Abstract : The research described was performed under Project A, the U.S. Army's large-scale, multiyear manpower and personnel effort for improving the selection, classification, and utilization of Army enlisted personnel. This report is one of three derived from an extensive literature review aimed at identifying many types of constructs that might be used to enhance the accuracy of the present Army screening system (the other two reports deal, respectively, with cognitive abilities and psychomotor abilities). The present report is divided into three sections, each dealing with the utility of one type of information for predicting job performance. The section on temperament discusses traits as the basis for temperament assessment, several methods of scale construction, comparison of psychometric properties, a proposed taxonomy of temperament scales, criterion-related validity, and various moderator variables. The section on biographical data discusses measurement methods and concerns, structure and conceptual issues, and validity research. The section on interest assessment discusses various methods of measuring interests, models and theories, and validity research.


The operational parameters and factors which control the performance of capillary electrochromatography (CEC) using commercially available CEC instrumentation are evaluated and discussed. The CEC of neutral or ion-suppressed acidic analytes shows marked advantages such as increased column efficiency and reduced analysis times compared to conventional high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Development of the CEC method using C-18 stationary phases follows similar guidelines to that of HPLC and, due to the high efficiencies obtained, the time required for method development can be substantially reduced. The technique of CEC is extremely attractive for the analysis of pharmaceuticals due to its excellent quantitative characteristics: good repeatability, reproducibility, wide UV detector linearity, and excellent detection limits. The analysis of acidic and neutral analytes by CEC using reverse-phase material is highly successful. However, in order to analyze highly basic analytes a strong cation exchange stationary phase is needed. This phase can produce staggering and as yet unexplained "apparent" efficiencies of over 40×106 plates per meter; however, to-date these results are highly non-reproducible. The application of CEC to the pharmaceutical industry has been demonstrated in the analysis of a wide range of structurally diverse pharmaceutical compounds using capillaries packed with reverse-phase materials. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Micro Sep9: 373–387, 1997


Purpose

Numerical superstition is well-known in Asian countries and can influence decision-making in many markets, from financial investment to purchasing a house. This study aims to determine the house price effects of superstition and understand if these have changed over time.

Design/methodology/approach

Using sales transactions of freestanding houses in Auckland, New Zealand, the authors use hedonic price analysis to investigate whether superstitious beliefs associated with lucky and unlucky house numbers affect property values.

Findings

The analysis reveals ethnic Chinese buyers in Auckland displayed superstitious home buying behaviour in the period 2003-2006 by attributing value to homes with street addresses starting or ending with the lucky number eight. However, this willing to pay higher prices for lucky numbers was not reflected in the analysis of 2011-2015 sales transactions. The disappearance of superstition price effects may indicate that ethnic Chinese in the Auckland housing market have, over time, assimilated New Zealand's Western culture and have become less superstitious.

Originality/value

Unlike previous studies, the authors parse buyers into two populations of homebuyers, ethnic Chinese and non-Chinese purchasers, and model the two groups' housing transactions independently to more accurately establish if numerical superstition influences house prices.


Part of our charge as young adult librarians is to serve as advocates and asset builders for our tween and teen patrons. One way to fulfill these aspects of our professional responsibilities is through the cultivation of active Junior Friends groups. A Junior Friends group is a TAG (Teen Advisory Group) or TAB (Teen Advisory Board) taken to that next level. While a TAG or TAB typically advises the library on teen programs and collections, the Junior Friends take an active organizational and financial role. I work at Uniondale Public Library, a heavily utilized public library located in the suburbs on the South Shore of Nassau County, Long Island, New York. In 1996, an industrious librarian by the name of Nancy Bertrand took the initiative and, with a $500 grant from the now defunct Chemical Bank, started the Junior Friends of Uniondale Public Library. When Bertrand left the library, the Adult Programmer Stacey Smith-Brown took over the duties of supervising these teens. In 2004, I was hired as the young adult librarian and the job of supervising the group was added to my list of duties. Uniondale is a multicultural community comprised of a majority of African-American and Hispanic working and middle class families. The teens who are members of the Junior Friends come from the community, and the programs that they choose to do for the most part reflect the rich cultural diversity of our community. For example, this year, Hispanic members of the Junior Friends made a valid point that the group has never celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month, even though Uniondale's second largest ethnic demographic is Hispanic. I gave the go-ahead for the group to start planning their first "Latino Heritage Night," a celebration of the various countries and cultures within the Hispanic community. The efforts of the Junior Friends group have brought widespread recognition to the group. In August 2011, the group as a whole was honored with a citation from the Town of Hempstead by Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby for their years of community service. In 2009, Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) honored the Junior Friends with the MVP (Most Valuable Program) runner-up title for their annual Kwanzaa Feast and Craft program. The program involves the teens presenting a dramatic segment (original plays written by the teens) explaining the meaning of the seven principles of Kwanzaa" Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith). After the dramatic portion, the Junior Friends make a craft with the children present, and those in attendance are invited to partake in the delicious food and drink donated by the Junior Friends, which is the feast portion of the program. VOYA noted the program's "teen involvement ... and the long-time success ... in reaching across cultures to a diverse audience." (1) Teen members have found their experience as Junior Friends most rewarding. One high school senior shared that "it broke me out of my shell ... everyone was nice and welcoming." When describing her volunteer work, a sophomore said, "It made me love kids." An eighth grader said in regard to his volunteering as a reading mentor that "it gives experience for teaching." The group has even encouraged one teen to set her sights on librarianship. A high school senior and the current Junior Friends president stated, "Junior Friends is the first step of many to reach my goal of [becoming] a librarian." Another longtime Junior Friends member and graduating high school senior reflecting back on her years in the group said that the group has "helped me discover myself, my heritage, and my potential." Lastly, a Junior Friends alum and Howard University junior expressed his feelings about his years in the group this way: "Junior Friends was a great tool to use to build leadership skills and interpersonal skills as well as become a positive role model for younger children in the community. …


This thesis was conducted in the canton Gonzanama province of Loja, it has the largest population of donkeys at the national level 22% and has not chosen any recognition of this kind so exploited, right now is an endangered species, appearance the need to start the rescue so he was raised starting with the study of the phenotypic characterization and zoometric ass. The specimens studied 100 animals (40 females and 60 males of 1 year onwards) of the four parishes of the canton Gonzanama, which were analyzed and ultimately determined taking into account the variables under study: body length, chest circumference, height sub sternal, wither height, weight, body condition, age, sex, with the following results: Condition male body in half between 2 and 2.88 in Purunuma and Changaimina parishes and Nambacola, Sacapalca 1.32 to 1.77. Changaimina females an average of 3.44 in Sacapalca and Nambacola Purunuma 2.92 and 2.99 and 2.88. Half body length from 0.89 to 0.90cm, in the parish of Sacapalca and Changaimina, an average of 0.83 to 0.84cm Nambacola copies Purunuma and females. In Purunuma and Nambacola in males, of 0.99cm, in the parish of Changaimina, an average of 0.90 to 0.93cm and 0.87cm in Sacapalca. Chest circumference, an average of 1.08 in Purunuma and Nambacola, and Changaimina Sacapalca 1.02 in females. An average of 1.14 and 1.17 in Purunuma and Nambacola, 1.11 to 1.07 in Sacapalca and Changaimina in males. Sternal, 0.75 in parishes and Sacapalca Nambacola, in Purunuma 0.76 and 0.74 in females sub Changaimina in height. 0.82 males in Changaimina, 0.75, and 0.76 in Nambacola, and Purunuma Sacapalca. An average height of 1.01 in Purunuma and Nambacola parish and 1.03 to 1.06 in Changaimina Sacapalca and females. In Nambacola 1.09 and 1.05 to 1.06 in Purunuma, Sacapalca and Changaimina in males. Purunuma 82 kg in weight, Nambacola, and 79 kilos in Sacapalca and Changaimina in females. Males have an average of 86 kg, Nambacola and Changaimina, 83 kg Sacapalca and Purunuma.


SUMMARY An adjustment to the profile likelihood proposed by Cox & Reid (1987) when the parameters are orthogonal is shown to agree with modified profile likelihood in a number of instances in which the parameters are not orthogonal. Several examples of the phenomenon are given. In the case of composite transformation models with invariant parameter as the parameter of interest, it is shown that the Cox-Reid adjustment agrees with modified profile likelihood in a large-deviation sense if Lebesgue measure is rightinvariant. Necessary and sufficient conditions for equivalence in the moderate-deviation sense of modified profile likelihood and the Cox-Reid adjusted profile likelihood are


Freezing of supercooled water drops has been studied by a constant-temperature method to determine the dependence of heterogeneous nucleation on temperature and on the duration of supercooling. A polished metal surface, coated with a water repelling film of liquid paraffin, is used to support the rain-sized water drops being frozen. Complex and rather unexpected behavior was observed during initial freezing after sudden chilling. However, the latter part of the freezing process agrees with the equation developed from the probability considerations by Bigg and shows time dependence. The complex parts of the curves obtained during initial freezing can be explained by the recently discovered dependence of freezing temperature of supercooled drops on rate of cooling.


The present invention solves security and storage problems by not separately storing a security card including random numbers by issuing the security card for an electronic financial transaction in a financial institution for a short time and minimizes security card issuing costs. [Reference numerals] (20) Work terminal; (22) Card issuer; (30) Integrated management server; (32) DB server; (AA) Customer; (S11) Request to issue a security card; (S12) Request to transfer the customer information and to generate the random number information of the security card; (S13) Generate a random number table and serial numbers; (S14) Transfer the generated random number table, the serial numbers, and the customer information to the DB server; (S15) Store the random number table and serial numbers after mapping the customer information and the serial numbers; (S16) Receive success/failure messages; (S17) Transfer the random number table and serial numbers; (S18) Request to print the security card; (S19) Delivery the security card


Purpose Novel coronavirus disease has become such an escalating epidemic that the exponential growth of infected patients has overloaded the health-care systems in many countries. Determination of early assessments for patients with a risk of clinical deterioration would benefit the management of COVID-19 outbreaks. Patients and Methods A total of 214 confirmed COVID-19 patients were enrolled from January 11th to February 11th 2020. Medical records including laboratory parameters, clinical outcomes and other characteristics of the admitted patients were analyzed retrospectively. Results The critical patients experienced a significantly prolonged onset–admission interval and presented with lymphopenia (r=−0.547, p=0.015) and lower albumin level (p<0.001) 6 days after symptom onset. Early admission of critical patients significantly reduced the duration of hormone therapy. Starting from 9 days of hospital stay, the reduced lymphocyte counts exhibited linear growth. Furthermore, on days 9 and 12, significant correlations were demonstrated between immunological manifestations and duration of hormone therapy in critical patients, and length of hospital stay in severe patients. In addition, the virus negative conversion rate was more significantly correlated with increased lymphocytes in critical patients. Conclusion Early intervention, within 6 days of symptom onset, benefited patients' recovery from critical illness. The 9–12 days of hospital care represented a valuable window during which to evaluate the therapeutic effects on physical recovery and virus clearance.


This essay gives attention to the "recycling" and transportation of folkloric material in the cultural fomentation of post-Katrina New Orleans. The study focuses on a Mardi Gras street performance, involving the dance of skull and bones, which holds particular emblematic significance given the death/rebirth narrative the city has experienced over the course of the last decade. Though the city rightly champions its recovery, the new incarnations of the skull and bones illustrate the dense interweaving of complex and often ironic identities and outlooks that have operated in negotiation during this recovery period. In his All on a Mardi Gras Day: Episodes in the History of New Orleans Carnival, Reid Mitchell casts the history of carnival in New Orleans as a chronicle of contestations, with different groups and interests competing at different times for pride of place and authority-between Creole and American, American and immigrant, etc. (Mitchell 1995:3). This essay places similar emphasis on carnival's contestatory, though not necessarily adversarial, energies and examines how the practices of the New Orleans skull and bone gangs, continued by generations of the city's African-American residents, have recently been reconstituted and resituated.Highlighting an African-American folkloric practice that may date back two hundred years, my analysis draws upon the work of Richard Schechner and his famous understanding of ritualistic performance as a "twice-behaved behavior" or "restored behavior" (Schechner 1981:84). As Schechner points out, patterns are repeated and reenacted, effecting group cohesion and continuity; each iteration, however, allows for variance depending on the contingent needs and participants of any given moment. This resituation of performance is also explored in the recent book Folklore Recycled: Old Traditions in New Contexts, in which Frank de Caro examines how "folklore becomes transmuted or transported" (3). Importantly, de Caro emphasizes that attention to the resituation of folkoric activity can be "as important as the study of folklore's prime contexts themselves" (de Caro 2013:4). Attention to the skull and bone gangs demonstrates fascinating instances of such reiterations, as this African-American folkloric practice has been taken up and reconstituted by white female artists, in particular in the post-Katrina work of Joy Gauss and Claudia "Mardi Claw" Gehrke, a resituation that introduces provocative questions of rivalry and alliance, affirmation and appropriation.While New Orleans has continued to mourn in the wake of Katrina and still struggles with wide-ranging problems, (inadequate public services, racial inequities, disparities of wealth, decaying infrastructure, etc.) rather than experiencing a death spiral, the city has witnessed a surprising upsurge and recovery, which has been heralded as a post-Katrina renaissance. New Orleans has become one of the fastest-growing population centers in the country. Tourism has risen to pre-Katrina levels. The city's economy, moreover, has experienced unprecedented diversification and productivity. A recent Atlantic article noted this upturn in the city's fortunes:In the last five years, the city has won an astounding number of city awards, but many of them are a variation on the "most improved player" theme. In 2011, the Wall Street Journal named it the most improved metro. Forbes has dubbed it the Number-1 metro for IT job growth ... Just last week, the Brookings Metropolitan Policy program named it the number one recovery city in the country (Thompson 2013).A new year's editorial in the local Times-Picayune newspaper trumpeted these welcome trends as worthy of celebration, highlighting the new optimism of the city, citing as testament a visiting columnist's characterization of the recovery as "a magnificent comeback by a truly great American city" ("Wrapping up a good year" 2013).The recovery certainly has resulted from a complex of factors, though there is merit in the argument that the city's unique cultural life-perhaps its greatest capital-has been instrumental in bringing the city back from the brink of extinction. …


The article is devoted to the 95th anniversary of the Chemical technological Institute (CTI) of the Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin (UrFU), which will be held in October 2015. Over the years Chemical technological Institute (CTI) has undergone many structure transformations in accordance with the tasks which were set before it the time and the development of our country. Currently this is a fairly large educational and research Institute, which employs more than 100 lecturers including more than 70 associate professors – candidates (Dr), 30 professors – doctors of Sciences (DSc), 3 academics and 1 corresponding member of RAS, trained more than 850 students.


Predictions of protein tertiary structures are carried out by Monte Carlo simulations. Our approach consists of two aspects: the inclusion of accurate solvent effects and the development of powerful simulation algorithms that can avoid getting trapped in states of energy local minima. For the former, we discuss several models varying in nature from crude (distancedependent dielectric function) to rigorous (reference interaction site model). For the latter, we show the effectiveness of Monte Carlo simulated annealing and generalized-ensemble algorithms.


10504 Background: The epidemiology and immunohistochemistry of breast cancer in indigenous African populations is not well known with many studies relying on small case series. In this communication, we report a preliminary report from our study of the immunohistochemistry of breast tumors in Nigeria, highlighting the epidemiological characteristics of the "triple-negative" breast cancers and comparing these with non-triple negative breast tumors.

METHODS
111 consecutive breast cancer patients presenting at the Oncology Clinic of the University College Hospital had tumor biopsied and demographic and epidemiological information collected. Standard histological and immunohistochemical analysis was done for ER, PR and HER2 status.

RESULTS
Most tumors were ER+ (65%, 69/106), PR+ (60%, 56/94) and HER2_ (91%, 82/90). 17% (13/76) of our patients had triple negative tumors. Patients with triple negative tumors were younger than those with triple negative (49.6 vs. 55.3 years p = 0.31), had shorter duration of symptoms (12.2 vs 20.7 months, p-value 0.18), later age at onset of menarche (17.4 vs 15.3, p-value = 0.25), lower BMI (27.2 vs 40.2, p-value = 0.01), greater height (157 vs 148 cm, p-value = 0.03), lower waist-hip ratio (0.84 vs 0.88, p-value = 0.16) and none of them had a positive family history of breast cancer.

CONCLUSIONS
Contrary to previous reports, tumors in these African patients displayed immunohistochemical characteristics similar to those reported from Caucasian and other populations. Triple negative tumors were more likely to be associated with lower BMI and greater height, but more studies are needed. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


The influence rules of technical parameters on the non-circularity of workpiece were achieved.The results of FEM analysis show the non-circularity of workpiece is proportional to the spreading angle and rolling temperature,and inversely proportional to the forming angle and area reduction with forming angle 35° to 45°,spreading angle 4° to 7°,area reduction 35% to 65%,and rolling temperature 900℃ to 1100℃.The FEM model was validated by rolling experiment.The non-circularity on cross section reaches maximum in axial symmetry plane and decreases along axial direction due to the metal flow in deformation zone is confined by the undeformed metal.Research results provide theoretical basis for determining process parameters.


In the presence of a non-local potential arising from electron–electron interaction, the conventional definition of current density Jc = (e/2m)([(p−eA)ψ]*ψ−ψ*[(p−eA)ψ]) cannot satisfy the condition of current conservation, i.e., in the steady state. In order to solve this problem, we give a new definition of current density including the contribution due to the non-local potential. We show that the current calculated based on the new definition of current density conserves the current and is the same as that obtained from the Landauer–Büttiker formula. Examples are given to demonstrate our results.


[Objective] To evaluate the pregnancy outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI) with sperm obtained by surgical sperm retrieval in the men with ejaculation failure on the day of oocyte retrieval and to find out the protocol in case of ejaculation failure.[Methods] Retrospectively analyze 33 cases in our IVF center who had ejaculation failure on the day of oocyte retrieval and underwent surgical sperm retrieval combining with ICSI from May 1,2005 to May 1,2009.They were divided into percutaneous epididymal aspiration(PESA) group and testicular sperm extraction(TESE) group(28 cases).The fertilization rate,cleavage rate,good quality embryos rate,pregnancy rate and implantation rate between the two groups were compared after ICSI.[Results] In the past five years,ejaculation failure occurred in 0.52%(33/6341) on the day of oocyte retrieval retrievals in our unit.All the 33 patients could retrieve sperm with surgical method successfully,including 5 cases from PESA(15.2%,5/33) and 28 cases from TESE(84.8%,28/33).There were no statistically difference between the two groups in fertilization rate(69.2% vs.78.6%,P = 0.118),pregnancy rate(60.0% vs 37.0%,P = 0.374) and implantation rate(41.7% vs 21.2%,P = 0.129).But there were statistically significant difference between the cleavage rate(88.9% vs 99.7%,P = 0.019) and good quality embryos rate(52.5% vs 75.6%,P = 0.004) between the two group.Thirty-two cycles had fresh embryo transfer,only one cycle had no embryo transfer due to no fertilization after ICSI.The biochemical pregnancy rate and implantation rate were 40.6%(13/32) and 24.4%(19/78),respectively.Fourteen babies were born.[Conclusion] Surgical sperm retrieval combining with ICSI is an effective solution for those men with ejaculation failure on the day of oocyte retrieval.It could avoid cancellation of treatment cycles.


The revolution of information and communication in the 21st century, as a new management paradigm of all industries, demands decision-marking through collecting and analyzing both highly advanced and speedy information The result inevitably calls for new human resources training. For the purpose of training human resources armed with global progress, there is necessity for both tourism industry and the academia to analyze problems such as incompatibility of human resources criteria that are required by school education and industries. Consequently, this research examines different cases such as development of human resources by tourism industry, collaboration between industry and academics, joint effort by industry and patterns of talented persons required by tourism industries, and from tourism industries viewpoint, evaluations on the employees who have majored in tourism related curriculum in junior college, this research tries to find a method for development of human resources that is consistent with the requirement of both desirable tourism education in practice and tourism industries.


One of the current flavors of the month seems to be meta or left-handed materials. The author discussed his skepticism regarding this topic. His skepticism was aggravated not so much by the recent flurry of peer-reviewed papers but an article in a popular science weekly that proclaimed that the "new and exciting developments" in meta-materials could lead to the actual implementation of Harry Potter's invisibility cloak


The notion that exoplanets are in a state of equilibrium with their surroundings has not given place to the viewpoint of transmissivity of life on the interstellar scales. Spread of human diseases and life reemergence after mass extinction on Earth might show similar characteristics of highly clustered events in space and time.                                                                      Here, we extend numerical tests of life's spatio-temporal clustering on the simple model of the Galactic patch. We use the cellular-automaton model that reproduces the hypothetical spatial and time evolution of the life spreading within a Galactic patch, adapting parameters relevant for pandemics. Such type of models highlights crucial mechanisms underlying complex behavior. Performed simulations aim to determine phase transition between the persistence and extinction of life spreading within the galactic patch. This phase space is defined by the interplay of planetary systems sterilization and life infection rates. The perseverance part of phase space is that the spreading of life will persist when the simulation parameters lie in this domain and vice versa. The realizations of phase space were calculated by simulating 100 x 100 cells network with ten independent runnings.  Each running lasted for 500 arbitrary time units with time step 1. At the beginning of each run, the lattice has been initially set with a randomly chosen sample of planetary systems from used Galactic density distribution.

We observe a critical influence of mobility on regions of life perseverance, termination, and transition within the phase space. Life spreading through the Galactic patch is in at least three different geometrical shapes ('waves') differing from spherical. We set up that this phenomenon is robust, independent from the details of cyclic life termination rates. With increasing mobility above the specified threshold, these geometrical shapes ('waves') grow and saturate the patch, and they persist over a long time range. But there is no spatial pattern for mobility rate below the particular threshold, and the life spreading process is not persistent in time.

Based on our study, we propose that the life clustering within a specific region in our Galaxy can be reconstructed in a two-dimensional phase space using biomarkers and biosignatures data from future exoplanets extensive surveys. Also, this can be applied to the Galactic bulge habitability. Wislocka at al. (2019) calculated the possible atmospheric mass loss for 16  hot Jupiters residing in the Galactic bulge due to radiation from the Milky Way's (MW) central SMBH, Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*). They found that planets in the Galactic bulge could have lost up to several Earth atmospheres in mass during the AGN phase of Sgr A*. Bearing in mind the mass of these hot Jupiters, this fraction of atmospheric mass loss is not drastic, however for smaller, rocky planets within the bulge, such atmospheric mass loss can be essential but during the activity of Milky Way SMBH.  However, Balbi et al. (2020)  have shown that lithopanspermia scenarios would be more efficient in the bulge concerning the solar neighborhood. If the spreading of life between stellar systems is possible in such an environment, then the highest rate of life-termination events might be balanced by the possibility that life can migrate quickly to safer locations.  Thus, it will be necessary to correctly define a metric on the observable biosignatures of exoplanets within the observed Galactic region. If this metric is time-dependent, there is a good chance that life transfer is occurring.

Acknowledgements.  This work is  supported by Ministry of Education, Science and Technological development of Republic Serbia through the Astrophysical Spectroscopy of Extragalactic Objects project number 176001.

References

Wisłocka, A. M.; Kovacevic, A. B.; Balbi, A. Comparative analysis of the influence of Sgr A* and nearby active galactic nuclei on the mass loss of known exoplanets. Astron. Astrophys. 2019, 624, A71.

Balbi, A.; Hami, M.; Kovacevic, A, The Habitability of the Galactic Bulge. Life. 2020, submitted


The present invention, at least one electrically conductive pipe line 100, and the fluid (F) comprising at least one voltage source (2) connected to the at least one pipeline (100) for receiving the fluid (F) that the relates to a device (1) for heating, at least one voltage source (2), at least a current to heat a pipe line 100 to heat the fluid (F), at least one pipeline ( is designed to generate at 100). According to the invention, the at least one voltage source (2) is the M outer conductors (L1, ..., LM) having a, wherein M is equal to two or greater than that of a natural number, at least one voltage source ( to be shifted, the outer conductor (L1, .. - 2) is the outer conductor (L1, ..., are designed to provide an AC voltage from LM), this AC voltage are in phase over the 2π / M with respect to each other ., LM) is provided to a star circuit (star circuit) is connected electrically conductively to at least one of the pipeline 100 in a manner to be formed.


We present the results of continued 8.4 GHz Very Long Baseline Array monitoring of the subparsec-scale structure and evolution of Centaurus A, following on from the initial results presented in 1998 by Tingay et al. We include, for the first time, multiepoch VLBI images at 22.2 GHz that show that the jet is linear and well collimated on scales as small as 0.02 pc (∼1000rs). Two components in the subparsec-scale jet continue to evolve slowly with a speed of 0.12c. We confirm that an additional component, close to the core, has no significant motion. Some evidence is seen for rapid variations within individual components, as noted dramatically in 1991–1992 by Tingay et al., albeit at a lower level of activity. Both the stationary behavior of the component close to the core and the internal variability of components in the subparsec-scale jet of Centaurus A may be explained as being due to the existence of shocks created in the wake of major component ejections from the nucleus, as simulated by Agudo et al. (published in 2001). Tentative evidence is found to suggest that two subparsec-scale counterjet components are in motion away from the nucleus. The estimated apparent speeds of the jet and counterjet components are consistent with the previously suggested likely jet viewing angle range, 50°–80°. We also compare our Centaurus A images with high-resolution VLBI images of M87 to show that the region of the Centaurus A jet in which collimation likely first occurs lies a factor of 10 below our current resolution limit. Future space VLBI missions at high frequency will be required to resolve this region.


We created an environmental forest on the basis of ecological design around the incineration plant of Jindo Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd., which is located in Jeongwang-dong, Siheung-si, Kyunggi-do. To get ecological information of this site, physico-chemical properties of soil on salt marsh, which is located close to the syudy site and of forest soil transported from other sites for ecological restoration were analyzed. Texture of salt marsh and transported soils were loam and sandy loam, respectively. pH, organic matter, T-N, available P, and exchangeable K and Na contents of salt marsh and transported forest soils were 6.7 and 5.4, 4.1 and 0.4%, 1.0 and 0.3mg/g, 46.7 and 6.8ppm, 521 and 207ppm, and 3.8 and 0.5mg/g, respectively. Introduced plants were selected among the dominant species of forests and the species composing the potential natural vegetation around the present study site. Those plants were selected again by considering the tolerances to air pollution and to salt, and their availability. Selected trees were Pinus thunbergii, Sophora japonica, Celtis sinensis, Quercus aliena, Q. serrata, Q. dentata, and Q. acutissima. Selected sub-trees were Albizzia julibrissin, Koelreuteria poniculata, and Styrax japonica and shrubs were Rhododendron yedoense var. poukhanense, R. mucronulatum, Callicarpa japonica, Euonymus alatus, E. japonica, and R. schlippenbachii. On the other hand, introduction of herbs was not considered except for Liriope platyphylla, which was ornamentally planted in one site. Planting bed of mound type was adopted to provide the fine drainage system. Mound was designed to furnish litter, A, B, and C layers simuating the profile of forest soil. Slope of mound was mulched by rice straw of 2cm in thickness to prevent for sliding of litter and soil in cases of strong wind or heavy rain. Height of mound was designed to secure more than 1 m by combining A and B layers. Narrow zones, in which mound with stable slope degree cannot be prepared, was designed to equip the standard soil depth with the introduction of stone for supporting. On the other hand, plants with shallow root system were arranged in some zones, in which satisfactory soil depth cannot be ensured. Plants were arranged in the order of tree, sub-tree, and shrub from center to edge on the mound to make a mature forest of a dome shape in the future. Dispersion of plants was designed to be random pattern rather than clumped one. Problems on creation of the environmental forest by such ecological design were found to be management or inspection by non-specialized project operators and inspecting officers, and regulations for construction without ecological background. Alternative plans to solve such problems were suggested.


When switching the vortex core in a magnetic disc by a short excitation with an in-plane field, there is an initial global excitation of the magnetization due to a precession of the magnetization in the spatially homogeneous field. Then an energy transport from this global excitation towards the center of the disc takes place leading to a concentration of the energy close to the vortex core which suffices to switch the core. Because this transport requires time, there is a delay between the end of the excitation and the switching. This is demonstrated for switching by in-plane rotating GHz rf-bursts.


Background and Objectives: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can cause hospital-acquired infections (HA-MRSA), community- acquired ones (CA-MRSA), and infections transmitted by pets and animals raised for food production (livestock-acquired or LA-MRSA). The conduct to control the transmission of these diseases requires a careful action against the causative agents on surfaces in the environment and the choice of disinfectants and antiseptics is crucial. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the bactericidal activity of sodium hypochlorite (SH), iodophor (I) and a quaternary ammonium compound (QAC), cetyl-trimethyl-ammonium chloride, commonly used in hospital and animal production settings, on 21 MRSA isolates and a control bacterium, and test the hypothesis of cross resistance of antibiotics and disinfectants. Methods: The bactericidal activity of four successive dilutions of the disinfectants was evaluated through the suspension test, using an initial inoculum population density of 107 CFU/mL, after contact times of 5, 15 and 30 minutes. Results: Five minutes of contact of SH 25 ppm, I 12.5 ppm and QAC 125 ppm sufficed to inactivate the reference bacterium S. aureus ATCC 6538 and all MRSA. Conclusions: Once the factors that influence the efficiency of disinfectants are controlled, sodium hypochlorite, iodophor and the quaternary ammonium compound are suitable for controlling MRSA in the sources of infection. No resistance relationship was observed in the methicillin-resistant isolates with these substances.


In this paper,the choice of controller in double closed-loop DC speed system is analyzed and a new means adjusting controller parameters in speed system is presented,this means adopts immune algorithm which is of strong optimization ability.Three means adjusting controller parameters are adopted in experiment to compare the performance and the results show the application of immune algorithm in speed system is more effective.


A numerical wave flume model was established,in which the Navier-Stokes equation was dispersed using the three-step finite element method.Then the hydrodynamic characteristics of the submarine piggyback configuration under regular wave action were numerically studied.The numerical results for wave forces on submarine piggyback pipeline were compared with the experimental results.Based on this numerical model,the effect of the spacing ratios between the small and the large pipeline G/D(0.1,0.25,0.5,0.75)on the hydrodynamic characteristics of the submarine piggyback pipeline was also investigated.The vortex shedding characteristics of the piggyback pipeline about different G/D and the variation of hydrodynamic coefficients of the pipeline with G/D were presented in this paper.The results show that both numerical and experimental results are in good agreement,and the numerical wave flume model can be applied to predict the hydrodynamic forces on the submarine piggyback pipeline under wave action.Two different vortex shedding patterns are found about different G/D.One is the"anti-phase-synchronized"pattern for G/D=0.1,0.25,the other is the"in-phase-synchronized" pattern for G/D=0.5,0.75.


A new amplifier concept combining two amplifiers in the master-slave configuration and the flying supply technique is proposed as the input stage for the planar multijunction thermal converter for AC-DC voltage transfer in the millivolt-range. High input impedance >2 M/spl Omega//spl par/<4 pF and small AC-DC voltage transfer differences from 10 Hz up to 1 MHz are the main features.


The occupational health problem which, in Australia, is commonly referred to as repetition strain injuries (RSI) has long been the subject of debate. A large increase in the number of reported cases was seen in Australia in the 1980s and was accompanied by a flood of articles and letters to medical journals. This has given an unprecedented opportunity for analysis of the debate over this occupational health problem. We outline the standard view that there are work-related injuries and four principal contrary views: that people with RSI are malingerers, that they suffer from compensation neurosis, that they have a conversion disorder or that they have normal fatigue. We examine the types of arguments and evidence used to back up these views, with particular emphasis on the alternative explanations. We show that the standard view has weaknesses, but that the alternative explanations have even more problems if they are examined with the same rigour that their advocates demand of the standard view.


This study considered trophic interactions in the pelagic and littoral regions of Lake Okeechobee, a large subtropical lake ecosystem in Florida, USA. Food web models were developed from species lists and diet information, and web attributes were utilized to compare and contrast the structurally-simple pelagic and structurally-complex littoral habitats, in terms of taxonomic structure and consumer-resource relationships. Consumers in four major trophic guilds (wading birds, fish, benthic macroinvertebrates, and zooplankton) were identified, in most cases to their biological species level, and their trophic interactions were determined based on a combination of direct measurements (for 37% of the consumers) and published diet information. Complex food webs were documented in both the pelagic and littoral habitats. The littoral web contained more species (324), links, and trophic guilds, than the pelagic web (218 species). In both webs, macroinvertebrates were the most speciose group, and periphyton/ detritus was the most frequently utilized food resource. Most consumers were omnivores that exploited periphyton/detritus and some other living component of the community. A high degree of omnivory and detritus-feeding appear to be general features of aquatic food webs.


Public transportation (PT) and intermediate public transportation (IPT) are very important component of urban system. Their contribution to the physical, economic, social and cultural development to any city is very well documented. The holistic growth of city, primarily depends on the quality of both. But now a days, the pressure on PT and IPT are rapidly increasing due to hasty growth in population of urban cities, which results in dilapidation of quality. The poor quality of PT and IPT results in increasing dominance of private vehicles. Therefore, to improve service quality and address the various issues, assessment of PT and IPT is needed. This study is concerned about the assessment of PT and IPT for Udaipur city and identifies the major issues related with service quality. In this paper, assessment of PT and IPT is done by the method of route rationalization, which helps to find the issues related not only to service quality but also to physical quality. This paper provides an overview on literature study, research methods and methodology, existing PT and IPT characteristics of Udaipur city. Also, the end of this paper concludes with suggestion to improve service quality of PT and IPT in case study area.


India is the fourth largest oilseed economy in the world. The mustard growing areas in India are experiencing the vast diversity in the agro-climatic conditions. Recently mustard crop is also gaining popularity among the farmers of Saurashtra region of the Gujarat state, being a cash crop, greatly strengthens the economy of the farmers. Technological advancement in rapeseed-mustard production has resulted in increased productivity. But many biotic stresses such as weeds cause severe yield losses up to 45% in rapeseed-mustard. They reduce crop productivity and quality by competing with crop plants for available nutrients, water, land and light resources and also influence the agro-ecosystem. The weed management in mustard is done by both cultural and herbicidal approaches. Different dinitroaniline herbicides are commonly used to eliminate weed species and most of these are effective against only narrow range of weed species. Thus, integration of herbicide at critical growth stages with one or two hand weeding at proper time for improving the weed suppressing effect of crop gives significant improvement in crop yield.


Introduction Many countries removed misleading descriptors (eg, 'light,' 'mild') from cigarette packaging because they falsely conveyed messages of reduced risk. It is unclear if relabelled products currently promote misperceptions or differences in product use and toxicant exposure. We compared product perceptions, use and exposure between a US sample of Marlboro Gold (formerly 'light') and Red smokers. Methods 240 non-treatment-seeking adult daily Marlboro smokers (70% male, 71% White, mean cigarettes/day=16.4 (SD=8.3)) completed two laboratory sessions over a 5-day period. During sessions, participants smoked two cigarettes through a topography device to capture their puffing behaviour, provided precigarette and postcigarette carbon monoxide (CO) assessments, and completed risk perception and subjective rating questionnaires. Self-reported cigarettes per day were verified via daily filter collection; urine collected at the end of the period was assayed for nicotine metabolites. Results Gold (n=49) smokers were more likely than Red (n=191) to incorrectly believe their cigarettes had less nicotine and tar than regular cigarettes (ps<0.001), and rated them as weaker, less harsh, and mild tasting (ps<0.05). Differences between Red and Gold smokers in cigarettes per day and puffing behaviours trended towards significance (ps<0.1). Notably, there were no group differences on CO boost or total nicotine equivalents (ps>0.1). Conclusions Misperceptions about nicotine and tar exist years after rebranding Marlboro Lights as Marlboro Gold. Biological results support that Gold smokers do not have lower toxicant exposure. The US should consider comprehensive packaging or product design regulations to properly inform smokers of product risks. Trial registeration number NCT02301351.


Cryopreserved bovine sperm are predominantly used
 for artificial insemination (AI) in dairy cattle breeding. After
 cryopreservation, however, considerable losses are observed in sperm
 viability. Damage during cryopreservation has been attributed to the severe
 osmotic stresses that the cells are exposed to during freezing and thawing.
 The aims of this study were: (1) to compare osmotic tolerance limits and
 volume response of bovine sperm before and after cryopreservation, (2) to
 determine the intracellular H+ and K+ concentration of bovine sperm before
 and after cryopreservation, and (3) to identify the expression of K+ and Cl- ion channels, putatively involved in sperm volume
 regulation. This study will provide information about mechanisms that result
 in damage on bovine sperm during cryopreservation. These results will be
 useful to optimize freezing and thawing conditions to increase sperm survival
 after cryopreservation. Performing a flow cytometric
 analysis of propidium iodide stained (plasma
 membrane intact) bovine sperm, this study showed
 that the critical osmolality, at which 50 % of
 sperm survive exposure to hypotonic stress, was increased from 55 mOsm/kg for extended bovine sperm to 89 mOsm/kg for cryopreserved
 bovine sperm. This indicates that cryopreservation decreases the hypotonic
 tolerance of bovine sperm. Simultaneous measurement of the cell volume and
 viability using flow cytometry showed that the
 volume response upon exposure to anisotonic
 conditions was similar for plasma membrane intact extended and cryopreserved bovine sperm. These experiments pointed out
 that bovine sperm that survive cryopreservation exhibit a similar volume
 response as before cryopreservation. The osmotic inactive volume Vb of extended and cryopreserved
 bovine sperm was determined to be 70 % of the isotonic cell volume. The
 effects of cryopreservation on the intracellular pH and intracellular K+
 concentration were determined using a fluorometric
 analysis of bovine sperm loaded with carboxyfluorescein
 (CF). CF fluorescence is dependent on the pH. The intracellular pH was
 determined by recording changes in CF fluorescence of sperm resuspended in buffers with different pH before and after
 digitonin addition. It was found that the
 intracellular pH of bovine sperm decreased from 6.28 before cryopreservation
 to 6.16 after cryopreservation, indicative for an increase in intracellular
 H+. Using the K+ ionophore nigericin
 and incubation of bovine sperm in media with various K+ concentrations, the
 intracellular K+ concentration was found to increase from 154 mM for extended bovine sperm to 183 mM
 for cryopreserved bovine sperm. Expressions of the Cl- ion channel CLC-3 and the K+ ion channels TASK-2 and
 Kv1.5, which are suggested to be involved in sperm volume regulation, were
 detected in bovine sperm. Gene transcripts of CLC-3, TASK-2, and Kv1.5 were
 amplified by nested PCR and confirmed by nucleotide sequencing. Western blot
 experiments were performed to confirm protein e-pression
 of these ion channels. Specific signals were obtained for CLC-3 at about 72 kDa and for TASK-2 at about 55 and 60 kDa.
 A weaker signal was obtained for Kv1.5 at about 60 kDa.
 Expression of these proteins was not affected by cryopreservation. Immunolocalization experiments indicated that CLC-3 was
 localized in the midpiece and the upper and lower
 tail of bovine sperm, both for sperm exposed to isotonic and hypotonic
 conditions. This study shows that tolerance of the plasma membrane to
 hypotonic conditions is important for survival of bovine sperm after
 cryopreservation. Furthermore, cryopreservation alters mechanisms that
 maintaining intracellular H+ and K+ concentrations. In contrast, osmotic
 volume response and expression of the ion channels CLC-3, TASK-2, and Kv1.5
 are unaffected by cryopreservation.


Ferrites have been broadly investigated as gas sensors. The present article reports on the synthesis of Co-ferrite doped with W ions and their gas sensing abilities. A series of single phase CoFe2O4 powder with different W-doping (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) was synthesized using sol-gel synthesis. A variation in the saturation magnetization (Ms) and the lattice dimension with W(VI) substitution was associated with a change in the distribution of Fe(III) ions between tetrahedral and octahedral sites. Introducing W(VI) ions into the spinel lattice induced the rearrangement of Fe(III) ions. The total Ms increased with W-doping up to x = 0.05 (Ms = 50.1 Am2/kg) and it dramatically decreased to 34.6 Am2/kg with x = 0.15 of doping. However, the lattice parameter increased with increasing doping levels. Different W-doped CoFe2O4 were examined for a gas sensing response in the temperature range of 200–450 °C. Comparing the sensor responses to various reducing gases, the material's response was shown to be sensitive and selective for acetone. The addition of W (0.15%) had a significant impact on the response and on the operating temperature of the sensor material, indicating that it might be used as an acetone sensor.


We report results of a community‐based multisite, randomized controlled trial of Nuevo Amanecer (NA‐II), a 10‐week stress management program for rural, low literacy Latina breast cancer survivors.


This paper reviewed various views of concept formation, and advocates that the famous five approaches to conceptual structure—classical, prototype, exemplar, schemata/scripts, and knowledge-based—construct different representation systems. They form obviously a bipolar continuum of logicality and of flexibility. Compared with the views based on similarity, the views based on explanation only use a new kind of similarity. This paper classifies conceptual representation into four categories—the representation based on rules, on cues, on exemplars, and on schemata — and describe their bipolar structure.


In his influential essay, "Resonance and Wonder", Stephen Greenblatt (1991) points to two powerful forms of emotional response inspired by objects in museum exhibits: When objects reach into a vast network of relationships, evoking through their physical presence the historical circumstances that created and transported them through time, their viewers experience resonance. When objects are arresting, capturing attention and awe with their unique and captivating qualities, their viewers experience wonder. Resonance makes the museum visitor wonder at the object's context, to consider the bodies that touched it, the people who valued it, the desire that transferred it from maker to user to curator, or others. Wonder makes the visitor feel the object resonate within, to revel in the experience of not knowing while yearning for the intimacy of knowledge. Each through its own means, resonance, and wonder acquire their influence by inspiring attachments, a craving for greater connection between the viewer and the object. Although not always discussed in these terms, these emotional responses also explain the pedagogical capacities of object-based learning (OBL) in museums. Applying theories of experiential learning, this practice connects collections and classrooms, providing students with upclose, hands-on, physical interactions with individual objects. Advocates of OBL recommend such use of museum collections as a means of imparting new or complex concepts because of the ways students become personally engaged, and so better inspired to learn. Objects arouse students' curiosity, evoke memories and associations, and motivate them to ask questions and seek answers, thereby deepening their processes of learning (Efthim 2006; Meecham 2015; Willcocks 2015). Expressed differently, bringing objects into classrooms brings feeling of resonance and wonder there, too, fashioning personal experiences that transform the experience of learning. Notably, this is not the only work of object-based learning. As its practitioners describe, the act of decoding an object can help students to develop transferable skills such as critical thinking and communication; in turn, this can push them toward greater understandings of their own assumptions and beliefs (Paris 2002). The need for and impact of OBL thus takes on


Currently, there are a lot of fashionpreneurs who are currently getting into business. The fashionpreneurs compete with each other to enter the world of business both online and offline.The purpose of this study was to describe the personality and personal branding of Ria Miranda as a fashionpreuner. The research paradigm uses constructivism with the method used in this research is descriptive qualitative data collection techniques in the form of observation, literature study and online searches through social media and online media. The data analysis technique used was data reduction, data cross-checking and conclusion checking. The results showed that Ria Miranda also has personal branding in which the 8 main components include Specialization (The Law of Specialization), Leadership (The Law of Leadership). Personality (The Law of Personality), Difference (The Law of Distinctiveness), Visible (The Law of Visibility), Unity (The Law of Unity), Firmness (The Law of Persistence) and Good Name (The Law of Goodwill). Women must be able to exert influence without forgetting their identity.


The biosynthesis of laccase from Pleurotus sp. can be effected by adding phenolic compounds or metal ions. In this study, laccase activity increased 105% when adding 0.5 mM CuSO 4 into culture media. Addition CuSO 4 in different time led to the highest activity of laccase achieved in the different days of cultivation. The highest laccase activity achieved 1,333 U/ml va 1,407 U/ml after 7 days cultivation if copper was added on the third and fouth day, however, when Cu 2+ ion was added on the fifth day, the highest laccase activity attained 1,332 U/ml after 14 days. The highest laccase activity only reached 1,000 U/ml after 10 days cultivation in the samples, which CuSO 4 was added on day 6, 7. In contrast, other heavy metals such as: Co 2+ , Cd 2+ , Hg 2+ , Mn 2+ inhibit the growth and biosynthesis of laccase of this mushroom.


Rust fungi are obligate biotrophic pathogens that are responsible for some of the most devastating diseases of economically important plants. It is thought that these pathogens are able to evade host defense responses and obtain nutrients from living host tissue through the actions of small, secreted proteins known as effectors, which alter the structure and function of plant cells. Therefore, elucidating the fate of these proteins during infection is important for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying infection and for development of better disease control measures. The experiments described in this thesis aim to address this issue by examining the localisation of the flax rust effector AvrM during infection by the fungus of the host plant and by exploring molecular mechanisms potentially responsible for AvrM uptake into plant cells. Two approaches were taken in the localisation studies: (1) immunolocalisation of AvrM and (2) the generation of transgenic flax rust fungi expressing AvrM-fluorescent protein fusions. Although flax rust transformants expressing AvrM fusion proteins were successfully isolated and fusion proteins could be detected on immunoblots, no fluorescent signal was observed. Thus, AvrM distribution was studied primarily by immunolocalisation. For this purpose, polyclonal antibodies against AvrM were generated and used in immunofluorescence and immunogold labelling experiments. While the antibodies did not detect the presence of AvrM on spores or in vitro germinated spores, labelling was observed in plonto at the periphery of fungal hyphae and specialised fungal feeding structures known as haustoria. Strong cytoplasmic labelling was also detected within the cytoplasm of infected plant cells providing direct evidence that AvrM enters the host cell during infection. Examination at the electron microscope level indicated the presence of the protein in vesicles close to the host-derived extrahaustorial membrane at the plant-pathogen interface. Labelling was also associated with putative endomembrane structures within host cells. Having confirmed the transfer of AvrM into the host during infection, the mechanism of effector uptake into host cells was investigated. This involved using viral-induced gene silencing of plant genes implicated in clathrin-mediated endocytosis and clathrin-independent endocytosis as well as the expression of dominant negative AP180 homologs, which are predicted to affect clathrin-mediated endocytosis. The results of these experiments did not provide conclusive


The study was an analysis of gross margin and resource use efficiency in Sesame production among small-scale farmers in Benue State, Nigeria during the 2013/2014 farming season. The primary data used for the investigation were obtained using an interview schedule and purposively collected from 200 respondents. Descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis, t-test and stochastic production frontier were used for the data analysis. The mean gross margin per hectare was N168,808.52, the mean total revenue was N317,500.00 and the mean total variable cost was N148,691.48 while labour cost was the highest cost incurred by the respondents. The mean outputs obtained by the respondents were 2280.0 kilogrammes. The technical efficiency index estimated for sesame farmers was 0.55 which indicated inefficiency in current production practices. The efficiency indices for allocative and overall economic efficiencies were estimated to be 0.37 and 0.25 respectively. Farm size, seed and hired labour significant influenced technical efficiency (p<0.01). The socio- economic factors associated with higher technical efficiency of the farmers included age, access to credit and fertilizer use (p<0.10); frequency of extension visit (p<0.10). The study concluded that high level of inefficiency exists under the present production practices and therefore recommended that extension workers and other relevant organizations should provide training for farmers on the best way of combining the various inputs used in sesame production and resources such as fertilizer, tractor services and credit should be made available to farmers for improved sesame productivity and increased foreign earnings.


By using neural network and fuzzy theo ry in motion planning and control of AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle), the pl anning algorithm is proposed to carry ou t the fuzzy control planning according t o the strengthening learning, autonomous learning and self-adjusting. The motion planers structure in real-time, the pla ners operating procedures and the algor ithm are designed. The result of comput er-based simulations proves that the met hod presented in this paper is reasonabl e and effective.


Purpose: This paper describes crystallization kinetics and changes magnetic properties involved by process of crystallization Co-Si-B amorphous alloy. Design/methodology/approach: The following experimental techniques were used: X-ray diffraction (XRD), electrical resistivity in situ measurements (four-point probe) static and dynamic measurements of magnetic properties (magnetic balance, fluxmeter, Maxwell-Wien bridge). Findings: In this work has been performed influence of thermal annealing on crystallization kinetics and magnetic properties amorphous Co77Si11.5B11.5 alloy. Practical implications: The attractive properties of Co-Si-B alloy are of special interest for basic research on the materials as well as for their potential applications, like magnetic sensors. The Co soft magnetic material is used in noise filters, saturable reactors, miniature inductance elements for abating spike noise, mains transformers, choke coils, zero-phase current transformers, and magnetic heads etc., i.e., devices which are expected to exhibit high levels of permeability at high frequencies. Originality/value: It has been shown that thermal annealing at temperature close to the crystallization temperature leads to a significant increase of the initial magnetic permeability.


Objective To prepare HCC-targeted lipid ultrasound microbubble containing 10-hydroxycamptothecin(10-HCPT),and to assess its targeting function in vitro.Methods After the biotinylated monoclonal antibody Hab18 was prepared,the biotinylated degree was determined.Microbubbles containing 10-HCPT were prepared by mechanical vibration.Then the biotinylated antibody was attached to the surface of the microbubbles by avidin-biotin interaction.The physical property,entrapment efficiency and the drug-loading amounts of 10-HCPT lipid microbubbles were determined.The combination of biotinylated Hab18 with microbubbles containing 10-HCPT was proved by immunofluorescent assay,and the targeting function of the targeted microbubbles containing 10-HCPT was observed with light microscope,served non-targeted microbubbles as control group.Results About 13 biotin molecules were coupled to each antibody in average.The disposition of the prepared microbubbles was steady and the mean diameter was 1.52 μm.The drug entrapment efficiency was 76.32% and the drug-loading amounts was 21.81%.Red fluorescence was observed at the edge of the microbubbles in immunofluorescent assay,and the conjugation of the targeted microbubbles containing 10-HCPT with 7721 cells was tight while control group was negative.Conclusion HCC-targeted lipid ultrasound microbubbles containing 10-HPTC can be prepared successfully,with higher entrapment efficiency and drug-loading amounts and strong targeting function in vitro.


About the Authors x How This Book Came Together xi This Is an Open Source Book xiii Foreword by Hermann Deininger xv Introduction xvii PART 1: Defining Conversational Capital 1 What Is Conversational Capital? 3 2 The Eight Engines of Conversational Capital 9 3 How Conversational Capital Works 15 4 Why Conversational Capital Works 35 5 Conversational Capital Is Not Buzz 45 6 Conversational Capital and Advocacy 53 7 Conversational Capital Is for Everyone 55 PART 2: The Engines of Conversational Capital 8 Rituals 63 9 Initiation 69 10 Exclusive Product Offering (EPO) 77 11 Over-Delivery 85 12 Myths 91 13 Relevant Sensory Oddity (RSO) 99 14 Icons 107 15 Tribalism 115 16 Endorsement 123 17 Continuity 127 PART 3: Implementing Conversational Capital 18 Getting Started 135 19 Designing a Solution 143 20 Implementation 153 21 And Two More Questions 161 Glossary of Terms 165 Index 171


With the availability of large integral field unit (IFU) spectral surveys of nearby galaxies, there is now the potential to extract spectral information from across the bulges and discs of galaxies in a systematic way. This information can address questions such as how these components built up with time, how galaxies evolve and whether their evolution depends on other properties of the galaxy such as its mass or environment. We present bulge–disc decomposition of IFU data cubes (buddi), a new approach to fit the two-dimensional light profiles of galaxies as a function of wavelength to extract the spectral properties of these galaxies' discs and bulges. The fitting is carried out using galfitm, a modified form of galfit which can fit multiwaveband images simultaneously. The benefit of this technique over traditional multiwaveband fits is that the stellar populations of each component can be constrained using knowledge over the whole image and spectrum available. The decomposition has been developed using commissioning data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-IV Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO (MaNGA) survey with redshifts z 22 arcsec, but can be applied to any IFU data of a nearby galaxy with similar or better spatial resolution and coverage. We present an overview of the fitting process, the results from our tests, and we finish with example stellar population analyses of early-type galaxies from the MaNGA survey to give an indication of the scientific potential of applying bulge–disc decomposition to IFU data.


The analytical solution of the transient mass diffusion equation in prolate spherical coordinates by considering constant transport coefficient and convective boundary conditions is presented. The solution is obtained by the variables separation method. The formal solution is applied to predict the average moisture content and moisture content distribution of a prolate spherical solid (ellipsoid of revolution) during the drying process. Analytical results are compared with numerical results that are reported in the literature and good agreement was obtained.


Metaphysics begins from the moment when, ceasing to live in the evidence o f the object—whether it is the sensory object or the object o f science—we apperceive the radical subjectivity o f all our experience as inseparable from its truth value. It means two things to say that our experience is our own: both that it is not the measure o f all imaginable being in itself and that it is nonetheless co-extensive with all being o f which we can form a notion. This double sense o f the cogito is the basic fact o f metaphysics...


The article is concerned with studying the phenomenon of a university student's subjectness in the context of integration of psychology with pedagogics. The authors explore the phenomenon of a personality's subjectness in general and a university student's subjectness in particular.


Due to stringent energy constraint and demand for performance requirement, a
generic architecture like TCP/IP or Internet is not feasible with sensors used
across various applications. Instead, application specific design methodology is
the de facto consensus accepted among Wireless Sensor Network (WSN)
community. While it wins WSN performance gains for individual applications,
the methodology sacrifices all plausible attributes a generic architecture can
contribute. Without a unified reference model as comparing foundation, the
profound problem in true protocols contribution evaluation and comparison
remains challenging. Moreover, the stochastic and statistical nature of WSNs
makes realistic performance analysis fairly complex. In multi criteria QoS
context, this problem is further magnified by big design space with not yet fully
understood parameters and the competing relationship between multi objective
performance metrics. This work introduces a generic wireless-benchmarking
methodology not only qualitatively evaluation from high level abstraction,
concerning only profound pros and cons from a general viewpoint of tradeoffs
between generality, performance and cost, but also a set of practical workflows
that are designed to support quantitative evaluation and analysis of WSN
protocols for application-specific objectives. This methodology and the
accompanying new benchmark concepts, such as performance efficiency,
development efficiency and performance stability, are designed to gain new
insight of the dynamic behavior of WSN protocols in a systematical way
compared to the current ad-hoc evaluation approaches applied by most of the
community.


Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease of unknown aetiology. The worldwide prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis is estimated to vary between 0.5 to 1.5% with geographic variation. The rationale behind relating vitamin D and RA is based on two facts. The first one is that there is evidence indicating that patients with RA have low levels of vitamin D. The second one is that the presence of vitamin D and VDR in macrophages, chondrocytes and synovial cells in the joints of these patients has also been demonstrated. The present study was designed to study the vitamin D status/ level in rheumatoid arthritis in males and females. The study was carried on 100 subjects chosen randomly with 75 females and 25 males in age group of 16 – 65 years. Their demographic data was collected. Vitamin D level, rheumatoid factor assay and ESR were analyzed. Higher level of disease activity as measured by DAS 28 score was associated with vitamin D deficiency. Females reported higher values for ESR, DAS 28 score and lower levels of vitamin D level as compared to males.Vitamin D deficiency was positively associated with increase in DAS 28 score and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Female sex had more preponderance for RA development. Rheumatoid factor had no gender preponderance.


In Appendix Table 2 the "Present Reference Intervals" and "Present Unit" for insulin that correspond to the conversion factor 172.2 should be 0.20-0.84 µg/L (1).


The present experiment was carried out during the kharif 2010 at Instructional Farm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh. The experiment was laid out in the factorial randomized block design with four replications and nine treatment combinations, considering three levels each of zinc (0, 25 and 50 kg ZnSO4 ha−1) and iron (0, 25 and 50 kg FeSO4 ha−1). The application of ZnSO4 did not produced any significant effect on content of all the nutrients in stalk at all the growth stages and its content in pod except S and Zn content at 30, 60, at harvest and in pod. The significantly higher S content (0.596, 0.538, 0.327 and 0.455 %) and Zn content (133, 149, 206 and 119 mg kg−1) in stalk at 30, 60, at harvest and in pod with the soil application of 50 kg ZnSO4 ha−1, respectively. The application of 50 kg ZnSO4 ha−1 significantly increased the uptake Zn (137, 263 and 400 g ha−1) by pod, stalk and its total uptake by okra as compared to control. While, significantly increased in uptake of Fe (2230 and 2418 g ha−1) by stalk and its total uptake with soil application of 50 Kg ZnSO4 ha−1, respectively. The application of FeSO4 also did not produced any significant effect on content of all the nutrients in stalk at all the growth stages and its content in pod except S and Fe content at in stalk 30, 60, at harvest and in pod. The significantly higher S content (0.585, 0.537, 0.324 and 0.455%) and Fe content (1193, 1284, 1027 and 298 mg kg−1) in stalk at 30, 60, at harvest and in pod with the soil application of 50 kg FeSO4 ha−1, respectively. The application of 50 kg FeSO4 ha−1 significantly increased Fe (202, 2265 and 2466 g ha1) by pod, stalk and its total uptake by okra as compared to control. While, significantly increased in uptake of Zn (135 and 388 g ha−1) by pod and its total uptake with application of 50 kg FeS04 ha−1.


We have determined the nucleotide sequence of a chromosomal region of 33,016 bp located on the left arm of chromosome XIV from budding yeast between the ORC5 and the SUI1 gene. Subsequent sequence analysis revealed the presence of 18 non‐overlapping open reading frames (ORFs) including eight previously identified and sequenced genes (ORC5, ATX1, SIP3, NRD1, RAD50, MPA43, RPA49 and SUI1). Three other ORFs (YNL256w, YNL255c and YNL247w) code for putative proteins with significant homology to proteins from other organisms, while 4 ORFs exhibit only weak homology to known proteins. Three ORFs have no homology with sequences in the databases. The sequences have been deposited in the EMBL database under Accession Number X96722. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The adequacy coefficient is a very useful technique that provides a more complete formulation than the Hamming distance in decision making problems. In this paper, we suggest a generalization by using generalized and quasi-arithmetic means. As a result, we will get the generalized ordered weighted averaging adequacy coefficient (GOWAAC) and the Quasi-OWAAC operator. These new aggregation operators generalize a wide range of particular cases such as the generalized adequacy coefficient (GAC), the weighted generalized adequacy coefficient (WGAC), the ordered weighted averaging adequacy coefficient (OWAAC), the ordered weighted quadratic averaging adequacy coefficient (OWQAAC), and others. We study different families and properties of these aggregation operators. We also analyze the unification point with distance measures and we find that in these situations, the GOWAAC and the Quasi-OWAAC become the Minkowski ordered weighted averaging distance (MOWAD) operator and the Quasi-OWAD operator, respectively. Finally, we also develop an application of the new approach in a strategic decision making problem about selection of strategies.


Nowadays, in the context of transition modeling, the CFD community is moving towards the so-called Local-Correlation based Transition Modeling (LCTM) concept. The main idea is to provide a set of generic transport equations built using local informations, based on experimental correlations and coupled with the already existing turbulence models. Within LCTM, the γ model, Menter et al. (2015), is the transition model that we are going to analyze. The γ model is included in the class of transition models based on the intermittency concept and the use of only local informations to trigger the transition. Within LCTM, it is the only model Galilean invariant. The transport equation for the intermittency γ is:


The parametric maximum likelihood estimation problem is addressed in the context of quantum walk theory for quantum walks on the lattice of integers. A coin action is presented, with the real parameter $\theta$ to be estimated identified with the angular argument of an orthogonal reshuffling matrix. We provide analytic results for the probability distribution for a quantum walker to be displaced by $d$ units from its initial position after $k$ steps. For $k$ large, we show that the likelihood is sharply peaked at a displacement determined by the ratio $d/k$, which is correlated with the reshuffling parameter $\theta$. We suggest that this `reluctant walker' behaviour provides the framework for maximum likelihood estimation analysis, allowing for robust parameter estimation of $\theta$ via return probabilities of closed evolution loops and quantum measurements of the position of quantum walker with`reluctance index' $r=d/k$.


Adaptation of terrestrial ecosystems to global change has become a key issue of global change study and of countermeasures formulation for human being. The adaptation of terrestrial ecosystems to global change would be reviewed in this paper from four aspects, i.e., (1) changes of CO_2 concentrations in the atmosphere, (2) climatic change, (3) combined changes of CO_2 concentrations in the atmosphere and climatic change, and (4) human disturbance, in terms of the definition of global change. Based on the present research, some important tasks related to adaptation of terrestrial ecosystems to global change are suggested. Among them, the threshold assessment of adaptation practices should draw more and more attention in the future.


The Korean government designated 10 innovation cities throughout the country in 2005 in order to resolve concentration on the capital region and to promote balanced development of localities. An innovation city is a future-type city equipped with environment for innovation and high-quality settlement environment in terms of residence, education and culture by accommodating public institutions and facilitating close cooperation among companies, universities and research institutes. Thus, for the early settlement and activation of innovation cities, this study suggested a plan to operate the current innovation city business centers from a mid- and long-term viewpoint rather than for a limited time. Through this study, we attempt to establish the roles of the centers so that they can play central roles in the move of public institutions, the development of industry-university-research institute clusters, the creation of innovations, and the spread of innovations, which are the goals of the development of public institutions, after the sites have been prepared.


Transforming growth factor-p (TGFP), a 25 kD homo-dimer and heterodimer is a multifunctional regulator of cell growth and differentiation! A number of previously described TGFP functions suggest a role in tissue repair. TGFP is a chemoattractant for monocytes and fibroblasts.' TGFP induces monocytes to secrete IL-1, a potent mitogen for fibroblasts, and by itself can stimulate proliferation of immature fibroblasts.' TGFP enhances synthesis of collagen, fibronectin, and proteoglycans.' In vivo TGFP stimulates granulation tissue, angiogenesis? and increased collagen synthesis? The pathogenesis of chronic pulmonary fibrosis is not well understood but based on animal models, the fibrotic response is preceded by an influx of inflammatory cells! Because of the well described effects of TGFP on inflammatory cells and connective tissue, we examined the relationship between collagen synthesis and TGFS production and distribution in a rat model of bleomycin-induced inflammation and fibrosis. Total lung TGFP was elevated 2 h after intratracheal bleomycin administration and peaked at 7 days (FIG. 1). TGFP gradually declined with persistent levels of production up to 28 days. Peak TGFP levels preceded the maximum collagen and non-collagen protein synthesis at 14 days by fibroblasts isolated from lung explants of bleomycintreated rats. Immunohistochemical staining localized TGFP initially in the cytoplasm of bronchiolar epithelium cells and the subepithelial extracellular matrix (FIG. 2). Peak lung TGFP levels at 7 days coincided with intense TGFP staining of scattered alveolar macrophages while subsequently TGFP-producing macrophages were found in organized clusters. After 7 days TGFP was primarily associated with extracellular matrix


Abercrombie M & Heaysman J E M (1954): Observations on the social behaviour of cells in tissue culture. 1L"monolayering"of fibroblast. Exp Cell Res 6 293308. Aronson S B, Elliott J H, Moore T E & @Day D M (1970): Pathogenetic approach to therapy of peripheral corneal inflammatory disease. Am J Opbtlialmol 7 0 6590. Ballen P H (1963): Mucous membrane grafts in chemical (lye) bums. Am J Ophthalmol 5 5 302-312. Ballen P H (1964): Treatment of chemical burns of the eye. Ear Eye Nose Throat Mon 43: 57-61. Baum J L (1971): Source of the fibroblast in central corneal wound healing. Arch Ophthalmol85: 473-477. Bechara S J, Kara-Jose N & Pettinati A H (1987): Therapeutic use of contact lenses in alkali bums of the cornea. Cornea 6(2): 117-121. Benedek G B (1971): Theory of transparency of the eye. Applied Optics 10: 459-473. Berman M, Dohlman C H, Gnadinger M & Davison P (1971): Characterization of collagenolytic activity in the ulcerating cornea. Exp Eye Res 11: 255-257. Berman M (1978): Regulation of collagenase. Therapeutic considerations. Trans Ophthalniol Soc U K 98397-405. Borcherding M S, Blacik L J, Sittig R A, Bizzel J W, Breen M & Weinstein H G (1975): Proteoglycans and collagen fibre organization in human corneoscleral tissue. Exp Eye Res 21: 59-70. Bracher R (1967): Radioautographic analysis of the synthesis of protein, RNA, DNA and sulfated mucopolysaccharides in the early stages of corneal wound healing. Invest Ophthalmol6 565-573. Brown S I, Wassermann H E & Dunn M W (1969a): Alkali bums of the cornea. Arch Ophthalmol82: 91-94. Brown S I, Akiya S & Weller C A (1969b): Prevention of the ulcers of the alkali-burned cornea. Arch Ophthalmol82: 95-97. Brown S 1 & Weller C A (1970a): The pathogenesis and treatment of collagenase-induced diseases of the cornea. Trans Am Acad Ophthalmol Otolaryngo174 375382. Brown S I & Weller C A (1970b): Cell origin of collagenase in normal and wounded corneas. Arch Ophthalmol83: 74-77. Brown S I & Weller C: A (1970~): Collagenase inhibitors in prevention of ulcers of alkali-burned cornea. Arch Ophthalmol 83: 352-353. Brown S I, Tragakis M P & Pearce D B (1972a): Corneal transplantation for severe alkali burns. Trans Am Acad Ophthalmol Otolaryngol 76 1266-1273. Brown S I, Tragakis M P & Pearce D B (1972b): Treatment of the alkali-burned cornea. Am J Ophthalmol74: 316320. Brown S I, Bloomfield S E & Pearce D B (1974): A followup report on transplantation of the alkali-burned cornea. Am J Ophthalmol 77 538-542. Buck R C (1979): Cell migration in repair of mouse corneal epithelium. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 18: 767784. Capella J A (1972): Regeneration of endothelium in diseased and injured corneas. Am J Ophthalmol 74: 810817. Carpenter G (1980): Epidermal growth factor:biology and mechanism of action. Birth Defects 16: 61-72. Cawston T E (1978): Connective tissue catabolism in relation to the cornea. Trans Ophthal SOC U K 98: 329-334. Chi H H, Teng C C & Katzen H M (1966): Healing process in the mechanical denudation of the corneal endothelium. Am J Ophthalmol 61: 693-703. Cintron C, Hassinger L C, Kublin C L & Cannon D J (1978): Biochemical and ultrastructural changes in collagen during corneal wound healing. J Ultrastruct Res


not provided with a serviceable governmental organization, and the action of the Middlesex court of quarter sessions was either weak, ill-considered, or ineffective in every one of these spheres. The Tudor poor law was a conspicuous failure in the period under review, and the justices were especially negligent in regard to both the able-bodied adults and the children. In regard to highways, Mr. Dowdell explicitly remarks upon the fatal consequences of heaping a multitude of diverse functions on a group of unpaid amateurs unassisted by a body of professional experts. The great merit of Mr. Dowdell's work is that he approaches the subject as a study of administration carried on by a judicial organization, rather than from a purely legalistic attitude. He combines a modern critical outlook with sound scholarship. After reading his contribution, it is more difficult than ever to understand why the reform of county government was delayed for more than a century and a quarter after the close of the period with which he deals. The Tudor system had fallen into decay almost a hundred years earlier.


Car distance regulation rules during current lane and lane change drivings constituted a central portion for a rule-based driving animation simulator in previous papers. This paper quantifies and systematizes these distance regulation rules. A single-target distance regulation problem is first formulated: a goal line is introduced as a linear function of time of which slope corresponds to a front car speed; the distance regulation should yield at a future time point, 1) the current car location on the goal line and 2) the current car speed equal to the front car speed. An open-loop trajectory as a function of time is obtained explicitly by a cubic interpolation subject to two point boundary constraints. This trajectory is transformed into a closed-loop acceleration-deceleration equation in terms of current car speed, front car speed, goal distance, and average speed to the goal. Maximum and minimum acceleration and speed constraints are then introduced, and distance regulation rules are derived accordingly: an if-part represents a quantitative driving situation on a speed versus goal-distance phase plane, and a then-part yields an acceleration or deceleration suitable for the situation. The phase plane is divided into eight regions by four parabolic curve segments and horizontal and vertical axes. Each of these regions is characterized by either: 1) maximum acceleration, 2) maximum deceleration, 3) linearly increasing deceleration in time, or 4) linearly increasing acceleration in time. A stable convergence in a finite time span is proven. An extension to a multitarget problem is made to deal with more complicated regulations during current and lane change drivings.


This paper presents a novel tool for network analysis and design, the Network Research Simulator (NRS). The NRS structure, main features and network model are described and discussed. The proposed abstract model formulation for the NRS is a flexible low-cost programming approach with which to implement different experiments. A case study to analyze the reliability of a a set of networks in a dynamic (massive attacks) scenario is presented. NRS massive results allows the subsequent use of Artificial Intelligence to predict the robustness of new networks.


The Gurson material model has broad applications in fracture mechanics, large strain deformations and failure of metals. Void growth and void nucleation are included in the model considered in this paper. An implicit stress integration procedure with calculation of the consistent tangent moduli is developed for the Gurson model. The general 3D deformations and the plane stress conditions are considered. The procedure is robust, simple and computationally efficient, suitable for use within the finite element method (FEM). It represents an application of the governing parameter method (GPM) for stress integration in case of inelastic material deformation. A large strain formulation, based on the multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient for material with plastic change of volume and logarithmic strains, is used in the paper. The developed numerical procedure for stress integration is applicable to small and large strains conditions. Solved examples illustrate the main features of the developed numerical algorithm. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


This monograph reflects the main trends of contemporary research in this field and its applications. The contributions fall into three main areas: the stochastic modelling of solute transport through heterogeneous soil in the upper layer of the unsaturated zone; the more traditional scope of analysis of flow through homogenous or layered formations; and applications such as new devices for field measurements, calculation of solute movement through a soil cover, and the use of geo-statistical methods to quantify solute concentrations in spatially variable soils.


The invention relates to a fixed tube-sheet heat exchanger with a temperature control function. A head structure and a tail structure are respectively arranged at two ends of a shell, at least one heat exchange pipe is arranged in the shell, tube pass fluid flows out from a head cavity and flows in a tail cavity from the heat exchange pipe, a shell pass inlet and a shell pass outlet are arranged on the shell, the fixed tube-sheet heat exchanger with the temperature control function is characterized in that a central channel is also arranged in the shell, a heat-insulating layer is arranged on the inner wall of the central channel, the tube pass fluid flows out of the head cavity and flows in the tail cavity also by the central channel, the heat exchange between the tube pass fluid in the central channel and shell pass fluid can be isolated by the heat-insulating layer, at least one annular baffle plate and at least disc type baffle plate are also simultaneously arranged in the shell, and the tail cavity at least comprises one mixed cavity. The fixed tube-sheet heat exchanger with the temperature control function has the following beneficial effects that the heat exchange coefficient of the heat exchanger is effectively increased, the heat exchange area can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost of equipment can be lowered; the temperature control structure can ensure the running stability of the heat exchanger under variable working conditions, and guarantee the steady-state operation of downstream equipment of the heat exchanger.


This study aims to report the role of a female psychologist in a pre-university community as well as the changes occurring in her acting through a "make as a female" inspired by Stengers. In her essay Science in the feminine, this author tells the story of Barbara McClintock and his peculiar way to search; I report the idea of this acting as a different way from the dominant logic of doing science. To report this experience, I present a dialogue with a student who, after generating a nuisance with her speech, made me think of building a body available as a female psychologist. In support of this argument, I adopt especially the thinking of the black feminist bell hooks and of the authors of the actor-network theory, Bruno Latour, Anemarie Mol and John Law.


Background:
 Lifestyles influence atrial fibrillation (AF) risk. Blood biomarkers can characterize the atrial substrate that facilitates the development of AF. Therefore, determining the effect of lifestyle interventions on blood concentrations of biomarkers of AF-related pathways could help understand AF pathophysiology and contribute to AF prevention.

 Methods:
 The PREDIMED-PLUS study is a Spanish multicenter randomized trial in adults (55-75 years) with metabolic syndrome and body mass index between 27-40 kg/m
 2
 . Participants were randomized 1:1 to an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) program, emphasizing physical activity, weight loss, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet, or a control intervention. In a sub-sample, serum biomarkers including carboxy-terminal propeptide of procollagen type I (PICP), high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT), high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP), N-terminal propeptide of B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) were measured at baseline and years 3 and 5 after randomization. Mixed models were used to evaluate the effect of ILI on changes in biomarkers through years 3 and 5. Follow-up time was modeled as a categorical and continuous variable.

 Results:
 Of 481 participants (65 mean age, 40% female, 49% assigned to ILI), 453 (94%) and 442 (92%) had available samples at years 3 and 5. After 5 years, mean changes in log-transformed biomarkers were -0.01 (PICP), 0.20 (hsTnT), -0.17 (hsCRP), 0.12 (3-NT), and 0.25 (NT-proBNP). Participants in the ILI group experienced greater decreases in hsCRP or smaller increases in 3-NT, NT-proBNP, and in hsTnT to a lesser extent, as compared to the control group (Table). The ILI did not affect PICP concentrations. Results were consistent when modeling follow-up time as a continuous variable.

 Conclusion:
 Over five years, an ILI favorably affected concentrations of hsCRP, 3-NT, and NT-proBNP, and of hs-TnT to a lesser degree, pointing to specific mechanisms in the pathways linking lifestyles and AF.


THE purpose of this investigation was JL to discover what appeals in poetry are operative with children at the junior high school level. The study was limited to six identifiable appeals, four classifiable as subject matter and two as technique. Each appeal was further divided into a and b subdivisions to allow for measurement of preference within the appeal. For convenience, the six appeals are called "categories" throughout the study and their subdivisions, "the a and b subdivisions."


An attempt has been made to evaluate the academic administration in secondary teacher education institutes in Gujarat, India in perspective of principles. A good academic administration is supposed to play an important role in growth and development of the institute in terms of quality training to students. The decline in enrolment in these institutions in past years has prompted us to investigate the issue in terms of academic administration. The importance of the present study lies in the fact that academic administration of these institutions has never been evaluated on a large scale, in past. The principal of such institutions are responsible for implementing new policies and strategies at the base level and seems to be most important in academic administration of the institute. Therefore, academic administration of principles considering different variable i.e. gender (male/female), and nature (reserve/unreserved) of principals, as well as location (rural/urban) and type of the institute (aided/non-aided) which could affect the academic administration, has been investigated and discussed.


AbstractWe have investigated the magnetic and the nonmagnetic impurity substitution effects on the magnetic ordering of a frustrated isosceles-triangular-lattice antiferromagnet CuMnO2 by means of magnetic neutron diffraction measurements on Cu(Mn1−yGay)O2. While the magnetic wave vector of the magnetic ground state of "magnetically"-substituted Cu(Mn1−xCux)O2 with · = 0·04 is $$Q = \left( {\tfrac{{\bar 1}}
{2}\tfrac{1}
{2}0} \right)$$, that in the "nonmagnetically"-substituted Cu(Mn1−yGay)O2with · =0.05, 0.15 and 0.20 is $$Q = \left( {\tfrac{{\bar 1}}
{2}\tfrac{1}
{2}\tfrac{1}
{2}} \right)$$, which is identical to that of pure CuMnO2. We discuss the influence of magnetic or nonmagnetic impurity substitution on the magnetic ordering of CuMnO2, by comparing the results for Cu(Mn1−yGay)O2with that for Cu(Mn1−xCux)O2.


In two-dimensional mirrored aperture synthesis (2-D MAS), the rank of the transformation matrix can affect the accuracy of the solved cosine visibilities; therefore, it has an impact on the accuracy of the reconstructed brightness temperature image. In this article, the influence of the rank deficient on the accuracy of the reconstructed brightness temperature image of 2-D MAS is discussed. An analysis of the rank-deficient error is performed by computing its impact on the radiometric accuracy for a reference scene. Two correction methods based on multiple measurements are proposed to correct the rank-deficient error. The simulations and experiments are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.


Qualitative determination of lead-containing surface paint reference material numbered as 2579ewas conducted with home lead testing reagent,and the depth distribution of lead in the paint surface of toy was discussed.Based on this,a method for the determination of lead content in paint surface of toy was established by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.In order to reduce the impact of self-absorption,the calibration curve was obtained in the logarithmical form of spectral intensity I and the element concentration c at lead 405.78nm.The results indicated that the linear equation was lgI=5.56+0.44·lgc,with fitting degree Rof 0.956,and the detection limit was 72μg/g.This method was used to the determination of carbonate rock composition analysis certified reference materials GBW07136.The relative error between the found and the certified value was 8.3%,and the relative standard deviation for ten times was 7.1%。The lead content of orange toy car purchased from stores was 18.5mg/g.


Objective:To evaluate the anticoagulation effect of citrate based continuous veno venous hemofiltration(CVVH) in patients with acute renal failure at high risk of bleeding and metabolic complications during CVVH. Methodology:Ten acute renal failure(ARF) patients at high risk of bleeding with contraindications of heparin anticoagulation were treated with citrate based pre dilution CVVH.They were randomly divided into group A( n =5) and group B( n =5).The components of replacement solution in both groups were composed of sodium 140 mmol/L,glucose 11 1 mmol/L,and citrate 13 3 mmol/L in group A,and 7 mmol/L in group B.Blood flow rate was 200 ml/min in group A,and 250 ml/min in group B.Replacement solution was infused at 2 000 ml/hr in group A and 4 000 ml/hr in group B.Calcium gluconate and magnesium sulfate were infused with a separate line.Initial infusion rate of calcium and magnesium was 4 mmol/hr and 1 3 mmol/hr in group A.3 mmol/hr and 2 4 mmol/hr in group B.Calcium infusion rate was adjusted according to serum ionized calcium.Serum total calcium,ionized calcium,whole blood activated clotting time(WBACT)and acid base changes were monitored pre ,during,and post CVVH.Complains of the patients during treatment and the life span of each filter were recorded. Results:No bleeding episodes and serious side effects were found in the whole duration 334 5 hours of CVVH.Total serum calcium and ionized calcium showed subtle changes during and post CVVH compared with that during pre CVVH.The WBACTs of pre filter altered little during CVVH,but the WBACTs of post filter showed obvious prolonged than that of pre filter ( P 0 01) The prolongation was greater in group A than in group B( P 0 01) No metabolic alkalosis was found post CVVH.The mean life span of filters was [42 9±9 12(30 5~67 6)] hours. Conclusion:Citrate based and calcium ,magnesium free replacement solution at high and low infusion rates during CVVH can obtain effective anticoagulation,and shows little side effect on systemic coagulation.


An investigation was made of the linear and nonlinear optical properties of LiNbO3:Zn crystals grown from congruent melts characterized by a wide range of dopant impurity concentrations. The composition dependences of the optical properties were found to be nonmonotonic and a strong suppression of photorefraction was observed at a molar zinc concentration in excess of 6%. Crystals containing more than 6% Zn were characterized by a 47% efficiency of generation of the second harmonic of YAG:Nd3+ radiation.