Purpose: To assess the efficacy of two-dimensional breath-hold coronary magnetic resonance angiography (coronary MRA) in normal rolunteers. Materials and Methods: During a four-month period, 11 volunteers underwent MRA of the major coronary branches using a 2-D multiphase breath-hold spiral fast-gradient echo sequence. The proximal diameter of each visualized coronary artery was measured, and visibility and image quality were also determined. Results: Adequate visualization was achieved in 82-100% of proximal coronary arterial branches and in 36-55% of the middle, distal branches. In general, the diameter of the proximal coronary artery correlated closely with that measured from conventional coronary angiography and using previous coronary MRA data. However, visibility and image quality in the left circumflex coronary artery were limited. Conclusion: In the majority of subjects, 2-D coronary MRA provides adequate visualization of the proximal segments of the major coronary arterial branches.


A cacia catechu ethanolic leaf extract were sel ected to determine their heavy metals content and thereby to assure their safer therapeutic application. The trace and heavy metals were detected through atomic absorption spectrometry analysis. The selected medicinal plant material was procured from green chem herbal extracts, Bangalore, India and was digested with nitric acid and hydrochloric acid as specified. Absorbance was measured through atomic absorption spectrometer (AA 6030 ) and the concentration of different heavy metals in the plant sample was calculated. The quantitative determinations were carried out using standard calibration curv e obtained by the standard solutions of different metals. The contents of heavy metals were found to be within the prescribed limit. Thus, on the basis of experimental outcome, it can be concluded that the plant material is safe and may not produce an y har mful effect of metal toxicity during their therapeutic application. The investig ated medicinal plants contains heavy metals such as arsenic (As), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) and cadmium (Cd), which were present within the permissible limit .


The standard Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) invented by F. Sauli [1] consists of high density holes etched in 50 μm thick copper clad Kapton foil. This study, however, investigated the basic charge gain characteristics of a non-standard 100 μm thick Gas Electron Multiplier, fabricated using the same wet chemical etch process at CERN. It was possible to sustain charge gains of 3× 103 and 1× 104 using single and double stage configurations, respectively, operated in an Ar(70%)-CO2(30%) gas mixture. These values are similar to those achieved with standard GEMs. Crucially, we found that the thicker GEM is more robust as it withstood sparking without catastrophic failure. We also measured the gain dependence on ambient variables such as pressure and temperature and found the gain sensitivity to be 4.0 K/mbar, compared with 1.55 K/mbar for the standard GEM.


Mycorrhizal symbiosis can potentially improve water uptake by plants. In a controlled pot culture experiment, soybean plants were inoculated with two species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Glomus mosseae (Gm) or Glomus etunicatum (Ge), or left non-inoculated (NM) as control in a sterile soil. Four levels of soil moisture (Field capacity, 0.85 FC, 0.7 FC, 0.6 FC) in the presence or absence of the Bradyrhizobium japonicum, were applied to the pots. Relative water content (RWC) of leaf at both plant growth stages (flowering and seed maturation) decreased with the dryness of soil; RWC was higher in all mycorrhizal than non-mycorrhizal plants irrespective of soil moisture level. At the lowest moisture level (0.6 FC) Ge was more efficient than Gm in maintaining high leaf RWC. Leaf water potential (LWP) had the same trend as RWC in flowering stage but it was not significantly influenced by decrease in soil moisture to 0.7 FC during seed maturation stage. Seed and shoot dry weights were affected negatively by drought stress. Mycorrhizal plants, however had significantly higher seed and shoot dry weights than non-mycorrhizal plants at all moisture levels except for seed weight at 0.6 FC. Root mycorrhizal colonization was positively correlated with RWC, LWP, shoot N and K, and seed weight, implying improvement of plant water and nutritional status as a result of colonization. Regardless of moisture treatments, bacterial inoculation caused a significant enhancement in N content and the highest N occurred in rhizobial inoculated plants at 0.85 FC and 0.7 FC. Shoot K was enhanced considerably by both bacterial and fungal inoculations, particularly in plants with dual inoculations where the highest shoot K levels were found. The relatively higher shoot and seed dry weights in plants inoculated with both G. etunicatum and B. japonicum could be ascribed to their higher RWC and LWP, suggesting that drought avoidance is main mechanism of this plant-microbe association in alleviation of water stress in soybean.


Removal of foreign and loose bodies form the hip joint classically involves arthroscopic approaches or surgical dislocation of the hip. However, traumatic injuries associated with loose or foreign bodies are often best treated via an anterior approach. Retrieving intraarticular foreign bodies through an anterior approach can be challenging even for the most experienced surgeon. We describe 2 cases of hip intra-articular foreign body removal through an anterior approach utilizing a Satinsky vascular clamp under fluoroscopic guidance.


The present invention relates to switching power supplies, and especially to a method and the related circuit for protection against malfunctioning of the feedback loop in switching power supplies. More particularly it relates to a circuit for the identification of a condition of excessively high voltage at the output. In one embodiment the circuit for the protection against malfunctioning of thefeedback loop of a switching power supply comprises: means for generating (vaux R1, R2) a voltage proportional to the output voltage of said switching power supply; a comparator (15) for comparing said voltage proportional to the output voltage with a reference voltage (vth); a counter (17) coupled to said comparator capable of supplying an output signal when said voltage proportional to the output voltage exceeds said reference voltage a preset number of times; said output signal is indicative of a malfunctioning of the feedback loop.


Quantum computers promise exponential speed ups over classical computers for various tasks. This emerging technology is expected to have its first huge impact in High Performance Computing (HPC), as it can solve problems beyond the reach of HPC. To that end, HPC will require quantum accelerators, which will enable applications to run on both classical and quantum devices, via hybrid quantum-classical nodes. Hybrid quantum-HPC applications should be scalable, executable on Quantum Error Corrected (QEC) devices, and could use quantum-classical primitives. However, the lack of scalability, poor performances, and inability to insert classical schemes within quantum applications has prevented current quantum frameworks from being adopted by the HPC community. This paper specifies the requirements of a hybrid quantum-classical framework for HPC, and introduces a novel hardware-agnostic framework called Q-Pragma. This framework extends the classical programming language C++ heavily used in HPC via the addition of pragma directives to manage quantum computations.


Gauss-Markov random field model takes advantage of both image intensity and spatial information imposed by Gibbs smoothness prior to the pixel labels and thus can be used to effectively in segmenting the noisy images.However it is always difficult to confirm the Gibbs penalty factor β.As usual,to get good segmentation result for every segmenting-to-be image,various values of β will be tested by hand.So to solve this problem,this article defines a new and simple class-adaptive penalty factor β.It is automatically calculated from the posterior probability and is anisotropic for each class.Furthermore the model iteratively obtains their parameters estimation in the EM-MAP algorithm.Finally,by application of this algorithm to brain MR Image segmentation,the proposed segmentation scheme is proved effective for noisy image and at the same time it distinguishes itself by higher correct classification ratio and correct classification ratio for each class.


Abstract Analysis of questionnaires plays an important role in many areas. In this article, a new approach based on a measure of information discrepancy is proposed to investigate variable selection and discriminant analysis which are two basic problems in analysis of questionnaire data. In contrast to other methods, this approach can be used in cases with multiple groups of samples, i.e., it can deal with more complicated questionnaires involving multiple questions, multiple answers, and multiple groups. Moreover, the elementary applications show that the new approach of discriminant analysis is not only effective but also simple.


THz-TDS are used to study four kinds of drug: cortisone, hydrocortisone, prednisone and prednisolone. The THz spectra of them are obtained and analyzed from 0.2 - 1.6 THz. The experimental results shows the four samples have the different THz spectra. Cortisone has a peak at 1.5 THz and a broad absorption peak at 0.96 THz, while hydrocortisone has a weak absorption peak that lies at 1.27 THz. At the same time the prednisone has the stronger absorption peaks than the others, and its two peaks shows at 1.24 THz and 1.5 THz. Prednisolone has a weak broad peak at 1.43 THz. The results of the theoretical calculation were performed using Gaussian 03 software with Density Functional Theory at the basis set of 6-31+G (d, p). The theoretical vibrational frequencies are compared with the experimental results, and the deviations are discussed. The THz spectra of the medicine show THz technique may be help to distinguish some different chemical bond and functional group.


Thymic carcinomas (TC) are a rare and aggressive variant of thymic epithelial tumors. The symptoms of TC are often vague and caused by local invasion and mass effect. They rarely metastasize outside of the anterior mediastinum, but typically involves the lungs, lymph nodes, liver, pleura, or bones when it occurs.1,2 Skin metastases are extremely rare and could easily be misdiagnosed as benign skin conditions such as localized dermatitis or infection. TCs lack pathognomonic histology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) features.3 Ruling out differentials such as metastasis from other primary sites are often required before definitive diagnosis.4


The Nyquist (1928) 1 filters (NFls) with both nonlinear phase response and amplitude response of nonspecified symmetry are investigated. It is shown that one of the filter's responses (amplitude or phase) can be chosen almost arbitrary. The second one is then derived from the condition of zero intersymbol interference (ISI) in data transmission synchronous systems. As a specific application of the presented theory, a simple procedure for calculating NFl's with ISI-free matched and unmatched filter properties is proposed.


SUMMARY: Introduction: The paternity in adolescents has become a problem of profound public relevance. The attitude, with which the male adolescent father faces life, derives from the influence of the familiar atmosphere or social group in which he and his partner develop. Objective: to look at the social perspective of the adolescent male previous to his paternity. Methods: It contemplates a quantitative and qualitative approach by means of an open interview. The descriptive analysis was processed by the software SPSS 10.0 and the quality of the expression of the adolescent father was assesses with the ATLAS/ti component. Results: 96 adolescent fathers were studied. 54% were 19 years old. 67% were active in the educative system and of these, 31% also worked. 54% shared the house of the original family with their partner and child. 33% did not study but all of these worked, 63% as part of the working class. Social factors: Familiar structure: 67% had both parents, 46% belonged to the social stratus Graffar IV. Labor stability of the family of the adolescent: in 33% of the cases, the father worked and in 29%, both parents worked. 33% of the fathers of the adolescent finished grammar school and 54% of the mother had finished high school. Conclusion: The adolescent paternity reflects a positive feedback of the family as a social factor of support. The quality of the expression facing pregnancy and childbirth is visualized by the attitude before new situations through the generated categories.


Present investigations dealt with experimental and clinical studies on hemodynamics of tumors during their developmental process or under the influence of irradiation. Most of the studies were made on the estimation of regional blood flow by the use of /sup 133/Xe-local clearance technique. Yoshida sarcoma was used for the experimental studies. The characteristics of the tumor were discussed, comparing with those of the experimental inflammatory lesion (tuberculosis). In addition, the effect of irradiation on the tumor was analyzed in relation to the regional blood flow after irradiation of cobalt-60 using the formula based on Fick's principle. For clinical studies, patients with tongue cancer were employed to evaluate the blood flow using the height-over-area method for calculation. Radiation dose (electron and radium) for the complete disappearance of tongue cancer was estimated and compared with the regional blood flow calculated before irradiation. The blood flow decreased as Yoshida sarcoma developed with its central necrosis formation. At the peripheral part of the tumor, blood flow was usually increased, leading to a medullary growth. The blood flow essential for the development of the tumor was calculated to be about 50 M/100 g/min. The inflammatory lesion showed a constant blood flow, which was not influencedmore » by the degree of the lesion. The phenomenon of temporary increased blood flow was observed in tumors that received 1000 rads of irradiation. The regional blood flow of the tumor measured before irradiation showed a close correlation with the radiation dose for the disappearance of tongue cancer. The high therapeutic ratio of tongue cancer could be explained by the higher blood flow in the tumor than that in the surrounding normal tissue. The regional blood flow in tongue cancer had a close correlation with the radiation dose for tumor disappearance. The blood flow of 1 ml/100 g/min was estimated to be equivalent to the radiation dose of about 30 rads. (auth)« less


Restoration circuit interrupting device may be, for example, means GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter), the ALCI devices (arc fault circuit interrupter), ICDI means (immersion detection circuit interrupter), the RCD (residual current device), comprising a reverse connection protection (FIG. 62), and optionally provided with a separate portion of the trip (FIG. 24) and / or restore the lock portion (60,330). In addition, the system is provided with a signal using indicator means (64) and an alarm signal (236) to alert the user of the GFCI his periodic testing, and provides information about the status of the GFCI. GFCI provides power to the power supply line is also connected to the circuit on the (122) PCB, cut off the power to those circuits of the GFCI trips due to a fault or the test.


Intelligent IoT-based ambient assisted living systems (AALS) have been a major research focus area in recent times. According to the studies conducted by National Program for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE), elderly population in India will increase to 12% of the national population by 2025 with 8%-10% requiring utmost care. Application of machine learning in areas of AALS such as fall detection, therefore, has the potential to have huge public impact. In this paper, we propose a fall detection system that takes into account not only various wearable sensor node parameter readings for a subject, but also his biological and physiological profile. The profile is used to determine a fall risk category for the subject. We performed machine learning experiments using public datasets for fall detection which included wearable sensor node readings. The algorithms were then retrained by feeding in the risk categorization of the subject, and results from this analyses are presented. The objective of the experiments was to find out the impact of a subject's risk categorization on the accuracy of fall detection. The algorithms presented here form part of a comprehensive geriatric healthcare system under development, which comprises wearable sensor nodes, co-ordinator nodes, an indoor localization framework and cloud-hosted application servers. A brief overview of the system capabilities is also presented.


: An effective method for improving the performance of a photocatalyst is to construct a suitable hetero-/homo-structure. This strategy can also lead to improvements in the stability of the photocatalysts that suffer with photo-corrosion (such as CdS). The preparation of CdS-based composite photocatalysts has therefore been widely studied. Unfortunately, however, some of the fundamental and more significant aspects of this strategy still need to be evaluated in greater detail. In this study, we have evaluated the interfacial microstructure and properties of a CdS/FeP composite photocatalyst with a hetero-structure using a series of the first-principles calculations. The results revealed that the electronic structure of the interface model exhibited different features compared with the bulk and surface models, because of the partially saturated dangling bonds. However, several obvious interfacial states were observed. At the interface of the CdS/FeP hetero-structure, the energy bands of CdS and FeP were relatively down-shifted, whereas the energy band of FeP was inserted below the conduction band of CdS. Furthermore, the direction of the built-in electric field of the hetero-structure 2 composite, which exhibits the highest hydrogen-evolution reaction activities reported to date in both acidic and neutral-pH aqueous solutions, indicating that FeP is a highly earth-abundant material for efficiently facil-itating the hydrogen-evolution reaction both electrocatalytically and photocatalytically. Zhang et al . 18 also considered FeP as a promising alternative to Pt- based catalysts for the hydrogen-evolution reaction, in order to develop inexpensive and highly efficient non-precious-metal electrocatalysts. Motivated by above encouraging experimental observations, we adopt density functional theory (DFT) to further investigate the interfacial structure and properties, in order to deepen the understanding of CdS/FeP composite photocatalyst with hetero-structure. Using theoretical simulations, the atomic-scale interfacial microstructure and the electronic-scale interface properties will be provided. And then, based on the calculated results, the detailed mechanism of CdS/ FeP hetero-structure to improve the photocatalytic performance will be discussed. We hope these findings could provide some projected out from the FeP layer towards the CdS layer under the equilibrium conditions. The photo-generated electron-hole pairs were therefore spatially separated by the CdS/FeP interface, which was favorable for improving the photocatalytic performance. The construction of a CdS/FeP hetero-structure can also lead to further improvements in the absorption properties of CdS in the visible-light region. The results of this study have provided mechanical explanations and theoretical support for the construction of highly efficient composite photocatalyst with hetero-structures.


In order to earn the BlackBoard badges, you must be logged in to BlackBoard and join the Collaborate Ultra session via the Library Resource Center. Here are the directions on how to self-enroll in the LRC.


Palanquin was a means of land transport which is especially used in eastern Asia as well as in Assam usually for one person that consists of an enclosed box-like litter borne on the shoulders of men by means of poles. It was a passenger conveyance vehicle, usually for one or two person. Owning one and keeping the staff to power it was a luxury affordable even to low-paid clerks. The time of Ahom emperors in Assam, dula served as military ambulances, used for carrying the wounded from the battlefield. In that period the most prevalent mode of long distance transport for the affluent was by palanquin. The royal messengers could arrange, with a few days' notice, relays of bearers to convey a traveller's palanquin between stations. The distance between two important places averaged about 10 miles (16 km), and could be covered within three to four hours. A relay's usual complement consisted of two torch-bearers, two luggage-porters, and eight palanquin-bearers who worked in a group of four, although all eight might pitch in at steep sections and also in dark also to make it easier. A passenger could travel straight through or break their journey at certain stations. Modern use of the palanquin is limited to ceremonial occasions. A dula carries the bride in a traditional wedding and they may be used to carry religious images in Hindu processions. During tour, the bearers practiced some specific folk songs to overcome their tiredness and pain. In wedding rituals there are thousands of songs in Assam related with palanquins. Now these practices are nearing extinction due to modernization and passage of time. These practices carry a rich cultural value and need a brief study to maintain the cultural heritage of Assam. Through this study people will be enlightened and the new generation will be aware of their heritage.


Data rate and energy efficiency decrement caused by the transmission of reference and data carrier signals in equal portions constitute the major drawback of differential chaos shift keying (DCSK) systems. To overcome this dominant drawback, a short reference DCSK system (SR-DCSK) is proposed. In SRDCSK, the number of chaotic samples that constitute the reference signal is shortened to R such that it occupies less than half of the bit duration. To build the transmitted data signal, P concatenated replicas of R are used to spread the data. This operation increases data rate and enhances energy efficiency without imposing extra complexity onto the system structure. The receiver uses its knowledge of the integers R and P to recover the data. The proposed system is analytically studied and the enhanced data rate and bit energy saving percentages are computed. Furthermore, theoretical performance for AWGN and multipath fading channels are derived and validated via simulation. In addition, optimising the length of the reference signal R is exposed to detailed discussion and analysis. Finally, the application of the proposed short reference technique to the majority of transmit reference systems such as DCSK, multicarrier DCSK, and quadratic chaos shift keying enhances the overall performance of this class of chaotic modulations and is, therefore, promising.


The r\l=o^\leof acrosomal enzymes of mammalian spermatozoa in sperm penetration through the investments of the ovum and subsequent fertilization has been studied since the development of the method based on treatment ofspermatozoa with the cationic detergent, Hyamine, for detachment of acrosomes (Hartree & Srivastava, 1965). Srivastava, Zaneveld & Williams (1970) modified this method, using Triton X-100 in combination with Hyamine to obtain the release of membrane-bound enzymes. This modification allows recovery of an acrosomal extract containing most of the enzymes and chemical constituents associated with the plasma and acrosomal membranes. The methods based on detergent treatment require prolonged incubation at 37\s=deg\C, which, if care is


Summary: Innovation requires attention to people issues as well as technological issues. Poor organizational processes can reduce the motivation of even the most dedicated employee. The feedback process is central to performance management systems, yet it is often poorly done. This article discusses the problem of subjectivity in performance evaluations and the impact this has on staff motivation. The article outlines a study on the impact of feedback assessment training of supervisors in a technology-based organization who received frame-of-reference training. This training is designed to give supervisors a common understanding of the performance behaviors associated with different standards of rating criteria used to assess those they supervise. Outcomes of the study and implications for improving performance appraisal are presented.


Photodynamic therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment modality for surface‐oriented neoplasms of the skin, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urogenital systems. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of photodynamic therapy using a new photosensitizer in the treatment of squamous cell carcinomas of the feline facial skin.


Th is edited volume addresses the root causes of Africa's persistent poverty through an investigation of Africa's longue dur é e history. It interrogates the African past through disease and demography, institutions and governance, African economies and the impact of the export slave trade, colonialism, Africa in the world economy, and culture's infl uence on accumulation and investment. Several of the chapters take a comparative perspective, placing Africa's developments alongside other global patterns. Th e readership for this book spans from the informed lay reader with an interest in Africa, to academics and undergraduate and graduate students, policy makers, and those in the development world.


This paper presents the results of the compilation of the first Lithological Map of Italy (LMI). This is achieved through a detailed and genuinely multidisciplinary approach, that integrates field mapping, stratigraphic investigation and structural analysis, coupled with a wealth of data from a wide literature in the considered region. The topic dealt with in the study is of prime aid to anyone that has an interest in understanding the geological evolution of Italy and the resulting distribution of lithologic formations or formational groups. Moreover, the study illustrates an example of applicability of universal concepts of the role of lithologic distribution in the analysis of geomorphological hazard and land management. The study is based on a sound and comprehensive database that may be implemented through time, thus providing a very useful tool to the geological community. The compilation approach relies on grouping of polygons that contain information on the most representative lithologies cropping out in the investigated area. Not only the advantages, but also the limits imposed by grouping of lithologies are listed and discussed. The Authors' interpretations are consistent with the data presented, and the resulting Lithological Map of Italy (LMI)


, .... ,r•u•u revu led r ight ventricular hypertrophy and d ilatation, motion and an enlarged main puhnonary artery. In ... n.ate·rl1,~ 1lc•n highly elevated pulmonary arterlul pressures (1071 mmJig) were sun. Doppler echocardlo~:raphy showed or the puJm onary and tricuspid valves In t he younger died s uddenly three weeks later . An lnltlul decline In arterial s}Stollc pressure wao; achieved lo the older brother hy Eight months later, however, the pres..o;ure had risen to t l~ ve l. Dyspnoea lncrea..'led and the patient underwent Ion but subsequently died. In the family study a ra ther and mother we~ healthy. 1990. J. 349-353. Depl of Internal Medicine, Tampere University Cenllal Hospital, Finland.


Ecotourism management was an important guarantee to promote ecotourism to develop sustainably. The thesis began with the concept of ecotourism, analyzed its tasks,and drew five essential factors of ecotourism management.


A fuzzy random variable is a function from a probability space to the set of fuzzy variables. In this paper, an age-dependent replacement policy is studied in which the lifetimes of components are treated as fuzzy random variables. The fuzzy random age-dependent replacement policy was discussed and a fuzzy random simulation technique to estimate the long run expected cost per unit time is developed. In order to find the best $T$-age replacement policy to minimize the long run expected cost per unit time, a fuzzy random expected value model is presented. Furthermore, the simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA) algorithm based on fuzzy random simulation is designed to get the optimal solution of the proposed models. At the end of this paper, a numerical example is enumerated.


ABSTRACT Is cyber conflict more like war, intelligence, or something else? The stakes of this debate are not simply conceptual but institutional. United States Cyber Command emerged from the American intelligence community, but it has strong legal and organizational imperatives to explain its operations in military terms. Even though cyber operations are essentially a digital manifestation of classic intelligence practice, or secret statecraft, CYBERCOM is emphatically not an intelligence organization. This contradiction between the nature of the problem and the bureaucratic solution has the potential to complicate both intelligence and cybersecurity.


In measuring linear error, the result is got by assessment, which needs complex plotting or uses other fussy methods, which are not convenient for grasping. So the computer data processing ability is surveyed to cmplete the assessement method. Using this method, we only need to put in measuring data, then can get the result of linear measure error, which can reduce work time and get accurate data.


A phase transformation from liquid to solid phase takes place when the material solidifies. Limited diffusion during this phase transition causes microsegregation, which is aphenomenon during solid ...


In this research, micro fabrication technique using localized electrochemical deposition (LECD) with ultra short pulses is presented. Electric field is localized near the tool tip end region by applying a few hundreds of nano second pulses. Pt-Ir tip is used as a counter electrode and copper is deposited on the copper substrate in 0.5 M CuSO₄ and 0.5 M H₂SO₄ electrolyte. The effectiveness of this technique is verified by comparison with LECD using DC voltage. The deposition characteristics such as size, shape, surface, and structural density according to applied voltage and pulse duration are investigated. The proper condition is selected from the results of the experiments. Micro columns less than 10 ㎛ in diameter are fabricated using this technique. The real 3D micro structures such as micro pattern and micro spring can be fabricated by this method. It is suggested that presented method can be used as an easy and inexpensive method for fabrication of microstructure with complex shape.


Using the Van Allen Probe long‐term (2013–2015) observations and quasi‐linear simulations of wave‐particle interactions, we examine the combined or competing effects of whistler mode waves (chorus or hiss) and magnetosonic (MS) waves on energetic (<0.5 MeV) and relativistic (>0.5 MeV) electrons inside and outside the plasmasphere. Although whistler mode chorus waves and MS waves can singly or jointly accelerate electrons from the hundreds of keV energy to the MeV energy in the low‐density trough, most of the relativistic electron enhancement events are best correlated with the chorus wave emissions outside the plasmapause. Inside the plasmasphere, intense plasmaspheric hiss can cause the net loss of relativistic electrons via persistent pitch angle scattering, regardless of whether MS waves were present or not. The intense hiss waves not only create the energy‐dependent electron slot region but also remove a lot of the outer radiation belt electrons when the expanding dayside plasmasphere frequently covers the outer zone. Since whistler mode waves (chorus or hiss) can resonate with more electrons than MS waves, they play dominant roles in changing the outer radiation belt and the slot region. However, MS waves can accelerate the energetic electrons below 400 keV and weaken their loss inside the plasmapause. Thus, MS waves and plasmaspheric hiss generate different competing effects on energetic and relativistic electrons in the high‐density plasmasphere.


Electron impact spectra of methane and methane‐d4 have been obtained employing electrons of 200 eV incident energy at scattering angles of 2° to 15° over an energy‐loss range that includes the second ionization potential. In the bound state spectrum evidence is presented for the existence of at least one additional state in the region of the 3s transition. A new vibrational progression has been found on the side of a conjectured 4s band lending support to that assignment. One diffuse structure and three new optically forbidden vibrational progressions have been found in a 4 eV range below the 2A1 ion threshold. Evidence indicates that the first three transitions belong to the symmetry forbidden Rydberg series (2a1, ns)←(2a1)2 where n=3, 4, and 5. It is suggested that the fourth transition is the first member of a series converging to an excited ion state.


The present study aimed to estimate above-ground biomass and carbon stocks of different life forms in tropical dry and moist deciduous forests of Nallamalais, one of the centers of plant diversity of India, located in central part of the Eastern Ghats. The present study used a non-destructive method of biomass estimation. From the sampled inventory it is found that the dry deciduous vegetation with 114 species comprising a total of 1737 tree individuals with a mean basal area of 16.37±9.12 m2 ha-1, 61.52±41.66 Mg ha-1 (Mega gram=106 g) above-ground biomass and 26.83±15.69 Mg ha-1 carbon, the moist deciduous vegetation with 115 species, comprising 1431 tree individuals with a mean basal area of 29.78±4.83 m2 ha-1, contributing 110.37±26.12 Mg ha-1 above-ground biomass and 52.24±12.48 Mg ha-1 carbon. It is revealed that the moist deciduous forests are more efficient in terms of sequestering atmospheric carbon.


With the high-speed development of the agricultural products logistics market, how to build a highly effective agricultural products logistics service exchange platform becomes a valuable study. In this paper, through the use of the Internet, a powerful tool for improving operational efficiency, we apply an online logistics auction method. In the agricultural products industry, the logistics of fresh agricultural products is unique and complex which requires very high standards and the trading mechanism that set the lowest cost as the single goal will not meet its requirement. In this paper, we use the multi-attribute model of logistics service transactions to study the logistics of fresh agricultural products and present a new transaction mechanism with more practical value.


From 2005 to 2008 the Tile Calorimeter of the ATLAS detector for the LHC has been commissioned using calibration systems and cosmic muons. On September 2008 the first measurements using particles coming from single beams were done. This paper reports on the status and performance of the Tile Calorimeter achieved at the end of these three years.


There is urgent need for effective bactericidal agents for use in real commercial formulations since many old disinfectants, such as halogenated compounds, are now banned. Cationic polymers may have good bactericidal properties in pure water or buffer, but typically become ineffective in the presence of anionic surfactants that are widely used in many commercial formulations. Here, we discover that polyion complex (PIC) nanoparticles formed by cationic polymers of Poly(3-AcrylaMidoPropyl) TriMethylAmmonium chloride (PAMPTMA) in the presence of anionic surfactants display promising fast-bactericidal effect (> 99.99 % killing within 10-min treatment) on Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli, ATCC® 8739™). To examine the influence of hydrophobicity on bactericidal property, we synthesize PAMPTMA-b-Poly(Butyl MethAcrylate) and discover that increasing hydrophobicity has little influence on bactericidal property of PIC nanoparticles. Mechanism study shows that cationic PIC nanoparticles rapidly cause signifi...


In the present paper phase velocities and attenuation coefficients of two dispersive waves have been explored. The viscoelastic media considered to be homogenous, isotropic rotating Kelvin-Voigt type. The secular equation being complex quadratic equation provides us two roots that can be connected with two dispersive waves, which are found to attenuating in existing media. The numerical illustrations and graphical presentation have been carried out for copper material with help of MATLAB code. The present outcomes are advantageous in applications of geophysics.


This paper deals with a maximum torque per voltage control method of the interior permanent magnet synchronous motor, which aims at the high demands for convergence speed and torque accuracy in electric vehicles applications. First, a Newton downhill method is adopted in solving the nonlinear torque and voltage constraints within few iterations, which guarantees a high iterative convergence speed. Second, motor parameters used in the iteration are identified by a hybrid affine projection algorithm (APA) with dual sample time. In this approach, the effect of temperature ignored by traditional methods on the variation of resistance parameter is considered, which ensures the accuracy of the current set points. Finally, the effectiveness of this method is verified by simulation and experimental results on an 120kW IPMSM.


In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and during a period of restricted travel, Drs. Nguyen and Ainslie established an online seminar series titled "Rising Stars in Drug Delivery and Novel Carriers" through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy. The goal of this series was to provide a platform for outstanding emerging scientists in drug delivery to present research from their growing programs. The seminar program was well attended from scientists across the USA and the world. Invited speakers in the 2020–2021 seminar series included Drs. Blanka Sharma, Evan Scott, Aaron Anselmo, Anita Shukla, Daniel Gallego Perez, Ester Kwon, Jeremiah Gassensmith, Tara Deans, Markita Landry, Leo Chou, Eimear Dolan, John Wilson, Edward Bahnson, Vincent Venditto, Yevgeny Brudno, Joy Wolfram, Christopher Alabi, Jennifer Fiegel, Raman Bahal, Devika Manickam, Ronit Freeman, Ryan Pearson, Jacob Brenner, Eun Ji Chung, and Kevin McHugh. This special theme issue presents selected articles from these individuals. Dr. Anselmo presents research on modulating oral delivery and gastrointestinal kinetics of recombinant proteins via engineered fungi and establishes the fundamental pharmacokinetics which will be essential in controlling downstream therapeutic response for this new delivery modality [1]. Dr. Kwon presents research on the pharmacokinetic analysis of peptide-modified nanoparticles with engineered physicochemical properties in a mouse model of traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study showed that after intravenous administration in a TBI mouse model, positively charged peptide-modified nanoparticles accumulated more in off-target organs, including the heart, lung, and kidneys, than zwitterionic, neutral, or negatively charged peptide-modified nanoparticles [2]. Dr. Brenner presents a review on how complement achieves its blockade of nanomedicine, which nanocarrier material properties best avoid complement, and current and future strategies to control complement to unleash nanomedicine's potential [3]. Dr. Chung provides a review that summarizes the current understanding of exosome biogenesis and uptake and discusses atherogenic and atheroprotective functions of exosomes secreted from vascular endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, immune cells, and platelets [4]. Dr. McHugh presents a review that discusses recent advances in the development of TLR7/8 agonist delivery systems and provides a perspective on promising future directions [5]. Dr. Gallego-Perez describes several nanotechnology-based cell therapies in regenerative medicine [6]. Dr. Fiegel reports on zwitterionic polymer coatings that enhance gold nanoparticle stability and uptake in various biological environments. This study showed that differences in the composition of the fluids result in differing impacts on particle fate [7]. Dr. Manickam reports on the optimization of lipidoid nanoparticles for delivery of therapeutic siRNAs to neural cells [8]. Finally, Dr. Pearson reports on a controlled and reproducible method for the formulation of nanoparticles using microfluidics and their formulation-dependent inherent antiinflammatory immunomodulatory properties [9]. Overall, the webinar series as well as the research works published in this special theme issue highlight the bright future of drug delivery and novel carriers. Theme: Rising Stars in Drug Delivery and Novel Carriers


Emerging as a new technology insertion programs in care and support to public health, the community therapy, or in any age or social group, brings a great alternative to the quality of existence of each. This article aimed to: Present the community therapy as a strategy of therapeutic action, and in a specific way: Demonstrate actions taken in community care; Understand the operation of community therapy; Presenting the contributions of community care in the lives of participants. With this approach, it was seen that people, regardless of age or gender, have higher complication and stress in their lives and as a strategy of action to combat this, personal empowerment. We conclude that people confuse what is stress, but feel that something afflict them, and above all, realize how empowering yourself can result in better quality of life.


Abstract : The present case report deals with oral rehabilitation of completely edentulous maxillary arch opposing a full complement of natural dentition prosthetically by incorporating metal denture base in place of the conventional Poly Methyl Methacrylate material to combat the masticatory forces from natural dentition and improve the longevity of the prosthetic replacement, at the same time prevent resorption of the underlying residual maxillary ridge.


The primary purpose of this study is to explore the features of university-level Japanese EFL learners' speech act (request, refusal, and apology) realization strategies, with a focus on the interaction between their understanding of native English speakers' realization strategies and their preference for a native/non-native realization strategy in a specific situation. To this end, the multiple-choice discourse completion test developed by Hudson, Detmer, and Brown (1992, 1995) was modified to generate a knowledge test and a preference questionnaire, both of which were administered to the same participant students (N = 425). Results of the item-by-item contingency tests revealed that knowledge and preference were significantly, but only weakly, associated with each other in all items, suggesting the existence of "intentional divergence" from and "unintentional convergence" with native speaker choices in their responses . In addition to a discussion about these substantive findings, the utility of the multiple-choice instrument in the assessment of L2 learners' pragmatic competence is reexamined.


This work discuss the ethical issue in the scientific and academic production, analizes situations which the conflict comes in the scientific comunities midst the actors and echoes in the whole way to research nowadays. It is mentioned examples found in the literature into different aspects considered misconduct: plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, nonpublication of data, authoring problems and issues related to copyright  and misconduct commited by journal referees/ editors. At the end, considerations are made about the subject, among them, that the topic is still not discussed between the students, teachers, in the school and society in general and, if so, several cases would be avoided certainly.


SKZT3500 NC rotary table adopts constant-current hydrostatic bearing and unloading guide two sets of hydraulic system. Aiming at the characteristics of two sets of hydraulic system, this paper deduces the constant-current hydrostatic bearing static stiffness formula. Then, the theory and algorithm of BP neural network were applied to predict the constant-current hydrostatic bearing static stiffness, based on experimental measurements in a physical prototype and neural network toolbox of MATLAB. Testing results show that BP neural network can accurately forecast the constant-current hydrostatic bearing of the static stiffness.


In this paper, based on the Fokas, Gel'fand et al approach [15,16], we provide a symmetry characterization of continuous deformations of soliton surfaces immersed in a Lie algebra using the formalism of generalized vector fields, their prolongation structure and links with the Fr\'echet derivatives. We express the necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of such surfaces in terms of the invariance criterion for generalized symmetries and identify additional sufficient conditions which admit an explicit integration of the immersion functions of 2D surfaces in Lie algebras. We discuss in detail the $su(N)$-valued immersion functions generated by conformal symmetries of the $CP^{N-1}$ sigma model defined on either the Minkowski or Euclidean space. We further show that the sufficient conditions for explicit integration of such immersion functions impose additional restrictions on the admissible conformal symmetries of the model defined on Minkowski space. On the other hand, the sufficient conditions are identically satisfied for arbitrary conformal symmetries of finite action solutions of the $CP^{N-1}$ sigma model defined on Euclidean space.


An interactive cybersafety guide for parents is now online on the Cybersmart website. Bringing parents the information they need on current topics such as cyberbullying, sexting and protecting personal information, the guide uses videos to provide a snapshot of each issue including scenarios which demonstrate how the issue may occur. Each video offers simple, practical tips that parents can use with their children and teenagers. These can be viewed both on screen, and be downloaded for later use.


The utility model discloses a universal lining trolley for tunnel construction. The universal lining trolley is composed of a gantry bracket and a top-die truss, wherein the top-die truss is arranged above the gantry bracket, and the gantry bracket is composed of a gantry beam, two side gantry pillars and an inclined gantry struts supported among the gantry beam and the two side gantry pillars; and a top-die chord member in the top-die truss is supported on the gantry beam by a jacking cylinder. The universal lining trolley for tunnel construction is characterized in that the top-die chord member and the gantry beam are in segmented arrangement at the center and are connected by bolts at the segmented positions; and widened top-die chord members and widened gantry beams which are connected by bolts and can be detached are respectively arranged at the segmented positions of the top-die chord member and the gantry beam. According to the utility model, lining trolleys with different widths can be set according to the requirements of tunnel construction, thereby improving the utilization rate of the lining trolley, saving materials, and reducing the cost of tunnel construction.


This chapter contains sections titled: Formulation in Terms of a Stochastic Differential Equation: The Langevin Equation Some Examples Leading to a Diffusion Equation The Equation of Fokker-Planck and its Relation to the Langevin Equation The Gaussian Random Process This chapter contains sections titled: References


The invention belongs to the field of new material preparation, resumptively relates to a method for growing a large area of graphene at a low temperature through a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method by using a polystyrene solid state carbon source. The graphene grown by adopting the method has a smooth and level surface and the layer number of the graphene is controllable. The invention provides the method for preparing a layer-number-controllable graphene thin layer in a low temperature condition by adopting the low-cost solid state carbon source. Compared with a traditional method for preparing the graphene thin layer by adopting a high temperature CVD method, the manufacturing cost of the graphene thin layer is greatly reduced, and the method disclosed by the invention has enormous application potential in the aspects of high temperature, high frequency, large power, photoelectron, radiation-resistant electronic devices and the like.


Biocompatible nanoparticles, with magnetic cores and optically active shells, acting as multifunctional materials with a core size of 6 nm encapsulated in silver shells of varying thickness were synthesized through a novel single phase microemulsion method. Incorporation of silver shells onto the magnetite core enhances the intensity of the highest luminescence peak observed for magnetite by a significant luminescence enhancement factor. A blue photoluminescence peak observed in the visible region of spectrum brightens further with the increase in the thickness of silver shell. The magnetic properties of these core-shell nanomaterials show superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature, which is a mandatory criterion for MRI contrast enhancement agents. The hyperthermic response of synthesized magnetite nanoparticles elevates its temperature to 43 °C in a sharp span of time, which is above the desired temperature for the therapeutic application of these multifunctional nanomaterials. These excellent optical and magnetic properties, of the material having a size range suitable for cellular uptake, make it a potential candidate for both diagnostic and therapeutic uses in biomedical applications.Biocompatible nanoparticles, with magnetic cores and optically active shells, acting as multifunctional materials with a core size of 6 nm encapsulated in silver shells of varying thickness were synthesized through a novel single phase microemulsion method. Incorporation of silver shells onto the magnetite core enhances the intensity of the highest luminescence peak observed for magnetite by a significant luminescence enhancement factor. A blue photoluminescence peak observed in the visible region of spectrum brightens further with the increase in the thickness of silver shell. The magnetic properties of these core-shell nanomaterials show superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature, which is a mandatory criterion for MRI contrast enhancement agents. The hyperthermic response of synthesized magnetite nanoparticles elevates its temperature to 43 °C in a sharp span of time, which is above the desired temperature for the therapeutic application of these multifunctional nanomaterials. These excellent optic...


We consider the interactions among sellers in mature, iterated oligopolies. In order to calibrate and validate simulation models of strategic interactions in these markets against historical data, the researcher soon confronts the issue of the curse of dimensionality of the number of possible states of the market. The paper presents a model of perception, belief, action, and outcome, and uses information theory to explore informative partitioning, which reduces the dimensionality of the model. From a learning or evolutionary viewpoint, players will have adjusted their perceptions (their partitioning) so as to end up close to their notional equilibrium partitioning. Three measures of informative partitioning are proposed.


A time-dependent particle-tracking algorithm for the slowing-down of fast ions in solid pellets developed elsewhere is used for numerical simulations of the ion-beam-pellet interaction. Here the general expression of the stopping power in hot, dense plasmas is used. It is found that if the finite thermalization time of the ion in the slowing-down process is taken into account the implosion of the pellet is changed.


The research object is about higher education quality assurance literature during 2000-2011 in the past 12 years.The author makes a quantitative analysis about the retrieval literature,and then reviews all the literature by following a thought of "Assuring Connotation,Function,Main Part,Content,and Path",and finally puts forward remained research problems about higher education quality assurance.


Opal shale,a new sort of natural nano—material,was introduced.Applications of opal shale in polymer industry were reviewed.Necessity and feasibility of these applications were discussed.Some suggestions were put forward on industrialization of polymer/opal composite materials.


Abstrcat Abundant limestone resources and sparsity earth material make rockfill subgrade become a common selection during highway construction in karst area in China. In order to analyze the stability of rockfill subgrade influenced by karst water fluctuation, large-scale model experiment program is carried out. In this paper, based on different measures of karst feature treatment along Shui-Nan highway in Guangxi, four conceptional models are established firstly, including: ① rockfill, ② boulders, graded gravel, geotextile and rockfill, ③ inverted filter rockfill, and ④ rockfill above clay. And then, through the drainage change of karst water, monitoring erosion of rockfill and the velocity of watertable decline, the authors analyzed the collapse process of rockfill subgrade corresponding to these models in nine types of hydraulic conditions. Finally, the stabilities of different karst feature treatment are discussed in detail.


Fatal viral infections in children with antibody deficiency syndromes are extremely rare. Two children with infantile X-linked hypogammaglobulinemia who died from overwhelming viral encephalitis are described. A 9-year-old boy developed encephalitis and both echovirus type 2 and herpes simplex virus were recovered from the brain at autopsy. The second patient was a 16½-month-old boy who developed encephalitis after receiving live measles virus vaccine and herpes simplex virus was recovered from the brain. Two viruses were involved in each case, but the relation is unknown. It is possible that cellular immunity was depressed by one virus, thus enhancing the severity of the infection by the second virus.


The half-lifetime of polyacrylamide (PAM) in aquatic environments was evaluated by determining the bimolecular rate constants that govern the reaction of PAM and the hydroxyl radical (OH•) in aqueo...


This article describes the existing drainage works to the raw materials and functional detection methods of the construction,the gaps are analyzed and some recommendations are put forward.


Amends the Small Business Act to make the following loans available until October 1, 1982, for the relief of small business concerns affected by disasters occurring on or after October 1, 1978: (1) loans bearing interest at three percent for amounts not exceeding $55,000, for the repair or replacement of a principal residence or personal property; and (2) loans bearing interest at five percent on amounts not exceeding $250,000 for relief from major disasters declared by the President or natural disasters determined by the Secretary of Agriculture pursuant to the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act.


This article is designed to give the reader the key insights into the world of artificial neural networks (ANNs), seen here as generalized mathematical models that emulate human cognition. The inner workings of ANNs are highlighted such as the topology itself, activation function, connection weights, combination function, distribution of outputs, sigmoid function, network architecture, its multilayer nature, high-order statistics, feedforward networks, learning process, training patterns, the perceptron model, backpropagation (BP) algorithm, among many other technical issues. The entry also includes many multiple academic research applications in marketing. The entry concludes with an overview of key developments in this area like Hopfield neural networks.

Keywords:

artificial neural networks;
backpropagation;
learning and training patterns;
human cognition and physical brain;
sigmoid function


This thesis deals with techniques for designing and evaluating error detection and recovery mechanisms for computer systems. For the assessment of such systems, we describe a comprehensive fault injection tool that is capable of emulating the effects of hardware errors in microprocessors. The tool integrates three known fault injection techniques into a unified framework, and is easy to extend with support for new techniques and target systems. The techniques included in the tool have different characteristics with respect to observability and temporal intrusiveness, but can nevertheless be used to inject the exact same faults. However, due to uncertainties associated with each technique, which we identify and discuss, the results of injecting a given fault may differ to some extent. We therefore perform an analysis to determine if results obtained with the three techniques are metrologically compatible, and thereby meaningful for dissemination and comparison. To illustrate the practical usage of the tool, we describe an evaluation-driven design process for development of software-implemented fault tolerance. We used this process to develop two software mechanisms for a prototype brake controller. The mechanisms were specifically designed to prevent transient hardware errors from causing critical system failures. The effectiveness of the software mechanisms were evaluated with extensive fault injection experiments. The results show that these mechanisms can effectively reduce the probability of critical brake controller failures.


Mobile devices play a significant role in society, in general, and a very limited one at the different levels of education. Smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices allows learning to occur anywhere, (and at) anytime. These powerful technological devices can enhance the teaching and learning processes by helping to promote collaborative and individual learning and broadening the boundaries of the classroom to different contexts of learning. Many students have mobile devices and their applications can provide access to learning outside the classroom, for greater flexibility and more dynamic learning. In this sense, the articulation of technological and methodological efforts allowed us to create learning scenarios supported by the devices that students take to the classroom (BYOD), and use them to motivate and involve students in meaningful learning. These devices offer the advantage of integrating various technologies in the curricular contents, such as in foreign and mother language courses, representing a set of possibilities of ubiquity that can have great impact on the learning process. Thus, we developed strategies with vocational and educational students' methodologies, such as augmented reality, projectbased learning, game-based learning, collaborative learning and gamification. In this text, we present the results of two mobile learning studies in teaching French as a foreign language (to 18-23 year-oldstudents) and Portuguese language, as a mother tongue (to 15-19 year-old-students), in vocational education, implemented as a mediation tool in education to promote the construction of learning and development of significant skills of collaborative work. From the data collection, through a questionnaire, with open and closed questions, we highlight the favorable perception of the students to the integration of mobile devices in learning, and the recognition of the benefits of the teaching strategies used throughout the year, in the increase of curricular learning.


e16574 Background: Liquid biopsy has the potential to provide information about cancers without invasive biopsy, using circulating biomarkers. The aim of present study was determinate the presence of androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7) in plasma using capillary nano-immunoassay in metastasis PCa and correlation with clinical and analytical data. Methods: Whole blood (10 ml) was collected and processed in EDTA tubes. Previously to determinate the presence of ARV-7 in plasma Capillary Electrophoresis Immunoassay or SimpleWestern analyses were performed using the WES™ machine. With this technique, proteins are separated by size, immobilised and probed with specific antibodies. The primary antibody used was Anti-Androgen Receptor antibody. Results: The study included 31 patients with diagnostic of PCa metatasic . Clinical characteristics of the patients were described in the table. AR-V7 signal was detected in 11 cases (36%). Twenty samples (64%) were considered as negative. The most of patients with expression positive for AR-V7, showed a Gleason score ≥ 8 (64% of cases). In AR-V7+, hemoglobine and dehydrogenase lactate levels were statistically significant (p < 0,05) respect to ARV7-. So, in AR-V7+ patients showed increased of FA and Albumin. Conclusions: Assessing the presence of AR-V7 in plasma from PC patients is feasible by a novel capillary nano-immunoassay. AR-V7 was observed in 36% of the PCA metastasic. These findings lay the foundations for liquid biopsy as a means of obtaining biological data in a more convenient way for the patient.[Table: see text]


Writing and reading develop concurrently and in concert: real reading of texts, in a range of media, informs real writing. This article considers the influence of a variety of such reading on the writing of a four-year-old girl during a six-month period.


A novel microfluidic-integrated microwave sensor with potential application in microliter-volume biological/ biomedical liquid sample characterization and quantification is presented in this paper. The sensor is designed based on the resonance method, providing the best sensing accuracy, and implemented by using a substrate-integrated-waveguide (SIW) structure combining with a rectangular slot antenna operating at 10 GHz. The device can perform accurate characterization of various liquid materials from very low to high loss, demonstrated by the measurement of deionized water and methanol liquid mixtures. The measured relative permittivity, which is the real part of complex permittivity, ranges from 8.58 to 66.12, which is simply limited by the choice of test materials available in our laboratory, not any other technical considerations of the sensor. The fabricated sensor prototype requires a very small liquid volume of less than 7 μL, while still offering an overall accuracy of better than 3%, as compared with the commercial and other published works. The key advantages of the proposed sensor are that it combines: a very low-profile planar and miniaturized structure sensing microliter liquid volume; ease of design and fabrication, which makes it cost-effective to manufacture; and noninvasive and contactless measurements. Moreover, since the microfluidic subsystem can potentially be detached from the SIW microwave sensor and, afterward, replaced by a new microfluidic component, the sensor can be reused with no life-cycle limitation and without degrading any figure of merit.


The herb Solidago altissima (Compositae) forms a gall when attacked by the fly Eurosta solidaginis (Diptera: Tephritidae). We performed an experiment to determine how histological features of gall morphology contribute to previously observed genetic variation in gall diameter. Galls induced on 10 replicated plant clones were sectioned, and their internal tissues and cells measured. Four concentric tissue zones were identified, including a cytoplasmically rich tissue lining the insect's central chamber, and a cytoplasmically poor cortex. As expected, outer gall diameter differed among clones, with a broad sense heritability of 0.29. However, clonal differences for component tissue thicknesses were found for only two of the zones; cortex thickness showed the greater genotypic variation, with a broad sense heritability of 0.30. Path analysis was used to examine the contribution of the zone thicknesses, vascular supply and cell sizes to outer gall diameter at the phenotypic, genotypic and environmental-developmental levels. These showed that cortex thickness was the single greatest determinant of gall size. At the phenotypic level, the single most important determinant of cortex thickness was the number of cortical cells, whereas the amount of cortical vascularization was second in importance. But, at the genotypic level of analysis, vascularization was the single most important determinant of genotypic differences in gall size. The larger the gall, the greater the protection to the inducing insect. Since the bulk of the gall consists of large, cytoplasmically poor cells, the insect gains protection while imposing a small cost on the plant.


Genetic parameters for days to calving were estimated using a random regression model, with orthogonal polynomials of age at breeding season (in years) as covariable. The records of days to calving (4,118) came from 929 cows from three experimental Nelore herds, been the selection and traditional herds selected for higher yearling weight and the control herd selected for the mean of yearling weight. Genetic and permanent environmental variances were described by a fourth order polynomial function, with 9 measures of error. The phenotypic and additive genetic variances were high in late records, especially after the 6th breeding season. Heritabilities estimates increased from 0.08 to 0.28, from first up to 6th breeding season. Genetic correlations were moderate between the first and the later records (0.32 to 0.66), high between adjacent records (0.98 to 0.99), and a little smaller between non adjacent records (0.63 to 0.98). The selection for weight did not alter the average breeding value of cows of selection herds, however the average genetic breeding values of control cows declined through the years.


Results of experiments conducted to characterize the performance of a surface tracking switch employing surface discharge phenomena as a high-performance, self-closing, isolation switch for high-energy applications are described. These experiments, conducted under both dc and pulsed conditions, lead to a model of switch operation that enables the design of such switches for multi-megampere operation. This paper describes the successful implementation of a surface tracking switch as an operational component in several high-current pulsed power systems, and offers some insight into the operation of surface-tracking switches that may assist in future work to apply the technique as a triggered switch in very-high-energy and high-voltage systems.


Abstract Childhood obesity has become a major concern of public health over the last decade. Obesity prevention programmes show limited success and the evidence base is weak. Experience with school-based obesity prevention research in Leeds highlighted the felt needs of children who were already obese, and a project was set up to attempt to meet those needs. WATCH IT has been running since 2003 and has involved 94 children. The quantitative data has been reported elsewhere, and this paper presents qualitative data from focus groups and interviews with participating children and their parents. These data show that WATCH IT has been successful in recruiting and retaining children, that children enjoy attending, and that it meets their emotional needs. Parents and children reported reduced self-harm, depression and better results at school for their children. The data also illustrate the effect of obesity on the family and that parents have a range of emotional and practical needs, which are partly being met by the programme. There needs to be a more systematic attempt to evaluate projects such as WATCH IT so that this can be added to the existing patchy evidence base. The data point to the importance of whole-family approaches.


Objective: To optimize extraction process of SheGan FuZheng oral liquid.Method: Extraction processes of SheGan FuZheng oral liquid were screened with orthogonal test by taking belamcandin,the main active ingredient of Shegan that is monarch drug in the formula,as an index.Result: Optimal extraction process of SheGan FuZheng oral liquid is A1B2C2D2 which means 8 times of water were added,water decocting twice,first decoction for 2 hours,second for 1.5 hours,alcohol precipitation concentration is 50%.Conclusion: Optimal extraction process is scientific and rational.


Purpose: to characterize and relate the vocal, occupational and general health profile of elementary school teachers from Santa Maria/RS. Methods: observational analytical cross-sectional study of quantitative character. The sample consisted by 127 teachers (average age of 38.25 years-old) who responded to a questionnaire and underwent hearing screening, perceptual voice assessment and acoustic analysis. Results: average of 7,03h/day of teaching; work as a teacher for 13,13 years on average; high occurrence of vocal complaints and there was no reports of respiratory disorders, alcoholism and smoking habits; most showed no disorders in the auditory perceptual parameters; the acoustic analysis presented disorders in measures of disturbance frequency, the amplitude and noise; the teachers who have submitted complaints vocals had daily workload higher than those that did not show; teachers with vocal complaints presented significant changes in measurement of the fundamental frequency variation (jitter); and it was found a statistically significant relationship between respiratory disorders and the measurement of the relative average frequency disturbance (jitter). Conclusion: there is high occurrence of vocal complaints among elementary school teachers, and these were related with the high workload and acoustic measures of jitter, which also presented relation to the related respiratory disorders.


The Tsukuba Challenge is an open experiment for autonomous mobile robotics researchers who want to build small mobile robots capable of autonomously moving through real and populated pedestrian environments. The Tsukuba Challenge started in 2007 and has been run every year since then. Each year, the self-contained mobile robots of participated team are tasked with autonomously navigating more than 1 km of a given pedestrian pathway through the city. As of 2017, the final year of the second stage, a total of over 500 teams have taken a part in this challenge, by trying to develop their own robot hardware and software to complete the given task. In this paper, the basic concept and the history of Tsukuba Challenge are first explained, and then what has and has not achieved is discussed.


The effective collection, dissemination and interpretation of visitor data for small regional areas is fraught with difficulties, much to the frustration of tourism operators, local governments and regional tourism organisations. The essence of the problem is that national data collections are often unable to provide useful information for small regional areas. Being based on samples, they lose reliability if they are applied to smaller areas. As such national collection agencies only provide breakdowns for large regional areas. Unfortunately these large areas usually contain a number of distinct smaller regions and in this aggregation much valuable data is lost. One possible solution is for regional tourism organisations and/or local governments to create their own data collections. The advantage of such an approach is that they can then choose the geographic boundaries and questions which best suit them.


Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Globally, this condition is associated with 80 000 maternal and more than 500 000 infant deaths annually.1 Evidence suggests that preeclampsia can be further subdivided into preterm preeclampsia, with delivery before 37 weeks' gestation, and term preeclampsia, with delivery at 37 weeks or later.2 Preterm preeclampsia is associated with a higher incidence of fetal growth restriction and both shortterm and longterm maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity.3,4 Obstetricians managing cases of preterm preeclampsia are faced with the challenge of balancing the need for achievement of fetal maturation with the risks to mother and fetus from continuing pregnancy. For the mother, shortterm risks include progression to placental abruption, HELLP syndrome (a group of signs in pregnant women including hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count), eclampsia, cerebrovascular accident, and death.3 Additionally, the condition is associated with an increased risk of death from future cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, and diabetes, and the life expectancy of women affected by preterm preeclampsia is reduced on average by 10 years.5 For the fetus, preterm delivery is, in itself, associated with higher mortality rates and increased morbidity resulting from thrombocytopenia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, cerebral palsy, and an increased risk of various chronic diseases in adulthood.6 There are major cost implications for management of women with preeclampsia and their babies, especially when the condition is severe and associated with fetal growth restriction.7,8


We propose a clustering algorithm which, for input, takes data assumed to be sampled from a uniform distribution supported on a metric space $X$, and outputs a clustering of the data based on a topological estimate of the connected components of $X$. The algorithm works by choosing a weighted graph on the samples from a natural one-parameter family of graphs using an error based on the heat operator on the graphs. The estimated connected components of $X$ are identified as the support of the eigenfunctions of the heat operator with eigenvalue $1$, which allows the algorithm to work without requiring the number of expected clusters as input.


: Prunus cerasoides (PC) has been reported to have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, but its potential as a neuroprotective agent in a mouse model of cerebral ischemia has not been explored. Considering neuroglobin (Ngb), an endogenous neuroprotective factor, as a novel approach to neuroprotection, in this study, Ngb promoter activity, Ngb expression changes, and antioxidant protection by PC extract (PCE) and PC component compounds (PCCs) were analyzed in oxygen– glucose deprivation (OGD)-treated neurons. In vivo analysis involved transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) in mice with pre- and post-treatment exposure to PCE. Following ischemic stroke induction, neurological behavior scores were obtained, and cellular function-related signals were evaluated in the ischemic infarct areas. In addition to PCE, certain component compounds from PCE also significantly increased Ngb levels and attenuated the intracellular ROS production and cytotoxicity seen with OGD in primary neurons. Administration of PCE reduced the infarct volume and improved neurological deficit scores in ischemic stroke mice compared with the vehicle treatment. Increased Ngb levels in infarct penumbra with PCE treatment were also accompanied by decreased markers of apoptosis (activated p38 and cleaved caspase-3). Our findings point to the benefits of Ngb-mediated neuroprotection via PCE and its antioxidant activity in an ischemic stroke model. in the PCE-treated tMCAO group, particularly in the penumbra area. These results indicate that in the infarct areas, there are decreases in levels of survival-related molecules and Ngb expression, but PCE treatment of the mice upregulates both the prosurvival signals and Ngb levels in the core and penumbra areas. Expressions of antiapoptotic molecules p-AKT and Bcl-2 in the core region of ischemic stroke were higher in the PCE-treated tMCAO group than in the vehicle-treated tMCAO group. In the core and penumbra of the tMCAO vehicle-treated group, the expression of Ngb was decreased, and levels of activated p38 and cCasp3 were elevated; these effects were mostly reversed by PCE treatment. The mean values in triplicate experiments are presented along with SEM. Statistical significance was determined using the Holm–Sidak method ( n = 4), ** p < 0.01, * p < 0.05. levels and act as a neuroprotectant from oxidative stress. Our results demonstrate that PCE and PCCs increased Ngb promoter activities as well as the mRNA levels and protein levels of Ngb.


Hello readers, and welcome to the Summer 2019 issue of XRDS. Before I walk you through a sneak peek of what's inside this exhilarating issue on "Computer Science and Sports," I'd like to take a quick step back and answer a thought-provoking question from our previous Issue on "AI and Interpretation." Specifically: How can we prevent bias and subjectivity when building and interpreting machine learning systems? The short answer is, you can't. We humans bring with us decades-worth of unique experiences, from which emerge lenses that influence how we view the world. To illustrate this point, examine the image above. What do you see?


The current situation of developing modern distance education in China was analysed.Some main existent problems of development were presented.The countermeasure was put forward,which was to consummate the management system,set the new view of talent and teaching,enhance network resource construction and teachers training and so on.


Using pari/gp software and the Lenstra-Lenstra-Lovász (LLL) basis reduction algorithm, repeated grid searches using larger and larger sets of the irrationals log (2 ∗ N 1 ) / 2 π (150-850 elements) have produced many positions on the Riemann Zeta critical line (10 20 < T < 10 400 ), that correspond to large partial Euler product peaks using only the lowest primes (n=1000). In comparison to the known behaviour for large peaks of the Riemann Zeta function (17 < T < 10 32 ), the partial Euler product peaks appear to be proxy lower bounds of the | ζ (1 / 2 + iT ) | growth rate. Several partial Euler product peaks exceed heights of 1,000,000 for T > 10 300 . Height of partial Euler Product (n=1000) for some large peaks on s=(0.5+iT) compared with known zeta(s) peaks


To find the optimal design for an engineering object, thousands of (or even more) simulations should be implemented to obtain the outcome data for the variously designed objects. However, repeating simulations this many times is impossible because a typical simulation is a computationally expensive task. Instead of conducting all the required simulations, a more efficient way is predicting the outcome from the approximation model, called the surrogate model. The response surface method (RSM) with polynomials and artificial neural network (ANN) are the most prominent methods in constructing a surrogate model in the engineering fields. In this study, the prediction accuracy of the surrogate models computed by using an RSM and ANN is compared with several datasets showing different complexities. This comparison is investigated by constructing the surrogate models in predicting aerodynamic performance of a wind turbine airfoil. In the current paper, it is verified that the prediction accuracy of the ANN-computed surrogate model is higher than the RSM-computed one when the datasets have a high level of complexity, but the opposite phenomenon is observed if the datasets have a low level of complexity. When the surrogate models with different accuracies are used to enhance the performance of a wind turbine airfoil, the surrogate model with a high level of accuracy produces the optimal design, showing a high performance improvement. The current study is expected to give guidance on how to properly choose between an RSM and ANN to construct a highly accurate surrogate model that can help in finding a design with a high performance improvement during the optimization process.


SUMMARY

In 2 years the distribution of radioactivity recovered in entire shoots of field-grown winter wheat was determined at various times after exposing the top two leaves (flag leaf or second leaf) to 14CO2 for 30 s. In 1976 when 14C was supplied to either leaf 14 days before anthesis, 30% was in the ear at anthesis. Less than 5% was in the leaf exposed to I4CO2. The remainder was equally divided between the stem above and below the flag-leaf node when the flag leaf had been exposed, and was mainly in the lower part of the stem when the second leaf had been exposed. By maturity the proportion in the stem had decreased; 20% of the total activity was in the grain and 30% was still in the ear structures.

When 14C was supplied 10 days after anthesis, the proportion in the ear 24 h later ranged from 42 to 69% of that in the whole shoot when the flag leaf was exposed, and from 6 to 28% when the second leaf was exposed. At maturity these proportions increased to 92 and 85% when the 14C had been supplied to flag leaves and second leaves respectively. When 14C was supplied 25 days after anthesis to either flag leaves or second leaves, more than 90% of the activity was in the mature ears. Less than 5% of the 14C remaining at maturity from any treatment was still in the leaf exposed to 14CO2. Between 2 and 6% of 14C supplied after anthesis was in the non-grain parts of the ear.

The proportion of the 14C in the ear was greatest for the semi-dwarf varieties Maris Fundin and Hobbit, less for Maris Huntsman, and least for Cappelle-Desprez. These varietal differences were large 24 h after exposure to 14CO2, especially in 1976. They were small and rarely significant at maturity.

Nitrogen fertiliser up to 210 kg N ha-1 had negligible effects on the distribution of 14C, although it greatly increased growth and yield, especially in 1975.


This essay attempts to clarify and simplify the results of the literature on price stabilization in order to provide a better sense of the conditions under which commodity stabilization schemes will be successful and the welfare effects of such schemes. After introducing the early framework under which price stabilization was analyzed, the paper demonstrates the variance of results under alternative and more realistic situations. It treats topics such as storage and food security, inflation and economic development, public storage and futures markets, and non-storable goods. The conclusions are: (i) some countries may lose from price stabilization even though there is a net global gain; (ii) liberalized trade reduces the need for buffer stocks; (iii) futures markets reduce instability at a lower cost than buffer stocks; (iv) many national price stabilization schemes are actually price support systems used to improve farmers' incomes; (v) good price forecasting is a prerequisite to well-managed buffer stocks; (vi) price stability in poorer countries is not sufficient to avoid occasional food shortages; and (vii) food is costly to store and may not alleviate famine if transportation and distribution systems are inadequate.


In recent years,such violation phenomena have occurred as commercial banks' query and use of customer personal credit reports in violation,infringing upon customer information interests,etc.An analysis is made on the manifestation forms of and the underlying causes for the commercial banks' infringement on the interests of customer credit information,and lessons are taken from the experiences and practices in foreign countries with mature credit reference industry on how to safeguard the participant interests.Proposals are made for maintaining customer information interests from the perspective of commercial bank supervision.


Hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the uterus, has always been a source of some controversy. Because there are few absolute indications, besides cancer, for hysterectomy, it is extremely difficult for outside reviewers to determine when hysterectomies are reasonably justified. This lack of co


In China, the application of renewable energy witnesses rapid development. In the near future, a lot of demonstration projects will be built and thus it is urgent to know the economics of renewable energy building application technologies. Based on the renewable energy demonstration projects in Chongqing city, the author discussed the economy issue of water-source heat pump system (WSHPs) in order to provide suggestions for the application projects. According to the design information of demonstration projects, the average incremental investment, allowance, and payback period are calculated in this paper. Comparing WSHPs with traditional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the saved energy of WSHPs is estimated in the current paper. The author calculated the amount of saved energy in unit applied area and unit intake water. Besides, the economy and efficiency of WSHPs project is analyzed at the end of this paper.


Music is one of the most important factors of human lives. People express their inner thoughts, emotions and feelings with the combination of both lyrics and musical instruments. With the passage of time, languages have also evolved and the structure of the languages have also changed. By listening to music, we can understand which genre the song belongs to. So, we have come up with an idea of classifying genre based on the music lyrics. There are few works where the researchers worked on genre based lyrics classification. However, those works were based on different languages such as English, Hindi and Spanish. As a result, we have got an opportunity to work on Bangla language. In this paper, we have used different machine learning (ML) models and a custom CNN model to classify Bangla Lyrics on "Bangla Song Lyrics" dataset which is available on Kaggle. Our proposed CNN model achieved highest accuracy of 69.36% with an F1-score of 69.17% among all models.


ABSTRACTA soluble impure acetylcholinesterase (AChE), (EC 220.127.116.11) was isolated from rat brain. The enzyme showed tendency to form aggregates in a medium of low ionic strength that leaded to a decrease of the acetylcholinesterase activity. After an increase of the protein concentration of the obtained soluble enzyme, was observed a decrease or absolute loss of the activity which regenerated after diluting with water. Moreover detachment of the enzyme from the membrane (solubilization) leaded up to raising of the total AChE activity as well as the activity of the residual membrane bound AChE. Possible reason might be the transition of the enzyme to more active form with lower degree of aggregation. The soluble AChE was further purified by ion exchange chromatography (FPLC), but the obtained enzyme was not stable enough and rapidly lost its activity in a high ionic strength environment.


The concept of gyroscopic precession is frequently one of the most difficult encountered by beginning physics students. A new method of presenting this material is suggested which follows logically from the usual studies of uniformly accelerated linear and angular motions.


This study examined women's work—life balance (WLB) over the life course in retail management. Ten women (mean age =25) who worked in the centre management of a shopping mall were interviewed. Thematic analysis revealed that they perceived their WLB to be influences by five aspects: (a) the integration of work and life roles (b) the career as a learning process which is personally meaningful, (c) the retail industry and people dynamics (d) the value of time and (f) perceived autonomy among options for work and life development. The findings suggest that WLB within retail is perceived as a subjective, continuous experience which changes over time.


The influence of the parameters such as magnetron sputtering power, time of magnetron sputtering and on vacuum on the fabrication of stainless steel thin films was studied. It was metalloscopy and other performance tests of the stainless steel films were performed, found out that the film prepared under the power of 100W and time of 2 hours had the best performance.


ABSTRACT
 Over the past few decades, many Southeast Asian governments have promoted English language education (hereafter ELE) as a linguistic pathway for developing human capital and improving global economic competitiveness of their nations. However, Kirkpatrick (2017. Language education policy among the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). European Journal of Language Policy, 9(1), 7–25. https://doi.org/10.3828/ejlp.2017.2) raises a valid concern that if the current language education policy of teaching only the national language plus English is retained in Southeast Asian polities, future multilinguals in the region will likely be transformed into bilinguals with proficiency in the national language and English. While instrumentalist discourses have shaped ELE policy in the region, the current status of English has also been facilitated, to a large extent, by a set of common ELE 'fallacies' [Phillipson (1992). Linguistic imperialism. Oxford University Press]. This paper seeks to firstly address the ideological fallacies of ELE that underlie the pursuit of English. We then call for a reorientation towards viewing multilingualism-as-resource(s), and propose a 'Na/ver/in' multilingual model for Southeast Asian primary education. This model seeks to promote the combined use of the (na)tional language, (ver)nacular language(s)/regional lingua franca and (in)ternational language for primary education. We further argue that the way forward is a more balanced, inclusive, socially equitable and ethical approach to language policy and planning, informing the Naverin model.


This contribution to the critical debate of higher education, and business schools in particular, is based on the cynical notion that allegedly 'we have never been wealthier or better off, but have never felt as bad' collectively within the so-called (post-) industrial world or Western society. This situation has to be understood in the context of aggressively pursued neo-liberal agendas and their side-effects of increasing disorders affecting in society. In this think-piece I explore the exemplary pathologies of depression, burnout, anorexia/bulimia, and insomnia; integrating literature on organizational studies and personal observations from within a private business school in Germany. The aim is to assess if higher education in the neo-liberal age contributes to the dissemination of pathologies. Despite the non-representativeness and anecdotal character of my observations, I have discovered substantial hints that business schools, students, and lecturers are trapped in a vicious circle: they all are pa...


Nowadays, it is indisputable the need for all educational agents, family, school and community, to work together in the education of students throughout their school life.
Several authors have developed models and theories on family involvement in schools, concluding that this is a determining factor in the academic and personal development of students.
Although the current educational legislation contemplates the collaboration between school, society and families in the learning process of the students, this does not always take place due to the present difficulties in these three areas.
This work is intended to be a tool for parental involvement in the education of their children. To this end, it is proposed the realization of the Scientific Journeys, developed from the subject Physics and Chemistry, and destined to 3rd ESO students from a school in Barcelona. The main objective of these Journeys is to increase the student motivation and to improve their academic achievement, as well as the development of the family-school relationship to benefit the students.
In order to have the expected effects due to family involvement in this type of activities, it is necessary for parents and teachers to be aware of the benefits of working together. Quality education should be a common goal that encourages parents and teachers to maintain a positive relationship and work together on each student's education.


A study of two adjacent dairy farms, one using conventional confined herd management and the other organic management, revealed significant differences in the fatty acid composition of the milk. Compared with conventional milk, organic milk had higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and α-linolenic acid (the major omega-3 fatty acid in milk), and less stearic and linoleic acid (the major omega-6 fatty acid in milk) during the spring–summer grazing season. When discarding geography and weather as variables, organic milk appears to yield more CLA and α-linolenic acid, which should be beneficial to health.


The authors have set themselves an impossible task, impossible at least within the covers of one book: to answer the question of what kind of Jews of German-Jewish background live in Germany now, and why. In the introductory chapter, John Borneman begins with the question "What is a German Jew?," and evidently hopes that the answer will emerge in the course of the book. The lives of the eleven interviewees span several generations, several countries of birth and greatly varied life experiences and ideological backgrounds, but are not sufficiently detailed to provide clear pictures of the protagonists. The younger among them did not return to Germany of their own volition, but were brought there, to Berlin, by their parents. Those who lived in East Berlin were raised as Communists, and in most cases for many years knew nothing, or next to nothing, about their Jewish background. They saw the West in stereotypes. In some cases even after the Wall came down and they could see for themselves, they still believed that, unlike themselves, Westerners only strive for material goods. This is true even of those who feel betrayed by communism.


Modern biotechnology holds great potential for expanding the scope of fermentation to create novel foods and improve the sustainability of food production.


Social Symbiosis Theory was originated from biological concept"mutualism"by German biologist,in the19 century,Professor Hu Shoujun put forward the idea of Social Symbiosis Theory based on the concept and made it a kind of social philosophy. Nowadays,China is in the period of social transition and social problems occur frequently,which urges to advocate Social Symbiosis Theory and promote harmonious development.


'The Council has decided that all apprentices should attend, without loss of pay, release courses in Vocational Schools and Colleges on the basis of at least one day a week (or its equivalent in block release) during the first three years of apprenticeship.'


Extended partial-response maximum-likelihood (EPRML) detection outperforms PRML on very high density magnetic recording channels. However, EPRML detection is much more complex than PRML and is difficult to implement at high data rates. Turbo-PRML is a compromise EPRML detector which comprises a conventional PRML detector plus a digital circuit operating on the PRML outputs. A bit-by-bit simulation is presented that confirms the expected performance gains over PRML. >