Both sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events and tropospheric blocking events can have a significant influence on winter extratropical surface weather. Upward propagating planetary waves from the troposphere can interact with the stratospheric mean flow and disrupt the stratospheric polar vortex, which is associated with an SSW event. Blocking has often been suggested as one of the tropospheric precursors for anomalous upward propagating wave activity flux. It remains an open question to what extent upward wave activity caused by blocking is related to SSW events. In the present study, we examine the evolution of the Eliassen-Palm fluxes during blocking events that precede SSWs. We use Global Navigation Satellite System radio occultation measurements for this analysis to provide accurate and vertically well-resolved information on the wave coupling between these two phenomena in the upper troposphere and stratosphere. First results will be presented and discussed.


Objective: To evaluate the assistance role of clinical pharmacists in establishing therapeutic regimen and ensuring rational use of drug by participating in the treatment of one patient with chronic kidney disease.Methods: Clinical pharmacists participated in drug treatment of one patient with chronic kidney disease at stage 4.The plan of pharmaceutical care,patient education,treatment evaluation and the key points in pharmaceutical care were based on K / DOQI clinical practice guidelines,evidence based medical clues and the patient's individual conditions.Results: The clinical pharmacists practiced pharmaceutical care for the patient and provided suggestions for therapeutic regimen,which was useful to assist physician to detect and solve drug therapy problems in time,promote rational therapy and improve compliance of patients.Conclusions: It is significant to practice pharmaceutical care in establishing standard and individualized therapeutic regime and improving compliance of patients.


We determine all finite groups G such that the Loewy length (socle length) of the projective cover P(k G ) of the trivial kG-module k G is four, where k is a field of characteristic p > 0 and kG is the group algebra of G over k, by using previous results and also the classification of finite simple groups. As a by-product we prove also that if p = 2 then all finite groups G such that the Loewy lengths of the principal block algebras of kG are four, are determined.


The present invention discloses an ozonization treatment method for chemical waste water. The ozonization treatment method comprises: (1) producing ozone, (2) disinfecting, and (3) boiling. With the technical scheme, the ozonization treatment method has advantages of rapid reaction, simple process, no secondary pollution, significant effect, strong targeting property, efficiency increasing and the like, and has the wide market prospects in the popularization of the ozonization treatment method for chemical waste water..


In order to solve the task related to wear reduction in the current shoe insert the authors defined the processes which have a bearing on their operation. In order to analyze interactions between the components of the current collection system the authors considered a physical analogue for current distribution from the catenary contact wire to the inserts of the pantograph slide mounted on the electrically propelled vehicles - EMUs. In that model the sliding contact point moves along the strip on the both sides of the axis of symmetry at a speed which is proportional to EMU speed. The current collection process was simulated as an equivalent circuit where the current flows through variable resistors according to the sliding contact position and further on through fixed resistors corresponding to points of bypass wires fixture on the pantograph slide. The equivalent circuit was developed with the following allowances: continuous current collection is expected; transition resistances between the inserts and the contact wire and also between the inserts and the copper underlay of the pantograph slide are neglected; the contact wire is always at right angle to the row of inserts (zigzag is ignored). Calculations made for the equivalent circuit have shown that the central part of pantograph slide is overheated with the current flow through the inserts. For this reason there was suggested a hypothesis that the inserts wear rate produced by the pantograph slide heating should be higher in the central part than on the periphery. References to theoretical and experimental researches have shown that existing pantograph slide designs fail to secure economic use of current collection materials. In the light of their own research the authors suggest that there should be developed new designs of pantograph slide in which the maximum heating in the central part would be lowered.


Effects of homogenization conditions of ingots on stress corrosion resistance (SCR) of Al-Zn-Mg alloy ingots, plates and extrusions were investigated.(1) SCR of ingots decreased with increased homogenizing temperature.(2) SCR of plates in ST-direction was independent of homogenizing conditions, but in LT-direction decreased by homogenizing at too high temperature.(3) In LT-direction, SCR of plates was superior to that of ingots, but in ST-direction inferior to that of ingots.(4) SCR in LT-direction of extrusions without homogenization decreased when extrusion speed was higher, while that of extrusions extruded at lower extrusion speed was independent of homogenizing conditions.(5) In the structural factors depending on homogenization and hot working conditions, grain shape was a potential factor governing SCR.(6) Relationship between SCR and grain shape was explained by the assumption that the higher the per-pendicular component to grain boundary of applied stress, and the flatter and the more monotonous the grain boundary, the longer the stress corrosion cracking life.


Nonreciprocal devices allow light to pass in one-direction only, which is critical for the stable operation of photonic systems, but conventional isolators remain prohibitively large. We fabricate and demonstrate metasurfaces for sub-micron nonreciprocal Raman amplification.


The multiobjective dynamic programming is solved by using weighted method, in which the artificial neural network and expert system are introduced to realize the studying and generalization for fuzzy rule library. Then the weight coefficients can be determined rationally according to the willing of policymaker whenever necessary, and the multiobjective dynamic mutual decision procedure can be fulfilled.


In this paper the authors extend the analysis in Woodward and Brooks (2010) to derive a generalized form of Merton's (1981) dual beta market timing model that allows for continuous adjustment of portfolio beta in response to changing market conditions, and also includes the dual beta model as a special case. The model provides a more realistic representation of the fund return generation process. Using this model the authors test the market timing skills of fund managers for a sample of Australian superannuation funds for the period 1990 to 2002. The authors find that managed funds in which investors voluntarily select a given fund (retail funds) experience frequent rebalancing when compared to managed funds in which the investors' contribution is involuntary (wholesale funds). The authors relate the greater sensitivity to all changes in market conditions of retail funds to higher expenses and poor performance that was found in a recent study by Langford, Faff and Marisetty (2006). The results have important implications for Australian superannuation policy, since the Australian Government, effective from 1st July 2005, has required all funds to introduce voluntary contribution schemes. A Generalized Approach to Measure Market Timing Skills of Fund Managers: Theory and Evidence


Children raised without their fathers run serious risks. Why? Answering this question can help shape productive policies, and perhaps quiet the culture war raging around single parenthood.


The rDNAse R package can generate various feature vectors for DNA sequences, this R package could: 1) Calculate three nucleic acid composition features describing the local sequence information by means of kmers (subsequences of DNA sequences); 2) Calculate six autocorrelation features describing the level of correlation between two oligonucleotides along a DNA sequence in terms of their specific physicochemical properties; 3) Calculate six pseudo nucleotide composition features, which can be used to represent a DNA sequence with a discrete model or vector yet still keep considerable sequence order information, particularly the global or long-range sequence order information, via the physicochemical properties of its constituent oligonucleotides. There are five modules in the rDNAse package, including basic tools, nucleic acid composition, autocorrelation, pseudo nucleotide composition and similarity calculation. The basic tools module contains several basic functions manipulating DNA data, including reading DNA data from files or list (a data structure in R), checking the validity and get DNA sequences from Genbank by GI ID(s), etc. The three modules nucleic acid composition, autocorrelation, pseudo nucleotide composition respond to the calculation of 11 different features from three feature categories. The nucleic acid composition aims at computing three types of nucleic acid composition, including basic kmer, reverse compliment kmer and increment of diversity; The autocorrelation aims at computing six types of autocorrelation, including dinucleotide-based auto covariance (DAC), dinucleotide-based cross covariance (DCC), dinucleotide-based auto-cross covariance (DACC), trinucleotide-based auto covariance (TAC), trinucleotide-based cross covariance (TCC), and trinucleotidebased autocross covariance (TACC); The pseudo nucleotide composition aims at computing two types of pseudo nucleic acid composition: pseudo dinucleotide composition (PseDNC), pseudo ktuple nucleotide composition (PseKNC). The similarity calculation module contains similarity calculation by sequence alignment and GO semantic similarity measures.


A colossal lateral photovoltaic effect (LPE) was observed at the surface of p-type silicon, which differs from the conventional thought that a large LPE is only observed in Schottky junctions and PN junctions consisting of several layers with different conductivities. It shows a high sensitivity of 499.24 mV/mm and an ultra-broadband spectral responsivity (from 405 nm to 980 nm) at room temperature, which makes it an attractive candidate for near-infrared detection. We propose that this phenomenon can be understood by considering the surface band bending near the surface of p-Si induced by charged surface states. The energy band diagrams of the samples are shown based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggesting the correlation between the LPE and surface band bending. The conjectures are validated by changing the surface states of p-type silicon using Ni nano-films. These findings reveal a generation mechanism of the LPE and may lead to p-Si based, broadband-responsivity, low-cost, and high-precision o...


Zinc Methionine chelate (Met-Zn) shows a better palatability, stability, and bioactivity than traditional zinc preparations, therefore this study evaluated the effect on the growth performance and immunologic functions of the weaned piglets. Two in vivo tests were conducted: (I) crossbreeding piglets [duroc × (landrace × large white pigs)] were fed 80 mg/kg ZnSO4 or 20, 40, 60, or 80 mg/kg Met-Zn after the weaning on day 21.The content of serum globulin and lymphocyte transformation rate were measured on days 21, 35, 45 and 60; (II) another group of piglets weaned on day 28 days were fed 80 mg/kg ZnSO4 or 80 mg/kg Met-Zn after orally administrated of Escherichia coli. The levels of some immune factors in the small intestine were measured after the feeding for one month. An in vitro experiment studied the expression of some immune factors and zinc transporters in the porcine small intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) after treatments with ZnSO4+LPS and Met-Zn+LPS. Both Met-Zn and ZnSO4 increased the lymphocyte transformation rate and the content of serum globulin. But, Met-Zn showed better effect than ZnSO4 in improving the growth performance, particularly the average daily gain, after E. coli insults. With E. coli insults, Met-Zn promoted the expression of TNF-α and IL-6 in the anterior and middle segments of the small intestine respectively, but inhibited the expression of IL-8 in the middle segment. ZnSO4 promoted the expression of IL-6 in the posterior segment of the small intestine, but inhibited the expression of TNF-α in the middle segment. Both Met-Zn and ZnSO4 dose-dependently increased the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 in IPEC-J2 cells after the LPS stimulation. In summary, Met-Zn improved the growth performance of piglets and changed the immunologic functions.


A longitudinal study was conducted of conversational control in 34 dyads of mothers and their children with severe and profound hearing losses. Data were collected when the children averaged 54 months of age and again when they averaged 83 months. The results indicated that maternal control was negatively related to the children's developmental levels. Although maternal control decreased over time, the changes were minimal, and did not appear commensurate with the children's language growth. Controllingfor children's initial level of development, there was some evidence that maternal turn-control was negatively related to the rate of development over time. There was no evidence of a relationship between maternal response-control and developmental rate.


Due to the inflow of the western culture since the 19th century, female skirts and jackets have been changed considerably in detail though their basic composition was maintained. The analysis on female jackets from the start of the modern period to 1960s has been undertaken with artefacts as well as reports and research dissertations related to them. For period appraisal, analysis was divided into several periods which are from 1890s to 1910s, and every 10 years afterwards. As a result, aspects for the appraisal in each period was found. Aspects for period appraisal in modern jackets can be a change in total length and side length, a change in shape of the sleeves (from straight to round), a change in width, and a difference in closed shape of the collars. Material and color can be another aspect which shows fashionable material or new materials (man-made textile or nylon) of each period, color combination of surface and lining material as well as other parts of the jacket, use of a stiffener made with net or sheer textiles. Research using books and archives is important for the appraisal of the garment artifact. However, most of all, one should have the attitude of examining the artifacts frequently in order to achieve deeper understanding and an eye for accurate appraisal.


During "Medical Council Of India", Platinum Jubilee Year (1933-2008) Celebrations, In Year 2008, Several Scientific Meeting/Seminar/Symposium, On Various Topics Of Contemporary Importance And Relevance In The Field Of "Medical Education And Ethics", Were Organized, By Different Medical Colleges At Various Local, State, National Levels. The Present Discussion, Is An Comprehensive Summary Of Various Different Aspects of "Medical Information Communication Technology", Especially UseFul For The Audience Stratum Group Of Those Amateur Medical & Paramedical Staff, With No Previous Work Experience Knowledge Of Computronics Applications. Outlining The, i.Administration Applications: Medical Records Etc, ii. Clinical Applications: Pros pective Scope Of Tele- Medicine Applicabilities Etc iii. Other Applications: Efforts To Augment Improvement Of Medical Education, Medical Presentations, Medical Education And Research Etc.


This study focuses on the comparison of the English and the Dutch primary history curriculum regarding the understanding of historical time. We compare different aspects of both curricula that can apply to other subjects as well, for example the question 'what age would be appropriate to start a subject in primary school?' Here, we emphasize that exposure to different learning processes is more important than pupils' age and maturity. Drawing on analyses of curriculum documents, surveys (n = 128) and interviews (n = 25), we explored how the understanding of historical time is addressed in the intended and the implemented primary curricula for history. The analysis of the data indicates that teachers in both countries do not teach all objectives of the understanding of historical time. Although in England the history curriculum starts earlier, the episodic structure of the curriculum is not very helpful to support pupils' understanding of historical time. In the Netherlands the framework of 10 eras is mostly taught chronologically; however, neither the sequence nor the dates of historical periods are explicitly taught. Apparently, the teaching and learning of historical time in both countries needs improvement and we conclude with some suggestions to accomplish this.


Objectives –  To study migraine without aura (MwoA) prevalence in the commune of Vågå, Norway; 1838 (18‐ to 65‐year‐old) individuals were included. A special search was made for cervicogenic characteristics in MwoA, as it has been claimed that such characteristics may frequently be present. A comparison with cervicogenic headache (CEH) was made.


Abstract : The overall objective of the Material Handling Equipment (MHE) Allowance, Maintenance, and Management Methodology Project is to develop a model that can be used as a tool to determine MHE requirements and develop utilization goals for ashore Navy activities in order to maximize utilization and effectiveness. The types of MHE considered are all mobile MHE consisting of warehouse tractors, truck cranes, forklift trucks, platform trucks, straddle trucks, and pallet rucks -- fueled by diesel, electric, gasoline, or propane. This project is being performed in four tasks. The specific objective of this Task 1 report is to develop a functional description of current Navy ashore material handling (and related maintenance) process areas. This report describes the material handling flow of the activities that were visited. A standard format was used to describe the processes that comprise the material handling system of each activity. An associated, synthesized, functional flow was also developed for each described activity system. Measures of Effectiveness to be used as a basis for evaluation/comparative analyses during the course of the project were identified.


An exterior panel installation structure for a steel bridge is provided to install exterior panels to the steel bridge without damages to the steel bridge via support frames, fixing frames, and clamps. An exterior panel installation structure for a steel bridge comprises steel boxes(20), exterior panels(40), support frames(70), fixing frames(60), and clamps(50,50'). The steel box, which is fixed to the bottom of a bridge slab(10), has flanges at two bottom end sides. The support frames holding the external panels are assembled to the fixing frames crosswise. The clamps, which are installed at two ends of the fixing frame, clamp the flanges of the steel box with bolts. One clamp is fixed to the fixing frame. The other, which is provided with a movable member, is slidable on the fixing frame so that the interval between the clamps is variable.


This paper presents work done utilizing Radarsat fine mode data to model the Lagrangian effects on oil spill trajectory model. The input for the model is current field derived from a 2 D hydrodynamic model. The correlation statistical model was applied to modulate the Radarsat water movements with current field by applying Doppler frequency shift model. The study shows that current movements are the main effect on oil spill spreading compared to wind speed and direction. Verification of simulation results with those of tidal current model shows a good agreement in the direction of the oil spill movements. In conclusion, Radarsat data has good potential for oil spills detection and mapping. Radarsat data could be used to model the Lagrangian effects on oil spill trajectory model. The main effect on the oil spill movements in Malacca Straits is the tidal current flow.


Legacy management solutions were designed to manage static networks used by a limited set of IT sanctioned clients and applications. These outdated solutions lack coherent and meaningful insights from a client context. If a client has issues with application performance, it is hard to pinpoint if the problem is systemic or isolated, a result of poor Wi-Fi performance, an impairment on WAN, a problem with network services, or an issue with the application.


MR. LEWIS introduces his excellent study of infant speech somewhat dramatically by reminding us how, exactly half a century ago, Max Muller's saying "No thoughts without words" left linguistic studies somewhat in the air. To some, the aphorism went too far ; to others not far enough. For the psychologist it was going too far, for obviously symbolic thought without words does occur. Linguistically it did not go far enough, for words mean more than ideas, and in their most important function they are as much a form of human action as any type of bodily behaviour. Infant Speech: a Study of the Beginnings of Language By M. M. Lewis. (International Library of Psychology, Philosophy and Scientific Method.) Pp. xii + 335. (London: Kegan Paul and Co., Ltd., 1936.) 12s. 6d. net.


3D bioprinting aims to generate biological structures similar to natural counterparts such as tissues or organs in terms of their functions and morphology [1-2]. The major challenge with this technique is the choice of extra cellular matrix (ECM)-like biomaterial as a cell encapsulating agent. The objective of this research is to develop a composite hydrogel that would provide important biological cues to host cells. A new composite hydrogel system based on a mixture of natural ECM and agarose hydrogel is developed. ECM based hydrogel is derived from bovine native tendon by decellularization and enzymatic digestion procedures. Decellularized and solubilized tendon tissues contain important structural and bioactive extracellular matrix components such as collagen, which serves as anchorage sites for host cells.


Abstract : The Joint Advanced Distributed Simulation Joint Test and Evaluation (JADS JT&E) was chartered by the Deputy Director, Test, Systems Engineering, and Evaluation (Test and Evaluation), Office of the Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Technology) in October 1994 to investigate the utility of advanced distributed simulation (ADS) technologies for support of development test and evaluation (DT&E) and operational test and evaluation (OT&E). Based on its charter, JADS developed issues that were used to structure the JADS T&E approach. The first issue focused on assessing the utility ADS for T&E. The second focused on constraints, concerns and methodologies when using ADS for T&E. The third issue focused on requirements for future ADS development to improve its T&E utility. Each of the three JADS tests applied objectives and measures as appropriate to conduct its evaluation. JADS also observed or participated in other ADS activities sponsored and conducted by other agencies in an effort to narrow its focus and broaden conclusions developed in the three direct test areas. This report summarizes JADS conclusions, findings and lessons learned.


Sirs, The 7q11.23 microduplication syndrome (Dup7), leading the duplication of the Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) critical region, is a rare contiguous genes disorder characterised by developmental delay with speech and behavioural problems, typical facial dymorphisms, and congenital abnormalities (1). Brain malformations and seizure are usually associated. Typical craniofacial features are macrocephaly, broad forehead, straight eyebrows, deep-set eyes, high broad nose, short philtrum, thin upper lip and micrognathia. Growth hormone deficiency has been reported in almost 10% of patients. Cardiovascular or genitourinary malformations may be present, and a longitudinal surveillance is required in case of congenital aortopathy (2). The Periodic Fever with Aphthous stomatitis, Pharyngitis, and Adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome is the commonest autoinflammatory disorder among children, whose classification criteria have been recently reviewed (3). Fevers are usually treated with on-demand steroids. Colchicine or tonsillectomy may be required to arrest the recurrence of episodes (4). The aetiology of PFAPA syndrome is unknown, and polygenic dysregulation of the interleukin 1 beta production has been proposed as the probable cause (5, 6). Here, we present the first case of early onset PFAPA-like syndrome in a child with partial duplication of the WBS critical region. A 9-year-old female with diagnosis of PFAPA syndrome presented to our Centre to perform a tonsillectomy. Since 18 months of age, she displayed recurrent fever episodes, every 20 days, characterised by exudative pharyngitis, stomatitis, and cervical adenitis. Pharyngeal swabs were always negative and the episodes spontaneously resolved after 3–4 days. On-demand steroids were required since two years of age due to the onset of febrile convulsions. Electroencephalography was normal and brain magnetic resonance images revealed atypical subcortical white matter abnormalities and hippocampal immaturity. Convergent strabismus of the left eye, usually named Duane syndrome, and language delay were also present. A growth delay was noted, and growth hormone replacement therapy was started without benefit. At our evaluation, weight and height were under the third percentile for sex and age. She presented macrocephaly, facial dimorphisms, and mental delay of five years on the Griffiths mental development scale. The array-comparative genomic hybridisation analysis revealed a de-novo 1.6 Mb duplication of the chromosome 7, consistent with the diagnosis of Dup7 syndrome. Furthermore, a next-generation sequencing panel with forty-one genes related to systemic auto-inflammatory disorders was negative. Due to the high frequency of inflammatory attacks and the seizure risk, tonsillectomy was performed. Two weeks later the surgery, she presented a massive oral bleeding and was hospitalised. Computer tomography of the neck revealed a bilateral carotid kinking and aneurism of the retro-tonsil tract of the facial artery (Fig. 1), which required urgent embolisation. After two years, the patient has not reported any further episodes of fever. The complex phenotype of Dup7 syndrome is related to a dosage-sensitive effect of the duplicated WBS critical region caused by genes methylation changes (7). The presence of NCF1 gene in the duplicated region of our patient suggests an association with the early-onset recurrent fevers. The NCF1 gene codified for the neutrophil cytosolic factor-1, also known as p47-phagocyte oxidase, a key component of the NADPH oxidase complex that is known to be up regulated in PFAPA patients (8). Furthermore, tonsillectomy was effective in our patient as usually reported in PFAPA syndrome. The higher risk of haemorrhage complications in patients with chromosome disorders characterised by vascular abnormalities should be carefully evaluated before prescribing tonsillectomy. In conclusion, we report for the first time a case of PFAPA-like symptoms in a child with the Dup7 syndrome. Further functional analyses are required to confirm that the NCF1 gene duplication may explain this association.


Introduction: Recent studies have suggested that patients with type 2 myocardial infarction (T2MI) have worse prognosis than patients with type 1 myocardial infarction (T1MI). However, long-term ca...


The extrathyroid distribution is observed in 4–16 % cases of highly differentiated thyroid cancer; it is marked by a great resistance to the treatment and worst prognoses. The resection of trachea is considered to be the method of choice under the condition of intraluminal trachea invasion. The socalled «shaving excision» is widely used for the treatment of extraluminary invasion. To decrease the risk of local recurrent of tumour growing after the procedure of «shaving excision» the authors of the article have proposed to use the additional cryodistruction towards the area of trachea invasion as an efficient and safe method of devitalization of microfoci of tumour in trachea wall.


The plug and abandonment (P&A) operations of oil and gas wells are conducted by placing cement plugs at crucial positions, to preserve the atmosphere and underground water aquifers from the oil and gas migrations. The cement plug should be placed in the wellbore with minimum mixing with the in-place fluid. There are several methods of the cement placement in P&A operations, among which the dump bailing method is one of the most common ones. In this technique, a relatively small amount of cement slurry is released on a bridge plug inside the well and it replaces the in-place wellbore fluids. The dynamics of such a fluid placement is governed by several parameters. In this study, the influence of the yield stress of the injected viscoplastic fluid is analyzed. To do so, the injection of a viscoplastic fluid with low yield stresses into an inclined closed-end pipe (representative of well casing) filled with a light Newtonian fluid is examined. The results show that increasing the yield stress of the injection fluid results in suppressing the mixing between the fluids. The outcomes of this study can be used for enhancing the cementing process in the P&A of the oil and gas wells.


The invention relates to an electric vehicle rental reservation method and overcomes shortcomings of the prior art. In a technical scheme, a server calculates reservation time limit according to the client level of a user and reminds the user of current free time and pay time of reservation, and the server locks an idle vehicle that is added with a reservation mark and allows only a client with the reservation mark to be rented within the reservation time limit; if the free time is over and the user makes no rental action, the user is requested to determine whether to select pay time or not; if pay time is selected, only the client with the reservation mark is allowed for rental within the reservation time limit; if the pay time is not selected, substep three of rental reservation is executed; if the reservation time limit is over and the user makes no rental action, the substep three of rental reservation is executed; if the user makes rental action before the reservation time limit is over, the server allows the user to rent a vehicle and ends the step of rental reservation.


SwanCap Investment Management S.A. (Lux) advised by SwanCap Partners GmbH Munich successfully closed its second private equity fund Swan Opportunities Fund II SCS – SIF (Swan II) at a volume of EUR 600 Mio. Swan II represents both secondary and primary investment strategies, with the secondary component largely consisting of a highly diversified pool of existing private equity investments acquired from UniCredit and the primary component fresh capital for new investments. In 2013 P+P Pollath + Partners advised in structuring the sale of a private equity portfolio by UniCredit Bank AG as well as with regard to structuring and the setting up of the acquiring SwanCap Opportunities Fund SCS along with its management and advisory platform.


Fibrosis is a common endpoint of a multiplicity of chronic diseases resulting in scarring and loss of organ function. To improve and accelerate antifibrotic drug discovery, there is an urgent need for reliable and reproducible human in vitro methods that also include the cellular diversity that epitomize specific organs. The objective of our study was to investigate fibrogenesis in precision‐cut tissue slices (PCTS) from human liver and kidney. Moreover, we strove to elucidate the effect of imatinib ‐ a promising antifibrotic compound in rat ‐ in the early stages of liver fibrosis.


The basic learning state of tuition-free undergraduates has been one of the hot issues.This paper takes the method of questonaire and studies empirically their motives,expectations and enthusiasm of learning,their interests in speciality and learning initiative.The studiy shows that their overall motive of learning is not strong,they think high of their learning enthusiasm,there is a big gap between their expectation of learning and actual recognition,and that their interest in specialty and learning initiative has much room for improvement.The paper concludes by putting forward some recommendations.


The effects of a single injection of streptozotocin, at a dosage of 50 mg/kg body weight, have been studied in female inbred WAG rats. The resultant diabetes in the streptozotocin treated animals was treated in one group of animals by an intraportal pancreatic islet cell transplantation whilst another group received no transplant or insulin treatment. The incidence of tumours were determined at autopsy in animals sacrificed at regular intervals. Tumours, apart from one renal adenocarcinoma, were seen only in the liver and only in streptozotocin treated animals. Liver nodules and cysts were most common in animals which had received both streptozotocin and an islet cell transplant.


Diffusion of cesium in borosilicate glass for high-level radioactive waste is discussed. For this purpose model glasses with non-radioactive elements are being made, in accordance with the specifications of the reprocessing plants, from which concentration couples are composed. A concentration couple consists of two cylinders of borosilicate glass which contain different amounts of cesium. After heat treatment the couples are studied by means of scanning electron microscopy and X-Ray microanalysis. The model study will provide a basis for predictions of the containment achieved over a longer period of time.


Aims And Objectives Of Study:1. To evaluate the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing uterine anomalies which helps in the early detection. 2. To aid the gynecologist/surgeon for prompt surgical intervention and hence preventing adverse outcomes. 19-year-old adolescent girl Materials And Methods: presented to the Gynecology Department with history of menarche 8 months back having complaints of pain in lower abdomen and irregular cycles. The patient was referred to the Department of Radio-diagnosis at SIMS & RC, Bangalore for further evaluation. The radiologist evaluated the case separately by MRI examination, using GE 1.5T MRI. Multiplanar multisequence MRI of female pelvis was performed and the imaging features were recorded. The imaging features and nal diagnosis were documented in a structured case record form. Result: MRI revealed two uterine horns with two external os opening into two separate vaginal canals. Marked distention of right hemivagina with uid levels due to transverse septum at lower third of right hemi vagina and right renal agenesis were noted. Per operative ndings conrmed the imaging ndings. In our Conclusion: study we found that the knowledge of the syndrome helped in early detection and the timely diagnosis by imaging which aided the gynaecologist for the prompt surgical intervention preventing adverse outcomes.


Minimally invasive surgical stabilization of thoracolumbar spine injuries has the potential to reduce surgical morbidity, improve postoperative care and rehabilitation, and even serve as a lifesaving measure in the treatment of patients with multiple traumatic injuries. The advantages of minimally invasive surgery in the treatment of thoracolumbar trauma have been investigated. Although it seems to offer considerable advantages over conventional open surgery, more outcome data are needed to prove its true advantages. The role of minimally invasive surgery in treating spine trauma will likely increase significantly as the field progresses and as techniques are enhanced and more widely learned.


An experimental investigation of laser cutting of a number of polymer composites of current interest is presented. Axial flow CO2 lasers with a power up to 3 kW were used. The influence of high gas jet stagnation pressure and Mach number was studied with a nozzle of unconventional design. A simple "ansatz" for description of the laminate anisotropy was tested as well as a method for cut quality diagnosis. Gases and particles produced in the cutting operation were sampled and analysed with the aim of elucidating the disintegration mechanisms involved as well as from the point of view of possible environmental health risks.


It should be stated that there is some mismatch between the state of jurisprudence, which characterizes by a progressive integrative understanding of law, and the state of legal education, which demonstrates the lag of the legal educational literature from legal doctrine.


Professor SHEN Ying-sen,a famous doctor in Guangdong province,has achieved good results in differentiation and treatment of cough.Professor SHEN commonly used modified Zhisou powder when treating cough due to exogenous cold and those cases without obvious cold or heat natures.Sangxing decoction is used for cough due to wind-heat invading lung.For recurrent endogenous cough,with less or no sputum,professor SHEN used Jinshui Liujun decoction.Tumor postoperative cough is commonly due to Yin and Qi deficiency or obstruction of phlegm and blood stasis,Yangwei decoction combined with Qianjin Weijing decoction can be used.


The main purpose of this thesis was to study, whether drinkable yoghurt enriched with probiotic bacteria could have any effect on constipation and body weight (BW) among older people with dementia. ...


We study the problem of developing efficient approaches for proving worst-case bounds of non-deterministic recursive programs. Ranking functions are sound and complete for proving termination and worst-case bounds of non-recursive programs. First, we apply ranking functions to recursion, resulting in measure functions. We show that measure functions provide a sound and complete approach to prove worst-case bounds of non-deterministic recursive programs. Our second contribution is the synthesis of measure functions in non-polynomial forms. We show that non-polynomial measure functions with logarithm and exponentiation can be synthesized through abstraction of logarithmic or exponentiation terms, Farkas Lemma, and Handelman's Theorem using linear programming. While previous methods obtain polynomial worst-case bounds, our approach can synthesize bounds of various forms including O(n log n) and O(nr), where r is not an integer. We present experimental results to demonstrate that our approach can efficiently obtain worst-case bounds of classical recursive algorithms such as (i) Merge sort, Heap sort, and the divide-and-conquer algorithm for the Closest Pair problem, where we obtain O(n log n) worst-case bound, and (ii) Karatsuba's algorithm for polynomial multiplication and Strassen's algorithm for matrix multiplication, for which we obtain O(nr) bounds such that r is not an integer and is close to the best-known bound for the respective algorithm. Besides the ability to synthesize non-polynomial bounds, we also show that our approach is equally capable of obtaining polynomial worst-case bounds for classical programs such as Quick sort and the dynamic programming algorithm for computing Fibonacci numbers.


Nowadays, modeling and forecasting electricity spot prices are challenging due to their specific features, including multiple seasonalities, calendar effects, and extreme values (also known as jumps, spikes, or outliers). This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of electricity price forecasting by comparing several outlier filtering techniques followed by various modeling frameworks. To this end, extreme values are first treated with five different filtering techniques and are then replaced by four different outlier replacement approaches. Next, the spikes-free series is divided into deterministic and stochastic components. The deterministic component includes long-term trend, yearly and weekly seasonalities, and bank holidays and is estimated through parametric and nonparametric approaches. On the other hand, the stochastic component accounts for the short-run dynamics of the price time series and is modeled using different univariate and multivariate models. The one-day-ahead out-of-sample forecast results for the Italian Power Exchange (IPEX), obtained for a whole year, suggest that the outliers pre-filtering give a high accuracy gain. In addition, multivariate modeling for the stochastic component outperforms univariate models.


BEAMS immerses fifth and sixth grade classes in CEBAF`s environment for a week of school. By exposing students and teachers to science`s excitement, challenges, and opportunities, BEAMS motivates students, enhances teachers, and involves parents, with the goal of improving scientific literacy and work force readiness. CEBAF and its school partners are extending BEAMS into a multi-year program, integrating educational partnerships active in the region. The planned focus emphasizes grades four through ten. A long-term evaluation model, incorporating measures of students attitudes, achievement, and academic course choices is being implemented. Three years of data on student attitudinal changes, referenced against controls, have been analyzed.


The tribological properties of Si3N4 ball sliding against diamond‐like carbon (DLC) films were investigated using a ball‐on‐disc tribometer under dry friction and oil lubrications, respectively. The influence of nano boron nitride particle as lubricant additive in poly‐α‐olefin (PAO) oil on the tribological properties of Si3N4/DLC films was evaluated. The microstructure of DLC films was measured by Raman spectroscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The experimental results show coefficient of friction (COF) of Si3N4/DLC films was as low as 0.035 due to the formation of graphite‐like transfer films under dry friction condition. It also indicates that the tribological properties of Si3N4/DLC films were influenced significantly by the viscosity of oil and the content of nano boron nitride particle in PAO oil. COF increases with the viscosity of PAO oil increasing. Si3N4/DLC films exhibit the superlubricity behaviors (μ=0.001 and nonmeasurable wear) under PAO 6 oil with 1.0 wt% nano boron nitride particle lubrication, indicating that the improved boundary lubrication behaviors have indeed been responsible for the significantly reduced friction. Nano boron nitride additive is used as solid lubricant‐like nano scale ball bearing to the pointlike contact and a soft phase bond with the weak van der Waals interaction force on the contact surface to improve the lubrication behaviors of Si3N4/DLC films. The potential usefulness of nano boron nitride as lubricant additive in PAO oil for Si3N4/DLC films has been demonstrated under oil lubrication conditions. The present work will extend the wide application of nano particle additive and introduce a new approach to superlubricity under boundary lubrication in future technological areas. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The present invention relates to novel cyclic diamine compounds and a pharmaceutical composition containing it. The present invention relates to a compound represented by formula (I) or (s) salt (s) or solvate (s). (In the formula, A is a divalent substituted naphthalene residue benzene, pyridine, cyclohexane or a vinylene group or where Ar is a substituted aryl group X is -NH-, an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; Y is -NH1-, an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom, sulfoxide or sulfone Z is a single bond or -NR2-;. R1 is hydrogen atom, optionally substituted lower alkyl group, an optionally substituted aryl group or a silyl optionally substituted lower alkyl, l is an integer from 0 to 15; m is an integer of 2 or 3; n is an integer of 0 to 3). The compound of the present invention is useful as a pharmaceutical composition, particularly as cholesterol acyltransferase inhibitor coenzyme A acyl (ACAT)


The social-economic damage caused by massive parasltism by worms, in Chiconcuac, Morelos, Mexico, has been estimated. This damage cotresponds to 12 days of salary per person, as a mean. A total of 30% of the families studied in the area suffers such an economic damage. Sanitary conditions are correlated with the social-economic loss.


Due to being in the late development stage with extra-high water cut,most oilfields in Pearl River Mouth Basin are characterized by oil-production rate decline,scattering distribution of remaining oil and difficult infill development,so it is urgent to seek new development strategy and technology for their sustainable production.Taking LFD13-1 oilfield in Lufeng depression as a study case,some strategical measures to tap the production potential in offshore mature oilfields with extra-high water cut were summarized:(1) to improve the vertical sweep efficiency within a whole massive sandbody by "vertical payzone transferring";(2) to exploit the remaining oil in scattering distribution through non-uniform infilling wells;(3) to increase the downhole oil-drainage area and the lateral fluid transmissivity by drilling horizontally lateral wells and using MRC technique;(4) to build an effective injection-production system and improve the single-well productivity in a mode of dump injection and formation-energy supplementation;(5) to enhance further the recovery factor of oilfields by taking some approaches to increasing flushing intensity,such as lifting liquids with higher-power pumps;(6) to seek actively the backup resources and achieve a rolling development in the mature oilfields.These strategical measures may provide reference for developing similar offshore oilfields with extra-high water cut.


The goal of this paper is to provide a quick reference and guide for structural engineers and researchers, especially graduate students, who are interested in the current reference sources. This paper is divided into three parts: (1)Areas and disciplines related to structural engineering; (2)international resources; and (3)domestic resources. The bibliography is intended to include as many reference sources as information retrieval directs, in English and other languages; however, no attempt was made to render this exhaustive.


In this paper, we give a way to partition the ternary symmetric forms. Based on this method, we get a sufficient condition for ternary form to be positive semi-definite. At the end of the paper, we will show the application of the partition.


The main purpose of this study was to validate a Portuguese version of the Wilson's Sex Fantasy Questionnaire. Afterwards, we assess the fantasies' frequency based on gender differences. A community sample of 1220 Portuguese men and women completed the questionnaire with 40 items. Factor exploratory and confirmatory analysis, as well as comparative statistics for independent samples, were applied with the IBM SPSS Statistics and AMOS software (both v. 22.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, Il., USA). The final structure with 24 items distributed amongst four factors showed overall good psychometric properties (in terms of factorial validity, reliability and sensitivity) and questionable convergent and discriminant validity. The independent samples t-test showed gender differences regarding sexual fantasies frequency. This research provides a validated version of the Portuguese Wilson's Sex Fantasy Questionnaire. It also shows some common and disparate gender differences compared to other research. Further studies are need in order to confirm this structure amongst other samples (e.g., clinical and forensic).


Objective To establish the two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) map of keratinocytes and epidermal stem cells, to analyze the differentially expressed proteins between two type cells and provide clues for regulating the proliferation and differentiation of epidermal stem cells in vitro. Methods The single epidermal cell suspension was obtained by enzyme digestion and the epidermal stem cells were harvested based on collagen type Ⅳ rapidly adhesiveness. The protein expression maps of the two types of cells were obtained using 2-DE, and the differential expressed protein spots were analyzed by linage master 2D elite 5.0 software. Results There were good reproducibility and comparability between two cell lines from the 2-DE protein expression maps. Average protein spots were 982 ±18 in keratinocytes and 930 ± 15 in epidermal stem cells. The matched spots were 850 ± 13 and 798 ±11 in these two types of cells, and the average matching rates were 86.56% and 85.81%. There were 886 ± 8 matching protein spots between two types of cells, and the average matching rate was 76.98%. Eleven differential protein spots were identified between two types of cells. Eight protein spots were expressed only or higher in the epidermal stem cells and three protein spots were expressed only or higher in the keratinocytes. Conclusion The proteome maps of keratinocytes and epidermal stem cells with high resolution and reproducibility can be obtained by the technique of 2-DE and some differences exist in protein expression between these two types of cells.

Key words:
Electrophoresis, gel, two-dimensional;  Epidermis;  Stem cells ;  Keratinocytes;  Skin;  Proteome;  Mapping


Carbon 14 is prepared by neutron irradiation of nitrogen compounds --- calcium, ammonium, and potassium nitrates have been used. Previous method of recovery was by bringing the nitrate into aqueous solution and acidifying it to release carbon dioxide and monoxide, which were then absorbed in caustic alkali. In the method described in this paptent, an irradiated nitride---preferably finely divided aluminum nitride---is slowly oxidized at 900 deg C by a stream of oxygen, and the resultant gases passed through a train of bubblers containing aqueous alkali metal hydroxide solution to absorb the radioactive carbon dioxide formed.


An algorithm for a reconfiguration problem (called the SPA problem) for n*n ordinary processors using spare processors is presented. The SPA problem is to find an assignment of spare processors to faulty processors that minimizes the number of dangerous processors. Here, dangerous processors are nonfaulty processors for which there remains no spare processor to be assigned if one more fault occurs. An O(n/sup 2/) algorithm is developed for a basic SPA problem where 2n spare processors are provided. An extension of the SPA problem is defined, and several interesting properties are clarified in order to solve it. In the extension, the spare processors ae assumed to become faulty.<<ETX>>


Instructions: Please type requested information within each cell. Once completed, print the application and provide it (two pages total) along with four (4) copies of your typed Resume for Clinical Work to your advisor for review and signature. It is your responsibility to ensure that the application package is submitted to the Office of Field Experiences by the posted deadline. Save this document to your computer, open the saved document, complete, save and then print. 855# Academic Major Endorsements Last Name:


OBJECTIVE To study the chemical constituents of Callicarpa nudiflora Hook.et Arn.METHODS The chemical constituents were isolated and purified via silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography.Their structures were determined on the basis of spectral analysis.RESULTS 11 compounds were isolated and identified:2α,3α,24-trihydroxy-olean-12-en-28-oic acid(Ⅰ),2α,3β,24-trihydroxy-olean-12-en-28-oic acid(Ⅱ),2α,3β,19α-trihydroxy-olean-12-en-28-oic acid-28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester(Ⅲ),2α,3α,19α,23-tetrahydroxy-olean-12-en-28-oic acid-28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester(Ⅳ),ermanine(Ⅴ),apigenin(Ⅵ),luteolin(Ⅶ),acanthoside B(Ⅷ),aurantiamide acetate(Ⅸ),β-sitosterol(Ⅹ),β-daucosterol(Ⅺ).CONCLUSION Compounds Ⅱ~Ⅳ,Ⅷ and Ⅸ were isolated from this genus for the first time,and compounds Ⅰ and Ⅴ had been isolated from this plant for the first time.


In this paper we report a chemical oscillation catalyzed by [Ni(Me2[14]l,3-diene N4)]2+ (Me2[14]1,3-diene N4 denotes 2,3-dimethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradeca-1,3-diene) in BrO3-pyruvic acid-H2SO4 system. The domain of the existence of the oscillation waa obtained. The effect of initial concentration of the components on the oscillation were studied. The features of the oscillations were described in detail. We also examined the effects of Ag+, Hg2+, CCl4, free radical inhibitors, etc. on the oscillations.


Per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is an effective treatment for achalasia. Efficacy is equivalent to Laparoscopic Heller's myotomy with the advantage of minimal access and shorter length of stay. Post-operative reflux rates are higher in POEM. The Functional Luminal Imaging Probe (FLIP) allows the measurement of lower oesophageal distensibility during per-oral endoscopic myotomy. In theory, this enables the operator to tailor the myotomy to ensure adequate distensibility whilst minimising post-operative reflux risk.

 Two prospectively collected POEM databases were analysed from 2 UK tertiary upper GI centres. The operators in each centre used intraoperative FLIP measurements to ensure adequate myotomy. Outcome measures included Eckardt score (where ≤3 indicated clinical success) and proton pump inhibitor use (PPI), collected at the first post-operative appointment. Length of stay was recorded, as were complications.

 142 patients underwent POEM between 2015 and 2019 with 90% (128/142) clinical success. This improved to 93% (68/73) in the latter half of each series. 79% of the poor responders had previous interventions compared to 55% of responders (p = 0.09). Average post myotomy distensibility was 5.2 mm2/mmHg in responders and 3.11 in non-responders(p = 0.11). DI of >4.5 mm2/mmHg was associated with 100% clinical success. Myotomy length of <7 cm was associated with 93% clinical success and 40% post op PPI use compared to 60% with longer myotomies. There were 2 type IIIa, 2 type IIIb and one type IV Clavien-Dindo complications.

 This study represents one of the largest UK series of FLIP tailored per-oral endoscopic myotomy. FLIP allows intraoperative monitoring of oesophageal distensibility allowing tailoring of myotomies. Tailored myotomies ≤6 cm were effective and were associated with less PPI use post operatively. Early referral of patients to high volume centres, where myotomies can be tailored using FLIP may lead to improved outcomes. More collaborative data from high volume centres is needed to decipher optimal myotomy profiles.


Technological advances and the use of websites have become mandatory tool for any political entity trying to succeed in the competition for votes. The main objective of the study is to identify the level of effectiveness of political communication on the websites of selected political parties in Slovakia. The evaluation is based on the application of the framework for functionality and effectiveness of communication of political parties and their candidates on websites. According the framework applied, the partial objectives represent the identification of information flows on website in five different ways: from the bottom up, from the top down, horizontal, asynchronous and synchronous. A structured review of the research on the issue provides a basic perspective for identifying similarities, differences, challenges, and positives, as well as the possibility to carry out a comprehensive confrontation with the study's findings. The analysis focuses on the environment of the Slovak Republic, looking at the example of eight selected political parties from the period of the last elections – 2020. The data collection used techniques according to the nature of the examined indicators set according to the framework. To evaluate the data, we apply basic statistical analyses with a comparative form of presentation. The findings demonstrate a medium to higher degree of effectiveness of the communication of selected political parties on the websites. The quality and scope of the information provided on websites is also currently related to the length of time in the party system, regardless length of representation in the parliament. According to study results the deficits primarily appear when providing answers to questions outside of published information, using an interactive form of content or more active cooperation with partner websites. The observed state of the selected cases demonstrates the one-way nature of the provision of information from the subject to the recipient.


An interlocking process of distillation and crystallization is outlined for the separation of n-octane from petroleum. The laboratory stills used and various forms of laboratory apparatus suitable for crystallization at low temperatures are described. The boiling point, freezing point, refractive index, and molecular weight of the product are given and are compared with the properties of a carefully purified sample of synthetic n-octane. It is estimated that the n-octane content of the oil under consideration is not less than 1.0 per cent. CONTENTS Page


A force-balance friction model has been developed to describe dynamic friction phenomena in multi-degree of freedom vibration systems and validated for a two degree-of-freedom (2dof) lumped mass vibration system. It has been implemented into VIBIC, a finite element code for the vibration of beams with intermittent contact, to improve the prediction of tube wear rate in the simulation of shell-and-tube heat exchangers. The friction model has been tailored for VIBIC for various kinds of supports: circular, semi-circular scallop-bar, and arbitrary flat-bar supports. Simulations for single fuel pin vibration have been compared with experimental data on wear work rate for different test conditions, gaps and preloads.


With the research methods of video observation and statistics,the paper analyses the skills and tactics of first attack of the Chinese women volleyball team and the world strong women volleyball teams in 11th World Women Volleyball Championship.The paper the Chinese women volleyball team performed well in serving and receiving the high quality ball serving.Second pass of the foreign strong teams is more disguised than the Chinese counterpart.The ball allocation percentage of the back row attacking tactic of the Chinese team is lower than the foreign teams.The ball allocation percentage of the fast attack of the Chinese team is higher than the foreign teams.The fast attack is the main way of scoring of the Chinese volleyball team but the scoring effect is weaker than those of U.S.team and Brazil team.The Chinese women volleyball team is weak in back row attack and front row attack.


FIELD: construction. SUBSTANCE: floor panels, at least, on beads of two opposite sides are supplied by the connecting elements interacting among themselves. Connecting elements are supplied by mechanical locking means making a unit which prevent a divergence of two connecting floor panels in a perpendicular direction to corresponding beads and parallel direction to a lower face of connecting floor panels. EFFECT: providing of bond strength of floor panels. 44 cl, 25 dwg


McSwite: I guess the identification of a Discourse Movement in Public Administration goes back to an essay by Orion White (1998) in which he responded to an article critical of the theory of discourse that Fox and Miller set out in their book, Postmodern Public Administration (1995). In that essay White speculated that a theoretical "sea change" was occurring in the field that seemed to be supporting a "movement" toward reconceptualizing public administration around the core idea of discourse. I should emphasize, though, that it is by no means appropriate to regard this essay as "founding" the movement; it was simply a good-faith attempt to identify a common purpose in a number of related theorists' work.


[Objective]To investigate the influence of PRLR gene on the broodiness and egg production traits in hens.[Method] A total of 10 pairs of primers were designed to detected single nucleotide polymorphisms of part of exons and introns of PRLR in Jiuyuan Black,Gushi,Sichuan Mountain Black-bone and New Yangzhou by PCR-SSCP.[Result] Four nucletide mutations in PRLR were detected which named SNP1(A10862G in exon 3 which is a 5'-UTR mutation),SNP2(A25670G in exon 6 which is a synonymous mutation),SNP3(G30716A in intron 8) and SNP4(A31900G in exon 10).The results of χ2 independence test indicate that the distribution of different genotype of four SNPs showed significant difference among four breeds(P0.01).[Conclusion]PRLR gene may be a major gene that influences chicken'broodiness and egg production traits.


This study looks at child health from a fathers perspective. While the close relationship between children and mothers has been acknowledged and brought about the concept of Mother and Child Health (MCH) little attention has been paid to the role of fathering. In Pakistan where the study was undertaken a high infant and under-five mortality coincides with a low acceptance of MCH services and a tradition of female seclusion purdah which severely limits womens movements in public. Purdah is often cited as an important cause for the low MCH coverage indicating an inappropriate design of established MCH services with its exclusive focus on mothers and prompting the questions taken up in this study: what is the role of fathers in child health how do they define child health needs and how do they participate in child care? The study was undertaken in the squatter settlement Orangi in Karachi where the Aga Khan University is involved in a PHC program. A set of qualitative methods was used including key informant interviews focus group interviews with fathers group interviews with women and community health workers with a total of 61 informants and observation of father-child interaction. Apart from their basic role as breadwinners most fathers participate directly in child care. As far as working hours allow fathers spend time with their children by taking them out or playing with them. Among 174 cases of child holding in roads and places 75% were carried by the father; this was true for the majority of children even in the mothers presence. One-third of children brought to general practitioners were accompanied by the father. Fathers help their wives in child care in activities like feeding soothing bathing and giving medicine; a considerable minority even change nappies. In the sociocultural context the high level of male involvement especially in caretaking outside the house can be seen as a coping mechanism with the tradition of female seclusion. The qualities of fathers as key decision-makers and second-line caretakers and mothers role as primary caretakers call for a two-pronged approach to child health addressing and involving both parents. (authors)


Proving an association between the presence of microorganisms and human disease is often not straightforward. An essential requirement is to provide robust scientific evidence that the organism is playing a pathogenetic role. Classically, this is done by showing that a set of standard criteria, Koch's postulates, are fulfilled, but these are sometimes difficult or impossible to establish if there is a problem in isolating and maintaining the suspected organism in vitro or in developing a suitable model to show that introduction of the organism is associated with the development of the disease. Likewise, if the microbe of interest is also a normal commensal, proving that it is responsible for disease can be difficult. Although there have been examples in which persistence and ingenuity in interpretation have established the link between microbe and disease, for example, Malassezia and seborrhoeic dermatitis, Helicobacter and gastric ulcer, but there are others in which there are insufficient grounds for upholding an aetiological connection, for example, Mycobacteria and inflammatory bowel disease. This is an area ripe for the scientifically curious and for those with a taste for controversy and the alternative. In skin disease, there has long been a question over the pathogenic role of two members of the family Acaridae on human skin. Demodex folliculorum and its close relative Demodex brevis have been found on a variety of human skin sites, the former in the follicular infundibulum and the latter in sebaceous ducts, and they have been associated with a swathe of human illness from rosacea to the papular eruption associated with HIV. What is the evidence?


The heat pump heating systems in single family houses typically are controlled with a bang-bang controller for the return flow temperature. This type of controller permits sufficient comfort for the residents, but generally it is unable to take into account the dependence of the heat pump's efficiency on the outdoor air temperature. Therefore the heat pump consumes more electrical energy and thus keeps the heating costs higher than necessary. The Model Predictive Control (MPC) design technique is chosen to optimize the energy consumption and the comfort taking into account weather forecast data. To adjust the parameters of the MPC Controller an identification algorithm is implemented. Its function is to automatically detect the thermal behavior of the house and its heating system by on-line parameter identification techniques in order to adjust the controller parameters according to preset demands.


An improved adjoint operator based on the adjoint operator concept of linear operator and S-N decomposition is proposed to calculate the normal forms of k order general nonlinear dynamic systems.Firstly, the whole polynomial solution space of homogeneous nilpotent partial differential equation are obtained.Secondly, the polynomial solution mentioned above is introduced into homogeneous semi-simple partial differential equation to find the whole polynomial solution space of a homogeneous linear partial differential equation Therefore, more polynomial first integrals need not be found and the simplest normal form of nonlinear dynamical system can be obtained easily. The example shows that the method is very effective.


This introduction to the special issue on climate puts individual contributions in context. Climate change is the result of the current civilization paradigm and its modes of cognition. This suggests a failure of conventional ways of thinking, including mainstream philosophy. The articles in this issue illustrate alternative philosophical approaches, which point to civil evolution.


within a short period after exposure, particularly if they are young children3 or, if adults, if the degree of exposure has been large,4-8 e.g., parents of a clinically recognized case or others with prolonged exposure. Virus has also been isolated, although much less frequently, from the oropharynx of contacts of clinical cases of poliomyelitis6-9 and from the tonsils and adenoids of noncontacts.9


N3 is the third position from the N terminus in the α‐helix with helical backbone dihedral angles. All 20 amino acids have been placed in the N3 position of a synthetic helical peptide (CH3CO‐[AAX AAAAKAAAAKAGY]‐NH2) and the helix content measured by circular dichroism spectroscopy at 273 K. The dependence of peptide helicity on N3 residue identity has been used to determine a free energy scale by analysis with a modified Lifson‐Roig helix coil theory that includes a parameter for the N3 energy (n3). The most stabilizing residues at N3 in rank order are Ala, Glu, Met/Ile, Leu, Lys, Ser, Gln, Thr, Tyr, Phe, Asp, His, and Trp. Free energies for the most destabilizing residues (Cys, Gly, Asn, Arg, and Pro) could not be fitted. The results correlate with N1, N2, and helix interior energies and not at all with N‐cap preferences. This completes our work on studying the structural and energetic preferences of the amino acids for the N‐terminal positions of the α‐helix. These results can be used to rationally modify protein stability, help design helices, and improve prediction of helix location and stability.


(A) a resin containing a monomer unit represented by the formula (1) and (2), (B) a melamine crosslinking agent, (C) a thermal radical polymerization initiator, and Lt; / RTI > (Wherein R 1 represents, independently of each other, a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R 2 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and R 3 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group.


Mechanisms underlying late‐onset sporadic Alzheimer's disease are genetically and biologically diverse. There is an outstanding need to identify modifiable cellular pathways associated with loci that increase AD risk. Furthermore, these pathways likely function differently in the diverse cell types of the CNS. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are an attractive model to address these challenges. hiPSCs can be differentiated to multiple cell types in two and three‐dimensional formats. Using living human cells, novel cellular phenotypes can be uncovered and employed in therapeutic screens.


For the first time,a survey study was conducted among more than 4000 undergraduate students in Beijing to measure romantic love attitude,using Romantic Love Scale.With principal-component factors analysis,this arti cle found that five principal factors comprised the scale:Passion,Potential Im pact,The Only,Irrational,and Anti-Resistance.(The load of"Potential Impact" is negative) This article compared the undergraduate students data with other un married young groups in Shanghai and Chengdu.The result reveals that the ro mantic love attitude of undergraduates has significant characteristics:in their mind,"Passion"and"The Only"are two main factors of romantic love.Howev er,the factor"The Only"got the highest points,and"Passion"got the lowest points,which means undergraduates pay much more attention on"The Only" and ignore"Passion".When selecting partners,they consider the relationship's impact on future development instead of the current economic status.


Laboratories form the backbone of health systems, providing critical test results that aid diagnoses and identify the causes of disease outbreaks. Accurate laboratory results improve medical interventions, minimise surgical and treatment errors, decrease the length of hospital stays and reduce the cost of hospitalisation. Weak reporting systems and delayed or inaccurate processing of test results contribute to increased morbidity and mortality from major diseases of public health concern, such as tuberculosis, malaria, cholera and HIV.


Most methods hitherto used for the determination of the kinetic parameters of irreversible reductions (or oxidations) from polarographic data have the disadvantage that surface-active maximum suppressors must be present; these often change the kinetic parameters. In this paper it is suggested that use be made of the strong convection which accompanies a polarographic maximum of the first kind, occuring in the absence of maximum suppressors. For currents up to 15–30% of the diffusion current, concentration polarization has been found to be negligible. For higher currents a simple empirical relation for the concentration polarization has been found, which made it possible to include these data (up to twice the diffusion current) in the determination of the kinetic parameters. In this way, the kinetic parameters for the reduction of bivalent cobalt and manganese in solutions containing lithium or magnesium perchlorate as supporting electrolyte have been determined.


Objective:To learn the state of HBsAg carrier after implementating vaccine hepatitis B immunization program for children in Danzhou,and providing a scientific basis for the development of the hepatitis B vaccination strategies.Methods:A combination of stratified sampling and mechanical sampling method was carried out,we surveyed vaccine immunization history with hepatitis B in these children who were born from January 1,2008 to December 31,2012,then collected blood 3ML and detected HBsAg carrier status by ELISA from these surveyed children.Results:250children were included in the survey,the 24 hours of birth Hepatitis B vaccine coverage rate in urban,rural newborns was 97.6% and 93.6%,respectively,hepatitis B vaccine three-pin vaccination rate for the whole vaccination course were 100%,only two children from rural HBsAg carrier was positive,and their positive carrier rate was 0.8%,below 1%.Two HBsAg-positive carrier children from rural area and their families were under epidemiological investigation,with discovery that their mothers were carriers of HBsAg,considered as mother to child transmission.Conclusions:Strengthen propaganda prevention to expand knowledge of Hepatitis B and to improve neonatal hepatitis B vaccine 24 hours of the first dose timely rate,and standardize hepatitis B vaccine three-pin Qualified vaccination rate for the whole vaccination course in children.Take effective measures to improve PMTCT rate,it can reduce child carrier rate of hepatitis B surface antigen,and take effective measures to improve PMTCT rates,it will reduce children carrier rate of HBsAg.


Overlaying low-power, low-cost, femtocells, over existing wireless networks has recently emerged as a means to significantly improve the coverage and performance of next-generation wireless networks. While most existing literature focuses on spectrum sharing and interference management among non-cooperative femtocells, in this paper, we propose a novel cooperative model that enables the femtocells to improve their performance by sharing spectral resources, minimizing the number of collisions, and maximizing the spatial reuse. We model the femtocell spectrum sharing problem as a coalitional game in partition form and we propose a distributed algorithm for coalition formation. Using the proposed algorithm, the femtocells can take autonomous decisions to cooperate and self-organize into a network partition composed of disjoint femtocell coalitions and that constitutes a stable partition which lies in the recursive core of the considered game. Whenever a coalition forms, the femtocells inside this coalition can cooperatively pool the occupied spectral resources. Additionally, the members of any given coalition jointly schedule their transmissions in order to avoid collisions, in a distributed way. Simulation results show that the proposed coalition formation algorithm yields a performance advantage, in terms of the average payoff (rate) per femtocell reaching up to 380% relative to the non-cooperative case.


The performance of the Social Service for women's empowerment, child protection, population control and family planning in Kudus Regency in distributing social assistance is highly expected to have qualified personnel, with qualified personnel are expected The assistance will be evenly distributed to the poor or people affected by the epidemic in Kudus Regency. In division This social assistance problem that occurs is related to the data used. Based on these With these problems, this study aims to explain the employees of the Social Service, women's empowerment, child protection, population control and district family planning distribute social assistance to the poor or underprivileged and those affected by Covid-19 outbreaks. The method used in this study is a descriptive method by collecting data through literature study, then conduct a study and then analyze it descriptively qualitative form. The results obtained in this study are the lack of Social Service employees, women's empowerment, child protection, population control and family planning in terms of accountability, because there is a lot of invalid data on the poor so that assistance is not right on target, social services, women's empowerment , child protection, population control and family planning districts are expected to search and provide up-to-date and validated poor community data by the local village government.


Calcium silicate hydrate gel (C–S–H) is the complex phase mostly responsible for the binding properties and the mechanical resistance of Portland cement. The clarification of the C–S–H nanostructure and how the presence of organic additives affects it is still an intriguing and not trivial task, especially due to C–S–H scarce crystallinity and intrinsic complexity. In this work, we exploited 29Si solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to investigate the effects of different comb-shaped superplasticizers on the silicate structure. The analysis of 29Si solid-state NMR spectra shows that the additives increase the degree of polymerization and hence the average length of the silicate chains in C–S–H. This finding correlates well with the increase of the globule dimensions estimated by means of small angle scattering techniques showing that the comb-shaped polymers are able to tune the overall dimension of the C–S–H globule. This effect is dependent on the molecular architecture of the superplasticizer a...


Abstract Flow-induced vibration of coil springs due to an axial flow was investigated experimentally using a fundamental test apparatus. The effects of spring stiffness, gap between the spring and the inner rod and initial compression of the spring on the vibration of the coil spring were clarified, and a stability diagram is presented for this vibration. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the counter-measures developed for suppressing the flow-induced vibration are confirmed.


The UK provides an important case study when analysing the influence of religious attitudes and values on political behaviour in the European Union. Our research shows British members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to be relatively at ease working with the different faith-based organisations (FBOs) which seek to influence the European policy process – and much more so than many of their colleagues from other member-states. This can potentially be explained by the more 'pluralist' political culture which is prevalent in the UK, and can also be related to the comparatively high rates of non-church attendance among the British sample which facilitates their even-handedness towards different groups. This, in turn, produces a resistance to allowing religious factors to disproportionately influence European policymaking.


Abstract A new chromium free zinc–phosphate–molybdate composite conversion coating on AZ91D magnesium alloy has been developed using an acidic bath mainly containing zinc phosphate, sodium molybdate and sodium fluoride. The examinations of the microstructure and phase compositions reveal that the composite conversion coating is composed of nanocrystalline metallic Zn, Zn3(PO4)2.4H2O and MgMoO4. It has been found that the addition of molybdate in the conversion bath can refine the microstructure of the composite conversion coating and eliminate the formation of microcracks. Corrosion tests demonstrated that the zinc–phosphate–molybdate composite coating possesses a better corrosion resistance than conventional zinc–phosphate conversion coatings in 3%NaCl and NaOH (pH 13) solutions. This newly developed composite conversion coating has a low weight loss during electrocoating process and can effectively improve the adhesion and corrosion resistance of the electrocoat on AZ91D alloy.


Fluorescent orange sticky traps (15 times 20 cm) reflecting maximally at 590 nm captured significantly more Caribbean fruit flies than nonfluorescent orange traps. Fluorescent traps with reflectance peaks at 510 and 610 nm also tended to capture more flies than the plain orange traps. Fly capture rates were directly related to the proportion of total light reflected in the 580–590 nm region and to the intensity of light of this hue. The fluorescent orange paint combined these features (optimal hue and high‐intensity emission). A disproportionate number of the captured flies were females (70%), as only ca. 50% of the adults reared from field‐infested fruit were females. Most (80%) of the captured females were reproductively mature. These data support previous indications that responses to orange panels represent fruit‐seeking rather than foliage‐seeking behavior. The relevance of these findings is discussed in relation to fruit fly detection programs.


Three new compounds, one with the molecular formula C6H8S and two corresponding to C7H10S have been isolated together with the main product, divinyl sulphide, from the reaction products of acetylene with sodium sulphide. Structure determination through 1H and 13C NMR with selective 13C{1H} decoupling, showed C6H8S to be a new heterocyclic compound, 2-thiabicyclo[3.2.0]hept-3-ene, and the two C7H10S compounds its exo- and endo-6-methyl derivatives. Since the spectral parameters of these heterocycles were not known, all possible structures corresponding to the molecular formulae were considered.


Observations of ultra-diffuse galaxies NGC1052-DF2 and -DF4 show they contain little dark matter, challenging our understanding of galaxy formation. Using controlled N-body simulations, we explore the possibility to reproduce their properties through tidal stripping from elliptical galaxy NGC1052, in both cold dark matter (CDM) and self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) scenarios. To explain the dark matter deficiency, we find that a CDM halo must have a very low concentration so that it can lose sufficient mass in the tides. In contrast, SIDM favors a higher and more reasonable concentration as core formation enhances tidal mass loss. Stellar distributions in our SIDM benchmarks are more diffuse than CDM one, and hence the former provide a better match to the data. We further show that the presence of stellar particles is critical for preventing the halos from being totally disrupted and discuss its implications. Our results indicate that the dark matter-deficient galaxies may provide important tests for the nature of dark matter.


This paper concerns the delay-dependent stability of neutral system with state and input delays. Firstly, for the nominal system, by introducing the augmented Lyapunov functional and some free-weighting matrices, new delay-dependent stability criteria of the system are presented.


This study describes the morphology of shore platforms with sea cliffs along the coast of South Korea as well as rock surface strength and tidal environment in which they are located. In ten study areas, topographic surveys for cross-sectional analyses and N-type Schmidt hammer tests for rock stengt...


The paper studies the axiomatization of rough sets. Pawlak matroids are characterized in terms of rank functions and connections between matchings in bipartites and Pawlak matroids are pointed out. Using topological approaches, the Pawlak upper approximation operator is characterized by one condition. Additionally, a possible generalization of Pawlak rough sets based on coverings is pointed out.


The purpose of this research is to explain the forms of errors made by students in formation nominal composita in German as well as factors causes the error. This type of research is a qualitative descriptive. Data collection techniques used in this study is interviews and tests such as the formation of nominal composita. Analysis of the data used in this research is descriptive qualitative. Based on the results obtained, we can classify the mistakes often made by students in the formation nominal composite in German, such as a mistake in selecting articles, errors in positioning of the basic words and word decisive, errors in verb simplification in the formation of the composita consists of a verb and a noun, as well as errors in the use of insert elements (Fugenelement). Based on the results of tests that have been given it can be concluded that the mistakes often made by students is an error in the use of insert elements (Fugenelement) as well as errors in the formation composita simplification verbs consisting of a verb and a noun. Key Word: Composition, Error Analysis, Interference, Nominal Composita, German Language.


In social decision-making tasks, facial expressions are informative signals that indicate motives and intentions. As people are aware that their expressions influence partner behavior, expressions may be strategically regulated in competitive environments to influence a social partner's decision-making. In this work, we examine facial expressions and their strategic regulation within the context of an iterated prisoner's dilemma. Utilizing video-cued rating procedures, we examine several key questions about the functionality of facial expressions in social decision-making. First, we assess the extent to which emotion and expression regulation are accurately detected from dynamic facial expressions in interpersonal interactions. Second, we explore which facial cues are utilized to evaluate emotion and regulation information. Finally, we investigate the role of context in participants' emotion and regulation judgments. Results show that participants accurately perceive facial emotion and expression regulation, although they are better at recognizing emotions than regulation. Using automated expression analysis and stepwise regression, we constructed models that use action units from participant videos to predict their video-cued emotion and regulation ratings. We show that these models perform similarly and, in some cases, better than participants do. Moreover, these models demonstrate that game state information improves predictive accuracy, thus implying that context information is important in the evaluation of facial expressions.


Introduction: Breast cancer is the most invasive malignant tumour in females worldwide and is the second leading cause of cancer death in females after lung cancer. In Egypt, cancer breast is the first common site of tumours among females (32%) and the second common tumour site in both sexes. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the diagnostic performance of quantitative parameters derived from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) with ultrasound +/- conventional mammography in differentiating suspicious breast masses (BI-RADS III and IV) and to suggest the most accurate imaging combination for early diagnosis and treatment of cancer breast. Materials and Methods: The study included 40 patients with suspicious breast lesions detected by clinical examination, ultrasound+/- mammography . Dynamic MRI study was performed using 1.5T MRI. Lesions were analyzed regarding their morphology, kinetic curve pattern, ADC value and tCho peak measurement. The results of each MRI parameter were correlated to histo-pathology. Results: In this study sensitivity of sono-mammography was 70% and its specificity was 66.6%. According to using MRI sensitivity was 90% and specificity was 80% by using morphological and curve patterns. As regarding MRS sensitivity was 50% and specificity was 86.7%. Regarding sensitivity of ADC was 90%while its specificity was 93%. The cut off ADC value was 0.95 x 10−3 mm2/s. By using MRI with additive modalities (ADC and MRS) sensitivity was 100% and specificity was 93%. Conclusion: In comparison with MRI, sonomammography alone lack both sensitivity and specificity in detection of breast lesions in suspicious cases. MRI with additive modalities (ADC and MRS) is the best imaging modality in detection of malignant cases and exclusion of benign cases.


The article is a conceptual research with synthesis and analysis of theories and practices of translation quality assessment (TQA) in translation pedagogy in higher education institutions in the world. The research aims at providing a comprehensive picture with relevant basic issues in TQA; supplying criteria in the holistic assessment and analytic assessment, and classifications of translation errors in evaluation of translation quality in assignments and tests in translation courses; and scoring systems. The importance of TQA is emphasized and finding an answer to the open question of the possibility to build a common model in TQA for translation training at tertiary level is pinpointed. The article is expected to help teachers of translation in Vietnam to grasp a more realistic view of TQA so that they can make appropriate decisions and choose effective TQA solutions in their teaching context at tertiary level.


The present invention relates to a biogas production process for supplying a natural gas network from n Ii installations of biogas, with i varying from 1 to n, wherein each of the product installations and stores the biogas is collected on each facility via a mobile device of collection, collected biogas is cleaned so as to produce biogas that is subsequently injected into a natural gas network. The method of the invention further provides to store gas for ensuring the continuity of the supply of the biogas to the network during the period of tour.


Stochastic Seasonal Linear Model, using historical time serie data for temperature, is built by means of parametric time series models proposed by G.E.P. Box and G. Jenkins. The first step in building such a model is to identify a candidate model structure by estimating the autocorrelation function (acf), partial autocorrelation function (pacf) and inverse autocorrelation function (iacf). CIENCIAS MARINAS (Mex.) V. 8 (l), 1982. http://dx.doi.org/10.7773/cm.v8i1.383


Exclusive pedestrian phases are effective measures to eliminate conflicts between pedestrians and motor vehicles at signalized intersections.Taking pedestrian benefit,vehicle benefit and safety benefit into consideration,we have established the adaptable evaluation model for exclusive pedestrian phases and put forward the criterion of setting exclusive pedestrian phase based on the model.The results have significant importance to guide the setting of exclusive pedestrian phases.


The use of double-sheet enclosures with an intermediate air chamber in facades guarantees a higher quality of acoustic insulation against external airborne noise. The effective advantages of the intermediate air chamber depend mainly on its airtightness and the absorbent material contained inside. A ventilated facade with lightweight cladding (LVF) is a specific construction system for double-sheet envelope facades, characterised by an intermediate air chamber that enables a certain amount of internal air circulation, with resulting cooling effects to alleviate excess solar radiation whilst reducing the risk of dampness caused by rainwater. However, owing to this ventilation of the intermediate air chamber, the acoustic insulation of the entire facade could prove less effective than cases in which the intermediate air chamber is completely sealed. Through various methods of measurement and analysis, several authors consider that the opening of the intermediate air chamber for hygrothermal control purposes does not necessarily represent a significant reduction in the level of sound insulation in general. What does appear to have a significant influence on the acoustic behaviour is the surface and location of the intermediate air chamber openings to enable ventilation. The results of this research are presented as further evidence that the positive contribution of LVF should be acknowledged at a regulatory level regarding sound insulating, double-sheet envelope architectural facades.


Fe70Co30 single-layer films with various thicknesses were deposited on glass substrates by RF sputtering. We investigated the dependence of magnetic properties and film structure on the film thickness. Fe-Co films with thicknesses of less than 50 nm show isotropic magnetic properties. Increasing the Fe-Co film thickness brings about uniaxial magnetic anisotropy and low coercive force. Frequency dependence of initial permeability for the 770-nm-thick Fe-Co film is markedly different from the theoretical one, because of magnetic anisotropy dispersion. With an increase in the Fe-Co film thickness, the crystal orientation changes and the I(211)/I(110) intensity ratio becomes stronger. These structural features may be related to the appearance of uniaxial magnetic anisotropy and low coercive force.


SUMMARY Liver samples from 10 Schistosoma mansoni-infected baboons all yielded eggs but neither their egg counts nor duration of infection (< 226 weeks) correlated with the slightly elevated liver collagen levels or minimal histological fibrosis observed. Approximately 10% of inert 9 and 15 μm diameter microspheres injected into the mesenterio veins of 2 baboons with acute, challenge S. mansoni infection reached their lungs (mainly 9 μm microspheres). Lung egg recoveries over 1000 were significantly less common among 175 baboons exposed once to S. monsoni infections than among 56 baboons exposed more than once. Among 221 S. mansoni-and S. haematobium-infected baboons, female worm, total tissue egg and lung egg recoveries were significantly correlated with each other but not with liver or (where available) spleen weights. Liver and spleen weights were strongly correlated with total body weight. Baboons did not develop significant liver fibrosis, even after prolonged schistosome infections. However, some liver 'leakiness' developed during acute primary and challenge infections, allowing small inert particles and eggs to pass to the lungs, but this 'leakiness' was not associated with resistance to challenge. In contrast to mice, such resistance in baboons cannot, therefore, be explained simply in terms of pathological changes due to previous infections.


The present investigation was undertaken during summer season of 2010-11 at Horticulture Research Farm of Gochar Mahavidhyalaya, Rampur Maniharan, Saharanpur, U. P. on chilli cv. PANT C-1 to find out the most suitable concentration, time and method of application of plant growth regulators for growth, flowering, fruit set, yield and quality in chilli. Among different concentrations of plant growth regulators, 45 ppm NAA was found superior to all other treatments in respect of most of the plant growth and flowering characters, while, among methods of application, seedling root dip for 30 minutes along with double spray at flower bud initiation stage and 20 days later to it, was found superior for plant growth and quality. Improved yield and yield characters were observed in treatment combination, M5C3 (45ppm NAA used as seedling root dip for 30 minutes along with double spray). Applications of plant growth regulators promoted fruit set and thus, yield by influencing the percentage of short styled flowers in chilli cv. PANT C-1.


A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence wound and associated risk factors in equines in Kombolcha town, North Ethiopia. A total of 600 working equines were examined of which, 469 (78.2%) and 131(21.8%) were horses and donkeys, respectively. The overall prevalence of equine wound was 64% in which 64.2% and 63.4% of wound prevalence were detected in horses and donkeys, respectively. The prevalence of wound vary significantly among age categories of both species of animals (Horse: χ2=39.3, P<0.05) and (Donkey: χ2=15.62, P<0.05) where higher prevalence was noticed in adult horses and donkeys. Slightly higher proportion of wound was encountered in pre scapular areas of the body in both wounded horses (85.4%) and donkeys (14.6%). Abrasion, laceration (horses) and punctures (donkey) were among the most frequently encountered types of wounds. The intensity of injuries was highly associated with species (χ2=7.2, P<0.05); injuries were more severe in horses (38.9%) than in donkeys (25.3%). The majority of these wounds were caused by improper harnesses in both species of animals in which the highest wound prevalence was recorded in horses (63.9%) and donkeys (68.7%) that used plastic and grass as a harnessing material, respectively. Surprisingly, of positive wound cases, only 33.7% in donkeys and 12.0% in horse has got wound treatment; however, the rest were left untreated. Generally, this study has figured out wound as a major health problem of working equines in and around Kombolcha town and hence, a comprehensive equine health programs should be implemented in order to alleviate the prevailing problem.


Taking the impedance mismatch of transmission lines as a small quantity, a novel impedance perturbation theory based on the lumped transmission line model is established for both the single-ended and coupled transmission lines. The propagation constant, S-parameters, and T-parameters can be directly constructed from an impedance perturbation factor. As an application example, a detailed perturbation analysis is carried out for differential striplines, which provides insights in the S-parameter features and the splitting in the modal propagation constants. The corresponding numerical simulation indicates that the perturbation model captures and explains the most important features of the exact S-parameters. As another application example, the perturbation model is employed in the through-reflection-line deembedding formulas to evaluate the measurement accuracy and sensitivity. The trends obtained by this analysis is later confirmed by experimental results.


Designers model and describe technical products by product properties that have to meet requirements. The paper presents the Mapping Model that ensures the respresentation of relationships between requirements and product properties within an integrated view of product synthesis. Determined product properties are constantly matched to desired properties. The elements and links between the spaces of the Mapping Model are explained and portrayed by a case study. The Mapping Model provides valuable base for methodological support of the transformation of requirements into product properties.