Hardwood floodplain (HF) forests can store a considerable amount of carbon (C), and floodplains may be good candidates for reforestation to provide natural C sinks. In this study, we use nondestructive inventory methods to estimate the C stocks of different tree species and C pools within HF forests of varying age and structure and located at sites differing in hydrological conditions (low and high active floodplain, seepage water zone, tributaries). The study was carried out along the Elbe river (Germany). Average C stocks for young plantations in the active floodplain were significantly lower (50.2 ± 10.8 SE Mg ha−1) than those of old dense (140.6 ± 11.6 SE Mg ha−1) and old sparse forests (180.4 ± 26.6 SE Mg ha−1) with comparable hydrological conditions. C stocks of old dense forests did not significantly vary from old sparse forests. Additionally, C stocks of old forests did not significantly vary according to hydrological conditions. The highest amount of C was stored in Quercus robur for all hydrological conditions. Ulmus laevis stored the second-highest amount of C on the active floodplain. We conclude that sparse and dense forests as well as forests under different hydrological conditions provide the same C storage function.


The x-ray microdiffraction technique was used to study lattice-strain field and phase concentration near the surface of a carburised steel blade on a micron-length scale. Our results show larger compressive lattice strains and more completed phase transformation at the location near the tip of the blade than that the locations away from the tip.


Orbital cycles are related to variations of Earth's orbit through time and exert profound control on glacial and interglacial climates due to changes in insolation. In this study, we aim to test whether orbital and millennial‐scale climate cycles conditioned the deposition of rhythmites in the southern Gondwana during the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA). We present the first cyclostratigraphic study based on X‐ray fluorescence records from a 27‐m‐thick interval of LPIA rhythmites in the southeastern border of the Paraná Basin, Brazil. TiO2 and Fe2O3 records display cycles in the Milankovitch and millennial bands. Among millennial‐scale variability, there are strong signals suggesting cycles with periods similar to the ~2.4‐kyr Hallstatt heliomagnetic and the ~1.5‐kyr Dansgaard‐Oeschger cycles. We estimated an average sediment accumulation rate of 5.94 cm/kyr, which suggests that the rhythmites were deposited in a relatively distal setting, during deglaciation episodes paced by millennial‐scale climate cycles. We interpret variations in concentrations of the terrigenous components TiO2 and Fe2O3 as indicative of glacial‐interglacial changes, reflected by advances and retreats of glaciers under drier and wetter climate conditions, respectively. Here we show that these high‐latitude glacial‐interglacial cycles were probably paced by short eccentricity, as previously suggested for Carboniferous cyclothems in low‐latitude deposits, and highlight the importance of millennial‐scale climate cycles at controlling glacially influenced deposition at high latitudes. Our results for the LPIA are similar to patterns seen in Pleistocene records.


This comment agrees with several points raised by Jenkins (see pp. 87-91 of this same issue of Tourism Recreation Research) regarding tourism in the Third World, including the lack of consistent research. However, it disagrees, to some extent, on two interrelated counts: the extent to which tourism has contributed to development, and the way forward.


identified a portfolio of drought response measures to ensure that the region does not run out of water under severe drought conditions. A multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) process was developed to guide the assessment of the drought response options against multiple criteria (both quantitative and qualitative), and for the assembly and analysis of drought response portfolios.


This paper gives an analytical approach for investigating free and forced transverse vibrations of a clamped-free rotating annular disk and obtaining the acoustic pressure distribution around the spinning disk. In the beginning, a modal analysis based on new analytical methods is carried out to find natural frequencies and mode shapes of the disk. Forced vibration of the disk is then investigated using Galerkin's method. An analytical approach based on Laplace transformation is used to obtain time-dependent coefficients of the transverse response. A passive control strategy is examined for reducing the amplitudes of the transverse vibrations. The properties of the absorbers are examined in order to obtain the best performance. Rayleigh integral method and Durbin's numerical Laplace transform inversion technique are adopted to compute the acoustic pressure around the rotating disk. Finally, a parametric study is performed and the effects of the design parameters as well as rotational conditions on the vibrational responses and the sound pressure of the spinning disk are examined.


Extends a discussion concerning competition. A model is introduced, based on the concept of the extended product, in order to help TQM practitioners manage the competitiveness of their products. Further, a discussion is initiated which addresses a number of issues relating to competition.


1. By a finite word α = x1x2 . . . xn we mean a finite sequence of symbols xi from some alphabet S = {1,2, . . . , r}. We denote the length of the word α by |α|. LetA be the set of all finite words, including the empty word. The composition of two words α = x1x2 . . . xn and β = y1y2 . . . ym is the word αβ = x1x2 . . . xn+m, where xn+1 = y1, . . . , xn+m = ym. A sequence α = . . . yn−1yn of symbols from the alphabet will be called a semi-infinite word. It can be defined as the pair (n, ξ), n ∈ Z and ξ = . . . x−1x0, where x0 = yn, x−1 = yn−1, . . . is a sequence of symbols with a preferred numbering. We call such a sequence an environment. The set of all semi-infinite words is denoted by A∞, and the collection of all possible environments by E∞. The composition αβ of a semi-infinite word α = . . . xn−1xn and a finite word β = y1 . . . ym can be defined similarly.


This research aims to elaborate the effectiveness of both contextualized and decontextualized vocabulary learning strategy in improving students' vocabulary understanding. This is a mixed-method study, applying QUAN-qual model. The quantitative research is conducted through quasi-experimental research and qualitative research is conducted through interview with the students after the quantitative data were collected. The subjects of this research are students in class XII A IPA as the control class and XII B IPA as the experimental class.The results show that both learning strategies are able to enhance students' vocabulary understanding, but contextualized vocabulary learning strategy is better to be used than decontextualized vocabulary learning strategy. Based on all findings of the statistical analysis and also supported by the interview results, it can be concluded that the enhancement of the students taught by using contextualized vocabulary learning strategy is more significant than the one taught by decontextualized vocabulary learning strategy. It helps the students to enhance their understand on the meaning, possible meaning of the words, word classes, word use, and word form.


The passive voice is one of the common grammar topics in the teaching of English. It is often found that the conversion of the active voice into the passive is taught as a mechanical exercise. The functions that the passive performs are not explained to students. As a result, students may not know whether to retain the agent phrase in the passive clause or not. But, as Svartvik (1966) and Kawale (2008) find, the agentless passive is the most common passive type in British English (BrE) and Indian English (IE), respectively. No matter whether the teachers want to teach BrE or standard IE to Indian students, they must not lose sight of the centrality of the agentless passive in their teaching. Students should also be made aware of the functions that the passive performs. Questions on the passive in question papers should also be set with all this in mind. Examination questions on the passive often expect students to think of the active-passive conversion as a mechanical exercise. The nature of evaluation often influences the teaching of the topic concerned. Therefore, the general features of the passive have important implications as far as the teaching and evaluation of this topic is concerned.


The known proofs of MA ⊆ PP incur a quadratic overhead in the running time. We prove that this quadratic overhead is necessary for black-box simulations; in particular, we obtain an oracle relative to which MA-TIME (t) ⊈ P-TIME (o(t2)). We also show that 2-sided-error Merlin–Arthur games can be simulated by 1-sided-error Arthur–Merlin games with quadratic overhead. We also present a simple, query complexity based proof (provided by Mika Göös) that there is an oracle relative to which MA ⊈ NPBPP (which was previously known to hold by a proof using generics).


Critics often call campaign finance the rotten apple of America's version of democracy. Politicians retort that the system makes them do it. One can't get elected without massive spending on television and image consultants (image is after all what is being sold on television at the expense of substance) and this spending equals big money. The folks willing to part with said big money will only do so in exchange for something, i.e. specific campaign or industry tax breaks, effective control of foreign policy in certain parts of the world, future direct access to the candidate and multitudinous other forms of gift reciprocation. This book examines some of the laws which primarily serve as interesting but far from insurmountable hurdles for present and future lawmakers and some of the serious issues concerning a major problem whose solution is scheduled to arrive concurrently with the appearance of igloos at the equator.


The recent discovery of incommensurate fluctuations in yttrium compounds has reopened the problem of finding new appropriate frameworks to describe the variety of experimental features presented by cuprate superconductors. According to this, the imaginary part of the dynamical spin magnetic susceptibility of the Hubbard model has been studied by means of the composite operator method. By varying the frequency, the crossover between the two antiferromagnetic regimes has been found. The incommensurability issue has been studied and discussed. ( 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.


Studies have indicated that people with acquired brain injury (AIM) often lack knowledge about their injuries and are frequently unaware of or even deny injury residuals. As part of a neurobehavloral rehabilitation program, three adult males in this study were trained in knowledge of ABI residuals using a game format to present training information. Using a multiple baseline experimental design, the results indicated that all three participants Increased their percentage of correct responses in the study areas of behavior, emotion, cognition, communication, physical, and sensory residuals. However, subjective data related to the impact of these improvements on participant functioning were not consistent. More research is needed to determine the effects of training on participants' behavior in naturalistic situations.


Objective To analyze the epidemic pattern of bacillary dysentery and the problems in surveillance in China by using the surveillance data obtained from national disease reporting information system.Methods Descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted.Results The morbidity and mortality of bacillary dysentery declined in China in 2009.The cases were mainly children outside child care settings and farmers,and the incidence peak was during June-August.The overall detection rate of Shigella in 7764 samples collected in 20 surveillance sites in China was 8.73%%(678/7764).The pathogen type surveillance indicated that S.flexneri accounted for 67.26%(456/678) and S.Sonnei accounted for 32.74%(222/678).The drug-resistance of Shegella strains was common,but they were sensitive to third-generation cephalosporin,gentamicin and ciprofloxacin.Conclusion National disease reporting information system and active surveillance in national surveillance sites of bacillary dysentery can provide more accurate information about the disease situation,which could facilitate the prevention and control of bacillary dysentery.


With the rapid development of technology and economy,during the urbanizing process of China,many problems have come out and troubled people a lot,including over-population,traffic jam,environmental pollution and deteriorated living environment.Ecological development,bi-orientation society and habitable ecotype city are the primary goals of the construction of the habitable living environment.In reference to the goals of the bi-orientation society,the features and standards of habitable ecotype city,finding appropriate ways based on the foundation of constructing habitable ecotype city in Hengyang to solve the problems is a new project that Hengyang is now confronted with in constructing a habitable ecotype city.


We proposed a new simple approach for estimating the oceanic rate of increase of anthropogenic CO2 (Uanth) in a subpolar marginal sea that produces ventilated water with the sea ice formation. This approach was based only on the differences in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) between the ventilated water and the source water. Applying our approach to the Sea of Okhotsk for 1993, 1999 and 2000, we estimated the averaged Uanth transported into the intermediate water (UI), and in the surface water from spring to fall (USs∼f) and in the surface water in winter (USw) to be 1.1 ± 0.9 μmol kg−1 yr−1, 0.70 ± 0.01 μmol kg−1 yr−1 and 1.1 ± 0.9 μmol kg−1 yr−1, respectively, during the past 8 years. The accumulation rate of anthropogenic carbon was estimated as 0.78 × 1012 g C yr−1 over the entire Sea of Okhotsk.


In this paper, a new design and fabrication method for a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS)-based micro-fluidic system that includes an articulated filter with micro-channel is proposed. An anodic reaction that involves chemical etching is used to produce a porous silicon (PS) layer to be applied to a micro-fluidic filter. The micro-fluidic filter is fabricated with vertical micro-pores by an anodic reaction process using a (110) wafer. Physical etching based on a micro-sandblaster process, and wet chemical etching using either tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) or hydrofluoric, nitric, and acetic (HNA) acid solution are applied to form the micro-channels that function as an essential factor in the micro-fluidic system. These independently-fabricated filter and channel wafers are bonded using a dry film resist (DFR). The characteristics of the filter fabricated on a (100) wafer are analyzed. Moreover, the functional performances of the channels formed by different methods are compared. The proposed micro-fluidic system with porous silicon micro-filters might be applied to bio-material reaction chambers, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) chambers and DNA separation devices that require a filter.


An ultrathin TiO2 overlayer was deposited on nano-structured Sb2S3 absorption layers by a simple electrodeposition method, effectively increasing photoelectrochemical conversion and the onset potential of a photocathode for solar water splitting.


To the Editor: We appreciate the thoughtful comments from Dr. Aronow, who highlights important issues regarding prevalence of heart failure (HF) with preserved systolic function (HFPSF) in elderly patients, especially in women. It was demonstrated that the median brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in patients with systolic HF was 821 pg/mL, compared with 413 pg/mL in HFPSF patients, and 34 pg/ mL in patients without HF (all Po.001).4 Unfortunately, the BNP levels were not accurate in separating HFPSF from systolic HF (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 5 0.66), and considerable overlap occurred in BNP levels in HFPSF patients and those with systolic HF, especially in women. In our study, in patients with cardiogenic pulmonary edema (CPE), the proportion of patients defined as having HFPSF (LVEF 50%) was 65%. The median BNP level was 375 pg/mL (95% confidence interval (CI) 5 264– 595 pg/mL) in the group of men with CPE and 500 pg/mL (95% CI 5 303–699 pg/mL) in women with CPE (nonsignificant (NS)). The median amino-terminal fragment of BNP (NT-proBNP) level was 3,338 pg/mL (95% CI 5 1,308–6,330 pg/mL) in the group of men with CPE and 4,075 pg/mL (95% CI 5 2,240–6,845 pg/mL) in women with CPE (NS). Table 1 shows the diagnostic accuracy of BNP and NT-proBNP in men and women with systolic HF and HFPSF. When pooling men and women together, the diagnostic accuracy of BNP and NT-proBNP assay seems


The facial plastic surgery course is held over three days at St Mary's Hospital in London. The faculty is made up primarily of London based consultants in ear, nose, and throat surgery, in plastic surgery, and in dermatology and invited international guest speakers. The course organiser is Kalpesh Patel (consultant ear, nose, and throat and facial plastic surgeon at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust). The course gives a grounding in facial anatomy and aims to familiarise delegates with surgical dermatology; local flaps for the face; rhinoplasty; otoplasty; the ageing face and rejuvenation; and relevant cosmetic procedures and techniques, including the use of botulinum toxin (Botox).

The course is aimed at trainees in ear, nose, and throat surgery, plastic surgery, and maxillofacial surgery. It is also relevant to consultants with an interest in facial plastic surgery, to dentists, and to general practitioners with an interest in facial aesthetics procedures. Trainees were …


A 36.0 - 40.0 GHz low noise communications receiver has been developed which achieved 5.0 dB noise figure and 28-30 dB gain across a 36.0 to 39.5 GHz bandwidth.


A ten-year-old, female-entire English springer spaniel presented with a large intra-abdominal mass but no other clinical signs. Gastrointestinal stromal tumour of the caecum with widespread abdominal metastasis was confirmed. Treatment with toceranib phosphate resulted in complete response, despite the absence of exon-8 or exon-11 c-kit mutation. There was no clinical evidence of tumour recurrence nine months after diagnosis.


Leakage-test in the joint between tube and tube-sheet of a condenser is usually carried out after assembly of condenser shell by watering at the shell side,but restricted by the condition of delivery,the shell is often divided into two halves for transportation.No watering test is available in the manufacturer\'s.Vacuum extraction way is applied for leakage test with specified device to set up certain vacuum at the side of tube-to tube-sheet joint.Then leakage is tested for the joint based on the change of vacuum in certain time.In this way,the tightness of tube-to-tube-sheet joint of condenser will be tested effectively.


Soil iron (Fe) performs vital functions in the biogeochemical cycles of soil environments. The amount and profile allocation of various Fe parameters can be used as sensitive indicators of soil development and pedogenic processes. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of ground‐based hyperspectral imaging (HSI: 400–1010 nm) spectroscopy to predict and map six Fe parameters indicative of pedogenic processes: total Fe (Fet), dithionite‐citrate‐bicarbonate (DCB)‐extracted Fe (Fed), oxalate‐extracted Fe (Feo), weathering index (FeW), active ratio (FeA) and crystallinity ratio (FeC). In total, 17 intact soil profiles at a depth of 100 ± 5 cm were collected to acquire HSI images. Four non‐linear machine learning techniques, namely, random forest (RF), XGBoost, CatBoost and support vector machine regression (SVMR), were implemented and compared with linear partial least squares (PLS) to identify the models with the best performance for different soil Fe parameters. Our results indicate that the four non‐linear machine learning models outperformed PLS for most soil Fe parameters, with low root mean square error (RMSE) and high Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (LCCC) values. Based on the testing set, SVMR showed better performance over the other tested models for Fet (RMSEP = 2.645 g kg−1, LCCCP = 0.89), Fed (RMSEP = 0.972 g kg−1, LCCCP = 0.97), Feo (RMSEP = 0.273 g kg−1, LCCCP = 0.97), FeW (RMSEP = 0.035, LCCCP = 0.97), FeA (RMSEP = 0.033, LCCCP = 0.97) and FeC (RMSEP = 0.031, LCCCP = 0.97). According to the LCCCP values, soil Fet was predicted to be in substantial agreement by SVMR, and the other soil Fe predictions were considered to be in near perfect agreement. Moreover, SVMR required lower computational costs. Given these results, the combination of HSI spectroscopy and SVMR is recommended due to its more reliable estimation and profile mapping of the selected soil Fe parameters than that of PLS, RF, XGBoost and CatBoost.


We deduce that if f (costheta) has nonnegative partial waves, then (f (costheta)/f (1))/sup 2/ < or = 1/3 + 2/3f (1/2(3cos/sup 2/theta - 1))/f (1) for - 1 < or = costheta < or = 1. Applying this, we show that recent determinations of the ..pi../sup -/p slope parameter for vertical-bartvertical-bar < or = 0.04 (GeV/c)/sup 2/ at 100 GeV/c at CERN, together with those at larger vertical-bartvertical-bar at Fermilab, imply a substantial violation of unitarity, though each determination by itself is consistent with unitarity.


In September of 2006,a giant mutant strain of HongDa planted in Lvpiao village Anning Kunming City was found.After breeding the seeds were acquired the next year.From 2008 to 2010,in the tobacco planting areas of Kunming the systematic breeding,properties study,area test complete sets manufacture technology,flue-cured features,anti-diseases survey,production model and seeds breeding technology had been finished.After many years′ breeding it was found that this new sort has good properties,wide adaptability,big threshold value of agronomy,high product,good tobacco leaf quality,strong usability and many index is approximate or surpass its parent HongDa which was named YK01.Based on its research focused on the following five aspects: breed quality,tobacco leaf quality,cultivation baking technology,plant protection and seed breeding so as to provide scientific basis and reference for further development and utilization.


35 Individual animals commonly adopt different stress coping styles that have been shown 36 to impact reproductive success and differ between sexes (female/male) and origin 37 (wild/hatchery). Hatchery reared Senegalese sole ( Solea senegalensis ) exhibit a 38 behavioural reproductive dysfunction and a complete failure to spawn viable eggs. Hence, 39 the present study examined whether 1) reproductive success of Senegalese sole was 40 linked to coping styles and 2) behavioural differences exist in relation to sex or origin. A 41 total of 198 breeders held in two research institutions were submitted to three individual 42 tests (restraining, new environment and confinement) and one grouping test (risk taking). 43 In addition, a blood sample to quantify cortisol, glucose and lactate levels was obtained 44 from each individual after completing the individual tests. Senegalese sole breeders 45 showed individual differences in behaviour across the different behavioural tests that 46 were consistent with proactive and reactive coping styles traits. However, the most 47 striking result was that reproductive success, sex and origin of Senegalese sole was not 48 biased to any specific coping style. Indeed, the behavioural responses were similar and 49 consistent between fish grouped by reproductive success, sex and origin. This study 50 presented information that contrasts with different studies on dominant aggressive species 51 and indicated that social non-aggressive species such as Senegalese sole follow a 52 cooperative strategy that favours equal opportunities between stress coping styles and 53 sexes. Therefore, results suggest that maintaining both coping styles strategies are 54 fundamental for a sustainable breeder population approach.


Eighteen primary human malignant mesotheliomas obtained from 18 patients were screened for point mutations and microdeletions/insertions in all exons of the tumour suppressor gene PTEN/MMAC1 by SSCP analysis. No mutation could be found. Our preliminary data indicate that disarrangements of PTEN/MMAC1 are at least not frequently involved in mesothelioma formation.


In an infant it is important to know correct gestational age , to evaluate the risk , line of management and mortality and morbidity. Most common
used method for gestational age assessment is Ballard's score which includes various parameters and neurologic parameters and difcult to assess
in sick neonate where parkin score only uses 4 criteria for assessment of gestational age. This prospective analytical study was conducted to
compare new Ballard's score and parkin's score between healthy and sick neonates in tertiary care center


The Ecological Data Unit (EDU) was set up within the Institute of
Terrestrial Ecology (ITE) in 1984. Its purposes are to collate and make
available the accumulating body of data relating to ecological change, and
to promote the development of an environmental monitoring programme. The
initial task of EDU is to compile registers of data holdings and of survey
and monitoring activities, both within ITE and in other organizations that
share a common interest in environmental resources. Attention will then be
directed towards making data from these documented sources more widely
available to accredited users.
Projects concerned mainly with monitoring, or having a strong monitoring
component, are to be found in most of the Institute's 16 Research
Programmes. Through these projects, ITE is assessing change in types of
land cover and land use, in ecosystems, and in species populations. Some
studies are at the national level; others are at regional or local scales.
Many were begun through individuals' active research interests rather than
as part of a planned monitoring programme. Inevitably, there are gaps and
biases in the body of information that currently exists.
Ideally, ITE should maintain a comprehensive record of natural and man-made
changes in Britain, but, in practice, this is impossible. However, surveys
of biological and other environmental resources are frequently undertaken,
both by ITE and by others, so that there is potential for monitoring through
the careful selection of surveys to be repeated at appropriate intervals.
EDU will make recommendations on the feasibility of this approach as the
basis of an integrated programme of monitoring, concentrating initially upon
surveys that have recorded the distribution and abundance of biological
species.
The Register of Permanent Vegetation Plots is the first tangible product of
EDU. It identifies numerous long-term vegetation studies that are being
conducted by ITE. Many, but not all, of these will continue as a vital
component of the Institute's monitoring programme. As EDU's work proceeds,
further registers will be produced, covering both the range of data holdings
within ITE and relevant monitoring activities by other organizations.


Biochemical transformation of the thyroid hormone molecules in the mammalian tissue can occur at various points on the molecule. This is summarized as follows : (1) deiodination ; (2) conjugation of glucuronic acid ; (3) decarboxylation ; and (4) deamination of the alanine side chain. In our laboratories, the enzymes catalyzing reaction (4), oxidase and transaminase, have been purified from rat kidney. The oxidase was obtained in crystal form from rat kidney mitochondria and soluble fractions and found to have 6 moles of FMN per mole of the enzyme (Molecular weight, 310,000). The enzyme catalyzes the oxidation of many a-amino monocarboxylic acids and a-hydroxy acids (L-configuration) including thyroid hormones. In recent study concerning intracellular distribution of the oxidase by sucrose density gradient centrifugation, the oxidase was found to be mainly located in microbodies (peroxisomes) rather than mitochondria. The transaminase has been purified 30 fold from rat kidney mitochondrial extract. The enzyme requires pyridoxal-5'-phosphate as coenzyme and a-ketoglutarate as amino acceptor. The transaminase is highly specific for thyroid hormones and halogenated tyrosines. In contrast to tyrosine-a-ketoglutarate transaminase, this enzyme was not induced in vivo by hydrocortisone. The pyruvic acid analogues of thyroid hormones have not been detected as product of the above transamination and oxidative deamination, while the corresponding acetic acid analogues were accumulated in the same condition. This may be attributable to the instability of the pyruvic acid analogues in alkaline media and chromatography in alkaline solvent systems. On the basis of the fact that in the presence of aromatic a-keto acid reductase and NADH the main product of the deamination reactions is the lactic acid analogues of thyroid hormones, it can be concluded that the product of the first stage of the enzymatic deamination is the pyruvic acid analogues. Aromatic a-keto acid reductase is widely distributed in rat tissues and other animal tissues. This enzyme, purified from rat kidney; is highly specific for the aromatic keto acids corresponding to thyroid hormones and halogenated tyrosines. Routes for side chain degradation of thyroid hormone (T, or T4) are depicted as follows :


This paper looks at the local practice of urban conservation planning in the World Heritage city of Guimaraes, in Portugal. It examines the importance of the practice of participative planning for embedding a culture of understanding the wider value of heritage conservation by recognising the need for 'community commitment' (Punter, 2007, p.172) in the social construction of the public realm in contemporary urban design. Overall, the emerging participatory initiatives that underpinned the inception of an heritage conservation practice at local level seem to have been gradually losing their strength so empirical evidence is drawn from the qualitative review of local users' perceptions (residents, workers, visitors) to demonstrate that consensus and conflict co-exist with regard to their aspirations and the city's conservation policies, aims and objectives. Most importantly, this review draws on their understanding of the institutional heritage conservation discourses and practices at play in 'their' World Heritage city. As MacDonald (2003) contends 'for these same communities, participation in these activities is often not so much an issue of conservation as it is a way of retaining control over surroundings that they have historically considered themselves a part of' (MacDonald, 2003, p.2).


Initial scoping analysis indicates that by using Type 304 stainless steel (SS), most of the vacuum vessel`s structural mass in the HYLIFE-II inertial fusion energy power plant conceptual design could be disposed of by shallow burial. And, if all the structural components are mixed together and treated as one solid entity, all of it could be disposed of by shallow burial. Two other types of SS assessed, manganese-modified Type 316 SS and prime candidate alloy (PCA), were found to require disposal by deep geologic burial of most of the structural mass. The presence of niobium and molybdenum in manganese-modified Type 316SS and PCA was found to dominate the generation of long-term wastes that contribute to the shallow burial index, and their presence should be avoided. 12 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.


Copeland and Erdös [Note on normal numbers. Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. (N.S.) 52 (1946), 857–860] showed that the concatenation of primes when written in base 10 yields a real number that is normal to base 10. We generalize this result to Pisot number bases in which all integers have finite expansion.


This research investigated rural maternity care from the perspective of parturient women, care providers, health care administrators and local leaders. We found that women's experiences were bound in the complexity of relationships that were influenced by the attitudes and actions of care providers and the organization of health system services. The study took place within a dynamically changing health care environment in which three of the four study sites ceased offering birthing services during the course of the project. The lack of clearly defined policies supporting rural maternity care was reflected in a tenuous infrastructure for local birthing. This left local services vulnerable to the vagaries of practitioner's attitudes, critical incidents, the variable social and historical context of the community and geography. Literature on risk assessment provides a lens through which some of the findings may be interpreted.


A simple method has been described for measuring photosynthesis of detached leaves. The reduced rate of photosynthesis of the tea leaf, immediately after excision, is due to stomatal closure. In mature detached leaves, kept well supplied with water in diffuse light or darkness and in a humid atmosphere, normal stomatal opening and maximum photosynthetic rates were obtained between 12 and 30 hr. from excision. Stomata on sunflower leaves do not close on excision. Variation in the initial concentration of CO2 between 1·0 and 4·0% vol. with a final concentration not below 0·5% did not affect the rate of photosynthesis of sunflower leaves at 25° C. and under 32 klux light intensity. Under the same conditions of light and temperature, there was no change in the photosynthetic rates of tea leaves in 1 and 2% initial and 0·2% final CO2 concentrations. There were indications that CO2 concentrations below 1·0% might be rate-limiting for certain tea leaves, assimilating under low light (4 klux). The development of photosynthetic capacity in the young leaves of tea and sunflower is a gradual process. In sunflower, the photosynthetic capacity develops fully before, and in tea after the leaf reaches half its final size.


Formaldehyde detection in air is of particular interest since this compound is classified as carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It is abundant indoors (with an indoor/outdoor ratio around 5 to 15) and has as main origin the emissions from building or furniture materials. Among all the strategies currently used to control formaldehyde concentrations, none of them combines both good selectivity, low detection limit and easiness of use at low cost. To achieve this goal, we focused on the specific reaction between fluoral-p and formaldehyde to develop a sensor made of an intrinsically conducting polymer and fluoral-p. Formaldehyde reacts with fluoral-p to produce 3, 5-diacetyl-1, 4-dihydro-2, 6-lutidine (DDL) and ammonia. Polyaniline (PAni) was chosen as the conducting polymer due to its ammonia sensitivity as previously described by the authors. The performances of this new formaldehyde sensor have been evaluated in terms of sensibility, response time and detection limit.


In this paper, we build on the work from our previous paper (arXiv:2002.01556) to show that periodic rational $G$-equivariant topological $K$-theory has a unique genuine-commutative ring structure for $G$ a finite abelian group. This means that every genuine-commutative ring spectrum whose homotopy groups are those of $KU_{\mathbb{Q},G}$ is weakly equivalent, as a genuine-commutative ring spectrum, to $KU_{\mathbb{Q},G}$. In contrast, the connective rational equivariant $K$-theory spectrum does not have this type of uniqueness of genuine-commutative ring structure.


■ Corixa Corp. and GlaxoSmithKline PLC received FDA approval for Bexxar® (tositumomab and iodine I 131 tositumomab) as a treatment for CD20 positive, follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in patients that have relapsed after chemotherapy and did not respond to the drug Rituximab. Corixa said it would be ready to start filling orders for the drug from cancer treatment centers beginning in August 2003. Corixa and GlaxoSmithKline plan to co-market Bexxar in the U.S.


A hydropower station computer monitoring system of the utility model comprises an on-site control system composed of a CPU module, a communication module, a switching value module, an analog quantity module, a temperature quantity module and a power supply module, the communication module is connected with an upper computer monitoring system, and more than one upper computer are arranged in the upper computer monitoring system. In the system, the intelligent devices, such as a speed regulator, an electric quantity instrument, a temperature inspecting instrument, etc., can transmit the data to the upper computer monitoring terminals stably via the communication module, at the same time, the data also can be sent to the man-machine interfaces in other intelligent devices to display. According to the mode of the utility model, the insufficiency brought by the dispersed devices is made up, and the operation personnel can monitor the operation states of the sets on the upper computers or the man-machine interfaces, thereby realizing the real distributed monitoring system.


In the background of global teacher education,the paper reflects on the shortcomings of the identical teacher-based training in our country.It points out the importance of the paradigm shift and the center of gravity down.Accordingly it advocates the teacher-based training as the new ideas of teachers' in-service education.Then it elaborates the theoretical basis,the basic content,the main features and the ways and means of implementation.


We illustrate the Dirichlet prescription of the AdS/CFT correspondence using the example of a massive scalar field and argue that it is the only entirely consistent regularization procedure known so far. Using the Dirichlet prescription, we then calculate the divergent terms for gravity in the cases $d=2,4,6$, which give rise to the Weyl anomaly in the boundary conformal field theory.


This study investigated a suitable method that could be applied for Asian chain fern [Woodwardia japonica (L. f.) Sm.] to propagate gametophytes and promote sporophyte formation. The gametophytes used in all experiments were obtained from germinated spores in vitro and were subcultured at 8-week intervals. The most appropriate media for gametophyte propagation was identified by culturing 300 ㎎ of gametophyte in Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium (1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2), and Knop medium for 8 weeks. As a result, fresh weight of the gametophyte was increased by 56.7-fold on MS medium. Moreover, antheridium formation as well as gametophyte growth was improved on MS medium, especially. To improve the sporophyte formation ex vitro, 1.0 g of gametophyte was ground with distilled water and spread on eight combinations onto four different culture mediums, such as bed soil, peat moss, perlite and decomposed granite. Then generation and growth of sporophytes were investigated after cultivation for 10 weeks. As a result of this experiment, peat moss had a promotive effect of sporophyte formation at single-use and mixed culture soils. In particular, a mixture of bed soil, peat moss and perlite in a 1:1:1 ratio (v/v/v) led to the accelerated formation (782.5 ea/pot) and the frond growth of sporophytes. This included increases in length and width of fronds. However, promotive effect of gametophyte growth and sporophyte formation was not found at single-use and treatment with high ratio of bed soil.


Social constructionism, an interdisciplinary paradigm, has emerged from a crisis in the social sciences in the late 20th century (Gergen 1999). This crisis is around the failure of modernist values to help us understand, and achieve mastery over, the worlds we live around a number of cohering areas. These include 'grand narrative', 'imperialist' claims to the true nature of a supposed external reality (realism) and the true nature of something or someone (essentialism). Not surprisingly, suspicion has been increasingly accorded to related modernist assumptions of selves as rational agents, free to make choices and take direct action on the world. All of this has called into question the notion of individual consciousness as a reliable and adequate mirror of this world, with language as a nonproblematic, neutral and descriptive vehicle of representation.


This chapter explains how the peat barge developed as the dominant memory of the Dutch Revolt in Breda during the seventeenth century. It investigates who was involved in this process, and asks why the sieges of 1625 and 1637 do not seem to have influenced the existing memory culture of the 1590 peat barge attack. The chapter explores the commemoration of the peat barge attack from 1590 until the end of the seventeenth century, and considers the evolution of this iconic event as a constitutive part of civic memory in Breda in order to show how this memory reached its iconic status. It also examines a wide range of material sources. Most of this material has already been described in an exhibition catalogue in 1990, during the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the peat barge attack.Keywords: Breda; civic memory; Dutch Revolt; peat barge attack


This paper presents an architecture for addressing the transformation of large volume of data generated by pervasive and other sensor applications in a timely manner (or subject to quality of service or QoS constraints). As the size and rate at which raw data is generated increases, novel approaches for meaningful reduction and extraction of actionable information from the data are needed. In this short paper, an architecture, based on the synthesis of stream and complex event processing (CEP) approaches, is presented. The proposed architecture is flexible and accommodates the use of a number of alternative or complementary techniques/approaches.


4. Medina-Lezama J, Pastorius CA, Zea-Diaz H, Bernabe-Ortiz A, Corrales-Medina F, Morey-Vargas OL, et al. Optimal Definitions for Abdominal Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome in Andean Hispanics: The PREVENCION Study. Diabetes Care. 2010;33(6):1385-8. doi: 10.2337/dc09-2353. 5. Klein S, Allison DB, Heymsfield SB, Kelley DE, Leibel RL, Nonas C, et al. Waist Circumference and Cardiometabolic Risk. A Consensus Statement from Shaping America's Health: Association for Weight Management and Obesity Prevention; NAASO, The Obesity Society; the American Society for Nutrition; and the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care. 2007;30(6):1647-52. doi: 10.2337/dc07-9921.


The velocity bunching is one of the electron bunch compression methods, which was proposed by L.Serafini, et al. in 2000. We have carried out the velocity bunching in the Mg photo-cathode RF injector and the S-band Linac at the Nuclear Engineering Research Laboratory, the University of Tokyo. The bunch length is measured by the femtosecond streak camera. We have achieved the shortest bunch length of 0.5 psec (FWHM), the average length of 1.3 psec (FWHM) and the fluctuation of 0.4 psec (rms) for 1 nC/ and the injected RF phase of the zero-crossing. The results are consistent with the numerical analysis, which was done by PARMELA simulation code.


The invention discloses a digital orientated acquisition device and method of a poultry multispectral image. According to the acquisition device, a plurality of sets of digital cameras and light filters with different wavelengths can be used for irradiating collected matters (poultries) by using three types of different wave bands (400nm-1000nm wavebands), so that multispectral image photographing is realized; the poultry multispectral image which has a proper size and is complete, clear and accurate is acquired in real time; the acquisition method using the device is simple to operate, has few interferences and is easy to realize, and the high-quality poultry multispectral image can be obtained, so that processing including surface dirt detection, weight grading, meat quality detection, product quality detection and the like on the poultries can be conveniently carried out; and the cost of a multispectral camera is saved, and the device has the characteristics of sanitation and safety, high efficiency, rapidness, convenience and the like, which coincide with the views of biological environment friendliness, resource conservation and the like pursued nowadays.


the vision. The patient may notice a decrease in tear production. The oral complaints like dryness, difficulties in swallowing, throat tightness, chocking, cracking of lips and inner oral cavity and bleeding. The patient may notice salivary parotid gland enlargement. 2 group: These symptoms may not be as dominant as the 1 group but they are more or less a hindrance and annoyance to the patients and they may include dryness of the skin up to causing cracks and bleeding accompanied by burn sensation, dry and easily cracked hair. Joints pain with burn sensation and even lumps in joints are complained. Fatigue and weight lose and disturbance of sleep. The patient (female) may complain of dryness of the vagina. 3 group: This last category may not be present in most cases but they are rather difficult to be dealt with by the patients and doctors as they are normally not easily linked to the syndrome and they may include sinusitis, blockage of nasal passage and COPD. For confirmation of the diagnosis, the doctor should investigate the function of the lacrymal gland with Schirmer's test, the function of salivary glands with sialography, pathohistologic changes in salivary glands by biopsy, and serological tests for antibodies against Ro/SS-A or LA/SS-B. Conclusions. Sjögren syndrome is characterized by slowly progressing symptoms, which make them differ in characteristics and severity. The doctor may not be able to confirm or misdiagnose. There is no cure, but symptomatic treatment with artificial tears and saliva and different lubricants is useful.


Due to the advancements of Machine learning and vast usage of multimedia data, the image and video annotation has become quite popular now. In the area of image annotation, the researchers and specially Microsoft research lab have achieved nearly 98% accuracy. But same is not true for the video annotation. This paper presents a review of the state of the art tools being used for video annotation.


Measurement and transport system (2) for determining the layer thickness distribution on substrates (4) with a layer thickness measuring head (20, 24) with point measuring field, a transport device which passes the substrate continuously at the measuring head (20, 24), and means for detecting the entry (32) and exit (34) of the substrate (4) in the measuring field of the measuring head and for the determination of measuring positions thereof.


The development of Propellant Management Devices (PMD) also includes guaranteeing the
functionality of the corresponding subcomponents such as meshes, sieves and screens. A major
functional aspect of the screens applied in the PMD device is to retain a certain bubble point.
Therefore, experiments are foreseen at DLR Bremen to test the bubble point with different liquids
(IPA and LN2). The provided screens by EADS Astrium consist of plane and cylindrical pleated 165 x
800 twilled dutch meshes, manufactured by Seebach GmbH. The objectives of testing include the
estimation of the LN2 bubble point pressures. Pre-testing with IPA shall be done for comparison
issue.


Both surface and underground rocks in nature often undergo repeated drying and wetting. The dry-wet cycle is a weathering effect that includes physical and chemical processes, which has varying degrees of degradation effects on the physical and mechanical properties of rocks. This paper analyzes and discusses this kind of rock degradation based on the existing literature data. First, the deterioration degree of various physical and mechanical properties (including density, P-wave velocity, porosity, static and dynamic compressive/tensile strength, and fracture toughness) is summarized as the number of dry-wet cycles increases. Secondly, the possible degradation mechanism of the dry-wet cycle is explained in terms of clay mineral swelling, solute migration, and microcrack evolution. Then, the damage constitutive model of the rock after cyclic dry-wet treatment is introduced. Finally, the issues that need to be studied in the future are put forward.


Objective
To explore the treatments of abnormal airways of congenital aortic arch obstruction disease.

Methods
From January 2012 to April 2014, 95 cases of congenital aortic arch obstruction disease were reviewed. The median weight was 4(3-11) kg and median age 60(8-720)days.

Results
One-stage radical surgery was performed in 94 cases. And throat and airway abnormalities were found in 83.15% of them. The follow-up period was 1 to 24 months. Eighteen cases completed bronchoscopy and two deaths occurred in early postoperative period.

Conclusions
Arch obstruction has a high probability of causing abnormal geometry of aortopulmonary space and airway compression. Compression in left bronchial tube and left recurrent laryngeal nerve may cause left pulmonary ateletasis or emphysema. So we should pay more attention to evaluating the condition of airway in aortic arch obstruction in perioperative period.

Key words:
Aortic coarctation; Airway stenosis; Heart diseases, congeniital


The article is devoted to the problem of sensory development in preschool children, in particular, the development and correction of sensory inte - gration as a process of perception and process - ing of surrounding information in the cerebral cortex. The essence of the concepts "sensory education", "sensory integration", "sensorimo - tor development", "multisensory integration" is revealed. The main attention is paid to the study of the neurophysiological basis of the development of sensory integration, as well as the consequences of its violation. In particular, the peculiarities of development in the mental, motor, speech, and intellectual spheres are noted, which significantly affects the acquisition of educational, academic and life skills of the child. The theoretical and practical aspects of various scientific and pedagogical approaches to the development and correction of sensory integration in the conditions of preschool educa - tion are analyzed. The main fundamental posi - tions of the sensorimotor, sensory-integrative and multisensory approaches are highlighted. It was established that the method of sensory or multisensory stimulation is the same for all approaches, but there are different ways and techniques of integrating sensory informa - tion into the child's brain, which significantly increases its plasticity. In this context, the issue of combining different approaches for effective impact on the development of sensory integra - tion and correction of its violations in an inclu - sive environment is considered. The practical significance of such a combination can be seen in the creation of comprehensive psychologi - cal and pedagogical assistance for preschool children in the development and correction of sensory integration, based on a personal orien - tation approach. Based on the analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature, further steps in the study of this problem are considered, which are seen in the search for diagnostic criteria, assessment of sensory integration in preschool children and creation of organizational and pedagogical con - ditions for its development.


Infectious Diseases
The composition of microbial communities within an infected organism can determine whether that organism develops a disease. For example, the presence of one or more particular bacterial strains may make it more difficult for a pathogen to colonize the host. As Byrd and Segre explain in a Perspective, these findings are important for understanding how diseases develop. A broader approach to understanding disease causation should include sequencing of microbial communities, modeling their interactions, culturing suspected pathogens, and knowledge of the host's genetics and exposure history.

Science , this issue p. [224][1]

 [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aad6753


Abstract Results of a systematic study are presented to review various effects of crystal size on the martensitic phase transformations in nanocrystalline NiTi shape memory alloys. The transformation temperatures and the transformed volume fraction strongly decrease with decreasing grain size less than about 100 nm. Transformation to martensite is not observed in grains smaller than a critical grain size of about 50 nm. The nanograins significantly impact the morphology of B19′ martensite composed of (001) compound twins that occur at an atomic scale and violate the well established theory of martensite formation. Self-accommodation occurs by a herringbone morphology of two twinned variants. Contrary to the martensite, grain size hardly impacts the transformation to the R-phase. The experimental results are explained by a size dependent transformation barrier that accounts for the suppression of the martensitic transformation, its thermal stability and unique morphology in the nanograins.


This paper aims to discuss the theoretical basis for English web course design,coree technology for English web course development,the interface of English web course,norms of English web course development,and standards for English web course assessment.It may be beneficial to E-learning which is a booming area.


We derive rules for bonding at interfaces between Si and ionic oxides so that they satisfy valence requirements and give a defect-free interface. These rules are used to analyze epitaxial interfaces of SrTiO3 on (100)Si. The band offsets are found from the local density of states and it is found possible to modulate the offset. Some proposed interface structures are found to give gap states.


EXPERIMENTAL results and practical experience indicate that surface applications of lime and superphosphate will profitably increase the yield and quality of herbage on most West Virginia pastures (4, 5). Such treatment, however, is recognized as having certain limitations, as follows: (a)'The results of surface treatment are usually not evident for about a year after treatment, (b) On pastures with practically no desirable species fhe initial response is mainly from increased growth of unpalatable grasses and weeds of poor composition. Many years may be required for desirable legumes and grasses to take over the area by natural succession, (c) The wild white clover and Kentucky bluegrass which constitute the best herbage of surface-treated 'pastures may not equal in efficiency and productiveness the strains and species of forage'plants which could be introduced. With these characteristics of surface treatment in mind, the present studies were started to determine what procedures were necessary to establish various legumes and grasses in poor pastures; to compare yield and quality of herbage from the seeded areas with that from surface-treated and untreated pasture; and to compare the effectiveness of different types ofseedbeds, seedings, and management in controlling runoff and erosion.


Conventional wisdom suggests that biased military interventions in civil conflicts should increase the probability that the supported side will win. However, while this is the case for rebel groups, the same is not true for governments. The explanation for this surprising finding becomes clear once one considers the decision of a third-party intervener. Since interveners want to impact the outcomes of civil conflict, government- and rebel-biased interventions will be more likely when the government is facing a stronger rebel group. Given that government-biased third parties intervene in the "toughest" cases, empirically they appear to be less effective than rebel-biased interveners.


ABSTRACT The lower beaks of 1,318 cephalopods from the stomach contents of 175 swordfish, Xiphias gladius, caught off the west coast of Baja California, Mexico, between 1988 and 1996 were analyzed. In total, 20 species of teuthoids, 4 octopods, and one vampyromorph were identified. Weights and lengths of cephalopods were estimated from the lower rostral lengths. Ommastrephid squids, primarily jumbo squid Dosidicus gigas of different maturing sizes, composed 60% by number and 82% by estimated weight. Three species of gonatids were identified and represented 22% by number. An unidentified species of Argonauta was the most abundant octopod, with 5.8% of the beak total. Ancistrocheirus lesueurii is recorded for the first time in the California Current. Distribution of cephalopods in the California Current and their size in the diet of other marine predators are discussed. The diet of swordfish was dominated by medium to large muscular squid species that probably are eaten in surface waters at night.


Comparisons of the incidence of disease epidemics in agricultural and natural plant communities often paint extreme views that are typical of neither situation. Plant-pathogen interactions in natural communities have often been depicted as benign associations in which epidemics rarely occur, while agricultural pathosystems are depicted as battlefields in which epidemics of pathogens constantly ravage production. By implication, the population biology of pathogens in the two systems is totally different. As is frequently the case, the truth lies between these extremes. The same general principles underlie the population biology of all plant pathogens regardless of whether these cause diseases in agricultural or natural situations. Indeed, epidemics of disease are relatively commonplace in natural plant communities (3,9,42, 47), while years may go by in which disease has little, if any, effect on the production of particular crops. However, the vastly different ecological constraints and opportunities imposed by agricultural and natural plant communities have substantial effects on the basic principles of population dynamics. The resultant change in the relative importance of particular phenomena often produces markedly different epidemiological and genetical consequences for pathogen populations in these different environments. There are innumerable ecological differences in-


Abstract : A two-dimensional model study of a proposed reef breakwater for protection of the existing, damage-prone, rubble-mound breakwater at Burns Waterway Harbor was conducted. Sufficient 1:36-scale undistorted flume tests were conducted such that an optimum submerged reef could be selected. Specifically, it was desired to quantify performance (stability transmission response) in terms of structure height and width, location relative to the existing breakwater, and stone size and gradation. Seven improvement plans were considered. All significantly improved stability of the existing breakwater and reduced transmitted wave heights to some extent. Test results for the various improvement plans showed that all structures tested were successful in reducing 7- and 9-sec, 5-ft incident waves to heights of 1 ft or less behind the existing breakwater. Also, as desired, wave heights of about 15 ft or less were observed behind the reef for 11.6-sec, 19-ft incident waves, thus eliminating most damage to the existing breakwater. Five-ton armor stone was completely stable at crest elevations of -10 and -20 ft low-water datum. Increasing the toe-to-toe spacing of the reef from the existing breakwater from 75 to 100 ft slightly improved stability of the existing structure and slightly increased transmission.


Factors affecting the capacity of continuous centrifugals handling "C" massecuite are examined after the completion of several test runs on various machines at different factories. Feed pipe sizing, water addition and positioning, feed distribution, scaling of screens, etc., are discussed and recommendations made. Introduction For several years continuous centrifugals (typically BMA K850) operating on C massecuites in South Africa in the range of f 9 000 P at 50°C have been rated at 1 200 kg/h (+ 30 ft3/h) and over 200 machines have been installed on this basis. The discrepancy between local throughputs and those reported overseas were attributed to the supposedly exceptional viscosity and stickiness of SA massecuites. However a recent visit by Lamusse and FitzGeraldl to Australia and Mauritius dispelled all illusions on this score as the viscosity of South African C massecuites lie within reported viscosity ranges from both these countries. As a result of this visit, the SMRI carried out an intensive investigation into the poor throughputs of local machines and the main points of investigation and the results thereof are summarized in this paper. Installations examined and types of machines Work was carried out at the following factories and the machine types are listed under each factory. FIGURE 1 Detail of modification t o BMA K850. * Present address: Illovo Sugar Millers Ltd. Darnall: Standard BMA K850 and a modified BMA K850. Modifications consisted of a speed increase from 2 200 rpm to 2 500 rpm and two rows of 5 mm holes (a total of 46) drilled into the basket. (Fig. I ) (this modified centrifugal is referred to as BMA No. 10 in the text table). One Fives Lille FC 1 000. This Fives Lille FC 1 000, was modified at a later stage by a speed increase from 1 900 rpm to 2 100 rpm. Tongaat : BMA K850. Sezela: BMA K850. Melville: Western States CC-IV-(34" x 34") basket. The K850 and FC 1000 are centre feed machines with solid baskets and the CC-IV-34 is a side feed type with perforated basket (Fig. 2). Investigational aspects During the course of the experiments the following points were investigated: 1. Flow of massecuite to the centrifugal in relation to (a) pipe and valve sizing, (b) viscosity, (c) height of massecuite above the delivery valve. 2. Massecuite distribution in the centrifugal. 3. Conditioning of massecuite. 4. Effect of spraying water and steam in the basket. 5. Molasses drainage and scaling of screens. 6. Capacity of continuous centrifugals. Results and discussion In order to compare the results of the different tests and reduce possible analytical and calculation errors, all the sampling and measurement procedures were standardised, and all the analyses were carried out at the SMRI. A Brookfield Viscometer Model RVF was used for viscosity measurements. Flow of massecuite to the centrifugals Early investigations showed that in most cases when viscosities were high, the limitation in throughput was caused by the inability to supply massecuite to the machine at the required rate. Fig. 3 shows the effect of increasing valve opening on massecuite throughput, at different viscosity levels, through a standard 100 mm diameter iris valve. These tests were carried out at Sezela. One run was completed at Darnall. Proceedings of The South Afvican Sugar Technologists' Association-April 1974 FIGURE 2 Side feed machine with perforated basket (CC-IV-34 Western States). Capacity is about the same for massecuite of different viscosities at 25 % valve open but variations in flow rate increase with wider valve opening. Grain size and concentration may also affect the flow properties of the massecuite although these were not measured. These two factors together with differences in head probably account for differences in flow rate at 25% valve opening. The viscosities plotted were not high and throughputs increased with valve opening. These results must be compared with the following graphs in which flow rates reach a definite plateau and do not increase significantly despite further valve opening. This effect of higher levels of viscosity vs. valve opening on throughput is illustrated in Fig. 4. Line A is for a medium viscosity (9 000 P) while B is for a 12 000 P massecuite. The offset in line B at 40% valve opening and the scatter of points at 100% opening on line A indicate the effects of variation in head of massecuite and hence pipe friction on the feed rate. These tests were carried out on K850 machines with standard 100 mm iris valves. To overcome this restriction a 100 mm valve was replaced by a 150 mm valve and in addition a lubrication "rod" was fitted into the feed pipe. This rod (a small-bore stainless steel pipe) enters the feed pipe above the iris valve and curves down along the pipe centre line through the centre of the iris valve to just clear of the flange. Four holes 0,5 mm are drilled into the pipe wall and the end of the pipe is sealed. A general view of the feed pipe is shown in Fig. 5. The increase in capacity due to larger valve size alone is shown by curve C. The capacity increase for a more viscous massecuite (15 000 P at 60°C) at 100 % valve opening was significant, the flow increasing from 700 kg/h to 1 700 kg/h. Later in the same test at 100% valve open, water was used for rod lubrication and the capacity increased from 1 700 kg/h to 2 150 kg/h. These points are labelled D, E and F in Fig. 4. Another observation made was that there were large fluctuations in viscosity from day to day, sometimes even during the same day, and continuous observation and adjustments of feed to the centrifugals is therefore a necessity. (Refer Table I) 26 ' Proceedings of The South African Sugar Technologists' Association-April 1974 FIGURE 40/ Western States machine. From a mechanical engineering point of view, ,centre feed is preferable and ../ centrifugals fed through the centre are less liable to vibration but the main disadvantage is uneven distribution of the massecuite. The distributing unit consists of a cylindrical distribution cup with several distributing pins (4 or 8) and an acceleration cone. This cone is bolted to the distributing cup by vertical . pins in the case of the BMA and six impellers for the FC 1000. Even under the best cond.itions, spread of massecuite distribution looks like a series of fingers spreading from the bottom to the top of the basket (Fig. 6). It was found that the finger effect on to the screens was mainly caused by erratic surges in massecuite from the accelerating cone which either strike the screen directly or hit the top part of the screen clamping cup. P*' ,' ,,' It appears that these localised surges or lobes of masseDL .," cuite that speed up the basket without being purged -= Viscosity 5400 @ 600C SZ are related to the number of bolts that support the


As patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) become increasingly common tools for preclinical evaluation of targeted therapies it becomes important to consider the fidelity with which this system recapitulates the disease state found in patients. Gene expression profiling of patient blasts has been successfully used to identify distinct subtypes of AML to uncover sub-type specific vulnerabilities and to predict response to therapy and outcomes. Currently, there is little information regarding how well PDX models of AML mimic global gene expression patterns found in patients. In order to address this point, we performed detailed RNA-Seq analysis of data obtained from a diverse series of pediatric AML PDXs, separately and compared to primary patient data. When unsupervised clustering was applied to the PDX sample dataset, we found grouping associated with KMT2A (MLL) gene status. Additionally, in combined analysis, PDX samples were found to align with primary patient samples harboring similar genetics. We found a strong correlation of expression levels of nearly all expressed transcripts in PDX and patient datasets thus demonstrating faithful recapitulation of gene expression signatures. Furthermore, paired patient/PDX samples showed strong concordance, suggesting retention of sample-specific gene expression in immune deficient mice. Comparisons of PDX models propagated in NOD/SCID/IL2rg -/- (NSG) mice compared to NSG mice with transgenic expression of human SCF, GM-CSF, and IL-3 (NSGS) revealed minimal differences related to increased JAK/STAT and macrophage activation pathways in NSGS. Additionally, a unique RAM immunophenotype associated expression signature pointed to discovery of cryptic CBFA2T3-GLIS2 rearrangement as the mechanistic driver mutation in two PDX models. Based on the relatively high BCL2 mRNA in these models, we tested the efficacy of venetoclax in combination with CPX-351 which resulted in reduced leukemia burden and prolonged survival. These results validate the PDX system as surrogate of the molecular signatures in high-risk pediatric AML and highlight this system's utility for pre-clinical therapeutic discovery, especially in very rare subtypes of disease.


13020 Background: Recent studies suggest a potential role of lipid lowering drugs, fibrates and statins, in anticancer treatments. One candidate for tumour chemoprevention is fenofibrate, which is ...


The coalescence of Au nanoparticles embedded in the silica gel matrix
was observed by E-beam irradiation in a transmission electron microscope.

The coalescence of Au nanoparticles embedded in the silica gel matrix
was observed by E-beam irradiation in a transmission electron microscope.

It was examined that interparticle spacing between nanoparticles was reduced after
incorporation into the matrix and particles came close to each other. TEM studies have shown
that during E-beam irradiation ~13 nm Au nanoparticles contacted with each other along with
the shrinkage of the silica aerogel or as well as the removal of surfactant layer, and transformed
into different shapes of particles such as dumbbell and chain-like particles as per the interparticle
gap.

This nanoparticle-aerogel matrix has the potential for applications in sensing, nonlinear
optics, and catalysis.

Synthesis of Au NPs
Au NPs were synthesized following the well-known Turkevich method [18]. Briefly, 20 mL of 1 mM HAuCl4 solution was heated to boiling under constant stirring. To this solution, 2 mL of 1% trisodium citrate dihydrate was rapidly added under stirring, which resulted in a colour change from light yellow to colourless, followed by dark black to wine red. The still stirring solution was then cooled to room temperature.

Synthesis of silica aerogel
The silica aerogel was prepared using the sol-gel method [19]. For the preparation of silica gel, a stock solution (Sol A), an alkoxide solution (Sol B) and a catalyst solution (Sol C) were first prepared. Sol A was prepared by adding 1.85 g NH4F, 100 ml water and 22.8 ml NH4OH (prepared by five times diluting NH3 (25 %) solution). Sol B was prepared by mixing 5 ml of TEOS with 11 ml ethanol. Sol C was prepared by adding 7 ml of Milli Q water to 11 ml of ethanol followed by 0.4 mL of Sol A. Finally, the silica gel was prepared by mixing Sol B and Sol C.

Incorporation of Au NPs within the silica gel matrix
The silica gel was prepared by the method discussed earlier. The ratios of stock solution were fixed so that complete gelation of the whole volume completes in just a couple of minutes. The order of mixing of Au NPs w.r.t. Sol C and Sol B was changed to examine the effect of silica gel on the morphology of Au NPs. The rate of mixing was very fast, the whole process was completed in 2 minutes. In this work, six different samples were analysed, which were prepared by varying the order of addition of Sol B, Sol C and Au NPs in the ratio of 2: 2: 1 as shown in table 1. In the first two samples, Au NPs were added at last, by then the gelation process has started. Similarly, in the next two samples, Au NPs were added in the middle, and in the last two samples, Au NPs were added before the gelation process began.

This work enhances the understanding of the role of silica aerogel and E-beam
irradiation in directing the coalescence of nanoparticles.

The Au NPs were synthesized using the Turkevich method, as mentioned in the experimental section. The average size and morphology of the NPs were studied using TEM. The TEM images showed the formation of monodispersed spherical Au NPs with an average diameter of 13.7 ± 0.8 nm (figure 1(a)). UV-visible studies carried out on the synthesized Au NPs showed their characteristic localized surface plasmon absorption band at 523 nm (inset in figure 1(a)), which corresponds to the visible complementary dark-red colour of the colloidal Au NPs. The high-resolution TEM image of the Au NPs showed clear lattice spacing of approximately 0.24 nm, corresponding to the (111) plane of Au (figure 1(b)).

In order to examine the effect of E-beam on the morphology of citrate capped Au NPs after incorporation into silica gel, TEM was performed. Figure 2 shows a TEM image of sample 1. Silica gel is highlighted by red arrows demonstrating NPs are entirely surrounded by silica gel. The higher magnification image in the inset clearly indicates the coalescence of Au NPs occurred due to the shrinkage of the silica gel or the removal of surfactant layer against the high-energy electron beam. Due to the stripping of the citrate layer from the surface, Au NPs become unstable and at the same time shrinkage of silica gel induces a driving force for coalescence of the particles. The NPs that are in close proximity, start to come in contact with each other and their centre-to-centre distance begins to decrease. During this step of contact, particles of different shapes are formed depending upon the interparticle distance. It is observed that in some places, only two NPs are connected to form dumbbell-shaped particles (upper left side) it is because NPs preferred to connect with the nearest particles leading to the coalescence of only two NPs. Whereas in another area, coalescence of various NPs is observed on the lower right side, it is seen as a chain of particles because multiple NPs are in close proximity. These dumbbell-shaped particles have an average size of 38.4 nm and chains have an average size of 112.8 nm.

In order to investigate the effect of the mixing order on the morphology of Au NPs, TEM of the second sample was also recorded. This sample also follows a similar trend as for sample 1, as shown in figure 3. The Au NPs preferred to attach with the nearest particles and coalescence of multiple NPs occurred due to the shrinkage of silica gel or as well as due to the removal of surfactant layer during the E-beam irradiation.

Only this much information I have.


Based on the lightning location data of SAFIR3000in Beijing and its circumjacent regions from2005to 2007,the related parameters of cloud-to-ground(CG)lightning were analyzed.The results show that the average current of positive CG lightning is 33.43kA and negative CG lightning is-29.57kA.The average rise time of electrical field waveform of positive and negative CG lightnings are 8.70μs and5.11μs,respectively.And that the decay time is 23.52μs and 28.37μs,respectively.The monthly variations of rise and fall time have an inverse correlation relationship.The mean stroke number of lightning is1.57timer,of which positive CG is 1.19times and negative CG is 1.64times.The maximum stroke number is 13times.The single-stroke flashes of total positive CG number is 87.24% and negative CG is65.22%.The distribution of time interval of return strokes is log-normally and the frequency of time interval between 40ms and 60ms is the most,accounting for 23.43%of the total number.The mean time interval is 65.03ms and the maximum value is 426.8ms while the minimum value is 1.7ms.The duration time of CG lightning is from 0.03to 948.4ms.Normalized to 100km,the radiation field of first return stroke of positive CG is 5.29V·m-1 while negative CG is 6.09V·m-1,and the following stroke of positive CG is 4.48V·m-1 while negative CG is 6.24V·m-1.


A judge's thinking should be multi-dimensional, which is the unification of meticulous logic and empirical thinking as well as the unification of value judgment and abstract philosophy. Rational thinking provides causality by utilizing logic analysis, which demonstrates itself in the logic consistence of a judge's conviction between reality and legal feasibility in the trial practice. Experiential thinking links the actual reality directly, enabling the judge to conform to the actual reality. Reasonable thinking is a means of evaluation. Philosophical thinking, a superior thinking beyond rational, empirical and reasonable thinking, will guide the whole thinking into the mutual harmony of result and justice through grasping modern judicature concepts.


The geothermal resources are quite abundant in Shandong Province.In this paper,the distribution and influence factors of the geothermal resources are introduced.According to the heat reservoir characteristics,the paper divides the geothermal resources into several types and then divides them into several zones,as well as expounds the geological characteristics of every geothermal resource zone respectively.This paper discusses the questions existed in exploration,development and utilization of the geothermal resources of Shandong Province.It points out that we must strengthen basic geological research and avoid the blindness in exploitation of resources resulting in waste;we also should enhance the study on the geothermal tail water processing and recharging technique so as to protect the environment and geothermal resources,realizing the sustainable development and utilization.


Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent) 2006;19:342–344 A 47-year-old Caucasian woman came to the emergency department at Baylor University Medical Center complaining of a 3-week history of sinus congestion and drainage with a sore throat. Her primary care physician had prescribed a 5-day course of azithromycin 250 mg. Since she did not improve, the doctor prescribed moxifloxacin and steroids. Symptoms improved temporarily but then returned. She sought care in the emergency department after two episodes of coughing with hemoptysis. She also complained of generalized malaise, myalgias, headache, nausea, anorexia, and left chest wall tenderness. The patient denied exposure to tuberculosis or sick contacts. Her previous medical history was unremarkable. Her only regular medication was atorvastatin, 10 mg daily, for hypercholesterolemia. She denied using alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drugs. Physical examination revealed an ill-appearing patient. She had mild bibasilar crackles in her lungs. Her vital signs and results of the remaining physical examination were normal. Laboratory tests obtained in the emergency department are shown in Table 1. A radiograph and computed tomography (CT) scan of her chest revealed a large confluent density in the periphery of the left midlung and two smaller nodules in the right midlung as well as multiple reactive mediastinal lymph nodes (Figure 1). A peripheral blood smear showed hypochromasia, polychromasia, and rouleaux. Her presenting problems were hemoptysis with an abnormal chest radiograph and CT scan, upper respiratory symptoms, renal insufficiency, hematuria, proteinuria, anemia, hyponatremia, and hypoalbuminemia. A differential diagnosis that encompasses these symptoms includes forms of glomerulonephritis associated with systemic diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, vasculitis, Wegener granulomatosis, microscopic polyangiitis, and Goodpasture syndrome. The middle lobe lung infiltrate increased the probability of an atypical pneumonia. However, the infectious disease workup Wegener granulomatosis


Objective:To investigate the expression of apoptosis gene associated with Bcl-2,Smac,Fas in glomeruli mesagi- nal (Mcs) cells under high concentration glucose.Methods:Mcs cells were divided into two groups:control group (with normal concentration glucose,5.6 mmol/L),high glucose group (with high concentration glucose,30 mmol/L).Using MTT assay,the proliferation of Mcs after 12 h、24 h、36 h、48 h was examined respectively.The expression of Bcl-2、Smac、Fas in Mcs cells was observed by fluorescence microscope at each time point mentioned above and the fluorescent intensity was calculated by image analysis system.Results:The proliferation of Mcs cells under high concentration glucose was more obvious,compared with controls (P0.05),and was found in a time--dependent manner.At these time points,the fluorescent intensity of Bcl-2 in high concentration glucose was stronger than controls(P0.05).But the fluorescent intensity of Smac,Fas was weaker(P0.05). And the effects were in time-dependent manners.In Mcs cells under high concentration glucose,the effects of 24 h,36 h,48 h were more obvious than that of 12 h.The correlation between the fluorescent intensity of Bcl-2 and the fluorescent intensity of Smac or Fas was negative (P0.05).The correlation between the fluorescent intensity of Smac and the fluorescent intensity of Fas was positive (P0.05).Conclusion:High concentration glucose can promote the proliferation of Mcs.In Mcs cells under high concentration glucose,the expression of Bcl-2 increases,while the expression of Smac and Fas decreases,compared with controls.


Abstract Kenya was amongst the first countries in the world to undergo structural adjustment programmes in 1980 leading to welfare retrenchment and the lack of social safety nets for many of its urban poor. This article shows how refugee hosting in Kenya has coincided with ongoing statewide neoliberalisation. With lack of state-led welfare support, and diminished global aid for a nearly three-decade long encampment in Dadaab and Kakuma, refugees have no choice but to turn to the private sector for shelter aid through microcredit loans especially in major urban centres. This article shows how neoliberal policies dovetail with refugee governance in Kenya by examining the deployment of financial inclusion strategies on multiple scales. Drawing upon fieldwork in 2018, I argue that refugee assistance intersects with the needs of private capital where refugees, due to their social marginality, are prone to experimentation in terms of financial inclusion. Housing microfinance, an ineffective guarantor of long-term refugee shelter, and new technologies of financial inclusion exemplify neoliberal experimentation and illustrate how these strategies fail to ensure the long-term survival of refugees.


In heterogeneous wireless sensor networks the mobility of sensor node become essential for various applications. There is a possibility for the malicious node to occur. This causes the cluster or the whole network to be controlled by the malicious node .The mobile sensor nodes need to be authenticated; further clustering of nodes improves scalability, energy efficient routing and data delivery. The nodes with high configuration are chosen as cluster head based on weight values which is estimated using parameters such as node degree, average distance, average speed and virtual battery power. The keys are generated using dynamic clustering efficiency algorithm. Hierarchical trust management protocol is used for finding the malicious node among the group of sensor nodes.


The increasing number of citizens of Slav origin, mainly Russian and Ucranian, in our country is developing a new research direction so far hardy studied: the teaching of Spanish to Russian speaking students. In our article some particularities in this field are shown, together with the problems and difficulties this people face. Now an individualized monitoring of a group of pupils belonging to an ATAL (Temporary Classrooms for Linguistic Adaptation) in Primary and Secondary Education in Marbella is presented. The analysis has been carried out asking the Russian speaking pupils in the classroom about the difficulties they found when they began learning our language. It is also shown the percentage of Russian speaking pupils within the foreign group in the ATAL group, and the teachers in charge of them.


Capacitor compensation has been widely used in power system at different voltage levels from last five decades. In addition to this, optimal capacitor configuration has a number of advantages such as reducing losses, improving power factor and so on. Since capacitor supply reactive load locally, they improve the load carrying capability of the lines and therefore plays the same role as redundant lines. Since the capacitor bank is added in discrete steps the objective function is not differentiable and the capacitor placement problem is a mixed integer nonlinear program. This paper proposes a case study of 132kV Raymond substation for loss reduction. A Graph search algorithm is used to optimize the cost function. DIgSAILENT Power Factory software is used to evaluate case study of Raymond Substation.


Abstract Trace-element concentrations determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) show that three groups of Nile "silt" pottery from Mendes and Karnak (Akhenaten Temple Project excavations) can be distinguished using Pb, Li, Yb and Hf data. Heavy rare earth-element variations between these groups may be related to climatic fluctuations. Previously reported Nile silt pottery groups from Kahun have trace-element signatures consistent with the addition of marl clay and alkali granite temper (from Aswan?) to Nile alluvium. Two groups of "Marl" pottery and one of "foreign" pottery from Karnak and Kahun are easily distinguished using Cs, Th and Yb data and statistical (discriminant) analysis. Analytical methods that yield data representative of numerous geochemical groups (e.g. alkali metals, Li, Rb; alkaline earth metals, Ba, Sr; high field strength elements, Zr, Ta, U; rare earth elements, La, Yb; chalcophile elements, Pb, Bi; and siderophile elements, Fe, Ni) are most useful for provenance studies due to the diversity of clays and tempers used in making pottery. The ICP-MS provides this type of comprehensive data set, precisely determined and at a cost competitive with other techniques (e.g. Instrumental Neutron Activation). It appears to have a promising future in pottery provenance studies.


In this paper we consider the application of content-based recommendation techniques to web curation services which allow users to curate and share topical collections of content (e.g. images, news, web pages etc.). Curation services like Pinterest are now a mainstay of the modern web and present a range of interesting recommendation challenges. In this paper we consider the task of recommending collections to users and evaluate a range of different content-based techniques across a variety of content signals. We present the results of a large-scale evaluation using data from the Scoop.it web page curation service


The toxicological effect of inhalation exposure to nitrocellulose paint thinners were evaluated. Wistar albino rats were placed in exposure chambers and allowed to inhale fumes from three different commercial brands of nitrocellulose paint thinners (FIAB®, ABRO® and SPRINT®) commonly used by professional painters in the Niger Delta Area of Nigeria while the control group was kept in a fume-free chamber. The exposure lasted for 4 h every day for a period of 28 days. Serum L-alanine aminotransferase (L-ALT), L-aspartate aminotransferase (L-AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and urea levels of rats exposed to nitrocellulose paint thinner fumes increased significantly (p≤0.05) when compared with control. However, there was no significant difference in the level of cholesterol of exposed rats as compared with control. Packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb) and white blood cells (WBC) level of exposed rats increased significantly (p≤0.05) when compared with control. Histological examination of the liver tissues of control group showed normal architecture whereas hepatocytes of groups exposed to nitrocellulose paint thinner fumes were characterized by severe fatty change, inflammation of the cells around the portal tract and dilated sinusoids. The results suggest that continuous exposure to paint thinner fumes may be toxic and capable of causing multiple organ toxicity.


This paper proposes a novel accurate dynamic path tracking (DPT) method for industrial robots based on photogrammetry sensors and an adaptive neuro-PID (ANPID) control method. First, the pose of the robot's end-effector is detected by the photogrammetry sensor (C-Track stereo camera). It passes through a robust Kalman filter to reduce the noise in the signals. Then, the filtered signals are fed to the ANPID, whose gains are tuned online using an adaptive multi-layer perceptron neural network (AMLPNN). The steepest descent optimization method is adopted online. The cost function is the least mean square of the system states errors. Experimental results on FANUC M-20iA robot show the tracking accuracy reaches ±0.08mm and ±0.04deg, which exhibits the superiority of the proposed method over the conventional methods such as PID (tracking error±0.2mm and ±0.1deg) [4].


If the autumn migration of the Svalbard population of barnacle geese consists of 30-40 h of non-stop flying from Bjornoya (Bear Island) to Caerlaverock, southern Scotland, as suggested by Owen & Gullestad (1984), even the adults, let alone the juveniles, may be close to exhausting the fat stores that they deposit before departing from Svalbard. To determine their behaviour before and during their autumn migration, we attached lightweight satellite transmitters (PTTs) to geese during the summers of 1994 and 1995, and, to obtain some indication of their energy expenditure during this migration, we implanted small heart rate data loggers into the abdominal cavity of others during 1995. The data indicate that most, but not all, of the NyAlesund geese stopped off at Bjornoya, but none flew non-stop to southern Scotland. The geese all flew along the Norwegian coast, stopping periodically and with non-stop flight duration of on average 13 h. The average total flight time from their departure from Ny-Alesund to their arrival at Caerlaverock was 61 h. The average heart rate of the geese during migration was 253 beats min ', which is 50% of that recorded from geese flying behind a truck and 66% of that recorded from geese flying in a wind tunnel. The heart rate data suggest that the energy cost of migratory flight is somewhat less than that recorded frot birds flying in a wind tunnel. Depending on the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood and on the ability of the tissues to extract oxygen, it is tentatively suggested that the average minimum rate of oxygen consumption during migration for a 2.4 kg barnacle goose is somewhere between 170 and 250 ml min -1 .


The principal objective of this paper is to describe the author's fieldwork and research in a remote rural area of South Africa, where a village Telco is deployed to provide VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) on a wireless mesh network. The objective of the visit was to evaluate the users social environment and to try to understand trust issues associated with the adoption of the network. Qualitative measures such as contextual inquiry, participant observation, focus group and individual interviews were used during data collection. Focus group discussions were held with community members involved with the planning of ways in which to sustain the network. Involving the community gave them a sense of commitment and ownership of the network. To maintain the network, different solutions were proposed, one of these was a billing system for the use of the network. This will be designed to meet the users needs but should also be transparent so that the community will trust it. A prototype is being developed, with input from the community, using open source software to address the community's requirements. The outcome of the fieldwork initiative was an understanding of the trust issues regarding the usage of the network. This will feed into a framework for the deployment of such services in rural marginalized communities.


Graphene, possessing unique planar structure, remarkable mechanical properties, fascinating electron transfer and exceptional optical properties, has attracted considerable attention in recent years [1]. As a "rising star" in materials science and nanotechnology, it holds great promise for potential applications in many fields, such as nanocomposites [2], chemical sensors [3], energy storage [4], electronics [5], photonics [6], and catalysis [7]. Graphene oxide (GO), a two-dimensional nanosheet produced by the oxidation of graphene, has attracted great interest because of its unique characteristics, such as good dispersibility and facile surface functionality [8, 9]. For a long time it has been well known that silver ions have the ability to kill harmful bacteria [10–12]. Silver has always been regarded as a precious metal. Silver ions, however, can cause severe damage to both the environment and to humans [13, 14]. As one of the most toxic heavy metals, surpassed only by mercury, silver ion has been assigned to the highest toxicity class [15]. Silver ions may damage bacteria, and inhibit their growth, thereby affecting their reproduction [16]. Excessive intake of silver ions can also lead to long term insoluble substances formed in eye and skin cells [17]. Ag is widely used in the electrical industry, photography/imaging industry, and pharmaceutical industry [18,19], because of the high toxicity of Ag in aquatic organisms, monitoring of Ag levels has become an important issue. Indeed, almost all the reported sensors for Ag still suffer from serious drawbacks, such as poor water solubility, poor sensitivity, and poor selectivity. Traditional analytical methods used for the trace determination of Ag ion are generally based on different instrumental techniques. Especially in recent years, with the recent development of nanoscience, various silver nanoparticle products, such as nano-Ag catalyzer and antimicrobial reagents, have been widely used in research and in clinics. After being discharged into the environment, some of the silver nanoparticles are oxidized to silver ions and dissolve in environmental water and some are deposited in mud. Thus, they may cause more serious pollution to the environment and damage to human health. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop a rapid, selective, sensitive and simple detection method for silver ion in environmental samples and human fluids. We herein designed and synthesized an rGO–(S)-1 nanocomposite as shown in Fig. 1. The composite material is then utilized as a selective fluorescent chemosensor for Ag ion in aqueous media at a neutral pH. The synthesis, characterization and the selectivity studies with different metal ions are reported here.


The utility model relates to a medical treatment first aid stretcher vehicle, which comprises a stretcher body and a wheel frame. The vehicle is characterized in that: the wheel frame is an X-shaped elevating frame mechanism which is composed of two pairs of X-crossed telescoping rods and a wheel chassis; the upper ends of the telescoping rods are mounted on the underframe of the stretcher body; the wheel chassis is mounted in the bores on the lower ends of the four telescoping rods by four sliding rods; the X-shaped elevating frame mechanism is controlled by a hydraulic control system; the hydraulic cylinder of the hydraulic control system is fixed on the telescoping rod; the hydraulic rod end is fixed with the wheel chassis; the wheel chassis is connected with the telescoping rod by a connection rod; the connection rod is hinged with the telescoping rod; and the stretcher body underframe is mounted with a directive wheel. The stretcher vehicle of the utility model can be wheeled into an ambulance without need of carrying stretcher; achieves the advantages of labor-saving operation, stable stretcher moving and comfort for patient; and is suitable for first aid of ambulance.