it may be due to the fact that inside blockholder ownership is not such a strong tool as many researchers suppose it to be. Relatively geographical diversification it needs further investigation, because insignificant results may have to do simply with US sam-ple and defining geographical diversification as firm activity that crosses country boarders.


Numerous papers on pressure broadening of water have been published, however, with differences exceeding stated uncertainties. The present work attempts to initiate a process towards better defined uncertainties.
Self- and airbroadened water vapour spectra were recorded with a Bruker IFS120HR in the range from 1250 to 1750 cm -1 . 45 measurements covered the temperature range 208 – 316 K, air pressures from 0 – 1000 mbar, sample pressures 0.0004 – 5 mbar, and absorption paths 0.16 – 84 m. To allow for quality assurance, care was taken to cover most lines by several measurements with different opacity and linewidth. Furthermore, the data cover five orders of magnitude in intensity. Transmittance spectra were corrected for detector non-linearity and channeling. Line-by-line analysis was done on a microwindow basis resulting in positions, linestrengths and linewidths using the Voigt function as monochromatic lineshape. In the line fitting, especially of the 50 mbar measurements, the residual spectra show systematic deviations due to Dicke narrowing which are mostly smaller than 1%. The further data reduction was done with a new software tool which reads the broadening data and fits air and self pressure broadening parameter and temperature exponent. The software compiles the experimental data for each transition and selects the parameters to be fitted. The software also allows for various data quality assessments which are presented in this talk. This quality assessment revealed that 50 mbar measurements had to be excluded from the data analysis due to the Voigt profile being not capable of yielding pressure- and opacity-independent broadening parameters for these measurements.
An important quality assessment is the intercomparison with hot cell measurements which were obtained a few years ago using a different cell, beamsplitter, detector, higher air pressure (500, 1000 mbar) and a different flow setup. The line broadening agreed within 1% on average. Finally, the differences of measured and calculated spectra were investigated showing almost pure instrumental noise and thus indicating that the data reduction is not introducing systematic errors.
In total the number of air broadening parameters is 985 (ν 2 : 44% H 2 O, 17% H 2 18 O, 10% H 2 17 O, 12% HDO, 2ν 2 -ν 2 H 2 O: 17%) and of temperature exponents is 672. The resulting data show that in contrast to ozone the pressure broadening cannot be expressed in polynomials in the quantum numbers. Intercomparison with HITRAN 2004 and other authors, especially Toth, will be discussed.


With the advantages of information technology, many techniques have been discovered to represent data. A large amount of data is commonly represented by an image. 'Accuracy of this data representation' by an image is another important task in image processing. 'Representation of data via a compound image' is becoming most popular day by day. A compound image contains text, graphics and picture to represent data in the form of image. This compound image may be corrupted during acquisition, compression and transmission of data. Different restoration techniques have been being proposed to reduce noise from image. In this paper; we proposed variable filtering window size to detect salt-and-pepper noise from a corrupted compound image and then replace this corrupted pixel with the median value of the filtering window. I. Introduction Now a day's good representation of data is an important topic in all the areas of information technology. Compound images are one of the good forms of information representation. If we consider a website, then it contains text, graphics, and picture to interact with the users of this website. In this case, we can consider the image of this website is a compound image. When a user of this website wants to see this website through the internet if this data of a website is stored on a faulty memory location of a server or it is transmitted through a noisy channel then the image of this website is corrupted by salt and pepper noise. Salt-and-pepper noise changes the intensity of some random pixel which creates black and white spot on an image. If we consider the power point presentation containing text, graphics and picture then it is also compound image. This power-point presentation may be corrupted when it is stored on a faulty memory location and viewing through the internet. This salt-and-pepper noise removal is an important task in image processing to recognize the original object from its noisy version. A number of algorithm have been proposed to reduce the noise from an image [1-3, 10]. Some of this filtering is liner filter and some are nonlinear filtering. Liner filter were primary tool for image and signal processing because of, the availability of systematic theory for design and analysis [1], but its only demerits is it blur the edge of the image where this edges are high frequency component and sensitive to human vision [3]. To overcome this problem now …


GABAA receptor-mediated signalling and localisation-related epilepsy have a long and tortuous relationship. Since GABAA receptors mediate fast inhibition in the cortex the simple view is that they prevent seizures. In keeping with this, loss-of-function mutations of GABAA receptor subunits are associated with rare familial forms of epilepsy. Furthermore, experimental epilepsy in rodents has been shown to be associated with loss of interneurons that release GABA in brain regions involved in focal seizure generation such as the hippocampal formation. Although neuronal loss is not restricted to interneurons, some studies have reported a decrease in the number and strength of GABAergic synapses on surviving principal (excitatory) neurons. And indeed, potentiating GABAergic neurotransmission with barbiturates, benzodiazepines or GABA uptake blockers such as tiagabine, is a highly effective anti-epileptic strategy. But these drugs do not always work, and some forms of epilepsy arising from cortical foci can be stubbornly resistant to pharmacotherapy. Why is this?

Under normal conditions GABAergic neurotransmission not only inhibits principal neurons but, helped by the fast kinetics of some interneurons and GABAergic synapses, also provides a mechanism to synchronise their firing. This feature of GABAergic signalling depends in particular on 'perisomatic' synapses made on the cell bodies and axon initial segments of principal cells. Recent studies on tissue from patients with intractable epilepsy (Wittner et al. 2005) and rodents with experimental epilepsy (Cossart et al. 2001) show that, unlike 'dendritic' inhibition, perisomatic GABAergic inputs can be preserved or even enhanced relative to control tissue. This phenomenon might be compensatory, counteracting an increased level of activity in the pathological network. However, it may also shift the balance between the two effects of GABAergic transmission: away from dendritic inhibition (which is generally thought to counteract integration of excitatory inputs) towards perisomatic inhibition, which could lead to excessive synchronization. This, together with an increased propensity of pyramidal neurons to fire in bursts, may contribute to abnormal network dynamics. A further twist is that GABA could even treacherously swap sides because of a change in intracellular chloride ion concentration, and turn into an excitatory neurotransmitter (Cohen et al. 2002).

Against this background, a qualitative description of how GABAergic signalling changes in epilepsy is insufficient: what we need is a quantitative understanding of how many interneurons contribute to generate perisomatic and dendritic currents, and of the relative amplitudes and kinetics of the different types of GABAA receptor-mediated signals. In a recent issue of The Journal of PhysiologyMarchionni & Maccaferri (2009) take the first step towards such a quantitative description. They take advantage of the fact that epileptiform network activity does not require the physical loss of GABAergic synapses per se: with appropriate ionic or pharmacological manipulations both interictal and ictal discharges can be induced in brain tissue from non-epileptic animals. The authors compare the amplitudes of monosynaptic GABAergic signals elicited in pyramidal neurons by action potentials in individual interneurons before and after switching a hippocampal slice to a magnesium-free perfusion solution with increased potassium concentration in order to induce spontaneous bursts of activity. Using the results from previous morphological studies, they estimate the number of GABAergic neurons recruited by such bursts. It turns out that most if not all available perisomatic-targeting interneurons fire. They extend this to some technically challenging simultaneous recordings from the cell bodies and dendrites of individual pyramidal neurons, in order to ask whether the almost universal involvement of interneurons is restricted to those that are specialised to project to the perisomatic region. Although what happens in distal dendrites remains to be determined, it turns out that bursts of inhibition in proximal dendrites behave very similarly to those detected at the soma.

What are the implications of these findings for epilepsy? Although near-universal recruitment of perisomatic-projecting interneurons may predispose the network to hypersynchronous behaviour, another possibility is that such massive activation acts to retard the spread of epileptiform activity. Such a role for feed-forward inhibition as a final barrier to the propagation of excessive activity has been demonstrated in layer 5 of the neocortex in a similar in vitro model (Trevelyan et al. 2007). Indeed, the intermittent burst discharges studied by Marchionni and Maccaferri may be less a model of epileptic seizures than of interictal discharges as occur in patients with epilepsy, and which have been proposed to have an anti-ictogenic role (de Curtis & Avanzini, 2001). Clearly, much work remains to be done to understand the roles of different forms of fast GABAergic signalling in 'real' epilepsy, not least by examining other in vitro manipulations to trigger spontaneous activity, by studying tissue from rodents at distinct developmental stages where chloride homeostasis may be quite different, and eventually by comparing to tissue from animals with established epilepsy. The quantitative approach taken by Marchionni and Maccaferri shows that a synthesis of anatomical, electrophysiological and pharmacological tools needs to be brought to bear on this difficult problem.


Endometrial cancer is the sixth most common cancer in women worldwide. In last years the diagnoses in endometrial cancer has been increased, being more important as a cause in new cases, than in terms of mortality. Endometrial cancer has a reasonable survival prognosis, if diagnosis is made early. Therefore, new diagnosis methods are tested every day. A series of 1H NMR spectra were recorded in vivo at a short echo time of 35 ms using a 3 T GE magnetic resonance apparatus for two groups of five healthy voluntaries and five patients with endometrial cancer. All NMR spectra were primary analyzed using jMRUI software and visually inspected without a definitive conclusion especially in the case of those belonging to patients with uterine cancer. Next, the 1H NMR spectra were numerically analyzed by three specialists using dedicated software written in Processing and the concentrations of more than 20 metabolites were extracted and averaged. A list of the metabolites with highest concentration (total choline, Alanine, lactate, intramyocellular lipids, N-acetyl aspartate, Glucose) was used together with water content, sum of a macromolecular resonances, sum of all other metabolites and age of volunteers/patients into an Principal Component Analysis (PCA). We found that for this lot of patients and volunteers the third analysis (PC2 versus PC3) is the best in differentiation between healthy women and those with endometrial cancer, and we evaluate the contribution of each metabolite.


We investigate the effect of symmetry breaking couplings on the macroscopic dynamical behavior of an ensemble of globally coupled active and inactive oscillators. Conjugate coupling among the ensemble and the weighted coupling within the active and inactive groups introduces the asymmetry. Large values of the global coupling strength facilitate the onset of the phenomenon of aging transition, thereby deteriorating the macroscopic oscillatory behavior. We find that the natural frequency of oscillation favors the onset of the aging transition even in the presence of a large proportion of the active oscillators because of the broken symmetry. Further the ratio of the intra-group (weighted) couplings plays a nontrivial role in determining the dynamical behaviors and their transitions. It is also observed that even a feeble change in the simple feedback factor in the coupling facilitates the counterintuitive effect of preserving the macroscopic oscillatory nature of the ensemble, comprising completely inactive oscillators, in the entire parameter space where the ensemble suffered the aging transition.


Everyone has experienced waiting in lines, whether it is at the airport, the grocery store, or somewhere in-between. By developing queueing simulations based on mathematical models of airport security and customs, we explore a variety of questions related to optimal queue design with respect to efficiency, feasibility, priority, and other prescribed/variable constraints.


Polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising: a connected to the frame integrated membrane electrode assembly (1) comprising a frame body (3), in which a gas passage opening (7) is formed, one within the frame body provided (3) polymer electrolyte membrane, a pair of electrodes sandwiching the polymer electrolyte membrane lies, and a sealant that includes the gas passage opening and the electrode contains; a separator (11) having a channel for supplying and releasing a fuel gas to and from a pair of electrodes; and a separator (12) having a channel for supplying and releasing an oxidant gas to and from the other electrode of the electrode pair, wherein: said frame body (3) a plurality of projections (9-1, 9-2, 9-3, 9-4) with a hook-shaped tip on the two planes of the frame body (3) and wherein each separator (11; 12) a plurality of stepped portions ( 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4) has; and the projections of the frame body (3) and the stepped parts (10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4) of said pair of separators (11, 12) are integrated together by press-fitting.


COPYRIGHT 2016 BY PSI CHI, THE INTERNATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY IN PSYCHOLOGY (VOL. 21, NO. 2/ISSN 2164-8204) *Faculty mentor Gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual 1, and queer2 (GLBPQ) people have higher rates of many psychological symptoms than heterosexual people. They have elevated rates of mood and anxiety symptoms, with estimates of the increase varying widely from 50% to 570% (Almeida, Johnson, Corliss, Molnar, & Azrael, 2009; Cochran, Sullivan, & Mays, 2003; King et al., 2008). Additionally, GLBPQ men report 4.7 times the rate of panic disorder as heterosexual men (Cochran et al., 2003). GLBPQ individuals are also more likely to meet criteria for multiple disorders, with only 30% of heterosexual men and women having two or more disorders, compared to 54% of GLBPQ women and 49% of GLBPQ men (Cochran et al., 2003; Gilman et al., 2001). GLBPQ women also rated their mental health worse than heterosexual women (Cochran et al., 2003). Several studies have examined perceived stress as a predictor, but studies examining perceived ABSTRACT. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, and queer (GLBPQ) individuals have higher rates of negative psychological outcomes, but the reasons for these trends are unclear. Gay-related stress including internalized homophobia, perceived stigma, and overt discrimination may contribute to these heightened rates, but gay identity may buffer these consequences. GLBPQ individuals (N = 1,169) completed online surveys of gay-related stress, protective factors, and outcomes including depression, anxiety, stress, nonsuicidal self-injury, and suicidality. Hierarchical regressions were used to examine predictive relationships between gay-related stress, gay identity, and negative outcomes. Among gay/lesbian participants, overt discrimination predicted all outcomes; gay identity predicted Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) depression, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) depression, and DASS stress; and internalized homophobia predicted Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) stress (p < .001). Among bisexual and pansexual participants, perceived stigma predicted CES-D depression, DASS depression, and Pereceived Stress Scale (PSS) stress, and overt discrimination predicted CES-D depression (p < .001). Gay identity predicted reduced negative outcomes among gay and lesbian people, but did not affect bisexual or pansexual people. Gay identity did not interact significantly with overt discrimination, perceived stigma, or internalized homophobia, challenging the hypothesis that it would buffer their effects. These results indicated that the factors may function differently in different populations, highlighting the need for further research on the topic. Predictors of Psychological Outcomes in Nonheterosexual Individuals


To the Editor: Human-to-human transmission of cryptococcosis is very rare.1–3 An 80-year-old man (Patient A) was hospitalized because of pulmonary squamous-cell carcinoma. He received mechanical ve...


Suitable for the wireless network from the available frequency band between 5GHz and 6GHz, and is provided with a fully integrated (integrated) 6GHz oscillator. High frequency oscillator is the reference oscillator (6) and; The phase frequency detector (1), a charge pump (charge pump) (2), the ring oscillator 4, and the divider (divider) phase consisting of 5 - includes a locked loop circuit, the reference oscillator 6 is frequency control in order to be connected to the phase frequency detector (1). The ring oscillator (4) is a symmetrical delay cell oscillator containing two amplifier having a double output stage to generate the I / Q output signal. The reference oscillator (6) is 1.25, and the Colpitts (Colpitts) type digital controlled frequency synthesizer which operates in the range of 1.5 GHz, an external tank circuit 7, to provide a low phase noise, the divider (5) Dividing factor of from 4 to provide the tuning (tuned) output of 6GHz range from 5. The phase-locked loop circuit, by using to advantage a BICMOS silicon / germanium process suitable for RF applications, is integrated in the integrated circuit with the reference oscillator.


Does the number of sexual partners before pregnancy, or sexual activity during pregnancy, increase risk for recurrent spontaneous preterm delivery? To


M/9Y topic on this occasion is the evaluation of medical care programs, but with special emphasis on the care of the patient. I approach this subject with a great deal of hesitancy because I see in the audience several of the leading authorities in the evaluation of the quality of medical care, and I hope that they will tolerate my modest role as a commentator while they continue to provide the creative impetus in this field. Having made these conciliatory remarks, I feel absolved from the necessity of being uncontroversial. From here on I shall try to be "provocative," as the planners of the conference have asked us to be. According to some, a medical care program is to be judged by the extent to which it achieves the explicitly recognized, or the implicitly accepted, objectives of the program itself. It is said that a program cannot be faulted for failing to achieve what it never set out to accomplish. This position is certainly appropriate when the emphasis is on evaluating the pathways by which stipulated objectives are reached. For example, one might ask how efficiently a program objective is attained. But there are other values that apply to the methods for attaining objectives that must also be used as criteria. These values include such factors as the extent of compulsion to participate in the program, freedom of choice for participants and providers, extent of restraint on professional activities and judgment, maintenance of a pluralistic medical care system, and so on. In other words the degree to which objectives are achieved is to be weighed against the "price," in terms of technical, economic, and other value criteria. From a higher vantage point it is not sufficient to accept any program objectives as given, and merely to evaluate the extent to which,


This study presents the translation of the Aristophanes's play Lysistrata to the Brazilian dialects of South Bahia and Pernambuco (Recife). Both dialects in the translation aim to reproduce the diatopic linguistic variation present in the original text. The idea for the study emerged from the finding that we need translations which take into account Brazilian Portuguese, spoken by the majority of the population in the various contexts of social interaction. In the translation, consideration has been given to the speaking situations, the social status of characters in the play, the subjects and the communicative purposes of the wordings. Based on a strong theoretical background, the author conceives translation as linguistic recreation. Therefore, he tries to recreate the play in question, reproducing the linguistic diversity and the style of Aristophanes's text. On top of that, the theoretical and methodological choices of the study aim not only to overcome the challenges of translation as a linguistic recreation but also to make easier the staging of the play in a fluent language with which spectator can identify himself, enjoying the text to the maximum. The translation is accompanied by an introductory study with the description of the dialects of South Bahia and Pernambuco, commentaries and explicative notes placed in the footnotes.


In present work, the ground state and electronic properties of terbium (Tb) atom were revisited within the density functional theory. The local density approximation for exchange and correlation potential was used. The structure optimization has shown that terbium atom has a hexagonal type structure and obtained lattice parameters were comparable to the experimental and theoretical data. Furthermore, the electronic band structure and density of states were also obtained for the higher symmetry in the Brillouin zone and compared with available data.


HANEW, K., SASAKI, A., SATO, S., SHIMIZU, Y., MURAKAMI, O. and YOSHINAGA, K. Foctors Determining the Effectiveness o f CB-154 in the Treatment o f Acromegaly. Tohoku J. exp. Med., 1983, 139 (1), 91-95 To predict the effectiveness of CB-154 treatment in patients with acromegaly plasma Gil changes induced by CB-154 treatment were compared with Gil responses to TRH or arginine tests performed before the treatment. Fourteen patients with active acromegaly (4 males and 10 females, aged 16-68 years) were given 7.5 to 15 mg of CB-154 daily for 3 weeks or longer. During the treatment 7 of the 14 cases showed significant Gil decreases (20.1 to 86.2%; p<0.05-0.001), and one of the other 7 cases showed a significant Gil increase (30.8%; p<0.005) as compared with Gil values before the treatment. In the remaining 6 cases no significant Gil changes were observed. Before the treatment 12 of the 14 cases showed distinct Gil responses (68-7,033% increase from the basal GH) to the bolus injection of TRH. Ten of these 12 cases also showed an increase in Gil to arginine infusion (62-5,557%). There was a significant relationship between Gil changes induced by CB-154 therapy and logarithmic values of the ratio of TRH-induced Gil increase vs. arginine-induced Gil increase (r=-0.75; p<0.005). Two cases of less responsive type did not show any Gil changes to the treatment. It is concluded that CB-154 treatment is effective only in more responsive type of acromegaly, and especially in cases which are more responsive to TRH and less responsive to arginine. acromegaly; GH; CB-154; TRH; arginine


We study the spin dynamics of two magnetic chromium atoms trapped in a single site of a deep optical lattice in a resonant magnetic field. Dipole-dipole interactions couple spin degrees of freedom of two particles to their quantized orbital motion. A trap geometry combined with two-body contact s-wave interactions influence a spin dynamics through the energy spectrum of the two-atom system. Anharmonicity and anisotropy of the site results in a "fine" structure of two-body eigenenergies. The structure can be easily resolved by weak magnetic dipole-dipole interactions. As an example we examine the effect of anharmonicity and anisotropy of the binding potential on demagnetization processes. We show that weak dipolar interactions provide a perfect tool for precision spectroscopy of the energy spectrum of the interacting few particle system.


Shapely sexy long legs, black stockings, white stockings, lace tops what ever you fancy take your pick from our exotic escorts, all services given.


The need to complete the definitions of the Grafcet model with instructions for use, in order to organize its evolution rules, has led to introduce an algorithmic structure named player algorithm. The algorithm described in this paper aims to adjust these instructions for use to the new extensions of Grafcet. At last, the implementation algorithms used in a CAD tool such as CADEPA are compared to this theoretical algorithm, in order to estimate the impact of practical technological constraints on to the Grafcet realization.


We extend the classical Crofton formulas in Euclidean integral geometry to Finsler metrics on R-n whose geodesics are straight lines.


To assess the genetic diversity and population structure of Korean K. borealis, allozyme analysis was performed. The average genetic variability of Korean K. borealis populations was %P=13.2, Ho=0.048, and He=0.045. This value was the lowest in comparison with other Korean amphibian species studied. Also, the value was much lower than that of a reference population from Chinese K. borealis (%P=50, Ho=0.125, He=0.172). Wright's F‐statistics showed that Korean K. borealis has distinctly low level of gene flow among regional populations (FST=0.339, Nm=0.487) in comparison with other Korean amphibian species studied. However, the average level of genetic divergence among Korean K. borealis populations was moderate (Nei's D=0.020). Therefore, it appeared that low levels of genetic diversity (He=0.045) and gene flow (Nm=0.487) among regional populations are probably due to the results of decreasing population size and patchy distribution of this species in Korea.


Efficient ligninolytic systems of wood-degrad- ing fungi include not only oxidizing enzymes, but also low- molecular-weight effectors. The ability of Bjerkandera fumosa to secrete oxalic acid and versatile peroxidase (VP) in nitrogen-rich and nitrogen-limited media was studied. Higher activity of VP was determined in the nitrogen- limited media but greater concentration of oxalic acid was observed in the cultures of B. fumosa without nitrogen limitation. Ferric ions chelating ability of Bjerkandera fumosa studied in ferric ions limited media was correlated with the increased level of oxalic acid. The presence of hydroxamate-type siderophores in B. fumosa media were also detected. Oxalate decarboxylase was found to be responsible for regulation of oxalic acid concentration in the tested B. fumosa cultures.


Yoga is a way of living with an aim of a healthy mind in a healthy body. In this view the investigators have made an effort to find out the effect of asana on psychological variables of Women College players of Hockey and Basket ball. For this, achievement players were randomly assigned into two groups; one experimental and the other, control group. Each game consisted of 100 players, and were further divided into 50 each for experimental and control group. Experimental group practiced yoga asanas for a period of six weeks along with routine training programme. While control group was not given any intervention, they performed their routine training under the interaction of their coach. The intervention program was continued for a period of six weeks and included three sessions per week of 60 -90 minutes duration. The subject tested following standardized tests and procedures on the selected psychological variables before and after the training period. The Howard Dolman apparatus perception test was taken for the measurement of perception test, and to find out level of anxiety SCAT test was used. The analysis of data shows that yogic asanas were effective in developing perception and overcoming player's psychological and skill variables and also there were significant changes in the anxiety in the basketball and Hockey experimental group when compared to the control group. Health, physical fitness and emotional stability are the objectives which bring yoga and physical education on a common platform for the benefit of the human race.


A portfolio submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) on the basis of published works


I have been wondering why, whenever I cross the Atlantic, so many European friends make it a point to ask for the latest American trends in the training and behavioural fields. The implications are that these trends change rapidly in America (to which I am afraid we must plead guilty), and that the changes are significant (to which we can safely plead innocent, at least most of the time).


We have all heard the word diode, but few of us, including those who use lasers, actually understand what the term means and how common this device is.


The influence of rf-plasma operation on the thin film formation containing small particles for Al-Li alloys mainly have been studied as a function of Ar gas pressure and plasma power by means of a 200kV transmission electron microscope (TEM). Under the non-plasma operation, the transition from continuous thin films to clusters of grape-like small particles occurred at Ar gas pressures above 20Pa. Particles were single crystals with clear crystal habit planes. Under the plasma operation, the influence of gas pressures on the film formation at a plasma power of 5W was also examined. Thin films containing particles below 30Pa and the films containing mainly particles above 40Pa were formed. The prominent change of the average particle size was not recognized. The increase of the plasma powers at 20Pa, which formed particles under non-plasma, suppressed growth of particles, and homogeneous films containing very small particles were fabricated. The electric conductivity showed slight decrease with an increase of plasma power.


. Li-Fi, also known as light fidelity, is a promising technology for the wireless communication sector in the future. Similar to Wi-Fi, it is a fully networked and bidirectional technology that offers incredibly high speeds. However, there are some limitations associated with Li-Fi technology, such as its reliance online of sight between the transmitter and receiver, its susceptibility to interference from external light sources, and its short coverage area, particularly indoors. Therefore, to overcome these issues, proposed integrating Li-Fi with other hybrid wireless communication technologies. This article discusses the integration of Li-Fi with Wi-Fi and cellular networks in V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication, satellite communication systems


In this paper, we propose a method for the 2.5 dimensional transient simulation of cylindrical laser cavities. Carrier dynamics are coupled to Maxwell's equations by means of the rate equation approach. The cylindrical symmetry is exploited by decomposition of the fields into azimuthal modes. Due to the nonlinear behavior of active media under the influence of a strong electric field, coupling between these modes has to be considered. Consistency with one-dimensional approaches will be shown by a transient simulation of a vertical emitting laser (VCSEL). To further emphasize the benefits of our approach towards one-dimensional implementations, we also illustrate the effects of spatial carrier distributions and local material properties.


eScholarship provides open access, scholarly publishing services to the University of California and delivers a dynamic research platform to scholars worldwide. Abstract: It is well known that terrestrial photosynthesis and 13 C discrimination vary in response to a number of environmental and biological factors such as atmospheric humidity and genotypic differences in stomatal regulation. Small changes in the global balance between diffusive conductances to CO 2 and photosynthesis in C3 vegetation have the potential to influence the 13 C budget of the atmosphere because these changes scale with the relatively large one-way gross primary production (GPP) flux. Over a period of days to years, this atmospheric isotopic forcing is damped by the return flux consisting mostly of respiration, Fire, and volatile organic carbon losses. Here eScholarship provides open access, scholarly publishing services to the University of delivers a dynamic research platform to scholars worldwide. [ 1 ] It is well known that terrestrial photosynthesis and 13 C discrimination vary in response to a number of environmental and biological factors such as atmospheric humidity and genotypic differences in stomatal regulation. Small changes in the global balance between diffusive conductances to CO 2 and photosynthesis in C3 vegetation have the potential to influence the 13 C budget of the atmosphere because these changes scale with the relatively large one-way gross primary production (GPP) flux. Over a period of days to years, this atmospheric isotopic forcing is damped by the return flux consisting mostly of respiration, Fire, and volatile organic carbon losses. Here we explore the magnitude of this class of isotopic disequilibria with an ecophysiological model (SiB2) and a double deconvolution inversion framework that includes time-varying discrimination for the period of 1981–1994. If the net land carbon sink and plant 13 C discrimination covary on interannual timescales at the global scale, consistent with El Nin˜o-induced drought stress causing a decline in global GPP and C3 discrimination, then less interannual variability in ocean and land net carbon exchange is required to explain atmospheric trends in d 13 C and CO 2 as compared with previous studies that assumed discrimination was invariant. I NDEX T ERMS :


The objective of this study was to examine dose ranging effects of c9, t11 and t10, c12 isomers of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on body composition and serum lipids in hamsters. Male Golden Syrian hamsters (n=105) were randomized to seven groups that were fed semi‐purified atherogenic diets containing 0.25% cholesterol and 5% dietary fat, and further supplemented with treatments (0 control; 1, 2, 3% of c9, t11; 1, 2, 3% of t10, c12) for 28d. Compared with control, 1% and 3% t10, c12 treatment groups had lower (p=0.0001) food intakes, with all three doses of t10, c12 lowering (p<0.0001) body fat mass (g). Groups fed 1%, 2% t10, c12 treatments possessed higher lean mass (g; p=0.0006) compared to control and 1, 2, 3% c9, t11 treatment groups. However, neither body weights, nor serum HDL or triglyceride levels differed across treatment groups. The 2 and 3% t10, c12 groups exhibited higher (p<0.0001) cholesterol and LDL‐C levels compared to control or other treatment groups. Taken together, 1% t10, c12 CLA is an effective agent to lower fat mass and increase lean mass without altering circulating lipid levels as observed with 2% and 3% t10, c12. This study was sponsored by Advanced Foods and Materials Network, Canada.


Diagnosing glaucoma suspects is a challenge and it is important to be able to recognize the ones most likely to progress to glaucoma. To this end, there has been a search for appropriate tools to be able to discriminate between glaucoma suspects who may actually be early glaucoma and those who may be normal. Because no one parameter is often adequate, there have been attempts to combine parameters in an attempt to provide greater discriminative capability.


The variety of media types is an important feature of modern information systems. A progressive increase in network technology has provided the potential for processing multimedia information in distributed systems. Some recent applications include on-demand multimedia services such as those used for entertainment, video news distribution, interactive television, digital multimedia libraries and industrial control systems. A major problem of distributed multimedia applications is their high demand on processing power of computer systems and transmission capability of interconnecting networks. Distributed computing environments are characterized by change: heterogeneous end-systems and Quality of Service parameters may be subject to different fluctuations. Such changes bring new challenges for all distributed systems services and in particular for distributed systems platforms. So there is currently considerable interest in developing architectures to flexibly interconThe variety of media types is an important feature of modern information systems. A progressive increase in network technology has provided the potential for processing multimedia information in distributed systems. Some recent applications include on-demand multimedia services such as those used for entertainment, video news distribution, interactive television, digital multimedia libraries and industrial control systems. A major problem of distributed multimedia applications is their high demand on processing power of computer systems and transmission capability of interconnecting networks. Distributed computing environments are characterized by change: heterogeneous end-systems and Quality of Service parameters may be subject to different fluctuations. Such changes bring new challenges for all distributed systems services and in particular for distributed systems platforms. So there is currently considerable interest in developing architectures to flexibly interconnect distributed multimedia applications. Many multimedia applications, systems and support platforms have been proposed. This chapter presents a survey on these multimedia related aspects. Basic concepts, characteristics, and description of development and environment of multimedia applications are presented. This chapter derives an analysis of different aspects of investigations in the area of distributed multimedia systems. Also, it presents a global view of the requirements that these new applications impose for distributed environments.


This article examines the dekady of national art, a series of Soviet festivals fi rst staged in the mid-1930s to highlight the cultures and artistic accomplishments of the various non-Russian republics of the USSR. The institution of the dekada, I contend, made considerable contributions to Soviet nationbuilding eff orts and the construction of multiethnic culture. The article unfolds in three sections. The fi rst relies on archival documents to trace the origins and evolution of the dekada of national art in the context of its bureaucratic home, the All-Union Committee on Arts Aff airs. The second draws largely on periodical sources to consider the ways in which the larger currents of Stalin-era culture are refl ected in the dekady of national art and, in particular in the national operas that served as the centerpieces of the dekady. The fi nal section turns to the Friendship of Peoples campaign, identifying one aspect of it - that Soviet citizens appreciate not only their own national art but the art of other Soviet nations - as central to the dekady. Analyzing the public rhetoric surrounding the dekady, I identify several themes that emerge and their implications for forging a common pan-Soviet culture. I conclude that it is not only national cultural production, but the consumption of national cultural products by a multiethnic audience that is central to nation-building on multiple levels as well as a means to unite the ethnically diverse Soviet people, and that the dekada festivals aimed to bring the Soviet nations closer together by providing them an opportunity to consume one another's cultural products.


The Prussian blue analogs,molecular magnet K_(0.1)Co_(1.4)[Fe(CN)_6]·5.5H_2O was investigated in detail by M(o)¨ssbauer spectroscopy and vibration sample magnetometer(VSM).From room temperature to low temperature,it was found that transition temperature was around T_C=11.5 K from paramagnetic phase to ferromagnetic phase.The ferromagnetic coupling interaction of Co-Fe cyanide could be clearly explained.


Chronic pain is a complicated disease and its pathological mechanism remains unclear, with poor clinical efficacy. An increasing number of evidence indicates that epigenetic regulation is involved in the development of chronic pain. Histone methylation, an important form of epigenetic modification, also plays a pivotal role in chronic pain. This review is designed to summarize the relationship between histone methylation and chronic pain. The biological effects of histone methylation are also discussed. The effects of histone methylation in chronic pain are further discussed, so as to lay foundation for the development of more effective chronic pain-targeted drugs.

Key words:
Histone methylation; Epigenetic; Chronic pain


Short text similarity measure is the basis of classification and duplicate checking of the short texts. Allowing for the insufficient consideration of the sentence semantic and structure information in similarity calculation between two short texts, we propose a novel method of short text similarity calculation based on double vector space model on the basis of traditional vector space model. Creatively transforming traditional vector space model into double vector space model. We utilize the numeral data link relations of Wikipedia to calculate semantic similarity between words, and calculate text structure similarity by dependency trees. Finally, we get the synthetic similarity by combining the semantic similar vector and structure similar vector. Our experiment results demonstrate that the proposed method has higher accuracy than other methods.


Thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) with triazole copolymer brushes, poly(NIPAAm-co-TZ), grafted on porous silica (P-SiO2) was synthesized, and the temperature swing-based mutual separatio...


ABSTRACT The infrequent occurrence of kaolinite and especially of pyrophyllite in more evolved sedimentary rocks and low grade metamorphic facies of pelitic rocks is considered to be due to chemical controls in the bulk composition of these rocks. Hydrogen-rich organic gases are released from the original sedimentary organic materials during diagenesis and early metamorphism. These gases in turn reduce the iron present from the ferric to ferrous state. The effect of the valence change of the iron is to shift its position in the silicate minerals present. As a result, aluminum is obliged to readjust to the new conditions moving from an alumino-silicate phase to the mica and perhaps the chlorite phases. The new assemblage does not contain a hydrous alumino-silicate though both kaolinite and pyrophyllite could be stable in the physical environment of the rocks.


The nest site selection of seven Norwegian woodpeckers, Dryocopus martius, Picus viridis, P. canus, Picoides tridactylus, Dendrocopos leucotos, D. major and D. minor, was compared. The following parameters were measured at the nesting tree: forest type, tree species, the tree's "degree of decay", the height of the tree, the hole's height above the ground, the stem's diameter at the hole and 0.5 m above the ground, earlier holes in the stem, and whether the tree was broken or not. Several differences between species were found in forest type and tree species. The use of weakened and dead nesting trees tended to increase with decreasing size of the bird. The following parameters usually decreased with decreasing size of the species: the height of the tree and of the nesting hole, and the stem's diameter at the hole and near the ground. Overlap in nest site parameters was calculated for four species, D. martius, P. viridis, D. major and D. minor, common nesters in Populus tremula. Overlap between D. minor and the other three species was low, whereas considerable overlap was found between D. martius and P. viridis. Both species prefer large, old Populus tremula trees.


By combining with contact and impact dynamic theories,the development about rub-impact between the rotating blade and casing was summarized.Different bladecasing rub-impact models were discussed emphatically and researches of the blade-casing rubimpact model were divided into five types:normal rub-impact model based on the collision energy conservation,smearing and abradable blade-casing rub interface models,continuous elastic collision force model,pulse force local rub-impact model,rub-impact model based on contact dynamics.The defects and proper scopes of these five types of models were pointed out by comparing with one another and the experiments on blade-casing rub-impact were also introduced.Finally,new research directions about the blade-casing rub-impact models were suggested:establishment of detailed normal and tangential rub-impact models including the influence of multiple parameters,collision process simulation based on contact theory,revision of existing rub-impact models by the experiment data.


Convincing evidence exists that meteoritic matter was reheated shortly after the initial condensation of the solar nebula for those meteorites thought to be derived from parent bodies. This evidence takes the form of cooling rates carefully determined from diffusion studies of the migration rate of Ni across kamacite-taenite boundaries in iron meteorites (Fish, Goles, and Anders, 1960; Goldstein and Ogilvie, 1965; Goldstein and Short, 1967; Wood, 1964). The notion that the irons condensed directly from the solar nebula requires that these measurements and the existence of large Widmanstatten figures be explained as a condensation event. This seems rather unlikely and, in any event, requires a far more complex explanation than heating and melting in a parent body.


Peripheral ossifying fibroma is a reactive gingival overgrowth whose pathogenesis is uncertain. It is more prevelant in women and usually located in maxilla. Here we are reporting a case where it was diagnosed as peripheral ossifying fibroma after complete intra/extra oral examination, radiographic analysis, hematologic and histopathologic examination, and its surgical management with post operative follow up.


To propel national loan as student subsidies is a common expectation and an urgent requirement of governments, universities, students and their parents as well. Nowadays, it is advisable to standardize the process in such directions as to speed up the step of loan in the places of students' origin, to implement the rule of parents testimony, to make an application form of loan which is in common use in the whole nation, to speed up the construction of information system of personal trustworthiness, and to strengthen the cooperation between universities and banks.


Thanks to the bandwidth demand explosion in data centers and telecommunication infrastructures, the data-rate growth for wireline transceivers has been consistently increasing at about 2×/4 yr, as shown in Figure 1. The most-used standards are listed. Peripheral component interconnect express is used ubiquitously in almost all chip-to-chip interfaces. Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF)/Common Electrical Interface (CEI) and Ethernet usually come hand-in-hand for backplanes [long-reach (LR)], chip-to-module [short-reach (SR), or in some standards, medium-reach (MR)] applications. Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) is the specialized standard for the wireless radio head, connecting between the top of the cell tower to the bottom of the tower, mostly in optical medium. Passive-Optical-Network (PON) distinguishes itself for the burst mode requirement.


Abstract A comparative analysis of the diet of the small‐sized colubrid snake, Coronella girondica, from Spain and Italy was carried out. More than 95% of the prey consumed by Spanish C. girondica had diurnal behaviours, and all the prey were terrestrial dwelling or 'rupicolous' species, with no arboreal item being eaten. The same was true also for the Italian specimens. Lizards (mainly lacertids) accounted for the main bulk of the prey spectrums in both the Spanish and Italian samples. However, Italian specimens preyed frequently upon ground arthropods (mainly chilopods), that were not consumed by Spanish specimens. Mean prey size was similar in both the geographic areas. Some ecological implications of the observed patterns are highlighted.


This article deals with the application of OH planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) to the study of high pressure cryogenic flames. High pressure conditions require a careful choice of the excitation wavelength based on a detailed analysis of the absorption coefficient dependence with respect to pressure and temperature. The present study focuses on cryogenic methane/oxygen flames because there is current interest in the development of reusable liquid rocket engines operating with these propellants. Experiments are carried out on the Mascotte test bench of Onera. Liquid oxygen at a temperature below critical and a pressure above critical is introduced in the chamber through the central tube of a coaxial injector. Gaseous methane is injected at high speed around the liquid oxygen stream. Below 3 MPa the PLIF system provides good quality data. Above that pressure, in addition to the OH fluorescence, a non resonant fluorescence interference is detected and the corresponding signal increases rapidly with pressure. Examination of the spectrum of this interference indicates that it originates from hydrocarbon fuel fragment species convected in the fuel rich zone of the flame. A cryogenic LOx/GH2 flame, free from such hydrocarbon molecules is also investigated to see if the interference occurs in that case too. It is shown in this case that OH PLIF provides good quality images up to 6.3 MPa. The resulting data can be used to examine the flame structure in the nearfield of the injector. It is known from a previous analysis [1] of the flame holding mechanism that the low speed wake established just behind the oxygen injector lip and generated by the two propellants must be thicker than the flame edge thickness to ensure a stable anchoring. PLIF images indicates that the flame thickness, especially for the LOx/GCH4 flame, often exceeds the transverse wake size and it is found that the flame is quite sensitive to the high speed annular stream. On the other hand, PLIF images obtained for the LOx/GH2 flame indicate that the thickness of the flame edge is of the order of the wake size and the flame is suitably anchored in the near vicinity of the oxygen tube lip.


A low-frequency disk bender projector with dual radiation surfaces was designed on the basis of finite element method (FEM) analysis and equivalent circuit analysis, in order to devise a miniature light weight projector with a high sound pressure level. These analyses suggest that a low-frequency, high-power, miniature and light weight projector can be realized. A trial projector was produced and evaluated. The resonant frequencies for the projector in air and water were 1315 Hz and 970 Hz, respectively. Experimental maximum transmitting voltage sensitivity was 132.2 dB re 1 µPa/V at 1 m.


Abstract Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality among patients with severe trauma. Historically, prophylactic inferior vena cava filters (IVCFs) were used in high-risk trauma patients with suspected risk factors for VTE, including prolonged immobilization, and concurrent contraindication to anticoagulation. Mounting data regarding the efficacy of IVCF in this cohort, as well as concerns regarding morbidity of an in situ IVCF, have challenged this practice paradigm. In this review, we discuss the comanagement of VTE and trauma, including anticoagulation and the use of IVCF.


Objective
To understand the status of readiness for hospital discharge among chronic heart failure (CHF) patients and to explore its influencing factors, so as to provide an objective evidence for formulating individualized intervention.

Methods
We selected 398 CHF patients ready for discharge of cardiology medicine in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from May 2016 to August 2017 by convenience sampling. The general information questionnaire and Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (RHDS) were used to assessed patients' readiness for hospital discharge and its influencing factors.

Results
The total score of RHDS and the scores of three dimensions in adaptability, personal status and expected support were (98.01±15.20) , (40.26±5.12) , (23.78±4.05) and (33.86±6.03) respectively. Single factor analysis showed that the influencing factors of readiness for hospital discharge of CHF patients were living style, educational background, duration of disease and heart function (t=-6.92, 10.55, 19.00, 29.47; P<0.05) .

Conclusions
CHF patients are with the good readiness for hospital discharge. Health care providers should formulate the individualized scheme of discharge instructions and intervention based on patients' specific circumstance so as to ensure patients' safety and life quality after discharge.

Key words:
Heart failure; Chronic diseases; Readiness for hospital discharge; Influencing factors


Abstract Background: This study aimed to compare the accuracy of conventional endoscopy (CE) and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) to predict tumor invasion depth and to determine factors associated with higher accuracy of additional miniprobe EUS after CE. Methods: Between May 2009 and February 2015, 273 lesions in 266 patients were subjected to miniprobe EUS after CE and curative treatment for well-to-moderately differentiated early gastric cancer (EGC). We reviewed preoperative CE and EUS findings and compared them to the pathologic findings. Results: The accuracy of CE and EUS to estimate the invasion depth of EGCs was 78.8% (215/273) and 83.9% (229/273) (p = .124), respectively. Using multivariate analysis, irregular depressed surface (odds ratio [OR] 8.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.79–23.53), fold change (OR 7.22; 95% CI: 2.33–22.38), size >2 cm (OR 2.72; 95% CI: 1.15–6.42) and ulcer scar (OR 2.64; 95% CI: 1.07–6.49) were associated with the higher accuracy of EUS than that of CE. Conclusions: Routine assessment using miniprobe EUS did not increase the accuracy of predicting invasion depth, compared to CE. However, EUS could be helpful in the treatment decision-making process for EGCs with lesions having irregular surfaces, fold change, size >2 cm, or ulcer scar.


This study describes an activity based traffic indicator system to provide information for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the indicator is to be able to discern what activities (e.g., grocery shopping and sports) are dangerous, uncertain, or safe to do in the Philippines on a per-region basis through a traffic light's color of red, yellow, and green. The activity based traffic indicator system does this by utilizing a social probability model based on the birthday paradox to determine the exposure risk which is the probability of meeting someone infected (PoMSI). Additionally, a website called SANITTISE was created to host the indicator system and also to display other pandemic related graphs. Furthermore, a user interface/user experience (UI/UX) test was conducted through a survey to measure the effectiveness of the website created. Regarding the results of the test, it was positive since all of the sections were well received in the survey. This meant that the work done on the website appears substantial as the respondents were able to understand the contents and purpose of the website and also effectively traverse the website and create deductions from the information available on the website.


he seed from which the modern metropolis of Cairo sprang dates in reality from the time of the Arab conquest. The ancient historic significance of the site and the continuity of settlement there from earliest times indicate that some great city would have emerged in the general location. The point where the wide Delta, embraced by the two downstream branches of the river, meets the narrowing Nile upstream has always endowed Cairo's site with enormous strategic advantages. There, and only there, could the soft underbelly of the Delta be defended against invaders, and there, and only there, could the source of the upstream floodwaters be protected.


Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system usually developing in close temporal relationship to an infective illness or vaccination. This paper presents clinical, cerebrospinal fluid and MRI findings in ADEM and discusses the role of the MRI in the distinction of ADEM and MS. We reviewed the medical records, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and MRI studies of six consecutive patients diagnosed as having ADEM during a three-year period. All patients had CSF, including electrophoresis for demonstration of oligoclonal bands, and MRI studies in the acute stage; five patients repeated these examinations in the subacute and chronic stages. Four patients had clinical evidence of a multifocal neurological syndrome. In the two other cases there was clinical evidence only of transverse myelitis. The CSF was abnormal in all cases and showed a mild increase in cell count and protein. IgG synthesis and myelin basic protein were present in three patients. MRI was abnormal in all six patients in the acute stage of the illness. In five cases there were some features of the distribution of the lesions which differed from those usually seen in MS. One showed extensive asymmetric bilateral changes; two had high signal lesions in the basal ganglia and thalamus; two demonstrated a tumour-like mass. One patient died one week after clinical onset and the pathologic findings showed an acute haemorrhagic leukoencephalitis. One patient demonstrated a recurrent MRI pattern of diffuse periventricular white matter lesions, after an abrupt end of corticosteroid treatment. Five patients demonstrated a marked decrease in the size and number of the lesions after steroid treatment; no new lesions were identified. The CNS white matter may be affected by inflammatory demyelinating disorders, including ADEM, that cause clinical diagnostic difficulty with MS. MS and ADEM may be indistinguishable in the acute phase. The clinical course of the disease together with the follow-up MRI will distinguish one entity from the other. Long-term follow-up disclosing newly appearing symptoms and lesions is against the diagnosis of ADEM, because this entity is typically a monophasic disease, unlike MS that usually has a releasing and relapsing course.


This paper considers pricing European options in a large class of one-dimensional Markovian jump processes known as subordinate diffusions, which are obtained by time changing a diffusion process with an independent Levy or additive random clock. These jump processes are non-Levy in general, and they can be viewed as a natural generalization of many popular Levy processes used in finance. Subordinate diffusions offer richer jump behavior than Levy processes and they have found a variety of applications in financial modeling. The pricing problem for these processes presents unique challenges, as existing numerical PIDE schemes fail to be efficient and the applicability of transform methods to many subordinate diffusions is unclear. We develop a novel method based on a finite difference approximation of spatial derivatives and matrix eigendecomposition, and it can deal with diffusions that exhibit various types of boundary behavior. Since financial payoffs are typically not smooth, we apply a smoothing tech...


This article investigates the complex nature of social innovation from systemic perspectives, in which systems thinking offers the concept of inquiring systems that deal with complexity generated from beyond technological term 'innovation.' Some analysts consider innovation, which requires for the era of knowledge-based economy, is too broad to be useful to not only to generate economic value creation, but to social and organizational values related to social initiatives, entrepreneurship, leadership and management.This article offers Churchman's concept of inquiring systems and systems approach that becomes 'thought.' Beer's Viable System Model is also proposed in order to investigate the complex nature of social innovation in social practice. The article provides the conceptual framework and system model, which developed from previous research on innovation from systemic perspectives, to explore the phenomenon of innovation in social practice


Mammalian liver disposes of acetaminophen and other ingested xenobiotics by forming soluble glucuronides that are subsequently removed via renal filtration. When given in combination with the stable isotopes H and C, the glucuronide of acetaminophen isolated from urine provides a convenient ''chemical biopsy'' for evaluating intermediary metabolism in the liver. Here, we describe isolation and purification of urinary acetaminophen glucuronide and its conversion to monoacetone glucose (MAG). Subsequent H and C NMR analysis of MAG from normal volunteers after ingestion of H2O and [UC3]propionate allowed a noninvasive profiling of hepatic gluconeogenic pathways. The method should find use in metabolic studies of infants and other populations where blood sampling is either limited or problematic. 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.