The sugar cane residue bagasse is an underutilized renewable agricultural material. Bagasse is generally grey-yellow to pale green in color. It is bulky and quite nonuniform in particle size. As it is produced at the sugar mills, bagasse is used as fuel in the power plant. However, wherever there is large scale production of sugarcane, there will be excess bagasse which must be disposed of by other methods such as burning, dumping, land burial, etc. Thus, an economic use of the excess bagasse could both increase the profits of the sugar mill and solve an environmental problem. In this work an attempt has been made to upgrade the value of this agricultural residue by bonding with resin to produce composites for suitable applications.


A dielectric object irradiated with a strongly focused laser beam is affected by the trapping force as well as the scattering force. When the object is chirally shaped, it can be rotated in a certain direction. Here, we show that the rotational direction is controlled as desired only by changing the position of the focal spot on the same chiral object. We show the experimental evidence of the mode switching by using a helical chromosome under steady illumination of a Nd3+:YAG laser beam.


The necessity of cultural and educational work improvement in the Interior Troops, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ukraine, is grounded and the ways of bringing it into the conformity to the requirements of Law of Ukraine "On Culture" are given.


This study was an investigation on the comparative analysis of senior secondary school students' achievement among gender using concept map instructional method in genetics in Zaria local Government Area. The designed for the study was pretest and posttest control groups design. Samples of 96 SSII students were involved in the study. The instrument for data collection was Genetics Achievement Test (GAT) with reliability r=0.65.  Data collected were analyzed using student t-test statistics. The result indicated that male students taught genetics using concept map instructional method performed better than their female counterpart. It was recommended    that, teachers need to exploit better pedagogical methods that is learner-centered in teaching genetics than expository method. Learners should be allowed to participate fully in the learning process


This research is meant to find out the influence of CAR, BOPO, NPL, LDR to the Return On Equity (ROE). The population of this research is Foreign Exchange Banks which are listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange and the total amount is 23 banks. The sample collection technique has been done by using purposive sampling with 5 criteria and the samples are 5 companies, the observation periods have been conducted in 2009-2014. The data is the secondary data which is done by using financial statement data. The analysis technique has been done by using multiple linear regressions analysis. The result of this research which has been done by using feasibility model test shows that the model is feasible for the following research, and the hypothesis test has been done by using t test shows that CAR variable has significant and positive influence to the ROE; BOPO has significant and negative influence to the ROE; NPL has significant and negative influence to the ROE; LDR has positive influence to the ROE at Foreign Exchange Banks which are listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange. And BOPO has dominant influence to the ROE. Keywords: CAR,BOPO, NPL, LDR, ROE.


This article presents an integrationist reading, a methodology articulated by the philosopher and poet Edouard Glissant with which we will analyze a poem by ...


In this article an efficient class of estimators for estimating finite population variance has been proposed using auxiliary information in simple random sampling. The bias and mean squared error of the proposed estimator is obtained up to the first degree of approximation. It has been shown that the proposed estimator is more efficient than usual unbiased estimator, Isaki (J. Am. Stat. Assoc.78:117-123, 1983), Kadilar and Cingi (Appl. Math. & Comput., 173, 1047-1059, 2006) and Upadhyaya and Singh (Vikram Math. J. 19, 14-17, 1999a). To judge the merits of the proposed estimator, we consider one numerical example.


The effect of mouse recombinant IL-1β and its antagonists (IL-1Ra and rabbit polyclonal antibodies to mouse IL-1β) on survival of animals and concentration of serum aminotransferases (AST and ALT) was investigated in mice intoxicated with acetaminophen (APAP). IL-1β (1000 IU/mouse) or IL1β antibody (0.5 mL/mouse) were given i.p. 3 hours before APAP and IL-Ra (2.5 mg/mouse) 1⁄2 hours before APAP, which was administered by gastric lavage. IL-1β significantly increased the survival mice and decreased plasma level of AST and ALT (p<0.05). Essentially, opposite effect had anti-IL-1β antibodies and IL-1Ra. RT-PCR analysis has revealed that administration of APAP induces the expression of both IL-1β and IL-1α in liver samples already 1 hour after its administration, indicating that the synthesis of these cytokines is part of host defense reaction to toxic effect of APAP. The expression of cytokines at induced by APAP administration could be blocked by pretreatment of mice with aspirin.


Evidence is given in this paper that externally added flavin mononucleotide (FMN) induces flavin adenine dinucleotide synthesis in isolated rat liver mitochondria, as shown by fluorimetric, chromatographic, and enzymatic assays. FMN association with mitochondria is a process with hyperbolic features that is sensitive to externally added mersalyl.


Lignocellulosic industrial biomass wastes (IBWs) are dominant biomass resources in China while their thermal reutilization may bring serious environmental issues due to high nitrogen content. Investigation on the formation of NOx precursors during their pyrolysis is significant. Based on the pyrolysis of three typical ones - medium-density fiberboard waste (MFW), Chinese herb residue (CHR) and tea stalk waste (TSW) in a horizontal tubular quartz reactor, similarities and distinctions on the formation characteristics of NH3 and HCN were investigated with the help of chemical absorption – spectrophotometry, XPS and TGA technologies. The results indicated that amide-N was the overwhelming nitrogen functionality in lignocellulosic IBWs, determining the dominance of NH3 among NOx precursors. However, the ratio and total yield of HCN-N and NH3-N could be changed by affecting intrinsic formation pathways owing to pyrolysis conditions as well as physicochemical properties. Joint effects of thermal conditions on e...


Often the otolaryngologist is asked to manage the patient with facial trauma. Mandibular fractures make up 20 to 39% of all facial trauma cases, and thus necessitate a diversified and complete set of management tools. We have selected two seldom discussed modes of therapy for the complicated jaw fracture to present in this paper: 1. external fixation or Joe‐Morrison Hall biphasic pins, and 2. mandibular dental appliances — splints. The advantage of the biphasic pin apparatus is that the fracture can be repaired and stabilized at a point remote from the infected fracture site. The high risk patient, endentulous patient, and patients with fractures from gunshot wounds all prove to be more easily managed by using the external appliances.


Identifying factors that influence anadromous Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) population dynamics is complicated by their diverse life histories and large geographic range. Over the last several decades, Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) populations from coastal areas and the Salish Sea have exhibited substantial variability in abundance. In some cases, populations within the Salish Sea have experienced persistent declines that have not rebounded. We analyzed a time series of early marine survival from 36 hatchery Chinook salmon populations spanning ocean entry years 1980–2008 to quantify spatial and temporal coherence in survival. Overall, we observed higher inter-population variability in survival for Salish Sea populations than non-Salish Sea populations. Annual survival patterns of Salish Sea populations covaried over smaller spatial scales and exhibited less synchrony among proximate populations relative to non-Salish Sea populations. These results were supported by multivariate autoregressive state space (MARSS) models which predominantly identified region-scale differences in survival trends between northern coastal, southern coastal, Strait of Georgia, and Puget Sound population groupings. Furthermore, Dynamic Factor Analysis (DFA) of regional survival trends showed that survival of southern coastal populations was associated with the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation, a large-scale ocean circulation pattern, whereas survival of Salish Sea populations was not. In summary, this study demonstrates that survival patterns in Chinook salmon are likely determined by a complex hierarchy of processes operating across a broad range in spatial and temporal scales, presenting challenges to the management of mixed-stock fisheries.


In view of the present arguments about compressibility study,through in-depth analysis,new compressibility relationship is established by derivation,which overcomes the paradox phenomenon on formula given by Prof.Li Chuan-liang.The correlation and analysis in this paper indicate that this relationship is correct,and Li's formula is wrong in both physical meaning and quantity relation.It is concluded that the pore compressibility measured by volumetric method is higher than the actual one and there is a logic reversal phenomenon,which is not closely related to micro clearance and covers with plastic deformation.The main reason is that unreasonable data processing statistics results in that the compressibility of rock is higher than that of formation fluid.


While inheriting Weber's ideology of conditioned determinism Aron first criticized and then surmo-unted Weber's Relativism. This paper is aimed to make a commentary and an analysis of how Aron criticizedand surmounted the two weak points of Weber's Relativism: the irrational choice of value and the rootlessnessof science. This paper also presents the essential thoughts of Aron's historical philosophy with a brief comment.


Elite high school football players face a barrage of pressures from their external environment that determine where they attend college as well as what factors, whether academic or athletic, they consider in a school. This study aims to analyze the relationship between African American high school football players, who go on to play intercollegiate football, and their high school football coaches. African American freshmen football players at a predominantly white institution in the Southwest United States were interviewed. The responses were compared and analyzed using two tenants of critical race theory (CRT): the centrality of experiential knowledge and the challenge to the dominant ideology. In an educational context, CRT utilizes storytelling and the experiences of people of color to highlight their experiences against the dominant culture in order to transform the educational environment for the benefit of marginalized people. After analyzing the interview transcriptions, the researchers found that these athletes were positively influenced by their high school coaches to perform well academically in high school, as well as to consider academics as a major point of emphasis in choosing to attend a university. Athletes developed positive relationships with their coaches, regardless of the sport in which they coached, that encouraged them to perform well academically and see college as a means to attain a degree as opposed to an avenue to professional athletics. This positive relationship contrasted some previous literature about college students that suggested that college coach–athlete relationship could be a major source of exploitation and stress for the athletes. Overall, the research found that these coaches were a source of positive influence on these student–athlete's lives athletically, personally, and academically.


The curve obtained by plotting log titers of the individuals of a vaccinated population against incidence of titers is a curve of normal distribution. The titers of the antibodies produced by one subject in response to certain different antigens are correlated.
 The genetical analysis of the capacity for producing isoantibodies has been carried through by means of correlation tables between the titers of the parents and those of the children. A high degree of correlation has been found in all instances; on the average these correlations are near the theoretical value (r = +0.5) to be expected if the antibody titers were controlled only by heredity in absence of dominance.


Specially designed operating room (OR) tablesmay prove to be one of the orthopedic surgeon'smost important tools and the orthopedic patient's best friend. A new hip replacement strategy that uses an anterior approach technique calls for utilization of such tables, which allow the surgeon to accurately control the angle, position, traction, and rotation of the hip and leg. One specialist, who last fall performed his first hip replacement using the anterior approach and the specially designed table, now uses this strategy for all primary hip replacement surgeries that he is responsible for at Loyola University Health System in Maywood, Illinois. Harold Rees,MD, is assistant professor of Reconstructive Surgery & Joint Replacement at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery&Rehabilitation, LoyolaUniversityChicago Stritch School of Medicine. Rees was so impressed by his first patient's recovery, which he attributed in part to the anterior approach made possible by the special OR table. The patient had a severely arthritic hip that was bone-on-bone before surgery. The day after surgery, the patient was able to walk halfway up a flight of stairs at the hospital. Later the same day, the patient transitioned readily from using a walker to crutches to a cane. The patient returned to work 15 days after his surgery. According to Rees, most patients who undergo hip replacement have a much more extensive recovery time. A 2009 report revealed average recovery time from total hip replacement surgery is between 1 and 6 months. Rees predicts that, within the next 5 to 10 years, the anterior approach to hip replacement will become the primary technique. People are becoming more aware of its benefits, he notes.


Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of itraconazole with those of fluconazole as earlier empirical antifungal therapy in ICU. Methods In a randomized,controlled,open trial,40 patients with risk factors of systemic fungal infections and unexplained fever that did not respond to broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy for 3-7 days were randomly divided into itraconazole group(20 patients) and fluconazole group(20 patients).Intravenous itraconazole,200 mg,was administered by infusion every 12 hours for the first 48 hours,followed by 200 mg daily from days 3 to 7.From day 8,oral itraconazole solution,200 mg twice daily,replaced intravenous itraconazole for another 14 days.Fluconazole was infused intravenously at a daily dose of 400 mg for 21 days.Body temperature,fungal infection,drug-related adverse events,and the efficacy were investigated. Results For itraconazole and fluconazole,the overall effective rates were 65.0% and 50.0%,and the adverse reactions rates were 30.0% and 5.0% respectively.But there were no significant differences in the overall effective rates and the adverse reactions rates between two groups.Two patients developed deep fungal infections in fluconazole group during the therapy. Conclusion Nowadays,itraconazole and fluconazole are effective and safe as the first-line drugs in earlier empirical therapy in ICU.However,itraconazole appears better in efficacy.


In this manuscript, at first we have given some theorems about non- isomorphic quasi union hyper K-algebra. Then we proceed with the study of classifi- cation quasi union hyper K-algebra of order less than or equal to 5. At the end, we give a conjecture about number of non-isomorphic quasi union hyper K-algebra of order n.


ABSTRACT This paper describes the hot-box testing (based on ASTM C1363-11) of seven straw bale wall panels to obtain their thermal conductivity values. All panels were constructed with stacked bale...


The model inversion approximation extracts parameters from within a nonlinear function so that they are exposed in a linear position convenient for further analysis. Experimental data can then be used to examine how the parameters vary with operating conditions. In particular, linear regression provides the selection and evaluation of the nonzero elements in linear relations between the parameters and the operating conditions. Where data is generated from an ordinary differential equation, this model inversion is used to investigate certain properties of the ode equations, such as the reliance of ode terms on external conditions, and the form of nonlinear relations of the state variables.


Picosecond Parametric Raman crystalline anti-Stokes laser at 503 nm with collinear beam interaction of orthogonally polarized Raman components in calcite at tangential phase matching under 532 nm 20 ps laser pumping is investigated. For the first time the highest anti-Stokes (503 nm) conversion efficiency of 30 % close to the theoretical limit of about 40 % at overall optical efficiency of the anti-Stokes generation of up to 3.5 % is obtained. The highest anti-Stokes 503 nm pulse energy was 1.5 uJ.


Pelvic bone metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are challenging due to their destructive pattern, poor response to radiotherapy and hypervascularity. The purpose of our study was to review a series of patients undergoing surgical treatment with the aim to investigate: 1) survival; 2) local disease control; and 3) complications.


Win32/Kelihos fi rst appeared at the very end of 2010. There are many things that make this malware stand out. First of all, it uses a custom peer-to-peer network protocol. It also shares many similarities in terms of code and endgame with Win32/Nuwar (the infamous Storm worm) and Win32/Waledac. These resemblances lead us to think the same gang is behind the creation, and possibly the operation, of all three pieces of malware. The fi rst variants of Win32/Kelihos to be discovered were, at best, in the alpha stage of development. Over recent months, we were able to closely track the new iterations, which allowed us to determine the primary purposes of this malware: spam campaigns and information stealing. In this paper, we give an overview of the functionalities of Win32/Kelihos and expose its peer-to-peer network protocol. We also describe the evolution of the malware functionalities over time and conclude with a comparison between this malware and its two predecessors.


Editor—Higginson rightly calls for the development of standards for all services that provide palliative care and for the evaluation of aspects of palliative care that are so far unevaluated.1 Levels of need for palliative care are likely to continue rising, with the increasing incidence of cancer as the population ages and with improved survival from cancer. It is important that we plan to meet the increased need with cost effective measures. In addition to the areas for further attention that Higginson mentions, we would add the whole area of general palliative care, an issue only alluded to in the editorial.1

Palliative care should be at the core of the work of every health professional. The term "general palliative care" refers to the provision of palliative care by health professionals, in the community or in hospitals, who are not specialists in palliative care. General practitioners, district nurses, and other members of the primary care team are recognised to be central to its provision.2 They also have an important role in coordination and the maintenance of continuity, which should not be weakened,3 as people spend most of the last year of life at home.4 Most people with terminal cancer would prefer to die at home if possible.5

Generalists in hospital also have a major role. In Scotland 52% of deaths from cancer of the large bowel, lung, and breast (1986-95) occurred in an acute hospital. In Fife 12.8% of hospital bed days in 1997-8 were for the care of people with cancer.

Specialist palliative care services undoubtedly provide essential support, advice, and skill to generalists as well as providing the bulk of care for some patients. To meet rising levels of need for palliative care effectively, however, we should nurture and harness the contribution of generalists, who make a substantial contribution to meeting these needs. This requires the development of local standards for general palliative care and research into effective ways of improving such care. The introduction of better monitoring and audit of general palliative care is also important.

We should not leave generalists behind as we work to meet rising need for palliative care in the coming years; to do so is unlikely to be sustainable or in the interests of patients and their families.


Fifteen hair Pelibuey ewes were allotted individually to examine the effect of DL-malic acid (MA) supplementation level (0, 2 and 4 g of MA/kg of feed) during the first weeks of lactation on feed intake, milk yield and composition and pre-weaning weight gain of their suckling kids. Milk yield (P = 0.04) and milk efficiency (P = 0.03) increased linearly as MA supplementation increased, but dry matter intake (DMI) and milk composition (percentage of total solids, protein and fat) were not affected (P > 0.05). Increases on milk yield with no effect on milk composition led to a greater (linear effect, P = 0.02) milk protein yield. The ingestion of MA by the ewes resulted in a greater (linear, P < 0.01) average daily gain of their kids. Supplementation with 4 g of DL-ML per kilogram of feed increased milk production, milk protein yield and milk efficiency with no effect on DMI and milk composition. This milk production increase led to a greater daily gain of pre-weaned kids fed with milk as the unique feed source.


Automatic protection mechanism designed a new type of connection-oriented Ethernet passive optical networks (EPON), including functional architecture, fault management, and build a network of automatic protection mechanism to test the function of the simulation tests, and the protection of its original programs and compared to overcome known problems, the application of this novel method can provide a fast fiber-optic Ethernet automatic Protection Switching to meet the requirements of the transmission network survivability, has some practical value and application prospect.


The synthesis of high-solids-content(40%) styrene-acrylic microemulsion by semi-continuous micro-emulsion polymerization was researched in this article.The impact on the latex particle size and the mechanical properties by various reaction parameters such as the concentration of surfactant and initiator,type of surfactant and initiator,reaction temperature,stirring intensity,the monomer concentration were studied.The obtained optimum reaction conditions were the reaction temperature 78℃,6%-8%MS-1 as the surfactant,0.7%APS as the initiator with strring at 150-200r/min,monomer pre-emulsion were continuously and slowly added into the reaction system for 5h.Under above conditions,the stable,translucent microlatex with small particle size(45.57nm) and narrow distribution was obtained.


Recently the members of this Society were kind enough to complete a questionnaire authorized by the 1958 Governing Board to survey membership preferences regarding the National Meetings of the E.S.A. The results were summarized at the 1958 annual meeting in Salt Lake City and have been presented to the Program Committee . However, since a number of the questions asked are of general interest, this short summary is presented here for the information of the membership at large.


SUMMARY
In this issue of Cancer Discovery, Salem and colleagues report a combination therapy for immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) myocarditis using high-dose glucocorticoids, abatacept, and the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib. The apparent efficacy of their strategy and an accompanying animal model provide further evidence for common immune mechanisms underlying ICI toxicities. See related article by Salem et al., p. 1100 (2).


The distribution of [1-14C] acetamidino-antiarrhythmic peptide (14C-AAP) in mice was studied by direct counting and whole-body autoradiography. Intravenously injected 14C decreased rapidly in blood during 1 to 20 min and gradually during 20 to 180 min. At 180 min 68% of the radioactivity had appeared in the urine. At 60 min unmetabolized 14C-AAP was present in the urine. At 1 min the radioactivity was highest in the kidney, followed by the lung, liver, and myocardium in that order. Radioactivity increased in the kidney and myocardium during 1 to 6 min, while the radioactivity in the lung and liver decreased rapidly from 1 to 60 min. Autoradiograms revealed that at 6 min after injection (i.v.) the highest radioactivities were seen in the kidney, urine, heart, lung, submaxillary gland, bone and gut wall. No radioactivity was present in the brain, spinal cord, gut contents or fetus. At 20 to 60 min the radioactivity levels in the organs were much less than those seen at 6 min, except for the kidney and urine. In mice orally given 14C-AAP, the maximum plateau levels of radioactivity were found in the myocardium (0.04% of dose) and blood (2.5%) at 40 to 120 min. In serum at 60 min, 14C-AAP was still present in the original molecular form, unbound to macromolecules. Thus, 14C-AAP accumulates in the myocardium of the target organ for a short time immediately after injection (i.v.), corresponding to the period of the QTc interval prolongation by AAP. 14C-AAP does not accumulate for long in any organ except for the kidney, and is largely excreted in urine within 60 min.


The existence theorem for mapping cylinder neighborhoods is discussed as a prototypical example of controlled topology and its applications. The first of a projected series developed from lectures at the Summer School on High-Dimensional Topology, Trieste Italy 2001


Quantum computing has been proven to excel in factorization issues and unordered search problems due to its capability of quantum parallelism. This unique feature allows exponential speed-up in solving certain problems. However, this advantage does not apply universally, and challenges arise when combining classical and quantum computing to achieve acceleration in computation speed. This paper aims to address these challenges by exploring the current state of quantum machine learning and benchmarking the performance of quantum and classical algorithms in terms of accuracy. Specifically, we conducted experiments with three datasets for binary classification, implementing Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Quantum SVM (QSVM) algorithms. Our findings suggest that the QSVM algorithm outperforms classical SVM on complex datasets, and the performance gap between quantum and classical models increases with dataset complexity, as simple models tend to overfit with complex datasets. While there is still a long way to go in terms of developing quantum hardware with sufficient resources, quantum machine learning holds great potential in areas such as unsupervised learning and generative models. Moving forward, more efforts are needed to explore new quantum learning models that can leverage the power of quantum mechanics to overcome the limitations of classical machine learning.


Title of Thesis: FITNESS OF THE TRANSGENIC MALARIAREFRACTORY MOSQUITO ANOPHELES GAMBIAE Deborah Tillman Ladner Thesis directed by: Professor David J Hawthorne Department of Entomology The African mosquito Anopheles gambiae is the insect vector responsible for half of worldwide malaria infections. One option for reducing malaria is genetic manipulation of the vector. By creating transgenic mosquitoes incapable of spreading the malaria pathogen, the human-mosquito-human cycle of infection may be interrupted. In order for the engineered Plasmodium-refractory mosquitoes to be effective they need to be able to thrive in nature and to compete successfully with nontransformed conspecifics. Two lines of transgenic An. gambiae were used in this study to evaluate the fitness consequences of transgenesis in this insect. Life table characteristics of two transformed An. gambiae lines were compared to a control line to determine if fitness costs were present. Specific traits measures between transgenic and control mosquitoes were not significantly different, and the transgenic lines had no evidence of position effects. FITNESS OF THE TRANSGENIC MALARIA-REFRACTORY MOSQUITO ANOPHELES GAMBIAE by Deborah Tillman Ladner Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment Of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science 2004 Advisory Committee: Professor David J. Hawthorne, Chair Professor Robert Denno Professor David O' Brochta © Copyright by Deborah Tillman Ladner 2004


This paper presents an implementation of a reduced Ethernet MAC. The reduced MAC is simple and not resource wasteful. Therefore it is suitable to every project which includes network communication. It is especially useful to low performance FPGAs. In practice, the FPGA boards are well applicable to implement network protocols because the implemented protocols will work in parallel. The main topics of the article cover the base concept of the reduced MAC, the implemented network protocols and the characteristics.


The theory of dark field imaging technique as applied to acousto‐optic interactions has been developed and then used in studies of linear and nonlinear surface acoustic waves and volume acoustic waves. The theory is consistently expressed in terms of phase transmittance function. Experimental results show how the technique can be applied in the case of multimode propagation to unfold the complex frequency spectra of spurious modes in surface wave devices, and how to discriminate between different harmonics in the case of nonlinear acoustic propagation.


In recent years, cerebrospinal meningitis outbreaks have continued to be reported m many African countries within the "meningitis belt'1,1 but also beyond this region in Africa and in other parts of the world. The largest epidem ics since the early 1970s are illustrated in Map 1. Unconfirmed reports indicate that many countries were affected in the first 3 months of 1995. During 1994, a large epidemic occurred in Mongolia and there are signs that this continued in some parts of the country in 1995. A new epidemic cycle now appears to be under way in Africa. N iger reported nearly 6 000 cases in the southern part of the country between November 1994 and March 1995. According to preliminary reports in early March, the peak may not yet have been reached. Most countries within the African meningitis belt have experienced large outbreaks every 8-12 years in the past, but intervals between major epidemics have become shorter and more irregular since the beginning of the 1980s. Epi demics usually expand rapidly to a peak within weeks but may last for several months in the absence of vaccination. Factors affecting the occurrence and spread of menin gococcal disease include decreasing antibody levels in the population, overcrowding and climatic conditions such as dry season or prolonged drought. Acute respiratory tract infections may also contribute to the development of meningococcal disease epidemics. Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A is by far the most common organism in epidemics of cerebrospinal menin gitis in Africa. An epidemic strain of N . meningitidis sero group A, clonal group El-1, was traced from Nepal in 1983 to the meningitis belt in Africa via the Middle East in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Serogroup C has also been responsible for large outbreaks (Brazil, Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, Viet Nam). Serogroup B, which is mainly found sporadically, has been associated with some out breaks (Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Norway). Cases caused by this serogroup have increased markedly in North America in recent years.


The main aim of this research is to investigate the cyclical behavior of fiscal policy with respect to output gap fluctuations in the Republic of Macedonia during the period 1991-2009. We use two different fiscal policy measures: 1) the cyclically unadjusted primary budget balance and 2) the cyclically adjusted primary budget balance as a proxy indicator of the fiscal policy stance. This analysis also aims to explore whether there was a substantial change in the fiscal policy behavior prior to 1996 due to the turbulent initial period of transition and the switch in monetary policy strategy. We additionally control for other factors that also seem to have had a significant impact over the fiscal policy behavior, such as the armed conflict in 2001 and the impact of public debt as a proxy indicator of budget financing constraints. The estimated results with respect to both measures, the cyclically unadjusted and cyclically adjusted budget balance, indicate differences in the fiscal policy behavior prior to and after 1996. More precisely, the results imply that the fiscal policy behavior prior to 1996 was procyclical, whereas afterwards the fiscal policy became countercyclical. These results are robust to different measures of the output gap and different frequency of the data sets.


The earliest reversible watermarking using generalized integer transform proposed by Alattar [3] has been concerned and expanded because this technique can achieve high embedding capacity without losing the implication of the cover difference expansion (DE) method. According to Alattar's technique, n-1 bits will be embedded into a vector with n pixels if it is expandable. The larger the vector size is, the higher the embedding capacity is. Weng et el. [16] improved Alattar' scheme to achieve the higher capacity. The evaluation of vector expandability or a scheme changeability based on the idea of Alattar (called the Alattar's method) and Weng based method have exponential complexity in the length of the vector, so calculation time is inversely proportional complexity of the embedding capacity. Alattar or Weng based methods only considered the vector with 3 or 4 pixels for that drawback. For larger vectors, example a vector in size of 16, it is divided into 4 sub-vectors in size of 4 and 3 bits could be embedded in each subvector. Therefore, only 12 bits were embedded into a vector with 16 pixels. Thus, the embedding ability didn't gain as theoretical analysis. This paper proposes the expandable and changeable criteria for a vector with linear complexity according to the length of vector. Since, the embedding capacity of Alattar or Weng based methods is really obtained as theoretical analysis that means the embedding capacity of those schemes are better. Experimental results show that schemes applied to the proposed algorithms to check the expandable and changeable of vector is fast and it outperforms several widely used schemes in terms of computational complexity.


Cluster analyses and principal components analyses were used to evaluate phenetic relationships among Quercus coccinea, Q. falcata, Q marilandica and Q velutina in three mixed-oak communities in the Land Between the Lakes (Kentucky and Tennessee). Two sets of quantitative characters, taken from (1) leaves and (2) fruits and buds, were analyzed for each community. In addition, all OTUs were combined for analyses of the two data sets as well as for an analysis based on all characters. The results support the hypothesis that hybridization is occurring between Q. velutina and Q. coccinea and/or Q. marilandica. Although the leaf and fruit/bud data sets tend to yield the same patterns of overall similarity, there are distinct differences between complementary phenograms in each community. While all analyses indicate that Q. coccinea and Q. velutina are more similar to each other than to either of the other two taxa, the leaf and fruit/bud data sets do not agree on the phenetic similarities between Q falcata, Q. marilandica, and the Q. coccinea-Q. velutina cluster. The patterns illustrated by these analyses provide insight into the characters emphasized in earlier hypotheses of taxonomic and/or evolutionary relationships among these species.


Key to the realization of gene therapy is the development of efficient and targeted gene transfer vectors. Therapeutic gene transfer by replication‐deficient or more recently by conditionally replication‐competent/oncolytic adenoviruses has shown much promise. For specific applications, however, it will be advantageous to provide vectors that allow for external control of gene expression. The efficient cellular heat shock system in combination with available technology for focused and controlled hyperthermia suggests heat‐regulated transcription control as a promising tool for this purpose.


Disinfection technologies of air,feces,sewage,working place in the process of animal breeding were introduced. And some disinfection measures of three common blights of anthracnose,brucellosis and streptococcicosis were summarized.


A finite difference version of the equations governing two-dimensional, non-divergent flow on a sphere is implemented and integrated on the Massively Parallel Processor (MPP). The MPP's performance is then compared with the Cyber's. The feasibility of using a massively parallel architecture to solve the hydrodynamic equations as they are used in numerical weather prediction (NWP) are described.


SUMMARY Estimation of the unknown size of a multinomial distribution is required in some important applications. It has been previously shown that the maximum likelihood estimators of the size and other parameters in the multinomial distribution are asymptotically normal under suitable regularity conditions. Unfortunately, one of these conditions is difficult to verify in practice. Here we present an alternative regularity condition that is straightforwardly verifiable. An application to the backcalculation estimates of AIDS incidence is presented. Explicit formulae are given for the asymptotic variances and covariances of the backcalculation estimators. The associated confidence interval for the size of the HIV infected population is comparable to the likelihood-ratio-test-based interval given in Brookmeyer & Gail (1988). A simulation study shows that the asymptotic normal interval is highly accurate in terms of coverage probability.


A periodic waveform, with known period, sampled every T seconds, can be recovered by plotting each sample in the appropriate place in a "composite" period, even when T is greater than the period of the waveform. When the period is unknown, a multiplicity of trial periods are used and the most satisfactory reconstruction is chosen. This paper discusses an organized technique for making such trials. An example is given in which the technique has been used to reconstruct a sampled waveform of infrared radiance of the earth as seen from the LES-9 satellite.


Nematode morphometry and biomass were investigated in the dry season of 2009 at the mouth of eight Mekong estuaries in Vietnam. We investigated how morphometry and biomass of nematodes were related to community characteristics and environmental gradients. Mean nematode lengths were significantly greater along the Co Chien estuary. In contrast, there were no significant differences in nematode width, length/width ratio, individual biomass and total biomass between stations at the estuarine mouth and along the Co Chien estuary. This study further confirmed that nematode morphometry and biomass distribution reflect specific modes of life in terms of feeding strategies, life history, and diversity. There were also particular morphotypes associated with specific environmental conditions. Over the whole area and especially along the mouth stations, nematodes were especially longer in sandy substrates where chlorophyll a concentrations were low, possibly due to the presence of predators and an associated reduction in the density of small opportunistic deposit feeders. An increase in the silt fraction together with pigment concentrations, especially along the Co Chien estuary, was positively correlated with the number, total biomass and abundances of small opportunistic genera resulting in a low maturity index and a high number of nematode genera.


ABSTRACT Macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae is an increasing problem worldwide but is not well documented in the United States. We report a cluster of macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae cases among a mother and two daughters.


Abstract : The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is routinely updated in order to replace obsolete items, to take advantage of advances of psychometrics, and to lessen the exposure of the battery to compromise. This paper documents the equating of new versions of the ASVAB Forms 11, 12, and 13 to ASVAB Form 8a, the reference test. The new tests were equated on a new score scale developed from a 1980 sample of American youth ages 18 through 23. The study describes the equating design, the methods used in equating the new forms to the anchor test, the description of issues surrounding the speeded subtests of the ASVAB, and a description of the resolution of the issues. Three equating methods were accomplished and compared for samples of military recruits and applicants. Results of the equatings revealed that a linear conversion table, based on applicants tested in the Military Entranced Processing Stations, would serve for five of the six new tests, and a linear conversion table based on linear equating of military recruits in Recruits Training Centers would be satisfactory for the remaining version. Special studies to adjust scores on the speeded subtests of the ASVAB are described in this paper, and resultant tables are presented.


Thromboembolism and pulmonary hypertension have been assessed as factors in the production of pulmonary arteriosclerosis. A study was made of autopsy records and tissue sections from 59 cases of congenital heart disease with anomalies permitting shunting of blood from the systemic to the pulmonary circulation and 31 cases of pulmonary stenosis with septal defect. Pulmonary arteriosclerosis was found to be common and of equal frequency in the two groups of cases, indicating that hypertension is not a necessary factor. There was a close correlation between the presence of pulmonary arterial thrombi and pulmonary arteriosclerosis.


This paper introduces the design of the transmission paper system and controlling system of the coiling paper shaft of the Apparel Plotter.Mechanics analysis and constructure ameliorations design for the rubber-press-wheel which transmits the paper are proposed.By using high precision steel-string-wheel as deliver-paper-implement can improve transmission precision and reduce error.The paper transmission deflective error caused by the diameter error of steel-string-wheel is emphasized.The result shows that the steel-string-wheel is the most important part of the plotter.Its diameter error and assemble error would affect plot precision directly.


Purpose
For most manufacturing firms, technological innovations are usually the key strategies to gain their competitive advantages. However, competing strategically through service provision is becoming an important strategy for most industries. A growing demand for packaged product and service delivery is blurring the traditional boundaries between manufacturing and service firms. This trend is called "servitization." Prior research had different perspectives on the relationship between technological innovations and servitization. Some argued that as servitization exerts the innovative convergence of products and services, the possession of appropriate readiness and absorption capacity through technological innovations for a manufacturing firm is critical to the success of servitization. In contrast, some argued that the knowledge gained from developing technological innovations cannot be applied to the creation of services due to the fundamental difference between technology and service. These contradicting arguments motivated the authors to study the relationship between technological innovations and servitization a step further. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
To address the research gap, the authors conducted an empirical study based on the large-scale samples from the second Taiwan Community Innovation Survey (Taiwan CIS). A multivariate logistic regression model was applied in the research.

Findings
The authors found that different types of technological innovations, namely product innovation and process innovation, have different impacts on servitization. The innovativeness level of the technological innovation moderates the relationship between technological innovation and servitization. Based on the above findings, this research specifically explains the causes of the contradictory results of the prior research.

Originality/value
The values of this research are twofold. Its academic contribution rests on bridging the literature of innovation and servitization, and on providing a model to clarify the relationships among technological innovation type, level of innovativeness and servitization. Its practical contribution lies in its establishment of a guideline that illuminates manufacturing firms reinforcing service delivery through their existing technological innovation trajectory.


The fouling models for the boiler′ heating surfaces were constructed,and the surfaces′ critical clean factors were calculated based on the principle of soot-blowing profit maximization.According to security and economy requirements of various heating surfaces,a method for dynamic and synthetic judgment of critical clean factors is proposed.Through comparison between the actual clean factor and the critical clean factor,the ideal time of soot-blowing was determined.Suggestions on soot-blowing are also proposed.


Johann Arnason and Natalie Doyle's edited book, Domains and Divisions of European History, is an engaging collection of essays dealing with the conceptualisation of European historical and cultural regions. As the editors acknowledge, defining a particular European region is a complicated task, because one encounters not only shifting borders during the course of history, but also multiple regional identities of bordering countries and peoples (p. 9). Moreover, given the current debates about the historical justification of contemporary efforts to bring about European unification and define borders and, consequently, the 'others' of Europe, the issue of European regions transcends purely scholarly interest and becomes part of political discourses. In this book, a region represents a unit standing above the nation and below a civilisation. According to Stefan Troebst, it corresponds to the meso-region and comprises several states, while the macro-region corresponds to the continent and micro-regions are substate units (chapter 5). In the introductory chapter, the editors emphasise that the forces of unity in Europe have been at the same time forces of division, that is, civilisation, religion, regionalisation and the nation-state. The following chapters are collected in three parts. Part I is about the conceptualisations of unity and division in Europe. The sociologist Peter Wagner argues that various political projects unfolding in European history, based on Christianity, revolution, nation-state and social classes, have created deep divisions. The only unity he perceives as possible is one created on the basis of shared interpretations of past mistakes. 'From such interpretations, an ''identity'' may emerge that can guide action in the present and, possibly, make a difference in the contemporary world' (p. 37). Kristina Stöckl, in chapter 3, challenges two widespread views about Orthodox Christian Europe. First, Orthodox Europe's modernity is a variation of original modernity in the West. Second, Orthodox Christianity has an entirely separate civilisational tradition from that of Western modernity. Instead, Stöckl employs Arnason's notion of 'entangled modernities' to show that the attitudes within the Christian Orthodox milieu towards the Cold War and totalitarianism are similar to those predominant in the West. The chapter by Veit-Brause about the scientific expedition of Austrian frigate Novara in the middle of the nineteenth century, explores the idea that the ethos of science is an idea which unifies Europe. As the systematic records kept by scientists on Novara reveal, the universal gaze of disinterested science betrayed the Eurocentric, Christian, and colonial assumptions about other peoples and cultures. Stefan Troebst, in his National Identities Vol. 14, No. 4, December 2012, 403 406


In this book, Harlan Cleveland suggests a plan for international leadership and addresses the renovation of the global system as a whole. "Birth of a New World" covers security issues, economic development, human rights, the diversity of cultures and the protection of the environment. Up-to-the-moment topics include: the first regional conflict of the post-Cold War era in the Gulf; the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio; and standing United Nations peacekeeping forces.


Objective: Ambulatory blood pressure measurement allows quantification of diurnal changes in blood pressure. While decreased nocturnal blood pressure dipping and elevated morning blood pressure surge are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events, the utility of ambulatory blood pressure measurements to predict renal events is unclear. African Americans, in addition to having an increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), also have an increased prevalence of hypertension. Thus, we selected an African American population to study the association of ambulatory blood pressure parameters with incidence of CKD. Methods: Prospective cohort study of 603 participants with normal renal function enrolled in the Jackson Heart Study who underwent baseline 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring between 2000 and 2004, with median follow-up of 8.1 years. We analyzed the association of nocturnal dipping and morning surge with both incident CKD [estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2] and annual rate of eGFR decline. In additional analyses, we examined the relation of nocturnal, daytime, white-coat, and masked hypertension with CKD incidence. Results: We found that 10% higher nocturnal dipping was significantly associated with a decreased risk of incident CKD [odds ratio (OR) 0.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.32–0.96] and a 0.4 ml/min per 1.73 m2 slower annual decline in eGFR. Morning surge was not associated with the incidence of CKD. Additional analyses revealed that isolated nocturnal hypertension and mean asleep SBP were associated with a nonsignificantly higher risk of CKD (OR 2.34, 95% CI 0.90–6.08) and (OR 1.31, 95% CI 0.99–1.72), respectively, in fully adjusted models. Conclusions: Loss of nocturnal blood pressure dipping, but not morning blood pressure surge, may promote the decline in GFR and increase the risk for development of CKD in high-risk individuals.


The early childhood is critical period in lifetime. The purpose of this study is to figure the children fine and gross motor development in four and five years old. The research methodology used Ex-post Facto in early childhood students who have attended in Kindergarten school. The population four and five years old children from Moslem Kindergarten School. Amount of sample is twenty children. Motor development measured by Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) 3rd Edition. The result of this study showed the differences among gross and fine motor skill in four and five years old children. Both of fine and gross motor skill is very important to children health and academic achievement in future. Then, so the parents and teachers need to giving stimulate for developing the two of them with proportionally. Keywords—motor development; early childhood; moslem


We consider a standard linear city model with two firms, where firms and consumers both incur transport costs. This is done by assuming that the total transport cost is shared by the buyers and sellers according to an exogenously given rule. In the model, firms choose locations and prices, with the transportation cost being linear in distance. We first derive the profit function for the two-stage transport cost sharing game and find that it has a complex form. We then invoke simplifying assumptions and solve for two different games. We provide a complete characterization for the equilibrium of the location game between the two firms by assuming fixed prices. We then examine the price game when the two firms are constrained to locate at the same spot. The equilibria of these two games provide insights about the complex two-stage game.


In binary phase diagram there are many stable compounds. Hereby a new method for calculating activities of compounds from binary phase diagram involved stable compounds is presented. Based on the available formula for calculating activities in binary phase diagram, the activities of the two pure components are gained. And the balance constant K~0 can be obtained from mass action law. Thereby, the activities of stable compounds are obtained from the activities of the two pure components. By using this method, the activities of stable compounds in In-Sb system are obtained. It proves that this method is feasible.


Traditional CMOS technology and its continuous down-scaling have been the driving force to improve performance of existing computer architectures. Today, however, both technology and computer architectures are facing challenges that make them incapable of delivering the growing computing performance requirement at pre-defined constraints. This forces the exploration of both novel architectures and technologies; not only to maintain the economic profit of technology scaling, but also to enable the computing architecture solutions for big-data and data-intensive applications. This paper discusses the emerging memristive device as a complement (or an alternative) to CMOS devices and shows how such devices enable novel computing paradigms that will solve the challenges of today's architectures for certain applications. The paper covers not only the potential of memristor devices in enabling novel memory technologies, logic design styles, and arithmetic operations, but also their potential in enabling in-memory computing and neuromorphic computing.


The invention discloses a method for preparing antimony pentoxide hydrosol and dry powder thereof by using composite stabilizer. The method comprises the following steps: adding the saline solution composed of triethanolamine and phosphoric acid to antimony pentoxide; heating and refluxing at a certain temperature rise rate; adding hydrogen peroxide drop by dropping at a constant rate to oxidize into colloid; filtering the reacted colloid to obtain the antimony pentoxide hydrosol having higher purity; directly evaporating and concentrating the obtained dilute hydrosol to obtain 40% antimony pentoxide hydrosol; and further drying the high-concentration antimony pentoxide hydrosol at 95 to 100 DEG C to obtain the dry powder of antimony pentoxide hydrosol. In the presence of triethanolamine phosphate as the stabilizer, the obtained colloid has the advantages of fine grain, good monodispersity and regular topography; the colloid, hydrosol and dry powder of antimony pentoxide have the advantages of high stability, light transmittance, thermal stability and redispersibility; and the preparation method is simple in technological procedures, thus providing a novel way for the preparation of antimony pentoxide colloid, and the prepared antimony pentoxide colloid is available as the flame-retardant additive for rubber, plastics, fiber and fabric.


This paper introduces an alternative 3D Shape Representation: CIRCON (cylindrical image of radial contours), that both enables the compression of the 3D data, making them more manageable, and facilitates the tasks related to surface matching, such as 3D registration and object recognition, by making use of its inherent properties. A 3D vision system has been designed in order to facilitate the generation of this kind of 3D shape representation while the objects are being sensed


One of important problem in the field of 3D visualization of pipeline is how to calculate the coordinates of vertices on surface of pipeline by centerline coordinates and it is difficult to treat pipeline surface near turning point.The use of "sweep + mesh"modeling method can generate the whole surface of the pipe without having to deal with issue of joining patches near turning point.Through establishing local coordinate system(frame) at sub-points on the center line of pipeline,vertices on surface correspond to sub-points can be calculated and generates mesh.To establish continuous frames,an approach to generate frames in recursive method after filleting and subdividing pipeline is presented.The results show that the coordinates of vertices on surface is correct,the entire surface is continuous and smooth.


It is argued that both intensive agricultural production and related working conditions are highly dynamic. Regional patterns have developed from small-scale family farming to become an industrialized part of the global agri-food system, which increasingly depends on seasonal labour. Simultaneously, consumer demand for year-round supply has caused relocations of the industry within Europe; areas of intensive greenhouse production have moved further south and even into North Africa. The authors investigate this Mediterranean agri-food system that transcends borders and is largely constituted by invisible seasonal work. By revealing the story of food commodities loaded with implications of private profit seeking, exploitation, exclusion and multiple insecurities, the book unmasks the hidden costs of fresh food provisioning.


With the emergence of numerous antenna and propagation technologies in the upcoming sixth generation (6G) era, the researches on closely linking wireless channel and antennas are challenging. In this paper, a novel circuit-based multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel model considering antenna mutual coupling, size-related antenna equivalent circuit, and channel small-scale fading is proposed. Beyond the fifth generation channel model (B5GCM) is adopted to characterize the wireless channel in the proposed model. Antennas at the transmitter (Tx) and the receiver (Rx) are represented by L. J. Chu's antenna equivalent circuit. In addition, another type of equivalent circuit is introduced to illustrate the necessity of considering an antenna's inductive and capacitive impedances. Through multiport circuit analysis, we obtain a cascaded channel matrix jointly considering the wireless channel, antenna equivalent circuit, and antenna mutual coupling. Non-negligible impacts on statistical properties caused by antenna mutual coupling and size-related antenna equivalent circuit are revealed. Close agreement is achieved between the analytical results and simulation results, verifying the validity of the proposed channel model.


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Ed Fabrice Weissman

Hurst & Company/Medecins Sans Frontieres, £14.95, pp 372 ISBN 1 85065 737 8

http://www.hurstpub.co.uk/

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Ed Kevin M Cahill

Fordham University Press/The Center for International Health and Cooperation, New York, $24, pp 472

ISBN 0 8232 2288 8

http://fordhampress.com/detail.html?id=0823222888

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I found these two books in the mail after returning from an assessment of the heartbreaking humanitarian situation in the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The books partly deal with what I studied in DRC—how to describe, quantify, and communicate humanitarian needs to elicit better actions. The assessment challenge lies not only in the field but also in the concept of humanitarian action. Is humanitarian action a legal requirement that some authority or agency should be held responsible for, based on human rights? Or is it a voluntary response triggered by the humanitarian impulse to alleviate as much suffering as possible?

Humanitarian action during armed conflict has legal protection under international humanitarian law provided it is neutral, independent, and impartial. In contrast humanitarian action for those in deep poverty aggravated …

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As Linguistic Theory and the new in-depth study of the proposed theory,arbitrary heory of the dominant phenomenon has changed in recent years,many scholars of Saussure's theory of arbitrary questioned or negative,trying to use the rationale or theory can be a substitute for proof of arbitrariness.In this paper,the arbitrary nature of Saussure' s theory and the different views of foreign scholars to carry out a simple narrative,with emphasis on domestic scholars since the 90's for a specific description of the debate.I believe that the arbitrariness of linguistic signs is an important general principles of linguistics,of the rationale and demonstration of the arbitrariness of a useful complement to,but you can not replace the arbitrary;arbitrary or pm and lasted a total of the combined effect of the results;and at the same time to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the language.


Author(s): Shen, Wen Tsong | Advisor(s): Watkins, Elizabeth S. | Abstract: Computed tomography (CT) scanning is an integral component of 21st-Century medical practice, and physicians have become increasingly reliant on this imaging modality for diagnosing disease and planning operative treatment. Following its introduction in the 1970s, CT scanning proved especially valuable for studying the organs of the abdominal cavity. However, with the rapid rise in the number of abdominal CT scans came an unanticipated problem: the identification of clinically silent adrenal tumors of unknown significance. The recognition of these asymptomatic, incidentally discovered adrenal tumors, dubbed "incidentalomas" by George Washington University surgeon Glenn Geelhoed in 1982, compelled physicians to embark on extensive hormonal workups, order further radiographic studies, and, in many cases, perform operations of questionable benefit. In this paper I provide a historical analysis of adrenal incidentaloma from its initial recognition in 1982 until the National Institutes of Health-mandated consensus conference dedicated solely to its management in 2002. First, I explore the circumstances and historical context surrounding the early reports of adrenal incidentaloma, and describe how this entity received its name. Next, I trace the efforts of three separate classes of physicians (endocrinologists, radiologists, and surgeons) to characterize these tumors and formulate rational guidelines for their treatment. Finally, I reflect upon the impact that adrenal incidentaloma has made upon medical thought and practice during its relatively short existence. Throughout this paper I show how adrenal incidentaloma has transformed the traditional diagnostic algorithms of adrenal disease, altered definitions of illness and wellness in subtle but significant ways, and forced physicians to come to terms with uncertainty in a practice environment that increasingly expects them to provide unassailable, error-free care.


Background Globally hypertension is stabilising, but in sub-Saharan Africa the incidence of hypertension remains on an increase. Although this might be attributed to poor healthcare and ineffective antihypertensive treatment, there is a limited understanding of population and individual-specific cardiovascular pathophysiology – necessary for effective prevention and treatment strategies in Africa. As there is a lack of longitudinal studies tracking the early pathophysiological development of hypertension in black populations, the African-PREDICT study was initiated. The purpose of this paper is to describe the detailed methodology and baseline cohort profile of the study. Methods and results From 2013 to 2017, the study included 1202 black (N = 606) and white (N = 596) men and women (aged 20–30 years) from South Africa – screened to be healthy and clinic normotensive. At baseline, and each 5-year follow-up examination, detailed measures of health behaviours, cardiovascular profile and organ damage are taken. Also, comprehensive biological sampling for the 'omics' and biomarkers is performed. Overall, the baseline black and white cohort presented with similar ages, clinic and 24-hour blood pressures, but black adults had lower socioeconomic status and higher central systolic blood pressure than white individuals. Conclusions The prospective African-PREDICT study in young black and white adults will contribute to a clear understanding of early cardiovascular disease development.


Abstract KBr acts as an efficient and reusable catalyst for the selective and efficient trimethylsilylation of benzylic, primary and secondary aliphatic alcohols and phenols with hexamethyldisilazane. All reactions were performed at room temperature under mild and completely heterogeneous conditions in good to high yields.


New law and order legislation has a patchy record so far as crime reduction is concerned. Can economic analyses help decide between competing policies? Taking the current Crime (Sentences) Bill as an example, the author argues that as a first step new legislative proposals should be subject to more intensive fiscal examination.


Subject of research: criminal law categories the object and subject of fraud in the field of lending, responsibility for which is provided for in Art. 166 of the Criminal Code of the Donetsk People's Republic (hereinafter the Criminal Code of the DPR), in the context of the content of property relations regulated by the civil legislation of the Donetsk People's Republic (hereinafter the DPR).
The purpose of research: to identify substantive shortcomings in the formulation of the object and subject of the crime under Art. 166 of the Criminal Code of the DPR, followed by a proposal for options for their elimination.
Methods and objects of research: to obtain the results of the study, the methods of cognition used in the humanities (legal) sciences were used. The content analysis method was used in the study of the content of the relevant provisions of the criminal and civil legislation of the DPR in terms of determining the object of criminal law protection against theft in the field of lending. The method of system analysis was used in studying the issues of providing adequate criminal law protection of public relations in the field of lending. Dialectical and formal-logical methods were used in assessing the quality of the differentiation of criminal liability for fraud in the field of lending and other theft committed by deceit or breach of trust, carried out by the legislator of the DPR.
Results of research: the content of the subject of the crime under Art. 166 of the Criminal Code of the DPR, needs an extensive official interpretation. To do this, it is necessary to extend the scope of Art. 166 of the Criminal Code of the DPR on relations based on a loan agreement. The subject of fraud in the field of lending must be recognized not only as cash and non-cash funds, but also other property, as well as property rights, as defined in Art. 168 of the Civil Code of the DPR.


For improving multiple-disturbance rejection with unknown frequency resonant disturbance, an adaptive resonant-equivalent-input-disturbance-observer-based optimized position precision control for a magnetic levitation system is proposed in this article. Considering the strong nonlinear character of the magnetic levitation system, a model-predictive-control-based optimization solution is designed using Taylor series expansion, but the predictive model accuracy is missing. Considering the model error and multiple disturbances, an adaptive resonant equivalent input disturbance estimator is developed; compared to the existing results, it could observe the unknown frequency resonant disturbance. Then, the disturbance estimation integrated model-predictive control scheme is constructed for online optimization. Rigorous analysis is also given. Compared to the existing disturbance attenuation method, experimental results have also shown that the improvement of position precision and disturbance rejection is confirmed with the proposed control method.


The scientific problem: Metal bioavailability is a concept, which is hard to define. We try to optimise the metal bioavailability concept by gaining knowledge on 3 processes identified, namely; 1) the physico-chemical availability of metals in the exposure medium, 2) the bioavailability of metals, thus the actual demand of biota and 3) the toxico-dynamic behaviour of metals inside the organisms' body. Synthesis of studies on the subject of metal availability show that at present the chemical concepts underlying bioavailability are in a further stage of development than the biological ones. In the last few years, empirical studies on metal uptake by biota from soil have been performed. For predicting adverse effects in biota accurately it is necessary to develop procedures that take into account the relative contribution of different exposure routes. By using a newly developed sealing method we excluded earthworms from oral uptake. Accumulation studies in different exposure media demonstrated that pore water uptake of metals via ingestion contributes little to metal accumulation in the earthworm. Furthermore it was concluded that for metals the dermal route is the uptake route of most importance. Body concentrations of Cu and Pb could completely be attributed to the dermal route, while internal Cd and Zn concentrations were 0-17% and 21-30% respectively derived from ingestion. We therefore state that having knowledge on speciation in the soil can be directly related to the actual uptake of metals by soil-dwelling organisms from the soil, which assists to close the gap between external concentrations and accumulation. Following accumulation, metals are circulating in the body untill they are stored or entering a target organ. Investigating the sub-organismal partitioning of metals, can provide information on toxicological relevant fractions, but also in describing the different accumulation patterns which can be seen at different exposure levels (e.g. one-compartment models versus linear models). We also focus on the uptake rate constants and elimination rate constants. To assess them accurately we conduct experiments using radio-isotopes. This method allows to measure organisms nondestructive during the experiment. The soil-dwelling species chosen for this research on metal uptake in relation to fluctuations in speciation and soil conditions, over time are the Oligochaetes Lumbricus rubellus and Aporrectodea caliginosa and the Isopod Porcellio scaber.


This paper describes the relationship between the maturity stages and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) characteristics of sweet corn (Zea mays L.). The NMR parameter T 2 , which is the spin-spin relaxation time constant, and two conventional maturity parameters, moisture content and alcohol insoluble solids (AIS), of sweet corn samples during maturation, were determined and correlated with reference maturity indices, namely, heat units and sensory maturity scores. The relationships between T 2 and the heat unit and sensory maturity score of the samples were linear, suggesting that T 2 can be used to establish mathematical models for the prediction of sweet corn maturity to determine harvest time. The major advantages of using NMR are the nondestructive nature, the speed, and the simplicity of the method.


A calibration between vendor critical current data for 0.0268" diameter superconductor strand supplied to Fermilab, and the BNL 10-12Ωcm critical current specification is presented. Vendor critical current data for over 400 Fermilab type billets are shown, both as supplied by the vendor and converted to BNL units. Predictions of cable critical current are made using the sum of the critical currents of the 23 strands, where all strands from the same half billet are assigned the same critical current. The measured critical current shows excellent correlation to the predicted value and is approximately 14 ± 2 percent below it. Colliding Beam Accelerator (CBA) full length dipoles reach the conductor critical current limit, essentially without training. Magnet performance is predictable from the measured critical current of a short sample of cable to within 2%.


Monitoring of anthropogenous influence on the monument of landscape gardening art K. Marx's Parkway is carried out. The received results of research give representations about degree of anthropogenous load-ing and its influence on biological activity and phytotoxicity of a soil cover of Parkway of K. Marx.


We present a case of a febrile 3-month-old infant with atypical acral swelling and erythema for 2 days' duration. He was born full-term via normal vaginal delivery, with no maternal risk factors for sepsis. His parents sought medical attention in view of increasing lethargy and irritability. On physical examination, there was a blanching maculo-papular rash over the trunk and extremities with acral swelling (Figs 1–3). The infant was febrile (maximum temperature 39.8 C) with tachycardia that was out of proportion to fever spikes. His heart rate was in the range of 180–200 beats/min, which raised concerns for underlying sepsis. Intravenous ampicillin and gentamicin were administered immediately. His white cell count was 5.30 × 10/L (5–15 × 10/L; 48% neutrophils, 41% lymphocytes, 10% monocytes) and C-reactive protein level was unremarkable (6.3 mg/L). Blood, urine and cerebrospinal (CSF) cultures were negative. CSF did not reveal any pleocytosis (CSF WBC 0, CSF protein 0.26 g/L). In view of worsening acral erythema associated with swelling, there were concerns of evolving Kawasaki disease (KD). Blood tests were repeated on the third day of hospitalisation due to concerns of KD as child had persistent irritability and fever


The high-power conditioning of the three DTL tanks for the J-PARC has been started in October 2006. The design rf peak-power levels for beam acceleration of the tanks are about 1.1 MW (DTL1), 1.2 MW (DTL2) and 1.0 MW (DTL3), respectively. As a result of the conditioning, we have achieved that the rf power levels are about 1.3 MW, 1.45 MW and 1.23 MW of which are 1.2 times the power levels of the desired one (the pulse length is 650 mus and the pulse repetition is 25 Hz). During the linac beam commissioning, the DTLs can keep the required rf power stable now.


Danfysik A/S has recently designed and produced a hybrid in-vacuum insertion device for the Swiss Light Source and for SOLEIL. The first device is designed for a wide good field region while the second is optimized for high peak field. A quasi-periodic undulator has been built for FEL applications at FOM. The performance of the device is in excellent agreement with theoretical calculations with a high suppression of the higher harmonics of the energy spectra. A conventional undulator has also been built for FEL applications at FZR Rossendorf. A high degree of software assistance and automation has been developed for the magnet mounting, shimming and magnetic testing of the insertion devices. This allows us to scale up the production to meet demanding large scale FEL requirements.


President Lyndon Johnson's 1967 message to Congress urging enactment of legislation to prohibit discrimination against older workers emphasized that "[h]undreds of thousands not yet old, not yet voluntarily retired, find themselves jobless because of arbitrary age discrimination."1 Prior to passage of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA or the Act), approximately half of all private-sector job openings explicitly barred applicants over age fifty-five, and one quarter barred those over forty-five.2 "Help Wanted" ads could state that only workers under thirty-five need apply, and employers had unbridled authority to retire older workers based solely on age. Not surprisingly, twenty-seven percent of unemployed workers, and forty percent of the long-term unemployed, were forty-five and older.3 The ADEA is a product of the civil rights era. Age was proposed as a protected class under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.4 Though not ultimately included, that law directed the Secretary of Labor to study age discrimination and report to Congress.5 The ADEA's enactment in 1967, contemporaneous with the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Civil Rights


The β- Ti-based alloys represent the second generation of biocompatible alloys that are suggested to be promising materials for replacing the widely used TiAl6V4 implants [1-2]. That is since the β- Ti-based netallic implants show lower Young moduli, higher corrosion resistance and minimal cytotoxicity. Nevertheless, in order to retain or improve these features and even include anti-bacteria properties further work is needed. This study consists of a systematic evaluation on the structural and electronic properties of the well known β-TiNb alloys in presence of biocompatible elements like Sn, In, Hf, Ga, Cu, Ag and Zr. Investigations on the ternary TiNbX (X= Sn, In, Ga) revealed that minor In or Sn additions (having sp valence electrons) introduce low energy states with s character that present antibonding features with the Ti first neighboring atoms as well as with the Ti-Nb second neighboring atoms thus weakening the chemical bonds and leading to elastic softening [2,3,4].


Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are reported for the structures of neutral and zwitterionic glycine-(CH3OH)n where n = 1–6. Initial geometries of the clusters of neutral and zwitterionic glycine with 1–6 methanol molecules are fully optimized at B3LYP/6–31+G* level of theory. The lowest energy configurations are located and their hydrogen bond structures are analyzed. Theoretical prediction reveals that the methanols prefer to locate near the carboxylic acid group for the small clusters (n ≤ 3) with the neutral form while the configurations with the methanols bridging the acid and the amino group are favorite in the zwitterionic form clusters. When the number of the methanol molecules in the clusters reaches five and six, the two forms tend to be isoenergetic.


Objective To observe the clinical effect of Diyu Sanbai decoction enema with taking Chinese drugs for ulcerative colitis.Methods 68 patients with ulcerative colitis were randomly divided into treatment group and control group,34 patients per group.The patients in the treatment group treated with Diyu Sanbai decoction enema,in the control group received only with western retention enema,and all the patients in both groups were taking the basic Chinese herbs,10 d was one course and after 3 courses the curative effects were assessed.Results The total effective rate in treatment group was 88.2%,control group 73.5%(P0.05).Conclusion Diyu Sanbai decoction enema with taking Chinese herbs is satisfactory for this disease.


This study was done to determine the volume, type, and distribution of forest biomass generated in Larimer County, Colorado. The data were compiled within ArcGISTm, a Geographical Information System (GIS) program to graphically display where they exist. Presenting the data using a GIS format created a clear visual representation of wood supply distribution for Larimer County. The GIS database was developed from many sources, including data provided by the U.S. Forest Service and Colorado State Forest Service, and data from IRS tax records (Agricultural tax credit records). The database summarizes forest biomass generation in terms of harvested acres, volumes, and product type removed. Products were typically in the form of fuelwood, chips, posts, and small saw logs. Data were converted into a format compatible with ArcGISTM, thus contained in one easily understood database.


An efficient copper-catalyzed formal [4 + 1] annulation of N-propargyl ynamides with diketones is described. This protocol enables practical and atom-economic synthesis of valuable pyrrole-substituted dioxoles in generally moderate to...


Creating Knowledge 2021 took place as an online conference on June 3-4, 2021, hosted by UiT The Arctic University of Norway. Shortly afterwards, all delegates were sent an evaluation form so that we could learn from our mistakes and further improve all the good elements.


Dodwell has produced an excellent account of the period : an unbiased and well documented book, enlivened by incursions into the bypaths of history, notably the story of the overland and Red Sea routes to the East, and of the curious Algerian episode. Yet despite these many merits, the work is disappointing in one important respect: Mohammed Ali emerges from its pages an unconvincing figure. We are told little of his private life, we are given a meagre portrait of the man himself. Perhaps the author's endeavour " to escape from the traditional hero of French and villain of English writers " is partly responsible for the impression left at least upon one reader of the book that Mohammed Ali was a colourless personality: perhaps also the author's fancy for relegating to the penultimate chapter a sketch of Mohammed Ali's conduct of Egyptian administration is also a little responsible. It is a pity : for a ruler's memory must, or should, depend surely upon his conduct of domestic administration as much as upon his successes in politics and in war. The administrative triumphs are duly recorded, but perhaps too late for the average reader.


Background and Objectives: Physical examination of the hemodialysis arterial-venous fistula (AVF) is convenient and inexpensive, and can often detect common problems associated with hemodialysis access. Routine systematic physical examination of the fistula by the dialysis staff with each treatment may allow early detection of problems that are commonly associated with mature fistula. This avoiding missed treatments and emergent situations. Dialysis access stenosis is the most common cause of access dysfunction. Physical examination is an important method in the assessment of stenotic lesions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the two simple maneuvers in physical examination of the AVF (pulse augmentation and pressure assessment inside the fistula and collapsibility of the fistula on arm elevation) and compare them with the gold standard angiography.


Submandibular salivary gland system is commonly affected with sialolith (calculus) and victim suffers painful acute symptoms. Sialoliths usually are of 1-15mm in size. Although rarely giant sialoliths are seen, a giant torpedo sialolith of about 41mm × 9mm within the submandibular salivary duct is reported which was removed intraorally under local analgesia. Post-operatively, within six weeks salivation through duct was evidenced showing the process of re-establishment of salivary function.


This paper deals with the numerical analysis of three finite difference methods for the resolution of an anisotropic, linear 2D time-dependent Schrödinger equation. The physical context corresponding to this problem is the description of the interaction between a heavy particle and a light one, with the objective of depicting the decoherence induced on a quantum system by the environment. The principle aim of the present work is to study the convergence of splitting methods, applied to this highly anisotropic problem. The present paper provides moreover a numerical analysis support for the more computational paper [5] and prepares the arguments for the introduction of more efficient multi-scale schemes [4].


The essay analyses Abel Gance's J'accuse, in its three versions, respectively from 1918, 1937 and 1956. In its original version, the film represents a complex mixing of melodrama and war film. On the one hand, it is sheer patriotism, and on the other an attempt to come to terms with the breathtaking bloodshed that had just took place. The essay starts reconstructing the whole context of Gance's relationship with the Great War, even before he started to work on J'accuse. The sound edition of 1937 drastically reconfigured the ideological content of the movie, turning a mildly nationalistic story into a straightforward anti-war narrative, in tune with the pacifist film production of those years. In 1956, Gance went back again to his silent work, this time in order to update not its political content, but its technology, thanks to polyvision, a technique of multiple projection that the director had already experimented with his other silent masterpiece Napoleon (1928).


The usage of artificial light is excessive and improper. Earth's night picture has changed significantly from space and studies have shown that over-exposure to artificial light in the night can influence animals, the environment and human beings. The purpose of this study was to monitor and measure skylights of Lahore City and temporary light pollution from 2012-2019. The Suite-Day/Night band of the Visible Image Radiometer was used for time changes analysis with GIS and Remote Sensing tools. Indicators were established as a table tool through zonal statistics, and a field survey was also undertaken to measure the Sky-Glow of Lahore with Sky Quality Meter-L. The results suggest that from 2012 to 2019, light pollution rose by 23.43 percent. Results suggest that around 53.99% of Lahore suffered from light pollution. The number of lights in Lahore has increased by 161.82 percent between 2012 and 2019. In the study period, the mean night light and the standard night light deviation were 127.87 and 98.22 percent, respectively. Lahore's night sky was heavily polluted by light. Lahore's average skylight is 17.15 meters above sea level, which means low quality skies at night. This research aims to provide people an insight into light pollution and the causes of local light pollution. Furthermore, this study aims to enhance public attention to light pollution mitigation attempts by governments and politicians.


Abstract : The velocity distribution of the electrons within a plasma shock front is investigated by methods of the kinetic theory arranged in a manner to account for heavy deviations from thermodynamic equilibrium. The distribution function exhibits two peaks and becomes unstable with respect to electron oscillations, the shock wave being sufficiently strong (Mach number greater than approximately 6.5). The second peak is formed by runaway electrons, i.e. those fast electrons which transgress the shock front from the hot region. The frequencies, wave numbers, growth rates, phase and group velocities of the excited oscillations, and the influence of the Ohmic damping are calculated approximatively. The results are applied to non-thermal radiofrequency radiation of the sun. (Author)


Objective To explore the clinical effect of the X-ray machine combined with the CT equipment for diagnosing prolapse of lumbar intervertebral disc and its clinical significance.Methods 120 cases with prolapse of lumbar intervertebral disc in our hospital from Jun.2012 to Jul.2013 were selected and performed the X-ray and CT examinations.The scanning imaging data and operative coincidence were analyzed for comparing the effects by adopting single X-ray machine and single CT scanning,and their combination use for diagnosing prolapse of lumbar intervertebral disc.Results The definite diagnosis rate of the combination use of the X-ray machine and CT equipment was 100.0%,which was significantly higher than 40.0% of the single X-ray examination and 85.0% of the single CT examination,the differences had statistical significance(P0.05);moreover the operative coincidence rate of their combination use was 100.0%,which was significantly higher than 25.8% of the single X-ray examination and 95.8%of the single CT examination,the differences had statistical significance(P0.05).Conclusion The combination use of X-ray and CT examinations could be conducive to early discovery and early treatment of prolapse of lumbar intervertebral disc,and could avoid delaying the optimal treatment time,so which could be worthy of being promoted in clinic.


A higher-order boundary element method (HOBEM) with Rankine source as the kernel function is adopted. Then, a 3D time-domain seakeeping analysis tool has been newly developed. The computational domain is rectangular and travels at ship's speed. An artificial damping beach for satisfying the radiation condition was installed at the outer portion of the free surface. For updating kinematic and dynamic freesurface boundary conditions, an iterative time-marching scheme is employed to achieve numerical accuracy and stability. The problem of a ship advancing forward in incident waves is simulated, and the resultant diffraction forces acting on the hull are evaluated to validate this numerical model. To investigate the hull-form effects on naval hydrodynamics, three modified Wigley models are used for comparative study. Wave exciting forces on these three different Wigley models over a wide range of incident-wave frequencies are calculated and analyzed. Finally, the corresponding unsteady wave patterns around the hulls are illustrated and discussed.


Microspheres of cobalt metal–cobalt carbide (Co−CoxC , CoxC = Co2C and Co3C) composite with carbon shells were prepared via an OH−- and Cl−-assisted polyol method and investigated for electrocataly...


We study the Higgs sector of the secluded U(1)'-extended MSSM (sMSSM) focusing on CP violation. Using the one-loop effective potential that includes contributions from quarks and squarks in the third generation, we search for the allowed region under theoretical and experimental constraints. It is found that the possible region for the electroweak vacuum to exist is quite limited, depending on the parameters in the model. The masses and couplings of the Higgs bosons are calculated with/without CP violation. Even at the tree level, CP violation is possible by complex soft SUSY breaking masses. Similar to the CPX scenario in the MSSM, the scalar-pseudoscalar mixing enables the lightest Higgs boson mass to become smaller than the Z boson mass while the coupling with the Z boson is sufficiently suppressed to avoid the LEP experimental constraints. However, unlike the CPX scenario, large ? and A are not required for the realization of large CP violation. The typical spectrum of the SUSY particles is thus different. We also investigate the possible upper bound of the lightest Higgs boson in the case of spontaneous CP violation. The maximal value of it can reach above 100 GeV with maximal CP-violating phases.


There are few frontiers in the world that can still be said to be unexplored. One of these terra
incognita is the land beneath Antarctica's ice sheets. Buried under kilometres of ice is a
fascinating realm of canyons, waterways and lakes, which is only now being mapped in
detail.


This paper presents a retrospect of the development of Japanese acupuncture and analysis of the route of development of the Japanese medical science. The author believes that as far as learning western medicine is concerned, the Japanese medical science has undergone the stages: overall assimilation, development and combination of oriental medicine with western medicine. The author also points out that the Japanese acupuncture has ameliorative, eclectic, and scientific features.


Anaemia continues to be a major health problem, particularly among late adolescent girls and affects overall nutritional status of adolescent girls.Hence a study was framed to assess the formulation and supplementation of Iron rich health mix among adolescent girls. The samples include 50 anaemic adolescent vegetarian girls and Non-vegetarian girl (aged 17 to 21years). Iron rich healthmix was prepared with selected Iron rich foods and standardized. They were screened with random sampling and 20 girls were in the control group and 20 girls were supplemented with 20g of iron rich health mix daily for 60 days as experimental group. There was a significant increase in the haemoglobin level of the subjects belonging to the Vegetarian Experimental Group throughout the test periods. The 't' values were 1.9391 (0th vs 30th day),4.5381 (oth vs 60th day)and 2.425(30th vs 60th day) which is significant at 1% and 5% level .


Nanophosphor of TAG (Tb3 Al5O12) doped with 0.5mol% Eu was synthesized by the sintering (at 1100°C) of the sol-gel synthesized precursor. This nanophosphor was characterized by XRD, photoluminescence (PL) and chromaticity color space analysis. XRD analysis showed no change in the basic structure of TAG on doping while broad emission in 400-700nm region was observed when excited with 280nm radiation. Potential of this material in photonic devices was clear from the color space analysis.


During the early adoption of e-books, this unfamiliar digital format was made more palatable through analogy to the printed book. Texts were divided into 'pages' that could turn on screen, and e-book repositories were referred to as 'libraries'. However, as digital texts have increasingly taken on characteristics of digital systems, the metaphor of the printed book has lost currency. Given the limitations of this conventional metaphor for the digital text, I propose an alternative conception, one that is as archaic in origin as the printed-book metaphor, yet surprisingly robust for describing the customizable texts of today's Academy: the metaphor of movable text. The image derives from German printer Johannes Gutenberg's 15th-century innovation for the mass production of books, a mechanical system that used paper, ink and the relatively cheap and reusable display of cubed, metal letters that could be arranged and rearranged into words on a tray ready to be pressed into print. This metaphor of book-as-movable text is useful in that it captures how the form of the academic textbook is now entangled with its process, as much as its context. But, how does this metaphor apply to the academic text in particular? If a movable academic book asks to be interpreted, does the mobility of meaning that it creates defy such interpretative engagement? In this article, I argue that when automated texts are effectively scaffolded by cultural critiques, they can support deep research processes. To become more effective, these searches demand focus as much as evaluation and thus drive towards the crafts of collation, synthesis and eventual reconfiguration.


Hemolymph extracted from Crassostrea gigas in Dayaowan Bay was examined by the microscope and Haplosporidium-like plasmodia stages were found in Hemolymph.DNA was extracted from the infected oyster Hemolymph for polymerase chain reaction(PCR) amplification of the haplosporidian.The primer HAP-F and HAP-R,which was modification of Hap-F2 and HAP-F2 previously reported,was specific to H.nelsoni by experiments and was applied to amplify short regions of small subunit ribosomal DNA(SSU rDNA) from H.nelsoni.PCR amplification of genomic DNA with primer HAP-R and HAP-F yielded the expected-sized product from the primer pair targeting the region for 239 bp.This PCR product was sequenced and it was identical to the corresponding SSU rDNA region of H.nelsoni.The Haplosporidium nelsoni-specific DNA probes MSX1347 hybridized with the C.gigas parasite.


A resistance monitoring technique using yellow sticky cards sprayed with insecticides efficiently and sensitively detected resistance in field populations. The distribution of resistance in the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), in Imperial Valley, Calif., was determined with this technique. Thirty-two populations exhibited various levels of resistance to sulprofos (resistance ratio [RR] ranging from 19 to 104) and cypermethrin (RR ranging from 14 to 82) during 1987 and 1988, indicating that insecticide resistance is widespread in the Imperial Valley. The advantages of this new method for monitoring resistance in whiteflies are discussed in relation to conventionalleafbioassays.


Modern systems are complex, costly, and their developers face a constant increase of competition on the market. Systems must be released within shorter time frames and free of faults. It is therefore very important that errors are found and removed as early as possible, preferably in the design phase. To detect these errors engineers often turn to formal methods. Formal methods provide a set of notations and techniques for construction of mathematical models of systems and for (automatic) verification of these models against some requirements. The requirements are usually represented in terms of a set of properties that a system should satisfy. A property can be qualitative, e.g. "a system never deadlocks", if we are interested in functional behavior of a system, or it can be quantitative, e.g. "throughput is as desired", if we are interested in a system's performance. My research concerns both qualitative and quantitative analysis of systems. Particularly, I am mostly interested in the following:


The limited capacity of renewable energy sources in the grid utility is a challenge. Increasing the capacity of renewable energy sources is supported by energy storage in the grid. The Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) allows storing more electricity from New and Renewable Energy (EBT) sources to meet load requirements. This paper designs a technoeconomic study of various battery technologies using HOMER (Hybrid Optimization Modeling Software) software simulation. Simulations are made for grid-connected photovoltaic systems in Indonesia. HOMER is used to find the energy cost ($ / kWh) for each type of battery technology and battery system size. The simulation is designed using 1MWp PV component parameters, inverter, energy storage to be compared, residental load, and connected to the grid. The results will help to determine which technology and battery size is more suitable for the system. The findings from this paper resulted in the lowest Levelized Cost Of Energy (LCOE) of $ 1.03 in solar power generation. Keyword— battery, energy Storage, on-grid photovoltaic, techno-economic