In this work, we applied multiscale modeling to investigate electrical conductivity of carbon nanotube (CNT) enhanced polymer composites. The multiscale approach is based on a combination of first-principles calculations of contact resistance between CNTs using Green's functions approach and statistical calculation of CNTs ensemble conductivity using the Monte Carlo percolation model. The results of first-principles calculations show strong dependence of contact resistance between CNTs on the angle φ between nanotubes axes: for (5,5) CNTs contact resistance increases by two orders of magnitude as φ changes from φ = 0 to φ = π / 4. This angular dependence of contact resistance has strong influence on conductivity of CNTs ensemble, decreasing composite conductivity by about an order of magnitude. We stress that obtained conductivity is the upper theoretical limit for an ideal CNT composite, and experimental data with larger values of conductivity should be attributed to positive influence of some non-ideali...


In today's business environment the number of customers buying products online have increased, it is difficult for the firm to determine customer lifetime value (CLV) of every customer. In this paper, customer segmentation is used to find the customer lifetime value for a UK based registered company that sells unique gifts. Firstly, customer segmentation is done based on three characteristics of purchase variables: "Recency", "Frequency", and "Monetary". Next, weight or priority is given to the variables, which are attained using Fuzzy AHP technique. Lastly, analysis of the results is done by dividing the dataset into eights clusters and ranking those clusters on the basis of CLV values which helps the marketers in making selling and marketing decisions use these CLV values. Decision maker of the company consider technique of this paper in the future for calculating customers lifetime value (CLV) and gives more attention of that group which have highest CLV value.


Gaseous and particulate emissions from three residential wood pellet boilers and a stove were characterized and quantified at start-up, steady (full, medium and low combustion power), and stop phas ...


Aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Pinus roxburghii leaves, stem, bark, male cone and female cone were tested for growth inhibitory activity against the bacterial plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens for four human pathogens, Escherichia coli, Salmonella arizonae, S. typhi and Staphylococcus aureus. Five gram of fresh plant parts (leaves, stem, bark, and cones) were washed two - three times with tap- and distilled water and then surface sterilized with 90 % alcohol. Subsequently the plant materials were grounded in 50 ml of distilled water and alcohol separately for aqueous and alcoholic extracts, respectively. The alcoholic macerated were kept for 24 h at room temperature to evaporate the alcohol. In the remaining residue, 50 ml of distilled water was added. Macerated were squeezed through double layered muslin cloth and filtered through filter paper. After filtration a measured amount was centrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 20 minutes. The supernatants were filtered through Whatman No. 1 filter paper and then sterilized by passing through 0.2 μm disposable filters. The extract (10 %) thus obtained were used for the in vitro assays (Parihar et al. 2003). The bacterial cultures were obtained from the Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh, India and maintained on Nutrient Agar and Disc Diffusion Method (Nene and Thapliyal 1979) was used for testing the antibacterial activity of P. roxburghii against the test bacteria. Antibacterial activity of plant part extracts of P. roxburghii on various human as well as plant pathogenic bacteria is shown in Table 1. It has been found that nearly all the plant part extracts have shown growth inhibitory effect against A. tumefaciens. In case of inhibitory effect against E. coli, it was found that except stem extracts all the remaining extracts have shown inhibitions. Alcoholic extracts of leaves and female cone were found effective against the growth of S. arizonae whereas none of the other extracts have shown inhibition against S. arizonae. Except aqueous extract of stem, all other extracts were found effective against the growth of S. typhi. In case of inhibitions against S. aureus, except alcoholic extract of bark and aqueous and alcoholic extracts of male cone, all the extracts have shown inhibitory effect against the growth of S. aureus. Similar results have been found by various researchers in gymnosperms. Digrak et al. (1999) studied the antimicrobial activity of various gymnospermous plants, including Pinus nigra and found better results. Mammanti et al. (2000) investigated the antimicrobial properties of Ginkgo biloba leaves. Various other researchers like Kowlowski and Metraum (1999), Erdemglu and Sener (2001), Shibutani et al. (1998) and Bagei and Digrak (1997) also studied about the antimicrobial activity of gymnosperms. It was concluded that antibacterial activity of Pinus roxburghii and its active constituents would be helpful in treating various kind of diseases of human as well as plants. Crude extracts and


Although the consolidation settlements beneath foundations and embankments are rarely one dimensional, Terzaghi's one-dimensional consolidation theory is often applied to these situations to approximate consolidation behavior. This paper investigates the consolidation behavior of a soil stratum subjected to various initial excess pore pressure distributions which occur under one-dimensional loading. The results show that analysis in terms of average degree of consolidation provides an incomplete representation of the consolidation behavior. While the average degree of consolidation curves for all uniform and linearly varying initial distributions are identical, the degree of consolidation isochrones for each distribution are unique. Furthermore, the application of a bottom-skewed initial excess pore pressure distribution results in a redistribution of pore pressures toward the skewed region so that an increase in excess pore pressure occurs at some depth after consolidation has already commenced. As a result, conventional consolidation relationships are considered inappropriate for these cases, and an alternative method of consolidation analysis in terms of normalized pore pressures is proposed.


In this monograph theoretical and methodological foundations of developing innovative marketing strategies in promoting information and communication services are discussed. In this accordance, recent market trends on implementing innovative approaches in the marketing of information and communication services are analyzed.
Furthermore, the current research has studied the leading global experience of developed economies on the application of innovative marketing strategies, as well as the formation of the national market of information and communication services, and potential opportunities of implementing innovative marketing strategies in improving information and communication services market of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The study provided conceptual analysis of the national information and communication services market, as well as proposed innovative marketing approaches in accordance with the priority socio-economic development directions of the country. Subsequently, potential ways of increasing the efficiency of innovative marketing strategies in the market of information and communication services, as well as the provision of these findings in the development of methodological approaches to improve the marketing activities of the national companies providing electronic services are identified.
The findings of the research discussed in the monograph and recommendations can be widely applied in extending the academic knowledge of innovative marketing applications by researchers, graduate students of the higher educational institutions, and practitioners who are interested in this field.


: Postwar international trade relations are built on multilateral free trade principles that regard regional trade coalitions as suboptimal arrangements. A rising share of international trade, however, appears to be occurring within regions, raising the fear that the world economy is disintegrating into inward-looking trading blocs. Such fears are now being challenged because the regionalization of world trade is said to be a "natural" process strongly influenced by geographic proximity. Furthermore, prevailing regionalization is taking place in a context of stronger global linkages.

This paper examines global regionalization tendencies by tracing trade interactions from 1965 to 1990 and finds a trend toward a less spatially fragmented world economy. Five dominant trade regions may be identified in 1990 as compared to eight smaller regions in 1965. The regions have become more geographically oriented, with the majority of members associated with the regional cores of Japan, Germany, and the United States. Greater regionalization, however, need not contradict multilateralism. By examining the time-trends of each region's propensity to trade extraregionally, I show that regions have also increased their inclination to trade a larger share of their gross domestic product with the rest of the world. This suggests that the world economy is increasingly characterized by regional cosmopolitanism and may not disintegrate into isolated trading blocs.


A 50 year old female with history of bronchogenic carcinoma completed her first cycle of chemotherapy, presents with 8 day history of diplopia when looking to the left. When asked to look at left, the right eye shows impaired adduction while the left abducting eye shows jerk nystagmus with the quick phase towards the opposite side.


Process of adaptation of inter-urban roads to increasing traffic depends, in Poland, on new motorway and expressway construction and adequate modernization of existing roads. Formation of new motorway network is presently limited because of some restrictions in investment activities. As a result, the priority of existing road modernization has been recently given in road network development. Polish experiences show, that apart from road alignment improvement, appropriate development of cross-sections significantly improves traffic conditions/increase of capacity and traffic safety/and it allows to transfer in time the motorway construction. The modernization of existing roads can be done in several ways, in one or two stages in order to properly adapt the road to traffic demand and safety requirements. Elaboration of complex detailed study or particular main links allows to implement the flexible policy in road network development. (Author/TRRL)


The invention belongs to the technical field of physical detection, and especially relates to a detection and display method of austenite grains of quenched and tempered steel for gears at room temperature. An oversaturated picric acid solution, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate and concentrated hydrochloric acid are used for clearly displaying the grain boundary of quenched state original austenite for gears at room temperature. The detection and display method provided by the invention has the beneficial effects that 1. erosion is carried out at room temperature, and no heat treatment is needed, so that the convenience of grain size detection is improved; 2. the prepared solution can be used for multiple times; 3. concentrated hydrochloric acid is added to improve the dissociation ability of the solution at room temperature, the grain boundary and transgranular corrosion form obvious contrast, and no heating is necessary for improving the dissociation ability; 4. sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate is an anion corrosion inhibitor, which can ionize anions in the saturated picric acid solution and is liable to attach to a tempered sorbite matrix forming an anode, so that the corrosion of matrix tissues is decelerated; the tissue at the grain boundary is loose, and the free energy is high, so that corrosive liquid is easy to permeate into the grain boundary to greatly accelerate the corrosion of the grain boundary and to speed up the display of the grain boundary.


SUMMARY: The present work was as objective to esteem the soybean production cost in no-till and your profitability in Pereira Barreto - SP region. The data had been obtained next to a representative producer in the region in the soybean production. The used production system was no-till being the first operation in the area application of an after-emergent herbicide. The sowing was total mechanic. The seeds had been inoculated to improve the efficiency of the symbiotic fixation. For the cultural treatments they had been necessary applications of herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and spreader-sticker. The harvest was total mechanized using a harvest combine. The calculation of the production cost was based on the structure of the total operational cost used by the Institute of Agricultural Economy. The average prices had been obtained in the region in March of 2003. The results show that the total operational cost is of R$ 1,001, 22/ha, being that of this total 76.8% the expenditures with inputs are mentioned to it. The operational profit in was R$ 765,78 and the profitability index was 43.33%. The economic result showed that the soybean production is profitable and an interesting activity for the producer in this region.


In Figure 5B the panel for "Iigp1" has been duplicated from Figure 5A. The corrected panel 5B "Iigp1" can be viewed here: http://plosone.org/corrections/pone.0059701.002.cn.tif


previous studies, it is shown that H. Pylori may cause chronic inflammation and immune response with the release of some cytotoxic substances which are mainly responsible for the systemic manifestations of H. pylori. Chronic infection of H. pylori is causing increased production of various inflammatory metabolites, such as IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-a which also increase in CP/CPPS. Due to these factors, we hypothesize that chronic infection with H. pylori, directly or indirectly, induces CP/CPPS. In summary, we speculate that by causing TNFa, IL-1b, IFN-c and IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 secretion, H. pylori may be an occult etiological factor in pathogenesis of CP/CPPS. It is clear that level of these cytokines and chemokines are high in CP/CPPS patients. H. pylori may be related to occurring immune response and increased cytokines or cytokine-related factors in seminal plasma and/or expressed prostatic secretion of CP/ CPPS patients. This attention on H. pylori may produce a new approach to the diagnosis and treatment of CP/CPPS. Further studies must focus on this relationship and especially the point that, if eradication of H. pylori helps to treat CP/CPPS or not.


There are few words in the English language that have such a fascination for the general public as the term personality. Although the word is used in various senses, most of these popular meanings fall under one of two headings. The first use equates the term to social skill or adroitness. An individual's personality is assessed by the effectiveness with which he or she is able to elicit positive reactions from a variety of persons under different circumstances. personality of the individual to consist of the most outstanding or salient impression that he or she creates in others. A person may thus be said to have an ―aggressive personality‖ or a ―submissive personality‖ or a ―fearful personality‖. In each case the observer selects an attribute or quality that is highly typical of the subject and that is presumably an important part of the over-all impression created in others and the person's personality is identified by this term. Personalities are commonly described as good and bad. Intimate partner violence (IPV)—defined by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention as the ―physical, sexual, or psychological harm by a current or former partner or spouse‖—continues to be a pervasive health and social problem in India, affecting about one in three women during her lifetime.Such violence has devastating effects on women and families, including serious physical and mental health problems, economic hardship, and decreased quality of life. (Although men can also be victims, women are disproportionately targeted; this article focuses on women.) Personality is a psychic phenomenon which is neither organic nor social but an emergent from a combination of the two. Young personality is the totality of behaviour of an individual with a given tendency system interacting with a sequence of situations. Problems with the responses of health care providers may be magnified in the rural setting, where women face particular challenges. Studies have consistently found that factors such as limited availability and access to resources, lack of formal and informal support, isolation, patriarchal attitudes, economic stress, and privacy issues exacerbate IPV in rural settings. Though a large body of research exists regarding providers' IPV-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours, little is known in this regard that's specific to rural areas. The unique challenges faced by women in the rural setting, it's important to understand the perceptions of rural providers regarding IPV, available resources, and appropriate responses.


This article based on the practice in High speed wire rod produce;its aim to solve the scratch problem when use the crane to unload the coil from platform.In order to protect the coil's smooth surface and to improve the efficiency of unload the coil,this article discuss the method to adapt the fast produce speed and high level requirement of unload the coil in plant.


Sodium montmorillonite was prepared via a colloidal chemical approach and deposited onto glassy carbon electrodes (GCE). Myoglobin was immobilized on the clay membrane modified electrode by spontaneous adsorption. Characterization of the myoglobin/clay/glassy carbon electrode (Mb/clay/GCE) showed a quasi-reversible, electrochemical redox behavior of the adsorbed protein with a formal potential of −0.380±0.010 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant was found to be strongly influenced by the buffer concentration. The Mb/clay/GCE was stable for several days in solution. The interaction of the immobilized Mb with nitric oxide (NO) is characterized by coordination chemistry. The reaction was found to be reversible and could be applied for NO detection in the nanomolar concentration range by a voltammetric analysis. In addition a mixed protein electrode with co-immmobilized myoglobin (Mb) and cytochrome c (Cyt.c) was developed. By choice of the electrode potential both proteins can be addressed independently.


THE systemic nature of infectious mononucleosis has been recognized for many years.1 , 2 The neurologic involvement of this disease has constituted a rare and important manifestation; less than 1 p...


In order to increase the rigidity of GRP,this paper proposes the method of adding strengthened reinforcing steel bar,carries out load test on GRP I-beam added with strengthened reinforcing steel bar,and shows by the test that its elastic modulus has been improved.


ABSTRACT In the present work, two dissimilar metals austenitic AISI 304 and 316 stainless steels were welded with duplex 2205 using semi-automatic bi-directional GMAW setup to appraise the microstructural and mechanical behavior of the welded joints. Three different activated fluxes i.e. SiO2, TiO2 and CrO3 were used to enhance the depth of penetration during joining of different stainless steels grades. Various process parameters such as welding current, voltage, filler wire, gas flow rate and activated flux were varied to observe their influences on joint tensile, bending strength, microhardness and microstructural properties. The experiments were designed using mixed level L18 orthogonal array of Taguchi method. Tensile strength was observed to be considerably dependent on the low gas flow rate, whereas welding current and activated flux influenced the toughness. The most significant effect on the bending strength and toughness was experienced with the use of SiO2 activated flux.


The invention discloses a looped network shock-free switching off and off device. When the looped network shock-free switching off and off device is used, the device is connected to two ends of the looped network breaker in parallel. The looped network shock-free switching off and off device comprises an isolating switch, an electric power transformer and an energy-storage type voltage source transformer, wherein the energy-storage type power source transformer comprises a voltage source converter (VSC), a DC/DC (direct current) converter and an energy storage battery. The looped network shock-free switching off and off device can be used for reducing or eliminating impact current generated on the breaker when the looped network breaker is switched on, and impact voltage generated during switching off, and therefore the service life of the looped network breaker is prolonged. The looped network shock-free switching off and off device and the traditional looped network breaker are mutually connected in parallel to form the looped network breaker disclosed by the invention. Correspondingly, the looped network breaker has the characteristics of safety in switching on and off and long service life.


Polypentenamer has been sulfonated using a 1: 1 complex of sulfur trioxide and triethyl phosphate in chloroform. A range of polymers containing from 1.9 to 19.1 mol % sulfonate groups was prepared by this reagent and isolated in the form of sodium salts. These materials are initially free from covalent cross-links but cross-linking occurs with aging unless the polymers are stabilized with a free-radical scavenger such as hydroquinone. The unsaturated bonds in these materials can be removed by hydrogenation with ptoluenesulfonyl hydrazide. The hydrogenated derivatives are crystalline and no longer require a stabilizer to inhibit cross-linking. Both the unsaturated and hydrogenated polymers are hydrophilic. The chemical modification of a polypentenamer by hydrogenation,1 hydroformylation,2 the addition of thioglycolate side groups,3 and phosphorylation4 has been previously reported from this laboratory. The objective of these studies has been the preparation of polymer derivatives containing side groups of differing chemical nature and concentration but with identical chain backbones. It has thus been necessary to carry out the reactions under conditions which preclude backbone modification by scission or cross-linking. The present work has been concerned with sulfonating polypentenamer using a 1:1 complex of sulfur trioxide and triethyl phosphate and isolating the resulting product in the form of the sodium salt. The residual double bonds in the sulfonated polyt Polymer Science and Engineering Department. I Chemical Engineering Department. pentenamer can be subsequently hydrogenated, as was previously done with the other derivatives, to yield a crystalline polyethylene derivative. While the preparation of sulfonated polymers is an area where much effort has been directed,59 the preparation of a stable, highly unsaturated, highly sulfonated polymer free from covalent cross-links has not been previously reported. Even for polymers with fully saturated backbones, sulfonation reactions generally lead to the formation of some covalent cross-links,10•11 quite often in the form of sulfone linkages. 5•10 The reagents used in sulfonation reactions can, in most cases, be regarded as sulfur trioxide based compounds or complexes, with the reactivity of the 803 being regulated by the nature of the reagent.12 In recent years, complexes of sulfur trioxide with trialkyl phosphate having 803 to trialkyl phosphate ratios ranging from 2:1 to 4:1 have permitted the preparation of sulfo~ 196 Rahrig, MacKnight, Lenz nated polymers free from covalent cross-links.8•13•14 These cases have generally involved the sulfonation of aromatic rings, although Canter was successful in sulfonating butyl rubber polymers and in sulfonating more highly unsaturated elastomers to low degrees of sulfonation.8 Turbak has demonstrated15 that 1:1 complexes of 803 with trialkyl phosphates are reactive enough to successfully sulfonate long chain a-olefins. More importantly it was observed15•16 that under the proper reaction conditions, these complexes will yield exclusively alkene sulfonates, while all other 803 complexes are known to give a mixture of products.12 These factors suggest that the 1:1 803-trialkyl phosphate complex might be a suitable reagent for sulfonating polypentenamer, a proposal borne out by the results of this


"3 intake air roadways and 2 return air roadways"layout was applied to solving ventilation problem of upper corner in mining face with large mining height and high methane content.But much coal pillar resource was discarded by this layout method.This paper researched mining method of crossing roadways to make the layout more rational.


The fabrication of novel bacterial cellulose/polyacrylamide-based hydrogels by accelerated radiation by microwave was investigated. This study was designed and optimized using the Taguchi method by taking irradiation time and power as the main parameters. The results revealed the dependence of percentage gel fraction and swelling index on the synthesis parameters using a microwave. The gel fraction was proportionally increased with power and time. The bacterial cellulose fibers crosslinked with polyacrylamide polymer chain as the thermal energy in the monomer mixture quickly rose, leading to a higher degree of polymerization. A highly time-efficient processing with interchangeable parameters allows various hydrogel properties to be developed.


A compact and simple interdigital capacitor invertedF antenna (IFA) operated at its quarter-wavelength (λ/4) mode as the fundamental resonant mode for achieving multiband operation in the mobile phone is designed. The proposed antenna consists of a monopole antenna and an IFA. The proposed interdigital capacitor IFA has a simple structure of comprising two meandered radiating strips of length about λ/4 and is fed using an interdigital capacitor coupling feed. The two meandered radiating strips also generate two λ/4 resonance modes at about 900 MHz and 2100 MHz to cover the GSM850/900/1800/1900/DCS/PCS/UMTS bands and the 2.4 GHz WLAN (IEEE 802.11b) band operations. Further, the proposed antenna has a simple planar structure and occupies only a small area of 10 × 40mm2 on the system circuit board of the mobile phone. This proposed antenna with multiband, broadband matched impedance, stable radiation patterns, constant antenna gains, good radiation efficiency and compact size can be suitable for mobile phone applications. Received 23 August 2010, Accepted 19 September 2010, Scheduled 24 September 2010 Corresponding author: I-T. Tang (firstname.lastname@example.com). 2 Lin, Tang, and Chang


The Argentine Primate Center (CAPRIM) was founded in 1972 under the auspices of the Foundation of the Buenos Aires Neurobiology Institute (FIDNEU) and with the support of the National Research Council of Argentina (CONICEn. Since then, several buildings have been completed, covering 3000 square meters and including laboratories, library, housing for monkeys, housing for staff and visitors, cage storage, workshops, and a power generating plant. The buildings are distributed over an area of 85 hectares in San Cayetano, Province of Corrientes, where the picturesque vegetation of the Argentine North East is predominant. From the Center's inception, groups or pairs of Alouatta cora yo have been kept under different types of captivity, and for different periods of time, for the purpose of reproduction and adaptation. Intensive work was needed to keep the howler monkey in captivity. Their reproduction, however, was achieved only occasionally and with a low survival rate. These findings led us, in 1979 to free the captive specimens in the neighboring forests, and three teams of investigators followed them to determine their food and caloric requirements, social behavior, and population dynamics of the A. caraya in the wild. The design of this project profited from the valuable advice given by Drs. R. Thorington and J. Eisenberg of the Washington Smithsonian Institution, who travelled to CAPRIM for this purpose. In 1977 we started incorporating Cebus opel/a, to set up a colony for the reproduction of this species. Thirty males and 30 females were placed under different types of captivity (pens, outside cages for groups and pairs). No stable reproduction rates were achieved, however, and only occasional


A bivariate model is developed for the impulsively contaminated noise of the Arctic undersea environment. It is based on one proposed by S. V. Czarnecki [''Nearly Optimal Detection of Signals in Non‐Gaussian Noise,'' Ph.D. thesis, Dept. of EECS, Princeton Univ. (October 1983)] where impulsive and normal background noise regions are treated as coming from two independent Gaussian sources with differing variance. The noise is considered as the output of a switch that toggles between the two noise sources. In this paper, a statistical analysis is conducted on a 10‐min time series of Arctic in‐water noise data (Fram II) to provide a stochastic description of the real noise data within the framework of such a model. A median filter‐based detector is developed to detect the state of the noise source selection switch and partition the time series into the impulsive and normal background regions. Goodness‐of‐fit tests are used to check the dual source noise distributions against the Gaussian hypothesis. A point p...


cal history [4] . Smokers have an increased risk of COPD compared with the general population, and subjects with an obstructive lung disease (OLD) could be affected by asthma. The use of a simple questionnaire for the differentiation of asthma and COPD has been proposed by using retrospective data [5] . In this issue of Respiration, two papers [6, 7] from the same group of authors suggest sets of questions to (1) identify subjects with COPD among smokers without a prior history of lung disease, and (2) differentiate COPD and asthma in a sample of subjects with prior evidence of OLD. The strength of the studies is that both are prospective. The study diagnosis of COPD was defi ned as a fi xed airway obstruction as measured by post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity ! 0.70. In the fi rst paper, the authors found that increasing age, pack-years of smoking, decreasing body mass index, phlegm in the absence of a cold, and a cough affected by the weather were the strongest discriminating factors, whereas the presence of any allergies or wheeze decreased the likelihood of having COPD (i.e. fi xed airway obstruction). It is noteworthy that three out of fi ve discriminators are not symptoms but characteristics of the subject. Therefore, they can be used to select patients needing further investigation. Amongst the symptoms, phlegm demonstrated to be a better discriminator than cough: phlegm Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma have an increasing global prevalence and place a signifi cant burden on patients, carers and the healthcare system. Despite clear guidelines for asthma [1] and COPD [2] , both conditions remain underdiagnosed, and consequently undertreated, leading to an increase in morbidity and mortality. Early detection and treatment might improve the long-term prognosis of these patients, and secondary prevention may also prevent irreversible loss of function. The key point is the interaction between patients and the general practitioner (GP) [3] . Owing to the large pulmonary function reserve, airfl ow obstruction can progress undetected for many years without the development of overt clinical symptoms. Moreover, since symptoms such as chronic cough or reduced exercise tolerance are commonly considered due to smoking and to be a natural part of aging, patients are reluctant to seek medical advice or tend not to report symptoms to the physician. On the other hand, GPs should be aware of the importance of the problem both in terms of diagnosis and therapy. They should take an accurate clinical history with selected questions aimed both at detecting a respiratory disability and differentiating between COPD and asthma. It is important that GPs identify the group (or groups) of people more likely to be affected by COPD or asthma which should be investigated by taking an accurate clini-


www.eccosorb.com A3 EMERSON & CUMING MICROWAVE PRODUCTS, INC., 28 York Avenue, Randolph, MA 02368 / Telephone (781) 961-9600. Use of Information and Material: Values shown are based on testing of laboratory test specimens and represent data that falls within normal range of the material. These values are not intended for use in establishing maximum, minimum or ranges of values for specification purposes. Any determination of the suitability of the material for any purpose contemplated by the user and the manner of such use is the responsibility of the user. The user should determine that the material meets the needs of the user's product and use. We hope that the information given here will be helpful. It is based on data and knowledge considered to be true and accurate and is offered for the user's consideration, investigation and verification but we do not warrant the results to be obtained. Please read all statements, recommendations or suggestions in conjunction with our conditions of sale INCLUDING THOSE LIMITING WARRANTIES AND REMEDIES, which apply to all goods supplied by us. We assume no responsibility for the use of these statements, recommendations or suggestions nor do we intend them as a recommendation for any use, which would infringe any patent or copyright. Emerson & Cuming Microwave Products Inc. ECCOSORB DSF Thin, Flexible, Weatherproof, Oxidation-Resistant, Resonant Microwave Absorbers


Objective To investigate the distribution of vacuolating cytotoxin gene A( vacA) genotypes in Helicobacter pylori( Hp) isolated from children in Guangzhou. Methods Hp were isolated from gastric mucosa specimens in children with gastroduodenal diseases. PCR was applied for the determination of m1,m2,s1 and s2 genotype of vacA. Results A total of 106 strains Hp were isolated,with vacA m,m1,m2 and s positive rates were 94. 34%( 100 /106), 36. 00%( 36 /100),64. 00%( 64 /100) and 96. 23%( 102 /106),respectively. The genotype analysis showed that the s genotype was all s1. The positive rates of vacA s1 /m1 and s1 /m2 combination were 36. 73% and 63. 27%,respectively. Conclusion The vacAsl,vacAm2 and vacAsl /m2 are predominant genotypes of Hp strains isolated from children with gastroduodenal diseases in Guangzhou.


The article describes the speech portrait of Lydia D., who is a representative of the Russian emigrants' descendants to China in the twentieth century. Lydia D. lives in Trekhrechiye. This territory is one of the places where Russians moved in the XIX century. Trekhrechiye is located in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the northern part of China. The article presents analysis of phonetic, lexical and grammatical features of the informant's speech. The study of the peculiarities of language preservation, in the situation of bilingualism for several generations, determines the relevance of this study. The purpose of the article is to create a speech portrait of a descendant of the Russian emigrants to Trekhrechiye in order to show the peculiarities of language preservation in the situation of the RussianChinese bilingualism. The article presents grammatical, phonetic, lexical, and syntactic features of the informant's speech. There are traces of interlanguage interference at all levels of the language system as a result of typological differences between the two contacting languages, as well as the presence of Russian dialect features. This article is based on the results of 2 research expeditions carried out by the author in 2017 and 2018.


Abstract : Traumatic brain injury (TBI) contributes to combat morbidity/mortality. Studies in models of TBI have focused on novel mediators and mechanisms. We used controlled cortical impact (CCI), a contemporary model of TBI in rats to study field-oriented treatments. The following technical objectives were addressed: 1) What is the optimal ventilation strategy? 2) Is hypothermia beneficial? and 3) What is the optimal sedative/analgesic? A fourth objective, combining hypothermia plus other therapies was abandoned due to the limited efficacy of hypothermia. The most important findings/publications include: Objective #1) In a report published in the Journal of Neurosurgery, we demonstrated that early aggressive hyperventilation worsened neuronal death. Objective #2) We published the first report showing that hypothermia was ineffective in the combat-relevant scenario of CCI followed by secondary hypoxemia. That work is in press in Critical Care Medicine. Objective #3) We reported remarkably poor outcome in rats treated with narcotics (fentanyl) versus general anesthesia (isoflurane) after CCI. That work was presented at the 1999 meeting of - the National Neurotrauma Society by research trainee Dr. Kimberly Statler, who received the Women in Neurotrauma Award. The paper is in press in the Journal of Neurotrauma. Since narcotics are the current field treatment after TBI, we then completed a seven anesthetic study in our CCI model. This is the first comprehensive assessment of the effect of anesthetic agents on outcome in experimental TBI. Notably, agents that are commonly used in the field (narcotics, benzodiazepines, and propofol) had detrimental effects on selective aspects of outcome. The results of this study will be presented at the National Neurotrauma Society meeting this fall.


Disclosed are a memory device and a power management method thereof. The memory device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of memory dies. The power management method according to the present invention controls the memory dies not to simultaneously perform a plurality of preset high power consumption operations in the random number of dies within the memory dies and comprises a first operation step of a first memory die to perform a first operation among the high power consumption operations and a second operation entry standby step of a second memory die using the voltage of a selected word line which corresponds to a page to perform a second operation among the high power consumption operations as a reference voltage. [Reference numerals] (S120) First memory die among a plurality of memory dies performs a first operation among a plurality of high power consumption operations;(S140) Second memory die among the memory dies waits for entering a second operation with the voltage of a selected word line corresponding to a page intending to perform a second operation among the high power consumption operations as a reference voltage


Arterilization of the coronary venous system has been suggested as a means of myocardial perfusion. We recently studied a patient with a saphenous vein aorto=coronary venous bypass graft created inadvertently during surgery intended to bypass the anterior descending artery. We selectively injected onctrast into this graft during balloon occlusion of the coronary sinus both before and after sublingual nitroglycerin. No arterial visualization was demonstrated from the vein and no evidence to suggest perfusion of the myocardium was found.


Introduction:
 Post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a common complication among heart transplant recipients resulting in heightened risk of diabetes-related complications and death. While there is evidence that certain maintenance immunosuppression drugs like tacrolimus increase the risk of PTDM, it is not known whether induction immunosuppression does the same. We therefore evaluated whether induction immunosuppression in the early post-transplant period with IL-2 inhibitors, alemtuzumab or anti-thymocyte globulin is associated with PTDM after accounting for potential confounding by indication.

 Methods:
 Using data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, we conducted a cohort study of 23,946 US adults who received a heart transplant in January 2008-December 2018. PTDM was defined as new diagnosis of diabetes at any time 6 months after transplant. We excluded patients with prior organ transplants and diabetes. We used logistic regression to construct propensity scores for predictors of induction immunosuppression and risk factors for PTDM including demographic, clinical and immunologic factors, pre-transplant therapies, steroids, functional status, and transplant year. We estimated the effect of induction immunosuppression in propensity-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models and produced fully adjusted Kaplan-Meier curves using inverse probability of treatment weights.

 Results:
 The average age was 54 (SD=12.5) years, 26% were female and 12,303 (51%) received induction immunosuppression. Over 84,969 person-years, 2,678 (11%) developed PTDM (32 cases/1,000 person-years). In the propensity-adjusted analysis, induction immunosuppression was associated with a 20% lower rate of PTDM (Figure 1; hazard ratio=0.80, 95% confidence interval 0.74-0.87).

 Conclusions:
 Adult heart transplant recipients who received induction immunosuppression had a 20% lower rate of PTDM compared to those who did not receive it.


The composite coatings obtained by the method of electrospark doping and the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis have been examined. It is revealed that the generated composite coatings consist of the titanium carbides which are uniformly distributed in the metal matrix. The grains of titanium carbide are of the size of 0,1-4,0 microns. Large titanium carbide grains in the coatings consist of disperse carbides of the size less than 1 micron. The investigation of the structure of the composite coatings in the friction tracks after the performed tests has shown that the formed coatings have high wearing capacity.


Urban and transportation planners have put a special focus on the attributes of the school trip as an essential mandatory trip which contributes significantly to traffic during the rush hours. In the past decades, this topic attracted the attention of more planners, modeler, researchers and decision makers to find effective policies that can promote walking and biking as active modes for school trips. Travel distance has been unanimously recognized as a factor that significantly affects the transportation mode selection decision. A considerable number of studies have investigated the tolerable walking distance to school. These studies did not employ advanced statistical and mathematical methods for their analyses and contented to simple descriptive techniques for estimating acceptable travel distance for the school trip. Unlike such studies, this study utilizes two advanced econometric methods. First a random utility method is developed to find the distance the students consider for their school trip while taking into account the impact of mode selection. Second, an ad-hoc method is proposed to address the censorship existing for students who failed to walk. This method, attempts to find the actual distance at which the failure occurs and the student, or his/her parents, decide not to use non-motorized modes of transport. After addressing the censorship issue, a proportional hazards model with a formulation for discrete distance intervals and gamma function for heterogeneity to take into account the impact of unobserved factors is developed. The discrete hazard formulation is mainly utilized because the distances are collected in discrete intervals in the data. The data was collected for the City of Tehran, from a cross-sectional cohort of more than 4,700 high school and middle school students. The variables considered in the analysis include age and gender of students, family size , family income , parental occupation , and access to transportation . Finally a comparison between the developed random utility model and the hazard-based model is presented and discussed.


The implementation of preventing the spread of COVID-19 at Mangkol Waterfall tourist attractions is carried out as a form of service at the time of the corona pandemic to help to break the chain of spreading the virus in tourist attractions. The results of preliminary observations found that the problem was that medical protocols had not been implemented such as recommendations for the use of masks for visitors, had not carried out body temperature checks, and were not equipped with handwashing infrastructure. visitors. This service aims to implement health protocols during the spread of Covid 19 to prevent transmission of the virus to visitors and break the chain of virus spread. The service method is carried out through the initial observation stage or situation analysis, the service planning stage, the service implementation stage, and the evaluation. The results of this service are the planning stage based on the observation that there is no application of health protocols at tourist sites, the implementation stage through training and provision of health protocol facilities, and the evaluation stage by implementing or implementing health protocol signs. for visitors and tourism managers of Mangkol Waterfall.


This paper proposes a solution to the electric Vehicle Scheduling Problem (eVSP) based on the framework of Discrete Event System (DES). A supervisory control is synthesized using the theory of Supervisory Control of Discrete Event System (SCDES) to manage the power admission control of a group of local Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEV). The PEVs are categorized based on their level of priority to be charged and an algorithm is developed to allocate power to PEVs according to their priority and available capacity. The proposed algorithm and supervisor validates the schedulability of charging of PEVs while meeting the constraint of the grid to achieve peak demand reduction. Simulation studies are carried out using MATLAB/Simulink and STATEFLOW toolkit and the result validates the effectiveness of the control scheme to reduce peak demand while providing fair charging schedules to PEVs.


Cucumber(Cucumis sativus L.) has been extensively investigated for genetic engineering.Cucumber regeneration systems,genetic transformation methods and factors influencing transformation have been reviewed in this paper.Meanwhile,the problems and the research focus of cucumber transformation were discussed.


New magnetic charts of New Zealand based on observations at 219 stations from May 1941 to December 1948 are shown for epoch 1945.5.


Introduction Demand-side management (DSM) is one of the key components of the future smart grid to enable more efficient and reliable grid operation [1]. To achieve a high level of reliability and robustness in power systems, the grid is usually designed for peak demand rather than for average demand. This usually results in an under-utilized system. To remedy this problem, different programs have been proposed to shape the daily energy consumption pattern of the users in order to reduce the peak-to-average ratio in load demand and use the available generating capacity more efficiently, avoiding the installation of new generation and transmission infrastructures. However, the increasing expectations of the customers both in quantity and quality [2], emerging new types of demand such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which can potentially double the average household energy consumption [3], the limited energy resources, and the lengthy and expensive process of exploiting new resources give rise to the need for developing some more advanced methods for DSM. Since electricity cannot be stored economically, wholesale prices (i.e., prices set by competing generators to regional electricity retailers) vary drastically between the low-demand times of day and the high-demand periods. However, these changes are usually hidden from retail users. That is, end users are usually charged with some average price. To alleviate this problem, various time-differentiated pricing methods have been proposed in the literature. Some examples include day-ahead pricing, time-of-use pricing, critical-peak-load pricing, and adaptive pricing [4–7]. By equipping users with two-way communication capabilities in smart grid systems and by adopting real-time pricing (RTP) methods, it is possible to reflect the fluctuations of wholesale prices to retail prices.


A Connected Dominating Set (CDS) can be used to construct a virtual backbone for wireless and mobile ad-hoc networks to make the system hierarchical and efficient. A virtual backbone can significantly improve network throughput, optimize broadband utilization, extend network lifetime, and reduce interference as well as packet retransmissions. Calculating a minimum backbone for a network is critical to reduce routing computation and energy consumption. This problem is a well-known NP-hard optimization problem, which has various applications in practice. In this paper, we propose a new problem based on customer fairness, which looks for a minimum CDS in a given communication model with shortest path constraints. It guarantees that any two clients can communicate with each other through this CDS with hop counts the same as the best path from the original graph, which means that routing on such a CDS will not bring additional traffic for every client. We name this problem as shortest path connected dominating set (SPCDS) and prove its NP-hardness by reduction from Hitting Set .T hen we propose a centralized greedy algorithm and an efficient distributed approximation algorithm with approximation ratio ∆ to solve SPCDS, where ∆ is the maximum vertex degree in the given topology. We also analyze the time complexity, message complexity, and evaluate the efficiency of our distributed heuristic by several numerical experiments and comparisons with previous literatures.


Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation therapy has been widely used in recent decades for the treatment of hematological diseases, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. In autoimmune diseases, self-activated T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes secreting antibodies against host antigens are considered to be central in the pathogenesis of the disease. Autologous stem cell products that eliminates these pathological cells could be a lifesaver for patients with autoimmune diseases who are resistant to conventional therapy, in order to restore a healthy immune system, achieve long-term remission and limited recurrence. The aims of this study was to complete and evaluate the results of the CD34 positive stem cells purification procedure from a myasthenia gravis patient's mobilized peripheral blood stem cells, for the purpose of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for Myasthenia gravis as well as other autoimmune diseases in Vietnam. We have completed the purification procedure of CD34-positive stem cells from mobilized peripheral blood stem cells of patient with myasthenia gravis using CliniMACS system with results of removing 99.99% of T lymphocytes; 99.81% of B lymphocytes; 99.99% of NK cells, while CD34+ recovery performance was 64.05% with CD34+ cell survival rate of over 99%, no bacterial contamination, ensuring quality assurance of stem cell product for transplantation.


The flavone was isolated by luteolin imprinted polymer column chromatography and their structures were determined by NMR.The results showed that one flavone was isolated from peanut shell alcohol(70%) and identified as luteolin.Luteolin is main bioactive flavone of peanut shell.


Objective To determine astragaloside IV in zhenqi fuzheng tablet by HPLC-ELSD. Methods HPLC-ELSD was used in the quantitative analysis of astragaloside IV in the sample. The separationwas performed on Kromasil C18(250 mm ×4.6 mm,5 μm) column with a mixture of methanol-water(80∶20) as mobile phase and the temperature of column was 30℃. The flow rate was 1.0 ml/min.The temperature of drift tube for measurement was 80℃, and the flowrate of N2 was 50psi. Results The standard curve was linear in the range of 1.522 5-15.22 5 μg for astragaloside IV (r=0.999 4,n=6). The average recovery was 99.98% and RSD was 0.3%. Conclusion The method is simple, reliable, and is a good method to determinate astragaloside IV.


: Hepatoblastoma is the most common liver cancer in children aged 3 years and younger. The differential diagnosis of this neoplasm is crucial for the proper management. Recent additions to protocols of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology and Children's Oncology Group have been key in tackling this oncological disease. This chapter provides an overview of the etiology, pathogenesis, epidemiology, incidence, symptoms, and therapeutic considerations of hepatoblastoma. The diagnostic measures necessary from a surgical point of view and the essential operational and technical considerations for the various stages of hepatoblastoma are discussed.


Cyber security defence tools and methodologies constantly contend with ever evolving, highly intelligent new generation of threats. The main challenges posed by these modern digital multi-vector attacks is their ability to adapt. Research shows that many existing defence systems fail to provide adequate protection against these latest threats. Hence, there is an ever-growing need for self-learning defence technologies that can autonomously adjust to the behavioural patterns of malicious actors. The accuracy and effectiveness of existing defence mechanisms depend on the decisions and manual input of human expert. This dependence results in administrative overheads, inconsistencies, errors, and delayed response time. This paper proposes an Autonomous Threat Detection and Response (ATDR) system which combines unsupervised machine learning, for autonomous threat detection, with intelligent queue management for an effective self-organized responses to threats. Results of conducted experiments show that ATDR can accurately classify network traffic in real time based on pattern and effectively isolate malicious traffic flow with minimal delay to the traffic flow. The use of round-robin to manage the scheduling helps reduce wait time, but with a marginal increase in re-scheduling frequency.


Record Linkage (ReL) is the task of identifying records from a pair of databases referring to the same realworld entity. This has many applications in organisations of all sizes where related data often exist in silos leading to inefficiency in data engineering and analytics applications as well as ineffectiveness of business applications (e.g., unable to personalise marketing campaigns).State-of-the-art (SOTA) machine learning and deep learning based ReL techniques use adaptive similarity measures and learn their relative contributions based on labeled data. However, we report here that they do not work with similar efficacy on industrial data owing to its fundamental differences such as magnitude of schema heterogeneity, need for leveraging structure of the data, lack of training data etc. Through our proposed system 'ReLink', we carefully mitigate these challenges and demonstrate that it not only significantly outperforms SOTA baselines on industrial datasets but also on majority of research benchmarks. ReLink introduces the notion of complete-linkage over attributes as well as uses hybrid feature spaces on lexical and semantic similarity measures using pre-trained models such as BERT. Going beyond empirical demonstration, we provide insights and prescriptive guidance on choice of ReL techniques in industrial settings from our observations and lessons learnt from the experience of transferring and deploying for real use-cases in a large financial services organization.


Aerodynamic shape optimization design of transonic wing is performed based on viscous adjoint method using compressible Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The viscous adjoint equations, boundary conditions and gradient formulas for inverse design and drag minimization design of viscous flow are derived. A numerical method is developed for solving adjoint equations. The procedure of optimization has been established by an effective combination of grid generation, flow and adjoint eqations solution, gradient solution and quasi-newton algorithm. The multigrid techniques are added to accelerate the convergence of flow and adjoint equations to improve the efficiency of design. Design examples including inverse problem and drag minimization are performed for transonic wing. The results indicate that the present method can be successfully applied to optimization design of transonic wing. Satisfactory designs are usually obtained with 20~30 design cycles.


Information Technology Center, The University of Tokyo, provides a new educational computer system, ECCS2012, from March 2012. In addition to an on-demand printing with service charge, ECCS2012 offers the following new features: (1) payments by Suica, (2) direct off-campus printing in cooperation with net print service, (3) accepting printing jobs from the outside of the system, and (4) printing MS Office documents on a USB memory with their previews. In this paper, we describe the overview of these features and the system structure.


This paper constructs a DSGE model to investigate the influences of oil price shocks on China's economy. Parameter estimation indicates that China's money supply mechanism does not target oil price shock, but makes a significant pro-cyclical response to output and a counter-cyclical reaction to inflation. It also shows that the persistence and volatility of oil price shocks are much stronger than that of other exogenous shocks. Impulse analysis exhibits that oil price shocks exert a lasting contraction effect on output and consumption, and meanwhile push inflation up. Furthermore, forecast error variance decomposition and historical decomposition reveal that the impact of oil price shock is stronger than other five shocks, and it is one of the main sources of China's economic fluctuation.


Climate Change is a key challenge of biodiversity conservation. Impacts of climate change are significant on physiology, phenology and distribution of species, seasonal biological phenomenon of floral and faunal species, animal life cycle, migratory birds and wild animals, mountain ecosystems, wild animals' habitat as well as coral reefs habitat. Moreover, impacts of climate change are also on preservation of wild animals and plants in protected areas, shifting of bio-climatic zones, endangered & vulnerable flora and fauna and biodiversity hotspots. The change in hydrological cycle due to global warming affect on river run-off, accelerate water–related hazards and affect also on agriculture, vegetation, forests, biodiversity and health. h} ljljwtf ;+] hnjfo'{ d''}] b]] h} ljljwtf ;DalGw kl/jt{d'|cGtu{tyf hLjhGt'] physiology, phenology / ljt/0f, df}h} k|hLjgrqm, a;fO{]/ jGohGt'kj{kfl/l:ytLlso k|jGohGt']sf] nufot ;d'||k/]]{o;sf]}'{]+If]/x]' jg:ktLsf]+ sl7gfO{bio-climatic zones ;g] {+ jg:ktL Pj+'} ljljwtf hotspots gfl;g] lta|]] ljZjJofkL ?kdf a9\]] k| kf/]] kl/0ffd:j?k a9\] en, kfgL;+vt/f nufot s[jg:ktL, jgh+h}ljljwtf Pj+gsf/fTds k| kf/]]


Critical thinking refers to individuals making independent self-judgment on the nature, value, authenticity and accuracy of the things they come into contact with, so as to make reasonable decisions about what to do and what to believe. The cultivation of critical thinking of medical students is of great significance to the development of medical students and the cultivation of innovative talents in society. It is necessary to take the professional teaching team as the guarantee to cultivate the critical thinking of medical students. How to build a high-quality teaching team with complete structure, unity and mutual assistance, coordination and complementarity is the focus of common concern and research in colleges and universities. Based on the cultivation of critical thinking of medical students, this thesis analyzed how to construct teaching team.


We offer a general view about the parrochial structure of the diocesis of Cadiz between 1700 and 1834, characterized by its debility, the economic precarity of their servants, their short incomes, and their poor intellectual interests.


This study examined the association between age of onset and persistence of externalizing behavior and young adults' cannabis use disorders (CUDs). Data were from a 21 year follow-up of a birth cohort study in Brisbane, Australia. The present cohort consisted of 2225 young adults who had data available about CUDs at 21 years and externalizing behavior at 5 and 14 years. Young adults' CUDs were assessed using the CIDI-Auto. Child and adolescent externalizing behavior were assessed at the 5- and 14- year phases of the study. After controlling for confounding variables, children who had externalizing behavior at both 5 and 14 years (child-onset-persistent) (COP) had a substantial increase in risk of CUD at age 21 years (Odds ratio (OR) = 2.5; 95% CI: 1.5, 4.2). This association was similar for those who had 'adolescent-onset' (AO) externalizing behavior. However, there was no association between 'childhood limited' (CL) externalizing behavior and CUD. Externalizing behavior in adolescence is a strong predictor of subsequent CUD. Smoking and drinking at 14 years partially mediated the link between externalizing behavior and CUD.


Ronaldo Barbosa (bottom row, right) metallurgical engineer, RBM, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil email@example.com A new approach was presented concerning a method for calculating mechanical properties for microalloyed, medium-carbon wire rods and bars. The proposed equations considered chemical composition, ferritic grain size and carbonitride precipitation. A model for microstructure evolution was used to estimate austenite grain size and the amount of microalloying elements in solution before the austenite transformation to ferrite. A 0.3%C-0.02%Nb-0.11%V steel was used for industrial validation. Results for tensile properties from rolled samples could be predicted with reasonable accuracy, allowing the use of the method in a current industry line.


J Adv Pract Oncol 2012;3:47–48 A s a veteran oncology nurse practitioner, the findings presented by Towle et al. (2011) in their article, "Results of the ASCO Study of Collaborative Practice Arrangements," recently published in the Journal of Oncology Practice, were not astonishing to me. The purpose of their study was to address the workforce shortage of oncologists by exploring collaborative oncology practice models that include nonphysician practitioners (NPPs)— physician assistants and nurse practitioners. The study design consisted of two steps: (1) a national survey of NPP integration into oncology practices and identification of collaborative practice models and services, and (2) a more detailed data and satisfaction survey of selected practices.


Abstract Cell-mediated immunity (CMI) to autologous breast cancer tissue was measured by means of skin window (SW) and leukocyte migration tests (LMT9s). Simultaneous measurements were made of the in vitro (LMT) reactivity to RIII-murine mammary tumor virus, virions and/or purified glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 55,000. Among clinically disease-free patients tested 6 to 12 months postoperatively, positive SW responses were found in 86% of Stage 0 cases, in 57% of those invasive breast cancer patients who subsequently survived without recurrence for 5 or more years, and in 26% of those invasive breast cancer patients who developed recurrence less than 4 years postoperatively. Simultaneous CMI to RIII-murine mammary tumor virus and autologous breast cancer was significantly more frequent among lymphoreticuloendothelial (LRE)-positive than among LRE-negative breast cancer patients tested 2 to 5, 6 to 12, and 13 to 39 months postoperatively. Among clinically disease-free LRE-positive patients tested 13 to 60 months postmastectomy, there was a striking correlation between migration indices to RIII-glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 55,000 and autologous breast cancer. Our data indicate that: (a) the SW and LMT procedures could provide objective criteria for monitoring the effects of putative immunotherapeutic procedures on prognostically significant CMI; (b) the SW and LMT data support our earlier suggestion that the presence of LRE responses in breast cancer tissue reflects prognostically significant CMI to the cancer; (c) the SW, LMT, and LRE characteristics individually and collectively demonstrate that preinvasive (Stage 0 in situ) breast cancers are commonly, if not universally, immunogenic; and (d) induced CMI to shared CMI determinants of Stage 0 in situ cancers might exert a retarding influence on subsequently developing breast cancer.


The title compound, alternatively called N-(9H-fluoren-9-ylidene)-2-methoxyaniline, C20H15NO, was synthesized by the p-toluenesulfonic acid-assisted Schiff base reaction between 9-fluorenone and 2-methoxyaniline. The crystal structure of the title compound has been determined at 100 K.


ABSTRACT Importance In light of increasing cannabis use among pregnant women, the Surgeon General of the United States issued an advisory against the use of marijuana during pregnancy on August 29th, 2019. Objective To determine whether cannabis use during pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes among offspring. Design Cross-sectional analysis of the baseline session of the ongoing longitudinal Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Setting Data were collected from 22 sites across the United States between 2016 and 2018. Participants Children ages 9-11 (n=11,489) and their parent or caregiver. Exposure Prenatal marijuana exposure prior to and following maternal knowledge of pregnancy. Main Outcomes and Measures Child psychopathology symptomatology (i.e., psychotic-like experiences and internalizing, externalizing, attention, thought, and social problems), cognition, sleep, birth weight, gestational age at birth, body mass index (BMI), and brain structure (i.e., total intracranial volume, white matter volume, gray matter volume). Covariates included familial (e.g., income, familial psychopathology), pregnancy (e.g., prenatal vitamin use, whether the pregnancy was planned), and child (e.g., birth weight, substance use) variables. Results Among 11,489 children (age 9.9±0.6 years; 47.78% female), 655 (5.70%) were prenatally exposed to cannabis in total. Marijuana use prior to (n=648; 5.64%) and following (n=242; 2.11%) maternal knowledge of pregnancy were associated with increased offspring psychopathology characteristics (i.e., psychotic-like experiences and internalizing, externalizing, attention, thought, social, and sleep problems) and BMI as well as reduced cognition, birth weight, and brain structure (i.e., total white and gray mater volumes; all psfdr 0.06). Conclusions and Relevance Prenatal cannabis exposure, and its correlated factors, may increase risk for psychopathology and reduced cognition during middle childhood as well as reduced birthweight. Consistent with recent recommendations by the Surgeon General, marijuana use during pregnancy should be discouraged.


Highly dispersed Pt-CeO2/C electrode was prepared by mixing ceria sol with Pt/C powder,and electro-oxidation of methanol was studied in sulfuric acid electrolyte at room temperature on Pt-CeO2/C catalyst.It was found that the Pt-CeO2/C catalyst exhibited a higher catalytic activity towards methanol electro-oxidation than Pt /C catalyst.Transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and X-ray diffraction(XRD) analyses indicated the formation of homogenous mixtures of ceria and Pt nanometer particles with size of around 3~4 nm on carbon support.Electro-oxidation of methanol was studied on the Pt-CeO2/C electrodes employing various amounts of CeO2 in sulfuric acid electrolyte at room temperature.The electrochemical characterization by cyclic voltammetry(CV) and chronoamperometry demonstrated that the catalytic activity of the Pt-CeO2/C was highest when the mass ratio of Pt∶CeO2 was 1∶1,where the current density for electro-oxidation of methanol was 0.112 A/cm2.


Swarm intelligence can be viewed as the emergent collective intelligence of a group of agents, emphasizing direct or indirect local interactions among relatively simple agents. Swarm methods have been widely used for low-dimensional problems such as modeling collective movements in physical space (computer-generated animation, multi-robot teams, etc.), but they have been less studied in higher dimensional problems, mostly in the form of numerical optimization. In this work, we take a step toward applying these kind of systems to diagnostic problem-solving using causal networks. In our model, simple agents move in an abstract high-dimensional space, and based only on local interactions, generate a solution as a result of their collective behavior. Computational experiments show that this model can approximate the best diagnostic solutions (i.e., Bayesian optimal) in reasonably sized problems.


Teaching students to construct correct statements in programming languages is an important part of introductory programming courses. While modern development environments highlight syntax errors, they do not stimulate thinking in grammatical terms to help the student understand and memorize syntax rules. To facilitate learning syntax, we developed CorrectWriting, a question-type plug-in for the popular LMS Moodle. It finds mistakes in token order and composition and detects typos, including missing and extraneous separators. Mistake messages use teacher-supplied token descriptions to show the grammatical role of each wrong token. Hints are provided about students' mistakes. CorrectWriting questions are actively used by the students of Volgograd State Technical University to prepare for classwork.


Who benefits when economic costs to the pursuit of higher education are diminished? Can such reforms advance the educational trajectory of historically marginalized groups, including women and indigenous people, or are historic social inequalities replicated in the use of new opportunities? The 2016 Ley de Gratuidad in Chile presents a unique opportunity to examine who benefits and how when the state provides a policy guaranteeing free higher education at participating universities. Given the systematic biases and cultural norms faced by women and indigenous people in Chile and the broad design of the state-led policy, the educational reform constitutes an important test of the extent to which lowering costs can facilitate education across an economically and socially diverse population. Leveraging data from two waves of a household survey, this paper finds that educational attainment, measured in the number of years of schooling achieved by respondents, is significantly higher for those who receive such a benefit, consistent with the design and intent of the policy. More surprisingly, these increases in years of education occur for women and indigenous people, even though no programmatic element emphasizes these groups. The results suggest that state financing is significantly associated with promoting higher education in the population and that women, the poor, and indigenous people are significant beneficiaries of this effect despite the social and cultural barriers in the country.


According to Spearman's two factor theory,ability of colleague students major in physical education are divided into general factors(G)and special factors(S).G are also divided into cognition and creation ability,organization and communication ability,expression and self-control ability.By methods of systematic classification,G model and S model are founded.


Authored by J F Boyd, Glasgow: Published by University of Glasgow Press, 2004, £150.00 (softback), pp 2374. ISBN 0852616414

This very large work describes the pathology of human virus infections and associated conditions in three volumes, with a total of 2360 pages. Section A (most of volume 1) contains a comprehensive description of general pathology, including descriptions of viral structure and replication etc., clinical …


Though volume of option trading, specifically in NSE'S NIFTY Index contract, rise significantly over a period of time, it is considered as comparatively complicated due to complexities involve in option. pricing. Volatility in prices play very critical role in option pricing. With help of momentum indicators of technical analysis, one can identify point of expected high amount of volatility in prices. This lead to very high amount movement in option prices. Commodity Channel Index (CCI) is one of the tools of technical analysis which helps in assessing momentum and give hint about future volatility in prices. The present study aims to trace significant (at least double) rise in option price with minimum risk using CCI. For this purpose, historical data of NSE's NIFTY index was tested on stipulated rules of CCI indicating strong momentum and accordingly creating long position in corresponding in The Money option contracts. The risk and return of using this trading mechanism in NIFTY option was calculated using Return, Maximum Loss Zone, Average Gain to Average Loss Ratio, Strike Rate (Success rate) and its significance. The results are found positive about CCI based trading in option as per stipulated in rules for aggressive traders with time frame of two weeks.


Anodic oxidation of the natural mineral chalcopyrite from the Bor ore deposit has been studied by cyclic voltammetry in pure sulfuric acid solutions. At the obtained voltammograms, the appearance of peaks at certain potential regions was identified and found to be much less pronounced than those previously reported in the literature. The voltammetric kinetic analysis confirmed that two-electron exchange electrochemical reactions occur. The explanation for this somewhat different electrochemical behavior of natural chalcopyrite compared to the concentrates widely used in studies of this mineral will also be given.


The subsynovial connective tissue (SSCT) is the most characteristic structure in the carpal tunnel and is substantially affected in cases of carpal tunnel syndrome. We investigated the usefulness of Doppler sonography for measuring velocity differences between the flexor tendon and its associated SSCT in the carpal tunnel of cadaver hands.


Increasing penetration level of Distributed Generators (DGs)/ Renewable energy sources (RES) creates low inertia problems, damping effect on grid dynamic performance and stability. Voltage rise by reverse power from PV generations, excessive supply of electricity in the grid due to full generation of the DGs, power fluctuations due to variable nature of Renewable energy sources, and degradation of frequency regulation can be considered as some negative results of mentioned hurdle. For securing such a grid there should add inertia, virtually. The proposed control approach based on an inverter connected in Microgrid, which operated as a virtual synchronous generator (VSG) reacting only in transitory situations. Super capacitor (SC), an energy storage system (ESS) included in MG-forming inverter i.e., a normal inverter structure used for contributing system robustness and reliability. In steady-state load distributed between the MG-supporting inverter are achieved with two restoration controllers for active and reactive powers. The virtual inertia hypothesis can be used for maintaining a large share of DGs in future grids without affect system stability. This proposed system analyzed and simulated using MATLAB/SIMULINK.


This article extends understanding of trust repair by explaining in more detail the dynamics of trust at the network level. Building on organizational-level trust repair research, the article explains how two periods of trust repair – catharsis and catalysis – contribute to trust repair of an interorganizational network. In addition, the article describes how changes to network-level trust in an interorganizational network change the governance form of the network, making the interorganizational network more durable and stable.


The United States Military Academy Band, also known as the West Point Band is the oldest active band in the United States Army and the oldest unit at the United States Military Academy, and is considered to be one of the finest military musical organizations in the world. The band has also been instrumental in facilitating the creation of new works for wind band.As the commissioning of new music has been essential to the expansion of the wind band's repertoire, several major commissioning projects were undertaken in the mid-twentieth century by various organizations, including the West Point Band, the Goldman Band in conjunction with the League of Composers and later the American Bandmasters Association, Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma, the American Wind Symphony, and the College Band Directors National Association. These commissioning projects and many others have contributed hosts of new quality works to the repertoire of the wind band. The West Point Band's 1952 commissioning project celebrating the Sesquicentennial of the United States Military Academy was among the first of these mid-twentieth century commissioning projects to seek out prominent composers of the day and have them write works for wind band. The project contributed several seminal pieces to the wind band's repertoire, including Morton Gould's Symphony for Band: West Point. In 1996, as tribute to both the Academy and to the earlier commissioning project, the West Point Band sought to celebrate the Academy's 2002 bicentennial in a similar fashion by commissioning well-known composers to contribute substantial wind works. These pieces would be premiered and recorded by the West Point Band over a number of years, including a gala Bicentennial Celebration concert at Carnegie Hall in March 2002. The purpose of this study is to create a consolidated written record of the wind music composed for the West Point Band as part of the band's Bicentennial Wind Commissioning Project, and to describe the process and circumstances by which this music was created and premiered. The continuing development of a quality original repertoire is important to the wind band community as a whole, and commissioning composers to write wind band music is the primary means by which new music is acquired. By any account, the twenty-six works produced through the West Point Band's Bicentennial Commissioning Project constitute a significant contribution to this repertoire. As this project and many of these pieces are not well known, it is the author's intent to bring increased attention to this commissioning project and to this music.


Abstract : A wide variety of viruses which pose little or no public health threat in the United States are significant problems for military personnel stationed in parts of the world where these viruses are endemic. Many of these viruses are dependent on an insect vector and are found primarily in tropical regions. Infections with these viruses result in symptoms which range from temporarily debilitating to extremely serious and many are potentially fatal. The large number of these viruses and the difficulties involved in working with many of them make vaccination an impractical goal at this time. Natural or synthetic compounds which enhance the ability of the immune system to defend against these viruses would provide broader spectrum management of such infections. The prophylactic and/or therapeutic use of such agents could provide the critical difference in the outcome of situations involving large scale virus exposure of military personnel


Medical imaging is of great value for the comprehensive evaluation of hepatocellular carcinoma from diagnosis to prognosis, which contributes to optimal clinical management making.


Thin film growth of CaF2 on Si(111)7×7 depending on the substrate temperature has been studied by Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED). In this study, three aspects such as solid-phase epitaxy, vapor-phase epitaxy and electron stimulated desorption (ESD) effect were investigated. In the solid-phase epitaxy, a 7×1 surface structure has been newly found at a very narrow temperature range of 840-850oC. In the vapor-phase epitaxy, RHEED intensity oscillations were observed at the substrate temperature range of 100-450oC, which suggests a layer by layer growth due to 2-dimensional nuclei. In the range of 500-700oC, the oscillation disappears but the reflection intensity is kept at a high level, which suggests a step-flow growth mode. It was judged from the change of Kikuchi pattern that CaF2 thin films grown at the substrate temperature range of 200-700oC were all of type-B; however, that grown at 100oC was of type-A. Since the ESD effect on the CaF2 surface is generally serious, the effect is also examined.


Objective To explore the clinical manifestations,image findings and surgical treatments for glomus tumor.Methods Fourteen cases of glomus tumors who underwent surgical treatment were analyzed retrospectively.These cases were treated in Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from 1996 to 2002.Results There were 6 males and 8 females.The mean age was (37±10) years old,with 14.3%(2/14) cases of multiple tumors.Glomus tumor was located in the subungual region or extremities of limbs in 64.3%(9/14) cases.Color Doppler flow imaging finding rate was 100%(7/7),while radiological finding rate was only 35.7%(5/14).All the glomus tumors were excised.Postoperative follow-up period ranged from 2 years to 8 years,with an average of 4.3 years.There was no local recurrence.Conclusion [WT5"BZ]Color Doppler flow imaging and the characteristic triad of symptoms such as pain,tenderness,and cold sensitivity have values for more accurate diagnosis of glomus tumors.Meticulous complete excision is the only recommended treatment.


Stable radical polymers have attracted significant attention due to their use as magnetic materials, (co)catalysts in organic synthesis, and as functional components of organic electronics including batteries and memory devices. Despite their importance, a relatively narrow range of synthetic strategies exist for their production. The most common examples involve the transition-metal catalyzed polymerization of radical-containing monomers or the sequential polymerization of monomers containing radical precursors and their post-polymerization conversion to radicals. Post-polymerization installation of stable radicals is not commonly reported. Copper-assisted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) chemistry has seen limited use in this regard, but only for the production of π-conjugated and particle-bound polymers. Here, we present a divergent synthetic strategy for the production of stable radical polymers, that takes advantage of the efficiency of atom transfer radical polymerization and CuAAC chemistry, and is anticipated as general to a wide range of stable radicals. We chose verdazyl radicals as a case study for this synthetic paradigm as they offer highly tunable properties based on minor structural changes, and thus well represent the need for the divergent synthetic strategy presented.


Consumer electronics are creating huge job markets for graduates with the programming back-ground, and more and more computer science departments are launching embedded software subjects to meet this demand. However, most students majoring computer science do not have the background in electronics, or even circuits. Due to this reason, how to convey the abstract knowledge on embedded software tangibly to students in computer science is a significant challenge in teaching to bridge the gap between the limited background and curriculum requirements. This paper addresses this challenge by proposing a student project to develop and pilot test a mobile robot platform, and a peer competition with the robots developed by other students. The project requires students to develop a mobile robot using commercial sensors and actuators for simultaneous light source seeking and obstacle avoidance. The development and assembly of such a system stimulate students' interest in this subject and provide them with a concrete understanding of embedded systems. The algorithm design and implementation enhance their theoretical knowledge gained from lectures. To facilitate the development, this project is partitioned into multiple parts and we provided a one-hour tutorial every week for all parts. The components include basic simple concepts such as input/output programming, intermediate tasks such as reading sensor data and controlling motors, and advanced topics such as multi-threading to simultaneously control multiple software methods. The final competition motivates students to develop robust and optimal programs. It helps them accumulate practical knowledge about performance limits of some electronic devices and calibration


195
 Pt n.m.r. data are reported for [Ptn(CO)2n]2–(n= 3, 6, or 9) and, when n= 9, the spectra are consistent with rotation of the outer Pt3-triangles with respect to the middle triangle about the principal 3-fold axis; inter-exchange of Pt3-triangles occurs in mixtures of [Pt9(CO)18]2– and [Pt12(CO)24]2– at 25°C.


Objective To investigate the effect of levels of fibrinogen,plasma homocysteine,and blood lipids on the degree of leukoaraiosis in patients with subcortical vascular dementia (SVD).Methods Blood levels of fibrinogen,homocysteine,high-density lipoprotein,low-density lipoprotein,apolipoprotein A,apolipoprotein B,triglyceride,and total cholesterol were measured in 37 hospitalized or clinic patients with SVD.Head was detected by magnetic resonance.According to Scheltens' s apporach,deep white matter hyperintense signals (DWMH) and periventricular hyperintensity (PVH) were determined semiquantitatively.All the collected biochemical indicators and risk factors were compared with the semiquantitative scores of DWMH and PVH.The clinical datas were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis and single linear regression analysis.Results Pearson correlation analysis showed only plasma Fib level was positively related to the degree of PVH in SVD (P=0.034),and this relation didn' t exist between leukoaraiosis (DWMH and PVH) and other biochemical indicators (P>0.05).Single linear regression analysis revealed leukoaraiosis (DWMH and PVH) was not related with hypertension,smoking,stroke,diabetes,and hyperlipoidemia (P>0.05).Conclusions Plasma level of Fib is positively related with the degree of periventricular hyperintensity in subcortical vascular dementia.

Key words:
Subcortical vascular dementia;  Leukoaraiosis;  Fibrinogen


During the second half of the twentieth century the international economy expanded in size and complexity. The integration of goods and capital markets culminated in the 1980s and 1990s, described as an era of 'globalization' comparable to the late nineteenth century. As this process unfolded, there was a steady reduction in Britain's prominence as a world economic power both in quantitative terms and in terms of influence in global policy-making. This had as much to do with the evolution of the international economy as with Britain's own economic strength. The rapid expansion in global trade and investment and the increase in the number of countries involved compared to the nineteenth century inevitably left the British economy in a less prominent position. This trend also reflected a more fundamental shift of economic strength and influence toward the US economy that had begun before the First World War and was enhanced by America's war experience.The era began with Britain exercising its still considerable influence in global policy-making. Indeed, the entire framework of the post-war international economic system was born out of wartime relations between the United States and the UK. Through the post-war years, despite heavy domestic economic burdens, Britain managed an international currency that ranked second only to the US dollar and was the unit of account for half of the ... log in or subscribe to read full text


The invention discloses a composition for trapping and killing diaphorina citri kuwayama, and a using method and the application thereof. The composition comprises beta-caryophyllene, D-limonene, linalool and the balance of mineral oil, wherein the volume ratio of the beta-caryophyllene to the D-limonene to the linalool is (1-3):(2-3):1, and the content of the beta-caryophyllene is 4.3 to 43 mu L/mL, the content of the D-limonene is 4.3 to 43 mu L/mL and the content of the linalool is 1.4 top 14 mu L/mL. The composition for trapping and killing the diaphorina citri kuwayama provided by the invention has a better trapping effect than that of trapping with yellow sticky cards; the trapping number of the composition can be improved by 25.1 times when the density of the diaphorina citri kuwayama is high (murraya paniculata serves as a host), and the trapping number can also be improved by 20.4 times when the density of the diaphorina citri kuwayama is low (citrus gonggan serves as a host), so that the trapping effect is remarkable. The using method of the composition disclosed by the invention is simple and feasible; compared with the current chemical agent for preventing and controlling the diaphorina citri kuwayama, the composition has the advantages of high efficiency, greenness, environmental friendliness, strong lasting effect and the like, does not have pollution to the environment, and does not have residues.


Purpose
This paper aims to explore a framework for implementing Lean Construction (LC) to provide corrective actions for quality defects, customer dissatisfaction and value creation during the construction of megaprojects.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents a case study involving the construction of the Mohamed VI Tower in Morocco. It is the tallest tower in Africa, with 55 floors and a total height of 250 m. This study of the quality of the work and the involvement of the LC was carried out using the Define–Measure–Analysis–Improve–Control approach from Lean six sigma. It describes the Critical to Quality and analyses the root causes of quality defects, customer dissatisfaction and variation in the quality process.

Findings
Firstly, the results of this study map the causal factors of lack of quality as established in the literature. Secondly, the LC tools have reduced non-value-added sources of quality waste and, consequently, improved critical quality indicators.

Research limitations/implications
This document focuses on one part of the tower's construction and is limited to a project case in a country where LC is rarely used.

Originality/value
This study reinforces the literature reviews, surveys and the small number of case studies that have validated the potential of LC and further clarifies future directions for the practical emergence of this quality improvement approach, especially for large-scale projects.


Background: A 40-year-old Caucasian woman was referred to the hospital because of chronic pelvic pain, major dyspareunia and rectal tenesmus. On clinical examination, the vaginal touch was painful. Personal history revealed right salpingectomy for extra-uterine pregnancy 19 years ago, two medical abortions 4 and 10 years ago, surgical excision for endometriotic cyst by celioscopy one year ago, and hysterectomy with right ovariectomy 8 months earlier for appendicitis and adenomyosis. Patient also underwent surgery for breast cancer, associated with adjuvant radiotherapy and hormonotherapy.


Wireless networks, Internet of Things (IoT), Internet of Everything (IoE), and smart homes have become extremely important terms in our present-day life. Most of the buildings, companies, institutions, and even homes depend onthese technologies for interaction, communication, automation, and everything surrounding humans. To understand the advanced topics in wireless networks and IoT devices, it is necessary to use one of the practical learning tools, calledPacket Tracer. This wireless network simulator is freely available by Cisco Networking Academy. In this paper, we will use Packet Tracer to design a smart home based on wireless and IoT devices and illustrate how to create different networking scenarios to make our homes more comfortable and convenient.


In this paper, we describe a procedure for constructing $q$--ary

$[N,3,N-2]$--MDS codes, of length $N\leq q+1$ (for $q$ odd) or

$N\leq q+2$ (for $q$ even), using a set of non--degenerate Hermitian

forms in $PG(2,q^2)$.


In this paper, we modify the graph model for conflict resolution (GMCR) to model interactive unawareness of decision makers (DMs) about the options available to them in the conflict. More specifically, we consider a GMCR with two DMs, where a DM, in some given state, can be unconscious about some of his options, or about the options of his opponent, and therefore, may have only a partial knowledge of the state space. By interactive unawareness, it is meant that a DM can reason about the awareness level of the other DM and about the awareness level of the other DM regarding his or her own awareness level and so on. We generalize standard solution concepts for this model and illustrate its usefulness by means of a hypothetical war conflict.


Reniera sarai, a marine sponge of the Ceractinomorpha subclass easily collectable in the Bay of Naples, is characterized by a series of cyclic nitrogenous compounds, which for many years have resisted all attempts of structural investigation.

Complex separation steps have now led to three new compounds, named sarain-1, sarain-2 and sarain-3. Their structures have been partially determined mainly by a 500 MHz NMR study, utilizing the 1H-1H homonuclear and 1H-13c heteronuclear NMR Chemical shift correlation techniques. Sarains belong to a new class of pentacyclic alkaloids, containing in their skeletons a quinolizidine system linked to a tetrahydropyridine moiety. Two linear alkyl chains, placed between the two heterocyclic systems, supply the two remaining cycles. Recently a series of biologically active bis-quinolizidine and 1-oxa-quinolizidine alkaloids have been isolated from the sponges Petrosia seriata and Xestospongia exigua, respectively. A common biogenetic origin should connect these alkaloids to sarains. Sarains show phase transfer catalytic properties.


Aesthetics is a type of literacy; however, it has been missing in generalist meta-analyses of teacher education. This article adds to the literature by synthesizing aesthetics theory, especially for implications of the historical development of ideas related to visual arts and aesthetics broadly defined for inclusive teacher preparation that promotes social engagement. Various viewpoints are explored in this article for contextualizing the field of aesthetics education as it relates to the preparation of generalist K–12 teachers who are not training to be fine arts teachers. With context, generalist K–12 teachers can be equipped to integrate the arts across other content areas.


Breakthroughs in technology and the open overpowering complexity of the corporate structure have spawned a new, versatile breed of managers. Known as planners, their business is change and their eyes must always be focussed on the big picture. Here is a profile of the job and the men who must be part seers, part detective-cost accountants, part sociologists to fill it.


Hypertensive retinopathy refers to the retinal vascular changes associated with systemic arterial hypertension. Hypertensive retinopathy can be divided into chronic and acute phases. A cross‐sectional study was performed to explore a method of measurement in the diameters of retinal vessels for diagnosis of chronic hypertensive retinopathy based on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD‐OCT). The central retinal artery diameter (CRAD), the central retinal vein diameter (CRVD), and the artery‐to‐vein ratio (AVR) were measured. A total of 119 subjects with 119 eyes were included in this study, in which 56 subjects with 56 eyes were included in hypertensive group and 63 subjects with 63 eyes were included in normotensive group. There were significant differences between the two groups in the CRAD (t = −2.14, P = .04) and the AVR (t = −2.59, P = .01). The cutoff point of 0.75 was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (area under the curve, AUC 0.786; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI 0.70‐0.87). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed the probability of AVR below to 0.75 was more in patients with high systolic blood pressure (odds ratio OR 4.39; P = .048), more in male (OR 4.15; P = .004) and more in smokers (OR 5.80; P = .01). Bland‐Altman plots showed small mean bias between the measurements of the two technicians in the CRAD, the CRVD, and the AVR. In summary, application of SD‐OCT is an accurate, reproducible, convenient method for measuring the diameters of retinal vessels. It is valuable for the diagnosis of chronic stage of hypertensive retinopathy.


Objective: This study evaluated whether a significant reduction in unnecessary appendectomies is possible by performing diagnostic laparoscopy before appendectomy in female patients of child-bearing age, leaving behind the normal-looking appendix.

Materials and methods: Sixty-one consecutive female patients between the ages of 15 and 45 years with clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis were studied prospectively. Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed to detect whether the appendix was inflamed. The appendix was then removed and the result of laparoscopic diagnosis was matched with histological diagnosis.

Results: Ten out of the 42 laparoscopically diagnosed appendicitis cases had normal appendices on histological examination. Six out of the 19 laparoscopically diagnosed normal appendices had histological evidence of appendicitis. The sensitivity of laparoscopy was 84% and the specificity was 56.5%.

Conclusions: Discrepancies existed between laparoscopic appearance and histological examination in acute appendicitis. The appendices of all those with clinically suspected appendicitis should be removed and sent for histological confirmation.