Worldwide between 200 - 300 million people are chronically infected with the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). For up to 20% of infected patients, chronicity can lead to cirrhosis and hepato-cellular carcinomas. HCV is a member of the Flaviviridae family, such as Dengue virus (DENV) and West Nile Virus (WNV), which has been classified into its own, Hepacivirus genus due to major differences in genomic organization and amino acid sequences. The HCV genome is a positive-strand RNA of 9.6 kb encoding a polyprotein that is post-translationally processed into structural (Core, E1, E2 and p7) and non-structural (NS2, NS3, NS4A, NS4B, NS5A and NS5B) proteins.
 In the present work, a variety of computational methods and approaches are applied to investigate HCV proteins involved both in the fusion process mechanism (E1 and E2 envelope glycoproteins) and drug resistance (NS3 protease). The E1/E2 glycoprotein complex represents the surface of the virus which is largely responsible for virus antigenicity and is involved in important viral processes including virus attachment and cell-entry. The NS3/4A protease is responsible for several important biological functions in the HCV life cycle, including polyprotein cleavage, viral replication and inhibition of the host antiviral response. The protease domain is one of the main candidate targets for rational drug design.
 Today, structural knowledge about both the E1 and E2 glycoproteins is very limited. This is due to the lack of feasible expression systems for etherologous proteins, which has made attempts at crystallization unsuccessful. However, two models of the three-dimensional structure of E2, obtained by fold recognition have been proposed by Yagnik et al. in 2000 (Model-1) and by Spiga et al. in 2006 (Model-2). In both cases, the molecular model is based on the E protein of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV), a virus belonging to the Flaviviridae family and thus evolutionary closely related to HCV. These models are compared and evaluated in terms of their reliability according to experimentally derived functional information. Model-1 seems to be the most consistent with the functions of E2 as supported by collected evidence. However, this model presents some weak points, the most noteworthy being that is does not take into account the location of the strictly conserved cysteine-residues forming nine disulphide bonds. However, the recently acquired knowledge of the E2 protein disulphide bonds, and experimentally derived findings provide sufficient constrains to reconstitute a new model not only for this protein but also for the E1/E2 complex. The current E1E2 model is constructed using the E1 glycoprotein of alphavirus Semliki Forest Virus (SFV) a Class II fusion protein as template. Class II fusion proteins are elongated molecules composed almost entirely of β-strands containing three domains. Domain I is connected to domain II by a highly flexible hinge region. The fusion loop is located on the tip of the domain II, loop crucial for the fusion mechanism. The immuno globulin-like domain III is located in a lateral position and is followed by a stem region connecting the protein ectodomain to the its transmembrane domain.
 Our HCV E2 model matches well with domains I and II of the template fusion protein while HCV E1 matches domain III. The most important feature of our model is that it takes into account the location of the strictly conserved cysteine residues forming nine disulphide bonds. Validation of this model is performed mapping the most important functional sites. The localization of principal functional sites is often in agreement with experimental data obtained so far. Furthermore there are some proposed novel features of HCV envelope proteins which present a structural hypothesis explaining the viral membrane fusion machinery architecture. This new E1E2 model shares the main features of Class II fusion proteins. In this case the fusion process is promoted by a dimer of two proteins instead of the single one in Class II proteins.
 The proposed E1E2 fusion complex involves E1 as anchor for the entire structure, and makes contact with E2 by their respective transmembrane and stem regions. An α-helix insertion in E1 also increases the interaction surface between them. In E2, the flexible loop together with the hinge region has a principal role in conformational changes during the fusion process. Moreover, the new model places the fusion loop very well on the tip of the elongated domain II, in which the GWG motif (mostly conserved among E2 HCV genotypes and the other members of the same family) is very exposed. This is important because we think that it is the principal structural feature of this sequence stretch of directly involved in the insertion into the host cell membrane, and it is able to bridge the gap between the viral and cell membranes to promoting their fusion.
 In the last part of this thesis the attention has been focused on the use an emergent method: residue interaction networks (RINs) where each node represents a residue in the protein and connections are used to indicate different interaction types (van-der-Waals contacts, salt bridges, pi-pi stacks or simple hydrophobic contacts). We used residue interaction networks to investigate molecular effects underlying drug resistance in the NS3 protease, one the current candidate target to develop inhibitors. All published NS3data about both natural occurring variants and drug induced mutations associated to a decrease susceptibility to protease inhibitors were collected. Attention has been focused on the study of drug resistance mechanisms against the two inhibitors Telaprevir and Boceprevir, currently in phase III of clinical trial. Two variants V36M and R155K, have been analyzed. The V36M variant affects the local conformation and the geometry of the hydrophobic cavity, as a consequence of the a higher number of interactions which confers higher rigidity to this site if compared with the WT strain. The mutations effect is reflected on the immediately close active site binding pocket. The R155K variant has an impact both on the local conformation in proximity of the beta-barrel domain involved in substrate binding but also in the active site binding pocket. In this case RIN analysis showed the importance of G140 located in the same loop as S139 (catalytic triad amino acid directly involved in inhibitors binding). G140 probably plays an important role in maintaining the flexibility of this loop in the WT strain while in the mutated protein this condition is lost due to an increased number of interactions such as a a new hydrogen bond with an amino acid responsible for substrate binding (F154) and directly interacting with S139. Applying filters based on residue conservation and their degree (number of interactions per residue), it has been possible to identify functionally and structurally important residues. As expected, some of these are part of functionally important sites such as the catalytic triad, hydrophobic cavity and substrate binding sites. Other are not involved in the known NS3function but probably, on the basis of these results, are critical to maintain the NS3structure.


An active vibration control apparatus comprises: a housing (21); a movable member (17) comprising at least one movable mass member (16); an exciting coil (14) which generates a magnetic field having an intensity corresponding to a current supplied to the exciting coil; a magnetic viscoelastic elastomeric member (13) whose viscoelastic property changes in accordance with a magnitude of the magnetic field generated by the exciting coil; and a support member (31) made of a non-magnetic material. The housing (21) and the movable member (17) are elastically connected to each other by both the magnetic viscoelastic elastomeric member (13) and the support member (31).


As a step towards providing support for an ecological approach to strengthening marine protected areas (MPAs) and meeting international commitments, this study combines cumulative impact assessment and conservation planning approach to undertake a large‐scale spatial prioritization.


The aim of this study is to gain understanding of students' experiences of assessment and the study strategies they adopt in the context of Higher Education in Rwanda. The study is governed by ques ...


It is well known that Drug Design is often a costly process both in terms of time and economic effort. While good Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship models (QSAR) can help predicting molecular properties without the need to synthesize them, it is still required to come up with new molecules to be tested. This is mostly done in lack of tools to determine which modifications are more promising or which aspects of a molecule are more influential for the final activity/property. Here we present an automatic process which involves Graph Convolutional Network models and input-attribution methods to generate new molecules. We also explore the problems of over-optimization and applicability, recognizing them as two important aspects in the practical use of such automatic tools.


Structural environment models are considered for models of nonlinear optical properties of molecules that are exposed to a structured environment.


This study explores secondary school students' understanding of evaporation and investigates whether students associate the concept of evaporation with only water as a liquid. An open‐ended written test was developed using three different words (water, liquid or alcohol) to state the question phrases. The test was implemented on a sample of 313 students at different levels of schooling. Clinical interviews, in which ethyl alcohol was used as an example of liquids, were also undertaken with 12 students, either individually or as a group. From the collected data, it was found that most of the students at different levels lack understanding of the concept and have several misconceptions. Various misconceptions of the evaporation concept that differ from those cited in the related literature were determined. The most important result was that students' written responses showed some specific misconceptions when they were presented with the questions using three different words; liquid, water and alcohol.


ABSTRACT This article discusses the emergence, organisation, interaction and evolution of regional bodies responsible for cooperation in health in sub-Saharan Africa from the late 1940s to the mid-1960s. Focusing on Portugal's under-researched role in the CCTA and the WHO's regional office (AFRO), it addresses the issue of health diplomacy and inter-regional cooperation during a period of significant political change on the African continent. Drawing from a great variety of published and archival sources, it provides an overview of the strategies pursued by Portugal and other colonial powers with regard to trans-national and regional cooperation in health, against the background of the complex interplay of regional interests and overlapping membership of CCTA and AFRO. It shows how the tensions between constructive international and regional engagement on the one hand and colonial sovereignty and legitimacy on the other played out and shifted over time in the African region. In addition, it discusses Portugal's health diplomacy against the background of the membership of newly independent African countries of CCTA and AFRO, and its refusal to decolonise, eventually precipitated the country's suspension from WHO-AFRO and all technical cooperation in 1966.


Background  Soluble immune receptors (SIRs) have been proposed as biomarkers in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). However, their clinical applicability in affected children has rarely been studied.


Abstract Background Large vessel vasculitides comprise primary vasculitides of large and medium-sized arteries with various clinical, laboratory and radiological presentations. Imaging has become increasingly important in the diagnosis and monitoring of large vessel vasculitides. It complements clinical and laboratory examination and displays vasculitic changes of large extra- and intracranial arteries with relatively good diagnostic reliability and a low level of invasiveness. Method This review presents the most important imaging modalities and some typical imaging findings in the context of the two main forms of large vessel vasculitis, giant cell arteritis and Takayasu's arteritis, with special regard to the recently launched EULAR (The European League Against Rheumatism) recommendations on the role of imaging in patients with suspected large vessel vasculitides. Results and Conclusion Color-coded duplex sonography (CCDS), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography are today's common imaging methods in large vessel vasculitides representing a reasonable and less invasive alternative or at least a good complement to temporal artery biopsy. Today's EULAR guidelines recommend an imaging test as the first complementary method to clinical examination with CCDS as the preferred diagnostic test in suspected giant cell arteritis, MRI as the equivalent alternative in the case of inconclusive results, and MRI as the first choice in suspected Takayasu's arteritis. Key Points:  Imaging is a noninvasive diagnostic test for diagnosing and monitoring large vessel vasculitides and is recommended nowadays as the first complementary method to clinical examination. Imaging is a reasonable alternative or at least a good complement to temporal artery biopsy in the case of suspected giant cell arteritis. Today's EULAR guidelines recommend CCDS as the preferred diagnostic test in suspected giant cell arteritis, with MRI as an equivalent alternative in the case of inconclusive results, and MRI as the first choice in suspected Takayasu's arteritis. Citation Format Guggenberger K, Bley T. Imaging in Large Vessel Vasculitides. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2019; 191: 1083 – 1090


1 Muscarinic cholinoceptor stimulation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis in rat cultured cerebellar granule cells results in a rapid, transient accumulation of inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3), which has been implicated in the release of non‐mitochondrial intracellular Ca2+stores. In the present study, the release of Ca2+from intracellular stores and the Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor responsible for this process have been investigated. 2 Monolayers of saponin‐permeabilized granule cells accumulate 45Ca2+in an ATP‐dependent manner and the sequestered 45Ca2+can be concentration‐dependently released by Ins(1,4,5)P3 by a stereospecific and heparin‐sensitive mechanism. The EC50 for Ins(1,4,5)P3‐stimulated 45Ca2+release was 80 ± 3 nm. 3 Radioligand binding studies performed on a crude granule cell membrane fraction indicated the presence of an apparently homogeneous population of stereo‐specific Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptors (KD 54.7 ± 2.0 nm; Bmax 1.37 ± 0.29 pmol mg−1 protein). 4 This study provides evidence for Ins(1,4,5)P3‐sensitive intracellular Ca2+stores in primary cultures of cerebellar granule cells and suggest that these cells provide an excellent model neuronal system in which to study the relative functional roles of Ca2+release from intracellular stores and Ca2+‐entry in neuronal Ca2+homeostasis.


Abstract This paper provides an overview of the effect of recurrent otitis media (ROM) on speech reception abilities in children. Presently, researchers are divided in opinion as to whether children with histories of ROM will have delayed speech and language development when compared to their normal hearing peers without a history of ROM. Some researchers have suggested that children with and without ROM perform similarly in speech reception tasks, but others hold a different view. The speech material for the speech perception tests they used included nonsense syllables, monosyllabic words, and sentences presented in conditions with and without background noise. The findings from these studies did not give a clear indication of the ROM effect on children's speech reception. Essentially, the indeterminate and conflicting findings of these studies may be the result of differences in experimental design, speech material, methodological procedures used, and the age of children given the small effect size. By using connected discourse as the speech material, it may be possible to investigate the effect of ROM on children's ability to understand everyday speech. Recommendations for improving and refining research in this area are presented.


In a paper "Mango Budding" by these authors given at the meetings in Tampa last November there was discussed a method of chip budding which appeared to promise good results in more econom ical nursery tree production. A number of further questions were brought to mind by the results at that time. Some more work was done along these lines during the past year and the results are here offered as an addenda to last year's


Abstract The source and forcing mechanisms of radiation budget variability were examined over tropical latitudes by separating the variations into cloud- and surface-forced components. A zonal harmonic analysis of emitted longwave radiation emphasizes that these variations are largely controlled at the planetary wave scale. Positive total and cloud-forced longwave (LW) anomalies embedded within this planetary-scale structure show eastward movement from the Indian Ocean toward the eastern Pacific together with the easterly displacement of negative anomalies from the western Pacific toward Africa during the period prior to and after the active phase of the 1982–83 ENSO. The overall effect leads to an approximately 50° per year propagation phase speed that is considerably slower than the oceanic Kelvin wave capable of driving east-west LW anomalies through sea surface temperature (SST) feedback. The oceanic Kelvin wave speed is about 60° per month over the Pacific basin in the course of an ENSO cycle. This s...


The investigation of the He-induced W "fuzz" electrical properties was carried out. For the research, an automated experimental setup was designed. The setup was based on a vacuum chamber operated under high vacuum conditions (~ 10−7 Pa). The vacuum diode under investigation comprised of a flat W "fuzz" cathode with an area of about 1 cm2 and a 2 mm radius cylindrical copper anode with a hemisphere tip. The cathode-anode distance was about 100 μm. The voltage applied was up to 10 kV. A DAC/ADC module controlled an HV power supply and automatically registered currents and voltages in the circuit. The effect of a spontaneous change in the emissive ability of the investigated surface area was observed. These changes can vary significantly in magnitude. Large-scale changes can lead to a permanent increase in the emissive ability of a specific area or to a breakdown of the gap. Small changes, as a rule, are reversible, have a stepped nature, and make it difficult to record and interpret the current-voltage characteristics of the field emitter.


Objective To investigate the association of C3 and ApoE expressions with lymph node metastasis and clinical pathological stage of human pancreatic cancer. Methods Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of C3 and ApoE in pancreatic cancer's tissues and normal pancreatic tissues,and the relevance of C3 and APoE expressions to the metastasis of pancreatic cancer was analyzed. Results The positive rates of C3 and ApoE expressions were 73.68% and 86.84% in pancreatic cancer,significantly higher than those in normal pancreas tissues (42.11% and 42.11%, P<0.01 ). The positive rate of C3 expressions in pancreatic cancer of lymph node metastasis was 56.52%, in those without lymph node metastasis was 46.67% (P=0.741). The positive rate of C3 expressions in pancreatic cancer of stage Ⅰ was 57.14%, in those of stage Ⅱ - Ⅳ was 77.42% (P=0.194). The positive rate of ApoE expressions in pancreatic cancer of lymph node metastasis was 78.26%, significantly higher than those without lymph node metastasis (33. 33%, P<0.01). The positive rate of ApoE expressions in pancreatic cancer of stage Ⅰ was 57. 14%, significantly lower than those of stage Ⅱ - Ⅳ (93.55%, P <0.05 ). Conclusions C3 and ApoEare all overexpressed in pancreatic cancer. C3 is not related with tumor's lymph node metastasis and clinical stages, may be marker for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. ApoE is closely related with tumor' s development, may reflect the biological behavior of pancreatic cancer.

Key words:
Pancreatic cancer;  C3;  ApoE


We report on the electromigration-induced morphological evolution of islands (vacancies, precipitates, and homoepitaxial adatom clusters) using a phase-field method with high symmetries of surface diffusional anisotropy. The analysis emphasizes on islands migrating in the {100} and {111} planes of the face-centered-cubic crystal, which resembles fourfold and sixfold symmetries, respectively. The numerical results intend to elaborate on the role of conductivity contrast between the island and the matrix and the misorientation of the fast diffusion direction with respect to the applied electric field on the morphological evolution. Based on numerical results, a morphological diagram is constructed in the plane of misorientation angle and conductivity contrast delineating a rich variety of morphologies, which includes steady-state, time-periodic, zigzag oscillations, and island breakup. While the shape of the island is primarily dictated by the conductivity contrast, the migration modes depend on the misorientation. The various migration modes are further distinguished based on the shape of the island such as a faceted wedge or seahorse morphology, an oscillatory characteristic such as standing wave or traveling wave time-periodic oscillations, and different breakup features. The steady-state kinetics obtained from the fourfold and sixfold symmetries are critically compared with the twofold symmetry, isotropic analytical, and numerical findings. Our result suggests that the steady-state velocity decreases with the symmetry fold of the island. Furthermore, the influence of variation in conductivity contrast and misorientation on kinetics in the time-periodic oscillations are discussed. Finally, the numerically obtained stable facets are compared with the analytically derived orientations. The observed results have direct repercussions in terms of the fabrication of nanopatterns and the performance of thin-film interconnects.


Through a longitudinal study of professionals in a hybrid identity organization, where norma-tive and utilitarian values clash, I explore how members respond to and manage the conflicts linked to the hybrid nature of their organization. Contrary to the literature that often suggests that individuals will systematically experience discomfort or ambivalence, my analysis reveals that the tensions in hybrid identities of the organizations get translated to individuals in specific situations when the normative and the economic identities of the organization are at odds. My findings further suggest that members not only respond to these tensions at the individual level by either siding with the economic identity of the organization or siding with the normative identity of the organization but also by expanding their organizational identity through their actions. Finally, my findings reveal that both the organization's identity and the work-related identity of individual members expand, becoming more complex ove...


Chapter in the exhibition catalogue outlining the instigation and concept for the creation of the exhibition at the Biennale. The text focuses on the relation of urban development in Bahrain with the traditional and cultural connection to water and the sea.


The diffusion behavior of Ag+ ions in a polymer membrane containing valinomycin (VAL) has been studied by X-ray microanalysis. Ag+ ions are transported rapidly into the membrane along with Cl− ions. The saturated amount of Ag+ ions in the membrane is estimated to be equal to that of VAL. It is found that the rate determining step of Ag+ ion transport is the diffusion process.


Over the past decade, the South African transportation environment has actively started to adapt a technology-driven setting. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) applications such as Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) and Advanced Public Transportation Systems (APTS) have since been promoted and developed. These ITS deployments have brought about new areas for consideration. If the sustainability of the newly developed systems is to be ensured, sufficient attention needs to be given to the managing of their inherent technology-related aspects. These aspects are currently, to varying degrees, being measured and monitored. However, little thought is given to ITS performance management in the conceptualizationand planning phase of ITS projects. As a result, the monitoring is mostly done by a modularand possibly inconsistent performance measurement approach. Moreover, in the absence of a set of widely accepted performance measures and transferable methodologies, it is very difficult for the local industry to objectively assess the effects of their specific applications with regard to the implementation of policies and technologies. The aim of this paper is thus to define a common evaluation framework for the monitoring and managing of the newly developed systems and to present guidelines as to its application. The aforementioned is accomplished by elucidating the need for managing performance measurement and by providing a review on the current ITS measurement trends and movements in the South African transportation environment. Ultimately, a major evolution in the nation's transportation environment in the form of an ITS performance management regime may be stimulated.


The aim of this study is to produce the game-based ABC running exercise model for children ages 6-12 years by testing the effectiveness of increasing the speed of 30 meters short distance running in athletes aged 6-12 years. The research method used in this study is the research and development method of Borg and Gall by using 10 stages. The research subjects in this study are at the age of 6-12 years of athletic at the athletic club in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. The study begins with a data analysis of requirements, planning, product making, testing, revision and final products. The model feasibility test presents 3 experts consisting of 2 athletic lecturers and 1 national athletic trainer. The effectiveness test model uses a 30 meters speed parameter test involving 40 athletes aged 6-12 years consisting of 2 athletic clubs in Yogyakarta Province. Increasing the running speed of 30 meters shows the significance of t-count = 45.64, db = 19 and p-value = 0.00 < 0.05, for the average N-gain of 56.30, which means that the category of interpretation is "quite effective". This means that there are significant differences in the 30 meters run speed of athletes before and after being given a training model. It can be concluded that the game-based ABC running exercise model developed is effective enough to increase the running speed of 30 meters in athlete's ages 6-12 years.


Objective To review the evidence regarding neuroprotective effects of antenatal exposure to magnesium sulfate.Methods We conducted database searches of PubMed,Cochrane library,EMBASE,China Journal Full-text Database,Chinese Biomedical Database,Chinese Scientific Journals Full-text Database.Randomized controlled trials comparing Magnesium Sulfate with placebo / other treatment in patients at risk of preterm labor were evaluated for inclusion and methodological quality.The data was analyzed by RevMan 5.0.The outcomes were death with cerebral palsy by 18~24 months corrected age,death,cerebral palsy,moderate-severe cerebral palsy,and death with moderate-severe cerebral palsy.Result Five randomized controlled trials were included(5 235 fetuses / infants).When analyzed by GA(gestational age) at randomization,in utero exposure to magnesium sulfate during 30~34 weeks did not reduce the rate of death or cerebral palsy(RR 0.93,95%CI 0.79~1.09).However,cerebral palsy(RR 0.70,95%CI 0.54~0.90),moderate-severe cerebral palsy(RR 0.61,95%CI 0.44~0.84),and death with moderate-severe cerebral palsy were significantly reduced,without an evident increase in risk death(RR 0.99,95%CI 0.82~1.19).Similar results were obtained when the GA at randomization was less than 30 weeks.When only neuroprotection trials(four trials,4 324 fetuses / infants) are analyzed,in utero exposure to Magnesium Sulfate additionally reduced the outcome of cerebral palsy.Conclusion Fetal exposure to Magnesium Sulfate in women at risk of preterm delivery significantly reduces the risk of cerebral palsy without increasing the risk of death.


Innovation in agriculture is generally defined as the implementation of ideas, products, practices, processes, new services or apparent improvements in certain environments with attention to benefit the society and the individuals within
(Rogers, 1995).The use of communication technology
as the innovation in the agricultural information
delivery channel among farmers is still low, especially among the developing countries.This phenomenon has sparked researcher's initiatives to study the agricultural information delivery channel, particularly in agricultural development activities among the farmers under the auspices of Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA). In
soliciting the decision-making phase of accepting the innovation, there are a few drawbacks of the channel as it was shown by Innovation Diffusion Theory.The rapid development of communication technology has led to two-way, interactive and easy-access media channel, which previously dashingly dependent on conventional media and agricultural agency.The study variables include the relative advantages, the trialibility, the suitability, the complexity, and the observability as had been described by Everett. M.Rogers. Additionally, variables such as effort
expectancy, performance expectancy, social
influences and facilitating condition are taken into account as to facilitate the dissemination of
information on the paddy plantation. This study will use quantitative method in which opinions through a questionnaire will be collected. A total of 398 farmers was involved as the respondents of the study.The quantitative data were analysed using SPSS Version 21.The study is expected to improve the use of communication technology channel in paddy plantation to gain better and more knowledge on paddy plantation in order to increase rice production.


African environment and development - an introduction, B. Ikubolajeh Logan and William G. Moseley. Environmental Narratives and African Realities: Ideology and power in resource management - from sustainable development to environmental security in Africa, B. Ikubolajeh Logan Environmental degradation and "poor" smallholders in the West African Sudano-Sahel - global discourses and local realities, William G. Moseley Grounding environmental narratives - the impact of a century of fighting against fire in Mali, Paul Laris. Political Economy, Rural Livelihoods and the Environment: War and the environmental effects of displacement in Southern Africa (1970s-1990s), Emmanuel Kreike Pesticides, politics and pest management - toward a political ecology of cotton in Sub-Saharan Africa, Jim Bingen A local graft takes hold - the political ecology of commercial horticultural production in rural Mali, Stephen R. Wooten Risk positions and local politics in a Sahelian society - the Fulbe of the Hayre in central Mali, Mirjam de Bruijn and Han van Dijk. Global Environmental Politics and Conservation in Africa: Buying (into) and selling conservation among Maasai in Southern Kenya, Jennifer E. Coffman Placing the local in the transnational? Communities and conservation across borders in Southern Africa, Rachel B. DeMotts "(S)hell in Nigeria" - the environmental impact of oil politics in Ogoniland on Shell International, Phia Steyn Whither African environment and development?, William G. Moseley.


The ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been especially felt in cities, with the urban poor in the global South having suffered most from the disproportionate impact from the crisis. With over half of the world's global population already living in urban areas, the ways in which future urban growth and development is managed will greatly determine the extent to which global development goals are met, making cities and local governments key parts of the solution to achieving sustainable development. This position piece builds on our engagements as a researcher and practitioner in various international projects, networks and initiatives related to sustainable urban development to argue in favour of a lateral approach to post-pandemic development. Such an approach recognizes the significance of peer-to-peer exchange and learning between cities and urban communities at large as an accelerator of progress on the localisation of global policy agendas. This is especially important in the African context where levels of decentralization and access to urban expertise or resources are uneven. We identify city networks, national governments and academia and civil society as key actors and vectors that can support such cross-city exchange and sharing, in order to stimulate horizontal and transversal local approaches to sustainable development in a post-pandemic world.


The invention provides an electronic document management apparatus and method. The apparatus comprises a setting unit, at least two management units and a document processing unit, wherein the setting unit is used for setting the at least two management units; a superior-subordinate relationship exists between every two of the at least two management units; a current management unit is used for obtaining a first management right allocated to the current management unit by a previous management unit and allocating a second management right to a next management unit; and the document processing unit is used for receiving an electronic document transmission request, determining the management unit corresponding to the request, and transmitting electronic documents within a management right range of the management unit corresponding to the request so as to realize unified management of the electronic documents.


—The concentrations of several metabolites, including glucose, glycogen, glucose‐6‐phosphate, lactate, ATP and phosphocreatine have been measured in the brains of mice rapidly frozen at various intervals after the intraperitoneal injection of d‐amphetamine sulphate (5 mg/kg). During the initial 30 min following injection, amphetamine induced a fall in cerebral glycogen and phosphocreatine and an elevation of lactate. Changes in glucose and brain/blood glucose ratios were less marked over this period. The metabolite levels returned to control values at 60 min. The cerebral metabolic rate calculated by the 'closed system' technique also showed a biphasic change. An initial depression of energy flux over the first 15 min following amphetamine injection was followed by an increase that appeared to be closely associated with the increase in locomotor activity over this period. The results have been discussed in relation to the known catecholamine‐releasing action of amphetamine, and differential effects on glial cells and neurons have been proposed.


Introduction: The U wave is a poorly understood electrocardiographic (ECG) manifestation of late ventricular repolarization. The association between U waves and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the general population is unclear. Hypothesis: Large U vector magnitude is associated with increased SCD risk. Methods: Data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (n=13,705; mean age 54.1±5.8 y; 73% male; 55% white; median follow-up 14 y) were analyzed. U wave onset and offset were identified using a semi-automated approach on XYZ transformed ECG leads. The 3-dimensional U wave loop was reconstructed and smoothed to reduce noise. U loop origin was defined as the point halfway between U-onset and U-offset in 3-dimensional space. Maximum U vector magnitude (UVMmax) was measured as the 3-dimensional distance between U loop origin and the point on the smoothed U loop farthest from the origin (Figure A). Participants with UVMmax >100 μV were excluded due to difficulty differentiating the T wave and U wave on t...


The effects of Li2O-B2O3-SiO2 (LBS) glass additive on the microstructural development and gyromagnetic properties of low-temperature sintered LiZnTi ferrites were investigated. The aim was to assess the potential applications of LiZnTi ferrites in low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) technology, and to produce LTCC phase shifters. The selected parameters including saturation flux density (Bs), squareness ratio (Br/Bs), coercivity (Hc), and ferromagnetic resonance linewidth (ΔH) at 9.3 GHz were measured as a function of doping content, and their relationships with the phase composition and microstructures were discussed. The results show that the LBS glass addition can effectively promote the grain growth and the sintering of LiZnTi ferrites via liquid phase sintering. Meanwhile, the samples with 0.6 wt.% LBS glass addition prepared by a new thermal cycle sintering method, exhibit high Bs and low ΔH due to improving the microstructures.


In recent years, an increasing interest has been observed in the reduction in environmental threats posed by the food production chain beginning with agricultural production. The impact of agriculture on the environment varies depending on farming practices. The aim of the study was to assess and compare the environmental effects of the life cycle of winter wheat cultivation in three soil tillage systems: conventional tillage, reduced tillage, and no-tillage. The study was conducted in 2015–2017 on 15 agricultural farms located in the Wielkopolska region, Poland. The "cradle-to-farm gate" life cycle of wheat production was analysed using life cycle assessment methodology. The values of impact category indicators, especially in the case of global warming potential, acidification potential, and eutrophication potential, depended mainly on mineral fertilization. Wheat production generated more adverse emissions with increased nitrogen fertilization both in reduced tillage and no-tillage systems on the studied farms, and consequently resulted in a more negative impact on the environment compared to wheat cultivated in the conventional tillage system. After nitrogen fertilization, use of fossil fuel, and phosphorus and potassium fertilization were the top contributors to environmental impacts of winter wheat production in different tillage systems. The pre-production phase associated with the agricultural means of production was dominant in determining the analysed environmental impacts, except for global warming potential and photochemical ozone creation potential, which depended mainly on the production phase on the farm. The other key environmental impacts that should be considered when it comes to improvements in the life cycle of wheat production were depletion of mineral resources and acidification.


The issue of AC losses in full-size superconducting cables has been explored both theoretically and computationally in this thesis. A substantially accurate model is presented which captures the dominant physical behavior of a composite superconductor, whether it be a single multifilamentary strand or a large cable. A set of analytic solutions, the first of its kind available, has been derived for a wide range of geometries. In the process, there is a formal proof that twisting filaments or strands reduce losses. The effect of cable terminations on current distribution and loss has been outlined and a criterion is given for determining the regions of validity for the infinite cable assumption. This assumption, in turn, lays the foundation for the implementation of the computational part of the thesis. A nonlinear 2D computer program, which takes into the effect of superconducting saturation, has been developed and implemented. As a result, current distribution and loss profiles of a multifilamentary strand can be solved with great accuracy and efficiency, thereby adding new capabilities in the analysis of losses in multifilamentary strands. A 3D code, tailored to the geometry of the proposed ITER cable-in-conduit conductor (CICC), is the final contribution of this thesis. The need to accurately describe the geometry of the CICC lead to the cable winder algorithm. From the derived strand trajectories, the 3D code produces current distributions and losses for transverse magnetic fields. Loss characteristics were compared against available experimental data. A new set of results and design recommendations emerged from the analysis. Thesis Supervisor: Jeffrey P. Freidberg Title: Professor Acknowledgments I would like to thank Prof. Jeff Freidberg, for which this thesis would not have been possible without his guidance and support. I would also like to thank Prof. Richard Thornton and Dr. Bruce Montgomery for providing me with the opportunity to work on superconducting magnets. I consider myself fortunate for having been able to work on interesting projects such as MAGLEV and fusion. Thanks go to Prof. Jacob White for taking time out of his busy schedule to be one of my thesis readers. Throughout my years at MIT, I have made some great friends. Kudos go to Grundy for helping me out with some of the figures in this thesis. I am also grateful to my good friend up north, Alain (sheema) for some fruiftful technical discussions. And there is, of course, the people I befriended at Ashdown: my original dorm-mates, Karin and Anne, and of course my Athena buddy, JP, who followed me home after my PWE's. Gratitudes to my sisters-in-arms, Meechoo, Sue, Steph, for all those female-bonding sessions. I also have to thank Matt and Shiufun for all the times they put up with me being in their suite all those TV nights have finally paid off! Finally, I want to thank my friends from undergraduate (Andrew, Jo, Wendy, Ting, Illy, Suz, etc.) for being such good friends during my undergraduate years here. Special thanks go to Lisa for being such a wonderful supportive friend and for always being there to share my experiences with me. Last, but not least, I want to thank my parents for making me who I am to my father who sparked my interest in the sciences and to my mother who always had faith and was always there to take care of me.


We consider the algebraic Riccati equations in general case of arbitrary pair (A, B) and nonsingular matrix Γ of quadratic form. We obtain the necessary and sufficient conditions for existence of a complete set of solutions. Thus, even in the standard case of sign definite matrix Γ we maximally weaken the restrictions on pair (A, B). These results are extended to the case of singular matrix Γ. We derive and use a special representation of Hamiltonian matrices which form a basis for proofs.


Continental rifting and breakup of eastern Gondwana during the Cretaceous separated northern Zealandia from eastern Australia, but the processes leading to this highly extended and largely submerged block of continental crust are unknown. We acquired and processed multichannel seismic reflection data across northern Zealandia and examine the stratigraphy of the Middleton Basin. We identified a two‐phase formation process for the basin, as evidenced by an unconformity separating two postrift units. After initial basin formation and slow deposition of the lower postrift unit, deposition rates within the Middleton Basin rapidly increased in response to the latest stage of subsidence and to create the modern basin. We propose a tectonic model wherein the Middleton Basin initiated through oceanic spreading and the subsequent postrift subsidence of the newly created oceanic lithosphere was delayed due to thermal buoyancy associated with nearby oceanic spreading in the Tasman Basin. Our results provide new constraints on rifting and breakup processes of wide, magma‐poor, and asymmetric margins and indicate that multiple regions of weak lithosphere may have influenced the breakup.


Abstract : This bibliography was assembled as an aid for those who are interested in the helicopter/helicopter research, engineering, and developement. In selecting documents to be included in this report, two limitations were observed. First, the documents are specifically related, in whole or in part, to helicopter operations. Second, they are limited to documents in which the research, engineering, and development elements (i.e., the ADL Complex) of the FAA have been involved as sponsors, participants, or authors. Citations include abstracts. Author and subject indexes are provided.


Four ribityllumazine compounds were isolated from the cultured medium of Pseudomonas ovalis. Three of them were characterized as 6-methyl-8-(1-D-ribityl)-2,4,7-trioxohexahydropteridine, 6-(3-indolyl)-8-(1-D-ribityl)-2,4,7-trioxohexahydropteridine and 6-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-8-(1-D-ribityl)-2,4,7-trioxohexahydropteridine by comparison with synthetic samples. The fourth compound, named putidolumazine, was supposed to be a new compound (2-carboxyethyl)-8-(1-D-ribityl)-2,4,7-trioxohexahydropteridine from its chemical and spectroscopic properties. This was confirmed from the identity of both natural and synthetic products.


Healthy skin is a delicate balance between skin renewal and microbiota homeostasis, and its imbalance promotes premature aging and dermatological disorders. Skin stem cells are key actors in this process but their sensitivity to aging and external stressors such as UV reduces the skin renewal power. The skin microbiota has been recently described as active in the healthy skin, and its imbalance could trigger some disorders.


The winters of the cold area cities are bitterly cold and very long, lacking natural colors. While excellent color design can change the disadvantageous climate condition. Detailed color design approaches are explained from three aspects, ie., artificial landscape, greening and seasonal quality reproduction. Through color design, which is an essential element of the green space environment in the residential communities, a unique image of residential communities in winter cities will be thus created.


In this paper, a dual-band enhanced harmonic rejection filter along with a quadrature modulator is designed and fabricated in 0.25/spl mu/m CMOS process. This filter is simply a Sallen-Key low pass filter with transmission zeros to provide additional harmonic rejection. The measurement results that the filter significantly suppresses the unwanted harmonics generated by the modulator by more than 30 dB and 40 dB in GSM mode and DCS mode, respectively. This IC operates at 2.7V with current consumption of 4.8mA and 5.7 mA in GSM and DCS mode, respectively.


The quantum-recoil effect on Thomson scattering is investigated in degenerate quantum plasmas. The Thomson scattering cross-section in degenerate quantum plasmas is obtained by the fluctuation-dissipation relation and plasma dielectric function as a function of the plasmon energy, Fermi energy, wave number, and scattering angle. It is shown that the influence of the quantum recoil suppresses the Salpeter structure factor in degenerate quantum plasmas. It is also shown that the structure factor and the differential Thomson scattering cross-section decrease with an increase of the Fermi energy. In addition, it is found that the influence of the Fermi energy on the differential Thomson scattering cross-section is important in the backward scattering regions. Moreover, the total Thomson scattering cross-section has been shown to increase as the scaled plasmon energy increases in degenerate quantum plasmas.


The physical properties and gelation behavior of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) solutions were investigated in mixed solvents of N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). In the individual solubility parameters, DMSO had the polar term closer to PAN than DMF. The SAXS profiles and FT-IR spectra of 20 wt% PAN solutions confirmed that internal structure and intermolecular complex between nitrile groups were broken up by the DMSO molecules. The slope on Cole-Cole plot, a measure of the solution heterogeneity, was increased with the mole fraction of DMSO (XDMSO) via three distinct zones. The homogenization was particularly noticeable in Zone 1 (0.0 < XDMSO < 0.4) and Zone 3 (0.7 < XDMSO < 1.0). The Huggins constant and UV/vis absorbance at 268 nm of dilute solutions decreased sharply above the XDMSO of 0.7 in Zone 3. This indicated the marked increase of the PAN solubility by dissociating the intramolecular complex between nitrile groups. In Zone 1, the storage modulus of 20 wt% PAN solutions decreased but loss modulus remained almost constant with the XDMSO at the lower frequency below 1 rad/s, indicating the weakening of the true entanglement points possessing the intermolecular complexes. The mechanism represented that the intermolecular complexes between nitrile groups were dissociated by DMSO earlier than the intramolecular ones.


Objective: To study the changes of serum TXB\-2 and 6-keto-PGF 1α in type-2 diabetes mellitus accompanied with acute cerebral infarction. Methods: Detect 92 cases of serum TXB\-2 and 6-keto-PGF 1α, fasting plasma glucose, postprandial plasma glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin, triglycerides, cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein in 27 patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus accompanied with acute cerebral infarction and 55 patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus and 20 patients acute cerebral infarction. Results: Levels of serum TXB\-2in type-2 diabetes mellitus accompanied with acute cerebral infarction were significant difference between simple type-2 diabetes mellitus and acute cerebral infarction (P0.05), but there was no significant statistical correlation in the levels of serum 6-keto-PGF 1α(P0.05); There was no significant statistical correlation in the levels of serum TXB\-2 between simple type-2 diabetes mellitus and acute cerebral infarction (P0.05), but Levels of serum 6-keto-PGF 1α were significant difference (P0.05). Levels of serum TXB\-2in all patients were positively correlated with glycosylated haemoglobin, triglycerides and low density lipoprotein (P0.05), but negatively correlated with high density lipoprotein (P0.05); Levels of serum 6-keto-PGF 1α were negatively correlated with postprandial plasma glucose and low density lipoprotein(P0.05). Levels of serum TXB\-2 in patients with simple type-2 diabetes mellitus were positively correlated with glycosylated haemoglobin, cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (P0.05), but Levels of serum 6-keto-PGF 1α were positively correlated with postprandial plasma glucoseand low density lipoprotein (P 0.05). Conclusion: Decompensation of TXA\-2-PGI play an important role in type-2 diabetes mellitus occurrence and it is a feature of glucose and lipid metabolism abnormalities in type-2 diabetes mellitus occurrence and may be one of the important causes of type-2 diabetes mellitus.


In modern society, every person is guaranteed the freedom of movement and accessibility to the desired destination. This means that a society in which people with disabilities will have the same rights as other members of the community should be promoted. In order to improve the conditions for the movement and accessibility for visually impaired persons in Croatia, the traditional measures (lowering curbs, building ramps, elevators, lifting platforms, etc.) are mainly applied, and which try to remove architectural barriers that stand in the way of pedestrians to the destination. There is little use of advanced management measures and traffic management. This paper describes navigation as an integral part of pedestrian traffic management problems. Independent walking of blind persons in a familiar environment is possible only with the help of a white cane. In an unknown environment, things are much more complex. Further complications can occur due to sudden changes in goals and redefinition of paths. Using the services provided by intelligent transport systems, certain improvements are possible, such as finding a certain location in an unknown area, walking down the streets and traveling by public transport. That way, the disadvantages of and discrimination against visually impaired people are reduced. The paper also gives an overview of technologies used for navigation in developed countries. The problems of positioning and orientation, which are essential for navigation, are also described.


Productivity growth across European and other advanced economies has disappointed since the financial crisis. The issue is not just weakness in measured business and government capital— plant, equipment, software, and the like. Rather, growth in total factor productivity (TFP)— which adjusts for observable capital growth as well as the skills of the population—has been weak. In the long run, TFP is typically taken as a broad measure of innovation and efficiency.


The communicative approach exerts a positive effect on college foreign- language teaching but has some limitations. Therefore, we should combine the application of it with the actual conditions in China so that the best use of teaching theories outside China can be made for foreign- language teaching in China.


To explore prospectively the correlation between the level of pedometer‐determined physical activity at the start of the study and the change in pulse wave velocity from baseline to 4 years later in people with Type 2 diabetes.


1. Sodium channel current density was measured using the loose‐patch voltage clamp technique. Innervated rat, mouse and snake muscle had the highest density of Na+ channels in the end‐plate region. These high Na+ channel densities were maintained in denervated muscle. 2. Perijunctional membrane had a Na+ current density 5‐ to 10‐fold greater than the density several hundred micrometres from the end‐plate. In all muscles this concentration of channels near the end‐plate persisted following denervation. 3. At the tendon Na+ current density fell to low values (approximately 1 mA/cm2). The decrease in density began about 300‐500 microns from the tendon. This pattern was found in all snake twitch fibres and fast‐twitch (EDL) rat and mouse muscle fibres. This reduction in channel density near the tendon was not affected by denervation. 4. Sodium channels in all regions of innervated rat and snake muscle fibres were highly sensitive to tetrodotoxin (TTX). Sodium channels in snake muscle remained sensitive to TTX after denervation. Sodium channels that are relatively resistant to TTX appeared in rat muscle after denervation. TTX‐resistant channels were even more concentrated near the end‐plate than were TTX‐sensitive channels in innervated muscle. At the tendon TTX‐resistant Na+ channel density decreased. 5. We conclude that although the nerve presumably directs the localization of Na+ channels during development, the ability to maintain this distribution and to control the distribution of newly appearing channels persists long after the nerve has been removed.


Current medical and health care programs lack formal and longitudinal integration of gender inclusive curricula, including consistent and up to date use of gender inclusive language. This roundtable presentation will focus on how moving towards more gender inclusive language when teaching pelvic anatomy will benefit the professor‐student relationship between anatomy educators and their students. Gender neutral language also creates a framework for future medical practitioners to obtain gender inclusive histories with their patients. Patients who are gender minorities are often subject to gender dysphoria during pelvic examinations due to a lack of gender inclusive language and clinical training among medical students in the traditional medical school curriculum. The current use of pelvic anatomy language can subject transgender and gender expansive students to feeling ostracized or like an invisible demographic in the classroom setting. We must teach students culturally sensitive language before students begin clinical practice to promote effective patient‐provider relationships, thereby optimizing outcomes for transgender and gender expansive patients (i.e "person who is pregnant" or "person with a prostate"). This session will address several questions relevant to developing a gender inclusive classroom environment. A lecture‐style presentation will be given followed by small group discussion to address the following questions:


The status and the main causes of salt gathering under different operation conditions in a distillation tower of FCCU were analyzed. A technical measure for preventing salt gathering was represented.


The evolution of the vacuum coating industry is reviewed. Vacuum science progressed slowly until the late nineteenth century due to an incomplete understanding of vacuum and lack of applications. Edison's invention of the light bulb launched the vacuum industry and increased developmentof improved vacuum systems. The thin film optical coating industry arose from the needs of the German and U.S. military efforts during World War II. The author presents his experience in thin film coating from 1939 to the present.


Objective To explore the clinical characteristics and surgical management of intracranial aneurysms presenting with cerebral ischemia stroke. Methods The clinical data of 4 patients with intracranial aneurysms presenting with cerebral ischemia stroke, of whom, 1 underwent clipping of the aneurysms and reconstruction of the parent artery, 2 trapping of the aneurysms and 1 sent-assisted coils embolization, were analyzed retrospectively. Results Four aneurysms were giant and thrombotic ones. The cerebral ischemia symptoms were relieved in all the patients after the treatment. Conclusions The intracranial aneurysms presenting with cerebral ischemia stoke usually are giant and thrombotic ones. The cerebral ischemia symptoms may be relieved and aneurysm rupture may be prevented by surgical occlusion or endovascular embolization of the aneurysms.


In this paper, the reasons for diesel fuel system flooding are analyzed.Then,the harm to the diesel engine caused by fuel system flooding is discussed.Finally, the halt disposal measure for diesel engine because of fuel system flooding are put forward.With the disposal measures given out, the rust or block of the diesel parts can be avoided,therefore, the diesel can work stably again.


We consider the problem of exploiting the microgenerators dispersed in the power distribution network in order to provide distributed reactive power compensation for power losses minimization and voltage regulation. In the proposed strategy, microgenerators are smart agents that can measure their phasorial voltage, share these data with the other agents on a cyber layer, and adjust the amount of reactive power injected into the grid, according to a feedback control law that descends from duality-based methods applied to the optimal reactive power flow problem. Convergence to the configuration of minimum losses and feasible voltages is proved analytically for both a synchronous and an asynchronous version of the algorithm, where agents update their state independently one from the other. Simulations are provided in order to illustrate the performance and the robustness of the algorithm, and the innovative feedback nature of such strategy is discussed.


The aim of this study was to evaluate effect of non genetic factors on reproductive performance ofBali cattle. Data on reproduction performance were collected from Breeding Centre of Bali Cattle inDenpasar-Bali. Reproductive traits studied were age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI) andpregnancy rate (PR). To observe the effect of non genetic factors on the reproductive traits, a mixedmodel was used because all of the traits studied were measured repeatedly in individuals. The overallmeans for AFC, CI, PR and preweaning mortality were 43.86±0.70 months, 360.93±4.47 days,88.44±1.91% and 7.58±1.07%, respectively. The results showed that AFC and PR were significantly(P 0.05) effect. Withregard to CI, dam year of birth and parity affected CI while mating system had no significantly affect(P>0.05) on CI. The preweaning mortality was only affected by the age of dam significantly (P<0.01).The average of reproductive performance and preweaning mortality in Bali Cattle were not dependedremarkably on the mating system being practiced. It might be concluded that an improvement in Balicattle reproductive traits is possible through improving management systems and utilisation ofcontrolled breeding techniques.


SIR,-The quotation from Hart in Dr. Steen's letter of November 25th is a good example of what I referred to in my previous letter. I there tried to show that in order to put psycho-analysis on a true scientific basis it was necessary to ascertain the physiological activities on which the methods depend, and now we have Dr. Steen apparently supporting the directly opposite view that the physiological conception of mental disorders should be kept quite apart from the psyclhological cnception. In the words of the quotation, "' Nothing but hopeless confusion can result from the mixture of ' brain cells' and ' ideas.'" Whilst admitting that the word " mixture " is hardly a wellchosen one in this connexion, we all can form an idea of what is meant, and it is not surprising that we have hopeless confusion when we have advocates of psycho-analytical methods endeavouring to support the contention that physiology and psychology can be kept in two watertight compartments as far as one's conception of them is concerned. I have diffiecult-y in making out exactly what conception Dr. Steen has of mental processes and disorders In one of his previous letters he seemed to imply tlhat mind can show itself without physiological nerve and brain activity; now he assures your readers that he believes nothing of the sort. I am afraid that nothing but hopeless confusion can arise unless students of disorders of mind keep clearly before them the fact that there is a physiological basis for all the psychological terms they use, and until psycho-analysts recognize this, and are able to produce a feasible working hypothesis based on it, they will fail to put their practice on: a sure scientific basis. Believing as I do in the limited use of psycho-analysis as a method of treatment, as apart from many of the theories, etc., on which it is based, I believe this is not impossible. To study the subject on the principle of the sentence from Hart is as if one went to investigate the products of a factory where defects in the articles produced had been discovered and left outside the scope of the investigation the machinery tlirough which the articles passed from. the raw material to the finished product. The whole argument can be slhortly put thus: Can menW disorders exist without disease of or irregularities or alterations or modifications of the normal physiological action of nerve and brain cells? If not, then, instead of keeping -" brain cells and ideas " in two watertight compartments it is more scientific, and would be more fruitful of results, if the relationships of the one to the other were never lost sight of in the study and discussion of all neurological and psychological questions. Wewould then see much fewer purely metaphysical terms used in the discussions on psychoanalysis, suggestion and auto-suggestion, hypnosis, and faith healing. Dr. McBride has given a quotation from Stewart Paton; let me quote to the same effect from Ferrier, who bas done so much to place the study of cerebral action on a scientific basis: "1 We have no proof of subjectivity or modifications of consciousness apart from the action of the cerebral hemispheres, but we have no reason to believe that anything is superadded, or that the action of the cortical centres is of a different order from that of the most simple nervous apparatus, but rather that between the simplest reflex action and the most complex cerebral process there is a continuous unbroken gradation." -I am, etc.,


OBJECTIVE To study the anti-tumor active of flavonoids extracted from Scutellaria Barbata D.Don in vitro.METHOD MTT method was used to test inhabitation of five flavonoids(luteolin,scutellarin,apigenin,baicalein,4'-hydroxywogonin)from Scutellaria Barbata D.Don with five kinds of human tumor cells in vitro and IC50 values were calculated,respectively.RESULT IC50 values of these flavonoids(luteolin,scutellarin,apigenin,baicalein,4'-hydroxywogonin)tested with five cancer cell lines were 10.3~30.8μg·mL-1,15.2~35.1μg·mL-1,5.9~40.0μg·mL-1,6.3~40.3μg·mL-1 and 8.3~38.4μg·mL-1,respectively.Conclusion To some extent,these five flavonoids from Scutellaria Barbata D.Don have positive effect on inhabiting those human tumor lines in vitro.


The design of public space in US cities has experienced a major transformation over the past five decades. As traditional urban centres have declined as foci for civic and economic activity, new centres—usually shopping malls—have emerged on the urban fringe. As old malls age and decline in market appeal, new forms are appearing that mimic many aspects of the abandoned town centre, although in private rather than public contexts. Emerging forms of suburban public space are examined by means of case studies of several US shopping centres including reinvented old malls ('mall-overs'), new main street malls (townscape malls), malled main streets and hybrid forms that combine aspects of main street and mall. The analysis focuses on spatial form, symbolism and imagery, pedestrian friendliness, connections with the larger context, public uses and limitations on use. Urban designers, landscape architects and planners can learn much from malls in making old main streets work. They can also learn from successful main streets how to reshape old malls and create more successful new main street shopping centres.


Given the trend of digitization and increasing number of maritime transport, prediction of vessel berth stay has been triggered for requirements of operation research and scheduling optimization problem in the era of maritime big data, which takes a significant part in port efficiency and maritime logistics enhancement. This study proposes a systematic and dynamic approach of predicting berth stay for tanker terminals. The approach covers three innovative aspects: 1) Data source employed is multi-faceted, including cargo operation data from tanker terminals, time-series data from automatic identification system (AIS), etc. 2) The process of berth stay is decomposed into multiple blocks according to data analysis and information extraction innovatively, and practical operation scenarios are also developed accordingly. 3) The predictive models of berth stay are developed on the basis of prior data analysis and information extraction under two methods, including regression and decomposed distribution. The models are evaluated under four dynamic scenarios with certain designated cargoes among two different terminals. The evaluation results show that the proposed approach can predict berth stay with the accuracy up to 98.81% validated by historical baselines, and also demonstrate the proposed approach has dynamic capability of predicting berth stay among the scenarios. The model may be potentially applied for short-term pilot-booking or scheduling optimizations within a reasonable time frame for advancement of port intelligence and logistics efficiency.


In this paper we review our multi-scale analysis of bone. First, we characterize the bone organ experimentally at several structural levels: the macroscale (whole bone), the mesoscale (trabecular bone represented as a porous network and cortical bone represented as collection of osteons in an interstitial bone), the microscale (single trabecula or single osteon), the sub-microscale (single lamella), and the nanoscale (apatite crystals and collagen fibrils), as shown in Fig. 1. More specifically, we study the hierarchical structure of bone using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy, computed tomography (CT) and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), the composition using Fourier transform infrared micro-spectroscopy (FTIR-MS), and mechanical properties using compression and tension tests, and micro- and nanoindentation techniques. Then, we model bone theoretically at each structural level in a hierarchical way. The modeling techniques include analytical micromechanics theories and simulations involving a finite element method. We compare our theoretical results on elastic moduli and strengths at different scales with mechanical property measurements. Such experimentally-based multi-scale predictive computational model can be used to assess of bone quality, including the diagnosis of bone diseases such as osteoporosis. Secondly, it provides a more complete understanding of the complex phenomena taking place in bone during fracture.


Background: Erythema induratum of Bazin is a rare manifestation of cutaneous tuberculosis. It may mimic some systemic disorders like sarcoidosis, poly arteritis nodosa, lymphoproliferative disorder, Histoplasmosis, and lupus profundus.
Case Presentation: A 38-year young female, diabetic, and hypertensive presented with multiple painful skin lesion over anterior part of her leg for 3 months. These skin lesion used to appear as painful erythematous nodules of variable size and shape over the anterior and lateral aspects of both legs that became ulcerate, healed with hyperpigmentation. On examinations, all of her systemic examinations revealed unremarkable except skin lesion. Punch biopsy from skin lesion revealed lobular panniculitis with granuloma suggestive of erythema induratum and MTB gene Xpert from skin lesion found positive. Thereafter, she was put on anti TB therapy six-month regimens according to the national TB guideline, Bangladesh. After 2 and half months of treatment, her skin lesion disappeared.
Conclusion: In a TB prevalent country, erythema induratum should be kept in differential diagnosis along with others. As it is usually underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed because of the absence of typical clinical features of TB, therefore comprehensive investigations like skin biopsy with histopathology, detecting DNA of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by PCR, positive Mantoux test are the cornerstone for confirmatory diagnosis.
J MEDICINE 2022; 23: 165-168


The purpose of condition monitoring of cable accessories is to predict failures before they occur. Those accessories which are about to fail (and not cable accessories in good condition) can then be replaced, thereby reducing the incidence of cable accessory failures. Condition monitoring includes both periodic tests (perhaps in accordance with a defined maintenance programme) and continuous on-line monitoring. The costs of any monitoring exercise need to be weighed against the benefits which can be obtained in terms of failure reduction. Frequent periodic testing in accordance with a rigid maintenance programme may not be cost effective. Reliability centred maintenance techniques have been developed which take account of failure modes and mean time between failures in order to achieve the most effective condition monitoring and overall maintenance programmes. These techniques can be applied to condition monitoring of cable joints and terminations in the voltage range 11 to 132 kV. The various methods which can be used to monitor the condition of joints and terminations are considered and include: acoustic emissions, EM probes, optical fibre temperature sensors, discharge mapping, HF current probes, IR thermal imaging cameras, and visual examinations.


As an extension of our previous study, the flow and mixing characteristics of a serpentine mixer in non-creeping flow conditions are investigated numerically. A periodic velocity field is obtained for each spatially periodic channel with the Reynolds number (Re) ranging from 0.1 to 70 and the channel aspect ratio from 0.25 to one. The flow kinematics is visualized by plotting the manifold of the deforming interface between two fluids. The progress of mixing affected by the Reynolds number and the channel geometry is characterized by a measure of mixing, the intensity of segregation, calculated using the concentration distribution. A mixer with a lower aspect ratio, which is a poor mixer in the creeping flow regime, turns out to be an efficient one above a threshold value of the Reynolds number, Re = 50. This is due to the combined effect of the enhanced rotational motion of fluid particles and back flows near the bends of the channel driven by inertia. As for a mixer with a higher aspect ratio, the intensity of segregation has its maximum around Re = 30, implying that inertia does not always have a positive influence on mixing in this mixer.


Deception and deception detection have become important research areas in business. However, little deception research has looked at the computer-mediated group settings that many organizational decisions are made in today. Further, past research has not looked at the influence of task complexity, a key part of group decision processes, on deception. This study looked at these unexplored areas by conducting an experiment to measure the effects of task complexity on group deception detection and group performance. Our findings revealed very low overall detection rates and showed no significant differences in the detection rates between groups performing tasks with different levels of complexity. We did find that even though all groups had the assets necessary to perform well, groups with the complex task performed significantly worse than groups with the less complex task, signaling that these groups were more affected by deception.


The meniscus is considered a vital structure for maintaining normal functions and perennial health of the knee joint. This study focuses on the meniscus and discusses its function, injuries and the corresponding treatments. Results show that two menisci are located in the knee joint- medial and lateral meniscus, which are different in shape but work together to provide specific functions. The main functions of the meniscus include load sharing, shock absorption, stability, joint lubrication and nutrition. Meniscal injuries include vertical longitudinal, radial, horizontal (cleavage), degenerative (complex), and bucket-handle tears, all of which can cause serious knee morbidity. There are different symptoms of meniscus damage, and the severity of the damage can be identified from the symptoms. Once the meniscus injury is found, conservative or surgical treatment should be carried out immediately. Conservative treatments generally include massage, acupuncture, and slight movement, as well as drug treatment. Surgical treatments include meniscus suture, partial meniscectomy, and meniscectomy. If it is not treated in time, the meniscus could cause irreversible damage and a series of sequelae.


Ultra performance liquid chromatography(UPLC) was used to determine the content of lignans of Schisandra fruits with different growth characteristics.The antioxidant activity of these samples was also studied.In order to screen the superior kinds of these samples,principal component analysis,cluster analysis and stepwise discrimination analysis were used to analyze the above data.Principal component analysis and cluster analysis results divided the origin samples into three categories.The correct rate for screening the superior kinds of Schisandra fruits via stepwise discrimination analysis is 90%.


In children, respiratory and ENT disorders are associated with extra-oesophageal reflux. These include asthma, recurrent pneumonia, cough, apnoea, sinusitis, otitis media, laryngomalacia, recurrent croup and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. The traditional tests of barium swallow, 24 h pH probing have limited ability to proving causality between the gastro-oesophageal reflux and the extra-oesophageal symptoms. Multichannel oesophageal impedance measurements have now been studied in children and when combined with pH monitoring will like become the gold standard investigation. It is also important but difficult to determine if the refluxate is entering the lung and while it has recently been shown that the lipid laden macrophage index obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) lacks specificity detecting pepsin in BAL is both sensitive and specific for pulmonary aspiration. Children with GER who have failed medical therapy are commonly referred for antireflux surgery. There is a paucity of well-controlled prospective data on the efficacy of fundoplication in children. The long-term results of antireflux surgery are mixed. Those children with isolated lower oesophageal sphincter incompetence can be expected to do well while those with dysmotility, such as neurologically impaired children, and those with reflux-related respiratory disease have a high rate of symptom recurrence.


Never has a career founded on fighting diarrhoea been depicted so glamorously. Tamara de Lempicka's portrait of Dr Pierre Boucard shows the French bacteriologist who in 1907 isolated Lactobacillus acidophilus from the human stool and developed Lacteol, an antidiarrhoeal drug still widely used in France and elsewhere. His company, Laboratoire du Lacteol du Docteur Boucard, on the outskirts of Paris, was highly profitable (and acquired by a Canadian pharmaceutical manufacturer in 2002). Boucard's subsequent wealth enabled him to indulge his love of art and lead a life of leisure. He was a friend of the photographer Jacques Henri …


Objective To explore the clinical features of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and to decrease the misdiagnostic accuracy.Methods The clinical data of 55 CVST patients were analyzed retrospectively.Results Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis especially often occurred in young adults,including men and women.The performance of CVST was complex,acute or subacute clinical characteristics,various symptoms and signs,the cerebral infarction or hemorrhage found out by imaging.Cerebrospinal fluid pressure was increased in all cases.CSF results may be normal or mildly abnormal.Once diagnosed,heparin,the prognosis was good.Conclusion The symptoms of CVST have no specificity.MRV and DSA can make diagnosis.In order to reduce the rate of misdiagnosis,we should take all examination results into account,considering anatomical abnormalities.


By using ANSYS finite element program as calculation tool,through the establishment of APDL complex 3-D finite element model of cable-stayed bridge,this paper analyzes the dynamic capacity of a cable-stayed bridge under earthquake action in order to lighten the loss caused by earthquake.The results can be used to verify structure safety.Some valuable conclusions are posed to be referenced in anti-earthquake design of bridge.


In the April issue of Canadian Family Physician , Dr Hooker paints a very clear picture of several challenges that primary care providers face when caring for disadvantaged populations.[1][1] But in a universal health care system like Canada's, not every health care provider who cares for


Title: Hypoxia and hypotension in patients intubated by physician staffed helicopter emergency medical services a prospective observational multi-centre study Authors: Geir Arne Sunde (email@example.com) Mårten Sandberg (firstname.lastname@example.com) Richard Lyon (firstname.lastname@example.com) Knut Fredriksen (email@example.com) Brian Burns (email@example.com) Karl Ove Hufthammer (firstname.lastname@example.com) Jo Røislien (email@example.com) Akos Soti (firstname.lastname@example.com) Helena Jantti (email@example.com) David Lockey (email@example.com) Jon-Kenneth Heltne (email@example.com) Stephen Sollid (email@example.com) Version: 1 Date: 25 May 2017 Author's response to reviews: EMMD-D-17-00009: Hypoxia and hypotension in patients intubated by physician staffed helicopter emergency medical services a prospective observational multi-centre study


Glycemic and lipidemic responses to incorporation of dicoccum whole wheat flour in the diet of diabetic patients for six weeks in comparison with common bread wheat flour were evaluated. Sixteen non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) subjects, taking oral hypoglycaemic drugs and six insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) subjects, inclusive of both genders, age group 42-71 years, were selected for the study from Diabetes Specialities Center, Hubli. Subjects were randomly asked to incorporate dicoccum whole wheat flour (13 subjects) as group I or bread wheat flour (9 subjects) as group II. About 200-300g of flour daily was added to any two meals (breakfast/lunch/supper) in the form of unleavened bread for six weeks. Subjects were assessed fortnightly for six weeks. Blood glucose was estimated periodically, and lipid profile was estimated initially and then at the end of six weeks. The incorporation of dietary fibre rich, dicoccum whole wheat flour in the regular diet of 13 diabetic subjects for six weeks, significantly reduced total lipids (p<.01), triglycerides (p<.01) and LDL-Cholesterol (p<.05). However, the incorporation of common bread wheat flour in the diet of group II subjects did not show any significant variation in lipid profile. Dicoccum wheat has therapeutic properties that can effectively reduce the cardiovascular risk factors. It can be recommended as a staple cereal alternative to coarse cereals in the dietary management.


A method has been developed for measuring the partial pressure of methyl radicals in thermally decomposing gases, using a modified mass spectrometer. The sensitivity of the instrument to methyl radicals has been determined by decomposing known quantities of mercury dimethyl and di‐t‐butyl peroxide in a stream of carrier gas and measuring the amounts of the stable products and the net height of the mass 15 peak after correction for contributions from these stable products. Assuming a 100 percent carbon balance, the sensitivity of the instrument to methyl radicals was found to be 0.47±0.07 of the sensitivity to methane under the conditions used. With the present instrument this means that an ion current of 3×10−14 ampere at mass 15 (a peak 1 cm in height) is given by a partial pressure of methyl of 0.02 micron Hg above the leak in the reactor. The rate constants for the decomposition of di‐t‐butyl peroxide have been measured with this instrument. Combining the values obtained with values from the literature...


A Gigawatt pulse of microwaves in the X band is produced on injecting an intense relativistic electron beam (ν/γ ≥ 1) in a waveguide filled with air at low pressure.


We conducted a meta-analysis of 34 studies of the positive effects of television on children's social interactions, levels of aggression, altruism, and levels of stereotyping (a total of 108 effect sizes, 5,473 children). Across dependent measures, there were consistent moderate positive effects for those who watched prosocial content in experimental settings compared to control groups or those who watched antisocial content. Moreover, the positive effect of self-selected exposure to prosocial content was as strong as the negative effect of self-selected exposure to violent content. Effects were largest for depictions of altruism, primarily because such content tended to involve explicit modeling of desired behaviors. Strong negative effects occurred in the few studies where children watched aggressive prosocial content.


Abstract - The empirical study of the processing of dubbed and subtitled audiovisual content still lacks attention in academic circles and the discussion commonly draws on anecdotal and speculative assumptions. To address this issue, we carried out two studies to explore the cognitive, evaluative and visual reception of dubbed and subtitled content using behavioural data and eye tracking, and different audiovisual materials with varying levels of complexity. The results support the value of both dubbing and subtitling as effective translation methods. Our findings suggest that both techniques are cognitively effective and positively received and assessed by viewers. However, the eye-tracking data suggest that in spite of these results, the processing of complex subtitled films might require more effort from viewers and require them to accelerate their reading process. Apart from highlighting the relevance of complexity, the experimental design also hints at the possible influence of stimulus length as a factor affecting performance.


Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processing is a promising technique to achieve high speed data service in next generation cellular networks. However, the performance of multi-cell MIMO networks is limited by the cell-edge users who experience significant inter-cell interference. In this paper, we propose to use interference alignment to mitigate interference experienced by these cell-edge users, and spatial multiplexing for users with less interference. To achieve the optimal performance in a two- cell MIMO network, we formulate a joint scheduling problem to select a pair of users and the corresponding transmission strategies for both cells. We design an efficient dynamic scheduling scheme based on a stochastic network optimization framework. Numerical results show that the proposed scheme achieves a superior performance compared to scheduling schemes with a single transmission strategy.


Recently, several changes have been observed in the Earth's environment. This is also applicable to the ocean environment. The concept of weather routing has been applied for ship navigation for a long time. Many service providers offer weather routing service with the availability of high-quality satellite data. Unfortunately, not much information is available in the public domain as to how much the recent change in the weather pattern has affected ship navigation. The purpose of this paper is to fill this information gap. We investigate the influence of recent changes in the ocean environment on ship navigation. Weather data from ECMWF, namely ERA-Interim, is used for this purpose. The ECMWF data for the last 27 years is analysed. We compute the statistical characteristics of this data for the first 10 years, last 10 years, and 27 years. The statistical characteristics of the data are determined based on "summer" and "winter" zones as defined by international maritime regulations. Six different worldwide commercial ship routes are selected covering all the ocean regions. Navigation on great ellipse with waypoint is considered. MMG type ship manoeuvring model for 3 different ship types (DTMB 5415, PCC, VLCC) is used. The added resistance due to wave, wind and the effort of keeping the ship on the desired course using autopilot in the rough ocean environment is included in the MMG model. The fuel consumption and the duration of each one of the voyage are computed. Based on the analysis and simulation results it is shown that: (i) The mean wave height, wave period, and wind speed has increased in some ocean zones and decreased in other ocean zones. If any change has occurred, it is uniform for both seasons (summer and winter). (ii) In which ocean regions there is a perceptible change in fuel consumption, average ship speed and voyage time due to the changes in the weather pattern. (iii) The changing weather pattern in different ocean zones affects each ship type differently.


The problem in this study is students career preparediness is low. The purpose of this study is to find out the connection between extracurricular activities and the student's career read i ness at the twelve grade students of Taman Siswa Teluk Betung High School. The method used in this study is a correlational method with population of 95 students and the sample is all students taken by simple random sampling technique. The results showed that there was a connection between extracurricular activities and students career readness. Based on the data analysts using product moment correlation obtained by r xy = 0.278> rtable= 0.202 and p= 0.006 rtable and p rtabel= 0,202 dan p = 0,006 rtabel dan p< 0,05. maka Ho ditolak dan Ha diterima. Kesimpulannya ada hubungan yang signifikan antara kegiatan ekstrakurikuler dengan kesiapan karir ( career readiness)  kelas XI SMA Taman Siswa Teluk Betung. Semakin aktif siswa mengikuti kegiatan ekstrakurikuler maka semakin baik pula kesiapan karir siswa kedepan. Kata kunci: hubungan, kegiatan ekstrakurikuler, kesiapan karir ( career readness)


Tumour Protein 53 (TP53) is a tumour suppressor gene that is mutated in at least 50% of human malignancies. The prevalence of TP53 mutation is much higher in astrocytomas with reports of up to 75% TP53 mutant cases. Rare cases of TP53 mutation also exist in oligodendroglial tumours (10–13%). P53 pathway is therefore an important factor in low-grade glioma tumorigenesis. Although the prognostic impact of TP53 mutations has been studied previously, no concrete concordance were reached between the studies. In this study, we investigated the prognostic effects of TP53 mutation in astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma.

 A cohort of 65 matched primary and recurrent fresh frozen tumours were sequenced to identify hotspot exons of TP53 mutation. Exons 1 to 10 were sequenced and pathogenic mutations were mostly predominant between Exons 4 and 8. The cohort was further expanded with 78 low grade glioma fresh frozen tissues and hotspot exons were sequenced. Selecting only the primary tumour from 65 matched tumours, a total of 50 Astrocytoma cases and 51 oligodendroglioma cases were analysed for prognostic effects of TP53. Only pathogenic TP53 mutations confirmed through COSMIC and NCBI databases were included in the over survival and progression-free survival analysis.

 62% (31/50) of astrocytomas and 16% (8/51) of oligodendrogliomas harboured pathogenic TP53 mutations. Pathogenic hotspot mutations in codon 273 (c.817 C>T and c.818 G>A) was prevalent in astrocytoma with 58% (18/31) of tumours with these mutations. TP53 mutation status was maintained between primary and recurrent tumours in 93% of cases. In astrocytoma, overall survival of TP53 mutant patients was longer compared to TP53 wild-type patients (p<0.01) but was not significant after adjusting for age, gender, grade and IDH1 mutation status. In contrast, astrocytoma patients with specific TP53 mutation in codon 273 showed significantly better survival compared to other TP53 mutant and TP53 wild-type patients combined (p<0.01) in our multivariate analysis. Time to first recurrence (progression-free survival) of TP53 mutant patients was significantly longer than TP53 wild-type patients (p<0.01) after adjustments were made, while TP53 mutation in codon 273 was not prognostic for progression-free survival. In oligodendroglioma patients, TP53 mutations did not significantly affect overall survival and progression-free survival.

 In agreement with others, TP53 mutation is more prevalent in Astrocytoma and mutations in codon 273 are significantly associated with longer survival.


The study mainly aims at investigating the impact that happens to the organizational performance as an impact of utilizing both information technology management and training. In-depth investigation of literature indicates the necessity of the proposal of the current research. The current study has utilized various theories including Knowledge Based View (KBV) and Resource Based View of the firm (RBV) so as to achieve the main purpose of the research. It also aimed at examining the impact of IT management and training on the performance of the organization. The study used a questionnaire as a tool. The researcher distributed a number of 341 questionnaires randomly on some department of the police in Sharjah. When the questionnaires were filled, the researcher used SPSS system in order to accurately analyze the results. The study concluded that the organizational performance of the Sharjah police has been positively affected by using information technology management. In addition, the research shows that it is essential to utilize on information technology management, training and strategy management on order to affect the performance of the organization successfully.


Mushan Mo deposit,a typical porphyry molybdenum deposit occurs in the northern margin of Dabie Mountain,is characterized by veinlet-disseminated mineralization and typical porphyry hydrothermal system alteration envelope centering the unmineralized quartz core formed by silicification early at the top of granitic porphyry.The coexistence of vapour-rich and halite-bearing three-phase inclusions indicates that the primitive magmatic fluid has experienced phase separation under low pressure.The results of homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions show that the ore-forming element including Mo,Cu deposited by cooling of ore-forming hydrothermal system.Mushan granitic porpphry related to mineralization exhibits low Sr(400×10-6),low Yb(1.8×10-6),strong fractionation of LREE and HREE((La/Yb)N=32.13~68.69),moderate to slight Eu negative anomaly(δEu=0.66~0.92),and high(87Sr/86Sr)i(0.70 962~0.71 076),extremely low eNd(t)(-14.77~-13.36).The result of zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb geochronology that Mushan granitic porphyry emplaced at(142.0±1.8) Ma.It concluded that rock forming and Mo mineralization of Mushan Mo deposit are resulted from the thickened continental crust by partial melting during post-collision of Dabie Mountain,and it happened nearly 10 Ma earlier than granitic magmatism peak(~130 Ma) in early Cretaceous in Dabie region.


Underwater wireless networks have been deeply studied in the last few years. Particular attention has been recently devoted to swarm networks, which can operate and take decision in collaborative manner. In swarm networks, the limited distance between nodes can be exploited by implementing optical links when the characteristics of the communication channel make it possible. With respect to acoustic communications, that solution can lead to an increase in data rate, to the absence of signal latency and to significant energy saving. A performance analysis is presented for an underwater swarm network in case of optical link among mobile nodes, considering LED optical transmitter and typical parameters for the communication channel. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:34–38, 2014


Conditions of FAAS determination of Cu,Zn,Fe and Mn in samples of dairy products were studied and optimized.Tests of interferences,accuracy and precision were also made.The sample was digested with an acid mixture of HNO3 and HClO4,the solution obtained was evaporated nearly to dryness.The salts were taken up with HNO3 solution(1+99),and ready for FAAS determinations.Good linearity were obtained for all the 4 elements,as shown by their regression equations and correlation coefficients.Samples of 3 kinds of dairy products were analyzed by the proposed method,giving RSD′s less than 3.5% and recoveries in the range of 93.0%-103.0%.


Cross sections have been measured for ..pi../sup +/ and ..pi../sup -/ scattering to the giant resonance region of /sup 208/Pb with 162-MeV pions. The value of R = sigma(..pi../sup -/)/sigma(..pi../sup +/) measured for the giant quadrupole resonance is 2.72. A distorted wave impulse approximation analysis of these data using collective model form factors gives the ratio of neutron to proton matrix elements to be 3.8. This is much larger than expected from the hydrodynamical model which predicts a value of N/Z of 1.54.


A field trial was conducted during the kharif, 2016 to investigate the diversity of insect pests and their predators on okra agroecosystem. A total of 17 species of insect pests belonging to different orders and varied families were recorded from the experimental field. The order Hemiptera represented the highest number of 7 species. This was further followed by Lepidoptera (6 species), Coleoptera (3 species) and Orthoptera (1 species). The predator population was also quite diverse in their occurrence with the recorded species belonging to the orders as Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hemiptera and Dictyoptera.


This paper dealt with the design guide of the conventional edge-lit backlight optic with which the on-axis luminance could be increased by trying to improve the light condensing efficiency of a bright enhancement film (BEF). First, the general design guide concerned with the backlight optic was proposed, and then its validness was experimentally proved by conducting design examples with haze controls of both diffuse film and microdot material printed on the backside of the light guide plate. Experimental results showed that the variation range of the on-axis luminance by the present approach was about 5~9%, which would be by no means negligible in the practical application.


Context. Low-mass star-forming cores differ from their surrounding molecular cloud in turbulence, shape, and density structure. Aims. We aim to understand how dense cores form out of the less dense cloud material by studying the connection between these two regimes. Methods. We observed the L1517 dark cloud in C 18 O(1–0), N2H + (J = 1−0), and SO(JN = 32−21) with the FCRAO 14 m telescope, and in the 1.2 mm dust continuum with the IRAM 30 m telescope. Results. Most of the gas in the cloud lies in four filaments that have typical lengths of 0.5 pc. Five starless cores are embedded in these filaments and have chemical compositions indicative of different evolutionary stages. The filaments have radial profiles of C 18 O(1−0) emission with a central flattened region and a power-law tail, and can be fitted approximately as isothermal, pressure-supported cylinders. The filaments, in addition, are extremely quiescent. They have subsonic internal motions and are coherent in velocity over their whole length. The large-scale motions in the filaments can be used to predict the velocity inside the cores, indicating that core formation has not decoupled the dense gas kinematically from its parental material. In two filaments, these large-scale motions consist of oscillations in the velocity centroid, and a simple kinematic model suggests that they may be related to core-forming flows. Conclusions. Core formation in L1517 seems to have occurred in two steps. First, the subsonic, velocity-coherent filaments have condensed out of the more turbulent ambient cloud. Then, the cores fragmented quasi-statically and inherited the kinematics of the filaments. Turbulence dissipation has therefore occurred mostly on scales on the order of 0.5 pc or larger, and seems to have played a small role in the formation of the individual cores.