Abstract 2766 Poster Board II-742 (Introduction) B7-H1 (CD274) is a costimulatory/coinhibitory molecule that plays a crucial role in T cell regulation in various immune responses. B7-H1 expression is detected not only on professional antigen-presenting cells but also on some tumor cells. It has been reported that B7-H1 molecules on tumor cells inhibit the proliferation of tumor-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes and are associated with poor prognosis in patients with some tumors such as renal and breast cancers. In this study, we investigated whether functional B7-H1 molecules are expressed on blasts from myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and, if so, are associated with pathophysiology in specific immune evasion in MDS. (Materials and methods) (1) First, we analyzed the expression of B7-H1 mRNA and protein in MDS cell lines (OIH-1, SKM-1, and F36P) using reverse transcription-PCR and flow cytometry (FCM), respectively. Although F36P cells alone expressed B7-H1 molecules at mRNA and protein levels, interferon (IFN)-γ and more efficiently a combination of IFN-γ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α enhanced or induced B7-H1 expression in all of these cell lines. Notably, the combination of IFN-γ and TNF-α induced nuclear factor (NF) γB activation of MDS cell lines, and the blocking of NFκB activation by pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) or NFκB inhibitor peptide turned off the B7-H1 induction. (2) To investigate whether B7-H1+ MDS blasts have a proliferative advantage, we compared the cell cycle and colony formation between B7-H1+ and B7-H1– cell fractions in F36P cells. B7-H1+ cells had fewer G0/G1-phase cells and more G2/M-phase cells compared with B7-H1– cells. Furthermore, purified B7-H1+ cells formed more colonies than B7-H1– cells in the colony-forming assay using the methylcellulose. (3) We investigated the immunomodulatory effects of B7-H1+ blasts on T cells. When normal CD3+ T cells were cultured with or without irradiated B7-H1+ F36P cells, the B7-H1+ F36P cells had markedly increased percentages of T cells showing apoptosis. The blocking antibody for B7-H1 or PD-1 inhibited the T-cell apoptosis induced by B7-H1+ cells, decreased the percentage of caspase-3+ cells in T cells, and increased T-cell proliferation. (4) We then examined B7-H1 expression on blasts from 41 MDS patients, 20 patients with acute myeloid leukemia transformed from MDS (AML-MDS), and 10 hematologically normal individuals using FCM. B7-H1+ cases, in whom more than 5% of blasts expressed B7-H1 molecules, were observed in 6 of 14 (43%) patients with refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB), 6 of 12 (50%) with RAEB in transformation (RAEB-t), and 4 of 20 (20%) AML-MDS patients, but in none of 15 RA patients and normal individuals. Similar to the data obtained using MDS cell lines, B7-H1 expression on blasts purified from MDS patients was induced by stimulation with IFN-γ or TNF-α, and more strikingly by their combination. PDTC inhibited the induction of B7-H1 expression. The percentages of G0/G1-phase cells were lower and those of G2/M-phase cells higher in B7-H1+ blasts than in B7-H1– blasts from patients. Furthermore, in allogeneic coculture, in which B7-H1+ blasts from an MDS patient and CD3+ T cells from healthy volunteers were cultured, T-cell proliferation was significantly augmented by blocking B7-H1 molecules. (5) Finally, we investigated the expression of PD-1, a counterreceptor of B7-H1, on circulating T cells in 34 MDS patients. PD-1 expression on CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells in MDS patients was significantly higher than that in healthy volunteers. (CONCLUSIONS) Taking the results together, in MDS: 1) B7-H1 expression on blasts occurs more often in the advanced disease stages; 2) B7-H1 expression on blasts may be induced by cytokines derived from the bone marrow environment via NFκB activation; 3) cell cycle and proliferation were more active in B7-H1+ blasts than in B7-H1– blasts; and 4) B7-H1 molecules on blasts suppress T-cell immunity. These findings indicate that B7-H1 molecules on blasts may be involved in the pathophysiology of MDS. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Active Appearance Models (AAM), have been widely used for the segmentation of anatomical structures in 3D medical images. Building the AAM usually requires the manual segmentation of a training set. In this paper, we propose to reduce this manual segmentation by building a volumetric AAM (vAAM) from MR images. These images are converted to a tetrahedral mesh representation rather than a voxel representation. Tetrahedral meshes are generated so that they represent the underlying image structures. The vAAM is iteratively built using the minimum description length principle (MDL). The generated model provides an anatomical correspondence between the tetrahedral meshes that are generated from MR images within the training set. Thus any manual segmentation performed on a single MR image can be mapped to other MR images. The segmentation of a query image is performed automatically by adapting the vAAM to this image. After the segmentation step, the 3D reconstruction of the knee surface is simply performed by extracting faces that are shared by adjacent regions.


Combination of porphyrin dyes as a sensitizer with a SnO2 semiconductor electrode enables alcohols to be used as an electron donor, producing H2.


The legendary Abstract Expressionist painter Willem de Kooning and his wife, artist and critic Elaine Fried, matched each other drink for drink, lover for lover, and blow for blow throughout an "open" marriage that was really a 40-year war against the status quo in life and in art. They staged their battles with passion and elan from shabby Greenwich Village studios and bar rooms to glittering gallery openings and Hamptons parties, and embraced Jackson Pollack and his wife, Lee Krasner, and all the other major players in the turbulent drama of post-war American art. Together and apart, Bill and Elaine reigned as the premier couple of their volatile circle and irrevocably reshaped America's cultural vista. This account of their unique and enduring partnership is a look at two indelible characters and the art world they forged, by a fellow artist nad intimate member of their set.


Magri, born in 1932, was a leading member and, together with Rossana Rossanda, the most prominent theoretician of the Manifesto group which was kicked out of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) in 1970. He rejoined the PCI with the small Left PdUP party in 1984 and fought against its harakiri in 1989. He was then a deputy in Parliament of the small Rifondazione Comunista party, and retired in 2004 to write this final book. Among his copious journalistic and analytical works, this is, as it were, his political testament. He committed assisted suicide in Switzerland in 2011. Il Manifesto still exists as the only general daily in Italy that can be read without revulsion. In the Introduction plus 21 chapters Magri weaves together three strands: a chronological history of "some decisive events" in and around the PCI from 1944 to its suicide; the world political and economic context; and theoretical analyses or at least doubts and questions, which culminate in the impressive 45-page Appendix, written in 1987 as the position paper of the Left at the final PCI congress. I must be brief about the well-known international context of the Cold War, USSR degeneration, and the constant US pressures which were especially virulent in Italy, ruled de facto by three forces: the Catholic Church, inner political forces, and the US ambassador who set the limits of what could be done (notably, not to let the too strong and dangerous communists into the government after 1948). No doubt, Magri has interesting views about the world context: he pins the blame for the Cold War squarely on the USA and stresses the real danger of nuclear holocaust say up to 1961; he singles out the major rigidities and stupidities first of the 3rd International, including Lenin's attacking focus on the "centrist" Kautsky and Austromarxism, predicated on a non-existent revolutionary imminence in Europe, and then the much heavier ones of Stalin's forced collectivisation, 1930s' terror waves, and the permanent cultural deformation into apathetic Socialism and Democracy, 2015 Vol. 29, No. 2, 91–98, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08854300.2015.1039258


The multi-resource datas which are geo-information data,ground electronic parameter data and atmosphere refractive index,have been integrated and visualized fast in the GIS software for ASF corredion in timing of long-wave.The ASF and the ground propagation delay of long-wave signal from many stations in different typical path for wide area,can be easy calculated and improved in timing accu- racy with different model by this GIS software.


Myoliquefaction of fish musculature results in customer quality complaints and in huge economic losses, especially with regard to Pacific hake (Merluccius productus), farm- reared Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), South African pilchards (Sardinops ocellatus) and Cape snoek (Thyrsites atun). Myoliquefaction, or 'jelly flesh', is caused by proteolytic enzymes released by the marine myxosporean parasite, Kudoa thyrsites, after the death of the fish. Currently there are no fast methods of detection for this microscopic parasite, and because myoliquefaction is evident only after 38-56 h post-mortem, infected fish inevitably reach the processor and/or consumer. Several methods of detection have been investigated, but most of these methods are time-consuming and/or result in destruction of the fish, and are thus impractical for fishing vessels and fish processors. Limited research is available on possible means of destroying or inhibiting the post-mortem activity of the parasitic proteolytic enzyme. Means such as manipulating post-mortem pH and temperature control have been suggested; leaving opportunities for research into food technology applications such as cold-chain management and ionising radiation.


Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) should be used with caution in treating arrhythmias during pregnancy because of side effects, but catheter ablation is a rarely used procedure. Aim To investigate the efficacy and safety of catheter ablation in cardiac arrhythmias during pregnancy. Methods A double-center retrospective case series study was performed. We studied a population of patients undergoing catheter ablation for cardiac arrhythmias during pregnancy between April 2014 and September 2021 in two cardiovascular centers in Hungary. Results 14 procedures [14 electrophysiology studies (EPS), 13 ablations] performed on 13 gravid women (age 30.3±5.2 years, primipara n=6) were studied. The mean gestation period was 24.0 (20.0-27.0) weeks at the time of intervention, and the mean duration of arrhythmia was 44.0±53.0 months. Of the pregnant women 38.5% had comorbidities and 15.4% had structural heart disease. During EPS, 12 patients had inducible arrhythmias. Focal atrial tachycardia was confirmed in 3, AVRT via manifest accessory pathway (AP) in 3 (WPW syndrome) AVRT via counceled AP in 1 case. AVNRT was confirmed in 3, sustained ventricular tachycardia in 2 cases (25-25-8.3-25-16.6%). 11 radiofrequency ablations (RFA) (84.6%) and 2 cryoablations (15.4%) were performed. The electroanatomical mapping system was CARTO in 11 cases (84.6%) and NavX-EnSite in 2 cases (15.4%). Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) was used in 5 cases (38.5%). Transseptal puncture was performed in 2 cases (15.4%) due to left lateral AP. The average procedure time was 76.0±33.0 min. All the procedures (100.0%) were performed without fluoroscopy. No complications occurred during the procedures. In the long term, arrhythmia-free survival was achieved in all cases (100.0%), but in two patients, we used AADs to achieve freedom of arrhythmia. With AADs, the mean birth weight was lower than that of fetuses of gravidas not taking drugs (2110±1314 vs. 3253±458 g). APGAR was within the normal range in all cases [9.0/10.0 (IQR) (9.0-10.0/9.3-10.0)]. Conclusions Zero-fluoroscopic catheter ablation during pregnancy is an effective and safe treatment method when needed. Catheter ablation for persistent maternal arrhythmias has a more beneficial effect on fetal development than the use of AADs. Indeed, long-term outcome and safety need to be investigated in a larger patient population.


This book is an excellent resource for any person considering mission work, or for training those who may be preparing for involvement in mission. It is written by two exceptionally experienced missionaries with years of practical experience, as well as academic teaching. Both the authors share something of their past backgrounds and home churches, which gives insights into how they developed their particular philosophy of missions.


The encoding and decoding of binary LDPC codes are expanded using characteristics of the Finite Fields concept, a nonbinary LDPC code encoding and decoding method based on the Finite Fields are investigated and the computational complexity of this algorithm is estimated, providing a foundation for the practical applications of this method. Then this algorithm is compared with the binary algorithm. The results show that its performance is superior to the binary BP iterative algorithm. Finally, the effects of the relevant factors such as the number of iterations selected, the structure of the check matrix etc on the algorithm performance were analyzed.


In order to evaluate the effect of water stress on physiological parameters of bambara groundnut, twenty-eight accessions were evaluated at the Experimental garden of the Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State Nigeria. They were subjected to two treatments, water stressed and non-water stressed. The accessions were sown in planting bags and arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Significant differences in all physiological parameters were observed between the bambara groundnut accessions in both the water stressed and the non-water stressed treatment. Relative water content, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll content was higher in non-water stressed plants than water stressed plants, although relatively high water content, chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll contents were still observed in stressed plants. It was also observed that bambara groundnut accessions explored drought tolerant mechanisms by closing their stomata to reduce water loss.


The goal of this article is to compare the content of gross written premium in the selected European countries. The subject of insurance companies is to provide insurance protection based on commercial principles. All changes in the society are directly reflected in the insurance activity. New risks appear and therefore new insurance products appear as well. Insurance activities are divided into non-life insurance, life insurance, and in recent years increase also a share of life unit linked insurance. Yield in the form of gross written premium arises to the insurance company under insurance contracts and then must be adjusted about so called unearned premiums. The article deals with outputs of research of gross written premium in particular insurance companies in different states of Central and Eastern Europe.


Abstract Treatment of α-alkylcinnamaldehydes with orthoesters, alcohols, or thiols in the presence of BF 3 ·OEt 2 induces an intramolecular electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction to afford 1-alkoxy-2-alkylindenes. The reaction mechanisms of the indene formation have been elucidated on the basis of the reaction behaviors of β-deuterated α-methylcinnamaldehyde and the NMR studies of the reaction mixture. The transformation process involves successive reactions, i.e., alkoxylation of the carbonyl carbon of α-alkylcinnamaldehydes to form acetals, elimination of alkoxide from the acetals to give alkoxycarbenium ion and γ-alkoxyallyl cation, and intramolecular electrophilic arylation to afford the indene ring structure.


This study investigates a new method of visualization and quantification for protein after electrophoresis. From the experimental results, it is confirmed that protein after electrophoresis can be visualized using a terahertz wave. Protein can also be quantified by terahertz wave.


ObjectivePsychotherapy and biological psychiatry remain divided in psychiatry residency curricula. Behavioral neurobiology and neuropsychiatry provide a systems-level framework that allows teachers to integrate biology, psychodynamics, and psychology.MethodThe authors detail the underlying assumptions and outline of a neural systems-based neuroscience course they teach at the National Capital Consortium Psychiatry Residency Program. They review course assessment reports and classroom observations.ResultsSelf-report measures and teacher observations are encouraging. By the end of the course, residents are able to discuss both neurobiological and psychodynamic/psychological concepts of distributed biological neural networks. They verbalize an understanding that psychology is biology, that any distinction is artificial, and that both are valuable.ConclusionsA neuroscience curriculum founded on the underlying principles of behavioral neurobiology and neuropsychiatry is inherently anti-reductionistic and facilitates the acquisition of detailed information as well as critical thinking and cross-disciplinary correlations with psychological theories and psychotherapy.


The invention discloses a preparation method of ramie wool stretch fabric. The preparation method comprises the steps that 1, fine spinning is adopted by warp yarn, the yarn count Nm ranges from 50/2 to 60/2, fine spinning is adopted by weft yarn, the yarn count Ne is 50/2 and 32/1 by combining with spandex, and gray fabric is obtained by spinning the warp yarn and the weft yarn by adopting the 2/2 weave and the total tightness ranging from 100 to 105; 2, after finishing is conducted, the steps of gray fabric shaping, singeing, continuous boiling, washing shrinking, double boiling, drying, middle inspection, medium repair, brushing, napping, water washing, drying, shaping, shearing, softening and tank decatizing are sequentially conducted, and a finished product is obtained. White ramie is adopted to be added in the last gilling of recombing, the characteristic that ramie stripes are not prone to being evenly mixed is utilized, and the bamboo joint effect of the cloth cover of the finished produced is achieved; only the finisher gilling and a line of rough yarn are adopted in the spinning workshop section; the water washing technology is adopted during the after finishing to improve the size stability of the fabric; by means of the napping technology, slight fluff occurs on the cloth cover, the sense of warmth and the degree of softness of the fabric are enhanced, and finally the ramie wool stretch fabric has the advantages of being easy to wash, good in elasticity, not prone to pilling and fuzzing, fully suitable for being used for making upscale leisure suits and the like.


volume 13 issue 4 Chronic pain is difficult both for patients to tolerate and for various health professionals to treat effectively. Management of chronic pain population still faces many challenges and requires novel approaches in the treatment of pain. The Pain Clinic of University Hospital Split and the Laboratory for Pain Research University of Split were particularly interested to further explore social contextual factors that contribute and sometimes maintain chronic pain conditions. Therefore this research visit was particularly oriented towards a collaborative project that aims at exploring contributing effects of social exclusion on pain perception.Chronic pain patients often face problems with everyday functioning and social interactions to more executive functions such as working memory, decision-making and emotional processes. Further on, the perceived lack of understanding or social support can sometimes lead to the feeling of stigmatization in chronic pain patients, which in addition impacts both their disease severity and their social relationships. Due to these factors chronic pain patients are potentially more likely to experience social exclusion, which increases with the level of their disability. This particularly has repercussions for chronic pain patients who are experiencing social exclusion processes due to the conflict with closer social surroundings as well as professionals involved in their treatment. The results of several studies suggest that chronic pain may alter pain perception. There is also a reason to believe that the pain of social exclusion shares some of the same neural and psychological mechanisms as the experiences of physical pain. These shared mechanisms include the anterior cingulate cortex, periaqueductal gray matter, brain structures and the opioid systems. However, consistent findings on how social support in chronic pain patients can influence pain perception and empathy are lacking. This study would provide more information how to provide adequate support for individuals with chronic pain affected by social exclusion processes. This research visit embraced the overall developmental strategy of the Pain Clinic University Hospital Split, which prioritizes interdisciplinary research in chronic pain. The research visit to the Faculty of Psychology at Katholieke Universiteit Lueven was concentrated on gaining knowledge and methodology of Adriana Banozic


This paper proposes a conceptual model for establishing a new approach to improvise anti-smoking strategies. The Tobacco Control programme under the World Health Organization (WHO) has established MPOWER measures to be applied globally. Although numerous approaches have been implemented, there is a knowledge gap pertaining to the positive impact of these strategies. Therefore, analyzing current approaches and establishing new strategies will be beneficial for the tobacco control movement. The proposed model has been adapted from the Medical Research Council (MRC), United Kingdom framework for complex interventions which can be used as reference for researchers to develop a new initiative or strategy for tobacco control. This proposed model incorporates three phases, which are (i) Phase 1: To identify factors influencing stop smoking desires and their successfulness among "specific location" population, (ii) Phase 2: To analyse available smoking cessation strategies globally using systematic review, and (iii) Phase 3: To develop new potential tools/products/guidelines for anti-smoking promotions based on Phase 1 and 2. The novelty of this concept in developing anti-smoking strategies is the incorporation of local needs in Phase 1. This research may contribute significantly to stop or quit smoking behavior among Malaysians. At the end of this study, researchers will be able to recommend new and/or adapted tools/products/guidelines based on the framework discussed. Also, government regulations regarding cigarettes should be properly reviewed in order to achieve more significant results whilst minimizing expenses for anti-smoking campaigns.


Today's enterprises are forced to identify and change the whole chain of value creation for the customer, which usually extends beyond its borders. An important stage in the analysis of an enterprise's value chain is identifying the processes carried out in the organisation and evaluating how effectively and efficiently they are achieved, which is possible by establishing and developing specific measures and methods of measuring these processes. The purpose of this article is to provide a method for increasing the value of the enterprise, based on the analysis of processes involved in the enterprise's value chain. The paper explains the basic concepts of process, system processes and process management, defines the value chain and shows the structure of the processes that shape it. The main part of the article presents the methodology of the analysis process, which consists of the following stages: identifying the processes carried out in the enterprise, indicating the role of the processes in creating added value for the customer, measurement and evaluation of the results of processes, and determining process improvement proposals.


As a new young director, Ning Hao has created a series of miracles with low-cost and high box office, and each work produced unexpected results with new visions among the audience, which is the concentrated embodiment of of the director's unique artistic temperament, known as "director with unique ability" in the industry. From connotation to extension, his works are permeated with the strong tension of surprise. The personality based discourse based on his unique characteristics, such as focuses on sensitive topics as the film clips in shooting, cult expression of audio-visual language, extreme rhetoric of film space, discussion on human nature in post-modern context, is constantly rewriting the solidified cognition of film ontology. Therefore, this paper takes films by Ning Hao as an example to extract the urban landscape in his film space for in-depth analysis with comprehensive explanation on the urban landscape in his works from multiple perspectives, such as construction mode, existence state and expression form.


The tensile strength of the rocks is one of the effective factors in the rupture of structure foundations and underground spaces, the stability of rocky slopes, and the ability to drill and explode in rocks. This research was conducted to estimate tensile strength using methods such as simple regression (SR), multivariate linear regression (MVLR), support vector regression (SVR) with radial basis kernel function, multilayer feed-forward artificial neural network (MFF-ANN), Gaussian process regression (GPR) using squared exponential kernel (SEK) function, and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) based on Gaussian membership function. For this purpose, petrography, and engineering features of the limestone, sandstone, and argillaceous limestone samples in the south of Iran, were assessed. The results obtained from this study were compared with those of previous research, revealing a strong correlation (R2=0.95 to 1.00) between our findings and the published works. To estimate Brazilian tensile strength (BTS), the index properties including water absorption by weight, point load index (PLI), porosity%, P-wave velocity (Vp), and density were considered as inputs. Methods were compared using various criteria. The SVR precision (R=0.96) was higher than MFF-ANN (R=0.92), ANFIS (R=0.95), GPR (R=0.945), and MVLR (R=0.89) to estimate the tensile strength. The average BTS measured in the laboratory and predicted by all 5 methods is 6.62 and 6.71 MPa, respectively, which shows the very high precision of the investigated methods. Analysis of model criteria using statistical analysis for developed relationships revealed that there is sufficient accuracy to use the empirical equations.


The chirality-dependent G-band Raman intensity of single wall carbon nanotubes is calculated using a nonresonant theory for the Raman tensor. We obtain six or three intense Raman modes, respectively, for chiral or achiral nanotubes, whose relative intensities depend on the chiral angle of the nanotube. The longitudinal and transverse optical phonon modes in two-dimensional graphite become, respectively, transverse and longitudinal optical phonon modes in a one-dimensional nanotube. Confocal micro-Raman measurements of individual single wall carbon nanotubes show chirality-dependent spectra of the G-band intensity, as predicted by this theory.


We hypothesized that moderately malnourished weaned stunted children have impaired ability to digest starch due to developmental pancreatic α‐amylase insufficiency that impedes their normal growth with typical foods used at home. An innovative non‐invasive modified 13C‐breath test was used to assess the ability to digest starch in healthy (16) and moderately stunted infants (32) from 18 ‐ 30 months in Bamako, Mali. Common or modified sorghum porridges and three different 13C substrates (UL‐algal starch, UL‐algal limit dextrins, and greenhouse‐enriched sorghum) were fed in five separate days. Serial breath samples (every 15 min for 3 hours) were collected and analyzed using a 13CO2 infrared spectrophotometer. The obtained results showed a pancreatic α‐amylase insufficiency in both healthy and moderately stunted groups. 90% of all subjects digested well the common sorghum porridge whereas the modified porridge with mechanical treatment presented a reduced digestion rate which was not corrected with further amylase pretreatment. We conclude that the digestion of sorghum porridge starches is poorly related to amylase insufficiency, and these starches are well digested via the mucosal α‐glucosidases in Malian moderately malnourished stunted weaned children.


We present a simultaneous analysis, within an impact parameter dependent saturated dipole model, of exclusive diffractive vector meson ($J/\ensuremath{\psi}$, $\ensuremath{\phi}$, and $\ensuremath{\rho}$) production, deeply virtual Compton scattering and the total ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{*}p$ cross section data measured at HERA. Various cross sections measured as a function of the kinematic variables ${Q}^{2}$, $W$ and $t$ are well described, with little sensitivity to the details of the vector meson wave functions. We determine the properties of the gluon density in the proton in both longitudinal and transverse dimensions, including the impact parameter dependent saturation scale. The overall success of the description indicates universality of the emerging gluon distribution and proton shape.


Abstract Some new (Z)-ethyl 3-amino-3-aryl-2-cyanopropenoates have been prepared in good yields by reacting (E)- and (Z)-ethyl 3-aryl-3-chloro-2-cyanopropenoates with primary and secondary amines. The (Z)-isomers were exclusively formed.although the starting material consisted of a mixture of (E)- and (Z)-isomers (≈ 1:1)


This placebo‐controlled study assessed the efficacy and tolerability of polyethylene glycol‐electrolyte lavage solution (PEG‐ELS), with and without simethicone, in the preparation of patients with inflammatory bowel disease for colonoscopy. PEG‐ELS 4 L plus placebo, or PEG‐ELS 4 L plus simethicone 120 mg, was administered according to a randomized double‐blind protocol to 115 patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. The parameters assessed were: presence of bubbles, degree of haziness, degree of bowel cleansing and patient acceptance. In the 105 patients completing the study, the efficacy of colonic lavage was found to be essentially comparable for the two preparations, although the addition of simethicone showed a significant reduction in the formation of bubbles. Significantly better results were reported by patients treated with the drug combination regarding reduction of general malaise (P= 0.01) and sleep disturbance (P= 0.01).


In this paper we describe textX, a meta-language and a tool for building Domain-Specific Languages. It is implemented in Python using Arpeggio PEG (Parsing Expression Grammar) parser library. From a single language description (grammar) textX will build a parser and a meta-model (a.k.a. abstract syntax) of the language. The parser is used to parse textual representations of models conforming to the meta-model. As a result of parsing, a Python object graph will be automatically created. The structure of the object graph will conform to the meta-model defined by the grammar. This approach frees a developer from the need to manually analyse a parse tree and transform it to other suitable representation. The textX library is independent of any integrated development environment and can be easily integrated in any Python project. The textX tool works as a grammar interpreter. The parser is configured at run-time using the grammar. The textX tool is a free and open-source project available at GitHub.


Track vibration isolation in the form of "tie‐in‐pocket" construction, a highly acoustical absorbent metal pan ceiling construction, and other noise control features were used at the newly built World Trade Center PATH Terminal Noise measurements were made at numerous positions at the Church Street PATH Terminal prior to its discontinuance as a terminal and at the World Trade Center PATH Terminal just after its completion. The results of these surveys in platform an improvement in passenger comfort due to the reduction in platform and concourse noise levels. These data were analyzed and compared as to noise criteria (NC), statistical A‐weighted noise level, and statistical octave‐band spectra. A noise level criterion of L10 = 75 dBA for passengers waiting at the platform was developed and compared with noise levels measured at the two terminals and at a typical midtown street location. Testing of the track lubrication system was also accomplished.


This study examines the review of muamalah fiqh on the practice of paying basiang padi with the indak dilpaesi system in Jorong Balimbing. The purpose of this study was to identify and explain the practice of paying basiang padi with an uncoated system, as well as to explain a review of muamalah fiqh on the practice of paying basiang padi with an uncoated system in Jorong Balimbing, Nagari Balimbing. The research method used is a qualitative research method by conducting field research with observation and interview data collection techniques. The research finding is that the wage practice of paying basiang padi with the indak dilapesi system in Jorong Balimbing is done by paying part of the agreed wage, which is given wages to cultivators as much as 4 liters of rice while wages should be paid 6 liters of rice. Based on the principle of fairness, wages for basiang padi with the indak dilapesi system are not in accordance with the pillars and conditions of wages. There is an element of injustice in delaying the payment of wages and reducing the payment of wages to the detriment of one party, this is not allowed in muamalah fiqh.


The local pressure changes associated with the twice-annual contraction/intensification and expansion/weakening of the circumpolar trough of low pressure around Antarctica, termed the semiannual oscillation (SAO), was the dominant signal in the annual cycle at mid and high southern latitudes before 1979. The mechanism, as shown by Van Loon (1967), arises from diVerent response to the surface heat budget over the polar continent and the midlatitude ocean. It has subsequently been shown that in most years since 1979 the SAO has weakened considerably. Evidence is presented here from surface temperature data, 500 mb temperatures from a station pair and zonal mean 500 mb temperatures from the NCAR/NCEP reanalyses to show that a warming trend since 1979 has not been evenly distributed through the year at each latitude. Thus an anomalous change in the temperature gradient between 50°S and 65°S, with peaks in roughly May and November, has modulated the mechanism that produces the SAO, with its peaks in March and September. Consequently, the magnitude of the SAO has decreased in the more recent period.


The problem of detection and classification of buried dielectnc anomalies using artificial neural networks was considered. Several methods for training and data representation were developed to study the trainability and generalization capabilities of the networks. The effect of the architectural variation on the network performance was also studied. Principal component method was used to reduce the volume of the data and also the dimension of the weight space. Simulation results on two types of targets were obtained which indicated superior detection and classification performance when compared with the conventional methods.


Along with many librarians who pick up RSR, I turn to "Personal Choice" as the first article to read. It is always intriguing to learn others' choices and their reasons. Most of us probably never think that the question will be dropped into our own laps, so though we might disagree with others' choices, we rarely think seriously of those we would make ourselves. Fortunately, James Rettig does give enough time for us to think about it, to try to come up with a different approach, to philosophize on a specific desert isle. "If you were stranded on a desert island and had to create a reference/information service with only ten sources, which ten would you choose?"


The development of control technology for reducing respirable dust in coal mines has been hindered by the difficulties involved in making accurate dust measurements. Recent Bureau of Mines research has provided new insights into the causes of measurement errors, and how to minimize them. Improving the accuracy of coal mine dust sampling involves five basic steps: 1) use of modern equipment, such as flow-regulated gravimetric pumps and instantaneous dust monitors; 2) avoiding, to the extent possible, sampling locations with a steep concentration gradient; 3) ensuring that the airstream being sampled is representative of the source; 4) alternating the operation (on vs. off) of the control technology as frequently as possible to minimize dust level changes due to changes in material being cut or production; and 5) pinpointing dust sources to ensure that the dust being measured relates to the control being tested.


This paper proposes an interoperable energy management system (EMS) for grid-connected HESSs, enabling the provision of ancillary services to the grid. Power systems are evolving towards a more renewable and decentralised structure, where energy storage systems (ESS) have emerged as a key energy asset to ensure the power balance and the system stability. In this context, hybrid ESSs (HESS) are an interesting solution because they take advantage of the dynamic properties of different ESS technologies. The proposed EMS structure ensures an adequate internal power allocation between the different ESS packs even when operating at power or state of charge limits. The proposed structure can be easily adapted and combined with specific control functions to provide a wide variety of grid services. Moreover, a power dispatch algorithm is included to allocate the power between the parallel power converters to maximise the system efficiency. The results from two representative use cases demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed EMS to determine the operating setpoints of a modular HESS and to provide different grid-oriented services.


▪ Abstract Remote observations of a surface ship wake using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) show distinct features such as a dark trailing centerline region, bright V-images aligned at some angle to the ship's path, and, sometimes, either the transverse or the diverging waves of the Kelvin-wave pattern. The dark region of relatively low radar backscatter is usually associated with a region that is relatively lacking in short wave components, whereas the bright line feature suggests a region of enhanced radar return within the apparent angular confines of the ship's usual Kelvin-wave pattern. This review provides a survey of remotely sensed wake images, the systems that have collected these images, and an overview of the theory of Kelvin wakes—a primary source of the phenomena that cause the dark centerline and bright V-images—with example predictions. The review concludes with a survey of the phenomena that cause the dark centerline returns and some example predictions of the radar reflectivity across thes...


Abstract It is well known that vitamin D's general immunomodulatory actions are helpful in viral infections and that a shortage is linked to a more serious prognosis for Covid-19. In this sistematic review, we examined the existing literature on evidence as to whether there is also link between vitamin D range levels in pediatric population and the outcome of the Covid-19 infection. We looked for studies that measured vitamin D blood concentrations and examined the effects of vitamin D supplementation in young infected patients. Vitamin D may decrease the risk of respiratory infections in a number of ways through its interactions with numerous cells, including by decreasing viral survival and replication, reducing the cytokine storm, raising angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 concentrations (ACE2) while not damaging the endothelial integrity. The incidence or severity of Covid-19 is linked with blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, according to many observational studies. However experimental verification is still needed. Given their safety and broad therapeutic window, vitamin D supplements seem to be an effective way for individuals and doctors to prevent or treat Covid-19. Nonetheless, the outcomes of significant vitamin D randomized controlled trials are further needed.


Józef Tischner's Myślenie z wnętrza metafory [Thinking From Within the Metaphor] and Bartłomiej Maliszewski's Metafora i aksjologia [Metaphor and Axiology] are texts that are both described (analysed) and interpreted here. However, the debatability of the dual understanding of metaphor ('inside' – 'outside') is only a preliminary difficulty. For it will be incomparably more important that when we read Thinking From Within the Metaphor, then we will not find an explanation of the authorial meaning attributed to the after all key term of his text, and this is by no means a coincidence. The fundamental opposition – unambiguous genre language versus axiological and agathological analogical (metaphorical, symbolic) language – is certainly a persuasive construction, but not necessarily a valid one. A fundamental literary problem: is the Platonic cave really a metaphor? In Bartłomiej Maliszewski's book Metafora i aksjologia wzorzec człowieka w renesansowej literaturze parenetycznej [Metaphor and Axiology. The Model of Man in Renaissance Parenetic Literature], 'metaphor' is equated with the 'figurative'. There would be nothing reprehensible in this if not for the fact that these two key terms in the book co-create a state of approximate numerical equilibrium, while (and this is more important) proving to be both identical and disjointed. The lack of a definition of 'metaphor' and 'figurative' makes the whole impressive argument resemble a colossus standing on two legs of clay, over which it stumbles as they become entangled. The legitimacy of the combined view of Thinking From Within the Metaphor and Metaphor and Axiology is contained primarily in the fact that Renaissance parenesis can be seen as one of the historical forms of agathology.


The purpose of this study was to investigate whether preschools in one municipality has the same opportunity to purchase organic food. The survey was based on a qualitative approach, the method used was semi-structured interviews , which means that the question areas were defined but the questions could vary from interview to interview , depending on what the person who was interviewed said, and what he / she considered to be important ( Johansson & Svedner , 2010) . The results showed that the three principal areas had the same budget per child per year, but that the proportion of organic food they purchased differed . All the cooks felt that organic food was expensive to obtain but even despite that they had different viewpoints and attitudes to the economic conditions were sufficient to reach the government's goal of 25 percent organic foods. The results showed that commitment and interest were of great importance to reach the goal of 25 percent organic food. The conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that all preschools within the same school areas have the equal economic opportunity to purchase organic foods. It is important that there is a commitment and interest in both pre-school managers and cooks, but cooks are of the largest importance when it comes to knowledge and responsibility for the purchase of food . All respondents address the importance of cutting back on the meat and increase the vegetables and use products according to season, in order to increase the share of organic food.


THE American Institute of Physics has two general reasons for compiling manpower statistics annually. The first reason stems from the Institute's purpose "to advance the science of physics". It helps this purpose to be able to acquaint the public, government, industry, and academic circles with statistical facts about the education, employment, remuneration, special competences, etc. of the physics profession. Policies affecting the advance of physics are, and should be, based on such information. Second, the Institute needs to predict the number of physicists who will, in the years of the next decade, have need of its publishing and other services to physicists and to the AIP Member Societies to which they belong. Only in this manner can the necessary space, facilities, and personnel be made available with greatest economy and efficiency. The Institute's motives are thus in part to be of public service and in part simple business foresight.


Cancer claimed the death of over 7.6 million people each year all over the world. Many attempts have being practiced in clinical applications, yet some new technologies are believed to make up for the shortcomings of existing methods. Some latest advances have aroused interests in terahertz imaging and the biological effect as promising diagnostic methods for cancer. This review, however, taps into the biological effects of terahertz radiation as well as the possible mechanism to reveal the potentials and prospects of THz in cancer treatment.


approved: 7*f « ■ " ' f * f *• l-l'~"/ John R. Potter The effects of light incident on leafy cuttings is quite complex because' light influences several factors which may affect root formation. One effect of light is to influence the carbohydrate status of the cutting by influencing photosynthesis. The role of current photosynthate in the rooting of leafy cuttings is uncertain. Accordingly I investigated the extent to which the supply of current photosynthate influences root formation on leafy cuttings of Pisum sativum L. When net photosynthesis was reduced to zero by maintaining the cuttings at the C02 compensation point or by blocking CO,, exchange with an antitranspirant, rooting was reduced to about 50% of the controls. In addition to reducing rooting these treatments significantly reduced sucrose and glucose levels in the basal portion of the cuttings compared to controls. These experiments suggest that the supply of current photo-" synthate can limit root formation. The above conclusions were supported by experiments using different photosynthetic photon flux densities and photoperiod lengths during rooting. Defoliation experiments also supported the role of current photosynthate in root formation. Defoliation of cuttings reduced rooting and carbohydrate levels in the base of the cuttings. Light incident on defoliated stems increased rooting and sucrose levels in the base of the stems. Dipping the defoliated cuttings in an antitranspirant blocked COfixation and almost completely inhibited root formation. These data suggest that stem photosynthesis also contributed to root formation. These experiments suggest that one of the major effects of light incident on leafy pea cuttings is to influence the amount of photosynthate available for root formation. It is difficult to establish whether current photosynthate influences rooting directly or indirectly by affecting some other factor(s) which control rooting.. Whatever the case, treatments which influence photosynthesis influence rooting in a parallel


ATM based passive optical networks can provide broadband services as defined by the international telecommunication union. The medium access control protocol is of great importance to the access scheme as it controls the flow of traffic in the access network. This paper presents a novel MAC protocol with the ability of traffic profile distortions control for APON system at low cost of bandwidth consumption. We evaluate the protocol performance in the term of cell transfer delay and cell delay variation at different traffic load by computer simulations, which approve the validity of the protocol and the bandwidth allocation algorithm.


Tribenuron methyl is a herbicide that is used to control annual and perennial dicots in cereals and fallow land. Pesticides can access aquatic ecosystems via groundwater and affect water quality and aquatic life. Our study evaluated histopathological effects of tribenuron methyl on ovary of the zebrafish Danio rerio (Hamilton, 1822). Ovary of the fishes in control group not exposed to the herbicide showed normal histological architecture. In the fishes exposed to tribenuron methyl, vacuolisation, edema and dysmorphism were recorded. Significant decrease in the number of primary and mature oocytes as well as dose dependent increase in the number of atretic oocytes were recorded in fishes exposed to tribenuron methyl.


APA Citation Al-Monefie, S. (2023).Exploring The Challenges for Women Trying To Assume Mid and Senior Leadership Positions In Higher Education In Yemen [Master's Thesis, the American University in Cairo]. AUC Knowledge Fountain. https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2131 MLA Citation Al-Monefie, Shaima. Exploring The Challenges for Women Trying To Assume Mid and Senior Leadership Positions In Higher Education In Yemen. 2023. American University in Cairo, Master's Thesis. AUC Knowledge Fountain. https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2131


Recent, increasing demand for obesity-surgery coverage among members
does not mean that cost and quality goals are doomed to fall by the wayside
for plans, according to John Pilcher, MD, Surgical Consultants of San Antonio.


Corona virus Disease (COVID-2019) spread fast throughout the world, has infected millions of persons, and caused many fatalities. Mobilization has begun throughout the world for this pandemic that is still in existence, with certain constraints and measures being taken to keep this illness from spreading. Furthermore, to manage the illness, affected persons should be found. However, because of the inefficient amount of RT-PCR testing, chest computed tomography (CT) is a common means of supporting COVID-19 diagnosis. The notion of transfer learning was used in this work to detect the covid-19 from the X-ray pictures of the human body chest. With a total accuracy of 92% of the entire model, our model gives the identification of the Covid-19, 96% accuracy. The EfficientNet model previously trained on the Image-Net dataset is used in this study. This research study has customized the changes to the pre-trained model to fit our study and also added a pair of dense and dropout layers before the output layer.


Combining with the benefits after the constructions of Beijing-Shanghai express railway and Wuhan-Guangzhou express railway,the paper points out the great improvement of the express railways for the urban economy and tourism,and provides some suggestions for the surrounding areas of the urban express railways to develop along with the urban core function areas by taking the surrounding areas of Tokyo and Paris express railways.


This unique guide to speech from various pockets of American culture offers more than 2,800 terms and expressions with at least two example sentences for each entry.


This textbook introduces the computer skills necessary for modern-day undergraduate and graduate students to succeed in economic and business analysis. This self-contained book features innovative applications of Excel commands, equations, formulas, and graphics. In addition, the exposition of the basic concepts, models, and interpretations are presented intuitively and graphically without compromising the rigor of analysis. The book contains numerous engaging and innovative examples and problem sets. Practical applications are also highlighted, including the introduction and discussion of key concepts. They show how Excel can be used to solve theoretical and practical problems. This book will be of interest to students, instructors, and researchers who wish to find out more about the applications of Excel in economics and business. The Instructor's manual is available upon request for all instructors who adopt this book as a course text. Please send your request to email@example.com .


The paper discusses scientific communication and notes that the primary means is through scientific literature, which serves as a vessel for circulating knowledge and information about the world around us. However, in today's post-academic scientific landscape, where the number of publications in international databases is the main yardstick for assessing the productivity of scientists, research, and educational institutions, the issue of plagiarism in scientific communications has become increasingly relevant. It's worth noting that scientific articles are recognized as the primary form of communication, while other types of scientific publications such as monographs, abstracts in collections, and conference proceedings, which constitute a significant portion of modern scientific communication, are often overlooked. It has been shown that in Ukraine and EU countries where scientists from different nationalities and cultures participate, the objective isn't to eradicate plagiarism as a deviation from morality and law, but rather to significantly decrease its prevalence in science and higher education by addressing the factors that contribute to it. The most immediate consequence of plagiarism is the inundation of outdated scientific information with articles that imitate scientific activity, making it challenging to discover genuinely novel scientific information even with the assistance of the internet. Plagiarism also devalues the significance of scientific publications, complicates the identification of truly valuable publications, and violates the ethical and legal norms of scientific activity and scientific communication.


The invention discloses an ultraviolet light curing coating composition which comprises the components in parts by weight: 5-70 parts of acrylate resin, 30-95 parts of monomer, 3-8 parts of photoinitiator, 90-300 parts of solvent, 0.01-1 part of flatting agent and 1-20 parts of solvent type silica sol. Compared with the prior art, the ultraviolet light curing coating composition is high in light transmittance, and the hardness and the scratch resistance of the ultraviolet light curing coating composition are improved; a coating is low in contractibility rate and good in adhesive power of a plastic base material; the coating is simple in preparation; and the solvent type silica sol is good in dispersity and storage stability.


For the bearing sealing member comprises a sealing body (26) annular to the axis of the bearing axis. The sealing body (26) comprises a radially inner sealing portion (27) with a first peripheral sealing surface (28) continues close to a complementary surface of the inner ring, and a radially outer sealing portion (29) with a second peripheral sealing surface (30) continues close to a complementary surface of the outer ring, the sealing member comprises at least one fastening member (31) provided on the sealing body (26 ) annular, and mechanically attached to the cage in a peripheral edge region radially inner and outer cage.


In this paper the impacts of correlated input variables on small signal stability of a power system consisting of intermittent wind generation is presented. The input variables consist of the wind power, the nodal loads and the generation dispatch. The analysis is conducted using Monte Carlo Simulation via modal analysis on three area network system interconnected by tie lines. The probabilistic models of the input variables are first derived. The damping ratio of the power system with the input variables correlated are calculated and then compared with the uncorrelated one. The coefficient of variation is used as an index to determine the fluctuation in the damping ratio as a result of fluctuation in the input variables for both cases. The results show that the coefficient of variation is higher when the input variables are correlated. This indicates that correlated input variable gives the worst case scenario compared to the uncorrelated input variables. Index Terms —Small signal stability, Power system, Monte Carlo simulation, Latin hypercube sampling


published an article in the Lancet describing "the lawn tennis arm," in which frequent use of the backstroke leads to a sprain of the "pronator radii teres" muscle. He saw three such cases and "one gentleman said he had known of several lawn tennis players affected in the same way." He claimed that "the symptoms soon disappear if the movements of pronation and supination are restricted for a few weeks and the forearm is enveloped in an elastic bandage or firm elastic webbing." This muscle is well illustrated in my 6th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1872), which weighs 4 pounds and describes on page 272 the muscle with all three words in a book of 778 pages. By contrast, the 38th edition of Gray's (1995) consists of 2092 pages and on page 845 the muscle is now called extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB); this formidable book weighs 83⁄4 pounds!


Objective To explore the clinical value of target controlled infusion-induced general anesthesia with propofol and manual infusion in interventional treatment of intracranial aneurysm. Methods 60 patients who received interventional treatment of intracranial aneurysm in our hospital from 2011 to 2012 were selected and randomly assigned to two groups which received two different ways of anesthesia induction with propofol. Hemodynamic parameters and anesthetic effects at different time of anesthesia in the two groups were collected. Results Anesthesia induction time and awakening time between the two groups were not significantly different; compared with the control group, the amount of propofol used in the observation group was significantly larger, and the anesthetic effect was obviously better. Fall of blood pressure after the induction was evidently minor and the incidence rate of adverse events was significantly lower. Conclusion In the interventional treatment of intracranial aneurysm, TCI with propofol has better anesthetic effect than manual infusion. It causes minor changes of hemodynamic parameters, which is a safer method and worthy of clinical promotion.


To the Editor: We would like to share ideas on the publication "Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCU) Is a Valuable Modality During Mass COVID-19 Vaccination Campaigns." Lin et al concluded that "Point-ofcare ultrasound can better assist clinicians to determine appropriate needle length and ... lymphedema, and those living in areas where needle supply is unstable or insufficient." Advantage of POCU is confirmed; however, it is questionable for usage in mass vaccination scenarios. In general, for a drug infection, POCU might be applied for a complex injection such as intraarticular drug administration, but it is not generally used for general in simple injection. Cost of POCU might be an obstacle for use in many resource-limited areas where disease outbreak is serious. Contamination of the tool also becomes another concern. In addition, using POCU might increase the required operation time for completeness of vaccination. During the pandemic, experienced practitioners have to be selected for vaccine administration. POCU concept might be interesting but it is questionable for real-life practical use.


The invention provides a novel fused magnesia smelting electric arc furnace, which comprises a high-voltage cabinet, a transformer, a low-voltage cabinet, a programmable logic controller (PLC) operating platform, a short net, a water-cooled cable, an electrode lifting device and a graphite electrode, wherein the graphite electrode is placed in a smelting furnace positioned below the operating platform; the smelting furnace comprises a furnace barrel, a furnace body and a furnace cover; the bottom of the furnace barrel is placed on the horizontal base ground, and the top of the furnace barrel is connected with the operating platform; the furnace body is placed on a trolley and positioned in the middle of the furnace barrel; the trolley is placed on a rotary platform positioned below the horizontal base ground; the furnace cover is placed on the operating platform and covers the upper opening of the furnace body; the top of the furnace cover is provided with an automatic feeding hole connected with an automatic feeding device arranged on the operating platform and an electrode hole corresponding to the graphite electrode; and the PLC operating platform controls lifting of the graphite electrode and intermittent rotation of the rotary platform. Through the electric arc furnace, the problem of furnace charge sintering accumulation in the smelting process is effectively solved, the core part of a finished product forms a cylinder shape, the yield is increased by over 15 percent, and the power is saved by over 20 percent.


Objective To compare the effects of Carvedilol.Bisoprolol therapies for patients with chronic heart failure(CHF). Methods 80 patients with CHF were divided into carvedilol group(40 cases) ,Bisoprolol group (40 cases) ;The two groups were treated respectively with Carvedilol or Bisoprolol in addition to the above conventional therapy. The indicators of heart rate( HR),blood pressure( BP) ,left ventricular end-diastolic diameter( LVEDD) , left ventricular end-systolic diameter( LVESD) ,left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) ,6min walking test distance (6min walk) were observed after treatment and before treatment. Results Total effective rates were 82.5% and 87.5% in Carvedilol group and the Bisoprolol group,There was no statistically significant difference between two groups(χ2 =2. 18,P>0.05) ;The indicators of HR,SBP,DBP,LVEDD,LVESD after treatment were lower than before treatment ( all P < 0.05); LVEF, and 6min walk were higher than before treatment (all P < 0.05). Conclusion Bisoprolol and Carvedilol could significantly improve cardiac function in patients with heart failure.

Key words:
Heart Failure;  Heart function;  Carvedilol;  Bisoprolol


In this paper, we model statistical correlation between overshooting effect and propagation delay time in nano-CMOS technology considering the influence of intrinsic parameter fluctuations caused by discreteness of charge and granularity of matter. The impact of input slew rate, output capacitive load, and supply voltage on this statistical correlation is comprehensively studied. Moreover, we propose two alternative approaches which are capable of reproducing the statistical correlation as well as mean and standard deviation of both propagation delay time and overshoot voltage. We evaluate the accuracy of these alternative approaches against accurate Monte-Carlo simulations. It is shown that the statistical correlations are almost preserved using these alternative approaches.


This paper presents the SSAHLA (Simulation based on Software Agents and the High Level Architecture) project. It aims at designing a simulation environment for military-training scenarios, using software agents and the HLA. Agents are considered due to of their relevant characteristics to simulation, such as autonomy, adaptability, mobility, and sociability. The HLA is considered as a communication middleware between the participants who wish to be involved in training scenarios. In fact, each participant is associated with different agents that work for him and thus, perform operations on his behalf. Designing agents and running them on top of the HLA constitutes a novel approach to deal with military-training scenarios.


Abstract The hydrological cycle in the Mediterranean region is analyzed focusing on climatology and interannual to interdecadal variability, in particular long-term changes related to the well-established North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) teleconnection. Recent atmospheric reanalyses and observational datasets are used: precipitation, evaporation, and moisture flux from 50 yr of NCEP's and 15 yr of ECMWF's reanalyses; precipitation from the Climate Prediction Center Merged Analysis of Precipitation (CMAP) and the East Anglia University Climate Research Unit (CRU) datasets; and evaporation from the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee (UWM) Comprehensive Ocean–Atmosphere Data Set (COADS). A budget analysis is performed to study contributions to the freshwater flux into the Mediterranean Sea, including atmospheric as well as river discharge inputs. The total river discharge is derived using historical time series from Mediterranean Hydrological Cycle Observing System (MED-HYCOS) and Global Runoff Data Center (G...


David P. Ausubel, in his theory of meaningful, verbal reception learning, espouses the presentation of ap propriate subsumers (organizers) to students prior to the presentation of the learning task. The question to be answered in the present study was: Are there significant differences in learning when students are presented organizers before the learning passages (pre-organizers), after the learning passages (post-organizers) , or when they are presented only the learning passages (no-organizers) . An analysis of covariance, using reading vocabulary achievement as the covariate, was used to compare adjusted treatment group means. No significant differences were found among adjusted means (p< .15) in the available pool of third- and sixth-grade classes. Organizers do not facilitate learning when presented to similar classes using similar social studies materials.


The sealing capacity of faults is known to have a major control on hydrocarbon distribution and accumulation. Seal analysis of faults which bound known accumulations is standard practice within the oil industry and empirical datasets comprising the results of several analyses provide the basis for risking undrilled faultdependent prospects. However fault seal capacity predictors based on these empirical datasets are not generally incorporated into migration modelling. Incorporation of predicted fault seal properties into migration modelling provides a stringent test of predictive methods and the empirical data on which they are based. The requirement in migration modelling is to replicate the complete hydrocarbon distribution, including known filled and unfilled traps and the trapped phases. This procedure provides a powerful tool for testing and increasing our understanding of fault seal processes. Results from multiple model realisations with different predicted fault seal capacities provide a means for conducting sensitivity analysis and therefore lead to improved prospect risking. Inability to model precisely known hydrocarbon distributions may indicate shortcomings either of the data (e.g. seismic mapping, sequence definition) or of the geological understanding of the processes incorporated in the models (e.g. fault seal processes). In addition, migration modelling of the entire migration network of spill-points and migration arteries, allows us to distinguish faultdependent traps which are unfilled because they do not lie on a migration pathway from those where the bounding faults are not sealing and therefore complements existing methods for fault seal calibration.


We consider the problem of determining for which central points X of the triangle ABC the products of lengths of sides and cevians of X will be sides of a triangle. We shall prove that twenty-seven out of hundred and one central points from the Kimberling's list have this property. The algebraic method of proof for this result is also used to obtain some new examples of three segments that are sides of a triangle and are built from elements of a given triangle.


Several standard techniques for the calculation of electronic band structures in solids seem to require the crystal potential to be of `muffin-tin' form, but an elementary calculation shows that contributions from variations of the potential in the interstitial region may easily be included in the secular determinants of the augmented plane wave and Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker-Ziman methods. The corrections in the Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker formalism are more complex. A numerical example for germanium shows that these terms can be significant.


Approach to a complex estimation of a dynamic systems condition, considered as a biosystems, based on the Neural Networks technologies, allowing to receive qualitatively new scientific and practical conclusions, essentially accelerating and facilitating medical personnel work in an estimation of a children´s health state in the early neonatal period, is presented. In this work the data about a health state of 330 children, observed in the health center and children´s hospital of Tomsk, is studied. The result of this research is the assignment of the object (health state) to one of the disease classes: prenatal hypoxic central nervous system (PPTSNS), hypoxic-traumatic PPTSNS, healthy. The architecture of a neural network is proved; a technique of informative signs allocation; stages of the construction, training of a neural network; accuracy of the taking decision with the help of the neural network; results of the research are represented. The model antenatal forecasting and abilitation of perinatal defeats of the central nervous system at children of the first year of a life is developed.


Summary This article deals with one aspect of the relationship between the environmental sciences and economic development, namely, the relationship between studies of natural resources and the appraisal of agricultural development projects. It reviews some such projects in which no real attention was paid to surveys of natural resources and passes on to consider the land systems approach to the appraisal of land capability and, briefly, the applicability of" benefit/cost analysis to agricultural development projects. Its principal concern, however, is with the lamentable tendency for land resource surveys to be conducted independently of economic enquiry. It enumerates some of the reasons for this state of affairs, and suggests certain possible remedies.


BACKGROUND: Infection with Helicobacter pylori may reduce the risk of developing inflammatory diseases. The infection is also less common amongst patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. However, there is no direct evidence that H. pylori is protective.
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the impact of H. pylori infection on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model for MS.
DESIGN/METHODS: Groups of C57BL/6 mice were infected with H. pylori, or given the diluent alone as a placebo, prior to induction of EAE with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) peptide in CFA. Clinical scores were assessed and at termination of the experiment, tissues were harvested. CD4+ T-cell subsets were quantified by flow cytometry, and T-cell proliferation assays were performed.
RESULTS: H. pylori infection significantly reduced the severity of EAE clinical scores and the proliferation of MOG peptide-specific T-cells in infected mice. There was a 4-fold reduction in the frequency of CD4+ cells in the CNS. CD4+ populations in both the CNS and the spleens of infected mice also contained greatly reduced proportions of IFNγ+, IL-17+, T-bet+, and RORγt+ cells. The frequencies of Foxp3+ cells were equivalent. There were no differences in the frequency of splenic CD4+ cells expressing markers of apoptosis between infected and uninfected animals.
CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori infection exerted some protection against EAE in mice, inhibiting both Th1 and Th17 responses. We provide experimental evidence to suggest that H. pylori may provide protection against immune-mediated diseases such as MS. Disclosure: Dr. Gran has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec as a consultant. Dr. Crooks has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cook has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hussain has nothing to disclose. Dr. O9Brien has nothing to disclose. Dr. Braitch has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kareem has nothing to disclose. Dr. Constantinescu has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec, Teva, and Novartis as a consultant. Dr. Robinson has nothing to disclose.


This paper explores the corporate financing behavior of four large electrical-related industry firms in the US and Japan. The interesting findings from our case study are as follows. (1) First, as for Apple Inc. (Apple), our results can be interpreted that the firm raises funds by equity when its market value is high. Further, our empirical results also show that the Apple is considered to finance the funds for RD however, the debt ratio of this firm is generally high. (3) Third, as for Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic), the firm is considered to finance the funds for property, plant, and equipment mainly by debt rather than equity, and the rapid increase of its debt ratio is seen in the recent period. (4) Finally, as to Sony Corporation (Sony), the company is considered to finance the funds for property, plant, and equipment and R&D expenses mainly by equity rather than debt whilst its debt ratio is also generally high.


This paper offers some reflections on the development and transformations that the notion and the exercise of the rights of citizenship have undergone in Cuba from the last century up to the present. If we take the idea that there are two different traditions of citizenship as our starting point -one which is passive and understands citizenship as status, and the other active, participative and militant-the analysis seeks to demonstrate how the different traditions of thinking, institutional frameworks and diverse practices that have characterized Cuban politics and society at different stages condition differing notions and exercises of the rights of citizenship


ing cystatin C value of obstructed cases with that of controls seems to be a more reliable way of testing its usefulness. Mean levels of amniotic fluid and fetal urine cystatin C were higher in the poor vs good prognostic subgroup. However, the numbers are small and, therefore, statistical analysis is not applicable. If patient groups grow in size, the difference will probably reach statistical significance. Postnatal outcomes of good prognostic cases correlated with standard urinary prognostic parameters and urinary cystatin C levels. Two of 3 patients with favorable urinary indices and urinary cystatin C levels less than 1 mg/l survived postnatally. Conversely the 11 patients with unfavorable urinary parameters and urinary cystatin C levels greater than 1 mg/l died either prenatally or early postnatally. Although we could not demonstrate its superiority as a prognostic marker, cystatin C is regarded as an important tool for evaluating renal function in various studies. Fetal urinary levels of cystatin C were concordant with other urinary indices with respect to postnatal outcome. The


The comparison of the characteristics of the infrared spectra (height, area of absorption bands) with the biochemical composition was carried out using the example of human saliva. Correlations of both individual absorption bands and their combinations with a number of biochemical parameters of saliva have been established. The substantiation of the revealed regularities based on the metabolic characteristics of this biological fluid is proposed.


373e stem cells to secrete more angiogenic factors, as the authors described. This is why the transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells in vivo is usually performed at the time of surgery. The flap elevation leads to hypoxia at the skin flaps, and this stimulates the mesenchymal stem cells in the most efficient way. Thus, the injection of the bone marrow stromal cell sheet 2 days before flap elevation might decrease their effectiveness. We would like to know the reason why the authors preferred this method instead of injection at the same time as the elevation of the flaps. Hypoxic preconditioning is a well-described angiogenic stimulator, especially in mesenchymal stem cells. The in vitro hypoxic preconditioning might change when the cells are transferred to in vivo. The authors have injected only one group of the sheets subjected to hypoxia. We think that the results would have been more explanatory if they had transferred all four preconditioned stem cells to the in vivo flap model and compared the results. We would have concluded that the in vitro preconditioning might correlate with in vivo results. We would like to know why the authors preferred not to transplant the other three groups of preconditioned sheets to the flap. Stem cell research focuses mainly on the fate of the stem cells, and labeling of the stem cells is crucial. The localization and differentiation of the stem cells after transplantation should be determined, and there are very easy methods such as DiI (cytoplasmic) and Hoechst (nuclear) labeling, in addition to the gold standard, green fluorescent protein. We wonder why the authors have omitted stem cell labeling in their wellorganized study. We would like to thank the authors for their detailed study that helps us to understand the behavior of stem cells, especially in flap surgery. DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000002379


Formation of high value procurement networks involves a bottom-up assembly of complex production, assembly, and exchange relationships through supplier selection and contracting decisions, where suppliers are intelligent and rational agents who act strategically. In this paper we address the problem of forming procurement networks for items with value adding stages that are linearly arranged. We model the problem of procurement network formation (PNF)for multiple units of a single item as a cooperative game where agents cooperate to form a surplus maximizing procurement network and then share the surplus in a stable and fair manner. We first investigate the stability of such networks by examining the conditions under which the core of the game is nonempty. We then present a protocol, based on the extensive form game realization of the core, for forming such networks so that the resulting network is stable. We also mention a key result when the Shapley value is applied as a solution concept.


In a cohort of 1,863 Filipinos, diarrhea, fever, and unsanitary conditions in infancy were associated with a decreased body mass index in adulthood; upper respiratory tract infection was associated with an increased body mass index. These finding support the hypothesis that infections early in life play a role in body habitus in adulthood.


Traditionally, clustering of multivariate data aims at grouping objects described with multiple heterogeneous attributes based on a suitable similarity (conversely, distance) function. One of the main challenges is due to the fact that it is not straightforward to directly apply mathematical operations (e.g., sum, average) to the feature values, as they stem from heterogeneous contexts. In this work we take the challenge a step further and tackle the problem of clustering multivariate datasets based on jointly considering: (a) similarity among a subset of the attributes; and (b) distance-based diversity among another subset of the attributes. Specifically, we focus on astrophysics data, where the snapshots of the stellar evolution for different stars contain over 40 distinct attributes corresponding to various physical and categorical (e.g., 'black hole') attributes. We present CSD-CAMD -- a prototype system for Coupling Similarity and Diversity for Clustering Astrophysics Multivariate Datasets. It provides a flexibility for the users to select their preferred subsets of attributes; assign weight (to reflect their relative importance on the clustering); and select whether the impact should be in terms of proximity or distance. In addition, CSD-CAMD allows for selecting a clustring algorithm and enables visualization of the outcome of clustering.


The purpose of writing a scientific work is to study the regulation of the real estate market, the role of the notary in ensuring the protection of the rights of participants in civil turnover and the formation of proposals to expand the powers of the notary to certify real estate transactions. Examining the dynamics of litigation in relation to real estate objects, it is stated that a significant number of them, undoubtedly, arise due to the functioning of various kinds of fraudulent schemes when making the transactions in question. It is noted that in recent years, fraudulent schemes for the unauthorized use of electronic digital signatures for processing transactions have become widespread in the real estate market. Based on the analysis of judicial practice in cases of challenging registered rights to real estate, on invalidating contracts for the sale of residential premises, it was concluded that state registration cannot fully provide for cases of unfair actions in the field of real estate turnover. The best option to ensure the interests of the owners of rights to real estate when concluding transactions with it is notarization of the transaction. For this reason, the paper concludes that it is advisable to diversify the range of transactions, the notarization of which is most appropriate in modern conditions.


It has been determined that the myoelectric signals (MES) from muscles associated with speech that are obtained using surface electrodes can be used to recognize speech at approximately five times a priori. The results of ten experiments have been evaluated using a maximum-likelihood recognition scheme and have consistently yielded similar recognition accuracy among several subjects. Individual word recognition from a ten-word set has approached 60%. Parameters studied have included energy, magnitude, and trial deviation. The results suggest that accuracies at a level suitable for use in a vocal prosthesis will require the development of a hybrid recognition algorithm utilizing either statistical and heuristic word separation or neural nets.<<ETX>>


The field of song similarity is well explored in computer science [KTD17, VP20, TNH00]. As digital music playlists have grown in popularity, different methods have been utilized to handle the task of automatically generating playlists using similarity [BJ14, MEDL09]. This project sets out on a novel path to utilize a Delaunay triangulation to assess song similarity for playlist generation. By traversing the edges of the triangulation, a playlist of songs scoring similarly on a number of audio features (e.g., danceability) to a given seed song can be generated. These audio features are also normalized and weighted to improve the quality of the resulting playlists. Results show that the generated playlists meet optimality criteria, as they contain songs by a diverse range of artists. Future avenues for this project are discussed.


An unbiased estimator is given for the drift of a Wiener process which is observed up to a stopping time. For first-passage times across a moving boundary the estimator can be calculated by a simple modification of standard computer programs for computing the first-passage density. Examples and interpretations of the estimator are given.


This study assessed the roles of the postnatal lymphotoxin- (cid:1) receptor (LT (cid:1) R)-mediated signals in the gut-associated lymphoreticular tissues of mice for subsequent regulation of Ag-specific intestinal IgA responses. Blockade of LT (cid:1) R-dependent events by postnatal administration of the fusion protein of LT (cid:1) R and IgG Fc (LT (cid:1) R-Ig) reduced both the size and numbers of Peyer's patches (PP) without influencing the PP microarchitecture. Interestingly, inhibition of LT (cid:1) R-dependent signaling revealed significant reductions in the formation of follicular dendritic cell clusters in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN). Furthermore, these postnatal signaling events controlled the development of isolated lymphoid follicles (ILF) because treatment with LT (cid:1) R-Ig elim-inated the formation of ILF. LT (cid:1) R-Ig-treated mice with altered microarchitecture of MLN and lacking ILF were still able to produce significant Ag-specific mucosal IgA responses after oral immunization; however, the levels were significantly lower than those seen in control mice. These results imply the importance of ILF for Ag-specific intestinal immunity. However, mice treated with both TNFR55-Ig and LT (cid:1) R-Ig in utero, which lack PP and MLN, but retain intact ILF, failed to induce Ag-specific IgA responses after oral immunization. These findings demonstrate that ILF are not essential for induction of intestinal IgA Ab responses to orally administered Ag. Furthermore, the induction Pharmacokinetic that t 1/2


Compared to the Internet, mobile telecommunication has the characteristics of being anywhere, anytime and always online. As the growth of the Internet advertisements market slows down, there is a substantial increase in mobile advertisements. This research investigates the effectiveness of the presentation (static text and graphics, static text and graphics with audio, and animation) of mobile advertisements on the recognition of advertisements. The two types of websites for mobile advertisements – entertainment information and location-based information – are also compared. An experiment was carried out to test the proposed hypotheses. The results show that the effects of static banners with audio mobile advertisement, and animation mobile advertisement were better than static banners in advertisement recognition and memorisation. The participants of websites providing location-based information had higher advertisement attitude and purchase intention than their web-based counterparts providing entertainment information.


At present it is necessary to generate information on urban green spaces, for the purpose of countering the increasing environmental and cultural degradation...


The paper tries to give a review of evolution of the Neolithic Sites mammalian fauna of South China.
It seems that almost all members of the Neolithic mammalian fauna of South China are consisted to be the living species, but it is not similar in the zoogeographical distribution, the animal distribution of the former was more extensive than the latter. For example, more than 2500 years ago, the Asian elephant(Elephas maximus) probably existed in Yangyuan, Hebei; Anyang, Henan; Taian, Shandong etc. which are approximately corresponding to the Lower Huang-he (Yellow river) region, and today its habitat has retreated to a very limited area in the southwest part of Yunnan Province.
There is little doubt that the living mammalian fauna of South China was derived from the Holocene mammalian fauna of South China.The evolution is mainly due to two factors: one is the climate which has become cooler and cooler since 2500 years ago. the other is human economic activities which became more deteriorating to many mammalian forms in the latter time.


The project was designed to determine the levels of heavy metals and total petroleum hydrocarbons in the feeds and droppings of poultry birds. The heavy metals that were determined are lead and cadmium. The samples were collected over a period of two months. The feeds were divided into starter's and finisher's feed. Heavy metals were determined by Atomic absorption spectrophotometry while total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) was determined by the method described by UNEP (1982 and 1985).
The experimental results show that the levels of concentration for the heavy metals ranged from 0.00 to 2.16~lglg for lead. The levels of concentration for hydrocarbon ranged from 0.49 to 7.97%. It can be inferred from the above values that these contaminants are of no significance but can still pose a threat to the health of the consumers because these contaminants are known to accumulate in the body over a period of time.


In this chapter, procedures will be developed for classifying partial differential equations as elliptic, parabolic or hyperbolic. The different types of partial differential equations will be examined from both a mathematical and a physical viewpoint to indicate their key features and the flow categories for which they occur.


A material consisting of 17 patients with hyperparathyroidism shows the presence of urinary tract calculi in 70% of the patients. Calcium excretion in the urine increases with increasing duration of disease. The mean duration of symptoms in patients without urinary tract calculi was 2.4 years, and 13.6 years in patients with recurrent calculi.


Architects influence the effects of nature through the making of their buildings. In an analogous condition, magicians perform rituals in an attempt to influence the forces of nature. Yet in contemporary society, questions might be asked as to why architects need to reconsider the connection between magic and architecture, and why it is currently under explored. Is it then possible to learn more about the architects' design processes through a greater understanding of the traditional meaning of magic?


this paper present Rotor Notching Technique in which optimized dummy slot is designed on the rotor core of Squirrel Cage Induction Motor. Electromagnetic noise is produced due to the radial Maxwell force. In order to reduce the electromagnetic noise and vibration by suppressing the rotor slot permeance harmonic dummy slot/notch is proposed. Firstly, the theoretical background of the suggested technique is presented. Secondly, to calculate Radial Maxwell force harmonics structural finite-element analysis is performed. It depicts that the modified Squirrel Cage Induction Motor design has reduction in overall noise and vibration up to 7db as compare to conventional design. Dummy slot on rotor core effect the electromagnetic performance of Machine. General attempts have been made to design the shape of rotor bar that increases the operational torque of SCIM. Subsequently, the leakage flux has been increased due to Rotor Notching Technique which effects the average torque and operational efficiency. To improve the average torque and operational efficiency, Shallow/rectangular rotor bar is proposed. This paper presents the new rotor core design that improves operational efficiency, average torque and reduce the Electromagnetic noise of SCIM.


This paper presents a method for detection and recognition of road lane markings using an uncalibrated onboard camera. Initially, lane boundaries are detected based on a linear parabolic model. Then, we build a simple model to represent pixels related to the pavement, and explore this model to estimate pixels related to lane markings. A set of features is computed based on the detected lane markings, and a cascade of binary classifiers is adopted to distinguish five types of markings: dashed, dashed-solid, solid-dashed, single-solid and double-solid. Experimental results show that the proposed method presents good classification results under a variety of situations (shadows, varying illumination, etc.).


Abstract: This study examined the effects of high‐frequency current on pacemakers. Pacemakers were implanted in mongrel dogs, gastric mucosal resection was performed endoscopically using monopolar and bipolar snares, and the times for resection and magnitude of interference current (IC) in the myocardial electrodes were compared. The time for resection was 9.56±2.87 seconds with a monopolar snare and 0.82±0.13 seconds with a bipolar snare (p<0.01). The magnitude of the IC was 0.59±0.26 mV with a monopolar snare and 0.26±0.12 mV with a bipolar snare (p<0.01). The times required for resection and the magnitude of the IC using a bipolar snare in the coagulation mode at an output of approximately 12 W were 1.97±0.65 seconds and 0.03±0.02 mV, respectively, and those in the cutting mode were 1.68±0.50 seconds and 0.07±0.04 mV, respectively. The magnitude of the IC was significantly less (p<0.01), but the time required for resection was longer in the coagulation mode. No abnormalities were noted in the pacemaker mode in any of the 10 pacemakers examined after mucosal resection with high‐frequency current at an output of 300 W. These results suggest that endoscopic therapy using high‐frequency current can be performed more safely with a bipolar snare than with a monopolar snare in patients with pacemakers. In addition, the selection of the endoscope mode is considered to be important. (Dig Endosc 1999; 11: 150–157)


With the proliferation of smart interconnected devices, the importance of securing computational data has increased manifold. While computational security layers like cryptographic algorithms protect against software-domain vulnerabilities, they cannot prevent leakage of electromagnetic (EM) fields from its parent device, hence compromising physical layer security. Most proposed methods of reducing EM side-channel leakage involve incorporating complex blocks into the design of an integrated circuit (IC). In this letter, we take an entirely novel stance, by borrowing fundamental concepts from multipole EM field decay and adapting the same for ICs by proposing a multipole routing approach. By building proof-of-concept scaled-up routing in PCBs, we demonstrate that unlike conventional dipole-style routing, metal layers incorporating higher-order multipoles result in a much faster-decaying side-channel leakage. Through detailed measurements, we infer guidelines toward optimizing the order of multipole needed to minimize side-channel leakage, thus enabling convenient implementation of physical layer security.


Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used in many oriental countries for thousands of years and played an indispensable role in the prevention and treatment of diseases, especially the complicated and chronic ones. It is a very complex mixture containing hundreds or thousands of different components. Pharmacokinetic study on active constituents in TCM preparations is a good way for us to explain and predict a variety of events related to the efficacy and toxicity of TCM. In the drug discovery phases, pharmacokinetics is a key to guide medicinal chemists in the optimization process of a chemical series and to assist pharmacologists to design in vivo studies. To explore the potentially bioactive components in TCM, it is necessary to further study the in vivo pharmacokinetic characteristics of multiple absorbed components and find out the optical time-course behavior to providing more substantial research for new leads in drug discovery. Pharmacokinetics screening method could provide a reliable means of prospecting natural products in the search for new leads in drug discovery. This review summarizes the research progress of PK on TCM in the search for suitable lead compounds in recent years.


The QoS Service The default service offering associated with the Internet is a best-effort service, where the network treats all traffic in exactly the same way. There is no consistent service outcome from the Internet best-effort service model. When the load level is low, the network delivers a highquality service. The best-effort Internet does not deny entry to traffic, so as the load levels increase, the network congestion levels increase, and service-quality levels decline uniformly. This decline in service is experienced by all traffic passing through a congestion point, and is not limited to the most recently admitted traffic flows. For many applications, this best-effort response is perfectly acceptable. When network capacity is available, the application can make use of the resource, whereas when the level of contention for network bandwidth is high, each application will experience similar levels of congestion. A best-effort network service is a good match to opportunistic applications that can vary their data transfer rate in response to signaled network load.


A highly sensitive fluorimetric method is presented for the determination of uric acid in serum, based on the uricase-catalized oxidation of the acid to hydrogen peroxide, which is measured by a fluorimetric technique using the peroxidase-p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid system. The method is rapidly and readily performed with only 2μl of serum without deproteinization.


Grey relational algorithm is a branch of grey system theory, which seeks the numerical relationship between each subsystem through the analysis of the correlation degree of each subsystem. This algorithm can provide a quantifiable measure of the development and change of a system, which is very suitable for dynamic process analysis. This paper takes the college students' course performance indicators and extracurricular learning indicators in the second semester of the third year of the university and the second semester of the fourth year of the university as the analysis factors, improves the grey correlation algorithm and establishes the corresponding evaluation model of the ideological status of college students, and collects the indicators of 400 students' Information for model fitting. Experimental verification shows that the average relative errors of the model are 3.78% and 3.26 respectively, which proves that the model has high accuracy and is very suitable for dynamic evaluation of college students' ideological status.


Abstract A mixed bacterial culture developed by soil enrichment procedure using crude oil as a substrate was screened for individual bacterial species. Studies on morphological and biochemical characterization of eleven dominant bacterial isolates revealed that most of the cultures were gram‐negative motile rods, and were catalase and oxidase positive. It was observed that four bacterial isolates were efficient in degrading pure hydrocarbons, ‐"model petroleum" and crude oil. Identification of dominant bacterial cultures confirmed the isolates as Pseudomonas stutzeri, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas fluorescens.


In Industry represents a very promising field of application for solar thermal technology, since it accounts for more than a fourth of the total final energy consumption in most developed countries. Furthermore, industry uses about 75% of its energy consumption as thermal energy. In order to develop this field of application systematically it is necessary to know the overall potential for solar heat for industrial processes, the potential of the individual industrial sectors and which processes within these sectors are most suitable for the integration of solar heat on which temperature level. In this contribution, the potential will be outlined for solar heat for industrial processes in Germany, Europe and worldwide. Further, the most promising sectors within industry will be identified for the use of solar heat and suitable processes will be displayed for the integration of solar heat. Different possibilities will be explained to integrate solar heat in industrial sites.