In this paper, a recently proposed high-resolution Sinusoidal Model, dubbed the extended adaptive Quasi-Harmonic Model (eaQHM), is applied on modeling unvoiced speech sounds. Unvoiced speech sounds are parts of speech that are highly non-stationary in the time-frequency plane. Standard sinusoidal models fail to model them accurately and efficiently, thus introducing artefacts, while the reconstructed signals do not attain the quality and naturalness of the originals. Motivated by recently proposed non-stationary transforms, such as the Fan-Chirp Transform (FChT), eaQHM is tested to confront these effects and it is shown that highly accurate, artefact-free representations of unvoiced sounds are possible using the non-stationary properties of the model. Experiments on databases of unvoiced sounds show that, on average, eaQHM improves the Signal to Reconstruction Error Ratio (SRER) obtained by the standard Sinusoidal Model (SM) by 93%. Moreover, modeling superiority is also supported via informal listening tests with two other models, namely the SM and the well-known STRAIGHT method.


Objective To analyze and compare the proteomes expressed by human pancreatic carcinoma, chronic pancreatitis and normal control groups. Methods Differencial expression of the proteomes in peripheral serum was analyzed by fluorescence 2-D difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE). Results 2D-DIGE protein maps in 20 patients with pancreatic cancer, 10 patients with chronic pancreatitis and 20 normal controls were analyzed and 168 spots were identified by gel-analysis software. Between pancreatic cancer group and normal control group 22 protein spots were up-regulated and 29 spots down-regulated; 24 spots were up-regulated and 54 spots down-expressed between pancreatic cancer group and chronic pancreatitis group; 20 spots were up-regulated and 19 spots down-regulated between chronic pancreatitis group and normal control group. Conclusion 2D-DIGE was a rapid and efficient method to separate proteins. 2D-DIGE protein maps and different protein spots would provide an exprimental basis for the phase of mass spectrometry.

Key words:
Pancreatic carcinoma;  2D-DIGE;  Proteomics


Multicast routing with multi-QoS is always difficulty one in routing algorithm researches, which is not only a NP-complete problem but also QoS parameters are nondeterministic even fuzzy. Most traditional multicast routing with multi-QoS algorithms belong to accurate algorithms that can't represent actual network status efficiently. Fuzzy set theory is first applied to multicast routing algorithms and the memberships and ideal point have been defined. The models and methods of the distance from QoS parameters to ideal point have been set up which simplify multiple QoS constrains into single distance constrain. An algorithm MMQFS has been designed and implemented. Compared with traditional algorithms, whose simulation result proves that it is superior to them in the CPU execution time.


® and percutaneous reflective spectrometer Haemospect, as well as detection thresholds for donation admission for the latter approach. Material and Methods . The study included 484 healthy volunteer donors. Hemoglobin levels were mea- sured in the venous and capillary blood samples. The portable absorbent photometer HemoCueHb 201+ was used. For non-invasive measurement was performed by reflective spectrometer Haemospect. Results. The mean differences of hemoglobin levels between non-invasive spectrometric and invasive photo-metric measurements were -2.7 g/l for venous blood and -2.1 g/l for capillary blood (goodness of fit chi-square test). The sensitivity of noninvasive hemoglobin measurement was 55.7%, specificity was 89.9%. The positive predictive value for Haemospect was 51.8%, negative – 91.2%, with the likelihood ratio (in the form of odds ratios) – 11.2. Conclusion. good-ness fit) predictive value devices, used for screening of donors establishment restrictions for men less than 135 g/l, for women – less than 117 g/l.


Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has one of the highest familial risks of any cancer, with up to eightfold increased risk in first degree relatives of CLL patients. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified multiple common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with risk, but these have modest effect. Similarly, identified germline variants associated with disease account for just a small minority of CLL patients, making familial CLL an attractive target for research, that could provide direct insight into pathobiology. We used whole exome sequencing (WES; Illumina) to search for rare germline variants ( The NFATC4 protein, also known as NFAT3, is part of a DNA-binding transcriptional complex that translocates to the nucleus after activation through dephosphorylation by calcineurin. This complex is involved in the inducible expression of cytokine genes in T cells, including interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-4. While NFATC1 has been implicated in CLL pathogenesis and was associated with more aggressive disease in a mouse model of CLL, the role of NFATC4 has not been elucidated. To further investigate this as well as its association with familial CLL, we compared gene expression profiling (GEP; Affymetrix U133 plus 2.0 array) data between familial and sporadic CLL patients and normal B-cells. While NFATC4 expression did not differ between normal B-cells (n=16) and CLL (n=143), it was significantly down-regulated in familial (n=47) as compared to sporadic (n=96) CLL cases (Mann-Whitney, p=0.005). In the 4 cases that harbor the shared risk variant, GEP results showed additional significant down-regulation of NFATC4 expression (Kruskal-Wallis, p=0.003 for all comparisons) (Figure 1). RNA sequencing (Illumina) demonstrated NFATC4 down-regulation in all CLL samples (not specifically in familial CLL as with GEP; n=100) versus normal B-cells (n=6; Mann-Whitney, p=-0.00024), suggesting a putative role for NFATC4 as a tumor suppressor. Since NFATC4 has over 30 alternatively spliced transcripts potentially affected by the rs200328372 variant, we used Cufflinks software to look at isoform-level RNA sequencing data, available on two relatives who carried this variant, compared to CLL cases and controls. Both relatives had reduced expression of all isoforms (Figure 2), suggesting that this mutation may reduce NFATC4 expression altogether. Studies of protein expression are ongoing. In conclusion, through rare germline variant analysis in familial CLL, we found a potentially deleterious variant of NFATC4 that is enriched in CLL. Subsequently, we used RNA sequencing data to show, for the first time, that NFATC4 expression is decreased in CLL versus normal B-cells, revealing a potential tumor suppressor mechanism in CLL. Disclosures Brown: Sun BioPharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy; Redx: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Janssen Oncology: Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche/Genentech: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Infinity Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Astellas Pharma: Consultancy.


This letter presents the systematic design and optimization of a compact quad-element multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system in a roof cavity for the expected channel behavior at a 700 MHz LTE band. Beginning with a standard low-profile antenna element, the desired radiation pattern is synthesized by structural modification. The configuration for a quad-element design is then optimized. The results show that the proposed hidden solution even outperforms a nonhidden reference antenna of four quarter-wave monopoles in the cavity, making it attractive for real application.


This is a case study of a high school located in the southwestern United States that restructured its traditional hierarchical administrative structure to a Dean Model. The Dean Model is a collaborative system aimed at personalizing services to students by separating the school into smaller units through deanships. Observations and interviews were conducted to assess the rationale and philosophies behind the Dean Model as well as the principal's, deans', and students' attitudes and perceptions of the implementation of the model. Key issues in implementing the new model are identified and discussed. Advantages and disadvantages of the model are presented, as are implications for the future of high school administration.


The J/ψ hadronic decays provide good laboratory to search for the hybrid states with exotic quantum numbers. A full Partial Wave Analysis (PWA) is performed to the generated Monte Carlo J/ψ→ρηπ data, based on the design of BESⅢ detector, to study the sensitivity of searching for a possible exotic st...


In order to explore the geographical distributing rule of the left ventricular ejection time(LVET) reference value of healthy Chinese adults and provide referenced basis for unifying the standard of LVET reference value and clinical diagnosis.The LVET reference values were collected from 9185 healthy adults in 64 areas of China.The correlations between the measured values of LVET and the geographical factors,including altitude(X1),annual sunshine duration(X2),annual mean temperature(X3),annual mean relative humidity(X4),and annual precipitation(X5),annual temperature range(X6),annual average wind speed(X7) were analyzed.Then the significantly correlated geographical factors,including altitude(X1),annual mean temperature(X3),and annual mean relative humidity(X4),were selected as explanatory variables,and the regression analysis model was established,by which the relationship between the reference value of LVET and the geographical factors was analyzed.The results showed that the reference value of LVET was correlated with the geographical factors.The linear regression equation deduced from the regression analysis was: Y∧=309.3017+0.0055X1+0.0820X3-0.1940X4±9.0071.The geography distribution figure of Chinese adults LVET reference value was exactly inserted by Kriging methods.If geographical factors of a particular area are obtained,the LVET reference value of Chinese adults in this area can be calculated by using this model.


We have designed and fabricated high performance acousto-optic tunable filters for operation in the infrared from 1.3 to 16 μm. These have been made from the crystal TL3AsSe3, in both collinear and non-collinear configurations. High efficiency has been achieved with low RF power density with interaction lengths up to 10 cm. This has become possible due to advances in the technology of large boule, oriented crystal growth.*


Under the rubric of "connectedness," we investigate the Inka incorporation of northern Chile (A.D. 1450–1532). Using ceramic diversity as a proxy for economic connections, we argue that the Inka selected Tarapacá Viejo as an administrative center because of its already extensive trade relationships. Applying social network analysis we then evaluate how the Inka structured their administration of northern Chile. Four measures of centrality demonstrate that Tarapacá Viejo was well positioned to exert influence over the movement of people, goods, and information under the Inka; however, declining ceramic diversity indicates both local and imperial actors promoted vertical ties over interregional trade.


The Bacillus cloacae liquefies gelatin very slowly, sometimes taking a month or more to do so. It is in consequence occasionally a source of delay and of great inconvenience to the bacteriologist. In this paper it has been shown that by using appropriate methods the time necessary for demonstrating the liquefaction of gelatin by this organism may be shortened to a week.


The reliable linear-quadratic (LQ) state feedback control for symmetric composite systems is studied. Necessary and sufficient conditions for a state feedback controller to be a reliable LQ controller are given by using the special structure of symmetric composite systems. Simple controller design methods are presented and an illustrative example is given.


An apparatus for irradiating a continuously flowing stream of fluid is disclosed. The apparatus consists of a housing having a spherical cavity and a spherical moderator containing a radiation source positioned within the spherical cavity. The spherical moderator is of lesser diameter than the spherical cavity so as to define a spherical annular volume around the moderator. The housing includes fluid intake and output conduits which open onto the spherical cavity at diametrically opposite positions. Fluid flows through the cavity around the spherical moderator and is uniformly irradiated due to the 4..pi.. radiation geometry. The irradiation source, for example a /sup 252/Cf neutron source, is removable from the spherical moderator through a radial bore which extends outwardly to an opening on the outside of the housing. The radiation source may be routinely removed without interrupting the flow of fluid or breaching the containment of the fluid.


The invention provides a data synchronization method based on cloud service and relates to the field of internet. The data synchronization method based on the cloud service is used for solving the problem that existing cloud service data synchronization service does not consider actual requirements of users and brings inconvenience to the users. The data synchronization method based on the cloud service includes: step one, when a first terminal starts the cloud service, files stored by the first terminal are compared with files stored in a cloud server to obtain a file to be uploaded; step two, the first terminal uploads the file to be uploaded to the cloud server to be stored; step three, when a second terminal starts the cloud service, files stored by the second terminal are compared with files stored by the cloud server to obtain a file to be downloaded; step four, the file to be downloaded is matched with a rule arranged by the user to obtain a matching result; and step five, the second terminal downloads corresponding files according to the matching result. The data synchronization method based on the cloud service give sufficient consideration to actual requirements of the user, enables the cloud service data synchronization service to be humanized, and brings better experience to the user.


The utility model particularly relates to an emergency sensor for a poultry farm, and belongs to the technical field of poultry farming. The emergency sensor for the poultry farm is simple in structure, practical and convenient to use, and conditions of poultry can be monitored in real time. According to the technical scheme, the emergency sensor for the poultry farm comprises a sound transducer and a built-in power amplifier, the sound transducer and the built-in power amplifier are arranged in a shelter, the sound transducer is connected with a signal input end of the built-in power amplifier, a signal output end of the built-in power amplifier is connected with a loudspeaker, and a power supply is arranged on the built-in power amplifier. The emergency sensor for the poultry farm is mainly used for farming of poultry and livestock.


The main objectives of our present series of study are (1) selection of useful anaerobes for MEOR, (2) estimation of bacterial growth and their metabolic activities at reservoir conditions, (3) establishment of quantitative evaluation techniques of capabilities of anaerobes in improving oil recovery, and (4) investigation of recovery mechanisms. This paper describes methods and results of sampling and screening of enrichment anaerobic microbes, as a first stage of our fundamental studies on MEOR. Consequently, we selected possibly useful anaerobes and investigated their abilities.Samples were collected from formation waters, soils in oil fields, lakes and rivers. We obtained 22 kinds of microbes from these samples, and discovered 20 anaerobes among them through enrichment culture. The number of anaerobes selected for further experiment was 14, as a result of screening with the medium of 4% molasess with 0.8% Nutrient Broth at 30°C. Then, we investigated the effects of microscopic environment and presence of minerals on their activities. As a result, we obtained 6 useful anaerobes (3H, 4D, 6B, 7A, 8L, 9A) which had productivity of effective metabolites, though some other microbes were obstructed to grow under such conditions, which implied that both factors, inorganic salts and (porous) media, must be taken into account in screening. In addition, the microscopic observation showed that regarding some enrichment anaerobes, the kind of anaerobe having the predominant multiplication changed with media. Therefore, the isolation was carried out, and 2 isolated microbes from enrichment anaerobe 3H and 4 from 7A were obtained.


A 16-element phased array receiver with built-in-self test (BIST) is demonstrated at 76-84 GHz. The BIST technique employs a miniature capacitive coupler located at the input port of each phased-array channel, and uses the receiver I/Q down-converter to measure the amplitude and phase of each channel. This allows for measuring the response of individual channels if one channel is turned on at a time, and an on-chip array factor if several channels are turned on and the phase between them is varied. BIST measurements done at 76-84 GHz agree very well with S-parameter measurements with a matched load and an open circuit load at each port, and show that this technique can be used to greatly lower the testing cost and improve the self-calibration of mm-wave phased-array RFICs.


Capsule networks (CapsNets) have been introduced by Sabour et al. (2017) to improve certain limitations in convolutional neural networks (CNNs). This resulted in CapsNets, which need less training data and are more robust to affine transformations on images than CNNs. This paper researches if the domain of one-shot learning is able to benefit from these improvements by incorporating the CapsNet model into a Siamese neural network structure, called a Siamese capsule network with magnitude (SCNM). Experiments using the Omniglot dataset resulted in an average improvement of 2.7% accuracy compared to a Siamese convolutional neural network (SCNN) on ten affine tranformed test sets. The SCNM structure has only roughly one-quarter the number of parameters compared to that of the SCNN, showing that the SCNM structure is significantly more robust than SCNNs on affine transformations and needs considerably less parameters to achieve this.


Let Ω be a metric space and $\mathfrak{D}$ be the lattice of its open sets with the partial order ⊆, equipped with the order topology. For a set A ⊆ Ω, let At denote its metric t-neighborhood. In the lattice of O-valued functions on (0, +∞), consider the family $I\mathfrak{D} = \left\{ {A\left( \cdot \right)\left| {A\left( t \right)} \right. = {A^t} \in \mathfrak{D}} \right\}$. Let $\tilde \Omega $ be the set of atoms of its closure, $\overline {I\mathfrak{D}} $, in the topology of point-wise convergence. Under certain conditions one can define a metric on $\tilde \Omega $. We describe a class of metric spaces Ω such that $\tilde \Omega $ is isometric to Ω.


A method for loading a diagnostic analyzer analytical test (10), comprising: loading samples for analysis in the system; loading into the analyzer (10) means reagent carriers (128) containing reagent containers (124); transporting the reagent support means (128) to a positioning area reagent (168) with an automated transporter (130); and analyzing the samples with the reagents with the analyzer (10), said support means of reagents (40, 126, 128) a body support means reagent (150) configured to be handled and received in an analyzer diagnostic comprising assay analysis (10) configured to analyze samples with reagents; and a plurality of holding portions of the reagent containers (152, 153, 154) configured for holding a reagent container (122, 124) containing a fluid substance, wherein at least one of said holding portions (152 , 153, 154) can rotate relative to the support means (150) body and is configured to rotate relative to the support means (150) body, the reagent container (122, 124) which is attached to same to stir or constantly mix the contents of the reagent container (122, 124), wherein at least said holding portion (152, 153, 154) configured to rotate the reagent vessel (122, 124) with relative to the support means (150) body comprises a first connecting portion such as a gear (170) which is rotatable and configured to oscillate against a second member (200) of the diagnostic analyzer (100) and is external to the body support means (150).


The invention relates to a seat part of a motor vehicle seat, comprising a base part having a transverse supporting element and an adjustable part.


We introduce a high-order numerical scheme for fractional ordinary differential equations with the Caputo derivative. The method is developed by dividing the domain into a number of subintervals, and applying the quadratic interpolation on each subinterval. The method is shown to be unconditionally stable, and for general nonlinear equations, the uniform sharp numerical order $3-\nu$ can be rigorously proven for sufficiently smooth solutions at all time steps. The proof provides a general guide for proving the sharp order for higher-order schemes in the nonlinear case. Some numerical examples are given to validate our theoretical results.


Cotton fiber has its own complicated convolutions caused by helicoidal orientation of cellulose fibrils in the secondary cell membrane. This helicoidal orientation has been deduced to be caused by the earth's rotation during fibril development. To confirm this, the optical rotation power of cotton fibers cultivated in various countries was measured using a polarizing microscope. The optical rotation power of Z-type convolution parts in cotton fibers cultivated in the northern hemisphere was greater than that of the S-type convolution parts. On the other hand, for cotton fibers cultivated in the southern hemisphere, the optical rotation power of the S-type convolution parts was greater than that of the Z-type parts. This tendency was found to differ markedly for cotton fibers cultivated in areas located at different distances from the equator.


Shale gas is a promising energy source offering additional energy security over concerns of fossil fuel depletion. Injecting CO2 into depleted shale gas reservoirs might provide a feasible solution for CO2 storage and enhanced gas recovery. However, shale strain caused by the CO2 injection as well as CO2 sequestration in the reservoir needs to be considered during shale gas production. For this purpose, this paper examines the adsorption capacities, CO2-induced swelling, and He-induced strain of shales at 0–16 MPa and 35–75 °C. The maximum excess adsorption at different temperatures correlated with the bulk phase density: as the CO2 temperature increased, the maximum excess adsorption density decreased. The density of the adsorbed phase, obtained using the Dubinin–Radushkevich model, was used to fit the excess adsorption data. At low pressure, the CO2-induced strain on shale was caused by the gas adsorption, whereas at high pressure, it was caused by gas pressure. The absolute adsorption linearly correlated with the adsorption-induced strain.


Various preparation methods of magnetic nanomaterials,such as mechanical milling,hydrothermal method,micro-emulsion method,sonochemical synthesis and hydrolytic method are introduced,in addition,the virtues and defects of all kinds of preparation methods are summarized here.Brief introduction is also given to the magnetic nanomaterials application focus.Furthermore,research prospect of magnetic nanomaterials is also presented.


Highly uniform InGaN quantum dots (QDs) were grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition utilizing self-assembled diblock copolymer nanopatterns. This approach resulted in ultra-high InGaN QD density of 8 × 1010 cm−2.


Improving plant productivity is key to address major challenges such as global food security. Plant phenotyping is an emerging science for these challenges and is the study of the dynamic interaction between genotype and environment. It is well known that plant temperature is an indicator of plant stomatal conductance, which is linked to the process of nutrient uptake and consequently plant growth rates and yields. Thermal images can be used to measure temperature of individual plants and their differences under stresses. Therefore, thermal image analysis can provide important clues for genetic screening. In order to accurately measure plant temperatures and their differences, we have to remove the impacts from background thermal inhomogeneities. To do so, we propose a novel algorithm to estimate the background using surface fitting with RANSAC algorithm. We also designed the experiment to combat the air temperature changes during imaging periods. Experimental results have shown that the proposed algorithm is able to significantly reduce background inhomogeneities in infra-red images to accurately estimate temperature differences between background and plants.


Trap states are well-known to plague organic photovoltaic devices and their characterization is essential for continued progress. This letter reports on both the deep trap profiles and kinetics of trap emission, studied through temperature dependent capacitance measurements. Three polymer based systems relevant to photovoltaics, namely, P3HT:PC60BM, PTB7:PC70BM, and PCDTBT:PC70BM were investigated. Each polymer showed a markedly different deep trap profile, varying in shape from a nearly constant density of states to a sharp Gaussian. In contrast, the frequency of trap emission was similar for each—ca. 108−109 Hz—indicating a universal value and similar trapping mechanisms despite the differences in energetic distribution. The latter result is important in the light of range of conflicting values reported, or higher value (1012 Hz) typically borrowed from crystalline inorganic materials.


It has been well established by several workers that in the early postnatal white rat testis two well-marked waves of degeneration occur. The first involves chiefly the primordial germ cells (Hoven, '14 ; Hargitt, '26). (For complete bibliography on rat and other mammals, see Everett, '45.) Little attention has been given to the processes of degeneration. In this paper I offer my analysis of the modes of degeneration in the primordial cells and in a second type of cell which, f o r lack of a better name, I call a "large" cell. A second wave of degeneration begins in the first generations of spermatocytes and continues until about the age of 43 days (Hoven, '14; Hargitt, '26). The writer has another paper in preparation to cover this second period. My previous studies on sperniatogenesis have provided familiarity with iiormal cell division (Allen, '18, '40).


The present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition for the prevention or treatment of atopic dermatitis (atopic dermatitis), including culture or a fraction of adult stem cells as an active ingredient. The present invention also provides a cosmetic composition for improving the symptoms of atopic dermatitis or relaxation comprising a culture, or a fraction of adult stem cells. Cultures, or a fraction of the adult stem cells can be used to prevent or treat by suppressing the secondary infections and skin barrier loss resulting to maintain the skin barrier, atopic dermatitis. In particular, compositions of the present invention can minimize the immunological rejection response that can occur when using the stem cells by containing an active protein complex to the stem cells secrete non-stem cells. Adult stem cells, atopic dermatitis


The main area of this paper concerns the methods for mapping scientific and technical information (articles, patents) and for assisting a user in carrying out the complex process of analysing large quantities of information. This set of methods comprises clustering, cartography, and hypertext generation. Nevertheless, in the procedure of information analysis, the complexity of the studied topics may often lead the analyst to partition his reasoning into viewpoints. Thus, this paper mainly focuses on the study of the contribution of the viewpoint's oriented data analysis as-compared to the global analysis. An attempt is made to define a protocol and to design a platform for these comparison. The analysis tools will be considered in our study is the MultiSOM model that can be indifferently used in a global approach or in a viewpoint oriented approach.


Reflection about the contemporary validity of political descriptive studies, developed and spread by political scientists and, specially, by anglo-american political theorists (huntington). considering giovanni sartori as the more important diffuser of these theories in continental europe, the methodology and the practical proposals of his famous essay the theory of democracy are contrasted, on the one hand, with the main critiques that adorno levelled at descriptivism and, on the other hand, with the arguments that reality itself puts up against its putative description.


Cemented tungsten carbides with a binder level in the range of 5 to 6 percent exhibited the best resistance to erosion for this class of materials. Other practical cermet meterials were diamond - Si/SiC, Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/-B/sub 4/C-Cr, and B/sub 4/C-Co. SiAlON exhibited erosion resistance equivalent to the best WC-cermet. The only coating system to show promise of improved erosion resistance was CVD TiB/sub 2/ on cemented TiB/sub 2/-Ni. Cracking and/or spalling of a TiC coating and a proprietary TMT coating occurred in the standard slurry erosion test. Ranking of cemented tungsten carbide materials in the laboratory erosion test was the same as that found in service in the Wilsonville pilot plant. Specimens from the Fort Lewis pilot plant which performed well in service exhibited low erosion in the laboratory test. A substitute slurry, was found to be 2 to 4 times more erosive than the coal-derived slurry 8 wt% solids. Ranking of materials in the substitute slurry was nearly identical to that in the coal-derived slurry. Three modes of erosion were: ductile cutting; elastic-plastic indentation and fracture; and intergranular fracture. Erosion of a given material was closely related to its microstructure. In the substitute slurry, the angle-dependence of erosionmore » of two forms of SiC, hot-pressed and sintered, were similar, but the sintered material eroded slower. Laser fusing of preplaced powder mixtures can produce cermet-like structures with potential for erosive and sliding wear resistance. TiC particles in Stellite 6 matrix proved less prone to cracking than WC particles in the same matrix. 74 figures, 14 tables.« less


One of the classical topics of business history is the studies of business leaders and entrepreneurs. The approaches, the material and the goals of these studies have varied over time, due to contemporary scholarly debates and methodological 'fashions', but this topic has been on the agenda as long as we can talk about a business history field. This article uses previous research to discuss prosopographic studies of business leaders and how these investigations have enabled us to reach a deeper understanding of managerial recruitment, professionalisation of management and (business) elite formation in a historical perspective. Furthermore, it shows that prosopographic studies of the business elite can also provide insights into other types of problems and questions in the field of business history, especially in relation to corporate and industrial transformations.


QUITE apart from their impact on the individuals concerned, injuries caused by manual handling can have a big impact on a business, and veterinary practices are no exception. Here, Alastair Mitchell explains how good manual handling techniques can help to minimise the risk of musculoskeletal and other work-related injuries occurring in the practice.


: Two experiments were conducted to determine a suitable feeding schedule and the optimal density of Artemia nauplii on the survival and development of mud crab Scylla serrata larvae. The first experiment consisted of 10 treatments, where rotifers were shifted to Artemia nauplii at the zoea (Z) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 stages. Five other treatments were similar to these first five; however, rotifers were continuously added together with Artemia nauplii. The second experiment consisted of five treatments that were carried out to determine the optimal Artemia nauplii density. Four treatments fed different Artemia densities (0.5, 1, 1.5, 4 individuals (ind.)/mL) and in the fifth treatment the density of Artemia nauplii was increased with the developing zoeal stage. The survival rate until the Z5 stage was higher when Artemia were supplied from the Z3 stage (P < 0.05). Mortality caused by cannibalism was observed either when Artemia feeding was delayed or when fed at a low density (0.5 ind./mL). In contrast, feeding Artemia from the early zoeal stage or at a high prey density (4 ind./mL) accelerated metamorphosis and caused the acceleration of morphological characteristics, such as a greater chela length, carapace length and setae bearing pleopods at the Z5 stage. The chela length at the Z5 stage decreased proportionally with the delay of Artemia feeding or a decreasing prey density. The chela to carapace length ratio (ChL/CL ratio,%) could be used as an indicator to predict the success of survival to megalops. A ChL/CL ratio over 45% produced a high percentage of megalopal molting failure. Therefore, to avoid cannibalism or excessive feeding in the larval mud crab, Artemia should be given from the Z3 stage at an optimal level of 1.5 ind./mL or increasing density according to the zoeal stage.


[Objective] The aim was to discuss the effects of different concentrations(0,1,5,10 mg/L)of cadmium on basil growth and absorption and accumulation of cadmium.[Method] On the basis of Hoagland nutrition,with basil as tested material,the effects of different concentrations of cadmium on basil growth,absorption and accumulation of cadmium as well as contents of solubility sugar,total nitrogen,total phosphorous and total kalium were studied.[Result] Low cadmium concentration(1 mg/L) promoted the growth of basil,and the accumulation of fresh weight and dry weight about aboveground parts of basil,conversely,high cadmium concentrations(5 and 10 mg/L) inhibited the growth of basil plant,fresh weight and dry weight about belowground parts of basil.With the increasing of cadmium concentration,content of chlorophyll had the trend of reducing,and lower than that of CK.Content of solubility sugar aboveground had the trend of increasing,and higher than that of CK,while content of solubility sugar belowground was lower than CK markedly.Contents of total nitrogen,total phosphorous and total kalium aboveground were higher than those of belowground.Absorption and accumulation of cadmium increased with cadmium concentration adding.[Conclusion] Basil was an aromatic plant with potential cadmium accumulative ability.


Purpose: Examine the effects of different warehousing strategies.
Problem: What effects can be seen through the use of different warehousing
strategies based on different customer behavior?
Method: The simulation methodology used was based on Banks' line of action. The methodology regarding design of experiment was based on Montgomery's recommendations.
Objective: Quantify the picking efficiency gains associated to different warehousing strategies in a generic warehouse.
Conclusion: Customer behavior, as represented through customer order profiles, was more or less insignificant. Both slotting and viewing several customer orders at a time had major effects on both lead time, total pick time and total traveled distance.


The biosorption characteristics of mercury ions from aqueous solution using jute nanofibers, a cellulosebased natural fiber, were explored as a function of pH, nanofiber concentration, contact time and temperature. Jute nanofibers were obtained after wet milling the jute fibers and subsequently their morphology was assessed by various spectroscopy and microscopy techniques. The maximum biosorption capacity of the fiber calculated by the Langmuir model was found to be 85.5 mg g−1. The adsorption experiments revealed that ion-exchange and complexation mechanisms were principal role in the biosorption process. The present experimental evidence implies that jute nanofibers could be a potential natural biomaterial for the removal of environmental contaminations from textile and chemical industries.


The existence of positive solutions for some singular boundary value problem of p-Laplacian operator by using the theorem on cone expansion and compression and a fixed point theorem on cone is obtained.


Chinese leymus [Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel.] is an important forage distributed in East Asia. The seed-set rates and the pollen–stigma compatibility in six populations were investigated in 2001. Proportionately seed-set ranged from 0AE065 to 0AE567 under open pollination and 0AE0056 to 0AE0426 under self-pollination. The former is significantly higher than the latter in each population. Microscopic observations showed that proportionately only 0AE0551 to 0AE1167 of self-pollinated pollen grains were compatible but most cross-pollinated pollen grains were compatible. The tubes of most incompatible pollen grains aborted upon entering into the stigmas. Among the six populations, there was a significant correlation between seed-set under open pollination and the compatible pollen rates under cross-pollination. These results suggest that Chinese leymus is a self-incompatible species, and the compatibility of pollen and stigma might be one of the factors influencing seed-set in natural conditions. This information will be useful for future breeding efforts.


The north most representative cinnamon soil was selected as the tested soil. The study considered the effect of dissolved organic matter on migration of Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn in soils by column experiment. Migration and transformation model was built which based on the soil solute transport model. It is important for the prediction of the temporal and spatial distribution of pollutant, and help to prevent pollution of heavy metal. This study can provide theoretical guidance for land use of the solid waste.


In yet another wave of discussion on nuclear disarmament among political scientists and practitioners, one of the topical issues concerns the problem of transparency, its mechanisms, costs, and benefits. Numerous—though often abstract—calls for greater transparency of nuclear arsenals and postures when promoting the idea of nuclear disarmament, however, do not give a clear rationale for states possessing nuclear weapons to pursue greater transparency. Meanwhile, many other research fields—such as economics and psychology—attempt to address problems related to the lack of exact information on the counterpart's activities and intentions. Economics offers one probable analog for the transparency problem: the issue of information asymmetry and its consequences. This article is an attempt to apply the classical model of a market with information asymmetry to the analysis of the transparency problem within the nuclear disarmament process. Such an approach could help pave the way for closer cooperation between economic and political scientists in the nuclear disarmament field.


Environmental resources are very important in supporting tourism activities. As a developing tourism area Nusa Penida needs sufficient land and water resources. Increasing population of residents and tourists triggers new activities that affect the patterns of land use and available water, which in turn has a negative impact on the availability of land and water. The carrying capacity of the environment is disrupted due to the utilization of environmental resources that exceed its capacity. This study aims to calculate the availability, needs and status of the carrying capacity of land and water in the Nusa Penida Tourism Area.The methodology of this study is to calculate the availability of land and water, calculate land and water needs for residents and tourists and calculate the carrying capacity of land and water. This study predicts the availability of land and water, land and water needs and the carrying capacity of land and water in the Nusa Penida Tourism Area until 2023.From the results of data analysis shows that the availability of land in Nusa Penida amounted to 5,350 hectares. Projected land needs until the year 2028 of 24,640 hectares, the carrying capacity of the land in Nusa Penida deficit. The results of the calculation of land requirements based on the ecological footprint amounted to 17,724.283 hectares, while the availability of land in Nusa Penida was 5,350 hectares. This shows that the carrying capacity of the land in Nusa Penida has a deficit of 12,374,283 hectares.
Availability of water based on rainfall and springs in Nusa Penida is 95,443,402.56 m3/year. The results of data analysis show that in 2028 water needs for residents and tourists are estimated at 83,398,400 m3/year. Projection of the carrying capacity of water in Nusa Penida based on rainfall surplus of 901,002.56 m3/year. Projection of the carrying capacity of water in Nusa Penida based 10% utilization of springs Penida and Guyangan in 2028 surplus of 2,433,865,856.44 m3/year Projection of the carrying capacity of water in Nusa Penida based on rainfall + 10% utilization of springs Penida and Guyangan in 2023 surplus of 2,529,309,259 m3/year. Projection of the carrying capacity of water in Nusa Penida based on rainfall + all springs water potencyin Nusa Penida in 2028 surplus of 34,958,390,240 m3/year.


Steady-state current-voltage (I-V) and impedance-voltage (Z-V) measurements were performed on in situ (UHV) prepared metal (Ag, Al)/Alq3/indium-tin oxide (ITO) devices after exposure to air. When increasing the positive bias on the top metal electrode to a relatively well-defined critical value, a transition from semiconducting to semior even insulating behavior of the contacted Alq3 thin film is observed by means of I-V measurements. The final insulating state remains stable when applying negative bias to the Ag electrode. In the case of the Al electrode, there is a voltammetric current wave under a well-defined negative bias indicating a redox reaction of mobile ions at the Al electrode. The Z-V measurements reveal a peculiar feature of ac transport through the Alq3 thin films, namely the equivalent series capacitance is equal to its parallel counterpart in the frequency range from 100 to 1 MHz and amounts to only a fraction (0.3-0.5) of the expected geometrical capacitance of the device. An equivalent electrical circuit has been developed, based on the existence of two parallel transport paths: an insulating (amorphous) Alq3-phase shunted by a semiconducting (semi-insulating) one, both running into the impedance of the back contact. The equivalent circuit model composed exclusively of frequency independent elements is useful for predicting the maximum frequency for retaining the full geometrical capacitance. Even though the model is capable of describing the bias dependence of the impedance correctly, it does not shine light on the nature of the (ordered) phase or domain responsible for the dielectric loss. The possibility of local order connected with dipole-dipole interaction in the metal/Alq3 interface zone is discussed. In any case, the ordered portion of the organic material seems to form the huge interface dipole of about 1 eV with Ag or Al [M.A. Baldo, S.R. Forrest, Phys. Rev. B 64 (2001) 085201], the direction of the dipole promoting electron injection to Alq3. Then the semiconductor-to-insulator transition could be initiated by a damage of the interface dipole under a critical positive dc bias of the metal, preventing the flow of both dc and the real component of low-frequency ac current. The transition is not accompanied by any significant change in the impedance of the back contact common to both phases. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


Mass customization (MC) majorly emphasizes on effective customized product from the manufacturers. Researchers examined the relation between operational performance and customization such as quality, cost and delivery times. Though, efficient customization to evaluate the value of mass customization is not sufficient. This study focuses on the balancing mechanisms to create value as well as the benefits supposed by the consumers. There are identified two global mechanisms of perceived value (PV) about the MC: Mass customization product (MCP) has three dimensions as well as Masscustomization Experience (MCE) has two dimensions. This study examines the dimensions of customers' perceived value obtained and to measure the associations between Consumer value (CV) and loyalty intention. Through online 129 questionnaire distributed to the customers in Iraq. PLS was used to analyze the data. The findings exposed the hedonic, creative achievement, utilitarian, and social value influenced on the effort of perceived product design with the customization, by increasing loyalty intention. The relationships between consumer customized value and the effort of perceived product design enhance the consumer's intention towards loyalty. These outcomes have empirical suggestions to develop efficient customization programs for brand in the industry.


Finishing options extend the services that printers can offer to their clients and the associated revenue streams by creating a more diverse portfolio of products to meet a greater variety of customer needs.


Environmental Microbiology is an important basic course of Environmental Engineering.Its characteristic is content broad,quick development and strong practicality,thus this curriculum's teaching has certain degree of difficulty.Some suggestions and concrete measures about teaching reform,which included curriculum's course content,teaching method,experiment teaching and assessment methods were proposed in this paper.


Background: There is plenty of water available in hills, the main problem of the locality is the drinking water. These water resources are not exploited for drinking and irrigation purposes. Also, certain health problems are associated with people living in hills that are because of the presence of excess of heavy metals and other impurities. Aims and Objectives: The present study was conducted to analyze the various parameters of ground water in uttarakhand, India and to check its fitness for drinking. It will also clarify the health hazards imposed on the population of this state. Design & Setting: The present study was conducted in five regions of Uttarakhand, India (Haridwar, Vikasnagar, Mussoorie, Dehradun & Dakpathar) during 2006-2007. Ten samples of ground water were collected from each of the five regions during the pre-monsoon (Jan-Feb 2007) and post-monsoon (Sept-Oct 2006) seasons. Materials & Method: The pH was estimated by pH meter and the alkalinity was determined by titration methods. The total suspended solid was calculated by the following formula: Total suspended solid (mg) / ltr = (A-B) x 1000 / sample vol. In litres. Where, A= weight of filter + dried residue, B=weight of filter paper. Total hardness was calculated by adding calcium and magnesium hardness derived by EDTA titration method. The chloride was estimated by silver nitrate titration method and sulphates were estimated by titration method. The different heavy metals (Mn, Al, Ba, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe and Pb) were determined in the ground water samples by ICP mass spectroscopy. Results: The concentrations of heavy metals, pH, alkalinity, sulphate, chloride, TDS & Total Hardness (TH) were compared with the standards set by BIS for Drinking water (IS 10500:1991). The results show that water quality of all the five regions studied showed no remarkable variation from the BIS recommended value of pH (6.5-8.5). The alkalinity was above the BIS desirable level of 200mg/l in all the samples, but was less than the maximum permissible limit. The Drinking water of all the regions contains higher amounts of TDS than the desirable limits. The maximum TDS was detected in Haridwar (682.5 mg/L) and dehradun (610 mg/L) state. The ground water of mussoorie region shows total hardness to be above the BIS desirable level of 300mg/l. The chloride content was above the BIS desirable level of 250mg/l in dehradun only. The sulphate content was highest in haridwar (197.5mg/l) and dehradun (170mg/l) but it was below the desirable limit of 200mg/l. The cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) content of all the five regions of Uttarakhand showed higher the BIS permissible limits of 0.01, 0.05 and 0.05 mg/l respectively. The content of manganese (Mn), barium (Ba), Copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe) are within the permissible limit of BIS standards for drinking water.


To solve the problem in the aerocraft assessment task, which includes the amount of data is huge, the assessment process is complex, and the conclusion of the assessment is inaccurate, an aircraft assessment system based on hybrid reasoning model is proposed. The system comprises a plurality of independent module on function, and completes reasoning and searching results from the original data of aerocraft to final assessment conclusion. This paper presents assessment tree and trigger point mechanism, in order to meet real-time requirements. According to the characteristics of the aircraft assessment, the top-facts are get using case-based reasoning to fully utilize its non-precise reasoning and self-learning advantages; reasoning in the assessment stage is use of accurate and efficient rule-based inference mechanism. Practical examples using historical data show that, the proposed assessment system performs very well, and can real-time complete aerocraft assement, and the whole process is automatic.


By polymerization at 80 degrees C and crystal growth at 0 degrees C, highly oriented polyaniline flake and fiber arrays were self-assembled without any templates or surfactants.


We face a trend to turn liability of financial institutions to strict liability for breach of their contractual obligations, trend that has been extended by the Colombian judicial activity to situations that do not have legal grounds, under the pretext of protecting the financial consumer as a subject of special protection by the law. Perhaps one of the most emblematic cases of this trend is the responsibility of banking institutions for payment of counterfeit or adulterated checks, which does have a legal mandate that allows distinguish it from the general system of responsibility of such entities.


Private ownership of land has been stressed in the development literature as key to increasing productivity in the agricultural sector. The beneficiaries of the redistributive land reforms undertaken in many Latin American countries, however, did not receive the individual property right of the land. This paper suggests that this type of reform was a measure intended to favor not the peasantry, but the landed elite of those countries. It is shown that if land is the abundant factor land rent is decreasing with the total amount of privately owned land. Thus, the landed elite favored giving the peasants land under a restricted ownership regime. (Copyright: Elsevier)


(1) Inorganic sulphate content of human milk is subject to a very great fluctuation though the sulphate content will not show a very wide difference of figures in one and the same individual. (2) The Arakawa-positive milk shows an average of 6.2mgrms. % and the Arakawa-negative an average 9.3mgrms. %, while all the cases show an average of 8.7mgrms. %. The average of the figures of Arakawa-negative milk is about one and half times as large as that of Arakawa-positive milk. The more remarkable the degree of negativity, the larger is the sulphate content. (3) There is no difference of sulphate content of human milk on different sides of the breast, provided the comparison is made between samples of the same kind with respect to Arakawa's reaction. (4) Both Arakawa-positive and -negative milks show larger figures of sulphate, as the age of the mother becomes increased. (5) Colostrum milk is particularly rich in sulphate. There is no marked difference of sulphate content between the early mature and the middle mature periods, but the sulphate seems to grow rather rapidly larger after one year. (6) In winter the sulphate seems to be of the smallest value. (7) Though there may be a difference of inorganic sulphate content of human milk according to ages of lactating mothers, to periods of lactation and to different seasons, such a difference will be markedly smaller as compared with that according to the different intensity of Arakawa's reaction.


Aqueous extract, essential oil and powdered forms of dried stem barks of Cinnamomum cassia (Blume) were screened for inhibition of some food borne pathogens in culture media. Test microbes included Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, Psuedomonas aeruginosa, Psuedomonas alkaligenes and Shigella sonnei. Spice agar method was opted for investigating inhibitory potential of powdered spice sample and agar-well assay was followed for screening antibacterial activities of aqueous extract as well as essential oil. Results revealed that essential oil and powdered form effectively inhibited growth of all the pathogens under observation, while aqueous extract remained ineffective. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of powdered form of test spice towards microbes were also determined. It was noticed that gram+ve bacterial strains were inhibited at lower concentrations of test substances as compared to gram-ve bacterial strains. © 2011 Universal Research Publications. All rights reserved


We gauged public opinion concerning firearms on college campuses, specifically whether instructors and staff should be permitted to carry weapons in academic spaces, through a 20-question, online survey of college students, instructors and staff at institutions across the United States from September to November 2016. We performed logistic regression to predict support for arming staff and faculty based on responses. Of 483 respondents, only 26 percent thought instructors and staff members should be armed while working or instructing. Being male, nonwhite and of college age were significant predictors of support for arming faculty and staff. We conclude that despite the spread of "campus carry" legislation, public opinion on college campuses remains overwhelmingly opposed to firearms in academic settings. This suggests a significant disconnect between policymakers pressing for more permissive handgun regulations and those most affected by their decision-making.


A POLICY on grant-supported research with human subjects was announced in a memorandum, dated July 1, 1966, from Surgeon General William H. Stewart to heads of institutions receiving Public Health Service grants. The first communication on this subject was transmitted in February 1966, but it applied only to research grants and research training grants. The July statement revised and simplified procedures and extended the policy to virtually all grants and awards of the Public Health Service.


This paper presents a high performance chopper-Stabilized Two-stage operational amplifier for biomedical applications. This Two-stage is designed for low noise, low power, high PSRR and high CMRR. The Miller compensation technique (Cc) is used with a nulling active resistance (Rz) implemented using Transmission gate (TG) transistors for stable operation in feedback mode. Chopper stabilization technique has been widely used in amplifiers for flicker (1/f) noise and offsets reduction purposes using the principles of modulation and demodulation. Thus, the functionality and performance of modulation and demodulation circuits determines the realization and attainment of chopper stabilization. The operational amplifier was manufactured in a SPECTRE using GPDK 90nm CMOS technology with threshold voltages of a 0.17 V and - 0.14 V achieve a low power 2.6uW,


Support Vector Regression (SVR), which converts the original low-dimensional problem to a high-dimensional kernel space linear problem by introducing kernel functions, has been successfully applied in system modeling. Regarding the classical SVR algorithm, the value of the features has been taken into account, while its contribution to the model output is omitted. Therefore, the construction of the kernel space may not be reasonable. In the paper, a Feature-Weighted SVR (FW-SVR) is presented. The range of the feature is matched with its contribution by properly assigning the weight of the input features in data pre-processing. FW-SVR optimizes the distribution of the sample points in the kernel space to make the minimizing of the structural risk more reasonable. Four synthetic datasets and seven real datasets are applied. A superior generalization ability is obtained by the proposed method.


Calotropis is an evergreen and perennial shrub that grows in tropical areas of Iran and has valuable fibers in the bark of its stem. Fibers obtained from Calotropis stem have 75% cellulose. Tensile strength and modulus of the fibers is more than Cotton and elongation of the fibers is higher than Linen fibers. Calotropis stem fibers are researched for paper pulp applications and also has been evaluated for some applications such as their fiber characteristics for cloth making. However, there are no more studies on Calotropis bark fibers and very limited information is available about fibers extraction methods. In traditional methods of extraction, the stems were wetted for a period of 8 days and then the fibers were separated manually. In another method that was common in south region of Iran, the dried stems were threshed by hand and the fibers were separated from the crushed stems manually. These methods need cumbersome works, and require long times for processing. Therefore the aim of this study is to develop an extraction method for Calotropis bark fibers based on mechanical ways. Investigation of some importance characteristics, e.g. moisture content and rotational speed on the performance of extraction machine is another objective of this study.


Background and Purpose— Cerebral infarctions complicate a variable proportion of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) cases and adversely affect outcomes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the predictors of cerebral infarcts in patients with TBM and to assess their impact on mortality. Methods— The study was based on a retrospective chart review of all patients with TBM admitted to a tertiary care hospital between 2002 and 2013. Data were collected on basic demographics, conventional vascular risk factors, radiological findings, severity of TBM, and neurological outcomes. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19.0. Binary logistic regression was done to determine the factors predictive of cerebral infarcts and of mortality in patients with TBM. Results— A total of 559 patients were admitted with TBM during the study period. Mean age was 41.9 years (SD, 17.7 years), and 47% were women. A quarter of the patients had stage III disease. One hundred forty-four (25.8%) patients had cerebral infarcts on brain imaging of which 3 quarters were acute or subacute. Those with cerebral infarcts were more likely to be >40 years of age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1–2.7) and to have hypertension (AOR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1–2.8), dyslipidemia (AOR, 9.7; 95% CI, 3.8–24.8), and diabetes mellitus (AOR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.3–3.6). Presence of cerebral infarction was an independent predictor of mortality among patients with TBM (AOR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.22–3.5). Conclusions— Cerebral infarcts complicate a substantial proportion of TBM cases. Conventional vascular risk factors are the most important predictors of infarction, and future efforts need to focus on these high-risk patients with TBM to reduce morbidity and mortality.


This paper first overviews the pragmatic theory and mainly introduces Grice's Conversational Cooperative Principle and Leech's Politeness Principle. Then, the application situations of the Cooperative Principle and Politeness Principle in English teaching at home and abroad are reviewed. Finally, through analyzing the relevance of the Cooperative Principle, Politeness Principle and English writing teaching in senior high school, taking Unit 1 "Teenage Life", the first volume of compulsory English for senior high school in the People's Education Press (2019 edition), as an example, this paper presents a reading and writing teaching design that integrates pragmatics theory with English writing teaching in senior high school.


Abstract The chorion of the Eyprepocnemis plorans egg is a complex envelope, characterized by a network of interconnected cavities. Two layers can be morphologically distinguished: the exochorion and the endochorion. The exochorion consists of microporosities for air access to the deepest regions of the egg shell, and forms many sculptures on the surface. The endochorion is more complex and can be divided into three functionally different zones. A study of the ultrastructure of the micropylar canal was also carried out to envisage how the different egg envelopes relate to one another at this level. The results show that, with the exception of the vitelline envelope, all the egg envelopes form the micropyles. This is at variance with what has been observed in eggs of other insect species.


ABSTRACT We evaluated the T-SPOT.TB and Quantiferon-TB Gold In tube (QFN-G-IT) tests for diagnosing Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. T-SPOT.TB was more sensitive than QFN-G-IT in diagnosing both active and latent infection. Both gamma interferon tests were unaffected by prior Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccination. Among children who were not BCG vaccinated but had a positive tuberculin skin test, QFN-G-IT was negative in 53.3% of cases, and T-SPOT.TB was negative in 50% of cases.


For efficient performance of a single-state selection system when using Majorana method, it's extremely important to know how eventual angle of rotation for atom's spin depends on a total magnetic field in a region between selection magnets. As it was shown in previous work, the angle of rotation for spinor F = 1 greatly depends on a transverse (in regard to the hydrogen beam axis z) displacement of the point where total field is zero. In this work, for the first time, the dependence of single-state selection system performance (or H-maser's output power) on the currents of the transverse coils, that are placed at the region between magnets, is experimentally obtained. On the dependence, the angles of rotation for spinor that are equal to 0, π/2, π under corresponding quantity of the currents, i. e. transverse coordinates of the zero field, are explicitly determined. The optimal values of the currents, when the maximum of the single-state selection efficiency (the angle of rotation is equal π) is achieved, are defined. Moreover, the operation of the single-state selection system is confirmed by exploration of the H-maser's power curve and also by double resonance method. The relative amount of the operating atoms in the beam, that defines single-state selection system efficiency, is approximately 70%.


Recently, phacovitrectomy, which is the combination Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) was first described by SHARP and COLLEGUES in 1972. The clinical and laboratorial manifestations overlap with those of SLE, Scleroderma and Polymyositis, along with presence of higher titers of antibodies against antigen, U1-RNP. We report a rare case of MCTD, who presented with all the known features along with prominent complaint of impotence. This impotence responded dramatically to the usual management of MCTD which included a combination of steroids, HCQ and Methotrexate.


Contents of the book include: microstructural development, phase equilibria and properties; tailoring microstructures for enhancement of properties; theory and microstructure of phase transformations; analysis and behavior of surfaces; microstructural characterization of novel materials; environmental degradation and failure analysis; applications of image analysis and modeling to materials characterization.


Biomarkers are needed to identify the subset of Crohn's disease (CD) patients at-risk for severe, treatment-refractory disease. Short ileal microvillus length (MVL) is an epithelial biomarker that predicted non-response to treatment in adult CD. Here, we hypothesized that short MVL phenotype would occur in pediatric CD and associate with more severe disease.

 H&E-stained ileal tissue sections were obtained from 3 pediatric cohorts: WashU, CCHMC, and RISK (n=58 controls, n=377 CD). MVL was measured in regions not involved in acute inflammation. RISK had baseline "pre-treatment" and follow-up "post-treatment" sampling, clinical phenotyping, and transcriptomic data. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and immunofluorescence was performed on paired samples from 6 CD and 6 controls.

 Ileal MVL was shorter in pediatric CD (mean: 1.44 μm) vs. controls (mean: 1.64 μm; P<0.0001). MVL did not associate with body mass index, disease location, endoscopic deep ulcers, or disease activity index scores. Histological inflammation scores were greater in baseline CD vs. controls, but similar between CD with short (defined as <1.46 μm, 10th percentile of controls) or normal MVL. Progression from B1 inflammatory disease behavior to B2 stricturing or B3 internal penetrating disease behavior was more likely to occur in patients with shorter MVL (n=91 follow-up samples collected prior to disease progression event; B2: P=0.0077, B3: P=0.0186). Additionally, progression to B2 occurred sooner in those with short follow-up MVL (P=0.0206). In contrast, associations with disease behavior progression based on baseline MVL were not observed. RNA-seq analysis identified 92 genes differentially expressed between CD and controls and correlated with MVL. Gene function analysis showed enrichment (P<0.001) for actin cytoskeleton, transporter activity, and plasma membrane among the 43 genes positively associated with MVL, and enrichment for myeloid cell, response to bacterium, and extracellular matrix among the 49 genes negatively associated with MVL. TEM showed thinning of the terminal web in CD, with diminished microvillus rootlet length and organelle-free zones, features associated with shortened or disorganized microvilli in mouse models. We next assessed terminal web-associated proteins, PLS1 and MYH14, and found that both were altered in CD samples; PLS1 was abnormally enhanced at the brush border, and MYH14 was aberrantly localized in the cytoplasm. Misexpression of MYH14 was associated with terminal web thinning and shorter MVL.

 This study supports short ileal MVL phenotype in follow-up CD samples as an epithelial biomarker for more severe disease prognosis, particularly for progression to stricturing disease. Our data suggest that terminal web alterations underlie the short MVL phenotype.


The invention relates to an auxiliary braking system of a motor vehicle, comprising an auxiliary braking wheel device, a power device, a driving device, an elevating device and a control device, wherein the auxiliary braking wheel device comprises a bridge body and auxiliary braking wheels arranged on the bridge body; the input end of the driving device is connected with the power device, and theoutput end is connected with the auxiliary braking wheels in a driving way; the elevating device is arranged on a frame of the motor vehicle and connected with the power device and the auxiliary braking wheel device so as to accept the power of the power device to control the elevation of the auxiliary braking wheel device; when auxiliary brake is needed, according to a control signal sent by thecontrol device, the elevating device is driven by the power device to drive the auxiliary braking wheel device to descend so that the auxiliary braking wheels of the auxiliary braking wheel device contact ground, and meanwhile, the driving device transmits the power of the power device to all the auxiliary braking wheels so that the auxiliary braking wheels rotate opposite to the driving direction of the motor vehicle, thereby generating traction force opposite to the driving direction of the motor vehicle to enhance the brake and stop the motor vehicle.


Principles which teachers should adhere to in second language class are based on the synthesis of linguistic,cultural and competent aspects.This paper first puts forward linguistic,cultural and competent aspects of second language teaching.Then,the principles which teachers should adhere to in second language class are introduced.Finally,the synthesis implication for second language teaching is presented.


Paradrymus exilirostris and Grossander major are recorded from New Zealand. An abdominal stridulitrum/hind femur plectrum type of stridulatory mechanism is reported from G. major. Some immature stages of P. exilirostris are described. Supplementary descriptions and illustrations are given of these species and Brentiscerus putoni.


Book reviewed in this article: Cataract Surgery Technique, Complications, Management, Roger F Steinert, Uveitis: Fundamentals and Clinical Practice, Robert B Nussblatt and Practical Retinal Photography and Digital Imaging Techniques: ME Tyler, PJ Saine and Biochemistry of the Eye, 2nd edition: David R Whikehart, Practical Binocular Vision Assessment: Frank Eperjesi and Michelle M Rundstrom Clinical Procedures in Primary Eye Care, David B Elliott,


Quinone methides and related electrophiles represent a common class of intermediates that form during metabolism of drugs and xenobiotics and may lead to DNA alkylation. The intrinsic reactivity of these species has now been characterized using a stable model compound, O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-2-bromomethylphenol, designed to generate an o-quinone methide in the presence of fluoride. The resulting deoxynucleoside adducts were assigned unambiguously through use of two-dimensional NMR and, in particular, heteronuclear multiple-bond connectivity (HMBC). Both purines, dG and dA, reacted at their exo-amino groups. In contrast, dC had previously been shown to react at its cyclic N3 position [Rokita, S. E.; Yang, J.; Pande, P.; Greenberg, W. A. J. Org. Chem. 1997, 62, 3010−3012], and the relatively nonnucleophilic T remained inert under all conditions examined. Surprisingly, the efficiency of cytosine modification exceeded that of adenine and guanine by more than 10-fold in competition studies with the deoxym...


We compare the modal electric field distributions and propagation constants of strongly guiding semiconductor rib waveguides obtained with several newly proposed beam propagation techniques to those of the standard beam propagation method.


This paper analyzed the eco-environment water requirement of the Cuihu National Wetland Park in Beijing,available water in the project area and the project benefit.Results show that this project can fully use the surface water,realize reuse of sewage water,improve water quality and increase water use efficiency.Therefore,it is an environmental protection project with distinct environmental,economical and social benefits.


Submitted for the MAR10 Meeting of The American Physical Society Electronic structure of iron-based superconductors with thick perovskite-blocking layers HIROKI NAKAMURA, MASAHIKO MACHIDA, Japan Atomic Energy Agency — Since superconductivity in LaFeAsO1−xFx was found, various families of iron-based superconductors have been discovered. Recently, a new type whose blocking layer structure is perovskite-based has been reported, and Tc of this family has reached almost 40K. In this paper, we calculate electronic structures of the iron-based superconductors with thick perovskite layers by using first-principles density functional theory and compare them with those of other iron-based superconductors. We also discuss ability of application of those superconductors. Hiroki Nakamura Japan Atomic Energy Agency Date submitted: 20 Nov 2009 Electronic form version 1.4


The phrase Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become entrenched in organization studies, but with much confusion as to what it actually means. There are many different definitions of the ter...


A comprehensive perspective of regional transformative development is pertinent in light of recurring crises and grand societal challenges. We propose an integrative research agenda for transformative regional development, based on a co-evolutionary perspective on industryfocused regional path development and transitions. Combining existing knowledge from the debates on evolutionary economic geography and transition studies we define three key dimensions of co-evolution: the interrelations between different paths and their impact, interregional and multiscalar development dynamics, and the interdependence between industries and society. We address each dimension separately and suggest concrete avenues for further research.


Thesis (Ph.D.)--Georgetown University, 2008.; Includes bibliographical
 references. Gamma interferon Inducible Lysosomal Thiol reductase (GILT) is an enzyme involved
 in the initial steps of antigen processing and presentation. GILT facilitates protein
 unfolding, which makes the endocytosed protein accessible to further enzymatic processing by
 lysosomal/endosomal proteases. In order to study the in vivo role of GILT, a GILT-/- mouse was
 previously generated. It has been shown that by changing the redox state of exogenous
 antigenic proteins, GILT alters the adaptive immune response. Mice lacking GILT have defective
 immune responses against disulfide bond containing proteins. In order to detect possible
 alterations in the self-peptide repertoire between GILT wild-type (WT) and deficient mice, we
 have isolated MHC class II associated peptides from mouse splenocytes and analyzed them by
 ESI-MS/MS tandem mass spectrometry. We have found an altered self-peptide repertoire in the
 GILT-deficient cells in comparison to the GILT WT cells. We have also shown that GILT is
 expressed not only in professional antigen presenting cells, but also in mouse T cells and
 fibroblasts. Furthermore, we have defined a novel role of GILT in the regulation of cellular
 proliferation. GILT appears to have an inhibitory role in T cell activation, and in cellular
 proliferation of fibroblasts. We have identified the mitochondrial manganese superoxide
 dismutase (SOD2) as one of the key intermediates through which GILT alters cellular
 proliferation of fibroblasts and T cells. The expression and activity of SOD2 is reduced in
 the absence of GILT. In addition, forced increase of SOD2 expression in the absence of GILT
 restores proliferation of mouse fibroblasts to wild type levels. Therefore, GILT appears to
 have an important role in cellular proliferation, mediated through its effect on SOD2 protein
 expression and activity.


Controlling the size distribution of gold nanoparticles (NPs) is of great importance due to the fact that their properties are strongly dependent upon the size distribution as well as the size itself. In the citrate reduction method for gold NP synthesis, the citrate works as (1) a reducing agent, (2) a surfactant, and also (3) a weak base: it raises the pH of the whole reaction mixture. Here, we have extensively studied the all three roles of the citrate, by adding other reagents separately (NaBH4, CTAB, and NaOH) for the independent control of the three roles of the citrate. Among the roles of the citrate, that as a weak base was found to be the most critical parameter affecting the size distribution of gold NPs and the size distribution became much more improved with the increase of the solution pH, while adding a supplementary surfactant or reducing agent resulted in the formation of less homogeneous NPs.


Abstract
As transnational companies keep on intensifying their foreign activities, determining their nationality becomes more difficult. Most of the possible criteria (origin, production sites, applicable jurisdiction, shareholders' or managers' nationalities,...) eventually turn out to be inadequate or obsolete. This evolution limits the scope of governmental interventions. Some states put forward the preservation of national security to justify their actions in favour of national companies, and advocate a reinforcement of national shareholding within these firms. However, the shareholders' motivations remain purely monetary and will never be patriotic. The ascendancy of finance implies a necessary elaboration of attractiveness policies, and leads to examine the interferences between financial globalization and companies' localization.


Long-held principles of leadership may not be effective in today's world. This article challenges five traditional principles and offers suggestions for the nurse leader to consider when working with colleagues, patients, and families in this new century.


Background. Periodontal disease caused by polymicrobe in the oral cavity which was accumulated into biofilm called plaque. If plaque removal is not adequate, it will cause gingival inflammation (gingivitis), this stage can be continuing into chronic infection and lead attachment loss. This series of infection will cause periodontitis. Antibacterial plaque agent to increase oral hygiene used as preventive step. Purpose. The aim of this research is to know the effectiveness of Kappaphycus alvarezii extract inhibiting supragingival plaque bacteria. Methode. This research was done by using serial dilution and checked by colony counting in nutrient agar. Result. There were significant differences of supragingival plaque bacteria growth (p<0,05) among different concentration. Conclusion. Kappaphycus alvarezii extract is effective to inhibit the growth of supragingival plaque bacteria.


This article deals with the provisional execution of the sentence under judicial activism, especially in view of the decision handed down by the Federal Supreme Court in the judgment of Habeas Corpus 126,292 / SP. The subject is approached from the perspective of doctrine and jurisprudence, given the divergence about the possibility of provisional execution of the sentence before the final decision of the conviction. The method used in the research is the inductive-deductive, being discussed, first, about the criminal procedural guarantee of the presumption of innocence, then on the main reasons set out in Habeas Corpus 126.292-SP and, finally, on the possible judicial activism of the Supreme Federal Court in the judgment of said constitutional remedy. The study is concluded with considerations regarding the re-signification of the principle of presumption of innocence from the point of view of judicial activism.


Access to information and the ability to share information online, must not be a privilege only for the non-disabled. Making ICTs accessible for the disabled must be a priority as it can contribute toward reducing the digital divide and providing e-inclusion. To accomplish this, one must keep in mind not only disabled people's disabilities but also their abilities. Topics such as user interface design for the Deaf, e-learning multimedia, sign language and literacy problems that hearing impaired are faced with, are discussed in this paper. The primary purpose of the paper however is to identify appropriate user experience and user interface design guidelines for the design of mobile applications for Deaf people.


This study examines how private communication among competitors shapes their public disclosures. Theories at the intersection of accounting and industrial organization suggest that competing firms can use public disclosure to coordinate, and predict a substitutive relation between private communication and public disclosure: private communication reduces the need to coordinate via public disclosure. Using data on the extent of private communication among competing firms in strategic alliances, consistent with theoretical predictions I find that firms that enter into strategic alliances with competitors reduce their public disclosure about expected future business conditions, including forecasts of demand and production levels, and that the reduction is most pronounced for firms in alliances that entail more extensive private communication.


Fast simulation tools are highly appreciated in particle physics phenomenology studies, especially in the exploration of the physics potential of future experimental facilities. The Circular Electron Positron Collider is a proposed Higgs and Z factory that can precisely measure the Higgs boson properties and the electroweak precision observables. A fast-simulation toolkit dedicated to the CEPC detector has been developed using Delphes. The comparison shows that this fast simulation tool is highly consistent with the full simulation, on a set of benchmark distributions. Therefore, we recommend this fast simulation toolkit for CEPC phenomenological investigations.


A novel water-soluble cyclophane bearing 4-dimethylamino-pyridinium groups on the alkyl chains as blanches of 6H,12H-5,11-methanodibenzo-[b,f][1,5]diazocine skeleton was synthesized in order to investigate the ability as macrocyclic enzyme models to incorporate biologically relevant phosphates.


Objectives: The anti-microbial peptide cathelicidin, LL-37, is produced in response to active vitamin D to enhance innate immunity, exert immunomodulatory effects, and decrease pro-inflammatory cytokines. LL-37 also inhibits HIV replication in vitro. To date, no studies have investigated plasma LL-37 concentrations in HIV-infected patients in vivo. This study sought to investigate the relationship between plasma LL-37, and 25hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations, and HIV-related variables in HIV-infected youth. Methods: HIV-infected subjects and healthy controls ages 1-25 years old were prospectively enrolled. Fasting plasma LL-37 was measured in duplicate with ELISA. Fasting plasma 25(OH)D was measured using an automated chemiluminescent assay. Non-parametric tests were used to assess differences between groups. Spearman coefficients were used to assess correlations with LL-37. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to determine variables independently associated with LL-37. Results: HIV+ subjects (36 ART-experienced; 27 ART-naive) and 31 healthy controls were enrolled. ARTexperienced subjects were similar to the two other groups (ART-experienced: median (interquartile range (IQR)) age= 17.9 years (14.6,20.2), 94% black, 58% male), except that ART-naive had more males (85%). Plasma 25(OH)D concentrations did not differ between groups (ART-experienced: median (IQR) 25(OH)D= 15.5 ng/mL (10.8,19.6)). 83% of ART-experienced were currently on ART (81% HIV-1 RNA <80 copies/mL). ART-experienced had a median current/nadir CD4 count of 431/183 cells/mm3, respectively vs. 297/296 cells/mm3, respectively in ART-naive. In ART-experienced, CD4 restoration after ART (ΔCD4=current-nadir CD4) was 229 cells/mm3 with 14.5 median years of HIV infection. There was no difference in median(IQR) LL-37 between the HIV+ group and controls (HIV+: 58.3 µg/mL (46.4,69.5) vs. controls: 51.3 (40.8,98.2), P=0.57); however, ART-experienced had higher levels than ART-naive (ART-experienced: 66.2 µg/mL (55.4,77.0) vs. ART-naive: 48.9 µg/mL (38.9,57.9), P<0.001). In univariate analysis, LL-37 was positively correlated with 25(OH)D in controls (R=0.43;P=0.02), but not in the HIV+ group as a whole or when the ARTexperienced and ART-naive groups were considered separately. LL-37 was not correlated with age, body mass index, CD4 nadir, or HIV-1 RNA in any group. However, LL-37 was positively correlated with current CD4 count in ART-experienced (R=0.37;P=0.02) but not in ART-naive. LL-37 was positively correlated with ΔCD4 in ART-experienced (R=0.40;P=0.02). After adjustment for age, race, sex, and HIV duration, the association between LL-37 and current CD4 count remained significant (P=0.03) but not between LL-37 and ΔCD4 (P=0.09). Conclusions: Plasma LL-37 was positively associated with plasma 25(OH)D concentrations in healthy controls but not in HIV+ subjects. Plasma LL-37 was higher in ART-experienced HIV+ subjects compared to ARTnaive, and plasma LL-37 was associated with CD4 counts and immune restoration after ART. These findings suggest that HIV+ status and/or HIV-related variables may interfere with the expected positive relationship between vitamin D and LL-37, and LL-37 may play an important role in immunomodulation and immune restoration in HIV disease.


The thermal comfort and air pollutant concentration of typical hospital function rooms in different building regional climates are detected on site in this paper.Research results provides necessary data support for systematic establishment of the existing hospital indoors environment evaluation system.According to the results of the investigation,it is found that there are differences of thermal comfort of satisfaction between various people in different building regional climate;it plays obvious effect of reasonable ventilation to reduce the indoor concentration of gaseous pollutants;fine particles in indoor and outdoor hospital buildings exist significant correlation;orderly pressure gradient and clean indoor environment can effectively reduce the concentration of indoor PM2.5 and microorganisms.


A method is described that allows a predictable reproducible continuous variation of column polarity. It permits a controlled peak shift of individual peaks in chromatograms of complex samples by means of coupled (tandem) capillary columns. The columns which have a different polarity are coupled via a "Deans type" switching device in between the columns. Considering the effects of the nature of the stationary phase, film thickness, column length, column temperature and pressure drop across the coupled columns, it appears that a required tailor-made polarity can be calculated and achieved with a high degree of reliability. The actual and predicted column polarity and peak position or peak shift of an individual peak are in surprisingly good agreement (<0.5 Iu).


To identify newborns with congenital Zika infection (CZI) at a maternity hospital in Salvador, Brazil, during the 2016 microcephaly outbreak.


The molecular orientation has a great impact on the performance of organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) and undesired orientation also appears. There is a critical size nc of the orientation transformation from lateral to normal for pentacene (5A) on the a-SiO2 surface during the vapor-phase deposition process. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to get the critical size and gain insight into the transformation mechanism. The results suggest that the delicate interplay between the interaction of molecule-molecule and the interaction of molecule-substrate appears to govern the growth and morphology of pentacene. When n<;nc, the 5A molecules prefer to form lateral oriented cluster with (1-10) surface parallel to the substrate driven by the interaction of molecule-substrate. For n>nc the normal orientation with (001) surface parallel to the substrate becomes stable because the interaction of molecule-molecule holds the dominant position. And a competitive factor Δ between the interaction of molecule-molecule and the interaction of molecule-substrate is established to characterize the results.


Retrieval of images, based on similarities between feature vectors of querying image and those from database, is considered. The searching procedure was performed through the two basic steps: an objective one, based on the Euclidean distances and a subjective one based on the user's relevance feedback. Images recognized from user as the best matched to a query are labeled and used for updating the query feature vector through a RBF (radial basis function) neural network. The searching process is repeated from such subjectively refined feature vectors. In practice, several iterative steps are sufficient, as confirmed by intensive simulations


Cyclic voltammetry,steady polarization,and alternating current impedance were used to study the mechanism of Cr(Ⅲ) electrodeposition in carboxylic acid salt-urea system. The results indicated that the trivalent chromium ion got three electrons by two steps in which one electron was got firstly and two secondly. The two steps were all nonreversible reductions with chemical transformation. The kinetic parameters,such as reaction orders,Tafel slopes,and apparent transfer coefficients calculated from the theoretical kinetics equation were agreed well with the experimentally measured ones.


The statistical characteristics of load and resistance of gravity quay against sliding and overturning with wave force are investigated. And simplified expressions in which the parameters are determined based on the reliability outcome of 10 block quays and 46 caisson quays using JC method are proposed. It indicates that the wave force has a strong influence on reliability of the gravity quay. In the case of same type of gravity quay and same back filler, the bias and variation coefficients of the load and resistance for sliding and overturning can be regarded as constants. The results of reliability index obtained by simplified expressions are very close to the results obtained by JC method.


The durability of concrete structures is an important issue. Eurocode EN 206-1 introduces the k-value concept for concretes made with supplementary cementitious materials; a prescriptive concept that recommends limiting water/cement ratio values for a specified exposure class. A more advanced performance-based concept directly requires that concrete be designed in terms of performance-related parameters, an approach which seems to be more suitable when durability must be achieved. The application of mathematical models in durability assessment is advocated, and an example is shown.


Objective: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) has an unknown etiology and it is one of the complications exposing a life-threatening risk for pregnancy potentially. In our case report, we aimed to discuss the management of PPCM case developing at postpartum period. Case: In this case report, we analyzed a case which delivered at 37 weeks of gestation and had complaints of dyspnea, orthopnea and swelling feet. When severe left ventricle systolic dysfunction was observed in the examinations performed, other diagnoses were ruled out and the patient was diagnosed with PPCM. Conclusion: Peripartum cardiomyopathy should be considered certainly in the differential diagnosis of a patient who refers with the complaints of shortness of breath and swelling feet which are common during pregnancy.


While many different measurement techniques and simulation tools are available to assess electromagnetic exposure for second-generation mobile communications base stations, few works have tackled the problem for downlink third-generation (3G) universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) signals. In this paper, deep analyses of the effect of spectrum analyzer (SA) filtering on 3G/UMTS field measurement for electromagnetic compliance assessment are presented. A procedure for evaluating compliance of frequency-division duplex 3G/UMTS Node B to electromagnetic safety limits, avoiding the use of a code-domain analyzer, is also presented and discussed. Adequate SA settings for exposure compliance testing are proposed, and an important relationship between resolution and video bandwidths is found, which dominates analyzer settings effects on final 3G/UMTS exposure assessment results.


The global economic infrastructure is becoming increasingly dependent upon information technology, with computer and communication technology being essential and vital components of Government facilities, power plant systems, medical infrastructures, financial centres and military installations to name a few. Finding effective ways to protect information systems, networks and sensitive data within the critical information infrastructure is challenging even with the most advanced technology and trained professionals. The First International Symposium on Information Assurance and Security (IAS'04) which was organized in conjunction with the 2004 IEEE International Conference on Information Technology Coding and Computing (ITCC'04) attracted information security experts representing various problem domains. This special issue comprising of 11 papers present some of the cutting edge research results on security issues such as authentication and authorization, data and system protection and integrity, steganography, security models, risk analysis, cryptography, secure e-commerce protocols, agent and mobile code security, wireless networks security, database security to computer forensics, information quality assurance, internet security and intrusion detection. Papers were selected on the basis of fundamental ideas/concepts rather than the thoroughness of techniques deployed. The papers are organized as follows. Wireless local area networks are increasingly popular as they are easy to deploy at low cost. Unfortunately, they are easily vulnerable to attacks since their signals can be detected by eavesdroppers at great distances. Wireless Intrusion Detection Systems (WIDS) provides a security framework by combining intrusion detection with physical location detection using directional antennas. Adelstein et al. in the first paper illustrate the performance of WIDS using inexpensive hardware. Digital forensics involves collection and analysis of digital data within an investigative process and the key challenge here is the collection of data in the least intrusive manner. In the second paper, Sitaraman and Venkatesan present a checkpoint methodology for a disk that has a Unix-like file system. The task is to record a checkpoint of a disk drive mounted as a file system on a host machine


SMT-MG operation mechanism was studied on three levels: product data level, the manufacturing process level and virtual organization level, and a variety of resources of SMT-MG product data level were discussed, focused on the parallel, coordination and feedback mechanism in the manufacturing process-level, and the PUSH-PULL-driven mechanism and the adaptive evolution mechanism of the virtual organization level were analyzed. Finally, SMT was verified on the developed SMT-MG platforms.


Pekarangan, one of the Indonesian homestead agroforestry systems has been recognized as a small-scale landscape unit that can be developed as a mitigation and rehabilitation area by providing a variety of medicinal plants as well as outdoor activity. Thus, a study of the importance of pekarangan is crucial to identify its utilization and to recommend a landscape management strategy. About 90 pekarangan were identified to elaborate their spatial characteristic. Results show that the limited land is a determining factor to build pekarangan. However, no matter how small the remaining space is potentially functioned as a pekarangan. This finding suggests that the pekarangan can be carried out in a multi-scale landscape. Further, the owner's preference to utilize the remaining limited space with a more productive function is an important direction in the development of the pekarangan for the context of the urban village area. In this case, the production function needs to be strengthened compared to the aesthetic function. Considering the importance of pekarangan landscape, further study is important to proceed the planning and design simulation stage. Through a spatial planning and design approach, it can be developed into design guidelines based on local context and wisdom to be realized in a multi-scale landscape.


Maureen Bunger spoke to Adam Tarring (Commissioning Editor, International Journal of Pharmacokinetics). Maureen Bunger is a Product Manager for ADME-Tox and hepatocytes at Lonza. With a PhD in Mole...


Abstract A modification of standard methods to retrieve harmonic components in seismic signals is given. Variation in the number of terms in summation of harmonic components is suggested in order to obtain better suppression of "noise". As a result of this modification, results are obtained whose accuracy is greater than was previously possible. The estimates of the errors are also more realistic. A numerical example is given and the results compare very favorably to those obtained without our modification.


The author of the article analyzes the current problems of establishing circumstancesthat eliminate civil liability and suggests ways to minimize the consequences of force majeure in contractual obligations.According to the author, it is necessary to fix in the normative legal act newcircumstances that eliminatecivilliability and the specifics of their proof. In order to minimize the consequences of force majeurecircumstancesincontractual obligations, the author suggests that it is mandatory to include a clause on force majeurecircumstances with an indication of the deadline for notifying the counterparty of the occurrence of force majeureandtheconsequences of their occurrence


The effects of rotation length, crop sequence, and N and P fertilizers on yield, grain quality, and economic performance of 10 crop rotations in an ongoing experiment conducted on a Brown Chernozemic silty loam soil at Swift Current, Saskatchewan are discussed after the first 18 yr. When N and P fertilizers were applied based on soil tests, yields of wheat grown on fallow were similar for the 2-yr and 3-yr wheat rotations (1905 kg ha−1). Yields of wheat grown on N- and P-fertilized stubble were also similar whether grown in 3-yr or continuous rotations (1379 kg ha−1). Stubble wheat yields were unaffected by the preceding crop, except when following flax in a continuous-type rotation where it was suppressed due to moisture competition from weeds. Fertilizer N had no affect on yields of wheat grown on fallow because little N was required or applied; but yields of wheat grown on stubble were increased 7% when grown in a 3-yr rotation and 17% when grown continuously. Application of P fertilizer increased fall...


Summary— Submaximal exercise heart rate was measured after oral administration of placebo, tertatolol 5 mg, propranolol 80 mg, and atenolol 100 mg to 12 subjects in a double‐blind cross‐over study. The peaks of beta‐blocking activity, observed at 2 hr, were of similar extent for the 3 drugs. The duration of activity of tertatolol, a beta blocker with a short elimination half‐life, extended up to 24 hr as did that of atenolol, but was longer than that of propranolol which reached only 18 hr. These results support once‐daily administration of tertatolol in therapy.