Study Design Observational study. Purpose This study aims to assess the clinical and urodynamic parameters in patients with spinal tuberculosis (TB) exhibiting lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) at the time of presentation and after spinal surgical intervention. Overview of Literature Variable urodynamic findings in patients with spinal TB. Methods We prospectively evaluated 10 patients with spinal TB exhibiting LUTS. Urinary symptoms were assessed by the American Urological Association (AUA) symptom score. We performed a urodynamic study (UDS), including electromyography, in all patients before and 3 months after spinal surgery. Results The mean age of patients was 29.7 years (range, 15–52 years), and the mean AUA symptom score was 12.5 and 11.8 before and after spinal surgery, respectively. Overall, five patients exhibited improvement in the AUA symptom score, and three showed no change, while two patients' condition worsened. We observed detrusor overactivity (DO) in two patients, and detrusor sphincter dyssynergia (DSD) in four patients. In addition, high-pressure voiding (HPV) was noted in two patients. On follow-up after spinal surgery, DO and DSD exhibited no improvement. Although HPV resolved, two patients developed new-onset poor compliance with worsening DO and DSD. Furthermore, two patients had bilateral hydronephrosis before surgery, which resolved on follow-up. Conclusions Patients with spinal TB exhibiting LUTS can display a spectrum of clinical presentations and variable UDS findings. As two patients exhibited new onset poor compliance with bilateral hydronephrosis in one of them, this study concludes that a close follow-up for upper tracts in these patients is required despite successful spinal surgery.


Abstract : Faraday rotation stations were installed at Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Blantyre and Grahamstown and were operated for about ten days including the period of the eclipse on 30th Jun 1973. The records show that total electron content perturbations due to the eclipse were much smaller than other authors had forecast. Refinement of the raw data by filtering is in progress but the results are expected still to be difficult to interpret in terms of gravity waves. These observations agree with those of others so far published. (Author)


Among all graphene derivatives, the graphene quantum dot (GQD), a fragment limited in size, or domains, of a single-layer two-dimensional graphene crystal, has been investigated with much interest by the global research community, because of its unique electrical, optical and mechanical properties that arise from quantum confinement effects. Among all properties, negative differential resistance (NDR) has been of particular interest. NDR devices exhibit abnormal electrical characteristics, for instance, the non-ohmic current-voltage (I-V) curve, which enables a number of very important applications. An understanding of the electronic band structure may help build a deeper insight into the NDR phenomenon and guide the building of GQD based devices. This thesis uses models of electronic band structure from solid-state physics and relates the impact of band structure on observed NDR effect. Attention is also given to evaluate electronic transport properties of GQD based two-terminal devices, specifically energy filters and resistor-type memory devices (memristors), by using a non-equilibrium Green function technique implemented within the framework of extended Hückel method. All the numerical simulations use the platform in the commercial Atomistix ToolKit (ATK) package. A two-dimensional GQD structure is shown to offer a promising route for the design of electron energy filters to produce low-power and low-noise electronics as well as volatile memristors utilizing only single layer graphene.


Star-shaped poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) was synthesized using L-lactic acid as the monomer, pentaerythritol as the branching reagent and SnCl2·2H2O/TSA as the composite catalyst. The crystallization, melting as well as thermal-degradation behaviors of the obtained PLLA were studied using DSC and polarizing microscopy. The results of DSC demonstrated that the cold crystallization peak was hardly observed during the heating-up process of the star-shaped PLLA synthesized by melt polycondensation, only a melting peak showed. However, a double-melting peak was observed on the star-shaped PLLA after the treatment of isothermal crystallization. The temperature of the low melting peak was linearly increasing with the logarithmic value of the isothermal crystallization temperature, while the temperature of the high melting peak showed little correlation with the latter.


In college education, English is a required course for every college student, and undergraduate colleges have certain requirements for college English proficiency. At the same time, English is directly related to its learning, so improving the quality of college English teaching (CET) is very important. Teaching quality is a key indicator for measuring the effectiveness of English teaching. Learning quality evaluation is a very complex process that involves many factors, such as evaluation indicators, evaluation methods, etc. Therefore, establishing an objective and scientific English quality evaluation system is a challenging issue. The CET quality evaluation is a MAGDM. Then, the TODIM and VIKOR was used to set up MAGDM. The interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IVIFSs) are employed as a tool for depicting uncertain information during the CET quality evaluation. In this study, the entropy and score values are employed to establish the objective weights. Then, an integrated interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy TODIM-VIKOR (IVIF-TODIM-VIKOR) is developed to cope with the MAGDM problem. An illustrative example for CET quality evaluation and some comparative analysis are developed to demonstrate the validity and reliability of IVIF-TODIM-VIKOR method.


Addressing seasonal water uncertainties and increased power generation demand has sparked a global rise in large-scale hydropower projects. To this end, the Blue Nile impoundment behind the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) will encompass an areal extent of ~1763.3 km2 and hold ~67.37 Gt (km3) of water with maximum seasonal load changes of ~27.93 (41% of total)—~36.46 Gt (54% of total) during projected operational scenarios. Five different digital surface models (DSMs) are compared to spatially overlapping spaceborne altimeter products and hydrologic loads for the GERD are derived from the DSM with the least absolute elevation difference. The elastic responses to several filling and operational strategies for the GERD are modeled using a spherically symmetric, non-rotating, elastic, and isotropic (SNREI) Earth model. The maximum vertical and horizontal flexural responses from the full GERD impoundment are estimated to be 11.99 and 1.99 cm, regardless of the full impoundment period length. The vertical and horizontal displacements from the highest amplitude seasonal reservoir operational scenarios are 38–55% and 34–48% of the full deformation, respectively. The timing and rate of reservoir inflow and outflow affects the hydrologic load density on the Earth's surface, and, as such, affects not only the total elastic response but also the distance that the deformation extends from the reservoir's body. The magnitudes of the hydrologic-induced deformation are directly related to the size and timing of reservoir fluxes, and an increased knowledge of the extent and magnitude of this deformation provides meaningful information to stakeholders to better understand the effects from many different impoundment and operational strategies.


Axisymmetric stability properties of sheared flow Z-pinch plasmas are studied by making use of the gyrokinetic approximation in the long-wavelength limit. Numerical simulations are carried out with the high-order finite-volume code COntinuum Gyrokinetic Edge New Technology (COGENT) and are analyzed for the parameters characteristic of the FuZE experiment. Reduction of the linear growth rate with increasing shear is observed, and the results are elucidated by making use of a local dispersion relation analysis. In addition, COGENT simulations are compared with fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations, and with an ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model. Good agreement between the gyrokinetic and fully kinetic results for the linear stability is found, with the gyrokinetic model requiring much less computational time due to its ability to step over particle gyroperiod. The ideal MHD model is found to be consistent with the kinetic models in the long-wavelength part of the spectra (kρi), while failing to adequately predict short-scale (kρi) stability. Here, k is the axial wavelength vector and ρi is the ion gyroradius.Axisymmetric stability properties of sheared flow Z-pinch plasmas are studied by making use of the gyrokinetic approximation in the long-wavelength limit. Numerical simulations are carried out with the high-order finite-volume code COntinuum Gyrokinetic Edge New Technology (COGENT) and are analyzed for the parameters characteristic of the FuZE experiment. Reduction of the linear growth rate with increasing shear is observed, and the results are elucidated by making use of a local dispersion relation analysis. In addition, COGENT simulations are compared with fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations, and with an ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model. Good agreement between the gyrokinetic and fully kinetic results for the linear stability is found, with the gyrokinetic model requiring much less computational time due to its ability to step over particle gyroperiod. The ideal MHD model is found to be consistent with the kinetic models in the long-wavelength part of the spectra (kρi), while failing to ade...


The authors present a monitoring and management workstation for IEEE 802.3 networks (Ethernet) based on a PC-AT. The monitor performs traffic analysis, detects active machines in the network, maintains a network database with information regarding network topology and machines, filters specific packets or protocols, and can also work as a traffic generator. The system has a user friendly interface simplifying the interaction with the network manager.<<ETX>>


the lake profiles displayed monotonic trends in CP concentrations. Maximum concentrations were found in the year 2000 at Bead Lake, in pre-industrial sediments in Lake Goodwin, and in 1956 for Mason Lake. Mason Lake samples contained the highest levels of CPs.


During 1982 the High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) Technology Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) continued to develop experimental data required for the design and licensing of cogeneration HTGRs. The program involves fuels and materials development (including metals, graphite, ceramic, and concrete materials), HTGR chemistry studies, structural component development and testing, reactor physics and shielding studies, performance testing of the reactor core support structure, and HTGR application and evaluation studies.


In contrast to our previous studies on the submersion of scuba divers in a state of neutral buoyancy, neither plasma beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity (beta-EIR) nor affective feelings were significantly changes in scuba divers by mimicking diving pressures of 2 feet (0.6 m) and 50 feet (15.2 m) for 20 min in a hyperbaric chamber. It is concluded that the submersion-induced increase in plasma beta-EIR and accompanying changes in affect reported previously are not due solely to changes in pressure.


Faced with the choice between two themes that I suggested I might address this evening, the organisers of this event preferred me to speak as an historians' historian, rather than to opt for a topic of more general or current interest, and I have agreed to do so. Yet I should nevertheless be dissatisfied if those among you who do not particularly wish to be lectured to by historians were to be irked by an academic disquisition on some arcane matter. I shall therefore do my very best to ensure that those of you who are not historians, or who are not engaged professionally in the academic trade, shall leave this hall with somewhat more than the fleeting impression of an event. And I shall do so not least by suggesting that genesis, even the genesis of Islam, has more to do with Charles Darwin than with the Bible or the glorious associations of the Greek language, and that the reference to light in the title of my talk has more to do with reflective de-liberation than with exquisite colouration.


In the Amazon, approximately 30% of the population is agglomerated in small villages or isolated areas. One of the most serious problems is the lack of electricity, where reduced supply and frequent rationing reduce life quality and prevent the instalation of industries that could raise the value of renewable regional products. Consequently, the pursuit of better socioeconomic conditions promote the quick depletion of natural resources, which invariably results in the accelerated destruction of local ecosystems. Oil palms, that are mainly used for basic nutrition of local populations, could also form the basis for models of self-sustained technological and industrial development. A quantitative survey of native species of oil palms offers an alternative for sustained development based on a technological and industrial model because this resource occurs in populated areas in the Amazon, which facilitates retaining the people in the field, preventing the depletion of natural ecosystems. This study presents the activities that were used to identify the potential of biomass of Euterpe precatoria Mart and other oil palms available in riverside communities in the state of Amazonas (Brazil). These activities are associated with the possibilities of using palm species for sustainable development of energy generation. It was possible to identify the conditions for a sustainable supply of biomass as an alternative energy source which contributes to the Energy Universalization Program in the Brazilian Amazon.


Major environmental institutions around the globe are realising that the failing human–nature relationship is a root cause of environmental issues. Despite this shift in thinking, there is more work to be done to highlight the human–nature relationship as a tangible target for pro-environmental behaviour. This review argues for the importance of targeting human–nature relationships. It emphasises that nature connectedness, with its robust links to pro-environmental behaviour, is a useful operationalisation of such relationships. Following a review of recent references to the human–nature relationship in policy documents, this paper draws on theories of interpersonal relationships to illustrate how they can inform efforts to repair the human–nature relationship. Parallels between nature connectedness research and research on interpersonal relationships are highlighted. The potential for new routes to a closer human–nature relationship—including a more meaningful (e.g., intimate) engagement with nature, a cultural shift in support for human–nature relationships, fostering trust in nature and recognising reciprocity with nature—are noted. This review concludes that the human–nature relationship can be seen as an extension of interpersonal relationships, provides a tangible pathway to a sustainable future, and suggests that such explicit relationship-focused thinking can guide both policy and research.


The method is design to be used for manufacturing a rim (3) of a bicycle wheel, the rim has two side parts (5a) and a bridge part (6) in the radial section, the rim has an associated outer surface (S3), and the surface is toward an outer face of the rim and is defined by the bridge part (6) and at least one parts of the side parts (5). The manufacturing method comprises an extrusion step in which a section bar is obtained through extrusion, a step of benign the section bar, an assembling step in which tail ends of a ring formed by the section bar are jointed, a drilling step in which holes for fixing wheel spokes are obtained by drilling in the bridge part (6), and a machining step in which the whole body of the outer surface (S3) is machined in a radial plane (P4) on at least one part of the periphery of the rim (3).


Gold nanoparticle self assemblies are one-dimensional structures of gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticle self assemblies exhibit unique physical properties and find applications in the development of biosensors. Methodologies currently available for lab-scale and commercial synthesis of gold nanoparticle self assemblies are complex. These methods are often multistep involving linker nanoparticle conjugation steps and external stimuli treatment steps. Here, we present a simple method for synthesis of gold nanoparticle self assemblies. The method involves surfactant-free synthesis of gold nanoparticles, washing of gold nanoparticles with distilled water and irradiation of gold nanoparticles with glow discharge plasma. Thus synthesized gold nanoparticle self assemblies were characterized using electron microscopy and ultraviolet and visible light spectroscopy. Results show that washing with distilled water and irradiation with glow discharge plasma induces assembling of gold nanoparticles into multimers, chain-like structures and networks. Our synthesis method is unique in that it provides full control on the extent of self assembly and at the same time is simple and economical. Our synthesis method facilitates lab-scale and commercial synthesis of gold nanoparticle self assemblies, which, in turn, will promote the application of self assembled gold nanoparticles in the development of novel biosensors, drug-delivery platforms, lab-on-a-chip platforms and a variety of other nano-scale medical devices


Increasing of energy requirements, dependence on crude oil, limited fossil resources, and environmental problems are huge challenges for our societies. Within such a context, fuels derived from renewable resources (biomass and waste) could give an important contribute to meet current and future energy requirements. Biogas is an attractive renewable energy source, which does not contribute to carbon dioxide emissions [1]. In recent years, some specific legislative tools of European Union (EU) have been aiming to increase the integration of renewable resources into the EU energy system [2]. Thus, biogas can be considered as the most widespread renewable fuel obtained from biomass, produced from a variety of organic raw materials ranging from zoo-technical to agro-industrial sectors.


In recent years, the interest in using wireless communication technologies and mobile devices in the healthcare environment has increased. However, despite increased attention to the security of electronic health records, patient privacy is still at risk for data breaches. Thus, it is quite a challenge to involve an access control system especially if the patient's medical data are accessible by users who have diverse privileges in different situations. Blockchain is a new technology that can be adopted for decentralized access control management issues. Nevertheless, different scalability, security, and privacy challenges affect this technology. To address these issues, we suggest a novel Decentralized Self-Management of data Access Control (DSMAC) system using a blockchain-based Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) model for privacy-preserving medical data, empowering patients with mechanisms to preserve control over their personal information and allowing them to self-grant access rights to their medical data. DSMAC leverages smart contracts to conduct Role-based Access Control policies and adopts the implementation of decentralized identifiers and verifiable credentials to describe advanced access control techniques for emergency cases. Finally, by evaluating performance and comparing analyses with other schemes, DSMAC can satisfy the privacy requirements of medical systems in terms of privacy, scalability, and sustainability, and offers a new approach for emergency cases.


There is an urgent need for rapid 3D imaging methods to characterize transgenic lines of experimental animals. The novel instrument described here, a cryoplane fluorescence microscope, meets that need. It offers the required speed, high spatial resolution, and support for imaging of reporter genes. The instrument is a large horizontal cryostat equipped with macro- and microimaging facilities. It accomodates both brightfield imaging of systemically delivered counter stains and fluorescence imaging of probes introduced either by genetic manipulation or by direct injection. Spatial distortion in the resulting 3D datasets is quite low, less than 2%. We demonstrate here application of the instrument for mapping the expression pattern of the gene reporter GFP and for anatomical characterization using the nonfluorescent crystal violet.


HIV infection is associated with elevated expression of IL‐10 and PD‐L1, contributing to impairment of T cell effector functions. In autoimmunity, tumor immunology, and some viral infections, Bregs modulate T cell function via IL‐10 production. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that during HIV infection, Bregs attenuate CD8+ T cell effector function, contributing to immune dysfunction. We determined that in vitro, TLR2‐, TLR9‐, and CD40L‐costimulated Bregs from HIV− individuals exhibited a high frequency of cells expressing IL‐10 and PD‐L1. Compared with Bregs from HIV− individuals, a significantly higher percentage of Bregs from HIV+ individuals spontaneously expressed IL‐10 (P=0.0218). After in vitro stimulation with HIV peptides, Breg‐depleted PBMCs from HIV+ individuals exhibited a heightened frequency of cytotoxic (CD107a+; P=0.0171) and HIV‐specific CD8+ T cells compared with total PBMCs. Furthermore, Breg depletion led to enhanced proliferation of total CD8+ and CD107a+CD8+ T cells (P=0.0280, and P=0.0102, respectively). In addition, augmented CD8+ T cell effector function in vitro was reflected in a 67% increased clearance of infected CD4+ T cells. The observed Breg suppression of CD8+ T cell proliferation was IL‐10‐dependent. In HIV+ individuals, Breg frequency correlated positively with viral load (r=0.4324; P=0.0095), immune activation (r=0.5978; P=0.0005), and CD8+ T cell exhaustion (CD8+PD‐1+; r=0.5893; P=0.0101). Finally, the frequency of PD‐L1‐expressing Bregs correlated positively with CD8+PD‐1+ T cells (r=0.4791; P=0.0443). Our data indicate that Bregs contribute to HIV‐infection associated immune dysfunction by T cell impairment, via IL‐10 and possibly PD‐L1 expression.


The era of multi-core processor has come with the development of semiconductor technology, and heterogeneous multi-core processor is better than homogeneous one for both performance and power. In such circumstance, an efficient design methodology for such heterogeneous multi-core processor is given in this paper. At the simulator level, parallelized simulator is used to obtain the high simulation speed and conflict detection ability, at the RTL level, the common register file-based instruction set extension architecture is taken to speedup the application in multi-core systems. And simulation results at the RTL-level show that with such design methodology, taking JPEG encoding as a case study, the heterogeneous multi-core designed gains 5.44X speedup than homogeneous one and the energy cost is only 22.9% of the homogeneous one. What's more, the extra hardware logic cost is less than 25%compared with the homogeneous one, taking both the hardware logic cost and the performance into consideration, such methodology is better than popular XTensa for such architecture exploration based on instruction set extension.


After ten years, the Christian‐Liberal agenda of market liberalisation and deregulation has been only partially realised. Reforms have been constrained by the institutional context of policy‐making, in which policy outputs take the form of bargained compromises and radical policy changes are discouraged. Case studies demonstrate, however, that the constraints operate rather unevenly. Abortive initiatives to reform shopping hours and health insurance show how coalitions of public and private interests can block change. On the other hand, successful reforms in telecommunications and the stock exchange suggest that technological change, international market forces, and European Community initiatives can act as 'ice‐breakers' to cut through domestic political inertia. This mixed pattern of policy change is likely to persist in post‐unification Germany. Douglas Webber, European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD), Fontainebleau.


Background & Aim : Salicylates and opioids are widely used in chronic pain relief. Chronic use of these drugs reorganizes synaptic function, especially experience-dependent plasticity in brain regions. Therefore, in this study the effects of chronic administration of salicylate and morphine on synaptic plasticity were investigated. Methods : in this review, Elsevier, Science Direct, PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched for the following keywords: salicylate, morphine, drug tolerance, and synaptic plasticity. At the end, 62 of the obtained reports were included in the study. Results : In addition to induction of tolerance to anti-nociceptive effect and cross-tolerance, chronic salicylate administration as like as morphine has long-lasting effects on hippocampal neuronal networks which are manifested as excitability of neurons and ability of activity and experience-dependent plasticity. Some of these effects can be documented in the hippocampus-related functions such as spatial learning and memory. Conclusion : Considering the effects of salicylate and morphine on the nervous system and synaptic transmission, the effects of these drugs on the processing of input data and as a result on cognitive functioning would not be unlikely, thus necessitating further behavioral and electrophysiological studies.


Background Associations between mitochondrial genetic abnormalities (variations and copy number, i.e. mtDNAcn, change) and elevated ROS have been reported in cancer compared to normal cells. Since excessive levels of ROS can trigger apoptosis, treating cancer cells with ROS-stimulating agents may enhance their death. This study aimed to investigate the link between baseline ROS levels and mitochondrial genetic abnormalities, and how mtDNA abnormalities might be used to predict cancer cells' response to ROS-stimulating therapy. Methods Intracellular and mitochondrial speci�c-ROS levels were measured using the DCFDA and MitoSOX probes, respectively, in four cancer and one non-cancerous cell lines. Cells were treated with ROS-stimulating agents (cisplatin and dequalinium) and the IC50s were determined using the MTS assay. Sanger sequencing and qPCR were conducted to screen the complete mitochondrial genome for variations and to relatively quantify mtDNAcn, respectively. Non-synonymous variations were subjected to 3-dimensional (3D) protein structural mapping and analysis. Results Our data revealed novel signi�cant associations between the total number of variations in the mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) complex I and III genes, mtDNAcn, ROS levels, and ROS-associated drug response. Furthermore, functional variations in complexes I/III correlated signi�cantly and positively with mtDNAcn, ROS levels and drug resistance, indicating they might mechanistically in�uence these parameters in cancer cells. Conclusions Our �ndings suggest that mtDNAcn and complexes I/III functional variations have the potential to be e�cient biomarkers to predict ROS-stimulating therapy e�cacy in the future.


The proliferation of government-sanctioned anti-obesity campaigns is increasing the vulnerability of those at risk of developing an eating disorder and exacerbating eating disorder symptoms in those already diagnosed with an eating disorder. This is despite paucity of evidence that the campaigns are effective in reducing obesity. Beat recognises the importance of reducing obesity and the good intention behind these campaigns, but is very concerned that their tone and content do not take into account their potential harm to people with or at risk of eating disorders. We believe that campaigns should shift away from those which increase weight stigma, view obesity as a choice and/or encourage restrictive eating patterns, to those which take a more integrated and holistic approach to obesity. Campaigns should recognise the complexity of causal and maintaining factors, and consider the potential impact of anti-obesity policies on those vulnerable to or experiencing an eating disorder.


Against the backdrop of the new approaches to studying garments, in this paper Bunjevci women's traditional ceremonial clothing – garments (locally referred to as ruvo), will be observed in the symbolic context that shows the belonging to the specific social group, lifestyle and the status of the person wearing them, or the woman's identity. Moreover, based on the information collected in the professional literature and interviews with the members of the local public, this paper provides an overview of the meaning conveyed by the garments in the past as opposed to the meaning that is currently conveyed by them. In other words, it shows how specific items of the traditional ceremonial clothing worn by Bunjevci women, as cultural products with a symbolic dimension, functioned as signs in everyday environment. In addition, the paper presents the colours preferred by Bunjevci women for the making of the garments, as well as the role of the colour of clothing in the stratification of women in the society.1


Revised edition. This bulletin details the process for producing honey which is marketed in its original honeycomb and discusses the equipment needed, management of bees, and collection of the honeycombs.


In this project, a smart car control system for obstacles avoidance and engine temperature control was developed in order to reduce considerably car accidents mostly due to unexpected road obstacles and/or sudden car engine breakdown by the engine overheat. Therefore, to detect and avoid road obstacles, a low-cost smart car control system based Arduino Uno (Atmega328P) was designed. Moreover, for engine temperature monitoring and control, a temperature sensor LM35 was incorporated at the car radiator. The developed system will be used in all type of cars. For its implementation, the proposed control system was designed and simulate in Proteus Software which is schematic based microcontroller simulation tool. The results were encouraging with the developed control system as car can automatically avoid road obstacles and reduce the engine breakdown due to excess of engine temperature.


Contents: How to get out of a contract Is there a contract? Are you a party to the contract? What are the key relevant terms? Competition law issues Termination for breach Misrepresentation and waiver Remedies for breach of contract Negotiating your way out Post-termination issues Cases in book Bibliography Index.


The uniform cubic lattice gas with infinite repulsion between particles on nearest-neighbor sites is considered. The conductivity is calculated in the stationary state in the presence of a uniform electric field. The necessary equilibrium averages are estimated within the Bethe-Peierls approximation. The correlation factor is derived, and numerical values are presented for concentrations below the critical one. Comparison with Monte Carlo results of Murch shows good agreement.


The construction industry, is characterised by fragmentation and poor coordination by its players which leads to inefficiency, waste, poor quality, and safety problems. Supply Chain Management (SCM) is viewed as a vital strategic tool for corporate competitiveness since it can improve efficiency and productivity while reducing the overall operating costs, as observed in various manufacturing sectors. Malaysia, wanting to improve this situation, has followed suit by introducing the Construction Industry Masterplan (2006-2015) through the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), with emphasis on enhancing the value chain that has lead to research initiatives by the government to investigate the applicability of Construction Supply Chain Management (CSCM). This paper presents the findings of a research effort in exploring this issue. The study employed a mixed-mode approach, implemented through both interviews and questionnaire surveys, to explore the internal (internal supply chain – information dissemination, management leadership, relationship development) and external (external supply chain – customer and supplier relationship management) parts of the construction supply chain. The Rasch Measurement Model was used to interpret and support the findings, which was further furnished with the themes uncovered during the interview sessions. The findings revealed that the construction industry players were currently moderate level implementers of the CSCM practices, and the players viewed CSCM as a viable approach of improving the Malaysian Construction industry.


Abstract Objective To define the patterns of flow of blood to the lungs in fetuses with tetralogy of Fallot and pulmonary atresia. Background In this condition, supply of blood to the lungs is provided via an arterial duct or systemic-to-pulmonary collateral arteries, or very rarely through other conduits such as coronary arterial fistulas or an aortopulmonary window. The intrapericardial pulmonary arteries vary in size, and may be absent. These variables influence the prognosis and management. Methods We carried out a retrospective review of cases from a tertiary service for fetal cardiology, identifying all cases of tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia diagnosed antenatally between January, 1997, and April, 2006. We established pre- and postnatal outcomes, and compared the prenatal diagnosis with postnatal or autopsy findings. Results Of 6587 fetuses scanned during this period, 11 were diagnosed as having tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia and no other cardiac defect. In 5, arterial flow to the lungs was via an arterial duct, and in the other 6, the main identified source of flow was systemic-to-pulmonary collateral arteries. Of the latter 6 pregnancies, 4 were terminated, along with 3 of the 5 with ductal supply. The presence of systemic-to-pulmonary collateral arteries was confirmed at postmortem examination in 3 instances, and in the two delivered neonates, in neither of whom was an infusion of prostaglandin commenced. Conclusion The patterns of pulmonary flow can be identified prenatally in the setting of tetralogy with pulmonary atresia. Supply through systemic-to-pulmonary collateral arteries impacts on counselling, introducing uncertainty regarding postnatal surgical management.


The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness of electroacupuncture in preventing and treating postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after general anesthesia


Bloch oscillations of atoms in optical lattices are a powerful technique that can boost the sensitivity of atom interferometers to a wide range of signals by large momentum transfer. To leverage this method to its full potential, an accurate theoretical description of losses and phases is needed going beyond existing treatments. Here, we present a comprehensive theoretical framework for Bloch-oscillation-enhanced atom interferometry and verify its accuracy through comparison with an exact numerical solution of the Schr\"odinger equation. Our approach establishes design criteria to reach the fundamental efficiency and accuracy limits of large momentum transfer using Bloch oscillations. We compare these limits to the case of current state-of-the-art experiments and make projections for the next generation of quantum sensors.


The AIE properties of two trifluoromethyl substituted distyrylbenzene model compounds were compared. The fluorescence quantum efficiency of these molecules can be modulated by tuning their subtle solid-state intermolecular interactions.


Modifications of emulsifying properties of soybean protein isolates by ultrasound-assisted succinylation (SPMUS) have been studied.Based on the single factor experiment,technology was optimized by central composite design theory of Box-behnkenn.The optimal conditions were as follows,soybean protein 7.1%,succinic anhydride 12%,reaction temperature 51 ℃,ultrasonic power 580 W,ultrasonic time 8 min,and the emulsifying activity and stability of SPMUS were increased 94.5% and 268.9%,respectively.The structures of SPMUS and crude soybean proteins were studied by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and fluorescence emission spectrums.


As a stressor, trauma can trigger local tissue lesions and reactive stress. And it give rise to a series of neuroendocrinic reactivations dominant with sympathetic activation and increased secretion of pituitary-adrenocortex. Hormone changes during stress have deep effect on nutritional substance metabolism.


First of all, I welcome this initiative summarising dendroclimatological research in Fennoscandia and indicating directions for future research. A lot has been achieved in this region since the first tree-ring chronologies were built in the early 20th century, and there is steady progress. Hundreds of papers have been published varying in the scientist's background and aims, applied methods, studied regions, environments and species. Thus, I am aware that a review article on this topic is not a trivial task, and maybe therefore my expectations were rather high. Unfortunately, my impression is that this attempt lags behind what might be possible and desirable. Many paragraphs bear the character of reporting results without reaching the point of clear syntheses and conclusions. Thus, though CPs review criteria might not be well-suited for a review


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This paper considers a dynamic model of innovations in which Ž rms can endogenously bias the direction of technological change. Both in a North–North and North–South context, we show that, when globalization triggers an increased threat of technological leapfrogging or imitation, Ž rms tend to respond to that threat by biasing the direction of their innovations towards skilled-labor-intensive technologies. We show that this process of defensive skill-biased innovations generates an increase in wage inequalities in both regions. We then discuss suggestive empirical evidence of the existence of defensive skill-biased technical change. (JEL F12, O33, J31)


ABSTRACT The last decade has seen the rise of a new alliance among U.S. housing advocates, human rights advocates, and right to the city advocates that stands unified in opposition to rising rents, gentrification, evictions, and the criminalization of homelessness. In contrast to earlier housing movements that often diverged over the question of means, this new "housing justice" alliance has the potential to unify housing advocates under the big tent of a cosmopolitan human right to housing and a collective right to the city. This paper provides a critique of the normative conception of justice implied by the contemporary American housing justice movement. I argue that while rights offer a compelling moral foundation for housing policy reform, the most defensible conception of the right to housing is one grounded in the individual right of social citizenship. I argue that the right to housing should be understood as a right that is constitutive of, rather than in opposition to, the right to own property. When the collective right to the city conflicts with or fails to support the right to housing, I argue that housing advocates should prioritize the right to housing over the right to the city.


List of Boxes, Figures and Tables * Acronyms and Abbreviations * Foreword * Acknowledgements * Introduction * Regulating Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-Sharing: the Legal Aspects * Natural Products and the Pharmaceutical Industry * The Botanical Medicine Industry * The Development of Major Crops by the Seed Industry * Horticulture * Crop Protection * Biotechnology in Fields other than Healthcare and Agriculture * The Natural Personal Care and Cosmetics Industry * Industry and the CBD * Conclusions * Recommendations * Appendix A The Influence of Natural products on 1997 Pharmaceutical Sales Figures * Appendix B Scientific and Common Names of Selected Botanical Medicines * Appendix C Regulatory Frameworks for Botanical Medicines * Appendix D Tentative List of Crops Under Negotiation as the Scope of the Multilateral System in the Revised International Undertaking * Appendix E Regulatory Frameworks Relevant to the Release of Crop Varieties * Useful Contacts and Sources of Information * Glossary * Bibliography * Research Methodology and Team * Index


The authors present a model development work on vegetation demography, and seek to incorporate it into an earth system model. The framework provides a simplified solution to model the global vegetation distribution based on the "Metabolic Scaling theory". Both the topic and the model concept are very interesting. However, there are numerous errors and ambiguous expressions throughout the current manuscript. The model descriptions are not clear enough, especially for the equations and units. At some points, I have to stop to calculate the units of each term. I'm also not fully convinced by the model outputs and validations. Extra information are necessary to be provided for a proper judgement, e.g., how the NPP data was created, which climate forcing and vegetation map were used. I suggest an overall revision and reorgniza-tion of themanuscript. My major question about this approach is how it can be used in transit-time simulations, especially for the future projections. From a modelling aspect, the model simply ignored many factors that can be modfied due to climate change. Nevertheless, it would be very exciting if enough evid-ences support that some important emergent properties from land ecosystems would remain constant in a fast changing world.


This article proposes a swarm intelligence ensemble deep transfer learning (named SI‐EDTL) for multiple vehicle detection in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images. This method is based on Faster regional‐based convolutional neural networks (Faster R‐CNN), in which, a set of region proposals are extracted using region proposal network (RPN), and then, CNN is used to mine highly descriptive features of these windows to classify regions. We use three Faster R‐CNNs as feature extractors (InceptionV3, ResNet50, and GoogLeNet) that have already pre‐trained on ImageNet data, combined with five transfer classifiers (KNN, SVM, MLP, C4.5 Decision Tree, and Naïve Bayes). As a result, 15 different base learners are trained through deep transfer learning on a UAV dataset to classify the region proposals into multiple vehicles (car, van, truck, and bus). We combine these 15 base learners through a weighted averaging aggregation into four vehicle classes or no vehicle (background). Hyperparameters of the ensemble model are tuned using whale optimization algorithm, to achieve the best trade‐off between total accuracy, precision, and recall. The proposed SI‐EDTL model has been successfully developed using parallel processing in MATLAB R2020b. Experimental results on AU‐AIR dataset of UAV images demonstrate the superiority of the SI‐EDTL model against existing techniques.


A schedule execution unit accesses a storage unit for storing a call list registered in a database and determines whether or not there is a Web service call to be executed. If the presence of a Web service call to be executed is confirmed, the schedule execution unit reads out the Web service address and process details and calls the Web service. By so doing, the apparatus that provides the function and the apparatus that carries out the call can be separated, thus enabling a particular program to be executed simply and flexibly according to a schedule.


Bridge deterioration must be monitored to ensure continued safety. Strategic repair can offer asset managers the benefit of saving money and time. However, knowing prime location and appropriate repair can be challenging when relying on visual techniques alone. This work quantitatively measures global damage from progressive cracking in a reinforced concrete slab. A novel combined framework of frequency methods, damage metrics, and genetic algorithm techniques is employed for maximum effectiveness of health evaluation. Through experimental modal analysis, tri-axial accelerometer data is interpreted via genetic algorithm using 24 damage indices based upon mode shapes. Along with easily interpretable visualization, four decision criteria validate the optimized results. Both general location and relative severity are estimated: when one artificial crack was induced by cutting, a relative strength change of 58% was detected. With four to eight cuts, change over 90% was detected.


Although it is well established that changes in the value of formal education can partly explain the increase in earnings inequality in the United States during the past three decades, less attention has been paid to the possible role of post-school training. Using data from cohorts of the National Longitudinal Surveys, the author finds that young men entering the labor market beginning in the late 1960s and those entering in the early 1980s differed little in the average incidence of training or earnings premiums associated with training, but further analysis shows that shifts in training favoring more educated workers can account for more than 40% of the observed increase in college-high school earnings differences among young men. Changing patterns of continuing learning do not, however, help explain the growth in earnings differences within equally educated groups.


Control devices are a common practice in Europe, used to increase the influence of a dominant shareholder upon the firm beyond his/her cash flow rights. They are often very powerful devices which limit the effective control of corporations to a small group of shareholders, and can be utilised to extract private benefits of control. In this paper, we aim to provide an understanding how these devices work in principal and then examine how they are used in the main Western European economies (France, Italy, Germany, Spain and the UK), in light of the recent changes of legislation and despite improvements in the efficiency of capital


We show that the relativistic gravity theory can offer a framework to formulate the non-relativistic effective field theory in a general coordinate invariant way. We focus on the parity violating case in 2+1 dimensions which is particularly appropriate for the study on quantum Hall effects and chiral superfluids. We discuss how the non-relativistic spacetime structure emerges from relativistic gravity. We present covariant maps and constraints that relate the field contents in the two theories, which also serve as the holographic dictionary in context of gauge/gravity duality. A low energy effective action for fractional quantum Hall states is constructed, which captures universal geometric properties and generates non-universal corrections systematically. We give another holographic example with dyonic black brane background to calculate thermodynamic and transport properties of strongly coupled non-relativistic fluids in magnetic field. In particular, by identifying the shift function in the gravity as minus of guiding center velocity, we obtain the Hall viscosity with its relation to Landau orbital angular momentum density proportional to Wen-Zee shift. Our formalism has a good projection to lowest Landau level.


Since the number of distinctly different optimization problems in differential calculus is quite limited, we were rather surprised to discover an apparently unnoticed property in the familiar "cut a wire" problem. It is a beautiful and elegant result and is easy to spot once you are told where to look. Furthermore, the result extends to the case in which there are more than two figures and also to several collections of figures in three dimensions. Rather than give away the solution in the introduction (assuming the title has not already done so), we hope the reader will trust us enough to continue. As a start, we recommend that the reader solve all three of the following wire problems; at least one of these problems appears in most current calculus textbooks.


Understanding how aging impacts the function of memory CD4 T cells is critical for designing effective vaccines. Our studies show that immunological memory generated during youth functions well into old age, whereas that generated later in life functions poorly. This is the result of declines in the function of naive CD4 T cells from aged individuals and contributes to reduced efficacy of vaccines in the elderly. To begin to identify the cause of this defect, we examined the function of memory T cells generated from bone marrow precursor cells (BMPC) from young or aged mice in young hosts. In two different models, memory cells derived from young and aged BMPC exhibit good ex vivo and in vivo function. Importantly, memory CD4 T cells generated from aged BMPC exhibit potent cognate helper function for humoral responses, which are critical for effective immunization. These results indicate that there are no apparent age-related intrinsic defects in BMPC with regards to generation of functional memory T cells.


Forage variety development for diversified environmental conditions may benefit from the use of genomic-based breeding procedures. In today's conditions, molecular markers are used by researchers in this field to track loci and genome regions in crop breeding studies. Although earlier characterization efforts yielded useful information, morphological traits and RAPD markers have limitations when used together for genetic diversity research. Different combinations of methodologies are required for diversified aims to study different forage species at the genetic level and to connect micro level traitsto macro level traits.


Negative refraction has many potential applications in the information and communications technology field. However, the high losses of most negative refraction materials prevent the use of this novel property in the implementation of practical devices in the HF range. In an attempt to overcome this inconvenience, we present two gammadion–fishnet chiral metamaterial structures, constituted by the combination of a lossy chiral metamaterial and different fishnet structures. The electromagnetic characterization of the proposed metamaterials provides a larger bandwidth with negative refraction as well as lower losses when compared with the initial structures. The results were obtained by using both numerical and experimental data, which support our designs.


A detailed analysis of the performance of a SANS instrument with variable-geometry converging multichannel collimation is carried out. Count-rate gains relative to conventional SANS arrangements obtained by using the XY variable-geometry converging multichannel collimator either as a single unit or in association with similar units are discussed.


Background Cancer-associated myositis (CAM) is believed to be rarely complicated by interstitial lung disease (ILD), and, thus, detailed clinical characteristics of CAM in patients with polymyositis (PM)/dermatomyositis (DM)-associated ILD are not well known. Objectives To clarify the incidence, risk factors, and impact on survival of malignancy in patients with PM/DM-associated ILD, using a large cohort data. Methods We used 497 patients with PM/DM-associated ILD enrolled in a multicentre retrospective cohort of incident cases from 44 institutions across Japan (JAMI). CAM was defined as malignancy diagnosed within 3 years before or after PM/DM diagnosis. Demographic data and clinical characteristics were recorded at the time of diagnosis, and follow-up survival and malignancy data were collected prospectively. Results Thirty-two patients with CAM (6.4%) were identified. Patients in the CAM group were older (64.3 vs 55.1 years, p Conclusions In patients with PM/DM-associated ILD, older age at diagnosis and lack of arthritis are predictors for concomitant malignancy, which leads to a reduced survival. Disclosure of Interest Y. Kaneko Speakers bureau: Astellas, T. Nunokawa: None declared, Y. Taniguchi: None declared, Y. Yamaguchi: None declared, T. Gono: None declared, K. Masui: None declared, A. Kawakami: None declared, Y. Kawaguchi: None declared, S. Sato Grant/research support from: a patent on anti-MDA5 antibody-measuring kit, M. Kuwana Grant/research support from: Astellas, Speakers bureau: Astellas, Japan Blood Products Organisation, Medical and Biological Laboratories


An analytical solution for light propagation in the post-post-Newtonian approximation is given for the Schwarzschild metric in harmonic gauge augmented by PPN and post-linear parameters $\beta$, $\gamma$ and $\epsilon$. The solutions of both Cauchy and boundary problem are given. The Cauchy problem is posed using the initial position of the photon $\ve{x}_0 = \ve{x}(t_0)$ and its propagation direction \ve{\sigma} at minus infinity: $\ve{\sigma} = {1\over c} \lim\limits_{t \to -\infty}\dot{\ve{x}}(t)$. An analytical expression for the total light deflection is given. The solutions for $t - t_0$ and $\ve{\sigma}$ are given in terms of boundary conditions $\ve{x}_0 = \ve{x} (t_0)$ and $\ve{x} = \ve{x}(t)$.


In this paper, I analyse the political use of the notion of trauma in the public debate on abortion in Italy. Its genealogy can be traced back on the one hand to the feminism of the 1970s, when abortion was illegal and unsafe, and on the other to the scientific debate initiated in the United States during the 1980s, relating to the effects of legal and safe abortion on women's mental health. During the early 2000s, the contentious diagnostic category of Post-Abortion Syndrome entered the public debate in Italy, becoming a core topic of anti-abortion activism. The idea of abortion being a trauma, however, is a view shared not only by those who protest against the law authorizing voluntary termination of pregnancy, but also by those who campaign to guarantee its application. In the context of different regulatory frameworks and moral worlds, the notion of trauma conveys different situated ideas of health and of choice.


Energy coupling between distal DNA domains may have profound regulatory consequences for biological processes, allowing for allosteric control of nucleic acid function. Repair of oxidative lesions at or near triplet repeat domains can enhance DNA expansion events that result in debilitating disease states. We report here position, distance, and lesion-dependent energy crosstalk between pairs of lesions in a triplet repeat bulge loop and an adjacent duplex domain. We discuss the implications of such coupled communication between lesions in distal loop and duplex domains for lesion repair and DNA expansion associated with diseases.


Addressing this exhibition of often crude and childlike drawing, the authors resort to comparisons with their attempts at writing and the inexactitude yet necessity of both kinds of expression and the revelations they bring. The artists provide brief texts or statements in relation to their work. Biographical notes on artists and authors.


1,2-Bis(5-methyl/chloro-1 H -benzimidazol-2-yl)ethanols ( 1 and 2 ), asymmetric bis-benzimidazoles, and their complexes with CoCl2, PdCl2 and ZnCl2 were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductivity, magnetic moment, TGA, FT-IR (mid- and far-IR), FT-Raman, 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, ESI-MS and fluorescence spectroscopy. The spectral data suggest that the chiral chelating ligands acted as tridentate through both the C=N nitrogen and OH oxygen atoms. According to the molar conductance, the Zn(II) complexes are non-electrolyte whereas the Co(II) complexes are 1:2 and the Pd(II) complexes are 1:1 electrolytes. The ligands and most of the complexes show triple fluorescence in ethanol. In addition, the Zn(II) complex of 1 ( 1c ) shows significant fluorescence characteristics compared to the other complexes.


vi Hardware Acceleration of ECC based Algorithms: Design and Simulation April, 2008 Abstract Elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) is an alternative to traditional public key cryptographic systems. Even though, RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) was the most prominent cryptographic scheme, it is being replaced by ECC in many systems. This is due to the fact that ECC gives higher security with shorter bit length than RSA. In Elliptic curve based algorithms elliptic curve point multiplication is the most computationally intensive operation. Therefore implementing point multiplication using hardware makes ECC more attractive for high performance servers and small devices. In this thesis FPGA accelerator for point multiplication over GF (2) is proposed. We designed and synthesized the point accelerator using Xilinx XCV2000 FPGA. Binary field arithmetic units from which the point accelerator is built are also designed and synthesized. Experimental results show that a single point multiplication executes in 47μs. This is a 161 fold speed up over software implementation. And it is also better than the fastest hardware accelerator published in the literature.


A Modified Genetic Algorithm (MGA) is used as a statistical technique for obtaining approximate solutions to combinatorial optimization problems. MGA algorithm combines the good methodologies of the two algorithms like global minimum converging property of Genetic Algorithm (GA) and fast convergence rate of Hamming scan algorithm. In this paper MGA is used to synthesize Forty-Eight phase sequences with good Merit Factor. The synthesized sequences have complex signal structure and very difficult to detect and analyze by an enemy's Electronic Support Measures (ESMs).


The enzyme N-acetyl-p-D-galactosaminidase has been studied in a rat-kidney preparation which was known to have N-acetyl-3-D-glucosaminidase activity (Pugh, Leaback & Walker, 1957). It was not found possible to separate the two activities by various fractionation procedures. The two p-nitrophenyl hexosaminides which were used as substrates competed but not in the simple manner found with a testicular extract (Woollen, Heyworth & Walker, 1961). A preliminary account of part of this work has appeared (Woollen, Heyworth & Walker, 1959).


Objective To explore the existence of "block phenomenon" of the inferior vena cava being in compression during open cholecystectomy.Methods A total of 30 patients receiving open cholecystectomy under the general anesthesia and epidural anesthesia in our hospital were selected.The right internal jugular vein and femoral vein catheterization was performed after the anesthesia induction and intubation to continuously monitor CVP and the inferior vena cava pressure (IVCP).Meanwhile, the changes in CVP, MAP, HR, IVCP before abdominal opening,upon pulling gallblad-der as well as 5 min, 10 min and 15 minutes after the opening of deep retractors were observed, recor-ded and compared.Results The HR of patients during cholecystectomy did not changed significantly (P>0.05) but MAP and CVP were decreased markedly (P<0.01).Furthermore, there was remark-able increase of pressure in the inferior vena (P<0.01).These changes were the most obvious during the filling of saline gauze pads in the abdominal cavity and within the first 15 rain of deep retractors led.After the closure of abdominal wall, the levels of CVP, MAP and IVCP returned to those before the abdominal opening.Conclusion The "block phenomenon" of the inferior vena cava during open cholecystectomy do exist in different degrees and it is the main reason for the patients' hemodynamic variety.This requires the anesthesiologists to hint the surgeon in the management of anesthesia to consider changing the posture and strength of retractors while the blood pressure is decreasing to avoid cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events.

Key words:
Cholecystectomy;  Inferior vena cava;  Compression;  Hemodynamics


Safe and efficient hydrogen storage remains a grand challenge in the widespread implementation of hydrogen fuel cell technology. Recently, chemical hydrogen storage has emerged as a promising alternative for vehicular and portable applications. A number of hydrogen-rich materials have been experimentally demonstrated to deliver large amounts of hydrogen under mild conditions with controllable kinetics. Among these materials of in-terest, hydrous hydrazine (N 2 H 4 · H 2 O) is a promising but yet not fully explored candidate. The development of high-ly efficient catalyst and its reaction kinetics law are the key issues of N 2 H 4 · H 2 O-based hydrogen generation (HG) systems. Herein, a supported Ni-Pt/La 2 O 3 catalyst was prepared by a combination of co-precipitation and galvanic replacement methods. Via optimizing preparing processes, the developed catalyst enabled a complete decomposition of N 2 H 4 · H 2 O to generate H 2 at a reaction rate of 340 h - 1 at 323 K, which outperforms most reported N 2 H 4 · H 2 O decomposition catalysts. Phase/structural analyses by XRD, TEM and XPS were carried out to gain insight into the catalytic performance of the Ni-Pt/La 2 O 3 catalyst. In addition, the effects of temperature, concentration of N 2 H 4 · H 2 O and NaOH, and amount of catalyst on the N 2 H 4 · H 2 O decomposition were investigated over the Ni-Pt/La 2 O 3 cat-* alyst. The kinetic rate equation may be represented by the expression: r = - d[N 2 H 4 · H 2 O]/d t = 2435exp( - 51.53/( RT )) [N 2 H 4 · H 2 O] 0.3 [NaOH] 0(0.12) [Ni] 1.03 . The obtained results should lay the experimental and theoretical foundation for de-veloping practical application of N 2 H 4 · H 2 O-based HG system.


Through literature study and researches into construction and developing tendency of 12 college stadiums,this article puts forth that the construction of stadiums should meet the needs of sports cultural exchanges and social development. The stadiums should be suitable for developing nationwide fitness program. Regional and national culture,economic environment and natural resources should be taken into account.


To test the predictions of allometric analyses of laboratory data on aphidophagous ladybirds, a study was carried out on a small [Propylea quatuordecimpunctata (L.); dry female body mass 3.7 mg] and large species (Coccinella septempunctata L.; 15.4 mg) (both Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) of predatory ladybird, which regularly exploit cereal aphids. In 2003–2006, females of C. septempunctata and in 2006 P. quatuordecimpunctata were collected at 2‐ to 5‐day intervals during the 30‐day period around the peak in cereal aphid abundance, and the number of eggs they laid in the following 24 h in the laboratory was recorded. In addition to the number of eggs laid, clutch mass, live weight, and scutum width of ovipositing females and the sizes of the clutches laid in the field were recorded. As predicted, the reproductive allocation in both species was similar. The weight of the eggs of C. septempunctata (0.20 mg) and P. quatuordecimpunctata (0.18 mg) differed little, and the proportion of body mass allocated to daily reproduction (ca. 12%) was identical in both species. In addition, the maximum number of eggs laid per day in the field by the large species was, as predicted, greater than by the small species. Interestingly, the size of the egg clutches laid by C. septempunctata in the field was similar to the daily oviposition of field‐collected adults recorded in the laboratory, whereas for P. quatuordecimpunctata it was significantly smaller. The role of morphology and physiology of ladybirds in structuring aphidophagous ladybird guilds is discussed.


Effects of reducing the ambient UV-B radiation on gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence of two dwarf shrub species, Salix arctica and Vaccinium uliginosum, was studied in a high arctic heath in North East Greenland during two growing seasons. Films (Mylar, transmitting A > 320 nm, and Lexan, transmitting A > 400 nm) were used to reduce UV-B radiation and UV-B+A respectively. A UV transparent film (Teflon, transmitting A > 280 nm) and no film were used as controls. Field measurements showed that the plants under Teflon, Mylar and Lexan received app. 91%, 39% and 17% of the ambient UV-B irradiance, respectively. UV radiation decreased the maximal photochemical efficiency (F v /F m ) and other fast fluorescence transient derived parameters in both species, despite an increased level of leaf flavonoid content. The responses varied in significance according to species and site. The relation of these effects to a significantly decreased stomatal conductance (g s ) and intercellular CO 2 concentration (C i ) pointed to respiration as an important factor in the interpretation of the observed unaffected net CO 2 assimilation (P n ) in UV- reduced treatments. It is concluded that the studied species have not fully acclimatized to the level of ambient UV-B radiation, and that ambient UV-B level is an important stress factor for the investigated plants in High Arctic.


This work considers the analysis of pressure transient data obtained from wells produced under multiphase flow conditions. Both fully-penetrating and restricted-entry wells are considered. In particular, we examine methods for the calculation of the damage skin factor (and the pseudoskin factor caused by partial penetration) in reservoirs with multiple flowing phases. A new semi-theoretical method which accounts for the nonlinearities naturally arising from multiphase flow effects in the reservoir and at the well is presented for calculating these skin factors. Numerical results for an extensive array of two-phase (oil-water, gas-water and oil-gas; including gas condensates) and three-phase (oil-gas-water) reservoir systems are presented and include the analysis of pressure transient data obtained from both fully-penetrating wells and restricted-entry wells. Our new semi-theoretical skin factor method is shown to provide extremely accurate estimates for both the damage skin factor and pseudoskin factor due to partial-penetration, even when the saturation and pressure dependent fluid properties vary substantially over the course of the well test. Pressure analysis alone is considered in this work; i.e., we do not consider pseudopressure analysis, either single phase or multiphase. As such, the analysis methods presented are much simpler to use than corresponding pseudopressure analysis techniques and for themore » multiphase cases do not require a priori knowledge of relative permeabilities. This should result in a more general acceptance and usability by the petroleum engineering community.« less


Machine learning techniques have been widely used in transient stability prediction of power systems. When using the post-fault dynamic responses, it is difficult to draw a definite conclusion about how long the duration of response data used should be in order to balance the accuracy and speed. Besides, previous studies have the problem of lacking consideration for the confidence level. To solve these problems, a hierarchical method for transient stability prediction based on the confidence of ensemble classifier using multiple support vector machines (SVMs) is proposed. Firstly, multiple datasets are generated by bootstrap sampling, then features are randomly picked up to compress the datasets. Secondly, the confidence indices are defined and multiple SVMs are built based on these generated datasets. By synthesizing the probabilistic outputs of multiple SVMs, the prediction results and confidence of the ensemble classifier will be obtained. Finally, different ensemble classifiers with different response times are built to construct different layers of the proposed hierarchical scheme. The simulation results show that the proposed hierarchical method can balance the accuracy and rapidity of the transient stability prediction. Moreover, the hierarchical method can reduce the misjudgments of unstable instances and cooperate with the time domain simulation to insure the security and stability of power systems.


provide valuable information in the management of non-traumatic PEA or asystole, but should not be viewed as the sole predictor in determining outcomes in these patients.


Objective To investigate the inhibiting effect of sodium valproate in human liver cancer Bel-7402 cells and its mechanism.Methods The cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay.Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry(FCM) .In addition,the expression level of VEGF and bFGF were analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blot.Results Sodium valproate inhibited the proliferation of Bel-7402 cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner.The apoptotic rate was significantly higher in the cells treated with 1,2 and 4 mmol/L VPA for 72 h than untreated cells [(8.79±0.53) %,(18.65±1.02) %,(36.41±1.93) % vs(2.78±0.32) %].The expression levels of VEGF and bFGF were down-regulated in a dose dependent manner in Bel-7402 treated with VPA for 72 h(P0.05) .Conclusion Sodium valproate can inhibit the proliferation of Bel-7402 cells and the possible mechanism is related to the decrease of VEGF and bFGF expression.


As the size of available data is increasing, it is becoming inefficient to scale the computational power of traditional systems. To overcome this problem, customized application-specific accelerators are becoming integral parts of modern system on chip (SOC) architectures. In this paper, we summarize existing hardware accelerators for data centers and discuss the techniques to implement and embed them along with the existing SOCs.


The development, manufacture, test and deployment of a 4 – 12.25 GHz receiver system on the Australia Telescope 22m-diameter antennas is presented.


This article revisits the question of whether crude oil prices have a positive effect on stock the prices of renewable energy firms. To examine this question carefully, we allow for the asymmetric effects of oil price changes in our modeling process, using the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach. We find that changes in oil prices indeed have a significant, positive short-run effect on renewable energy stock prices in an asymmetric manner. However, this short-run effect does not appear to last in the long-run.


Resetting the clock on photoemission The ability to produce attosecond pulses of light provides access to some of the fastest electronic processes occurring within atoms. Tracking the temporal dynamics of the photoemission process in which an atom absorbs a high-energy photon and the electron escapes has exposed a discrepancy between the initial experimental findings and subsequent theoretical modeling. Isinger et al. present an ultrafast process that can account for and distinguish the different contributions to the photoemission processes in neon atoms. The findings reveal an "electron shake-up" process that may explain the discrepancy, bringing closure to a 7-year discussion. Science, this issue p. 893 An ultrafast technique is developed that can disentangle the different processes in photoionization. Ultrafast processes in matter, such as the electron emission after light absorption, can now be studied using ultrashort light pulses of attosecond duration (10−18 seconds) in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range. The lack of spectral resolution due to the use of short light pulses has raised issues in the interpretation of the experimental results and the comparison with theoretical calculations. We determine photoionization time delays in neon atoms over a 40–electron volt energy range with an interferometric technique combining high temporal and spectral resolution. We spectrally disentangle direct ionization from ionization with shake-up, in which a second electron is left in an excited state, and obtain excellent agreement with theoretical calculations, thereby solving a puzzle raised by 7-year-old measurements.


This study aims to determine the effect of profitability, liquidity, sales growth, taxes and interest rates on the capital structure of go public insurance companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the period 2014-2020. The research sample was taken using purposive sampling method and 8 companies were determined as the research sample. The data analysis technique used is panel data regression. The results show that 1) profitability has a significant negative effect on the capital structure of go public insurance companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. 2) Liquidity and interest rates have a significant positive effect on the capital structure of go public insurance companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. 3) Sales growth and taxes have no effect on the capital structure of go public insurance companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange.


From listing by terrain types to tips and tricks at each resort, this book explores skiing and snowboarding in Utah in exceptional detail and provides the insight you need to enjoy everything the mountains have to offer.


The study aims to examine the effectiveness of flipped learning teaching methods by using learning analytics to enable effective programming learning for non-major students. After designing a flipped learning programming class model applied with the ADDIE model, learning-related data of the lecture support system operated by the school was processed with crawling. By providing data processed with crawling through a dashboard so that the instructor can understand it easily, the instructor can design classes more efficiently and provide individually tailored learning based on this. As a result of analysis based on the learning-related data collected through one semester class, it was found that the department, academic year, attendance, assignment submission, and preliminary/review attendance had an effect on academic achievement. As a result of survey analysis, they responded that the individualized feedback of instructors through learning analysis was very helpful in self-directed learning. It is expected that it will serve as an opportunity for instructors to provide a foundation for enhancing teaching activities. In the future, the contents of social network services related to learners' learning will be processed with crawling to analyze learners' learning situations.


Hybrid composite gears have been investigated as a weight saving technology for rotorcraft transmissions. These gears differ from conventional steel gears in that the structural material between the shaft interface and the gear rim is replaced with a lightweight carbon fiber composite. The work discussed here is an extension of previous coupon level hybrid gear tests to a full-scale bull gear. The NASA Glenn Research Center High-Speed Helical Gear Rig was modified for this program allowing several hybrid gear web configurations to be tested while utilizing the same gear rim. Testing was performed on both a baseline (steel) web configuration and a hybrid (steel-composite)configuration. Vibration, orbit and temperature data were recorded and compared between configurations. Vibration levels did not differ greatly between the hybrid and steel configurations, nor did temperature differential between inlet and outlet. While orbit shape displayed differences between the hybrid and baseline configurations, the general overall amplitude was comparable. The hybrid configuration discussed here successfully ran at 3300 hp(2,460 kW), however, progressive growth of the orbit while running at this test condition discontinued the test. Researchers continue to search for the cause of this orbit shift.


The use of synthetic polymers soil conditioners helps to increase the water retention capacity of soils subject to water stress, and appropriate testing them for different 1 Eng Agrícola, Prof. Adjunto da UFVJM, Campus Unaí – MG, Av. Vereador João Narciso, 1380, Cachoeira, Unaí – MG. CEP 38610-000. E-mail: email@example.com 2 Eng° Agrônomo, Gerente de Produto da Produquimica Ind. e Com. S.A, Av. Pádua Dias, 11 Piracicaba/SP CEP 13418-900. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com 3 Eng° Agrônomo, Prof. Adjunto da UFU, Campus Monte Carmelo. Av. Goiás, 2000, Vila Nova, Monte Carmelo – MG, CEP 38500-000. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com 4 Eng° Agrônomo, Prof. das Faculdades Associadas de Uberaba-MG (FAZU). Av. Pádua Dias, 11 Piracicaba/SP CEP 13418-900. E-mail: email@example.com 5 Acadêmico do Curso de Bacharelado em Ciências Agrárias – ICA/UFVJM, Campus Unaí – MG. Av. Vereador João Narciso, 1380, Cachoeira, Unaí – MG. CEP 38610-000. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com 6 Eng Agrônomo, Prof. Titular do Depto. Engenharia de Biossistemas/ESALQ/USP. Av. Pádua Dias, 11 – Piracicaba/SP – CEP 13418-900. E-mail: email@example.com H. S. da Rocha et al. crops and soil and climatic conditions, to minimize problems associated with water availability. The expansion of the polymers provides improved retention of rain water or irrigation, making it available for absorption by the roots by longer time and permitting reduction of the frequency of irrigation. The present study was conducted to investigate the influence of different doses of a copolymer of starch on the properties of water storage in a clay soil. Treatments consisted of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 g dm of the hydrogel conditioner. For analysis, set the parameters of retention curves for the model of van Genuchten (1980). The expansion of the hydrogel caused a reduction in bulk density, although not significant, as it rises doses. Treatments 1.0 to 2.0 g dm provided a copolymer of starch and an increase of 23.15 e 23.46% water capacity, respectively.


Phosphorus-doped amorphous-silicon thin-film micromachined mechanical bridge resonators are processed at low temperatures (⩽110 °C) on glass substrates. The microelectromechanical structures are electrostatically actuated, and the resulting deflection is monitored optically. Resonance frequencies in the megahertz range are observed with quality factors up to 5000 when measured in vacuum. The energy dissipation processes in amorphous-silicon thin-film microbridges are discussed. The dominant intrinsic dissipation mechanism is surface loss.


This comment examines the Legal framework of collective labour disputes (CLD) resolution by the Labour Relation Board (LRB) in Ethiopia. Only two members of the LRB out of seven members (and two alternate members) are from the legal profession. Moreover, there is no provision (under the Labour Proclamation) regarding the selection criteria of other members of the Board. The decision of the Board is rendered by majority vote and appeal is permitted only on error relating to legal issues. The establishment of LRB that is empowered to decide on CLDs is indeed an extremely important initiative as the nature of collective labour cases demands collective bargaining and labour law experts. However, criteria regarding professional profile are not set out under the Proclamation for the selection of members of the LRB; and the majority of LRB members are not legal professionals. There should thus be clear criteria for the selection of members and there is the need to include more legal professionals in the LRB.


A series of metal-free organic dyes exploiting different combinations of (hetero)cyclic linkers (benzene, thiophene, and thiazole) and bridges 9 (4H-cyclopenta(2,1-b:3,4-b 0 )dithiophene (CPDT) and benzodithiophene (BDT)) as the central π-spacers were synthesized and characterized. 10 Amongthem,thesensitizercontainingthethiopheneandCPDTshowedmostthebroadincidentphoton-to-current conversionefficiencyspectra, 11 resulting in a solar energy conversion efficiency (η) of 6.6%. 12


There is considerable evidence which indicates that gonadotropins influence ovarian tissue at the level of protein and nucleic acid synthesis. In the present study the amounts of nucleic acids and protein and the activity of RNA polymerase in the ovaries of immature rats were determined at intervals during 48 hr following a single injection of pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMS). Increases in ovarian weight, RNA and protein content were detectable after 6 hr and continued in more or less parallel fashion during the time of study. DNA did not exhibit a significant increase until 12–18 hr after PMS administration. The specific activity of RNA polymerase increased measurably in 3 hr, reached a peak in 12 hr and declined thereafter at a time when the RNA content continued to increase markedly. Possible interpretations of these findings are indicated. Cyclohexi-mide administered in vivo markedly inhibited the in vitro activity of the enzyme and the in vivo synthesis of RNA. (Endocrinology 83: 107, 1968)


The issue of food safety is a very important issue throughout the world and has become a hot topic of conversation including in Indonesia. Even though we know that in developing countries, street-vended food is one of the biggest contributors to employment, it is difficult for the government or the authorities to control and ensure the safety of street-vended food. This study aims to analyze the factors that influence consumer behavior in buying street-vended food and consumer knowledge on food safety. The conceptual model proposed describes the relationship between these factors in shaping consumer behavior using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Data collection was carried out through a questionnaire distributed to street food consumers in Jabodetabek with an age range of 25-40 years (Millennial Generation). The collected data were analyzed using the partial least square (PLS) method to determine the factors that influence consumer behavior. As a result, As a result, 6 of the 8 hypotheses were accepted, while the rest were rejected. From these results, it is clear that, the tendency of consumers in Indonesia to recognize the importance of food safety and also to understand food products that are good for their bodies to consume. However, in their application, they underestimate the food safety of the food products they buy. It's hoped that the output of this research can be used to facilitate recommendations in the formulation of policies regarding food safety and consumer protection in Indonesia and to improve the available data for risk analysis or food safety strategies in Indonesia.


This paper outlines an ontology for characterising architecture frameworks. The ontology is based on the metamodel of MAF, and is currently being tried out on a set of well-known existing frameworks. Selected results from this trial are presented. 1 Background and motivation During the last couple of decades, quite a few architecture frameworks have been presented. While they differ considerably in a number of respects, their application domains tend to overlap, hence potential users need to be able to compare frameworks with each other. Although some work is performed concerning architecture framework issues [1, 2], we have not been able to find a generally applicable, simple framework for assessment and comparison of architecture frameworks. As a first step towards such a mechanism, this paper outlines an ontology for characterising architecture frameworks. An architecture framework may be viewed as a set of rules, guidelines and patterns for describing the architecture of systems. According to the IEEE 1471 standard [3] 'architecture' is the 'fundamental organization of a system embodied in its components, their relationships to each other, and to the environment, and the principles guiding its design and evolution'. The term 'system' is defined as 'a collection of components organized to accomplish a specific function or set of functions'. MAF [4] is a model-based architecture framework, implying a strong focus on models as the main formalism for describing architectures. The model-based approach also implies that the MAF metamodel be expressed as a conceptual model for architecture frameworks. This paper illustrates how the MAF metamodel forms the basis for defining dimensions along which architecture frameworks may be characterised. 2 Characteristics of architecture frameworks Architecture frameworks can be characterised by several distinguishing features, the types of which are shown in Fig. 1 as a UML specialisation class hierarchy. The types of characteristics identified are: • Application domain characteristics, specifying to which kind of systems the framework may be applied. The 'kind of systems' is defined by system type and system scope; • Conceptualisations of architecture or application domain, indicating whether the framework provides ontologies covering relevant aspects of the application domain, the domain of architectures and architecture descriptions, and possibly other relevant areas; • Prescriptions for architecture descriptions, indicating how and to what degree of specificity the framework prescribes content, organisation and representation of the products forming the architecture description; • AD methodological characteristics, expressing whether or not the framework provides a methodology for developing ADs, and if so, whether it specifies an AD development process, supports architecture evolution, provides consistency and conformance principles for the ADs, whether it is supported by software tools, etc.; • Relations to other frameworks, indicating whether (and how) the framework is related to other frameworks in any way worth documenting, be it factual or purely conceptual; Fig. 1. Architecture framework characteristics Within each of the characteristic types above, one or more value sets are specified, providing predefined, possibly interrelated values to be used as descriptors of the framework in question regarding that particular characteristics. For example, the value set of 'System type' as an application domain characteristic contains the system types 'System', 'Enterprise' and 'Software system', with a 'subtype of' relation between 'System' and the other two. Hence, an enterprise architecture framework will typically be assigned 'Enterprise' as its application domain. The elements of the value sets are instances in the characterisation ontology and represent a formalisation of the corresponding characteristic types. The degree to which a characteristic type is suitable to formalisation varies considerably. Some characteristic types are best described informally, and therefore, using the characterisation ontology never tells the whole story about an architecture framework. However, it provides a template for A D M e t hodo l ogic al c harac te ris t ic Conc e p tuali s at ions of a rc h i te c tu r e/ap p li cat ion dom ain P res c ript ion regard ing


Murine lymphoid cells which were stimulated in liquid culture containing thymus culture fluid (Thy‐CF) and seeded in a soft agar culture system, proliferated and developed into B cell colonies. Two types of colonies were formed: large colonies within the upper layer and small flat colonies on the surface of the upper layer.


Bohao Zheng Biliary Tract Disease Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Cheng Zhang Biliary Tract Disease Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Wenze Wan Biliary Tract Disease Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Wentao Sun Biliary Tract Disease Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Xi Cheng Biliary Tract Disease Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Xiaojian Ni Biliary Tract Disease Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Xiaoling Ni Biliary Tract Disease Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Tao Suo Biliary Tract Disease Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Han Liu Biliary Tract Disease Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Sheng Shen Department of General Surgery, Biliary Tract Disease Center, Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Houbao Liu (  firstname.lastname@example.com ) Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biliary Tract Minimal Invasive Surgery and Materials, Shanghai


Valence-band spectra of the intermetallic compounds UNi/sub 5-x/Cu/sub x/ (x = 0.0, 2.5, and 5) have been measured using synchrotron radiation in the energy range 10 to 130 eV. In all compounds the 5f-derived valence-band density of states is pinned to the Fermi energy. In contrast to earlier work, no splitting of the U 5f emission due to different final-state 5f configurations is observed in UCu/sub 5/. This points towards an itinerant description of the 5f electrons in these compounds. A decrease in the intensity of the Ni two-hole satellite is observed in going from Ni metal and UNi/sub 5/ to U(Ni/sub 0.5/Cu/sub 0.5/)/sub 5/ which can be related to a filling of the Ni d band. Furthermore, a shift of the Ni satellite energy by 1.3 eV towards higher binding energies occurs in U(Ni/sub 0.5/Cu/sub 0.5/)/sub 5/.


Azo dyes, aromatic compounds with one or more azo bond (- N = N -), are the largest class of synthetic dyes. It is estimated that the annual world production of dyes is nearly 1 million tons, of which more than 70% are azo dyes. These dyes have been used extensively in various commercial activities such as textile, tannery, food, cosmetic, pharmaceutics, paper printing and other industries. Approximately 2-50% of azo dyes used in textile dyeing process is discharged into textile effl uents. Unfortunately, azo dyes are resistant to be degraded under common wastewater treatment. Some azo dyes and their metabolites possess mutagenic and carcinogenic potential in animals and cause serious environmental problems. Therefore, treatment of azo dyes is required in order to maintain environment and minimize health hazard. Biological treatment, in particular application of bacteria, is becoming interest due to cost effective, environmental-friendly method, production of less sludge and complete decomposition with non-toxic by products. This review is focused on the decolourization and biodegradation of azo dyes by bacteria. Application of bacteria for azo dye treatment provides


Availability of Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) has an important role in disaster management. The purpose of this research is to analyze the readiness of the Spatial Data Infrastructure (IDS) as an effort to mitigate the lava flood in Kali Putih, Magelang Regency, Central Java. The research method was carried out by interview, survey and secondary data collection and SWOT analysis. The results of the SWOT analysis, on the Strength-Opportunity matrix, conclude that the optimization of Spatial Data Infrastructure (IDS) and the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) in the field of Geospatial Information (IG). The Strenght-Threath analysis concludes the need to use quality spatial data for government agencies. Opportunity - Weakness analysis concludes that there is a need for Web GIS development and the need to improve the quality of GI and the quality of human resources in the field of GI. Threat-Weakness analysis resulted in a conclusion, namely the need to refer to the one map and one data policy as well as the ID and SDI field policies.


Jakarta groundwater basin is one of the most developed basins in Indonesia as Jakarta city is located within the basin, with an elevation ranging from 0 to 1000 m above sea level. The study of the basement characteristics of groundwater basins still needs further study in the Jakarta Groundwater Basin. The objective of this study is to examine the basement characteristics of Jakarta Groundwater Basin by satellite gravimetry. Gravity forward models were constructed using Oasis Montaj and 2-D GM-SYS software for two north-south sections, A and B, and west-east section C-D. Regional anomalies in the study area with a value range of 36.7 to 53.2 mGal, while the residual anomaly values in the study area were in the range of -7.0 - 10.0 mGal. There are four rock formations based on forwarding modeling. Holocene Beach Ridge Deposit formation has a density of 2.0 gr/cc. The thickness of this formation is estimated to be around 10-20 meters. Late Pleistocene Alluvial fan has a density of about 2.2 gr/cc. The depth of this layer ranges from 10-50 meters. Early Pleistocene Formation, has a density of 2.35 gr/cc. The thickness of this formation is at a depth of 50-200 meters in the cross-section. The Tertiary Marine Sediment Formation is a basement of the Jakarta Groundwater Basin. This formation has a rock density of 2.45 gr/cc.