In the present simulation work with experimental validation, the performance of a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) film‐coated spectrally selective reflector in the low‐concentrated photovoltaic application has been analysed. The use of mirrors in solar photovoltaic (PV) applications is a well‐established thing. However, it increases the operating temperature and requires more thermally stable, expensive solar modules. In this regard, for the first time, commercially available TCO‐coated glasses such as fluorine‐doped tin oxide (FTO) and indium tin oxide (ITO) have been integrated with mirrors. The spectrally selective reflector is a promising technology to achieve a high‐power yield from the commercially available crystalline silicon photovoltaic (C‐Si PV) module during its lifetime. They have the property to absorb unwanted photons in the region of the AM1.5 spectrum (1200 to 2000 nm), which partially thermalises the solar module through plasmonic absorption. The present study found that the proposed approach helps to restrict the increase in PV module temperature caused by the reflected rays from a mirror. The electrical performance of a standalone C‐Si PV was compared with that of the same system after the addition of FTO, ITO and a conventional mirror system. Our analysis indicates that, with the mirror integration, the degradation rate can increase to 1.5% per year if the standalone PV module's ageing rate is 0.8% per year. Through FTO incorporation with the same, the ageing rate has been reduced by up to 1.18% per year due to a reduction in temperature. This result is quite interesting, considering that spectrally selective reflectors do not stop high‐energy photons from thermalizing the PV module. The entire work has been done on commercially available materials, which makes it easier and ready to be implemented in large PV plants.


The tracheas of infants and children undergoing prolonged surgery and requiring postoperative ventilation are generally intubated nasally. Most anaesthetists cut the tracheal tubes to a predetermined length by using clinical judgement, or the various formulae that are available to provide the required length [I]. Some cut the tube after insertion, which itself can lead to malpositioning while fixing the tracheal tube connector to the tube, as a length of tube is needed for a grip. We wish to report a safe, simple and convenient way of reconnecting the tracheal tube connector to the tube whilst in situ, after determining its correct length. We have been using this method for a while without any problems. An uncut tracheal tube is inserted nasally after induction of anaesthesia and correct length is marked over the tube after observing the black spot near the distal end just disappearing into the trachea and also carefully listening to the breath sounds over both sides of the chest. The tube is then cut, at the mark, half way across its lumen with a pair of small scissors so that the proximal end is still attached to the rest of the tracheal tube. The tube connector is then removed from the end and the tube held gently proximal to the cut. By bending the proximal end, the opening of the tube at the half cut area becomes evident and the connector is pushed into it while still holding the proximal end, preventing the tube going further into the nares (Fig. 1). Once the connector is placed the proximal of the tube is cut at the remaining attached segment. This procedure obviates the need to pull out the tube slightly to obtain a grip while re-inserting the connector and also prevents any unnecessary length remaining outside the nares. It can also be used to shorten a nasotraFig. 1.


In this study, two maps are complied by using TM image through digital image processing and spacedata of forest fire danger collecting. They are the table of Classification of Forest Fuel Types and the table of Classification of Forest Fire. By employing the image superposition in management of GIS spacedata bank and natural attribute bank, and selecting a suitable forest danger model, the distribution table of forest fire hazards for Guangzhou City has been drawn out, thus offering some scientific evidence for its forest fire prevention.


Abstract : The diffraction of electromagnetic waves by a cylindrical obstacle is described. Attention is confined to two dimensional monochromatic waves with longitudinal magnetic fields. The obstacle is specified as having a perfectly conductive core surrounded by a dielectric coating. Both the core and coating are of an arbitrary shape. Lossy, inhomogeneous and anisotropic dielectrics are included in the analysis. Under these conditions an integral equation is formulated to determine the field, especially the current distribution on the conducting core. From this equation it is deduced that, if the solution for the corresponding simple conducting cylinder is known, then the perturbed current distribution due to the dielectric coating can be expressed as definite integrals in two limiting cases of ''Thin dielectric'' and ''Low refractive index''. The general perturbation formulas thus developed are applied to the special case of a plane wave incident upon a circular cylinder with a radially symmetric coating. The result, which is also the radiation pattern of the corresponding slot antenna, is expressed as a linear combination of certain functions which depend only on the normalized radius of the core. (Author)


When the thin weft yarn through the slightness acceleration tube, the weft may drift in the cavity due to the turbulence flow in the main nozzle. In order to analyse the turbulence influence during weft insertion, a kind of new main nozzle is designed by adding convex point in local needle and inside the acceleration tube. This paper focus on a numerical analysis of transonic/supersonic flows in the new main nozzle with a three-dimensional model. A compressible Reynolds Average Navier-Strokes method is used. The pressure and velocity along the center line of the main nozzle are obtained by changing the air tank pressures and number of air diversion groove.


A knowledge based hybrid simulation environment has been established which supports the simulation procedure from the modeling step to the experimentation step by providing various tools, query, and advisory. The knowledge base in the established environment uses the If-Then Rule to transfer the fact input from the user to the act for the execution of the simulation process. Simulation non-experts are the user target and non-specific area is the application target.


The invention discloses a multi-node collaborative signal transmitting and receiving method used in a wireless sensor network. The method comprises the channel estimation stage and the signal transmission stage. In the channel estimation stage, training sequences are sent, two jump channels are estimated at a collaborative transmission node and a sink node respectively, and the first jump channel estimated at the collaborative transmission node is transmitted to the sink node in a feedforward mode. In the signal transmission stage, a single carrier symbol block is sent at the transmitter end, random cyclic shift, cyclic prefix addition and amplification are conducted on the received symbol block at multiple relay ends, and the receives symbol block is forwarded to a target node; signals are received and interrupted at the receiving end, a frequency domain decision feedback equalizer is designed, and the frequency domain decision feedback equalizer is made to obtain correct judgment signals through a receiver. According to the multi-node collaborative signal transmitting and receiving method used in the wireless sensor network, signal coordination can be achieved, the calculated amount is greatly reduced, and more importantly, an asynchronous collaborative communication system in the wireless sensor network can obtain full score sets.


ii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv LIST OF TABLES vi LIST OF FIGURES vii 1. INRODUCTION 1 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 4 3. DATA AND METHODOLOGY 16 4. ANALYSIS 29 5. DISCUSSION 58 REFERENCES 63 APPENDIX 70


The noncompliance of microbiological quality to the standards of the EU Water Framework Directive at shellfish harvesting waters in the UK has become a serious threat to human health. The infected filter-feeding shellfish by enteric bacteria or viruses from these waters is major to the spreading of foodborne diseases as humans consumed them raw or undercooked. Although the quality of effluents from the wastewater treatment works has been improved significantly, diffuse source of pathogens from urban and agricultural settings remained as the reason to the microbiological noncompliance. The exploitation of natural wetlands along with poor management practices at catchments delivered the overloading of faecal contaminants from sources into the receiving water.
In this study, a developed hydro-environmental model is novel in contributing to the understanding of the microbial behaviour on the implicit response to the complex estuarine environment from the perspective of their morphological characteristics. Besides, the extended modelling domain at intertidal floodplains is novel in contributing to the representation of the tidal creek connectivity with the sub-mesh scale design based on the hydrological characteristic of the complex floodplain topography. Furthermore, the modelled of FIO transport and decay from intertidal marshlands is novel in contributing to the inclusion of the diffuse source with the integration to the release-kinetic model and based on an active source at the wetting and drying boundary.
The hydrodynamic calibration at several sites resulted in an optimum Manning's n of 0.025. The successful integration between the bathymetric and topographic data at intertidal floodplains resulted in a significant improvement for the tidal circulation within the study area. The sensitivity analysis on the diffusive transport has suggested the decrease in the tracer diffusivity with the increase in the mesh resolution, with the concentration gradient has increased with the decrease of the former parameter. The sensitivity analysis on the bottom roughness has suggested the increase in the tracer retention at floodplains with the increase in the roughness during low tides, with the concentration in subtidal channels was less sensitive to the roughness changes during high tides. The sensitivity analysis on the microbial kinetic has suggested that MS2 coliphage experienced the biphasic decay in the estuarine environment, with the T90 value ranged at 1 hour and from 50 to 125 hours for the first and second components decay respectively. The sensitivity analysis on the FIOs transport from the diffuse
ii
source has suggested the increase in the spreading area and the flush-out mass with the decrease in


This paper proposes a new on-line identification method for single-degree-of-freedom (DOF) motion control systems. The proposed method is based on the application of the well-known least mean squares (LMS) methods to their filtered linear regression models. As a result, its implementation requires neither the information of acceleration nor high-pass filtering of velocity, in contrast with the direct application of the LMS methods to on-line identification of single-DOF motion control systems. Most importantly, we show that the existence of steady-state oscillation can assure the persistent excitation (PE) property for parameter convergence. As a matter of fact, in practical applications, the existence of steady-state oscillation can be easily guaranteed by periodic excitation. The generality and practical use of the proposed method are demonstrated through some simulation results.


By analysing the disease in joining stage and white ear stage , collecting disease data of nine wheat varieties in the north of Henan Province ,and coupling statistics and epidemic, two groups of regression models and gray system models were set up for middle-short term epidemic dynamic forecasting for resistant variety and susceptible variety. By contrast and analysis the models were proved to be highly accurate through preliminary verification of the ways predicting middle-short term wheat sharp eye-spot in the late stage of winter wheat.


Marianne: Do you ever get to choose what you read? Jackson: Sometimes. But it has to fit the guidelines: third person, an autobiography. Now we are choosing between four novels. They're all second person or something. Marianne: What are some of the best books you have ever read? Jackson: Watchdogs and Coyotes, A Dog Named Kitty, The Grand Escape, Slam, Kobe Bryant. (These books were all read at home.)


FIELD: measurement technology. SUBSTANCE: invention relates to methods of determining "geomagnetic cutting stiffness factor" (GCSF) - one of geophysical parameters, which is used for monitoring the radiation environment and propagation of short radio waves in the magnetosphere and the ionosphere of high auroral latitude after powerful solar flares in the period of increased abnormal absorption of radio waves in polar regions (in the period of so-called "Polar Cap Absorption" - PCA). Riometric method of determining the geomagnetic cutting stiffness factor comprises the steps, wherein the absorption is measured by a riometer on the selected station of auroral zone with simultaneous measurement of solar protons flow intensity by means of detectors mounted on a geostationary satellite, absorption of radio waves is measured by known method, this value is compared with the measured one, and in case of mismatch, the value of the lower boundary of the energy spectrum of solar protons flows is increased, new measurement of absorption will be performed, the procedure is repeated until the concurrency of calculated absorption with the measured one is achieved, and in this case the value of the lower boundary of the energy spectrum of solar protons flow is recalculated by known method in units of stiffness. EFFECT: obtaining more accurate and operational values of GCSF for PCA analysis. 1 cl, 2 dwg


This article discusses the problems concerning the relation of religion and the genocide in Rwanda in 1990. One of the most urgent questions – formulated as an accusation by the present political regime in Rwanda – is whether religion and the influence of the churches and church leaders have, in fact, fuelled the genocide, or even was Christian missionary activity the ultimate cause of the genocide? In the broader circles of the present regime that articulate public opinion, it is argued that the presence of Christianity, more precisely the activities of the Roman Catholic Church, has not only contributed to the possibility of the genocide, but has been at the root of the political constellation that led to the genocide, and that during the genocide, Church leaders were actively involved in it. In many documents, it is argued that the Rwandan genocide would never have taken place, if Christian missions, particularly those of the Roman Catholic Church, had not been established in Rwanda. Related to this is the question of how the religious change after the genocide is to be interpreted, since in fact, after 1994, many new Christian communities have been founded, and a striking growth of Islam may be noticed.


A PC image-based, on-line coarse particle size analysis system is being developed for the control of crushing and grinding circuits. Initial results had indicated that the system is accurate when tested with irregularly shaped particles which are stationary and do not overlap with each other. Now the system has been successfully tested in the dynamic mode with a moving belt conveyor. On-line size analysis for actual plant operations is discussed and includes: (I) the video system with respect to lighting and data acquisition requirements for a rapidly moving belt and, (2) image sampling, specifically the number of observations needed for accurate sampling and the total time required to perform the calculations for a representative data set.


The structural engineering of vanadium oxides is considered as a research hotspot for enhancing their electrochemical performances applied to aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs). In regard to the laggard Zn2+ transfer kinetic and fragile structure of V2O5·nH2O, herein, a feasible "three‐in‐one" strategy is adopted to design the structural engineering of V2O5·nH2O nanobelts through simultaneous protonated polyaniline intercalation and encapsulation (denoted as P‐VOH@P) to boost their Zn2+ storage. First, the enlarged interlayer pillared by polyaniline accelerates Zn2+ transfer speed and weakens electrostatic attraction between negative [VO] units and positive Zn2+. Second, polyaniline shell directly stabilizes the P‐VOH@P heterostructure. Third, the composition of protonated polyaniline not only improves the conductivity, but also contributes partial capacity though the reversible intrachain electronic migration. As expected, the Zn//P‐VOH@P cell exhibits specific capacities of 387 mAh g−1 with low‐mass‐loading cathode (2 mg cm−2) and 345 mAh g−1 with high‐mass‐loading cathode (5 mg cm−2) in coin cells and 360 mAh g−1 in pouch cells at 0.1 A g−1. Furthermore, the Zn//P‐VOH@P cell shows low capacity decay and good rate property. Herein, light is shed on a new strategy of engineering the vanadium oxide structure for postgeneration cathode material and paves a novel way to the advanced energy‐storage system.


Single-phase induction motors are widely used in home appliances. Even a small material saving in one of the motors will result in a substantial cost reduction for the mass production as a whole. To share a common winding for different pole numbers is one of the effective approaches to save active material. However, even though a one-winding two-speed approach is often used for three-phase induction motors, there is no report on the application of this approach for single-phase induction motors so far. Efforts were made by the authors to design and produce single-phase induction motors with 4-8 pole common winding. Test results have verified the design data and substantial material saving has been achieved.


A fully differential opamp used in a high speed ADC was designed.The main amplifier is a folded cascode amplifier with SC CMFB.The opamp can be used in a 12 bit、100MS/s high speed Pipelined ADC with gain boosting and the triple-branch current reference technique.The operational amplifier is implemented in a standard 0.25 μm CMOS process,simulated with Spectre under Cadence.With 2.5 V power supply and 2 pF load capacitance has a DC gain of 124 dB,a unity gain bandwidth of 720 MHz,Slew Rate of 885 V/μs,4 ns settling time and 153dB CMRR.


The development of state industrial accident commissions, marine industrial commissions, industrial accident insurance and public liability insurance has become so great that many private practitioners are becoming involved in this work, whereas a few years ago many refused to accept it. During the last twenty years I have had wide experience with this type of work. By far the greatest part of my industrial work has been acting in the capacity of referee or consultant, in cases which had previously been examined and treated and reported by from one to ten or more different physicians. Patients have been sent either by the state industrial accident commissions or by the insurance carriers in California and neighboring states, or in some cases patients have come on their own initiative for an independent opinion. I feel that the best way for me to approach this subject is to discuss critically the way this


ABSTRACf The ideal sampler for plankton and nekton is one whose selective characteristics are known to be appropriate to any given problem, so that it catches the right organisms, and rejects others, with known efficiency. This paper presents a quantitative theoretical analysis of one aspect of selectivity, avoidance of towed-net samplers. The theory is evaluated against three sets of paired samples obtained by different nets at different speeds to provide absolute and relative tests of its validity. A single sample obtained by one net towed at one speed is then analyzed to illustrate the procedure. Final eval uation of the theory awaits studies of animal behavior when confronted by a sampler, but the theory provides informative and· reasonable interpretations of plankton and nekton catch data, particularly estimates of population abundance and mesh losses, even when behavior of the animals is not known. An ideal sampler for plankton and nekton must meet,at least two requirements, one qual itative and the other quantitative: It must col lect or detect certain components of these ex tremely diverse communities, while rejecting most others; and it must do this with known effectiveness. For some purposes the qualitative aspects of sampler selectivity are relatively more important than the quantitative ones, or vice versa, but neither can ever be completely ignored in the design and selection of sampling gear. Sampler selectivity has usually been evaluated empirically, by comparing results obtained with one sampler under different conditions or by in tercomparing various sampling methods. The plankton purse seine developed by Murphy and Clutter (1972) appears to be nearly ideal for the latter purpose. It is relatively nonselective for a wide spectrum of organism types and sizes, making it useful as a "primary standard" for calibrating more selective gear, as Murphy and Clutter demonstrate. A sound theory of sampler selectivity would be of great value as a guide to the collection and analysis of empirical data, but relatively little effort has been devoted to the development of such theory (Tranter, 1968). What I propose


Background and Objective: Bromelain, extracted from pineapple, is one of the best-known plant proteases. It has been shown to inhibit the growth of Porphyromonas gingivalis in vitro. The study's objective was to evaluate and compare the antimicrobial effect of subgingival irrigation with 0.2% chlorhexidine and 4.8% bromelain extract on P. gingivalis levels in the periodontal pockets. Methodology: A randomized controlled clinical trial with a parallel-group design was conducted involving 24 adults with a periodontal pocket of 5 mm or more depth, who were randomly allocated to the two interventional groups. In each individual, the pocket of the selected tooth was irrigated with 3 ml of interventional irrigants (0.2% chlorhexidine and 4.8% bromelain extract) once, 24 h after supragingival scaling. The baseline subgingival sample was collected using paper points before irrigation, and the second sample was collected on the 7th day after irrigation. Real-time polymerase chain reaction quantitative microbial analysis was done. The Mann–Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were employed for statistical analysis. Results: There was a significant postirrigation reduction in the level of P. gingivalis counts within Group A (P = 0.002) and Group B (P = 0.002). On intergroup comparison, a statistically significant (P = 0.05) higher reduction in the level of P. gingivalis counts was observed in the chlorhexidine group (35.40 × 105 ± 34.71 × 105 CFU) compared to the bromelain group (36.20 × 105 ± 29.75 × 105 CFU). Conclusion: Periodontal pocket irrigation with 4.8% bromelain resulted in a clinically significant reduction of P. gingivalis counts.


The article deals with some of the main elements of New Public Management by exploring the development and implementation of performance agreements in the Me...


The study was conducted in the region of Pomerania in North Poland (Człuchów Forest) 85 km south-east from the coast of the Baltic Sea, in the growing season (April–October) 2001–2002. Using collectors with artificial leaves of known surface areas (2, 4 and 6 m2 m–2), the aerosol-gaseous input was determinated in addition to element input into standard rain collectors. It was found, that input of Ca2+ was the highest (mean 772 g ha–1 month–1), followed by N-NH4 +, S-SO4 2–, Cl–, N-NO3 –, Na+, K+, Mg2+ and P-PO4 3–, while the input of H+ was the lowest (mean 5g ha–1 month–1). The input of great majority of elements clearly increased with surface area of the artificial leaves (Na+, N-NH4 +, K+, Mg2+, Cl–, N-NO3 –, S-SO4 2). In general, with the increase of artificial leaves area from 0 to 10 m2 m–2 (Q10 index), the rise of input varied from 1.72 (S-SO4 2–) to 2.26 (Cl–). The process did not take places only for Ca2+, P-PO4 3–, H+, atmospheric water, and dust. These tendencies occurred in both two years of studies, and the differences of the results were small. Atmospheric input of elements in the Człuchów Forest was relatively small comparing to other parts of Poland. As far as the aerosol-gaseous fraction of input was concerned, the greatest role had the elements related to aerosol of seawater origins, like chlorine, sodium and magnesium.


An analysis of linear wave modes associated with supersonic jets confined inside an acoustically lined rectangular duct is presented. Mathematical formulations are given for the vortex-sheet model and continuous mean flow model of the jet flow profiles. Detailed dispersion relations of these waves in a two-dimensional confined jet as well as an unconfined free jet are computed. Effects of the confining duct and the liners on the jet instability and acoustic waves are studied numerically. It is found that the effect of the liners is to attenuate waves that have supersonic phase velocities relative to the ambient flow. Numerical results also show that the growth rates of the instability waves could be reduced significantly by the use of liners. In addition, it is found that the upstream propagating neutral waves of an unconfined jet could become attenuated when the jet is confined.


Protein-losing gastroenteropathy was unheard of five years ago. Now it is realized that this is an ubiquitous phenomenon which accounts for the hypoalbuminaemia in a variety of disorders. The impetus for all this work was Gordon's brilliant investigation which led to the introduction of the F"31 P.V.P. test. This monograph is an M.D. thesis by Dr. Jarnum and gives a full description of the normal and abnormal metabolism of albumin. There is an excellent discussion on the methods of investigating albumin metabolism and this is one of the few books in which may be found a concise and clear account of the assumptions made and calculations performed when performing an 13l albumin turnover. He explains that the recognition of the syndrome of proteinlosing gastroenteropathy has stimulated further work to ascertain the normal site of albumin degradation and a major site of which has now been shown to be the stomach and upper small intestine. Then follows a clinical description of the various conditions in which an abnormal protein leak into the gut occurs which includes the condition of idiopathic exudative enteropathy. Much of the discussion in this section is speculative and less clear than the methodological section. Some may certainly disagree with the suggestion that the patients who present with a protein-losing state and show minimal stigmata of malabsorption, yet respond to a gluten-free diet, are fundamentally different from other patients with idiopathic steatorrhcea. This book has all the faults and advantages of a thesis, for, although the clinical discussion is rather repetitive with too many case reports, yet the historical introduction, section on methods and bibliography are very valuable.


Rocket Based Combined-Cycle (RBCC) engines are currently being explored as advanced propulsion for space transportation. JAXA has been conducting RBCC engine research by using various experimental facilities. In order to clarify the experimental results and contribute to the improvement of designing, the analysis of the RBCC engine in an ejector-jet mode was carried out using the CFD code developed in-house for unstructured grids. CFD replicated the characteristic flow structures. The numerical simulation of the pumping performance of the ejector driven by different rocket gases (He, N 2 , Ar) and physical conditions were performed, and their effects on the performance were studied.


Homogeneity remains the norm in churches despite the ideal of diversity called for by leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. This incongruity prompted an analysis of a community forum convened to address racial tensions growing from a school board conflict in Little Rock, Arkansas. The phrase, "the most segregated hour in America is 11:00 A.M. on Sunday," surfaces multiple times in relation to the homogeneity–diversity dialectic. This tension-centered analysis revealed varied functions of irony as forum participants responded to this dialectic. Major findings included (1) countering the assumption that segregation is wrong through alternation; (2) framing through transcendence based in dramatic irony; (3) relying on a personal narrative based on selection; (4) contesting the role of significant choice based in event-based irony; and (5) representing the marginalized discourse of diversity as mystery. We extend tension-centered research and theory by explicating the role of irony in opening spaces within contested discourse. Practitioners can utilize openings created by irony through enriched dialogue about identity and transcendent rituals.


A constriction of YBCO polycrystalline film, in which a network of grain boundary Josephson weak-links is naturally formed, behaves like a single Josephson element. Under 100-120 GHz irradiation, Shapiro-step like response is observed at voltage V/sub n/=n(hf/2e) which is expected for a single Josephson weak-link. For verification of the Josephson-like effect, precision measurement of hf/2e voltage is made at 63 K by using the weak-link device of YBCO film. The measured values of inter-current-step voltage match the theoretical values with an error of 10 ppm. The result verifies that the frequency of oscillating pair current depends not on the partial potential difference but on the total potential difference between two bank electrodes, and that the HTS weak-links can be used as a precision voltage-reference source in millivolt and nanovolt regions.<<ETX>>


In this interview, RTS that is, operating, management, and engineering, all working together. McBain discusses current CN projects, specific materials used (rails, crossties, etc.), maintenance, and safety measures. Included with the interview is a brief article on the St. Clair River Tunnel currently under construction .


High-performance concrete (HPC) is usually produced using high quality materials. These high quality constituents drastically increase the initial cost of HPC, hence hindering its more widespread use. Therefore, the main goal of this research project was to produce a low cost enhanced performance concrete or even a low cost HPC, using low quality fly ash and locally available crushed aggregates. In this way, a significant reduction in the use of Portland cement, as well as that of scarce natural resources, would be obtained. The effect of high percentages of fly ash and crushed aggregates on concrete performance was studied by comparing the mechanical and durability performances of such concretes with nominally similar types of concrete with no fly ash incorporated. The results obtained indicate that it is possible to produce concrete in the low range of HPC with up to 65 MPa at 56 days by replacing up to 40% of cement with as received fly ash using crushed granite aggregates. Furthermore, it was observed that workability and durability both increased significantly when fly ash partially replaced Portland cement.


This chapter aims to present the data collection method video-stimulated recall (VSR) by describing what the method entails, what kind of data it can provide, and how it can be carried out in qualitative research. The method is based on video observation with a subsequent interview, where video sequences from natural situations are used to support reflections and dialogue. The focus will be on opportunities and the types of data the method provides access to and will simultaneously shed light on methodological considerations related to the method's use. VSR is an advanced interview technique based on video observation with a subsequent interview. Selected sequences from the original situation are used to support the informant's recall of thoughts in, and reflection on, the situation. The method has taken different forms based on different research interests in different research contexts. There is, therefore, no straightforward procedure or template for how to conduct a stimulated recall study. By presenting a detailed description of the data collection process as it was carried out in one project, the chapter seeks to understand the data collection method. A selection of empirical data will be presented to exemplify the types of data this approach can provide.


Extremely localized molecular orbitals (ELMOs), namely orbitals strictly localized on molecular fragments, are easily transferable from one molecule to another one. Hence, they provide a natural way to set up the electronic structure of large molecules using a data base of orbitals obtained from model molecules. However, this procedure obviously increases the energy with respect to a traditional MO calculation. To gain accuracy, it is important to introduce a partial electron delocalization. This can be carried out by defining proper optimal virtual orbitals that supply an efficient set for nonorthogonal configurations to be employed in VB‐like expansions. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 26: 827–835, 2005


Objective To study antitumor effect and renal toxicity of arsenic trioxide (As 2O 3) during treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC),and investigate the possible mechanism.Methods Wistar rats were fed with diethylnitrosamine(DEN)to induce HCC,then treated with As 2O 3 or cisplatin intraperitonealy.The histological changes in liver tissue were observed under light and electron microscope on 7,14 and 28 day after drug administration,and apoptosis or cellular dynamic parameters were observed by flow cytometry.The morphological changes in kidneys were observed under microscope on 28 day,and the changes of bcl 2 or PCNA were investigated by using S P immunohistochemical staining.Results Typical features of apoptosis were observed in As 2O 3 treated groups.Compared with cisplatin,As 2O 3 was more efficient in inducing apoptosis when the dose was appropriate(1?mg/kg).No evident morphological abnormalities were found in As 2O 3 treated groups.However,apparent pathological changes of renal tubule epithelial cells were observed in cisplatin treated group (4/7,P=0.013).The positive rate of bcl 2 in renal tubule epithelial cells was higher in As 2O 3 treated groups than that in cisplatin treated group(P= 0.005), while PCNA labeling index in cisplatin treated group was much higher than that in As 2O 3 treated groups(P= 0.001). Conclusion These data demonstrate that As 2O 3 induces apoptosis,and it is more efficient than cisplatin.Compared with cisplatin,As 2O 3 causes no evident renal damage.


Pressing at the boundaries of what defines culturally specific, photography-centric artwork, this book looks at how artists from across the Americas work with and through photography as a critical tool. My contribution to the book focuses on the Venezuelan artist Angela Bonadies.


A ccess to social media is almost ubiquitous in today's connected society. Very little is known about the impact of social media use on practice and patient care. Given the identified capacity of these technologies to distract the user, it's quite possible that unintended consequences are impacting healthcare quality. What are the potential positive and negative effects of social media on nursing practice, and what are the implications for nurse leaders?


In the process of assessing and ensuring quality university studies, students have an important role as partners in the learning community. In this empirical study we therefore analysed the learning experiences to which they themselves attributed a significant influence. We were interested in the type of those influences and the key characteristics of their learning experiences. The findings present challenges and guidelines for teachers when planning learning circumstances that may enhance the active involvement and joint responsibility of students.


THE value of air beneath the domes of the diaphragm has long been recognized as an aid to diagnosis. When air has been introduced into the peritoneal cavity by the rupture of a hollow viscus, it is of considerable importance to the surgeon, but does not necessarily mean immediate operation. Geier (1) states, citing McCrury, that 60 per cent of perforated ulcers operated upon within from twelve to twenty-four hours show a mortality of 60 per cent, and a mortality of 100 per cent if operation has been delayed over forty-eight hours. Vaughan and Singer (2) reported 72 of these cases in a recent article, nine of which had free air in the peritoneal cavity, with definite history of ulcer. Since then, we have been able to add six more cases, representing those that had mild perforations and only slight evidence of peritonitis. It is our opinion that there are a few ruptured peptic ulcers that can be treated successfully by medical management. The reason for these cases aborting is that a small pinpoint opening ...


along the Santa Fe River in the downtown portion of the nation's oldest capitol. Tree-lined walkways lead to picnic benches, making the winding river area a very pleasant spot. In the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Hyde Memorial State Park is often used as a base camp for backpackers venturing into the Santa Fe National Forest. Offering picnicking and camping space with group shelters available by reservation, the park also has a sledding area and skating pond for winter use, playground, general store/ski repair shop and concessionaire-operated restaurant/lodge (no overnight accommodations) available for groups. Santa Fe Ski Basin is nearby. Although Santa Fe River Park and Hyde Memorial Park are located within l0 mi of each other, their differences are numerous. Santa Fe River Park is a level S-acre tract in the heart of Santa Fe, at an elevation of approximately 7,000 ft. Hyde Memorial Park is a mountainous 3SO-acre tract in the southwest Sangre de Cristo Mountains east of Santa Fe. Elevations in the park range from 8,300 to 9,280 ft. These two parks are among the most popular and widely used parks in New Mexico.


Objective To observe the changes of cognitive function in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)after combined treatment with metformin and Diane35,and explore the possible mechanism.Methods Reproductive endocrine hormones and cognitive function were measured in 25 patients with PCOS before and after treatment.The endocrine hormones included testosterone(T),dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate(DHEAS),sex hormone binding globulin(SHBG) and Luteinizing hormone(LH),cognitive tests included delayed word recall test,word learning test,symbol digit substitution test,animals category fluency test,block design,trail making test(Part A) and digit span test.Levels of endocrine hormones and results of cognitive tests before and after the treatment were compared.Results The levels of serum LH,T and SHBG in PCOS patients were improved significantly after the treatment than those before treatment(P0.05).Cognitive performances(word learning test and symbol digit substitution test) were also improved significantly after the treatment than those before treatment(P0.05).Conclusion Cognitive function were improved after the combined treatment in PCOS patients.


Electroluminescence from thermally grown SiO 2 has been examined during Fowler-Nordheim current injection. SiO 2 thicknesses ranging from 8.0 to 23.5 nm were studied under varying stress currents. Peak photon counts were observed at 2.5 eV (500 nm) for SiO 2 thickness in the range of 15.0 to 23.5 nm and at 1.4 eV (900 nm) for the 8.0 nm samples. Photon emission increased as a function of cumulative charge injection in the 15.0 to 23.5 nm thickness range. This phenomenon was correlated to electron trapping in the oxide as evidenced by I-V charge-trapping measurements


Tea is an economic crop in the Lake Victoria basin of East Africa, earning high foreign exchange and creating employment opportunities especially in the rural poor regions. It is grown under varying environments causing differences in yields and quality. However, agronomic recommendations are uniform throughout the region despite these differences. It is necessary to develop region specific agronomic recommendations to realise economic returns from tea enterprises. Nitrogenous fertiliser use and harvesting are the most costly agronomic inputs and their incorrect use reduces yields and black tea quality. Trials using clone BBK 35 were conducted at Timbilil, Changoi, Kipkebe and Sotik Highlands within the Lake Victoria basin in Kenya to determine yields and black tea quality responses of the cultivar to locations of growth, nitrogenous fertiliser rates and plucking intervals. Yields and black tea quality significantly (P < 0.05) varied with the environment. Similarly, rates and extents of yields and quality responses varied with locality, demonstrating that despite uniform agronomic inputs, different locations need different levels of inputs for optimal economic returns. Black tea quality declined with high rates of nitrogenous fertiliser and long plucking intervals. There was yield increase at Changoi and decrease at Sotik Highlands with long plucking intervals. It is concluded that region specific agronomic recommendations are necessary to realise high yields and quality black teas. However, low rates of nitrogenous fertilisers of about 100 kg N ha -1 year -1 and short plucking intervals produced high quality black teas.


Image registration is an important tool to deal with various problems in medical imaging. It has many potential applications in clinical diagnosis. It is a process of aligning two images into a common coordinate system in order to monitor subtle changes between the two. In the medical imaging field, fast deformable registration methods are needed especially in intra-operative settings characterized by their time-critical applications. In this paper we present our work on B-splines nonrigid registration using free-form deformations. Graphic Processing Units (GPUs) are emerging as powerful parallel systems at a cheap cost of a few thousand rupees. As with previous research, image registrations studies based on GPUs provide fast implementations. However, only a small number of these GPU-based studies concentrate on deformable registration. The GPU which we have taken (NVIDIA 8400M GS) is the most basic model and has high portability which is easily available in present day laptop and desktops so can be implemented directly. However, synchronizing of host and device with suitable parallel implementation is the most challenging part. The most critical and time-consuming operation of registration is interpolating the errors of the BSplines which has been parallelized by us. We have broken the registration process in threads of blocks and managed those threads inside a special thread managing hardware called as GPU with the help of the environment and set of libraries provided by CUDA. The execution time from minutes to seconds for several bio-medical images.


We carry out a comprehensive analysis of a range of wireless network efficiency considerations. Firstly, we explore the properties and the implications of the power- versus bandwidth-efficiency criteria. Secondly, we perform a detailed top-down analysis of a typical commercial wireless network, which emphasizes the inherent differences between the aforementioned two efficiency metrics, while demonstrating that the appropriate choice of the network optimization criterion can have a profound effect on the overall network performance. Finally, we address the issue of resource management and its impact on the definition of the overall system efficiency.


Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the TVT-Secur procedure for female stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Methods Analyze retrospectively the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative complications and follow-up data of 27 SUI patients from October 2008 to May 2010. 20 cases were simple SUI, and 7 cases were mixed SUI. The average age was 56.1 ± 10.7 years (range, 35-77), the average parity was 2.8-±- 1.4 (range, 1-6), the average body mass index was 25.6±2.5, and the average course of the disease was 6.8±7.2 yeas (range, 1-30). Two cases had past history of pelvic surgery without any anti-incontinence surgery. Mashall-marchett test was positive in all patients, with an average abdominal leak point pressure (ALPP) of 60.9±27.5 cm H2O (range, 27- 120 cm H2O). The mean International Consultation on Incontinence-Short Form (ICIQ-SF) score was 11.2 ± 1.8 (range, 7- 14) before surgery. Results 27 patients underwent TVT-Secur procedure, of which 19 cases underwent "U" procedure, and 8 cases underwent "H" procedure. The mean operation time was 15.3±1.4min (range, 13- 19 min). There were no intraoperative bladder or urethral injury, and no obturator vessel or nerve damage. The blood loss was 10 to 50 ml, and the maximum urinary flow rate was 25. 4±13. 1 ml (range, 4-50 ml). Three eases had mild dysuria(11. 1%), and 3 cases had wound effusion(11. 1%). Followed up for 12. 6 ±6. 7 months (range, 3-21 months). 10 cases complained of bladder overactivity symptoms such as frequency, urgency, and urge incontinence, and no case had vaginal erosion. Therapeutic efficacy: 15 cases were cured (56%), 8 cases were improved (30%), and 4 cases were ineffective (15%). Conclusions TVT-Secur procedure is a simple, safe and minimally invasive surgery, while the cure rate is low. The long-term efficacy needs great amount of clinical data and long-term follow-up to prove.

Key words:
Stress urinary incontinenee; Tension-free vaginal tape-secur (TVT-Secur) ; Female


These days, many support systems are being developed to improve independence and quality of life of elderly and impaired people at home. Most of them have been hitherto focused on providing home healthcare-related services, and little attention has been paid to cooking and eating activities. On the one hand, the role of supporting eating activities is likely to become increasingly important. Since old age is often associated with memory impairments, it would be useful to provide them with menus including a variety of healthier meals. Furthermore, it is of paramount importance that these suggested meals are built up based on disease pathologies, health condition and user preferences. On the other hand, comprehensive cooking guidelines and food and shopping list handling are also needed. With regard to cooking directions, it seems desirable that users do not need to manage complex household appliances like the oven. This can be achievable thanks to the technologies developed in the area of Home Automation.
 In this paper, a cooking support system, namely FoodManager, is discussed. This was designed and developed to deal with all the requirements described above. Its interface design and navigation was specially designed for the elderly. Testing performed with ten elderly people (ages from 58 to 81) provided some understanding about its usability and simplicity to use.


Objective To obtain scientific intelligence of the level of understanding and knowledge of reproductive health that Quzhou City married women have acquired so as to arrive at a more informed ground for promoting education and service regarding reproductive health. Method 1656 married women from Quzhou City were chosen by random sampling as the subjects of study. A self-designed questionnaire was used to conduct the survey,which covers four sets of questions,namely, knowledge of contraception, abortion knowledge, policies and regulations, prevention and treatment of gynecological diseases. Findings The correct rate of contraceptive knowledge was 57. 83%; The correct rate of knowledge of abortion was 53. 83%; The correct rate of knowledge of policies and regulations was 37. 26%; The correct rate of knowledge of gynecological disease prevention was 39. 22%. The difference in these areas of knowledge between the married and unmarried women from Quzhou City was not statistically significant( P 0. 05). Conclusion Married women of Quzhou City has as little knowledge of reproductive health as unmarried women,especially of the prevention and treatment of gynecological diseases. Therefore,reproductive health education should be reinforced,especially for women of childbearing age.


Diane Schuler's husband answering to questions from reporters at a news conference whether she had a drinking problem and if he knew about it.


The world faces numerous challenges going forward. The resources of many essential elements will be depleted over the next 10 to 100 years. Many of the remaining deposits are located in environmentally sensitive locations. The carbon concentration of the atmosphere has been increasing dramatically over the past few decades; this increase has been linked to global warming [1]. The combination of limited petroleum resources and higher energy demand lead to an oil price spike in 2008. The twin concerns of global warming and increasing oil prices lead to an explosion of bio-fuel production using land that could otherwise have been used for food production. Land pressure and a large increase in the cost of phosphate resulted in a dramatic rise in food prices and increased starvation worldwide [2]. As an alternative to expensive and environmentally damaging petroleum, nuclear energy has again become a popular option, reopening the question of nuclear waste storage. These global challenges form the greatest opportunity for geochemistry since its development as a distinct discipline. Our field holds the key to finding and exploiting our remaining resources in an environmentally secure manner, and managing pollution, water, carbon, etc. The key to playing our vital role in addressing these challenges lies in properly communicating to the public their severity and how we can help address them. An excellent example of the role of public awareness is global warming. Public concern forced our governments to provide grant funding, oblige industry to collaborate with academic researchers, and motivate many in our community to orient their research programs towards generating new innovative solutions for carbon capture and storage on a global-scale. It is critical that our community, in part through our scientific societies, better reach out to the public and government decision makers to inform them of 1) the consequences of the limited global resources and 2) how use geochemistry to make improved decisions on how to manage our planet.


Observational and mechanistic data suggest a role for vitamin D in childhood asthma. However, subsequent interventional trials have been inconsistent. We aimed to assess the effect of 15 weeks of vitamin D3 supplementation compared with placebo (PL) in Irish children with asthma.


Preface 1: Ancient gardens and the evidence 2: Utilitarian and ornamental house gardens 3: Orchards, groves and parks 4: Sacred gardens 5: Gardens of the dead 6: Gardeners and gardening 7: Plants of the ancient world 8: Gardens in ancient poetry 9: Gardens and paradises Conclusion Bibliography Index


As farming produce supply chain in China is challenged by unbalanced growth, low efficiency and high level of losses of distribution, economic returns of links on the chain, in particular, farmers, decrease at a fast pace. We should use things to things internet to upgrade the structure and operation model of agricultural products supply chain and raise its efficiency. Agricultural cooperatives should work to integrate and coordinate every link subject to the chain, including logistics and sales end(supermarkets and convenience stores) through application of things to things internet. That is how we can better deliver foods to our customers and make the supply chain run more reasonably and vigorously.


ABSTRACT Total mercury is closely related to nutrient status in ecosystems. However, studies specifying the effects of various nutrient forms on the mobility of mercury are rare. In this study, three fractions of mercury (mobile, semi-mobile, and non-mobile) were examined in the soil of an estuarine wetland with excessive nutrient inputs in northern China. The wetland is located in the east route of China's South-to-North Water Transfer Project. Correlations between the three fractions of mercury and four nutrient parameters were analyzed. Results showed that toxic mobile and semi-mobile mercury comprised a great portion of total soil mercury in the studied wetland. Among the four nutrient parameters, ammonium nitrogen showed a significant negative correlation with mobile toxic mercury and was the principal nutrient component that influenced the mobility and toxicity of mercury. Nitrate nitrogen showed a positive correlation with mobile toxic mercury. Moreover, carbon/nitrogen ratio and soil acid were positively correlated with mercury mobility. Given that lower nitrogen loading is required in the watershed to ensure the water quality during the water transfer project, our study suggested that changes in nitrogen inputs might promote the mobility and bioavailability of mercury in the watershed. Thus, more attention should be provided to the potential hazard of mercury in the food web during the water transfer.


Mortar elements form a family of special non-overlapping domain decomposition methods which allows the coupling of different triangulations across subdomain boundaries. We discuss and analyze a multilevel preconditioner for mortar finite elements on nonmatching triangulations. The analysis is carried out within the abstract framework of additive Schwarz methods. Numerical results show a performance of our preconditioner as predicted by the theory. Our condition number estimate depends quadratically on the number of refinement levels. 1. Introduction. Domain decomposition techniques for the numerical solution of partial differential equations have been analyzed extensively and used successfully. Large problems are decomposed into a set of smaller ones by breaking up the given domain into subdomains. Then, with parallel computation in mind, flexible methods are established by using characteristic properties of the given partial differential equation. In this paper, we consider two different aspects of domain decomposition. Within the framework of mortar finite element methods, we use a dis-cretization scheme based on the coupling of nonmatching triangulations along the interfaces. Then in order to construct an efficient solver for the resulting linear system of equations, we introduce and analyze a special multilevel Schwarz method. We will use the mortar finite elements introduced by Bernardi, et al. in [3, 4]. A characteristic feature of mortar methods is that subdomain meshes may be constructed separately in each subdomain and are, in general, nonmatching along the interfaces. This is in contrast to traditional domain decomposition methods, where a globally conforming triangulation is used. Mortar finite elements therefore provide a more flexible approach than standard conforming formulations. Often, mortar methods are recommended when the splitting into subdomains is somehow prescribed for physical or geometrical reasons. Then, for each subdomain an optimal approximation scheme can be chosen, involving the choice of the triangulation as well as the discretization. The strong condition of pointwise continuity across the interfaces is replaced by a weaker one resulting in a nonconforming approximation scheme. In spite thereof, mortar finite elements provide the same accuracy as standard conforming finite elements. In Section 2, we briefly recall the standard mortar formulation. An introduction of our multi-level preconditioner can be found in Section 3. In Section 4, we establish our main result, which is an upper bound for the condition number of the additive Schwarz operator in terms of the refinement level. In Section 5, we discuss some aspects of the implementation of the method. Finally in Section …


The effect of a process approach to early writing in which children created storybooks through drawing, writing and narration was investigated. A 5-month collaborative, classroom-based intervention with nine African American children in an urban Head Start classroom was implemented. Two analyses were conducted. The first investigated preand post-intervention differences using measures for early writing forms and spoken narrative development (macrostructure and microstructure). The results indicated a significant difference between preand post-intervention measures for macrostructure development. Clinically significant gains ranging from small to large effects were found within all measures. Results suggest that a process approach through storybook writing led to gains in early writing and narrative development. The second was a qualitative, sociocultural analysis, using cultural-historical theories of learning to reconceptualize early literacy development. This analysis examined literacy practices, what counted as literacy development, and redefined development as transformation through participation within this intervention setting. Video and audio recordings, interviews, and writing artifacts were re-examined from the original study. The results of this qualitative, classroom case study analysis illustrate how specific ideology and research frameworks that propose a one-size-fits-all approach to literacy and development conflicted with and constrained the varied paths of diverse learners. This analysis challenged ideologies of individuality, notions of universality, and a "fix-it" mentality of the intervention that unknowingly perpetuated deficit views of young, diverse children and may further contribute to the homogenization and standardization of early literacy programs and early childhood classroom practices. Running Head: EARLY WRITING iii Running Head: EARLY WRITING iv Acknowledgements I am so very grateful to have had the opportunity to engage in this amazing research experience. There are so many people who this gratitude should be extended to and I am hopeful that my mind is able to keep up with my heart so I am able to acknowledge them all. Although this dissertation is a reflection of my independent work, it was truly a collective and collaborative experience and would not have happened if it were not for the influences, encouragements, sacrifices and labors of a multitude of people. I am so fortunate to have had so many amazing professional mentors and personal heroes and heroines to guide me, lift me, and sometimes carry me along this journey. First, I would like to thank Dr. Nancy Creaghead, who is so much more than a dissertation chair to me. She is a friend and confident, as well as an amazing mentor. I am so grateful not only for her guidance, but also her patience, her understanding, and her kindness. Although it has taken some time and growth on my part, I am even thankful for her painfully numerous track changes and her frequent curt but constructive feedback. This has been quite a journey and I'm so thankful that you were always there to lead me down the path until the end. I'm so glad that you decided to hire me for your private practice ten years ago and that we have been connected ever since. You will always be so near and dear to me on so many levels. Next, I would like to thank Dr. Jory Brass who served as a committee member for my dissertation, although he was so much more. Jory introduced me to a theoretical framework of literacy learning that conflicted with my current ways of thinking. This simultaneously challenged everything I thought I knew about literacy learning and intrigued me to want to learn so much more. I cannot even begin to envision where my research directions would have led me if I had not taken your course and if you had not so generously offered to guide me down this path to expand my knowledge in both literacy theory and practice. I know I have often joked that you "ruined my life" by complicating my research goals; (see no comma splice) however, I know that the opposite is really true. You have enhanced my professional life in Running Head: EARLY WRITING v ways that I am sure I have yet to fully understand. I am so humbled by your kindness and guidance and grateful for your unending support. I would also like to thank Dr. Jo-Anne Prendeville and Dr. Cheri Williams who also so kindly participated on my dissertation committee. You were both always available when I had questions and provided me with so much valuable feedback along the way. I am so grateful to have gotten to know each of you better through this process and I'm so very hopeful that these relationships grow on both a professional and personal level. There were also many other faculty and friends who contributed to my growth professionally and personally. Dr. Lesley Raisor-Becker and Dr. Sandra Combs were first friends when I came into this doctoral program, but also provided me so much professional mentoring and guidance. I have always been so thankful that you were both there as I pursued my academic goals and aspirations. Your support, friendship and mentoring have always meant so much to me. I am also so indebted to all of the friends that I have made through fellow doctoral students, especially those in my cohort who will be forever friends. Specifically, I want to thank Debbie Elledge and Emily Hasselbeck. I cannot begin to imagine going through the rigors of this program without you. Thank you for holding me up during times when I could not do it on my own. I also want to thank the research assistants who have helped me along the way: Jenna Peters, Abby Ray, Kaitlyn Spradling, Scarlett Stamper, and Rachel Walter. I will be forever indebted to you for all of your hard work. You are all amazing and I wish you the very best in your future careers as speech-language pathologists. Finally, I want to extend a special thanks to Dr. Sarah Whitton of the Psychology department, one of my statistics professors, at the University of Cincinnati for consulting with me on my statistics when I was in over my head. I am so thankful for your expertise and your willingness to help me. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the Head Start center that graciously offered to let me conduct my research at their site. It was an amazing experience, and I am especially grateful for the Running Head: EARLY WRITING vi classroom teacher (who I refer to as Rochelle in my study) and the fifteen fabulous, smart, talented and loving children that let me engage in their worlds for six months. I will never forget all the stories, the drawings, the enthusiasm, and the hugs that we shared while embarking on this journey. You will all be embedded in my heart forever. Last, but most importantly, I am so grateful for my family's love, understanding and especially their sacrifices during the last four-plus years. I started this doctoral program with a supportive husband, Rob, and a doting two-year old daughter, Abigail, who is now seven. Throughout the process, we also added a delightful baby boy, Austin, who is now the two-year old. Although I know it has been challenging, Rob has been such a solid support system through all the ups and downs. Often I think he is the true hero in this process because I could not have done this without his numerous sacrifices and his unending love. My family was often the only thing that maintained my sanity throughout this rigorous and challenging doctoral program. I would also like to thank my mom who is always there to encourage me and cheer me on, I'm so thankful for your unconditional love and support. Of course there are so many other family members who are so influential and I cannot possibly name you all, but I'm so grateful for the love and support from my siblings, Deron and Claire, and also my step mother Susie. I love you all. Finally, I want to acknowledge two angels that always served as inspiration when the going got tough. I knew that if I could get through the losses of two of the most important people in my life, my son Wyatt and my father Randy, I could get through anything. In the big scheme of challenges, this completion of a doctoral program was the small stuff. Dad and Wyatt, you will always be in my heart and will forever serve as my inspiration to continue on my quest to be the best that I can be. I am so incredibly grateful to all who supported me on this fabulous (yet challenging) journey. Thank you all for the love. Thank you all for the sacrifices. Thank you all for believing in me. Running Head: EARLY WRITING vii Table of


Supragingival scaling and especially the subgingival one represent together with root planning (SRP) the main elements of periodontal therapy. Chlorohexidine gluconate represents an realiable option as an anstiseptic that can be associated with SRP in order to reduce the probing depth (PD). The current research involved selecting 30 pacients with periodontal disease and at least one situs with PD greater than 5 mm. The patients were randomly and equally divided into three groups that were named A, B and C. The patients that were included in Group A received SRP without any additional substances. At the level of Group B the patients received SRP and inside the pockets with PD greater than 5 mm we applied the topical gel Glucosite Gel (Cerkamed) for three consecutive times, every 24 hours. Patients that were included in Group C were treated using SRP and at the level of pockets with PD greater or equal with 5 mm we applied the product PerioChip (Dexcel). Our results proved that for all three groups the values of PD recorderd after treatment were significantly lower compared to the initial ones (p>0.05) but in case of group C (SRP+PerioChip) the the drop of the PD values were significantly higher. After treatment the values of PBI were significantly lower in the case of patients included in group C (SRP+PerioChip) in comparison with the ones recorded in patients included in group A (SRP) (p=0.00053) or group (SRP+Glucosite) (p=0.0178). The slow release of chlorohexidine gluconate into periodontal pockets is an effective solution, superior to the topical application of this active product.


The quick increase of domestic iron and steel output,the great improvement of steel quality and variety,the improtation of advanced equipment and the diminution and elimination of some backward technology and facilities have brought about great influence on the development of refracetories.In order to meet the technical progress of iron and steel industry,domestic refractories industry has,in the last industry,domestic refractories industry has,in the last decades ,concentrated its efforts on the development and production of new Sialon bonded SiC bricks and micropore carbon blocks for giant blast furnaces;new refractories for coke oven and non-coke iron making furnaces;MgO-C bricks for converters and electric conductive refractories for UHP EAF;refractories for slag splashing technology;and the highy technology-intensive refractories for continuous casting facilities.The paper reviews the great change occurred in the industries of iron-and steel-making and refratories during the last decaldes.


Analytical results given by Hintenberger are studied numerically with an electronic computer, and physically realizable solutions are computed systematically in detail. Corresponding to these solutions the inclinations and the radii of curvature of the first order focusing loci are computed also and the design data are tabulated.On two examples of these instruments the aberrations caused by dimensional errors are also estimated.


Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is one of the most common malignancies of the minor salivary glands in the head and neck. We report a case of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the subglottic region presenting with hoarseness and decrease effort tolerance. Smooth, solid and lobulated mass arising from the anterior part of the subglottic region was seen on direct laryngoscopy. Computed tomography (CT) scan and histopathological examination were confirmatory. Laser excision followed by radiation resulted in apparently normal subglottic mucosa.


Dr. Sargent noted that evidence of other solar systems that might sustain life, particularly human life, is being sought. Protoplanetary (or debris) disks have been observed and are considered evidence that other solar systems exist or are being formed. Also observed is a wobble which is seen as evidence of circulation around a celestial body and gaps that are created by the potential planet. One indicator of life may be these rings or disks of debris around stars. Interferometers, which are telescopic devices that consist of multiple lenses, are being developed in order to better see celestial objects and what may be found around them. Other methods for improving celestial viewing capabilities are also under development. She spoke of particularly looking for wobble and gaps and debris disks where new planets are being formed in an effort to discover another planet that might sustain life as we know it. The next speaker, Dr. Chris McKay, is a planetary scientist at NASA Ames. He talked about the possibility of life on Mars or in some other solar system. He commented on the sameness of the origin of all life, and of the origin of, and the need for, oxygen and water. He believes that water originally came to Earth from comets. At least that is a viable possible source. Water might also have come to Earth via asteroids. Dr. McKay also postulates that there can be no water on Mars because Mars has no plate tectonic system, which he believes is an essential for recycling water. . Dr. Wes Huntress, NASA s Associate Administrator for Space Science, and Dr. Barbara Stone, also from NASA Headquarters, joined Drs. Cordova, Sargent and McKay in the question and answer period following the presentations. (Mr. Goldin was excused to keep an appointment with the President.) The discussion included the following statements and questions: The more missions that there are, the more technology is developed. We need to study our solar system to have something to which we can compare other systems. Before we send people to distant places or to other planets, we need to study the psychological and biological problems that are created by going away from Earth for a long period of time. Pulsars appear to have planets rotating around them. This is of interest and should be studied further. Looking back in time, is there any thought to seeing the development of life? How long did it take for oxygen to rise on the Earth? Do debris disks around the stars provide velocity patterns? To detect life scientists are listening for radio signals, looking for oxygen or ozone, and looking for liquid water. On Earth liquid water is the defining ecological parameter for life. This means that operationally the search for life elsewhere is primarily a search for liquid water.


One of the methods to grasp the essence of cityis to compare and evaluate different countrys urban historicaldevelopment and current states. This paper suggests and es-sence definition of city. The importances of acknowledging thedefinition can be summarized the followings:to acknowledge tocore function of human in a city, to demolish urban dissimitation,to make efforts to satisfy to needs of existence and development,to provide external condition to fulfill humans needs for life,and offer some theretical gists for Chinese urban development.


One of the most profound use of ultrasound imaging is to generate the image of fetal during pregnancy. This paper will describe an ellipse detection approach to automatically detect and approximate the head size of the fetal. The method was developed using the Hough Transform techniques that have been modified and optimized by Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). Experiments of the method are tested on synthetic and real ellipse image dataset. For real images, the detection was applied on 2D ultrasonography images to perform fetal head measurement to approximate the Head Circumference (HC) and Biparietal Diameter (BPD). Experiment result showed that the proposed method can perform ellipse detection in synthetic dataset with satisfactory result for noisy images with noise density up to 0.4 and able to perform the fetal head detection for real images with an averate hit rate of 0.654. This proposed method can also perform detection on images that have high degree of noise or incomplete ellipse images generated from the fetal objects.


Background It has been shown that patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) are at increased risk for certain malignancies, among them lung cancer. Objectives To investigate the association between lung cancer and different RA phenotypes based on rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA) status. Methods We used the population-based case-control study EIRA (Epidemiological Investigation of Risk factors for Rheumatoid Arthritis). Patients with RA and controls (matched for age, sex, calendar period and area of residence) were included during 1996–2013. The data were linked to the Swedish nationwide cancer register. Cox regression was used to calculate RR. Due to the significant correlation between smoking and RA as well as presence of RF and ACPA, stratified analyses based on smoking status were performed, in order to account for effect modification. Results A total of 3547 RA patients and 5586 controls were included in the study. The mean age (SD) was 52 (13) years and the percentage of female was 72%. Significantly more RA patients than controls were diagnosed with lung cancer after RA diagnosis (58 vs. 26 per 100,000 patient-years, respectively, p=0.002). RA itself gave twice an increased risk for developing lung cancer when adjusted for age and sex (RR=1.9, 95% CI=1.2–3.2, p=0.01), but the statistical significance disappeared when smoking was included in the model. However, after stratification according to smoking status, RA was significantly associated to lung cancer development in never or ex-smokers (RR=2.4, 95% CI=1.0–6.2, p=0.05) but not in current smokers (RR=1.2, 95% CI=0.6–2.3, p=0.6). In RA patients, higher age, smoking, RF positivity, RF and/or ACPA positivity and double seropositivity were significant risk factors for lung cancer (table 1). In a stratified analysis RF positivity was significantly associated to lung cancer in non-smokers (table 2).Table 1. Cox regression analysis (adjusted for age and sex) with lung cancer after RA diagnosis as the dependent variable and several potential risk factors as independent variables Variable RR (95% CI) P-value Sex (female vs. Male) 0.6 (0.3–1.2) 0.64 Age 1.1 (1.1–1.2) <0.0001 Smoking (current vs. Never/ex) 3.2 (1.6–6.6) 0.002 Smoking (ever vs. Never) 3.6 (1.1–12.0) 0.03 Silica 2.2 (0.7–6.9) 0.18 RF (pos vs. Neg) 4.6 (1.6–13.0) 0.004 ACPA (pos vs. Neg) 1.9 (0.9–4.0) 0.11 ACPA and/or RF pos vs. neg 7.0 (1.7–28.9) 0.008 Double pos (RF and ACPA) vs. Double neg. 6.8 (1.6–28.8) 0.01Table 2. Risk for development of lung cancer for different RA phenotypes Variable Non-Smokers (never or ex-smokers) Smokers (current) N patients (seropositive with lung ca/total with lung ca) RR (95% CI) N patients (seropositive with lung ca/total with lung ca) RR (95% CI) RF (pos vs neg) 11/12 7.4 (1.0–57.4) 17/20 2.4 (0.7–8.2) ACPA (pos vs neg) 9/12 2.3 (0.6–8.7) 14/20 1.2 (0.4–3.1) ACPA and/or RF pos vs double neg 11/12 5.5 (0.7–42.5) 19/20 5.8 (0.8–43.2) Double pos (RF and ACPA) vs double neg 9/10 6.1 (0.8–47.9) 12/13 4.8 (0.6–36.5) Conclusions In this study RA, especially RF positive RA, was associated to the development of lung cancer in never or ex-smokers. Although not statistically significant, patients who developed lung cancer were more often positive for RF and/or ACPA irrespective of smoking status. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Humans can perform object manipulations in VR in spite of missing haptic and acoustic information. Whether their movements under these artificial conditions do still rely on motor programs based on natural experience or are impoverished due to the restrictions imposed by VR is unclear. We investigated whether reach-to-place and reach-to-grasp movements in VR can still be adapted to the task and to the specific properties of the objects being handled, or whether they reflect a stereotypic, task- and object-independent motor program. We analyzed reach-to-grasp and reach-to-place movements from participants performing an unconstrained "set-the-table" task involving a variety of different objects in virtual reality. These actions were compared based on their kinematic features. We encountered significant differences in peak speed and the duration of the deceleration phase which are modulated depending on the action and on the manipulated object. The flexibility of natural human sensorimotor control thus is at least partially transferred and exploited in impoverished VR conditions. We discuss possible explanations of this behavior and the implications for the design of object manipulations in VR.


In order to solve the technical problems of mining strip extraction coal-pillar and waste disposal, the waste substitution extraction is proposed. By expounding the effect on surface movement while the layout of waste filling roadway is centralized and decentralized with analyzing feasible coal-pillar width of substitution extraction; the layout with two waste filling roadway placed in middle of strip extraction coal-pillar is determined and its width and height are 4.0 m × 5.0 m, respectively; and the coal-pillar width between filling roadway is 4.0 m. Based on numerical simulation to analyze the stability of substitution extraction coal-pillar and vertical stress distribution of main roof in strip and substitution extraction, the conclusions with the strength of substitution extraction coal-pillar achieving design requirement and the strata structure of main roof remaining stable are achieved. By using the mechanics theory to analyze the character of roof moving and deformation after coal mining, the conclusion is gotten that the basic roof will not fail. The surface deformation operates within the allowable deformation of building. The research results have been successfully applied to coal mining.


For the rapid hardening of concrete, various types of calcium aluminate composite have been used for special purpose as shotcrete or rapid repairing in construction field. However, high cost of calcium aluminates is demerit in the point of expanding usage. In recent years, a new binder for rapid hardening has been introduced as the pulverized ladle furnace slag (RC-LFS) with main components of C 12 A 7 and β-C 2 S. Like other traditional cementitious materials, it's use will preserve natural resources and has high environmental advantage with economic efficiency, by transferring the industry byproducts into high value materials. Even though flake state, graphene oxide has high tensile strength and electric conductivity. Then, it can be used to increase strength and thermal properties of concrete and its efficiency depends on the dispersion in the cement matrix. In this paper, we used graphene oxide for increasing the engineering properties in RC-LFS concrete with GGBFS. Test results showed that the 0.05w% of graphene oxide increase the flexural strength to 26% and compressive strength to 16%.


In the article the results of the analysis of the transformational dynamics of the identity of public servants in Ukraine in the context of the archetypal methodology are presented. The article is based on the ideas of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung on the archetypes of the collective unconscious, the works of Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud, English historian Arnold Toynbee and the American psychologist Erich Erickson. At the same time, the toolkit of the author's archetypal methodology was used, including the analytical-synthetic model of the «universal epochal cycle» and the psychodiagnostic methodology «BAD». The article substantiates the application of archetypal methodology to establish, through psychosocial differences, the dynamics of the process of identification of public servants of Ukraine within the framework of the socio-historical cycle «Modern-Postmodern». A retrospective historical analysis using the author's analytical and synthetic model of «universal epochal cycle» and the psychodiagnostic methodology «BAD» made it possible to identify the framework of the socio-historical cycle «Modern-Postmodern» in Ukraine, which consists of two normatively stable historical periods – involution / evolution and two transitional states – revolution / co-evolution. The psychosocial characteristics of Ukrainian society and public service as a social institution within the socio-historical epochs of «Modern» and «Postmodern» were established. The author's archetypal methodology in monitoring studies of the public service of Ukraine made it possible to reveal in the new postmodern conditions a tendency towards the dominance in its public administration of the social modus of identity, which is the guarantor of morality in the national policy and public administration of Ukraine.


Since 1950s, the use of glucocorticoids brought about a profound impact on the management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis (LN).1 It was found that steroid combined with cytotoxic drugs could further delay the progression of end-stage renal disease in patients with LN.2 Steroid combined with cyclophosphamide (CYC) was the classical regimen of induction therapy for LN.3 Around 2000, steroid combined with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) began to be used as the induction therapy of LN. Some studies have revealed that, for the short-term effect in the induction of renal remission, the curative effect of MMF was similar to or even better than CYC.4 Some other immunosuppressants such as tacrolimus (FK506) were also used as the induction therapy of LN. However, this did not reveal a better curative effect than CYC.5 In this study, the investigators focused on the existing standard of care (SOC) regimen for LN, analyzed the clinical characteristics of patients with class IV LN at onset under this treatment regimen, and aimed to seek clinical factors for the poor curative effect. METHODS


Objective: To apply the classification of term delivery of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, describe the frequency of the various categories, and explore neonatal outcomes among groups.Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study including pregnant women considered initially healthy with a term pregnancy defined on the basis of the last reliable menstruation and ultrasound performed in the first half of the gestation period in a private, Level III clinic, in Cali, Colombia, in 2013. Deliveries were classified as early term, full term and late term. Social and demographiccharacteristics of the mothers and perinatal outcomes are described. The frequency of each category is described and group comparisons areperformed using the variance analysis (ANOVA),and the Kruskal-Wallis or Chi-square test.Results: Of 502 births, 200 (39.8 %) were classified as early term, 354 (50.6 %) as full term, and 48 (9.6 %) as late term. There was a higher frequency of contributive insurance coverage and high risk pregnancies in the early term group. Statistically significant differences were observed in terms of low birth weight and average neonatal weight in the early term group, whereas neonatal asphyxiawas higher in the late term group. There were no differences in terms of respiratory distress syndrome or length of stay.Conclusion: It is feasible to apply the new ACOG term pregnancy classification. The frequency of early term delivery is high in Colombia. There was no evidence of significant differences in neonatal outcomes between the three groups except forhigher neonatal asphyxia in the late term group.


Intercultural education is going through a period of conceptual reflection on its development as an innovative and inclusive education approach. In this sense, this article aims to promote and encourage the discussion and pedagogical reflection on the new paths and orientations of interculturality in school today. In order to do this, we offer a more holistic look, focused on intercultural educational processes and personalized education as essential elements of a new pedagogical impulse.


A complete minimal surface in R is said to be pseudo-algebraic, if its Weierstrass data are defined on a compact Riemann surface finitely many points removed M = M\{P1, . . . , Pn} and extend meromorphically across punctures ([KKM], see also [G]). The punctured Riemann surface M on which the Weierstrass data are defined is called the basic domain. The difference between a complete minimal surface being algebraic or pseudo-algebraic lies in whether the period condition [P] is required or not. It is well known that the period condition is always a very hard obstacle against the attempt constructing algebraic minimal surfaces. We write the Weierstrass data of the minimal surface under consideration as (g, ω). Then g : M → P is the Gauss map. It is then a fundamental question to ask what is P\g(M).


Temporary housing estates were built in brest shortly after the town was liberated in 1945. Accomodating more than 20. 000 inhabitants in 1957. They remained as such till 1975 when the last estate was demolished. Investigations made on the history of these temporary housing estates give the matter to the present research. We will focus on the relationship between the inhabitants and the authorities. The existence of the temporary housing estates had been closely related to the successive political choices made since 1945 in terme of town planning. It proves the dissonance between the inhabitants'way of leaving versus the logic shown as well as the actions carried out by the authorities. The inhabitants had invented a new social comfort in the barrak estates. The authorities tried to re-build a socail space in town by making a division between categories of inhabitants according to criteria based on the process of standardization. The analysis of the barrak estates'evolution emphasizes phases of order and disorder. These phases were a consequence of quite a few divergences and discrepancies between the inhabitants and the authorities. Their relationship could be desribed as suffering from a distortion phenomenon. This"distorted" relationship seems to be the result of a lack in communication between the inhabitants and the autorhities. It can also be due to the interactions mainly operating through paradoxes. The vision of the history of the temporary housing estates makes objection to quite a number


dence Anti-human neutrophil antigen (HNA) antibodies of the IgG immunoglobulin class are transported across the placenta and to the neutrophils. It is whether the only lead to increased destruction of mature cells or the inhibition of granulocytopoiesis. According to literature, neutropenia is usually self-limiting, and the duration varies from several weeks to 3-4 months. Neonates with neutropenia indepen dently of the underlying disease are at high risk of developing severe and fulminant infections. hypothyroidism two previous Maternal toxoplasmosis, syphilis, varicella-zoster, parvovirus B19, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes in fection serology was negative, and blood count normal. The firstborn The and revealed no abnormality. routine laboratory examinations due to neonatal jaundice on day three showed apart from G-6PD deficiency, severe neutropenia, white blood cells (WBC): 2,830 (range: 3,800-10,500 with absolute neutrophil count (ANC): (range: The values of other hematological and biochemical exams were within normal limits except for hemoglobin (9.3 g/dl; range: 14.0-18.0 g/dl). Blood and urine cultures were obtained, and the patient was put on antibiotics (ampicillin plus amika -cin). Also, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) was administered for two days (dose: 800 mg/kg/day). For the next two days, both WBC and ANC (3,000 /μL) increased. On days 5 and 9, recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rh-GCSF) therapy was given for three consecutive days (dose: 5 μg/kg/day). No further increase in ANC was noticed. Blood and urine cultures were negative. Ultrasonography of the abdomen and the heart, x-rays of the chest and the forearms, and chromosomal fragility testing were all normal. These exams were performed in order to exclude Shwachman-Diamond syndrome, osteopetrosis, transient erythroblastopenia of childhood, and anemia Fanconi. Due to the persisting neutropenia, a bone marrow study was performed, which revealed no pathological findings. To further evaluate the etiology of neutropenia, blood samples were obtained from the patient and parents for granulocyte antibody screening. In the serum of the neonate was found to contain granulocyte specific antibodies against HNA-1b on CD16b. Polymerase chain reaction revealed that the antigen was encoded by FCGR3B*02 allele. This finding is typical for the diagnosis of neonatal immune neutropenia due to HNA antibodies. Patient ANC peaked at 1,500/μL on day 50 and was discharged home.


The open-circuit potential、work potential、selfcorrosion rate and anode efficiency of Al-0.05Ga-1Mg、Al-0.1Ga-1Mg(with and without thermal treatment) have been studied in 25℃、4 mol/L KOH solution,and the change of main segregation of anodes have been researched by EPMA and energy spectrum analysis.The results show that the potential of aluminum alloys move to negative with the increasing of Ga from 0.05% to 0.1%;Fe、Si mainly exist in grain boundary;the content of element Mg increases after thermal treatment,that is harmful to the property of aluminum alloys;thermal treatment increases the cathode phase,the anode efficiency decreases with the cathode increasing and dropping.


Disclosed is a method for producing a lining in hard rock, particularly for underground spaces such as tunnels or building grounds. In said method, anchors (2, 3) are first mounted within the rock (1), whereupon a plastic film (35) is placed along the excavated tunnel and is attached to the anchors (2, 3) to provide a seal against underground water. A lining composed of precast concrete parts (8, 9) is then erected on the inside of the plastic film (35), at least the lateral lining parts (8) of said precast concrete parts (8, 9) being fastened to the anchors (2, 3).


We investigate theoretically the crosstalk in multi-core fibers with α-index and trench-type α-index cores based on the two core model and compare their α dependence of crosstalk.


The present work provides a detailed picture of the forms, frequencies and functions of suffixed second person pronouns (e.g. yous) since their first occurrence in English until the 2000s. It is a corpus-based study which aims to expand and refine the already existing definitions of suffixed second person forms in the literature. For the first time in scholarly work, the paper traces the historical evolution of both the frequencies and functions of suffixed second person pronouns and identifies grammaticalisation and pragmaticalisation as the underlying processes of language change of these features.


Abstract In this paper, a printed hexagonal wide slot antenna for bandwidth enhancement is proposed and experimentally investigated. The hexagonal slot is excited by a 50 Ω microstrip line with hexagonal tuning stub. A hexagonal slot excited by a simple 50 Ω microstrip line having a bandwidth of 470 MHz is considered as reference antenna. Simulation and experimental results show that the proposed hexagonal wide slot antenna having 50 Ω microstrip line feed with hexagonal tuning stub exhibits 2:1 VSWR bandwidth of 1,751 MHz (1,921 to 3,672 MHz), which is about four times larger than the reference antenna. Obtained bandwidth is 62.63% with respect to center frequency. Based on these analyses, an empirical design equation and a polynomial equation are introduced to approximately determine the lower edge frequency of operating bandwidth. The impedance, radiation, and gain characteristics of the proposed antenna are studied and results exhibited accordingly.


We read with interest a letter by Oregioni et al1 describing the cytology of peritoneal leishmaniasis in a patient with AIDS. We recently encountered a case of bilateral ovarian tumors in which LeishmanDonovan (LD) bodies were unexpectedly present in ascitic fluid. A 35-year-old woman presented to the emergency with abdominal pain and swelling of 3 months' duration. She gave a history of intermittent high grade fever and weight loss. On examination, she was extremely frail and emaciated. Hepatosplenomegaly, skin lesions and peripheral lymphadenopathy were absent. Preliminary laboratory data showed hemoglobin of 70 g/L and white blood count of 3 × 109/L. Serum urea nitrogen was 14.2 mmol/L, while plasma glucose was 4.2 mmol/L. Ultrasound done in the emergency department revealed bilateral, large, solid, cystic ovarian tumors and massive, tense ascites. A therapeutic tap done to relieve pressure symptoms yielded hemorrhagic serous fluid that was sent for cytologic examination. Giemsa-stained cytocentrifuge smears showed clusters of large round to oval cells focally arranged in a papillary pattern. The cells had a high nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio and moderate nuclear atypia. The background was strikingly rich in lymphocytes, plasma cells and macrophages, with some of the last showing parasitization by characteristic intracellular LD bodies (Figure 1A). In addition, a plasma cell with an intracellular LD body was observed (Figure 1B). A cytologic diagnosis of ovarian carcinoma with metastatic deposits in the peritoneal fluid and coexistent visceral leishmaniasis was made. On questioning, the patient was found to hail from a kala-azar–endemic area. HIV serology on an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was reactive. The patient's clinical course was Acta Cytologica


The poor heater performance of diesel vehicles has many influencing factors in low temperature. The energy of heater system in light bus was matched. It concretely analyze cold starting performance of diesel engine and the heater system structure to research on a light bus' s poor heater performance. Heating system was set up and simulated using AMEsim software, through comparing the theoretical calculation in the heating required energy with simulation results,and put forward the reasonable schemes to improve the effect of the heater system.


An extension has been made to the Chou's graphic rules in order to cover those enzyme-catalysed reaction systems in which there are two or more parallel reaction routes between any two enzyme species.


The dual permeability model (DPM) is used to describe the gas flow in landfills under the preferential flow effect. A steady‐state radial DPM was developed in this study to predict gas distribution at extraction well operations. Two typical cases of a short‐term pumping field test from a single extraction well were also studied. The sensitivity of kf/km and mass transfer coefficient in the DPM was simulated. The mechanism of higher deviation between the simulation result and the test could be explained by the gas flux and influence radius, as determined by the single permeability model based on gas pressure distribution in the radial direction. The reliability of the DPM in the prediction of gas flux and influence radius in extraction wells was initially verified. The study provides evidence of the improvement of the design and operation parameters of extraction wells in landfills using the proposed method. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 35: 1381–1386, 2016


e20577 Background: Accumulating evidence indicates that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) substantially increase the risk of negative health behaviors and outcomes later in life. Multiple studies have documented that ACEs are associated with increased rates of cigarette smoking, but just one prospective study, with only 64 cases, reported an increased risk of lung cancer. Methods: The present study explored childhood ( < 12y) parental death, one of the most profoundly stressful ACEs, as a risk factor for adult cigarette smoking and lung cancer in the Shanghai Cohort Study, a population-based prospective cohort of 18,244 men aged 45-64 years in Shanghai, China, enrolled during 1986-1989. Information on parental death, smoking history, and other lifestyle factors were collected by trained nurse interviewers at baseline. Cancer incidence among cohort participants has been identified through annual in-person interviews and linkage analyses with databases of the Shanghai Cancer Registry and death index. Aft...


Pontoniid shrimps are one of the most abundant coral reef associated taxa in the Indo‐Pacific. Although taxonomically well known, their ecology, life history and biogeography appears virtually unstudied. The object of the present contribution is to derive a basin wide biogeographical hypothesis, using a limited number of operational geographic units (OGU).


Medicinal plants have played an important role in treating and preventing a variety of diseases throughout the world. India is one of the most medico-culturally diverse countries in the world where the medicinal plant sector is part of a time honoured tradition that is respected even today. The present study was initiated with an aim to identify traditional healers who are practicing herbal medicine among the Malayali tribes in Yercaud hills of Eastern Ghats, India and to document their indigenous knowledge on the utilization of medicinal plants particularly most common ethnomedicinal plants. The ethnobotanical information was collected through interviews among local traditional healers in the study area. A total of 90 species of plants distributed in 80 genera belonging to 44 families were identified as commonly used ethnomedicinal plants in the study. As a result, the present study revealed that the information documented regarding the therapeutic uses will provide basic data for further studies mainly focused on conservation, cultivation and economic welfare of the tribal population.