ABSTRACT Ferromolybdenum, used in alloy steel production, is made by the batch reduction of molybdenum oxide by silicon and aluminium at high temperatures. In this work, the technology of the process has been reviewed and representative charge mixes compared. A computational thermodynamics model was developed and used to investigate the relationships between charge composition and ferroalloy grade and quality, indicated by its silicon content. The model predicted satisfactorily the composition of the ferromolybdenum and waste slag from a typical charge mixture. The silicon content depended on the ratio of silicon to molybdenum oxide in the charge and was not sensitive to the assumed smelting temperature or activity coefficient of silicon in the alloy. Losses of molybdenum to slag as dissolved oxide were predicted to be much lower than published industrial data, suggesting that losses in practice are mostly due to the inclusion of unsettled ferromolybdenum droplets.


In this paper, the author, from the concept of the regional innovative system, discusses the role the system plays in regional economic development. Furthermore,the author also discusses the way of the regional innovation system, and some problems.


Michael J. Nyhan (ed.) The Future of Public Broadcasting (New York: Praeger Special Studies, 1976—$19.95/6.95) Elizabeth J. Heighton and Don R. Cunningham's Advertisin in the Broadcast Media (Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, 1976-412.95) Ruth Thomas' Broadcasting and Democracy in France (London: Crosby Lockwood Staples, 1976—E6.00, or about $12.00) Arthur Williams' Broadcasting and Democracy in West Germany (London: Crosby Lockwood Staples, 1976—E6.00, or about $12.00)


This paper determines first‐passage time distributions with a twofold emphasis on the dynamics of the state variables and interest rate uncertainty. Underlyings follow two‐dimensional geometric Brownian motions, Ornstein–Uhlenbeck processes or Poisson jump‐diffusion processes, and boundaries are either fixed or indexed on risk‐free bonds. Forward‐neutral changes of numeraire enable one to derive generic valuation expressions, while changing time allows one to determine closed‐form solutions for geometric Brownian motions and moving barriers. In turn, the latter formulas are used to reduce the variance of Monte Carlo simulations in the case of jump‐diffusion processes, by means of the control variate method.


Kavli IPMU News No. 38 June 2017 In September 2015, for the rst time in history, gravitational waves from the coalescence of binary black holes were detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in Livingston, Louisiana and Hanford, Washington. Afterward, more gravitational wave events were discovered and the third event was announced this year. These three events are caused by binaries of black holes whose masses are from about 10 to 30 solar mass. This historical discovery also means that humankind has obtained a new observational tool for exploring the universe. Usually, black holes are formed when massive stars collapse due to their own gravity at the end their lifetime. However, the masses of the black holes observed by LIGO are larger than those expected for the gravitational collapse of massive stars, and it is in dispute how such heavy black hole binaries are formed by stellar evolution. Therefore, we are interested in another idea on the formation of black holes; that is, primordial black holes produced in the early universe form black hole binaries and account for the gravitational events detected by LIGO.


This study investigates the level of acceptance of news stories on social media platforms among youth in Nigeria following the assumption that the proliferation of news stories on social media promotes the circulation of both factual and fake news. The sample consisted of 600 youth; however, 583 validly participated in the study. The participants were equitably selected in six States in Nigeria that represented the six geo-political zones of the country. The multi-stage sampling technique was employed to evenly select the youth from the major cities/towns in the States. Data generated were analysed and presented through descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS version 20 software. Results show that the youth accepted entertainment news stories more than any other type of news stories on social media platforms. The majority of the youth considered Twitter as the most acceptable social media platform for receiving news stories in Nigeria. Findings also revealed that despite their love to read news stories on social media platforms, the youth's level of acceptance of it was low. Furthermore, the age and gender of the youth were found to directly influence their level of acceptance of news stories on social media platforms. The study concluded that the multi-dimensional inter-play that characterised the low level of acceptance of news stories on social media platforms among the youth in Nigeria does not portend ominous signs. Keywords: Acceptance, mainstream media, news stories, social media platforms, youth.


Complementing wireless radio networks with free-space optics (FSO) achieve high data rates by modulating radio subcarriers over an optical carrier without expensive optical fiber cabling, enabling a pervasive platform for reaching underserved areas. In this paper, we review the main features of Free Space Optical Communication. Keywords— Free space Optics, NRZ, RZ, PIN, APD etc.


The article discusses a possibility and efficiency of the development of students' creativity in the framework of the program "Creativity. The Self-cognition Experience". The program is based on the reflexive self-organization technology in the information educational environment conditions.


There are mutual restraints between roads design and crane-platforms design in mountainous wind power field.For a long time,roads and platforms are designed based on different systems,which are not conducive to systematic design and engineering calculation.This paper puts forward a new idea and imagines the platform as a widening road.Therefore,the platform design is completed upon completion of road design by using of HintCAD road design software,which achieves seamless butt between road and platform designs.This positive exploration can be well referred by other similar wind power field projects in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.


A fast, efficient, and novel way of online training of dynamic neural networks is presented in this paper. The method is based on a combination of recursive least-squares and backpropagation; in a large number of cases, backpropagation can be avoided altogether. The proposed method would be suitable for real-time identification, fault detection, and control of uncertain dynamic systems.


For type I censoring, in addition to the failure times, the number failures is also observed as part of the data. Using this feature of type I singly right-censored data a simple estimator is obtained for the scale parameter of the two parameter Weibull distribution. The exact mean and variance of the estimator are derived and computed for finite sample sizes. Its limiting properties such as asymptotic normality and asymptotic relative efficiency are obtained. The estimator has high efficiency for moderate and heavy censoring. Its use is illustrated by means of an example.


be a victim of its own criticism, as none of the essays provides a strategy for revolution. Nor does any existing dependency theory offer such strategy. Rather, such theory identifies the sources of oppression that confront Third World nations, not in itself an unimportant task. Since strategy must be based on an analysis of the concrete historical situation, it is crucial that we first understand the forces


The concept of α-ideal in 0-distributive almost semilattice (0distributive ASL) is introduced and proved certain properties of α-ideals. Obtained several characterizations for an S-ideal to become α-ideals in 0distributive ASL and derived a set of identities for an S-ideal to become α-ideal in 0-distributive ASL. Finally, we proved that the image of an α-ideal is again an α-ideal under annihilator preserving homomorphism.


Method of combating toxicity caused by the compound of Formula I in a subject administered the antifolate compound. The method comprises having enzyme that has carboxypeptidase G activity to the individual administration. A compound comprising a structural fragment cleavage of formula VIII, said method comprising contacting a compound comprising an enzyme structural fragment of formula VIII with an enzyme that has carboxypeptidase G activity.


As an important way to promote economic growth and to improve ecological environment quality, industrial agglomeration strategy has been widely accepted and implemented in various regions of China. In theory, industrial agglomeration is conducive to reducing pollution emissions. However, this needs to be tested in reality. The purpose of this paper is to test the impacts of manufacturing industry agglomeration on the quality of water ecological environment in 17 prefecture-level cities downstream of the Three Gorges Dam. Therefore, a theoretical model was established to test the direct and indirect effects. Empirically, results show that the direct effect of manufacturing agglomeration on the quality of water ecological environment is −0.426, which provides statistical evidence for the important role of manufacturing agglomeration in improving the quality of water ecological environment. The indirect effect of manufacturing agglomeration on ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) is 0.118% through technological innovation, the indirect effect on NH3-N is 0.114% through economic growth, and the indirect effect on NH3-N is 0.254% through industrial structure. Due to the low overall level of the manufacturing industry and its reliance on dirty technologies, the indirect effects of industrial agglomeration are not conducive to improving the quality of the water ecological environment. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a long-term mechanism to promote the evolution of the regional economy along a path that is conducive to the improvement of the water ecological environment.


A one-dimensional radiative transfer equation for a finite cloud array is obtained. First-order scattering of a solar beam is included exactly, and cloud-cloud interaction is parameterized by the horizontally averaged radiance inside a cloud. The equation yields the accurate solutions of solar flux reflectance for two-dimensional bar array clouds and three-dimensional regular array clouds when compared to Monte-Carlo simulations.


The interaction mechanism of heavy vehicle tires with road surface pavement is developed as a force, excitation, response problem. Results are presented in three volumes which report tire/pavement contact pressures, structural vibration response, and surface vibration acoustic modeling methods, respectively. The results of each report provide detailed information that may be utilized for tire/pavement evaluation by the methods developed in the subsequent reports. In this report, Volume 1, an efficient algorithm is derived and validated for the evaluation of road surface contact pressure, contact length, depth of tire penetration, and deformed tire geometry. A detailed description of pavement geometry and the tire inflation pressure are the only requirements for input to the analysis. The resulting pressure profile spectral energy is analyzed for correlation with noise spectra and pavement skid number. Results show that pavement textures characterized by dimensions of less than 10 mm (0.39 in.) act to reduce tire noise and to increase skid resistance. The texture-induced contact forces are combined with tread-induced forces to predict time-dependent contact pressures throughout the tire footprint.


We compared the influence of thyroid hormone‐disrupting chemicals (heptafluorobutanoic acid, PFBA and tris[1,3‐dichloro‐2‐propyl] phosphate, TDCPP) and thyroid hormone (3,3′,5‐triiodo‐L‐thyronine, T3) on swim bladder inflation and thyroid hormone‐related gene expression in Japanese medaka and zebrafish. The swim bladder of most larvae had inflated at 4 h post hatching (hph) in Japanese medaka and at 48 hph in zebrafish in controls. In both fish species, the swim bladder inflation was inhibited in larvae exposed to PFBA (lowest observed effect concentration [LOEC] in medaka: 40 mg/L; in zebrafish: 80 mg/L), TDCPP (LOEC in medaka: 1 mg/L; in zebrafish: 0.5 mg/L), and T3 (no inhibition in Japanese medaka; LOEC in zebrafish: 7.5 μg/L). We also examined the influence of PFBA, TDCPP, and T3 on the expression of thyroid stimulating hormone subunit beta (tshβ) or thyroid hormone receptor alpha (trα) and beta (trβ). No changes were observed in the expression of genes after PFBA and TDCPP exposure; however, T3 exposure upregulated trα and trβ expression in both fish species. When the results were compared between Japanese medaka and zebrafish, swim bladder inflation in both species was found to be inhibited by exposure to thyroid hormone‐disrupting chemicals. Our results show that inhibition of the swim bladder inflation at 4 hph in Japanese medaka and 48 hph in zebrafish is a potential indicator of thyroid hormone‐disturbing activity of chemicals.


The Carl Rosa Opera, the only all-touring opera company left in the world in this age of high travelling costs, has fallen on difficult days. No doubt the provincial British cities should count themselves lucky that any opera company visits them at all. In the United States, Fortune Gallo's San Carlo Opera Company, which used to cross the continent with productions as good as the Carl Rosa's pre-war best, has not been on the move for more than a decade, and the only itinerant spectacles of the kind are packaged single operas sent out from time to time by various New York concert managers.


The relative effects of light intensity, color, and UV radiation on the herbivory component of an epilithic food web were examined in a small spring-fed stream in the Sand Hills region of western Nebraska. Plexiglass, solar-radiation filters were suspended over artificial substrata at 4 sites with open riparian canopies. Periphyton and macroinvertebrate biomass and composition on unglazed, clay tiles were determined after 28 d of exposure to 6 treatments of spectral irradiance: green light (filters transmitted 470-600 nm), blue light (360-450 nm), red light (>600 nm), solar radiation with no UV below 380 nm (UV filter), solar radiation reduced equally for all wavelengths (neutral-density filter), and ambient solar radiation (no filter). Photon flux densities were reduced 80-93% by the colored and neutral density filters, and 10-17% by the UV filters. Unadjusted means for periphyton biomass were not significantly different among treatments, but periphyton biomass means adjusted for invertebrate herbivore densities (as a covariate) differed significantly. Consequently, direct effects of irradiance on periphyton were less apparent than indirect effects through herbivory. Both unadjusted and adjusted means for herbivore densities were significantly different among treatments, suggesting that herbivores were directly affected by irradiance, as well as indirectly through associated changes in periphyton biomass. Effects of light intensity on periphyton and herbivores were stronger (relatively greater) than effects of spectral quality of photosynthetically active radiation at a similar intensity. Periphyton and macroinvertebrate densities did not differ significantly between ambient and UV filter treatments.


Rough estimates by some business magazines reported attrition in e-commerce startups in India around 50%. Acknowledging the gravity of the issue, researchers and practitioners have started to investigate various interventions to negate the intention to leave the organization. The primary objective of this study is to explore the relationship between gratitude and turnover intention among employees of e-commerce startups. The study also investigates the mediating effect of organizational citizenship behavior on the relationship between the three constructs of gratitude and employee turnover intentions. The findings reported a significant negative three dimensions of gratitude with turnover intentions. Organizational citizenship behaviour is also reported to mediate partially the relationship of gratitude and turnover intentions.


Abstract: The 2013 curriculum guides students to think critically and think creatively in the face of problems given. The ability to think critically and creatively is a cognitive ability that needs to be developed in classroom learning activities. Learning activities are designed and implemented by facilitating students to experience critical and creative thinking activities or often referred to as part of high order thinking skills. The ability of higher order thinking (HOTS) is a thinking process that is not just memorizing and returning information that is known, but the ability to connect, manipulate, and transform the knowledge and experience that has been owned to think critically and creatively in an effort to determine decisions. and solve problems in new situations. Student worksheets are learning tools that can be used to involve students in various activities during the learning process. Student worksheets contain stimuli in the form of pictures and questions to train high order thinking skills students. This study aims to develop student worksheets based on higher order thinking skills (HOTS) on biology subjects in class X SMAN 1 Masamba. The method used in this research is Research and Development (R & D) with a 4-D development model (Four D Model) which includes Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate. The results of this study are in the form of student worksheets containing images and questions that can train the ability of high order thinking skills students. The development of higher order thinking skills based worksheets is expected to be a facility to train the ability of high order thinking skills students in class X of SMAN 1 Masamba. Keywords: Student Worksheet, Higher Order Thingking Skill (HOTS)


Materials and Methods Materials CsPbBr3 PQDs and anthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid (AQ) were purchased from SigmaAldrich. The quantum dots are capped with oleyl amine and oleic acid and were dispersed in toluene. The PQDs with the emission wavelength of 510±5 nm were used in this study. According to the manufacturer, the diameter of the PQD is 9±0.5 nm and the emission quantum yield is 70%. The synthesis of fullerene derivative (C60) used in this study was described elsewhere.1,2 The PQD-AQ/C60 hybrids were assembled using the fullerene and anthraquinone derivatives with carboxylic acid anchor. It is already reported by Zhu et al3 that the QD-organic hybrids with carboxylic acid functionalization are to be rather stable.


Thermographic nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques are developed for polymeric composite sandwich panels. The one dimensional heat transfer across these panels is modeled and theoretical solutions are formulated. The temperature distributions through and on the front and back surfaces of panels consisting of an arbitrary number of layers are derived. Numerical examples are used to illustrate these thermographic NDT techniques for characterizing laminar anomalies within the panels, during both heating and cooling. A procedure to completely characterize such anomalies is presented.


The distribution of temperature profiles in nonstoichiometric SiO 𝑥 films at the single pulse laser annealing has been studied theoretically. Temperature distributions on the surface of the SiO 𝑥 films at irradiation by a laser beam with various intensities have been calculated. Temperature distributions on various depths of the SiO 𝑥 films at irradiation by a laser beam with an intensity of 52 МW/cm 2 have been found. During the laser pulse of 10 ns with an intensity of 52 MW/cm 2 , the temperature up to 1800 K can be reached on the specimen surface.


Physicists from a large cross section of developing countries, along with internationally known experts, present a synoptic review of recent developments in modern physics. The emphasis in Volume 6 of Physics and Contemporary Needs is on energy, in particular, on the demand and supply of energy at global, regional, and national levels; on energy systems modeling; and on nuclear and renewable energy sources. While the majority of the papers focus on conventional energy sources, others examine nuclear energy by breeder reactor. The remaining papers cover physics and technology, biophysics, and the frontiers of physics. Specifically, these sections include reports on computer simulation techniques; the borderline between biophysics and biochemistry; and recent work in cosmology and astrophysics.


A system to measure linear polarization in the HeI 21P-31D emission line (667.8 nm) was developed for application to plasma polarization spectroscopy. To verify the system performance, the normalized Stokes parameters were evaluated. A measurement error of less than 1% with a time resolution of 1 ms was achieved for monochromatic light in the state of complete linear polarization.


The next century will be characterized by the global communication employing user-friendly digital terminals, with which we can exchange voice, picture and data among both individuals and offices. Already the recent statistics tells us that the data communication is very close to the telephone (voice) communication and that the former will soon surpass the latter largely because of the exponential growth of new services through Internet. The data communication traffic has its distinct features over the conventional telephone traffic such as its bursty nature and the number of terminals not restricted by the real human population (the computers can act as senders and recipients). This changes the future forecast of required demands of information capacity upward. The OITDA report on optical communication road map estimates the 1 Mbps data channel will be used by the majority of users by 2010. Already the 1 Tbps single stretch communication channel is the business issue. To support such growing demands the communication facilities and their components must satisfy the high performance requirements with the low cost of fabrication. The recent trends of device technology supporting massive multiplexing (TDM, WDM and O-TDM) are reviewed.


The invention discloses a magnetorheological damper for an automotive suspension. The magnetorheological damper is characterized by comprising a single-rod hydraulic cylinder, a dustproof cover, connectors, a free piston and a one-way inflation valve, wherein magnetorheological fluid is filled in an inner cavity of the single-rod hydraulic cylinder; an excitation coil is wound in the middle of the piston; a gap is formed between the piston and an inner wall of the cylinder body, so that the magnetorheological fluid returns between two cavities through the gap; a wire hole is formed on a central axis of the piston and the piston rod; a wire is arranged in the wire hole and is connected with the excitation coil; the one-way inflation valve is arranged on the inner side of an end cover of a volume compensation cavity; an air vent is formed on the end cover; the dustproof cover is arranged at one end of the single-rod hydraulic cylinder; the output end of the piston rod is arranged in the dustproof cover; and the connectors are arranged at the ends of the dustproof cover and the cylinder body. The upper and lower connectors are respectively connected to the frame and an axle of an automobile and are connected in parallel with a suspension spring, and the magnetorheological damper is reasonable in design, simple in structure and adjustable in damping performance.


The epoxy resin is the main solid insulating material for electrical equipment. PD (partial discharge) is an important factor leading to epoxy resin aging or failure. Fault detection technology based on audible acoustic imaging has the advantages of real-time monitoring, visibility, and flexibility and is gradually being used in the field of electrical equipment insulation state monitoring. However, the audible voiceprint features of epoxy resins with typical PD defects are not clear, which is not conducive to effective detection and fault diagnosis. Therefore, in this study, the study of audible voiceprint features of epoxy resins with a metal burr, pollution, metal foreign matters, and surface discharge defects was carried out. The discharge audible signals were obtained, and their time and frequency domain features were analyzed. The results show that the discharge audible signals of four PD defects can reflect the occurrence of PD simultaneously with pulse current signals. But the characteristics are obviously different in the time domain, which are embodied in listening perception, persistence, amplitude, and phase. In the frequency domain, the frequency spectra of discharge audible signals of four defects are mainly 5–10 and 13–24 kHz. Furthermore, the three feature vectors of frequency spectrum complexity, high-frequency energy factor, and maximum frequency point are extracted, which can well distinguish the discharge audible signals of four PD defects.


An efficient, broadband polarizing beam splitter based on birefringence of liquid crystals suitable for projection and communication systems was developed. Large aperture (about 2″), broad band (450nm–800nm or 1,000nm–1,800nm), wide acceptance angle (±10°), high splitting efficiency (contrast better than of 3,000:1 for the transmitted channel and 200:1–2,000:1 for the reflected one) with polarization axes matching the prism entrance and exit were achieved. Specially designed beveled edges contribute to beam splitter mechanical stability and manufacturability. The contrast remains better than 200:1 over the visible range at 45°C. Enhanced contrast for s‐polarization is obtained in a version that incorporates two reflecting surfaces within the prism. The device, used simultaneously as polarizer, analyzer, and combiner, is suitable for compact efficient high intensity image projector.


(76) Inventor: shiftopher G. Regier, Austin, TX A front-end circuit suitable for digital multimeters and mea Surement devices may be configured with strictly capacitive attenuators replacing the resistive attenuators in the AC signal path. An inverting programmable-gain amplifier (PGA) may be built around an operational amplifier (op-amp), with a single resistor for DC feedback providing a 1'-order response for AC coupling. The single resistor may be replaced by a more complex RC network to provide a 2"-order response. The feedback circuit may also include active components Such as additional op-amps, which may assist in shaping the overall response and/or reducing the DC offset at the output of the circuit. The capacitive load presented to the input by the front-end circuit may be minimized to compare to capaci tances presentin resistive implementations. The circuit would Correspondence Address: Jeffrey C. Hood Meyertons Hood Kivlin Kowert & Goetzel PC P.O. BOX 398 Austin, TX 78767-0398


A 3-year-old boy was brought into the office for vague abdominal pain of 5 days' duration. His mother stated that he had had several episodes of nonspecific pain in the abdomen that lasted a few minutes and resolved spontaneously.


Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI) is a new MRI modality based on exploiting water diffusivity. During the last decade, it has raised promises for achieving a better comprehension of the white matter anatomy and reconstructing the human brain anatomical connectivity, which plays an indispensable role in neurosurgery planning and in tackling brain diseases and disorders. A variety of techniques for reconstructing white matter tracts and estimating brain connectivity have been developed since the appearance of DT-MRI. However, there are two crucial issues that have great impacts on the performance of DT-MRI based tractography algorithms. One is that image data noise cannot be avoided during the acquisition of diffusion-weighted images, while the other involves the effects of partial voluming, which arises when more than one fiber population exists within a single voxel.
The main purpose of this work is to develop a class of new tractography techniques with enhanced robustness and reliability in reconstructing white matter fiber pathways on the DT-MRI platform. The mechanism of the proposed fiber tracking algorithms relies on simulating the diffusion process in the brain, which is conducted on a computational framework that we have implemented for solving the time-dependent anisotropic diffusion equation, tailored to the cerebral circumstance. Synthetic and real diffusion tensor data are employed to demonstrate the performance of the tracking schemes. Experimental results show that the synthetic tracts are accurately replicated, and major white matter fiber pathways can be reproduced noninvasively, with the tract branching and crossing being accommodated. Since simulating the diffusion process makes full use of the diffusion tensor, including both the magnitude and the orientation information, the proposed approaches bear great potential to palliate the impacts of fiber crossing and diverging as well as to improve the immunity to noise.
We also conduct performance evaluation between a streamline-type tracking algorithm and diffusion simulation based tractography, using noise-perturbed synthetic diffusion tensor fields with different fiber geometries. Another important part we include in this work is the application of the diffusion simulation based tractography, which is exploited to explore the integrity of white matter fibers in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment.
Keywords. Anatomical brain connectivity, fiber tractography, anisotropic diffusion simulation, diffusion tensor MRI, mild cognitive impairment.


REC EN TL y' THE PRESENT authors completed a volume on adjustment to visual disability in adolescence (Cowen, Underberg, Verillo and Benham, 1961). With appropriate deference to commonly accepted standards of scientific writing, the volume includes detailed reviews of pertinent professional literature, technical descriptions of the development of our research methodology, reports of reasonably complex statistical analyses and a good deal of esoteric terminology. It is not our intent, here, to apologize for the foregoing; to the contrary, we believe that such a report is necessary not only so that the professionally qualified critic may be able to evaluate our findings, but also for scientists in the field who may wish to verify or to extend our work. On the other hand, we are aware that the technical volume may nqt communicate our basic substantive findings with maximal effectiveness to many people for whom they might have potential meanin_g. Accordingly, we should like to summarize our project unencumbered by literature reviews, discussions of methodological problems, statistics, etc., in a form which may be informative and useful for parents, teachers, administrators, workers with the blind, and others with interest in visual disability. In sum, the purpose of


The structure and morphology of stems and leave of the nine species(Tetraena mongolica,Potaninia mongolica,Prunus mongolica,Ammopipanthus mongolicus,Haplophyllum tragacanthordes,Leptodemis ordosia,Helianthemum soogoricum,Syringa pinnatifolia var holanshanensis,Hippolytia alaschanensis)which are all xerophyte or super xerophyte,and have been classified as national or Inner Mongolia priority protective plants were described in this paper The results showed that the leave of these plants tend to become smaller and develop thick cuticle and lush epidermis hairs;The palisade tissue are highly developed,among the nined species,the mesophylls in Potaninia mongolica,Prunus mongolica and Ammopipanthus mongolicus are full palisade type,Tetraena mongolica,Haplophyllum tragacanthordes and Hippolytia alaschanensis are ring palisade type and Leptodemis ordosia,Helianthemum soogoricum and Syring pinnatifolia var holashanensis are nomal type;In the stems and the leave of these plants,mucilage cells and crystal cells are found being everywhere and mechanical tissues are also well developed These forml and structural characters showed a highly adaptation to dry and infertility


The invention provides a chain-unfolded type solar power station with a tilting function and aims to solve the problems that an existing mobile solar power station is little in electric energy production and large in weight, and the daylighting angle cannot be adjusted. A chain unfolding device is arranged on a tilting device. An output shaft of a first motor is provided with a first drive gear, the first drive gear is meshed with one of two first driven gears, a main truss is arranged to be horizontal, a first driven gear shaft and the main truss are arranged to be parallel in the length direction of the main truss, the two first driven gears are fixed to the two ends of the first driven gear shaft respectively, the other driven gear is meshed with a second driven gear, the two side end faces of the main truss are each provided with an unfolding assembly, each unfolding assembly is driven by multiple chains, and the upper surface of the main truss and the upper surface of the two unfolding devices are each provided with a plurality of solar cell panels. The chain-unfolded type solar power station is used for emergency power supply.


The authors report on short-wavelength In0.53Ga0.47As∕AlAs0.56Sb0.44 quantum cascade detectors (QCDs). At room temperature, one device detects at 505meV (2.46μm) with a responsivity of 2.57mA∕W, while a second QCD is sensitive at 580meV (2.14μm) with a responsivity of 0.32mA∕W.


Purpose - Research and development of hardware and software for rapid analysis of soil parameters. Research methods: modeling; methods of direct measurements in field experiments; analytical methods of processing measurement results; expert evaluations; prognostication. Results. The offered hardware - software means allow: 1. Measure the following soil parameters: - soil moisture in the range from 10 to 95 %; - soil temperature in the range from 0 to 100 ˚C; - soil pH in the range from 10 to 14 hydrogen units; - electrical conductivity of the soil (standard requirements); - concentration of CO2 and CH4 above the soil surface (international standard methods) in the range from 10 to 3000 ppm. 2. Perform measurement of measurement results according to given and variable algorithms. 3. To form an integrated assessment of the current state of the soil. 4. Predict possible changes in soil condition in the short - and medium term. Conclusions. The use of the information-measuring system developed by the authors allows to quickly obtain results on the current state of soils, namely: soil temperature, soil moisture, pH and conductivity at the required depths. The time required to obtain such an integrated characteristic is a maximum of 5 minutes, which provides significant advantages over traditional methods of analysis of soil parameters, significantly increases the efficiency of measurement processes and makes it possible to measure parameters directly in the field by agronomists or technologists. At this stage, the system is tested and ready for use. Using the user interface, you can set critical soil parameters, beyond which the system sends notifications to the station (or user). Also when entering, in the appropriate fields, the parameters for analysis, the system shows to which group the current data can be attributed. In addition, sensor data can be written to external memory. This helps in further comparison, statistics and simplifies the analysis of soil changes and allows you to make predictions. The information and measurement system can be used by agricultural enterprises and regional environmental units. The obtained results confirm the expediency of using the methods of express analysis of soil parameters with the use of intelligent hardware and software portable means. The need for such IBCs is up to 1000 units per year.


The ordering of words in category fluency lists is indicative of the semantic distance between items in conceptual memory. Several studies have concluded from structural analyses of such data, using cluster analysis or multidimensional scaling, that the semantic memory of patients with schizophrenia is more disorganized than that of controls. Previous studies have based their analyses on a measure of average interitem dissimilarity devised by A. S. Chan et al. (1993). Here the authors derive a new and improved method of determining dissimilarity and show that when this measure is applied to the fluency lists of patients with schizophrenia, the average pattern of organization for the animal category has similar structure to that of controls, but with greater variability between individuals.


Exercise capacity among cardiac patients is not sufficiently predicted using left ventricular ejection fraction resting measurement. The echocardiographic measurement using Wall Motion Score Index (WMSI) and Anatomical M-mode (AAM) Systolic Thickening post-myocardial infarction was studied to determine its correlation with functional capacity. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 33 consecutive post-MI patients. The inclusion criteria included heart failure patients with NYHA class I-II visiting the cardiology outpatient clinic of Soetomo Hospital, Surabaya. A resting echocardiogram, measuring WSMI and AMM systolic thickening of basal and mid-LV segments, was taken. The patients underwent a treadmill stress test using the Naughton protocol on the same day of their echocardiography examination. Samples were then analyzed using SPSS 2.0. Study subjects were 69.7% males with age 58.45±6.2 years old and BMI 24.07±3.2 kg/m2. The proportion of hypertension was 60.6%, smoking 51.5%, diabetes mellitus 42.4%, and dyslipidemia 42.4%. WMSI was 1.68±0.45, mean AMM systolic thickening 39±13%, and exercise capacity 3.69±1.8 METs. There was a moderate negative correlation of WMSI and a moderate positive correlation of AMM systolic thickening with functional capacity (r = –0.466, r = 0.415 consecutively; p<0.05). WMSI and AMM systolic thickening were correlated with functional capacity in post-MI patients with heart failure.


In the device expanders are used with demodulators to restore the compressed time base colour difference and compressed time base luminance signals which have been alternately recorded with a frequency modulated time multiplex signal. The clock pulse generator has a first pahse star loop circuit with tolerance in its responding characteristics so that it can respond to a horizontal sync. pulse, in time with multiplexed signal, which deviates from its correct position. A second phase star loop circuit tolerates no deviation or noise in the horizontal sync. pulse position.


Objective: To review the literature on associations between cardiovascular diseases and tobacco use, including recent trends in smoking behaviors and clinical approaches for cessation of smoking. Methods: A literature review of recent scientific findings for smoking and cardiovascular diseases and recommendations for obtaining cessation. Results: Tobacco smoking is causally related to cardiovascular disease, with nearly a half million deaths annually attributed to cigarette smoking in the United States. The human, economic, medical, and indirect costs are enormous. Secondhand smoke as inhaled from the environment also plays an important role in the genesis of cardiovascular diseases. A recent trend in the use of e-cigarettes is noted particularly among youth. For children, prevention is the best strategy. For adult smokers, behavioral treatments, self-help approaches, and pharmacologic therapies are readily available. Clinicians can have a significant impact on patients' smoking habits. Adding to individual strategies, regulatory community and public health approaches provide the potential for eliminating the use of tobacco. Conclusion: Tobacco smoke causes cardiovascular morbidity and death. Clinicians can play a role in preventing smoking and promoting cessation.


Based on Ganzhou land use planning, analysis issues through forecasting and evaluation of Ganzhou, combined with the environmental impact assessment technical guidelines, proposed the DPSIR evaluation system of Ganzhou borough, and use years from 2001 to 2010 and forecast of the year 2020, the base maps and data to evaluation of Ganzhou with the DPSIR model, the corresponding conclusions and countermeasures. Aims to make the appropriate planning guidance, and play a positive promoting role.


Jane Hanley asks if it is time to consider the way in which health visitors and colleagues respond to the ever-increasing menace of climate change


Hardness standard of tungsten single crystal were utilized in order to check stability and reproducibility of nanoindentation testers. The pop-in load and maximum penetration depth were measured and monitored during several hundreds of repeated experiments. One of the tested instruments showed gradual increase of pop-in load and decrease of maximum depth, which indicate the indenter tip was damaged by repeated tests. The both parameters, the pop-in load and the maximum depth, can be used to detect the change of the area function; the pop-in force is more sensitive and should be easy for general users. Other applications of tungsten single crystal are also discussed.


The article reviews and assesses criticisms of the 1947 Town and Country Planning Act, particularly after its 1968 reformed version. Focusing on the shift in planning values, it examines such factors as the unforeseen postwar changes in economic and environmental expectations in both the private and public sectors, and changes in local government structure and administration brought about by the 1972 Local Government Act. It con cludes that the problems which became evident after the 1968 reforms in the planning system—"internal difficulties, local government changes, economic downturn"— con tinue to affect planning values and provoke dissatisfaction with the planning process. The article looks ahead to the 1980s and concludes that planning will be characterized by professionalism; planners will implement policy, will act as facilitators, and will con centrate on regeneration rather than manage growth.


This is a study of the poetry of the American writer Wallace Stevens (1879-1955). Stevens' poetry is often concerned with the relation between consciousness and world, the perceiver and the perceiv ...


The Context Interchange (COIN) framework is a platform of concepts that bridges the contextual divide among heterogeneous data sources. In this thesis, we present a metadata representation and management layer that augments the Context Interchange framework. On metadata representation, a suite of XML-based representation of COIN metadata is fashioned. These XML-based representations include RDF, RuleML, and RFML. The transformation between the different representations is done through XSLT. An intuitive user interface is also created to aid the creation of metadata for context mediation. The user interface features textual and graphical components that conceptualize ontology, context, and source information. On metadata management, a registry is set up to provide centralized access of metadata files. The designed system provides facility for knowledge sharing and reuse, a concept that is missing in the previously Prolog dominated COIN system. Thesis Supervisor: Stuart E. Madnick Title: John Norris Maguire Professor of Information Technologies, MIT Sloan School of Management and Professor of Engineering Systems, MIT School of Engineering Acknowledgement Work reported herein has been supported, in part, by the Malaysia University of Science and Technologies (MUST), the MIT Center for eBusiness, MITRE Corporation, Motorola, the Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA), and Suruga Bank.


The present invention relates to a condenser, in particular, to a built-in oil condenser. The main prior art is to solve the existing condenser can not be used when an oil-back process, if necessary require external oil back to the oil separator, so that production costs are high, heat exchange efficiency is low, a large amount of space, etc. technical problems. The present invention comprises a tubular body (1), the cylinder (1) provided with front and rear ends, respectively, the tube plate (2) and the rear tube plate (3), front and rear panels are connected to the front pipe tank (4), after tank (5), the cylinder body has a plurality of heat transfer tubes (6), the outer cylinder assembly is provided with an intake pipe (7), the liquid outlet pipe (8), the inner cylinder is provided with an oil separator (9), the oil separator is located in the upper portion of the cylinder, an oil separator and is inclined 25-35 ° in the cylinder, the oil separator communicates with the intake pipe assembly, the joint of the oil separator (10) and the oil return oil fraction taken over the barrel (11) connection.


Nowadays there is increasing interest of researchers to explore herbal drugs for health benefits of human as well as animals. Drugs which are obtained from natural sources are pharmacologically potent and have low or no side effects for use in preventive medicine. Cyperus rotundus L. is commonly known as nagarmotha, motha in local languages. It is available all over the country. Cyperus rotundus is having some reported activities like antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, hepatoprotective and antimicrobial properties. It contains flavonoids, tannins, glycosides, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, sitosterol, alkaloids saponins, terpenoids, essential oils, starch, carbohydrates, protein, separated amino acids and different secondary metabolites. Considering the growing interest in the field of plant drugs assessing different pharmacological activities. In this review we are discussing about the therapeutic potential and chemical constituents of Cyperus rotundus.


Radiotherapy induced photopenia in the right hemipelvis of a patient with right groin low-grade, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was imaged with Tc-99m Sn F 2 colloid labeled white blood cells. Tc-99m HMPAO and In-111 labeled white cells scintigraphy is well documented while Tc99m Sn F 2 colloid labeled white cell scintigraphy is not so well established, although the technique is easier, cheaper and produces images of similar diagnostic quality


The vibrational spectroscopic constants and the corresponding full vibrational energy spectra for X1∑+ state of HF and X2Π state of HF+ are first obtained using algebraic method(AM).Furthermore,the accurate full Rydberg-Klein-Rees(RKR)potential energy curves of these two electronic states are also acquired for the first time based on the AM spectra.The results show that AM can accurately give vibrational spectroscopic constants and full vibrational energy spectra involving the highest-lying vibrational energy from accurate experimental vibrational energy subsets,as thus,the full RKR potentials generated by the AM spectra are superior to most empirical analytical potentials in describing the performance of the important asymptotic and dissociation region of the systems.


This paper is an analysis of the financing preference of China electric power industry through an empirical analysis method. Through a detailed study using the data of listed electric power companies from 2004-2006, which belongs to the security markets of Shanghai and Shenzhen, We grasp the fact that debt financing is the main method widely used in listed electric power companies, especially long-term debt financing method. This find is very useful for further research on financing effects of to electric power industry, as well as to investors and creditors of the listed electric power companies.


We report here a compact and efficient sensing technique that utilises the self-mixing effect in terahertz Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs). A terahertz QCL is used both for the emission and the detection of light. Sensors based on this technique promise high sensitivity, simplicity of optical design and the potential for implementation in monolithic arrays.


Objective To investigate the value and significance of heat shock protein-27 in patients with coronary heart disease.Method The patients were divided into three groups:Acute myocardial infarction group (AMI) of 26 patients [male:female=16:10,age (60.4±11.5) years];unstable angina pectoris group (UAP) of 17 patients [male:female=10:7,age (62.7±13.2) years];chest pain syndrome group of 20 patients [male:female=12:8,age( 58±14.4) years].The three groups were characterized by clinical manifestations,electrocardiogram,myocardial enzymes and coronary angiography.Elisa analysis was used to detect the plasma concentrations of heat shock protein-27 in the above-mentioned three groups.Results Plasma levels of heat shock protein-27 in the AMI group UAP group chest pain syndrome group,and had statistical significance (P0.05).Conclusion Plasma level of heat shock protein-27 (HSP-27) in detecting myocardial ischemia has clinical significance and in the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia has certain value,HSP-27 can be used as a good biochemical indicator about myocardial ischemia.


Society of Neuropathologists and Psychiatrists at Kazan State University. Meeting on May 28, 1930, dedicated to the memory of Prof. A. V. Favorsky I. Rusetsky. To the study of hyperkinesis. From the available classifications of hyperkinesis, the speaker accepts the following: 1) trembling hyperkinesis, 2) myoclonic, 3) systematized rhythmic bradyhyperkinesis, and 4) choreiform hyperkinesis. The speaker conducted a study of these forms of hyperkinesis in 35 patients by using graphic methods for registering contraction of hyperkinetic muscles.


Modular multilevel converter (MMC) is now the state-of-the-art converter topology for high-voltage dc transmission (HVDC) systems. Another potential application for MMC is medium-voltage (MV) high-power industrial ac drives. In high-power applications, thermal constraints of power semiconductor devices limit device switching frequency to a few hundred hertz. However, there exists a tradeoff between device switching frequency and harmonic distortion of converter output currents. Synchronous optimal pulsewidth (SOP) modulation is an emerging low-device switching-frequency-modulation technique for high-power converters, which maintains the quality of converter output currents. SOP technique has been successfully demonstrated for classical multilevel topologies and it has been proved that maximum-device switching frequency can be limited to rated fundamental frequency for seven or higher level inverters without compromising on the quality of output currents. However, implementation of SOP technique for MMC topology is still pending. One of the main challenges for control of MMC is to maintain floating-capacitor voltages around their nominal value. The goal of our study is to propose, analyze, and implement enhanced SOP technique for MMCs to achieve low-device switching-frequency operation, better quality of converter output currents, and maintain capacitor voltages around their nominal value. The proposed technique has been validated using low-power prototype of five-level MMC feeding an 1.5-kW induction motor.


Th is brief but pithy monograph by Ursula Stephany and Anastasia Christofi dou, both key contributors to the study of Greek child language acquisition over the years, appears as a dedicated issue of a Working Papers series. S & C have produced here a work that, despite its possibly provisional nature as a "working paper", nonetheless deserves – because of both its content and its authors – the careful attention of those interested in the acquisition of language in general and of Greek in particular. In this review, I summarize the fi ndings reported on here and off er an evaluation of the work.


The fatigue property of ductile iron(EN-GJS500-7) prepared by hot isostatic pressing(HIP) was compared with that before heat treatment.The contents of pearlite,graphite and ferrite were changed with different HIP process.The influence on the fatigue properties of ductile iron with HIP process was discussed with the changes of their microstructures.The results show that if the content of pearlite increases and the content of ferrite decreases after this process,the fatigue resistance property improves,and vice versa.


The recent trend towards higher density and the faster transfer rate in portable rotating data storage devices requires their track-following system to be controlled with high speed and downsized. Usually, a voice coil motor is used in the system as an actuator. In this paper a novel voice coil motor with a multisegmented magnet array is proposed for making the actuating force higher and the size smaller.


Reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy (RAS) was applied to study the reconstructed surfaces of InAs(001) at room temperature. Arsenic-capped InAs samples, grown by molecular beam epitaxy, were annealed in ultrahigh vacuum. Low energy electron diffraction shows that, following As decapping, a $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4$ phase (As-rich) is obtained after annealing the sample at 340 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C (10 mins), while a subsequent annealing at 450 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C (15 mins) yields a $4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2$ phase (In-rich). Using Kramers-Kronig relations, the anisotropy of the imaginary part of the surface dielectric function $(\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}_{s}^{\ensuremath{''}})$ between [1\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}10] and [110] directions of the substrate has been obtained from RAS data. We present both the RAS and $\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}_{s}^{\ensuremath{''}}$ spectra characteristic of $(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4)$ and $(4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2)$ reconstructed InAs(001) surfaces, and interpret the appearing features in terms of surface-state transitions and bulk transitions (modified by the surface). The experimental data are compared with the case of GaAs(001). Below 3 eV, the presence of As and In dimers at the surface gives rise to optical anisotropies centered at 2.4 and 1.7 eV, respectively, with opposite polarizations depending on the dimer-bond direction. At higher energies, a structure related to ${E}_{0}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ bulk critical point (at 4.4 eV) is visible.


IN THIS ERA OF GLOBALIZATION it is important for the general public to have some knowledge of the histories and cultures of people around the world. The main source of information for most people would be a world history course. What they learn may not, however, be as accurate as one might wish. I have found that, to some extent, world history texts suffer from a Eurocentric bias when dealing with the histories of non-European peoples. I will illustrate this point by looking at how nine world history texts treat the Harappan (also called Indus) civilization and the Aryans in ancient India. These are the texts:1


The results of surgical treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolic events in the industrial model of a multi-hospital setting. Clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and safety of a comprehensive program of surgical prophylaxis and treatment of venous thromboembolism was studied in 125 501 hospitalized patients. The studied period of time (2001-2002 gg. аnd 2003-2007) showed a decrease in the overall incidence of venous thromboembolism from 2,9% to 0,8%. Thus significantly reduced in-hospital mortality and perioperative of pulmonary embolism (PE). Clinical efficacy associated with a reduction in venous thromboembolism and death from pulmonary embolism in the group of patients operated was almost 2 times higher.


To overcome the existing problems specific to a hydro-viscous speed regulator, the authors have developed a direct-controlled hydro-viscous variable speed driver (HVD), which features an organic integration of control precision, dynamic response and operation reliability. On-site operating experience indicates that the HVD has achieved a reliable and steady operation with significant energy-savings, and is well suited for engineering applications.


Ventricular septal defect(VSD) is the most common congenital heart defect,which accounts for approximately 20% of congenital heart defects.Surgical closure,considered as standard treatment,of VSD has been performed for many years.It remains associated with noticed morbidity and mortality.Transcatheter techniques have been developed in the last 10 years and the devices of the Amplatzer family have achieved a large popularity in clinical practice,as the most common used devices in muscular and perimembranous VSD closure.Percutaneous closure is safe and effective,with significantly reduction of mortality and complications.


Objective To provide the experience on transporting a critical ill infant by airliner. Methods After careful evaluation and preparation, a 11 month infant, suffered from Fallot' pentalogy, heart and lung dysfunctions after surgical separation of connecting body deformity and tracheotomy for 9 months, was transported to Berlin for heart surgery and returned back to Fuzhou with portable respirator by airliner. Results The infant was successfully transported from Fuzhou through Shanghai and Frankfort to Berlin for surgical treatment, and returned back to Fuzhou after operation. Conclusions Careful evaluation of the severity and stability of patient's conditions, overall preparation for medical and transportation risks, and excellent cooperation of different departments of civil aviation are key factors for successfully transporting a critical ill infant by airliner.


New Mexico under Mexico, 1821-1846 -- Frontier justice -- The bad life -- Death before Christmas -- The servant boy -- Murder in the Bosque -- Domestic violence -- Death at a fandango -- A matter of honor -- Trouble in Tom e -- Murder within the community -- Death in a mining camp -- The missing peddler -- Two Frenchmen -- An acquittal -- Conflict with foreigners.


Symbiosis refers to the relationship between symbiotic units at symbiotic environment according to some co-occurrence patterns.It is meaningful to apply symbiosis theory to regional tourism resources integration and cooperation mechanism in West Fujian.Based on symbiosis theory,through constructing the cooperation mechanism of symbiosis tourism,West Fujian will be turned into an important ecological tourism and leisure resort at the west coast of the strait,so as to achieve co-existence and win-win purpose between tourist areas.


The focus of this study is to examine the effect of abnormal audit fee to
audit quality and IFRS adoption is used to moderate its relation. Abnormal audit
fee is the difference between the actual audit fee and the estimated of its normal
audit fee. In this study, we use the discretionary accruals as the proxy of the audit
quality.
The population in this study is all the non-financial companies which
registered on IDX for 2011-2013 period. We use the purposive sampling method
and it obtains the 213 companies as our sample. We use the Modified Jones
Model to calculate the discretionary accruals while double regression analysis is
used to analyze the data.
The result shows that abnormal audit fee impacts the audit quality
negative significantly and IFRS adoption doesn't impact the relation between
abnormal audit fee and audit quality. This result supports the audit effort theory
whereby fee audit surely reflects the auditor effort to do all the audit procedures.


The numerical modelling of the VKI-Longshot facility remains a challeng-ing task as it requires multi-physical numerical methods in order to simulate all the components. In the current dissertation, numerical tools were developed in order to study each component of the facility separately and a deep investigations of each stage of the shot were performed. This helped to better understand the different processes involved in the flow development inside this hypersonic wind tunnel. However the numerical computation of different regions of the facility treated as independent from each others remains an approximation at best.The accuracy of the rebuilding code for determining the free stream conditions and the total enthalpy in the VKI-Longshot facility was investigated by using a series of unsteady numerical computations of axisymmetric hypersonic flow over a heat flux probe. Good agreement was obtained between the numerical results and the measured data for both the stagnation pressure and the heat flux dur- ing the useful test time.The driver-driven part of the Longshot facility was modelled using the quasi one-dimensional Lagrangian solver L1d2. The three main conditions used for the experiments —low, medium and high Reynolds number —were considered.The chambrage effect due to the junction between the driver and the driven tubes in the VKI-Longshot facility was investigated. The computation showed great ben- efit of the chambrage in increasing the speed of the piston and thus the final compression ratio of the test gas.Two dimensional simulations of the flow in the driver and the driven tube were performed using Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) solver in COOLFLuiD. A parallel multi-domain strategy was developed in order to integrate the moving piston within the computational domain.The computed pressure in the reservoir is compared to the one provided by the experiment and good agreement was obtained for both con- editions.Finally, an attempt was made to compute the starting process of the flow in the contoured nozzle. The transient computation of the flow showed how the primary shock initiates the flow in the nozzle before reaching the exit plan at time of 1.5 [ms] after the diaphragm rupture. The complex interactions of the reflected shocks in the throat raise the temperature above 9500 [K] which was not expected. Chemical dissociation of Nitrogen was not taken into account during this transient investigation which may play a key role considering the range of temperature reached near the throat.


The netrins and their receptors (deleted in colorectal cancer [DCC] and unc-5 netrin receptors A–D [UNC5A–D]) play essential roles for central nervous system (CNS) development, mediating axonal and neuronal navigation. Emerging evidence indicates that they are implicated in maintaining the adult brain structure and mediating the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Recently, we reported the reduction of netrin-1 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was inversely correlated with inflammatory cytokines-activated transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer binding protein β (C/EBPβ) in PD patient brains and colons. C/EBPβ binds to the promoters, repressing both netrin-1 and BDNF mRNA expression. Remarkably, netrin-1 deprivation triggered mammalian Ste20-like kinases 1 (MST1; Hippo) activation, which subsequently phosphorylated UNC5B and induced its apoptotic fragmentation via active caspase-3 in dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Moreover, deficiency of netrin-1 stimulated activation of delta-secretase (asparagine endopeptidase [AEP]) that cleaves α-Syn at N103 and UNC5C receptor, facilitating PD pathologies. This review summarizes our current understanding of the crucial role of netrin-1 and its receptors in CNS and enteric nervous system contributing to PD pathologies by orchestrating multiple molecular players, including MST1, AEP, and C/EBPβ. These findings support that blockade of AEP or stimulation of netrin-1 signaling may provide an innovative disease-modifying therapeutic strategy for treating PD.


This study was designed to investigate the effects of instructions regarding beverage content and alcohol beverage consumption on preference for alcohol. The subjects were 32 male undergraduate nonalcoholic drinkers. Subjects were told they would receive either an alcoholic or a nonalcoholic beverage and did or did not receive an alcoholic priming dose designed to raise their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to. 06%. After they consumed their drinks, subjects participated in two similar taste-rating tasks in which they ostensibly were required to discriminate between alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. The task was administered two times, once when the BAC was rising and once when it was descending. Analyses of the beverage consumption data showed no significant effects of instructions, beverage, or direction of the blood alcohol function on preferences for alcohol. Combined with the findings of other studies, these results suggest moderate doses of alcohol have little effect on subsequent drinking by ...


BackgroundFor over 35 years the 'Breast Cancer Awareness Month' (BCAM) has worked to increase public information about breast cancer and to raise funds for research. The aim of this study was to analyze how the interest generated by this campaign evolved over time, in the US and other countries.MethodsWe investigated the Google Trends® according to previously recommended methods. The study was based on Internet searches using the term ''breast cancer'' worldwide and in the United-States. Google Trends® gives the relative search volume of every request as an index on a scale from 0 to 100, (100 corresponding to the maximum number of requests during the studied period). We compared the relative searches index using the term ''breast cancer'' during October, the breast cancer awareness month, and the rest of the of the year avec a 10 years period.Results120 months were analyzed including 10 October months. Median index for worldwide searches on ''breast cancer'' during the 110 months was 35 (34-39). It didn't significantly change during the study period (R2=0,3). Median index of the 10 peaks was 83 (64-92) (p<0,001 vs 110 months). The peak index linearly decreased (R2=0,88) during the study period. It reached 100 in 2012 and 64 in 2020. In the United-States, median index for searches during the 110 months was 28 (26-32). It didn't significantly change during the study period (R2=0,3). Median index of the 10 peaks was 83 (63-92) (p<0,001 vs 110 months). The peak index linearly decreased (R2=0,73) during the study period. It reached 100 in 2012 and 64 in 2020.ConclusionsThis internet activity study shows that the impact of the 'Breast Cancer Awareness Month' seems to be slowly decreasing. The number of Internet searches generated by the campaign has been reduced by almost 40% in both the United-States and worldwide.


Tourism imaginaries are very closely bound up with geographical imaginaries. They are constructed from the different information sources which we encounter in our everyday life. Various forms of media play an active role in disseminating information about locations. This article aims to unpack French tourism imaginaries of Colombia by analysing images of this country in media coverage. Analysis focuses on the image presented by television, the travel advice website of the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and comments shared by tourists on TripAdvisor.The article demonstrates the evolution of a tourism imaginary for a destination associated with negative images, the role played by media, and by tourists today, who can change these tourism imaginaries more rapidly by sharing their tourist experiences online and on social media.


To understand parental expectations in Chinese immigrant families in Canada, this qualitative study intends to uncover a folk theory grounded in the perspectives and experiences of a group of recent Chinese immigrant parents and children. As a tradition, the parents emphasize the importance of school achievement and moral character. In response to their life disadvantages in Canada, the parents rely on science‐related career aspirations and cultural integration to help optimize their children's future. While the majority of the children hold parallel views and share similar expectations with their parents, some children experience intense feelings in reconciling vast differences presented in the dual process of enculturation and acculturation. Cultural expectations, perceived minority immigrant status, and tension inherent in the process of acculturation are three intertwined forces underpinning the evolving relationship between parental expectations and children's school achievement in these Chinese immigrant families.


Abstract In 2004, the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills developed an employee-based, volunteer programme known as the Lifestyle Incentives For Employees (LIFE) Plan to encourage weight management, exercise and cessation of tobacco use. The purpose of this study is to: (a) compare the health expenditure costs of 41 employees with continuous enrolment in the LIFE Plan and 32 employees who never enrolled in the LIFE Plan; and (b) describe the Wellsource Personal Wellness Profile data of the 620 LIFE Plan members since the inception of the programme, with emphasis on chronic medical conditions affecting number of sick days and hospital days. The data show a downward trend in the annual healthcare expenditures for LIFE Plan members. For the most commonly reported medical conditions from the profile data, individuals with hypertension, arthritis, back pain and joint pain have more sick days and more hospital days than individuals without these medical conditions. The LIFE Plan shows the possibility of reducing high health insurance costs using an employee-based health programme. By incorporating clear worksite health education messages to encourage behaviour changes that remedy chronic conditions, the longitudinal results are expected to contribute to greater cost reductions in the future.


The interplay of genetic and environmental factors in shaping human behaviourbehavior and mental health staysremains a centralpivotal question in psychological research. This paper givesprovides a comprehensive overview of the existentexisting literature on the relative contributions of the genes and the environment focusingthis topic, with a particular focus on twin and adoption studies, epigenetics, and gene-environment interactions. The paper emphasisesIt emphasizes the importance of considering both genetic anand environmental factors when investigating human behaviourbehavioral development and mental health and highlights potential areas for future research.


According to condition recommended in references, two bio-samples, the tea leaves and the wheat flour , are prepared with two different methods of ground into powder and reduced to ash. The radionuclides in the samples are analysed by V spectrometry. The results show that the measured values of tea samples prepared by different method have outstanding difference, and the preparation method of reduced to ash makes some nuclides of the sample lost. Comparing with the nondestructive method of ground into powder samples, the method of reduced to ash could make the detection sensibility much higher, but its suitability for kinds of samples and nuclides has some limitation, so its application have to be careful. At the same time it is shown in the work that developing the study about influence on determination results of samples prepared with different methodes still has very significance. The probable reasons are discussed for widely different influence with different preparation method of the tea leaves and wheat flour.


Education is increasingly conceptualised by governments and policymakers in western democracies in terms of productivity and human capital, emphasising elements of individualism and competition over concerns around democracy and equity. More and more, solutions to intransigent educational problems related to equity are seen in terms of quality and accountability. This article examines the role of 'panic' and 'crisis' in the creation of this shift from discourses of equity to discourses of 'teacher quality' in education. Taking a recent Australian 'policy moment' as a case study, it highlights one manifestation of the crisis of teacher quality as represented in politicians' speeches, press releases and interviews, and media reports. It explores how educational panic is used as a tool by politicians and policy makers to manipulate and shape public opinion, such that 'quality' becomes a smoke screen that effectively obscures the issue of equity in education. It argues that in a context where neoliberal technologies of standards and accountability dominate, mediating teachers' practice and shaping teacher habitus and identity, the more likely consequence of this smoke screen is in fact the undermining of both equity and quality in education. It concludes with a call to refocus the debate around issues of substance with more generative consequences for teachers and learners.


Using shape context descriptors in the distance uneven grouping and its more extensive description of the shape feature, so this descriptor has the target contour point set deformation invariance. However, the twisted adhesions verification code have more outliers and more serious noise, the above-mentioned invariance of the shape context will become very bad, in order to solve the above descriptors' limitations, this article raise a new algorithm based on the relative shape context and point pattern matching to identify codes. And also experimented on the CSDN site's verification code, the result is that the recognition rate is higher than the traditional shape context and the response time is shorter.


The effect of phytohemagglutinin on the immune response of mice to sheep erythrocytes has been investigated by measuring the 19S and 7S antibody-producing capacity of isolated spleen cells.
 The administration of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) simultaneously with, or prior to, the injection of sheep red blood cells induced a marked depression of both the primary and secondary immune response. On the other hand, PHA given after the antigen led to no modification of the antibody response. The observed immune suppression was transient, and disappeared within 4 days after PHA administration; thereafter a normal response to antigenic challenge was observed. The magnitude of the immune suppression was dose-dependent and no effects were detected when heat-inactivated PHA was used.


Introduction : Multiple Drug Resistant bacteria are often found in treated waste water from the hospital which leads to transfer of resistance to the bacteria in natural environment. Aims: The present study was aimed to know the spectrum of bacteria in Sewage Treatment Plants and resistance pattern of E. coli and Enterococci as indicator organisms. Methodology: A total of 120 water samples were processed by standard microbiological procedures. Results: The spectrum of common bacteria isolated from the STPs were E. coli (18.9%), Klebsiella (16.3%), Pseudomonas (15.7%), Citrobacter (14.8%), Enterococci (12.3%) Micrococci (11.6%)and Staphylococci (11.6%).  All the isolates (100%) were resistant to Ampicillin. More than 75% isolates of E.coli and more than 70% Enterococci were resistant to  more than four antibiotics. Conclusion: The present study highlights the importance of strict governance on functioning of STP and random microbiological testing to protect the environment.


The Percentage-Closer Soft Shadows(PCSS) technique can generate perceptually accurate soft shadows.PCSS is based on the observation that as the size of the PCF kernel increases,the resulting shadows become softer.The challenge is to vary the filter size intelligently to achieve the correct degree of softness.Using Poisson disk sampling to do the blocker search and the PCF filtering,banding can be reduced without unduly increasing the number of samples.Using a variable depth bias in the direction of the local depth gradient inside the PCF kernel can handle the self-shadowing.So the improved PCSS technique can generate more perceptually accurate soft shadows.


In this paper,we investigate generalized control and synchronization between two identical chaotic systems:the classic Lorenz system and hyperchaotic Chen system based on the active control method and Lyapunov stability theory. Numerical simulations are used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.


The study was carried out to assess the existence of elite capture among the projected villages and within the projected village. The survey was conducted in three projected villages (Pho Lay Lone, Nat Kan and Aung Myay Kone), Magway Township in June 2017. The data on households livelihood were collected from 40 households (20 projected households selected by the ACIAR project with predetermined criteria and 20 non-projected households selected randomly) from each of three projected villages to assess their original human, natural, financial, social and physical capitals using structured questionnaires. In terms of natural, financial, social and physical capitals, the status of Aung Myay Kone village was higher than those of Pho Lay Lone and Nat Kan villages. Therefore, the project chose the projected villages which have varying livelihood status and elite capture could not be observed among three projected villages. In Pho Lay Lone village, the statuses of natural, social and physical capitals of the projected households were higher than those of the non-projected households. In Nat Kan village, the statuses of human, natural, social, financial and physical capitals of the projected households were superior to those of the non-projected households. It indicated that the project might have chosen the households whose livelihood were better than those of remaining households in Pho Lay Lone and Nat Kan villages. Therefore, elite seemed to capture the project in Pho Lay Lone and Nat Kan villages. In Aung Myay Kone village, most livelihood assets under human, natural, financial, social and physical capitals were not significantly different between projected and non-projected households. Therefore, elite capture could not be observed in the selection of projected households in Aung Myay Kone village. It indicated that smallholders had little chance to get the benefits of the project in Pho Lay Lone and Nat Kan villages while the benefit of the project could cover the whole community in Aung Myay Kone village. The comparison of the livelihood of projected households among the projected villages showed that the livelihood of projected households in Aung Myay Kone village was superior to those of Pho Lay Lone and Nat Kan villages even the projected households among three projected villages were selected using the same criteria. It may be interpreted that the poor chance for smallholder farmers to access the project benefit in Pho Lay Lone and Nat Kan villages may be due to the livelihood status of those villages and the selection criteria of the project which did not cover to include smallholder farmers. Therefore, it can be suggested that there should be a proper analysis on the livelihoods of farm households in the target areas and defining suitable selection criteria for each target area before choosing the projected participants to prevent the elite capture.


This article is based on a baseline research conducted in the three locations of Raikos, Ambunti/Dreikikir and Jimi Valley Districts in February 2005. The research was part of an assessment for Tokaut AIDS, an effort to gain a greater understanding of approaches that will prove effective and appropriate in combating HIV/AIDS in PNG by attempting to gain a deeper appreciation of the attitudes held by rural community members within target districts. In each location, a total of 48 in-depth interviews were carried out, 50% from a 'local' area, and 50% in a 'remote' area. A number of specialized community agents were also interviewed in each location according to availability: church and community leaders, hospital and aid post staff, traditional healers, bush doctors or midwives. This article presents the results of this research.


The development of technology has now become very important in the field of distribution business. Technology development has helped many companies improve their performance. Information technologies at companies are needed to support their development of company in various sectors. The Electrical Distribution Company acting as the sole agent for the distribution of electrical components produced in Japan. This organization already has several information systems and quality products, but in some business processes there are still some weakness, such as some processes manually, the system is still not integrated with each other, etc. Enterprise Architecture can help companies to designing the development of organizational structure, business processes, information systems and infrastructure of an organization, so that in the organization can run and work in accordance with the vision and mission. Enterprise architecture has several frameworks that can be used in the design information system such as the TOGAF, Zachman, and others Frameworks. This research will use one of the enterprise architecture frameworks, the Open Group Architecture Framework TOGAF is a method for how to build, manage and implement enterprise architecture and information system. The results of this study are in the form of blueprints adjusted to the interests of business processes and business needs of the existing.


High temperature electrical conductivity (HTEC) as a function of time after step-like change of Zn vapor pressure (PZn) at fixed ZnO crystal temperature (TZnO) and after step-like change of TZnO at fixed PZn was measured in undoped ZnO single crystal and in undoped ZnO ceramic sample. It was found a difference on HTEC relaxation curves in these measurements. Samples were cooled from temperature 1273 K to room temperature. Appearance of asymmetric spectrum with g≈1.96 and disappearance of Mn2+ spectrum were detected in EPR investigations. Then vacuum annealing was applied for these samples and intensity of g≈1.96 EPR spectrum was registered after every vacuum annealing cycles. The change in sample color, the change in g≈1.96 spectrum intensity as well as appearance again of Mn2+ EPR spectrum in the course of vacuum annealing was explained by the model of defect clusters formed during cooling of the crystal. (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


This study investigated the effects of soil amendments by organic and inorganic fertilizers for the growth and yield performance of Abelmoschus esculentus L. (Moench). Field trials were carried out at the field section of Bioresources Development Centre, Odi, in 2017 cropping season. The treatment consisted of sugarcanebagasse+poultry-waste (SBPW) at 3:2, compost tea, NPK (15:15:15) and control without fertilizer arranged in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. The NPK fertilizer and SBPW were applied 2 table spoonful per plant and compost tea was applied 100 mL per plant during vegetative growth of plant. Data were obtained for plant height, number of leaf, stem girth, leaf width, leaf length and fresh weight of fruit on ten (10) plants that were randomly sampled. SBPW, compost tea and NPK influenced the growth and yield performance of okra. NPK and SBPW at week 3 after 3WAP produced the highest plant height of 37.60 and 37.19 cm, respectively. Also, highest number of leaves and leaf width per plant was obtained in the application of SBPW having 14.00 and 30.76 respectively. The highest leaf length was evidenced in NPK application (31.06) and stem girth had the highest in compost tea application (6.18). The control, without fertilizer, was significantly the lowest in the growth parameters compared with other treatments but had the highest number of fruit set (p<0.05). The highest average fruit fresh weight was obtained in SBPW application. Hence, the organic fertilizers, especially SBPW as amendment is therefore recommended on both enriched and malnourished soil.


Although the skin is the most common organ affected by chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) and carries significant morbidity, the prognostic implications of skin severity and response to treatment are unknown. Using data from the Chronic GVHD Consortium, a multi-center observational longitudinal cohort of cGVHD patients, we characterized the temporal course of skin cGVHD and examined whether severity and response of erythema-type disease are associated with overall survival (OS), non-relapsed mortality (NRM), and failure-free survival (FFS). Of 469 patients with cGVHD and longitudinal follow-up, 267 (56.9%) had skin cGVHD at enrollment and 89 (19.0%) developed involvement later. Time from transplant to onset of erythema-type cGVHD was earlier and more concentrated than sclerotic-type cGVHD (median 268 days, IQR 194-430 v. 577 days, IQR 369-825, p<0.001). In the 267 patients with skin cGVHD at enrollment, erythema-type cGVHD was more treatment responsive from baseline to first follow-up visit compared to sclerotic-type (mean  BSA -18.3 v. -3.1%). In multivariate analysis, the percent BSA at first follow-up was associated with OS (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.16-1.49 per 10%  BSA), NRM (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.2-1.48), and FFS (HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.02-1.23). BSA at follow-up adds prognostic value when compared to baseline BSA assessment alone for OS (LR 21.6 v 7.5, p<0.001), NRM (LR 20.8 v 7.9, p<0.001), and (FFS 8.0 v 2.9, p=0.02). These data demonstrate important differences in the natural history of erythema and sclerotic-type cGVHD and identify erythema-type BSA response as a significant predictor of survival. Future studies should focus incorporate precise skin phenotyping and longitudinal BSA assessment into the evaluation of therapeutic response. Sebum provides vital cutaneous functions including moisture retention and defense against the external environment, including pathogens. Despite the well-defined homeostatic functions of sebum in fortifying the skin barrier, the role of the microbiota-immune system axis in sebum regulation remains unclear. We have recently shown that the keratinocyte-derived cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) promotes sebum secretion through T cell stimulation. TSLP and T cell-deficient mice display reduced sebum secretion, suggesting an immunologic role in homeostatic sebum release. We hypothesized that skin commensals could represent a trigger for skin T cell recruitment and TSLP release, thereby controlling homeostatic sebum secretion. To test this hypothesis, we measured sebum secretion in germ-free (GF) mice and found a 50% reduction in sebum release compared to conventionally-raised specific-pathogen-free (SPF) controls (p = 0.004). Moreover, GF mice exhibited reduced skin TSLP expression and T cell number. Restoring TSLP expression in GF mice, via delivery of an adeno-associated viral vector, did induce T cell recruitment to the skin and to the sebaceous glands (SGs). Despite this, however, SG activity and sebum secretion was not restored. To determine if T cell function could be defective in GF mice, we adoptively transferred SPF mouse-derived T cells into GF RAG KO mice. However, SPF T cells in GF mice could still not restore sebum secretion, even with TSLP overexpression. Thus, in addition to defective TSLP expression and T cell number in the skin, GF mice harbor SGs that are not responsive to TSLP-stimulated T cells. Ongoing studies are investigating the mechanism by (LP) is a poorly understood chronic, inflammatory disease of the skin and mucosa. Histologically, it is characterized by a band-like infiltrate of lymphocytes at the dermal-epidermal junction as well as basal keratinocyte apoptosis. There are no FDA-approved treatments making this an area of unmet clinical need. Prior work demonstrated a role for IFN- γ in LP, but no cellular source was identified. We collect lesional and non-lesional skin biopsies from patients with LP and its clinical variants and perform single-cell RNA-sequencing to identify cell populations, signaling pathways and cytokines in LP pathogenesis. Our use of non-lesional skin effectively controls for patient-specific but disease-irrelevant differences in protein expression. Preliminary data show that in LP, lichen planopilaris and lichenoid graft-versus-host-disease lesional skin, CD8 T-cells are the source of IFN- γ and these cells produce IL-32. We hypothesize that IL-32 is a downstream effector of IFN- γ and also upregulates IFN-g expression which subsequently contributes to disease pathogenesis and keratinocyte apoptosis. We will confirm IL-32 production by CD8 T-cells and investigate the impact of IL-32 on cytokine production by CD8 and CD4 T-cells and on keratinocyte apoptosis. Desmoglein 3 chimeric autoantibody receptor T-cells (DSG3-CAART) represent a novel antigen-specific cellular immunotherapy, genetically engineered to direct T-cell cytotoxicity toward the anti-DSG3 B-cells that cause mucosal pemphigus vulgaris (mPV). Emerging data from the ongoing phase 1 dose-escalation study of DSG3-CAART in mPV (NCT04422912) allow comparison of preclinical and clinical data. The primary study endpoint is incidence of adverse events (AEs), including dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS), related to DSG3-CAART within 3 months of infusion. In preclinical safety studies, off-target cytotoxic interactions were not identified in mouse xenograft models and screens of primary human cells and a membrane proteome array. DSG3 autoantibodies stimulated DSG3-CAART to proliferate and secrete IFN-g. In the phase 1 clinical study, no DLTs or clinically-relevant AEs including CRS have been observed in the first three cohorts. We previously established DSG3-CAART activity and engraftment consistent with a threshold dose in a mouse xenograft model. Activity was also observed in an active-immune PV model, resulting in reduced serum and tissue-bound autoantibodies. In the phase 1 clinical study, a dose-dependent increase in DSG3-CAART persistence was observed in the third cohort through day 29 compared to the first two low-dose cohorts. The favorable DSG3-CAART safety profile allow the study to evaluate higher doses and a manufacturing enhancement to increase DSG3-CAART persistence. Future studies will utilize single-cell technology to assess DSG3-CAART phenotype, clonality, and expression profiles in vivo, as well as host B- and T-cell responses. DSG3-CAART offers the potential for antigen-specific B-cell depletion and durable disease remission, while avoiding the risks of general immunosuppression caused by current mPV therapies. Histone modifiers are among the most highly mutated genes in all forms of cancer, with the histone demethylase UTX (KDM6A) being one of the most frequent. Found on the X chromosome, UTX is one of the few genes to escape X inactivation and functions as a major enhancer regulator. UTX establishes the active enhancer landscape through its histone demethylase activity as well as its ability to complex with other activating histone modifiers. UTX is implicated in several epithelial cancers and is among the most frequently mutated genes in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). This is supported by loss of UTX expression in cSCC upon immunohistochemical staining. UTY, the Y-linked paralog of UTX, retains minimal catalytic function but can potentially compensate for UTX loss by other mechanisms. This may account for some of the sex specific differences that have been observed in the risk and severity of cSCC. Despite the high incidence of UTX mutations in cSCC, there is virtually no understanding of how it functions during epidermal homeostasis and carcinogenesis. To address these questions, we have generated mice with epidermal specific deletions of Utx . Utx knockout female mice display regions of epidermal hyperplasia, an expanded K14 basal layer and increased immune invasion in the skin when compared to littermate controls. Additionally, depletion of UTX in primary human keratinocytes reveals moderate alterations in hypoxic response genes consistent with a recent discovery that UTX senses cellular oxygen. Taken together, these data suggest that UTX is critical to maintain epidermal homeostasis and proper gene expression, and when lost leads to abnormal development and higher cancer risk. Vaccination against COVID-19 reduces the risk of severe COVID-19 disease and death. However, few studies have examined the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine in patients with autoimmune skin disease. We sought to determine the incidence of disease exacerbation in this population following COVID-19 vaccination as well as the associated factors. We performed a chart review of all patients seen in the autoimmune skin disease clinic of the principal investigator during the study period. All patients included for analysis were systematically and prospectively asked about COVID-19 vaccination status, manufacturers, vaccine dates, autoimmune symptoms after the vaccine, and timing of symptom onset using a standardized template as part of their visit. Demographics and autoimmune disease diagnosis were also collected. Analysis used Chi-square tests. 402 subjects were included for analysis. 86% of patients were fully vaccinated, with 13% unvaccinated and 1% partially vaccinated. 15% of fully vaccinated patients reported autoimmune symptoms after the vaccine. Fully vaccinated dermatomyositis (DM) patients were more likely to report autoimmune symptoms after the vaccine (23%) than fully vaccinated lupus (LE) patients (9%) (p=0.009). Patients fully vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine trended towards an increased likelihood of reporting autoimmune symptoms after the vaccine (19%) than those with the Pfizer vaccine (12%) (p=0.076). Of the patients who had autoimmune symptoms after vaccination, 20% had symptoms after the 1 st dose, Improved therapeutic approaches are needed for non-healing wounds, as they present a major challenge to the


Abstract This study investigates the relationship between word repetition, predictabil-ityfrom neighbouring words, and articulatory reduction in Dutch. For the sevenmost frequent words ending in the adjectival suffix -lijk, 40 occurrences were ran-domlyselected from a large database of face-to-face conversations. Analysis ofthe selected tokens showed that the degree of articulatory reduction (as measuredby duration and number of realized segments) was affected by repetition, pre-dictabilityfrom the previous word and predictability from the following word.Interestingly, not all of these effects were significant across morphemes and tar-getwords. Repetition effects were limited to suffixes, while effects of predictabil-ityfrom the previous word were restricted to the stems of two of the seven targetwords. Predictability from the following word affected the stems of all targetwords equally, but not all suffixes. The implications of these findings for models ofspeech production are discussed.


The invention belongs to the paper making field, particularly relates to a method using banana tree and tea for processing paper, and the method is characterized in that: used raw materials comprise banana stalk, banana leaf, banana peel and tea and tea tree twig; banana stalk, banana leaf and banana peel slurry and a tea and tea tree twig concentration solution are mixed for processing the paper; the banana stalk, banana leaf and banana peel and fresh or wilted tea and tea tree twig are respectively classified and washed to removing impurities, then crushed, soaked, and then repeatedly squeezed and ground into slurry, and then the slurry is filtered and separated to finally obtain a slurry material; the paper is produced by a method breaking through a traditional method, can be widely used, and is wear-resisting, durable, non-pollution, non-fade, and simple in process.


BACKGROUND: Vulvodynia has been considered to be a chronic disorder. We sought to estimate the probability of and risk factors for remission, relapse, and persistence among women screening positive for vulvodynia. METHODS: Survey-based assessment in a longitudinal population-based study of women (the Woman to Woman Health Study) who screened positive for vulvodynia and completed at least four follow-up surveys. Outcome measures included remission without relapse, relapse (after remission), and persistence of a positive vulvodynia screen. Multinomial regression was used to assess factors associated with outcomes. RESULTS: Of 441 women screening positive for vulvodynia during the study, 239 completed 4 additional surveys. Of these, 23 (9.6%) had consistently positive vulvodynia screens, 121 (50.6%) remitted without relapse, and 95 (39.7%) relapsed following remission. Overall, factors associated with both relapse and persistence (compared with remission alone) included increased severity of pain ever (p < 0.001) or after intercourse (p = 0.03), longer duration of symptoms (p ≤ 0.001), and screening positive for fibromyalgia (p < 0.001). Factors associated with persistence (but not relapse) included more severe symptoms with intercourse (p = 0.001) and pain with oral sex (p = 0.003) or partner touch (p = 0.04). Factors associated with relapse (but not persistence) included having provoked pain (p = 0.001) or screening positive for interstitial cystitis (p = 0.05) at first positive vulvodynia screen. Demographic characteristics, age at pain onset, and whether vulvodynia was primary or secondary did not predict outcome. CONCLUSION: Remission of vulvodynia symptoms is common with approximately half of remitters experiencing a relapse within 6-30 months. Persistence without remission is the exception rather than the rule. Pain history and comorbid conditions were associated with the more severe outcomes of relapse and/or persistence compared with those who remitted only. These findings provide further support that vulvodynia is heterogeneous and often occurs in an episodic pattern. OBJECTIVE: The aims of the study were to define the heterogeneity of vulvodynia by determining data-driven subgroups within the vulvodynia diagnosis using exploratory cluster analysis and to characterize the subgroups identified. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Included were participants in the longitudinal population-based study of vulvodynia in southeast Michigan who screened positive for vulvodynia at least once during the study. A cluster analysis using variables reflecting vulvar pain characteristics and comorbid pain conditions was conducted. Variables reflecting best separation of clusters were used to assign participants to subgroup categories. Demographic, psychiatric, general health, and other vulvar pain characteristics …