To aim at some large-size complex equipments widely used in industrial enterprises, this paper analyzed the operation maintenance and management feature, and established the full life cycle model with four states, and then performed the reliability and security analysis on it. During modeling we not only considered all the possibly emerging states of the equipment such as working, storage, preventive maintenance, and corrective maintenance, but also still conducted the detailed analysis on the transfer relations among these states. Based on it, we constructed the non-Markov process model of the equipment, where the checking and repairing time were considered to follow the arbitrary distribution during preventive maintenance and corrective maintenance, and the failure time distribution was thought to be exponential. Hence, by the use of supplementary variables, we converted the non-Markov model into the Markov process model, and calculated the relative reliability and security indexes. Compared with classical two-state and three-state models, the results show the established model is accurate and effective, and possesses a broad adaptability.


A method to obtain the three-dimensional harmonic response of a infinitely long cylindrical shell of circular cross-section embedded in a layered viscoelastic half-space and subjected to harmonic plane waves impinging at an oblique angle with respect to the axis of the shell is presented. The procedure combines an indirect integral representation for the field in the exterior half-space with a model of the pipeline or tunnel based on Donnell shell theory. The integral representation for the soil is based on the use of moving Green's functions for the layered viscoelastic half-space. The accuracy of the formulation is tested by comparison of results obtained by using different discretizations. Extensive comparisons with previous two- and three-dimensional results for the case of a shell embedded in a uniform half-space and some new numerical results for a shell embedded in a multilayered half-space are presented in a companion paper.


A new method is described for reduction and successful treatment of false articulation of dens axis and neglected complicated transdens subluxation of the atlas to the back by means of skeletal traction applied to the bones of the skull with Ilizarov's apparatus in a 8-year-old boy.


Objective To explore Australian experience of preventing violence in healthcare settings and to discuss on improving Chinese hospital measures including violence reporting,risk screening and management. Methods Literature review and case studies. Results Most violence happened in emergency department and mental/psychiatric services in Australia. Based on report of Australian Incident Monitoring System,causes of violence could be classified as patient,staff and system reasons.Violence in hospital has been recognised as part of nature of medical professional practice,and it is unacceptable as violence both negatively affect clinicians and health consumers. Staff training is found for improving knowledge and skill of preventing violence and protecting medical staff. A risk screening and management tool is used in hospital,which roles as first prevention strategy for safety of staff and patients. Conclusion Violence in Chinese hospital is increasing along with recent health policy implementation for health sector reform and development. Attribution of violence was likely pointed to social and political aspects,such as lack of trust,unsatisfied social harmony,increased social inequality and weakness of social security. Contribution of patients and their families has been under estimated,especially when 'patient-centred health care' encouraged.In addition,as lack of information on violence reporting and analysis and weak of mental health service in China,patient/family's attack under psychiatric reasons are unknown.It is recommended that an information system for incidence monitoring is crucial for evidence-based planning of violence prevention and protection. The nature of violence then could be further discovered.Furthermore,Chinese hospital managers could develop their tool of risk screening and management.


In the first part of this work, chlorination of diluted aqueous solutions of resorcinol and phloroglucinol in the presence of bromide ion with and without preozonation has been carried out. The results obtained show that both phenols are strong trihalomethane precursors and that preozonation considerably reduces the formation of these organohalogen compounds. Subsequently, ozonation of resorcinol and phloroglucinol in an agitated tank has been conducted at different experimental conditions


The present study evaluates the presence and location of carbohydrates in general, and the monosaccharide N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) on tissues of temperate oyster Crassostrea gigas and tropical oyster C. corteziensis during an increase in temperature during reproduction, a stress which is probably one of the main causes of the oyster's summer mass mortality events. Adult oysters from both species were placed at 22 °C and exposed to a gradual increase in temperature (1 °C day-1) until reaching 34 °C. The values of the GlcNAc index were higher in C. corteziensis compared to C. gigas in the gonads, vesicular connective tissue and digestive gland of males and females during the experiment, except for the hemocytes in the gonads, where the GlcNAc index was significantly highest in C. gigas at 34 °C. A PCA revealed an inverse association between GlcNAc in tissues (gonad, digestive gland, and vesicular connective tissue) and GlcNAc in hemocytes for females and males. The pres-ent study shows evidence that water temperature increase affects the overall immune system capability and hemocyte-tissues signaling function, with deep differences between C. gigas and C. cor-teziensis , particularly in females. This information provides valuable insights for further studies into the immunological mechanisms of oyster summer mortality events.


Objective To evaluate the role of sinus heart rate turbulence(HRT) in risk stratification of patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS).Methods A total of 213 patients with ACS including 86 patients with acute myocardial infraction(AMI) and 127 patients with unstable angina pectoris(UAP),and 100 healthy controls were enrolled in this study.All subjects were measured with 24 h dynamic electrocardiogram and indicators of HRT were calculated.According to GRACE scoring,the ACS patients were further divided into 1ow-risk group,medium-risk group,and high-risk group.The indexes of HRT and incidence of abnormal HRT among the three groups were compared.Results The AMI group and UAP group had significantly higher Turbulence onset(TO) and lower turbulence slope(TS) than the healthy control group(P 0.05).In AMI group and UAP group,high-risk subgroup had increased TO and decreased TS than the 1ow-risk group and medium-risk group(P 0.05).Incidence of abnormal HRT2 varied with risk stratification in AMI and UAP groups(P 0.05).The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that TO and TS were the independent risk factors for cardiac sudden death.Conclusion HRT may be a new indicator for ACS risk stratification.


An electroless Co-Ni-P plating bath has been developed for obtaining high density magnetic thin film disk media from the following viewpoint: plating bath control technique for mass production and the plated magnetic disk media stability. Magnetic thin films, plated from the developed ammonia-alkaline malonate-malate-succinate bath (A-MMS bath), have high coercivity (Hc=500-700 Oe) and high squareness (Br·Bs-1≥0.80 and S*≥0.83). The magnetic film coercivity was highly uniform, standard deviation of He in one disk surface, σn=6.8 Oe. It was found that metal ion impurities in the bath influence the magnetic properties reproducibility and bath stability in mass production. Thus, the mass production of magnetic disk was carried out by controlling the impurities in the bath. Variations in magnetic properties, for disk media plated from A-MMS bath, with variations in time, temperature and heat treatment, were investigated. Consequently, the magnetic disk media obtained from A-MMS bath were confirmed to have adequate stability for practical use.


The Zibo basin is situated in the Luxi uplift.The detrital zircon LA-ICPMS U-Pb is sampled from the middle-upper Jurassic sandstone layer of the basin,and the age range of this sample is from 162 Ma to 2 603 Ma,which shows the complex detrital provenance of Zibo basin.During this period,the detrital provenance of Zibo basin is firstly from Ludong terrace,the second is Luxi uplift,and the zircon ages is 250-162 Ma.The corresponding zircon age of 392-269 Ma is not found in Luxi uplift and Ludong terrace,which needs further study.The zircon with the age of 2 603-846 Ma may be the substrate material from North China Block.


This study was carried out to understand the comparative important and proirities of evaluation factors considered when guest select casino using the AHP method. Items for the setting priority were decided as 'casino facilities', 'casino service', 'casino marketing', 'integrate resort complex', and 'accommodation facilities' by council. Sampling in this study is limited to the Chinese and Japanese who have experience visited casino in Seoul, Singapore, Macao, and Busan. The responders included 622. Date were analyzed by frequency, and AHP. As the results, 'casino facilities' was decided as a most important item. Results of priority analysis of six competing casino's cities shows that Macao was most preferred city, Singapore was second in Chinese. But most preferred city of Japanese was Singapore.


Two different types of multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were introduced in a calcium aluminate refractory castable used in steelmaking process. The first MWCNT was purchased from Cheap Tubes (USA), a hydroxyl (-OH) functionalized, outer diameter of 50-80 nm, length of 10-20 μm, and, the second one was supplied by Nanocyl (Belgium), not functionalized, outer diameter of 9.5 nm, and length of 1.5 μm. Both types of MWCNT were incorporated into the dry castable mixture before water addition. The workability and properties of the final product, such as apparent density, apparent porosity and hot modulus of rupture were evaluated. The nanocarbons were characterized by SEM, TEM, TGA and Raman spectroscopy. In both cases, the incorporation of MWCNT had a negative effect on the rheology of wet castables, decreasing their workability. No significant improvements on mechanical properties of the castables were observed with the incorporation until MWCNT concentration reached 0.15 % (m/m), except for the increase of hot modulus of rupture observed for Cheap Tubes MWCNT introduction.


A modified Soxhlet's extractor was used in the capillary column gas-chromatographic determination of camphor,menthol,borneol and iso-borneol in plasters of traditional Chinese medicines,for extraction of the above mentioned compounds.It was shown that the efficiency of extraction of the modified Soxhlet's extractor was raised about 40% as compared with the conventional model.Acetone was used as the extraction solvent.An aliquot of the extract was used for GC determination using naphthalene as internal standard.Data of linearity ranges obtained were as follows: ① for camphor: 21.28-1.915×103mg·L-1;② for menthol: 26.02-2.342×103mg·L-1;③ for borneol 7.9-7.11×102mg·L-1 and ④ for isoborneol: 4.42-397.8 mg·L-1.Tests for recovery and precision of the method using the modified extractor was performed,giving values of recovery in the range of 92.1%-99.5%,and values of RSD's(n=7) in the range from 1.1% to 3.5%.


The local climate change was registered over time (1992-2018) on different land use ecosystems, in Brazilian Semiarid area. The aimed of this work was to analyze aridity index in five ecosystems (Wild Caatinga, Caatinga on management, Cactaceae field, Eucalyptus reforestation, and Fabaceae crop), and to compare this index with environment variables. Meteorological towers and measures with porometer and psychrometers were carried out to collect the data. The main result was that the studied areas are hotter and drier. The Fabaceae crop and Eucalyptus reforestation studied ecosystems already are on Arid classification according with registered aridity index. Wild Caatinga and Cactaceae field ecosystems are on Semiarid classification, and over time Caatinga on management ecosystem pass from Semiarid to Arid classification. The five ecosystems together are classified on Arid climate. The VPD and Ψ soil were the variables more directly proportional with Aridity index to analyzed ecosystems.


The survivability issues of optical networks are studied in this paper.Two strict priority queueing models for M∶N protection in optical networks are developed.A signaling protocol is also presented.The analytical models are validated by simulation.These models are helpful to the selection of appropriate number of backup paths in a priority-based protection design in optical networks to satisfy certain reliability requirements and to avoid resource over-provisioning.


This chapter approaches the relationship between knowledge and intervention in synthetic biology by considering the uses of ignorance among practitioners. It introduces the notion of an "epistemic wager" in order to articulate the element of conjecture at the heart of synthetic biologists' attempts to refigure relations between making and not knowing. It also argues that practitioners adjust relations between knowledge and intervention, as both means and ends on the go. The chapter takes the destabilization of knowledge in the postgenomic era to mean that the question concerning how not knowing will shape the century of biology is as pressing as the one that takes relations between knowledge and intervention as its starting point. It mentions James Collins, a prominent synthetic biologist and originator of the ground-breaking genetic switch, who mythologizes "naïveté" among an early crop of parts-based practitioners.


Frequency-domain parameter-identification techniques were used to develop a hover mathematical model of the AH-64 Apache helicopter from flight data. The unstable AH-64 bare-airframe characteristics without a stability-augmentation system were parameterized in the convectional stability-derivative form. To improve the model's vertical response, a simple transfer-function model approximating the effects of dynamic inflow was developed. Additional subcomponents of the vehicle were also modeled and simulated, such as a basic engine response for hover and the vehicle stick dynamic characteristics. The model, with and without stability augmentation, was then evaluated by AH-64 pilots in a moving-base simulation. It was the opinion of the pilots that the simulation was a satisfactory representation of the aircraft for the tasks of interest. The principal negative comment was that height control was more difficult in the simulation than in the aircraft.


The flapping wing mechanism is an important member in flapping wing micro air vehicles. In this paper, a novel flapping wing mechanism and a framework to facilitate its design are introduced. High degree of symmetry and being free from sliders are two important features of this mechanism. The mentioned design framework consists of three algorithms for dimensional synthesis and one algorithm for mechanical design, which are presented in four flowcharts. In order to achieve the dimensional synthesis flowcharts, a parametric dimensional synthesis is performed, which includes examining the effects of different parameters on the important variables of design. The flowchart of mechanical design facilitates determining the optimized thicknesses of the mechanism members. The force analysis of the mechanism, as a part of mechanical design algorithm, is conducted using a MATLAB code based on the D'Alembert and superposition principles. An example of designing the mechanism using the introduced algorithms, a manufactured sample of the mechanism, and some alternative structures for the mechanism are presented in the final sections of the paper.


We demonstrate the impacts of the time‐division multiplexing (TDM) technique on a two‐pump wavelength Raman‐fiber amplifier. Modulation frequency is critical in this pumping technique, which can create temporal gain variations at low frequencies. The effective noise figure also degrades when utilizing this pumping scheme due to the arising of amplified spontaneous emission. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 42: 238–239, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20263


Estimating a robot's reachable workspace is a fundamental problem in robotics. For simple kinematic chains within an empty environment this computation can be relatively straightforward. For mobile kinematic structures and cluttered environments, the problem becomes more challenging. An efficient probabilistic method for workspace estimation is developed by applying a hierarchical strategy and developing extensions to a probabilistic motion planner. Rather than treating each of the degrees of freedom (DOFs) 'equally', a hierarchical representation is used to maximize the volume of the robot's workspace that is identified as reachable for each probe of the environment. Experiments with a simulated mobile manipulator demonstrate that the hierarchical approach is an effective alternative to the use of an estimation process based on the use of a traditional probabilistic planner.


Nd-doping effects are investigated in TiO2 nanoparticles with various annealing temperatures T from 70°C to 1100°C by means of x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman scattering spectroscopy. XRD results indicate that the sample shows a rutile phase at 1100°C, which changes to anatase phase at 900°C. With decreasing T down to 300°C, a significant lattice shrink is found, that is, the lattice parameter c is significantly suppressed while the a value shows a gradual decrease. With further decrease of T, the c-value shows an unexpected increase while the α-value keeps a gradual decrease. Thus, a lattice distortion takes place with changing the annealing temperature. In Raman investigation, all the Raman modes for the anatase phase show hardening behaviors with decreasing T in the range 900–300°C, and then the Eg and A1g modes show softening behaviors below 300°C, suggesting the variation of the lattice distortion. The variation of the lattice distortion at different annealing temperatures is ascribed to different depositions of Nd ions on the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles.


Influence of Slow Pathway Ablation on Atrial Fibrillation. Introduction: The mechanisms whereby radiofrequency catheter modification of AV nodal conduction slows the ventricular response are not well defined. Whether a successful modification procedure can be achieved by ablating posterior inputs to the AV node or by partial ablation of the compact AV node is unclear. We hypothesized that ablation of the well‐defined slow pathway in patients with AV nodal reentrant tachycardia would slow the ventricular response during atrial fibrillation.


Clear speech, an intelligibility‐enhancing manner of speech production, has been shown to increase the transmission of information to various listener groups when uttered in the speaker's native language. When clear speech is used in a non‐native language, it is not evident whether this mode will also improve intelligibility. The present study examined the accuracy with which adult monolingual native American English (AE) listeners identified Spanish‐accented vowels produced in conversational and clear speech modes. Consonant‐vowel‐consonant (CVC) words were presented in the carrier sentence "Touch the CVC please," containing the AE vowels /ae, ʌ, ɑ, e, i, ɪ/. The sentences were produced by a native speaker of AE and by a native speaker of Spanish judged as moderately accented by the AE listeners. Five pairs of photographs (cap‐cup, map‐mop, nut‐knot; ship‐sheep, pot‐pet), representing the vowel pairs /ae‐ʌ/, /ae‐ɑ/, /ʌ‐ɑ/, /ɪ‐i/, /ɑ‐e/ were presented visually on a touch screen in a two‐alternative forced ch...


For over five years in Nepal, LI-BIRD, in collaboration with CAZS, has been developing and promoting participatory crop improvement (PCI) and participatory plant breeding (PPB) approaches. These approaches have been found to be simple, rapid and effective in identifying and disseminating farmer-preferred technologies (Joshi et al. 2001; Joshi and Witcombe, 2002; Witcombe, 2001). The next important step was to find better ways of scaling up to improve cost-effectiveness. The first assumption was that the active involvement of farmers in this process 'participatory scaling up' would greatly improve cost-effectiveness. Participatory scaling up involves farmers as seed producers and disseminators. When there is a high degree of farmer involvement it is easier to benefit resource-poor farmers in remote regions, but it also works well for more favourable environments. Another important advantage is that technology verification and adoption takes place simultaneously. We begin by briefly reviewing the role of farmers before discussing the different stakeholders in this process and the partnerships that are evolving in Nepal.


Seventy parents of children who underwest cardiac surgery were interviewed in several occasions for knowing their reactions and feelings, from the moment in which the cardiac illnes of the patient was diagnosed and until the post-operative period


The invention discloses a device and method for installing a bolt and eccentric assembly in a hole. The device comprises a bolt formed by connecting a bolt head and a screw and is characterized in that a hole which is matched with the external diameter of the bolt head and can be used for placing the bolt head is drilled on a building body or a building decoration plate; a hole bottom expanding groove with diameter being more than the diameter of the hole is formed by expanding the hole bottom towards the sides of the hole bottom; the screw and the bolt head are inserted into the hole and eccentrically move to the side of the hole; the hook part of the bolt head is clamped on the edge of the hole bottom expanding groove under the hole; a crescent gap is formed between the side of the screw and the side wall of the hole; and an insertion strip or filling part is inserted in the crescent gap for fixation. The device and the method have the following advantages: the bolt can be stably fixed on the building body or the building decoration plate, in the presence of the firm fixed bolt, various objects such as air-conditioner brackets, curtain walls and the like can be connected on the bolt, and the building decoration plate can be firmly fixed on the building wall body; and the installation is simple, convenient and firm.


Congruent LiNbO3 crystals doped with 5.5∕1, 6∕0.15, and 7∕0.8mol%∕mol% of Zn∕Er were thermally treated at 1120°C over 101h using vapor transport equilibration (VTE) technique. Unpolarized visible and infrared absorption spectra of the VTE-treated and corresponding as-grown crystals were recorded at room temperature. It is shown that VTE treatment has brought these crystals closer to stoichiometric composition. X-ray powder diffraction and optical absorption results show that the VTE treatment induces the crystalline phase transformation with respect to Er3+ from the original Er3+:LiNbO3 to the ErNbO4 in all crystals studied. The formation of the ErNbO4 phase results in substantial absorption changes that include the drop of the transparency in the visible region, the reduction of Er3+ absorption, and the Zn-doping-level-dependent changes in spectral shape and peaking position at 0.98 and 1.5μm regions. Based upon the measured absorption spectra, the influences of Zn-doping level and VTE treatment on the E...


From 1911 to 1929, Victor Berger edited the Milwaukee Leader, a Socialist Party daily newspaper. Berger advocated a peaceful transition to socialism via the ballot box. When the Leader opposed World War I, it lost its mailing privileges and Berger faced prison. This article examines the daily operations of the Leader and Berger's belief that a free press was crucial in fostering socialism. It argues that Berger's temperament and his business methods were unsuited to the capital-intensive world of daily newspapering in the 1920s.


This manuscript considers the problem of actuator placement for transport-reaction processes, which are mathematically modelled by linear parabolic partial differential equations. The novelty of the proposed optimization scheme is that it considers the controllability of specific modes while at the same time minimizes the spillover effects due to intermediate range modes. Using modal decomposition for space discretization, along with the notions of spatial and modal controllabilities, the semi-infinite optimization problem is formulated as a nonlinear optimization problem in appropriate L2 spaces. To address the problem of actuator clusterization, a modification to earlier efforts is introduced, which takes the form of an additional constraint in the location optimization. The formulated optimization problem is subsequently solved using standard search algorithms. The proposed method is successfully applied to a representative process, modelled by a one-dimensional parabolic PDE, where the optimal location of multiple actuators is computed


We suggest on approach including lattice dynamics calculations and Raman measurements of individual phonon modes in hexagonal GaN/AlN and GaN/AlGaN superlattices, which can prove to be a valuable tool in quantitative characterization of these nanostructures. (© 2003 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


The need for biodiesel that has a low freezing point is especially important in the colder climates found in areas of the Northern United States. Triacylglycerides (TAG's) are the main renewable oil source used to prepare biodiesel that an engine utilizes for energy. A significant problem in using soybean-based biodiesel as an alternative to nonrenewable transportation fuels is that the TAG's of soybean, from which the biodiesel is derived, contain large enough quantities of saturated fats for the biodiesel to cloud at temperatures well above what can be experienced in the winter months of the Northland. As a result, vehicles that utilize soybean biodiesel at these low temperatures can be rendered useless due to plugging of fuel filters. For this reason as well as others, it is important to identify other renewable oil sources which can be used to produce biodiesel with improved cold temperature properties. In order to identify potential new plant-derived oil sources for this purpose, it is necessary to be able to quickly extract oil from small amounts of plant samples. The most widely used method to extract oils from seeds is called Soxhlet Extraction (SE). In this research, it is concluded that Microwave Assisted Extraction (MAE) is a better alternative to SE in that less solvent is used, less seed is required, and less time is needed. TLC and HPLC are used to analyze the components of each extracted oils to ensure the oils that are extracted are ideal.


For intelligent sensory systems, it is highly desirable to develop assessment methods that can continuously evaluate the reliability of potential sensory strategies taking into consideration changes in observation conditions. This relies on measuring a set of complementary features from multiple sensors and combining these features in an "intelligent" way that maximizes information gather and minimizes the impact of noise coming from the individual sensors. In this work, we formulate a statistical assessment method for estimating the reliability of observation conditions and propose an optimal mapping into weighting measures using genetic algorithms. Our approach is particularly beneficial for multimodal systems such as audio-visual speech recognition (AVSR).


The dielectric absorption due to terminal polar groups localized in defect regions of polyoxymethylene crystals shows an anisotropy relative to an applied field. An attempt to interpret this anisotropy has been made by applying the barrier theory of Hoffman. The potential energy map for the rotation of the terminal polar group calculated from conformational analysis gives two minima. The angle between the dipole moment of the terminal OH and the fiber axis calculated in terms of the two conformations corresponding to the potential energy minima is in good agreement with results from infrared dichroism. This agreement is considered as evidence that the conformational analysis is reliable for estimating the potential energy minima required in the calculation according to the barrier theory. The barrier height obtained by the conformational analysis and the anisotropy calculated from the components of the dipole moments for the terminal polar group in terms of the barrier theory are in qualitative agreement with the experimental data.


The present study focused on the proteomic study of phytoplankton to Fe limited conditions. It was found that marine phytoplankton Prymnesium parvum employ several strategies to compensate Fe stress. It was found that marine phytoplankton biosynthesize different proteins under low total Fe and ligandinduced Fe-limited conditions. To understand responses of phytoplankton to Fe deficiency, responses to nitrogen and phosphate deficiency were also studied and was found that several proteins were differentially expressed in marine phytoplankton P. parvum in response to different exposure levels of nitrate, phosphate and iron. The expression levels of an 83 kDa protein in P. parvum can be used as biomarker of N-status, while a 121 kDa protein can be used as a biomarker of P-deplete condition in aquatic systems. In addition, two protein can be used as biomarker of Fe-status (deplete or replete conditions) in aquatic systems. Under Felimited condition, P. parvum may increase Fe uptake efficiency by increasing ABC transporters. Under Fe-limited condition, the phytoplankton may also increase photorespiration which needs high metabolic energy. The phytoplankton may satisfy the demand of high metabolic energy (for photorespiration and ABC transporter) by increasing ATP synthase in chloroplast. Fe stress may cause oxidative stress in phytoplankton which is thought to be defended by up-regulating oxidative stress response proteins MnSOD and STK. Carbohydrate degradation and glycolytic activity was thought to be increased under Fe-limited conditions. Marine phytoplankton P. parvum also alters its cellular biochemical processes by upregulating several proteins involved in photosynthesis. The phytoplankton also increased biosynthesis of some PSII component proteins under Fe-limited conditions.


Maxwell electrodynamics, considered as a source of the classical Einstein field equations, leads to the singular isotropic Friedmann solutions. We show that this singular behavior does not occur for a class of nonlinear generalizations of the electromagnetic theory. A mathematical toy model is proposed for which the analytical nonsingular extension of FRW solutions is obtained.


Department of Physics, University of Texas, Arlington, TX 76019, U.S.A.(Received 12 September 2006)Performance tests of a single channel double Gas Electron multiplier (GEM) detector constructedby the Radiation Detector Development Group of Changwon National University (CNU) and amulti-channel double GEM chamber constructed by the High Energy Physics Group of the Univer-sity of Texas at Arlington was carried out at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI's)RF accelerator by using 10-MeV electron beams during May 20 - 26, 2006. In this experiment, weobserved signals by both 10-MeV beam electrons and X-ray photons in the CNU single-channeldouble GEM chamber and in the UTA chamber by using an oscilloscope and photographed wave-forms. By analyzing the chamber output signals on the oscilloscope, computing the number ofX-rays photons produced by bremsstrahlung of the beam electrons in a 2-mm lead plate, calculat-ing the angular distribution of beam electrons caused by multiple scatterings in the lead plate, andestimating the interaction probabilities of X-ray photons in the lead plate, the Ar/CO


Introduction: Ethanol, one of the most widely consumed substances of abuse, can induce brain damage and neurodegeneration, although the particular mechanism of action at a central level has not been described in detail yet. Ethanol is centrally metabolized into acetaldehyde, which has been shown to be responsible for some of the neurophysiological and cellular effects elicited by ethanol (1). Moreover, centrally formed acetaldehyde seems to play a key role in the burst of ROS levels observed after acute ethanol administration (2). However, the particular mechanism by which ethanol or acetaldehyde contribute to oxidative stress is still unclear. Objectives: To ascertain the role of acetaldehyde on ethanol-induced generation of ROS in the brain. Methodology: Swiss mice were pretreated with the acetaldehyde scavenging agents D-penicillamine (75 mg/kg, i.p.) and alpha lipoic acid (100 mg/kg, i.p) at different times before ethanol (2.5 g/kg, i.p.) administration. Brains were immediately removed and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity and protein carbonyl groups (PCGs) were determined. Results: Ethanol administration increased the PCGs and enhanced GPx activity in a dose fashion. Pretreatment with these two acetaldehyde scavengers protected against these ethanol effects. Conclusions: These data point out the key role of acetaldehyde on the generation of brain ROS.


This paper mainly researches on the economic security of natural gas resources from the aspects such as production,transportation,storage,sales and use on the basis of comprehensive analysis of research literature and the supply chain of natural gas.For supply-side of natural gas,the most viewpoints are to make great efforts on the development of unconventional gas,improve infrastructure,ensure the strategic reserves of natural gas and peak-shaving,strengthen the demand side management,straighten out natural gas price mechanism to improve the efficient use of natural gas.This paper also points out that we can hardly strengthen the management of the supply chain of natural gas resources without the common efforts of government,enterprises and consumers.


Objective  To study and compare the effects of fluoroquinolones (levofloxacin, gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin and pazufloxacin) on the enzyme system of liver microsome cytochrome P450 in rat. Methods  Thirty male Wistar rats were equally assigned into five groups: control group, levofloxacin (LV) group, gatifloxacin (GT) group, moxifloxacin (MX) group and pazufloxacin (PZ) group. Each drug was consecutively administered by tail vein injection for 7 days in a dosage of 120 mg/(kg•d). Liver microsomes were prepared by differential centrifugation, the concentration of protein in the liver microsome was measured by Lowry method, the content and activity of cy tochrome P450 were detected by spectrophotometric determination, and the results were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Results  Compared with control group, the weight of liver in MX group and GT group was significantly reduced (P 0.05). Assay of aminopyrine-N-demethylase activity showed that the difference in enzyme activity was statistically significant between the control group and groups LV, GT and MX (P < 0.01). Erythromycin-N-demethylase activity measurement revealed that the enzyme activity was lowered in GT group and slightly elevated in MX group, and the difference was statistically significant compared with that of control group (P < 0.01). Measurement of activity of rat liver microsomal CYP450 enzyme system subfamily showed that the BROD activity increased in LV, MX and PZ groups (P < 0.01), and slightly decreased in GT group as compared with control group (P < 0.05). The PROD activity increased in GT group, but decreased in PZ group (P < 0.01). The EROD activity increased in all the four groups (P < 0.01). Conclusions  The four fluoroquinolones have some effects on the enzyme system of liver microsome cytochrome P450 in rats, but the effects may be different (enhancement or attenuation of the enzymatic activity) depending on the enzymes, and the extent of the decrease of effect is in the following order: gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin, levofloxacin and pazufloxacin.


With respect to Service Oriented Architectures (SOA's) paradigm, the core Role Based Access Control (RBAC) has several limitations. In SOA, permissions to execute web services are not assigned stat...


ABSTRACT Introduction: We present a case of a lateral circumflex femoral artery pseudoaneurysm associated with pertrochanteric hip fracture. Materials and Methods: We performed a systematic review considering all cases published in the last 15 years about this pathology (n=40). Results: No statistically significant associations were found between any of the variables studied. However, there seems to be some consensus in maintaining a high clinical suspicion for early intervention, thus obtaining better outcomes. Both its etiology and location are related to the morphology of the fracture, the surgical procedure, and the osteosynthesis material. Likewise, there is a greater tendency to use CT angiography for the diagnosis and localization of the pseudoaneurysm. Conclusion: Our patient is the first reported case of spontaneous resolution. Knowing this rare complication is essential to optimize therapeutic results. This review, the most recent on the subject, is very useful in listing and highlighting the most important aspects of the management and prevention of pseudoaneurysms secondary to hip fracture.


A (108 (cid:14) ; 90 (cid:14) ) optics with tunes Qx =102.28, Qy =96.19 is considered. The dynamic aperture is studied for (cid:12) ? y = 5 cm and for a set of values (cid:12) ? x equal to 2.5 m and smaller. In order to provide enough momentum acceptance at high energy, various sextupole arrangements are investigated. The influence of the RF voltage value and its distribution over the ring on dynamic aperture is shown.


Numerical simulation method is proposed for Brillouin optical correlation domain reflectometry in order to verify the characteristics in strain or temperature distributed sensing. The simulation results for the Brilluion gain spectrum obtained by the system agree well with previous theoretical analysis and experimental results, which make us understand more this reflectometry for further performance improvements.


The work is concerned with the sorption and desorption behaviours of lindane on four humic acid fractions (HAs) and two humin fractions, sequentially extracted from Ludas Lake sediment. All sorption isotherms fitted to the Freundlich model were nonlinear. The isotherm linearity increased from 0.757 for the first extracted HA to 0.944 for the ninth HA, showing a positive correlation with the atomic H/C ratio, while a negative correlation between the sorption coefficient and aliphaticity of the isolated HAs was observed. It was shown that the sorption processes may be strongly influenced by the physical conformation of and accessibility to sediment organic matter (SOM), as de- monstrated by the high Koc and low n values of the humin samples. Despite exhibiting the most nonlinear sorption isotherms, humin samples did not show a pronounced sorption-desorption hysteresis, while the most significant hys- teresis was observed for the three HA samples. These results support the hypo- thesis that the aromatic domains in SOM influence strongly the sorption and desorption behaviour of lindane. The findings obtained in this study may be helpful in understanding the distribution, transport and fate of lindane in soils and sediments.


Objective:To analyse the clinical significance and complications of percutaneous renal biopsy in 64 cases of acute renal failure(ARF).Methods:64 patients with ARF received renal biopsy.The clinical data were analyzed retrospectively.Results:The final etiological diagnosis rate was elevated from 75.32% before PRB to 93.75 % after PRB.The coincidence of etiological diagnosis before and after PRB was 4.69%.Of 64 cases,60 were finally diagnosed as ARF,and the 4 remainders who were clinically misdiagnosed as ARF were finally diagnosed as chronic renal insufficiency(CRI).The therapeutic regimen for 46.12% of patients was supplemented and for 8.24% of patients was modified after PRB.The total adjusted rate was up to 50.12%.Conclusion:PRB is a very useful technique for the etiological diagnosis of ARF on determining the therapeutic regimen and defining the prognosis.The complication does not increase,and the rate of complication is lower than that in the chronic renal failure.


An improved enzymatic assay has been developed for the rapid quantitative measurement of gentamicin or tobramycin in serum and other biological fluids. The assay uses a crude enzyme from Escherichia coli W677/HJR66 that adenylates gentamicin or tobramycin in the presence of adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP). Enzymatic adenylation of gentamicin is optimal at 8 mM Mg2+, and the Michaelis constant (K,,) of the enzyme for ATP is 0.043 mM. The modifications introduced here increase the sensitivity and decrease the background radioactivity of the previously described assay. The amount of 14C-ATP required per assay is also reduced, thereby decreasing the cost of the assay. The accuracy of the present method has been demonstrated both in control experiments and with 96 specimens of serum from 59 patients treated with gentamicin. Ten other commonly used antibiotics structurally unrelated to aminoglycosides were tested and do not interfere with the assay. The present method is not suitable for kanamycin assays because the crude enzyme used contains activities that catalyze two different ATP-dependent reactions leading to phosphorylation or adenylation of kanamycin.


Olive (Olea europaea L.) is an evergreen tree originated from the Mediterranean area (Poljuha et al., 2008). It belongs to family "Oleaceae" consisting of 30 genera and more than 600 species. It is an essential dietary part of the Mediterranean people. Olives are rich source of oils and fatty acids. Olive is a highly cross pollinated plant having a wide range of biodiversity, with more than 1200 genotypes (Bartolini et al.,1998). This huge diversity is an important source to develop modern olive genotypes which are enriched in oil (Hegazi et al., 2012). Due to its diversity, olive is successfully cultivated in Mediterranean areas, Arabian peninsulas, temperate areas and subtropical regions of the world. Nowadays, its production is taken into geographical zones which were considered inadmissible areas for olive cultivation like Angola, South Africa, India, Australia, Pakistan and China. Olive can play its essential role in our country's economy. It is evaluated that Pakistan's aggregate household edible oil use is around 2.9 million tons. Approximately, 67% of this consumption is met by imports. Annually 38 billion rupees are spent for this purpose. Thus, giving careful consideration to increase the olive cultivation in Pakistan can help saving foreign reserve. In Pakistan, domesticated olive is grown commercially on large scale. In Pakistan, it is locally known as Khat (Brahavi), Showan (Pashtu), and Kow (Sindhi, Saraiki and Punjabi) and Zaitoon (Urdu). In the recent decade, a few imported olive cultivars were effectively acclimatized in Peshawar, Kashmir, Swat (KPK), Fort Sandeman (Baluchistan) and in Potohar areas of Punjab. It is estimated that about 45 million olive trees are present in these areas, which showed the huge potential of this crop in Pakistan (Khaliq et al., 2019). Potohar area is an arid region of Pakistan which is enriched with natural vegetation (Akram et al., 2019). Potohar region (Salt range) is a sub mountainous area with arid subtropical climate. Its annual average temperature is 22.3°C while annual average rainfall is 519 mm (http://en.climatedata.org/location/1308/). A minimum and maximum temperature of 2°C and 43°C was recorded in the winters and summer season during this study, respectively. The olive cultivars growing in Potohar Region vary both physiologically, morphologically and variation exists among tree, endocarp, fruit, leaf, oil content, oil attributes, selffertilizing ability, yield, vulnerability to specific diseases and so forth. However, there is ambiguity and confusion about the characteristics of olive trees developing in this area (Ozkaya et al., 2008). So, the existence of wide hereditary patrimony in olive developing Potohar area requires specific and defined techniques for cultivar characterization and identification (Leva, 2009). Globally olive cultivars are influenced by soil types and microclimates of an area. Moreover, different climactic and Pak. J. Agri. Sci., Vol. 57(4), 1036-1043; 2020 ISSN (Print) 0552-9034, ISSN (Online) 2076-0906 DOI: 10.21162/PAKJAS/20.9902 http://www.pakjas.com.pk


The structuring and unification of current societies is evident, this social phenomenon more than in other times, is due to the presence of new and exciting information and communication technologies. To explain the scope of this communication technological paradigm have emerged notions such as interconnectivity, cybernetics, the knowledge society, the information society, the networked society, media ecology, the virtual society, the Big Data society, etc. Notions with which, based on them, an attempt is made to understand and describe the structuring and unification of current society. Through these notions we try to explain what has been said, but in this work, particularly from interconnectivity and the knowledge society. That is, ?what does it mean to talk about them? ?What is their interrelation with the structure and unification of today's society? ?Are they important factors for the management of knowledge in today's society? ?Do they potentiate local identities? ?Which of the two is responsible for the formation of current societies and their individual differences? The objective of this article of reflection is to establish, if they are the interconnectivity or the society of knowledge, structuring factors of the current society. Seen this way, this analysis can not be left only in its dimension of production, reproduction and distribution of information as a constitutive principle of societies; because these rationalities are framed in technological processes with purely transforming effects in the economic, cultural and social. It would be worth highlighting the importance of this analysis for today's society, for changes in economic and socio-cultural structures, in labor markets, in education, in the formation of knowledge and in the identification or disidentification of current societies.


A single 13.95 kg mass of a slightly weathered iron meteorite was found in the forest near Smolenice (48°31.2'N, 17°23.9'E; Trnava County, Slovakia). The bulk chemical composition (in wt. %) is: Fe 88.78, Ni 8.16, Co 0.38, P 0.05, S<0.006 and (in μg/g): Ge<0.18, Ir 1.67, Ga 1.80, Cr 87.3, Cu 135.1, As 4.52, Mo 5.82, Sn 1.53, W 0.56, Re 0.18, Ru 3.56, Rh 0.90, Pd 4.12, Pt 5.35, Au 1.19, Zn<5, B<0.68, Pb<0.06. Bulk geochemistry, and Ni, Ga, Ge and Ir contents in particular suggest that the meteorite is an octahedrite belonging to the IVA group. The average thickness of kamacite lamellae is 0.22 mm, ranking it as fine octahedrite (Of). The mineral composition is simple, the most abundant minerals being iron (kamacite) (5.16–7.36 wt. % Ni) followed by taenite (16.73–33.93 wt. % Ni). Troilite nodules and daubréelite inclusions and thin veinlets are rare. The Widmanstätten pattern is uniform across the meteorite and plessite structure is developed locally. Analyses of cosmogenic radionuclides (14C and 26Al) indicate that the radius of the Smolenice meteorite could be 30±10 cm and its terrestrial age 11±2 kyr.


In representative democracies, large segments of society are often under-represented in politics. In theory, deliberative procedures enhance the chances for such groups to be heard, understood, and taken into consideration in political decisions. So far, research has mostly focused on the recruitment stage and found random selection of participants as the best way to prevent exclusion. Less attention has been paid to the two following stages of deliberation: the event itself and its outcome. This special issue provides theoretical and empirical contributions to the burgeoning literature about deliberative democracy by focusing on group inclusiveness. The contributions approach inclusiveness in deliberative practices from several perspectives and brings together substantive empirical evidence about its functioning and main challenges in European countries.


Abstract STUDY QUESTION Is there a relation between specific Na+/K+ ATPase isoform expression and localization in human blastocysts and the developmental behavior of the embryo? SUMMARY ANSWER Na+/K+ ATPase α1, β1 and β3 are the main isoforms expressed in human blastocysts and no association was found between the expression level of their respective mRNAs and the rate of blastocyst expansion. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY In mouse embryos, Na+/K+ ATPase α1 and β1 are expressed in the basolateral membrane of trophectoderm (TE) cells and are believed to be involved in blastocoel formation (cavitation). STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A total of 20 surplus embryos from 11 patients who underwent IVF and embryo transfer at a university hospital between 2009 and 2018 were analyzed. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS After freezing and thawing Day 5 human blastocysts, their developmental behavior was observed for 24 h using time-lapse imaging, and the expression of Na+/K+ ATPase isoforms was examined using quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR). The expressed isoforms were then localized in blastocysts using fluorescent immunostaining. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE RT-qPCR results demonstrated the expression of Na+/K+ ATPase α1, β1 and β3 isoforms in human blastocysts. Isoforms α1 and β3 were localized to the basolateral membrane of TE cells, and β1 was localized between TE cells. A high level of β3 mRNA expression correlated with easier hatching (P = 0.0261). LARGE SCALE DATA N/A. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The expression of mRNA and the localization of proteins of interest were verified, but we have not been able to perform functional analysis. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Of the various Na+/K+ ATPase isoforms, expression levels of the α1, β1 and β3 mRNAs were clearly higher than other isoforms in human blastocysts. Since α1 and β3 were localized to the basolateral membrane via fluorescent immunostaining, we believe that these subunits contribute to the dilation of the blastocoel. The β1 isoform is localized between TE cells and may be involved in tight junction formation, as previously reported in mouse embryos. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported by the JSPS KAKENHI (https://www.jsps.go.jp/english/index.html), grant number 17K11215. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The authors have no conflicts of interest.


Abstract : Planning of RADEF countermeasures is based on the availability of basic radiological data and on techniques for applying such data. The data and their parameters are (1) a decay curve representing decrease of radiation intensity (r/hr) with time after a detonation; (2) standard intensity, i.e. radiation intensity corrected to one hour after detonation; and (3) time of arrival after fallout. Major parameters involved in the planning techniques are (1) the shelter shielding residual number RNI, where the residual number is the ratio of the exposure dose (or dose rate) received at a given location when a countermeasure is applied to that received without the countermeasure; (2) the shelter stay (or exit) time; (3) the postattack operational residual number RN2 for decontamination crews, evacuation, or other early postattack countermeasures; and (4) the long-term postattack residual number RN3. The use of such factors in the solution of RADEF problems is described, and data for making planning calculations for a number of RADEF situations are presented in the form of graphs.


Research in learning technologies is often focused on optimizing some aspects of human learning. However, the usefulness of practical learning environments is heavily influenced by their weakest aspects, and, unfortunately, there are many things that can go wrong in the learning process. In this article, we argue that in many circumstances, it is more useful to focus on avoiding stupidity rather than seeking optimality. To make this perspective specific and actionable, we propose a definition of stupidity, a taxonomy of undesirable behaviors of learning environments, and an overview of data-driven techniques for finding defects. The provided overview is directly applicable in the development of learning environments and also provides inspiration for novel research directions and novel applications of existing techniques.


In this paper, the data of the spatial dynamic change of land use of Shihezi reclamation area's remote sensing imagery in 1989 and 2000 years was derived by using the methods of remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS), the number, types and changes of land use and land cover were analyzed. The land use conversion matrix was obtained of Shihezi reclamation area during the period from 1989 to 2000 years. The result showed that the changing speed of land use and land cover in Shihezi reclamation area was very rapid. Among them, the areas of land and forest-grassland appeared obvious increasing trend. In average, the annual land area and forest-grassland area were increased by 5.03% and 5.13% respectively. The area of saline-alkali soil reduced 655.40 km^2, its maximum of annual gradient reached 7.24%. The area of water-wetland reduced 103.09 km^2, its maximum of annual gradient reached 4.58%.The area of desert only reduced 25.26 km^2, which annual gradient is a minimum, and a speed of 0.22% reduced every year. These analysis results could be effectual reference for continuous land use of Shihezi reclamation area.


To distinguish individuals heterozygous from those homozygous for a given dominant factor is a matter of mere inspection when the simplex condition is somatically distinct from the duplex condition, as is the case with the mottling factor in the Adzuki Bean.1 Generally, however, the degree of dominance is such that a breeding test must be resorted to in order to distinguish these two types. A homozygous dominant will breed true for the character whether selfed or back-crossed to the recessive, whereas a heterozygous individual will. give 3: 1 and 1: 1 ratios respectively when similarly treated. The common breeding practice is to consider the parent homozygous, when, if selfed or backcrossed, it fails to produce any recessive individuals in a reasonably large number of offspring. Just what is to be considered an adequately large number of offspring has in the past been determined by the personal judgment of the individual investigator, and *the difficulty of obtaining offspring in large numbers. There has been no general agreement based on mathematical considerations, probably be-cause large numbers of offspring have not been found necessary in order to distinguish a homozygous dominant from a. heterozygous parent producing such ratios as 3: 1 and 1: 1. The need of a statistical criterion of what is an adequately large number of offspring was realized when it became necessary in tetraploid races of the Jimson Weed (Dattra Stramo'n'imn) to distinguish between matings which should produce only dominant purple offspring and those which should produce a 35: 1 ratio of purples to whites. In distributions which are so asymmetrical as those given by sampling from the 35: 1 ratio, we are hardly justified in using the ordinary theory of probable errors'. Special tables have, therefore, been computed for use in work under way at the Station for Experimental Evolution. Since other investigators will probably meet with the need for similar criteria, it seems worth while to give tables 'showing the number of offspring


That social work should still be handicapped by a lack of definitive concepts and precise terminology is understandable in view of its relatively short history. This lag in developing accurate symbols for communication, however, continues to create troublesome interprofessional misunderstandings and barriers. . . . Until more exact terminology is developed, social work practice will continue to be burdened by unfortunate confusions and unnecessary misunderstandings, which create, among other problems, a limitation in social work education and training.... It is true that some of the special meanings are rooted, in part, in differences in casework philosophy but it is equally true that, even within the two rnajor orientations, terminology is inexact and often a matter of personal interpretation. "That isn't what I mean by .. ." is a frequent, emotionally' toned protest in current social work deliberations.t


The aim of present paper is quality evaluation of surface water from hydrographical basin Vedea, from Teleorman County. Were taken surface water samples from 14 localities situated along Vedea river. Those samples were analyzed for determine nitrate, nitrite, inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus. The samples were taken in two seasons, spring and autumn. We observed that the surface water from analyzed areal are vulnerable of pollution with nitrites came from agriculture and husbandry actions and from some of them appear the eutrophication problem.


Can the same risk classification instrument be used for both female and male prisoners? The authors answer this question using data for federal prisoners by comparing female and male prison violence rates and by comparing the predictive validity of a risk classification instrument used to predict female and male violence. The authors find women commit less violence and less serious violence than men. However, despite these gender differences, they find the same classification instrument predicts violent behavior equally well for women and men. Taken together, these results lead the authors to argue for correctional policies requiring separate classification systems for women and men.


Introduction: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in childhood. The immunophenotype of leukemic cells is one of the factors that set risk of relapse. The choice of antibodies for diagnostic panel immune ALL may vary between institutions. Not all cases of ALL express antigens for a single lineage as many cases have been reported where cells express the characteristics of more than one hematopoietic lineage. According to different criteria there are definitions of ALL with aberrant expression of antigens, lineage infidelity, mixed lineage, and biphenotypic leukemias (BAL). The European Group of Immunological Classification of Leukemia (EGIL) created a points-based system to distinguish BAL of those with aberrant expression. It is based on the number and degree of specificity markers (lymphoid and myeloid cells) expressed in leukemic cells. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study at Hospital Infantil de Mexico; we reviewed the clinical records of 113 patients diagnosed with ALL in a period from 2008 to 2010. EGIL group classification was used to determine if ALL had the criteria to BAL. Results: One hundred thirteen clinical records were analyzed, 29 patients were identified as standard-risk and 84 as high risk patients. In 32 cases it was found BAL by EGIL criteria, this corresponded to 28.3% of the total sample. The group which had the highest number of BAL was the group of high risk of relapse (25 patients with high-risk against 7 patients with standard risk group). Conclusions: This study is an attempt to classify systematically acute leukemia, however remains to know if this diagnosis impact on outcome. Documento descargado de http://www.elsevier.es el 21/04/2016. Copia para uso personal, se prohibe la transmision de este documento por cualquier medio o formato.


In this paper, we introduce and study the concepts of non-essential Krull dimension and non-essential Noetherian dimension of an [Formula: see text]-module, where [Formula: see text] is an arbitrary associative ring. These dimensions are ordinal numbers and extend the notion of Krull dimension. They respectively rely on the behavior of descending and ascending chains of non-essential submodules. It is proved that each module with non-essential Krull dimension (respectively, non-essential Noetherian dimension) has finite Goldie dimension. We also show that a semiprime ring [Formula: see text] with non-essential Noetherian dimension is uniform.


Based on the gene-protein-reaction (GPR) model of S. cerevisiae_iND750 and the method of constraint-based analysis, we first calculated the metabolic flux distribution of S. cere-visiae_iND750. Then we calculated the deletion impact of 438 calculable genes, one by one, on the metabolic flux redistribution of S. cere-visiae_iND750. Next we analyzed the correlation between v (describing deletion impact of one gene) and d (connection degree of one gene) and the correlation between v and Vgene (flux sum controlled by one gene), and found that both of them were not of linear relation. Furthermore, we sought out 38 important genes that most greatly affected the metabolic flux distribution, and determined their functional subsystems. We also found that many of these key genes were related to many but not several subsystems. Because the in silico model of S. cere-visiae_iND750 has been tested by many ex-periments, thus is credible, we can conclude that the result we obtained has biological sig-nificance.


Knowing the state-of-health (SOH) of equipment, device or component is very essential for the secure and dependable operation of a system. Electrolytic capacitors are undoubtedly one of the essential components of power supply modules used in aerial and underwater vehicles, and every equipment requires a conversion of voltage from one level to another. This has encouraged research into the components of the power supply used in such systems of which electrolytic capacitor is of interest in this study. In this paper, we explore a new approach to implementing prognostics and health management (PHM) for electrolytic capacitors and propose a method of estimating the SOH leading to the prediction of the remaining useful life (RUL). This is accomplished by using a bidirectional long short-term memory (BLSTM) network to capture the degradation trends. We demonstrate the power and leverage that this method brings to bear in encoding time-domain dependencies in accurately estimating the SOH bereft of state models as employed in traditional methods. We validate the proposed approach using capacitor data recorded at different electrical over-stress accelerated aging conditions. The proposed method surpasses other existing methods in RUL prediction as indicated by the error and relative accuracy.


The year 2000 is the 90th anniversary of Pentecostalism in Poland. It history and theology corresponds with The European and International Pentecostal movement. Present research, for obvious reasons, aims to present only a glimpse of the phenomenon of Pentecostalism in Poland. For this reason the writers decided to concentrate on one Church out of the whole Polish Pentecostal/Charismatic movement which in their opinion is the most representative and classical, namely, KoiciOl Zie1onoiwi;ltkowy w Polae (Pentecostal Church of Poland).


Doubled haploids (DH) have emerged as a powerful tool in crop improvement programs, enabling rapid generation of homozygous lines for accelerated genetic enhancement. This review explores the strategies, advancements, and prospects associated with doubled haploids in the context of crop improvement. The first section provides an overview of the principles behind doubled haploidy, including the induction methods and techniques used to obtain doubled haploid plants. Different approaches such as anther culture, microspore culture and in vitro fertilization techniques are discussed, highlighting their advantages, limitations, and applicability across various crop species. The second section delves into the recent advancements in doubled haploid technology. It examines novel techniques for haploid induction and chromosome doubling, including genetic and molecular approaches, biotechnological interventions, and the use of chemical agents. The role of innovative technologies such as genomics, transcriptomics, and marker-assisted selection in enhancing the efficiency and precision of doubled haploid production is also explored. The third section focuses on the utilization of doubled haploids in crop improvement. It discusses the potential applications of doubled haploids in various breeding objectives, such as the development of superior varieties, acceleration of breeding cycles, trait introgression and elucidation of genetic mechanisms. The role of doubled haploids in facilitating the incorporation of desirable genes, promoting genetic diversity, and enhancing crop adaptation to changing environmental conditions is highlighted. Lastly, the review addresses the prospects and future directions of doubled haploids in crop improvement. It outlines emerging technologies, such as genome editing and gene stacking, and their potential integration with doubled haploid systems. In conclusion, doubled haploids have revolutionized crop improvement by offering an efficient means to obtain homozygous lines in a single generation.


Letter from Barb Wilson to Thomas Kent discussing the recent weather and including a list of birds sighted by Barb Wilson and others. This item was used as supporting documentation for the Iowa Ornithologists Union Quarterly field report of fall 1983.


Usability evaluation methods can be classified as heuristic methods, subjective methods and empirical methods. This study looks at the integration of heuristic evaluation methods (GOMS) and empirical validation methods (jogging). The integration of these two methods allows us to obtain information which could not otherwise be obtained using the techniques separately, such as the results of a comparison of a priori predictions with real a posteriori data. The application described in this study has been integrated into the VISNU project, which aims to develop a tool to assist knowledge engineers in evaluating the validation and usability of intelligent systems.


Background: Efficient regulation of bacterial genes against the environmental stimulus results in unique operonic organizations. Lack of complete reference and functional information makes metagenomic operon prediction challenging and therefore opens new perspectives on the interpretation of the host-microbe interactions. Methods: Here we present MetaRon (pipeline for the prediction of Metagenomic operons), an open-source pipeline explicitly designed for the metagenomic shotgun sequencing data. It recreates the operonic structure without functional information. MetaRon identifies closely packed co-directional gene clusters with a promoter upstream and downstream of the first and last gene, respectively. Promoter prediction marks the transcriptional unit boundary (TUB) of closely packed co-directional gene clusters.Results: Escherichia coli (E. coli) K-12 MG1655 presents a gold standard for operon prediction. Therefore, MetaRon was initially implemented on two simulated illumina datasets: (1) E. coli MG1655 genome (2) a mixture of E. coli MG1655, Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and Bacillus subtilis str. 168 genomes. Operons were predicted in the single genome and mixture of genomes with a sensitivity of 97.8% and 93.7%, respectively. In the next phase, operons predicted from E. coli c20 draft genome isolated from chicken gut metagenome achieved a sensitivity of 94.1%. Lastly, the application of MetaRon on 145 paired-end gut metagenome samples identified 1,232,407 unique operons. Conclusion: MetaRon removes two notable limitations of existing methods: (1) dependency on functional information, and (2) liberates the users from enormous metagenomic data management. Current study showed the idea of using operons as subset to represent the whole-metagenome in terms of secondary metabolites and demonstrated its effectiveness in explaining the occurrence of a disease condition. This will significantly reduce the hefty whole-metagenome data to a small more precise data set. Furthermore, metabolic pathways from the operonic sequences were identified in association with the occurrence of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Presumably, this is the first organized effort to predict metagenomic operons and perform a detailed analysis in association with a disease, in this case T2D. The application of MetaRon to metagenome data at diverse scale will be beneficial to understand the gene regulation and therapeutic metagenomics.


We present a monolithic integrated low-threshold Raman silicon laser based on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) rib waveguide ring cavity with an integrated p-i-n diode. The laser cavity consists of a race-track shaped ring resonator connected to a straight bus waveguide via a directional coupler which couples both pump and signal light into and out of the cavity. Reverse biasing the diode with 25V reduces the free carrier lifetime to below 1 ns, and stable, single-mode, continuous-wave (CW) Raman lasing is achieved with threshold of 20mW, slope efficiency of 28%, and output power of 50mW. With zero bias voltage, a lasing threshold of 26mW and laser output power >10mW can be obtained. The laser emission has high spectral purity with a side-mode suppression of >80dB and laser linewidth of <100 kHz. The laser wavelength can be tuned continuously over 25 GHz. To demonstrate the performance capability of the laser for gas sensing application, we perform absorption spectroscopy on methane at 1687 nm using the CW output of the silicon Raman laser. The measured rotationally-resolved direct absorption IR spectrum agrees well with theoretical prediction. This ring laser architecture allows for on-chip integration with other silicon photonics components to provide an integrated and scaleable monolithic device. By proper design of the ring cavity and the directional coupler, it is possible to achieve higher order cascaded Raman lasing in silicon for extending laser wavelengths from near IR to mid IR regions.


Wound healing classically occurs in an orderly but overlapping series of steps: inflammation, tissue formation, and tissue remodeling. Platelets, neutrophils, monocytes, and macrophages and the produced cytokines have crucial roles to play in wound healing. Platelets appear to be essential for both the inflammatory and the proliferative phases. Although important for the inflammatory phase, neutrophils may have a negative influence in wound healing as well. Brunner described wound healing as, ''[A] team effort of circulating and resident cells [where] the same molecular or cellular player could be 'Dr Jekyll' in early wound repair and reappear at later stages as 'Mr Hyde,' and vice versa.'' Certain studies show that an absence of single constituents (eg, platelets or neutrophils) does not impair wound healing in mice; however, these animals lacked only one constituent. Neutropenic mice healed faster than their wildtype counterparts. It is speculated that increased levels of macrophages in thrombocytopenic mice provide a compensatory mechanism, producing extra growth factors necessary for wound repair. Because complex interactions occur among cells involved in tissue repair, the profound loss of multiple blood constituents observed in patients undergoing marrow-depleting therapies for leukemia may impair wound healing. This article presents 3 case reports of unusual wound healing in patients with leukemia and discusses observations and implications.


The article presents results of a field study of the fish pass located within the Skórka barrage on the Głomia river. The aim of the study was to identify water flow conditions in particular chambers of the fish pass. On the basis of results of the field study, the hydraulic conditions of water flow through the fish pass were determined and referred to the optimum performance parameters of the construction. The results obtained make a basis for discussion of possible problems related to construction and operation of the fish passes resembling "close to nature" structures.


In this study, experiments in two intersecting ducts with a perforated zone inclusive of a splitter are performed to investigate the secondary flow in the perforated zone and the flow rates in the left and right downstream ducts when changing the conditions of the shapes of perforated zone, the intersecting angles and the upper water levels. The flow pattern in the perforated zone is visualized by the particle tracing method. The velocity distribution in the perforated zone is measured by the two-dimensional Laser Doppler velocimetry. The secondary flow and the flow characteristics in the perforated zone are clarified.


Verticillium wilt, an infection caused by the soilborne fungus Verticillium dahliae, is one of the most serious diseases in cotton. No effective control method against V. dahliae has been established, and the infection mechanism of V. dahliae in upland cotton remains unknown. GFP-tagged V. dahliae isolates with different pathogenic abilities were used to analyse the colonization and infection of V. dahliae in the roots and leaves of different upland cotton cultivars, the relationships among infection processes, the immune responses and the resistance ability of different cultivars against V. dahliae. Here, we report a new infection model of V. dahliae in upland cotton plants. V. dahliae can colonize and infect any organs of upland cotton plants and then spread to the entire plant from the infected organs through the surface and interior of the organs. In fact, vascular tissue was found to not be the sole transmission route of V. dahliae in cotton plants. In addition, the rate of infection of a V. dahliae isolate with strong pathogenicity was notably faster than that of an isolate with weak pathogenicity. The resistance of upland cotton to Verticillium wilt was related to the degree of the immune response induced in plants infected with V. dahliae. These results provide a theoretical basis for studying the mechanism underlying the interaction between V. dahliae and upland cotton.


Global warming is a consequence of the Earth's radiative imbalance: our planet is absorbing more energy from the Sun than it radiates back to space. The imbalance can be due to natural variability as well as to anthropogenic influence (emission of greenhouse gases, landscape transformation that changes the reflectivity of the earth's surface, etc.). The ocean, covering 71% of the Earth's surface, serves as the main energy reservoir. The well-established global mean sea level rise is one of the most certain indicators of global warming. The sea level rise reflects both the thermal expansion of the entire water column (due to ocean warming) and the freshwater input from melting glaciers (mainly in Greenland and Antarctica). The latest reports based on high-accuracy satellite altimetry measurements available since 1992 indicate that sea level has been steadily increasing at the rate of 3.3±0.4 mm yr. In contrast to sea level, the global surface temperature rise reportedly slowed down after 1998 and entered a more stable period termed "hiatus". A suite of studies has attempted to explain this slowdown by redistribution of heat between the near-surface and deeper layers of the ocean and between different oceanic basins. A more recent study, however, claims that the apparent "hiatus" is a possible artifact of data biases. Regardless of whether "hiatus" is real or not, the question of surplus heat sequestration, in particular, by the deep ocean remains actual. The focus of this research project is to better understand the inter-ocean exchanges of heat, freshwater and carbon using global ocean-sea ice coupled models, in-situ hydrographic data and satellite-based sea level data.


Over the past decade, renewed interest in artificial intelligence systems prompted a proliferation of humancomputer studies studies. These studies uncovered several factors impacting users' appraisal and evaluation of AI systems. One key finding is that users consistently evaluated AI systems performing a given task more harshly than human experts performing the same task. This study aims to uncover another finding: by presenting a mHealth app as either AI or omitting the AI label and asking participants to perform a task, we evaluated whether users still consistently evaluate AI systems more harshly. Moreover, by picking young and well educated participants, we also open new research avenues to be further studied.


The multiple usages of Angelica archangelica L. species are given by its medicinal properties due to high content of essential oils and also, aromatization capacity which makes it useful in the food industry to flavor their various additives or alcoholic beverages, its habitus is highly appreciated for its ornamental value. The major problem of this species is that the number of individuals from spontaneous flora decrease dramatically in the past 40 years, being included on the red list of protected species. Thus, we consider important at this stage any study action to improve the conservation methods in situ and ex situ and to enrichment the collection of genetic resources in order to broaden them. For these reasons this paper presents analysis of the principal components of the inflorescence, in order to select some high performing genotypes, either in terms of decor can be encouraged to spread their green spaces, whether in terms of seed production to increase cultivated areas.


Abstract The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of rescued plant size and  levels of reduction in leaf survival, growth, and insertion of leaves in seedlings of Arnica obtained via salvage in a remnant of Campo Rupestre. We rescued 240 individuals and these were divided into two classes' height (Class I - 2.5 to 20 cm and Class II - 25 - 55 cm) and subjected to three levels of reduction leaf (0%, 50% and 100%). The measurements of height and diameter and new leaves emission were collected at nine times (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105 and 120), and evaluation of survival at 120 days. The average survival rate was 49.2%, higher in Class I and had no significant difference regarding the three types of leaf reduction. The emission sheet was higher in subjects experiencing a leaf reduction observing a decrease over time, unlike the seedling with 0% reduction, which increased linearly. Therefore, it is advisable a size between 2.5 and 20 cm for the rescue of arnica seedling plant, without leaf reduction.


Desertification in the Asian interior is one of the most remarkable climate changes during Cenozoic, which characterizes the transition from the zonal climate distribution to the Asian monsoon climate distribution in the northern hemisphere. Increased number of studies on the timing of desertification in Asian interior has been conducted in the last decade. Based on these studies, the onset of desertification in the Central China seems to have been as early as 22 Ma. On the other hand, the evidence of desertification in the Tarim Basin goes back only to 5 or 7 Ma so far. Especially, the interpretation on the timing of desertification in the Asian interior during the Early Miocene is controversial. The Taklimakan Desert in the Tarim Basin is considered as one of the major source area of aeolian dust deposited in the North Pacific and Chinese Loess Plateau. Thus, it is important to improve our knowledge on the timing and formation process of the Taklimakan Desert in order to reconstruct of paleoclimatic evolution in East Asia.


We compared the within-clone distribution and survival patterns of a tenthredinid sawfly, Euura exiguae Smith, with those of a chrysomelid leaf beetle, Disonycha pluriligata (Leconte). Both of these insects are closely associated with the same host species, coyote willow ( Salix exigua Nuttall), but the first is noneruptive and the second is eruptive in nature, and we have not discovered coexisting populations. Sawfly galls were significantly more abundant and larvae survived significantly better on young willow ramets than on older ones. However, Disonycha adults were more evenly distributed throughout willow clones and larvae survived relatively well on all ramet age classes tested. We describe essential differences between eruptive and noneruptive insect species based on preference and performance characteristics, and basic differences in life history. The key features in the noneruptive species probably are a tight relationship between oviposition preference for long shoots on younger plants, coupled with high larval performance on such shoots. Vigorous shoots provided a limited resource, constraining Euura to show latent population dynamics. For the eruptive species, oviposition preference and larval performance were dissociated because females laid eggs in the ground, and could not evaluate plant quality relevant to larval feeding. Larvae then fed generally on almost any plant they climbed, and they defoliated many plants. With the high carrying capacity provided to larvae by all foliage in a willow stand, populations were not constrained by plant resources to remain at low densities, and they erupted.


Childress, born the eldest of three children in Archie, Missouri, identified with the values of Missouri farmlands and small towns, which emphasized hard work, fair play, personal responsibility, and compassion. Growing up, Childress spent time with his maternal and paternal grandparents who lived on farms near Harrisonville, Missouri. Every summer he helped his maternal grandparents work their farm where he rode behind a team of cherished draft horses. Eventually, he saw farm work transition from horsepower to tractors. His paternal grandfather relished showing him how the farm machinery worked, sparking his interest in engineering and mechanical systems. Childress was an outstanding athlete. In high school, he lettered in football, basketball, and track. During his senior year, he was a small, but fast and smart, quarterback who led his team to finish undefeated in its conference. Childress accepted a full scholarship to play football at the University of Missouri, where he majored in Electrical Engineering. Childress was the first football player at "Mizzou" to major in engineering. He earned his BS (1957) and MS (1958) degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri. Childress served in the U.S. Army Reserve on Active Duty (1958–1959) and on Active Reserve (1959–1964). Dudley Childress and Nancy Smith were married in 1959, and until 1963, they lived in Columbia, Missouri, where he taught Electrical Engineering at the University of Missouri and she taught first grade in the public schools. In 1967, Childress completed a PhD in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University. He built his career at Northwestern University, rising to become a tenured professor in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. From 1972 until his retirement in 2005, Childress directed the Northwestern University Prosthetics Research Laboratory and Rehabilitation Engineering Research Program. Throughout his career, Childress conducted research and development in the field of rehabilitation engineering and became world-renowned for his work in the field of prosthetics and rehabilitation. Childress and his laboratory developed many important rehabilitation technologies, including the first self-contained electromyography-controlled prosthetic arm, the sip-and-puff wheelchair controller, and the synergetic prehensor. Childress also published more than 130 publications that helped to broaden the knowledge base in the areas of prosthetics, orthotics, assistive technology, and human walking. Employing a basic science approach, Childress conducted applied research and development, successfully broadening the knowledge base for use by other scientists. He actively involved persons with disabilities, fully integrating them into research and development projects by hiring them as students and staff members. Childress also valued the opinions of clinicians and actively involved them in his research endeavors. Among recognition and awards for his many career achievements, Childress 1967: Dudley Childress, intent scientist.


Non-profit organisations, complementary to governments' service, have developed in education, health, religious, charitable, scientific, and human services in thousands of communities. Limited literature exists of the accountability nexus between various stakeholders in the non-profit organisation. Even less is known about accountability of non-profit organisation subsidiaries. This project identifies what accountability occurs in non-profit organisations using a case study with a goal to seek improvement where accountability is lacking. The case study is a subsidiary of a national non-profit organisation. The results are based on responses to a questionnaire for stakeholders of an opportunity shop. The respondents are asked how they know about the store, the existing communication channels, and frequency of communication between the non-profit organisation and the stakeholders, the satisfaction of the stakeholders, and the stakeholders' expectation on the interaction. The response rate is 60% with a total 52 responses. The results show that the stakeholders of non-profit organisations are different from the stakeholders of profit organisations as the stakeholders are not discrete groups. This study also provides another example showing the potential approach of the ethical branch of stakeholder theory, and the views on the subsidiary organisation.


In this paper, we propose Packet Loss Concealment (PLC) method using adaptive signal scale estimation for performance improvement of G.711 PLC. The conventional method controls a gain using 20 % attenuation factor when continuous loss occurs. However, this method lead to deterioration because that don`t consider the change of signal. So, we propose gain control by adaptive signal scale estimation through before and after frame information using Least Mean Square (LMS) predictor. Performance evaluation of proposed algorithm is presented through Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality (PESQ) evaulation.


Understanding the rationale for treatment or surveillance for men with localized prostate cancer requires knowledge of epidemiology, natural history, treatment-induced changes in quality of life, and a keen sense of shared decision-making between the physician and patient. Despite our best intentions, some degree of uncertainty will inevitably remain. Even the best-informed physician is imperfect in predicting outcomes and ultimate mortality risk in an individual patient. Understanding all of the relevant health concerns and the patient's perspective, acknowledging uncertainty, helping patients understand the potential risks and benefits of each therapeutic choice, having excellent communications skills, and a strong sense of empathy are all key ingredients necessary to help the patient achieve the best possible decision. First, it is important to recognize that how much prostate cancer is detected in a population typically depends on how many men have prostatic tissue samples submitted to a pathologist. In the pre–prostatespecific antigen (PSA) era, pathologists acquired prostate tissue because a needle biopsy was performed after an abnormal prostate examination or because a TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate) was performed for significant lower urinary tract symptoms. The introduction of PSA, and the near-simultaneous introduction of the TRUS-guided biopsy, changed the rate of tissue acquisition and significantly increased the incidence of prostate cancer in the United States. Prostate-specific antigen–associated biopsies dramatically increased the number of men facing the conundrum of who needs prostate cancer treatment and who does not. Not only has the incidence of prostate cancer changed in the PSA era but also the natural history of these patients has become less clear. Of note, one of the few prospective trials of observation in men with prostate cancer (the randomized study comparing radical prostatectomy and watchful waiting in Scandinavian men) included only 5.2% of patients with screen-detected cancers. 1 Prostate cancer is unlike other common solid tumors in several key respects. None of the other common epithelial cancers are nearly as prevalent, as multifocal, or as heterogeneous in their natural history. If a prostate specimen is thin-sliced and examined under a microscope, a skilled pathologist might find cancers in the majority of men aged > 50 years.2 Though it is clear that PSA-driven, TRUS-guided biopsies will not find all the cases of prostate cancer that would have been detected at an autopsy, the current lifetime risk of prostate cancer for men in the United States approaches 17%.3 Thus, the issue of how best to manage early-stage prostate cancer is one of the most important issues in oncology today. If the natural history of prostate cancer were relatively homogenous (and poor), like that of adenocarcinomas of the pancreas, the issues of treatment versus no treatment would not be debated. But prostate cancer has extraordinary variability in its natural history. The elegant studies of Gleason 4 and Albertsen5 have emphasized the role of Gleason scores in the pre-PSA era. The risk of competing mortality (between dying with or dying from prostate cancer) is dramatically demonstrated in Albertsen's now-famous figures of competing mortality risks derived from 20 years of follow-up in patients with predominantly TURP-detected prostate cancer.5 Unfortunately, insightful though they are, these data leave questions unanswered. How do TURP-detected patients diagnosed with prostate cancer in the pre-PSA era compare with men diagnosed with PSA-driven TRUS biopsies today? Though this question has begun to be addressed in various models,6,7 many questions remain. Because vast improvements in the management of cardiovascular disease have occurred over the past 25 years, and because men today live longer and healthier lives, how do the risks of cancer and noncancer mortality compete today? Not only has the method of detecting prostate cancer changed, but the men undergoing biopsy are younger and healthier today compared with men in the past. The degree of cellular differentiation (Gleason sum) is the most important single parameter in predicting risk of prostate cancer death in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer, but how reliable is the Gleason sum? Several areas of uncertainty exist. First, we know that Gleason assessments have varied over time. Rarely today are Gleason sums of < 5 reported on a needle biopsy; pathologists have changed the way needle biopsies are read (probably appropriately). Further, even when the same tissue specimens are shown from pathologist to pathologist, variations in Gleason scores are not uncommon.8 Of course, the pathologist can report only on tissue viewed; it is true that postprostatectomy Gleason sums are upgraded (compared with needle biopsy) in approximately 20%-30% of patients.9,10 Thus, we know that a needle biopsy Gleason assessment has a substantial risk of underestimating the actual risk posed to the patient. Though extended biopsy schemes mitigate this risk, it is still present. Biopsies inherently sample only a small portion of the tumor. Today, firmly planted in the PSA era for both medical and legal reasons, literally thousands of patients face the issue of managing the various risks associated with therapeutic decision-making, despite being ill prepared to do so. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of "cancer" packs such an emotional impact that a patient's perspective is often dictated by emotional rather than rational considerations. The combination of an emotionally and intellectually ill-prepared patient too often results


thermal radiation and appears colder on an infrared camera. Our experimental approach allows for a direct measurement and extraction of wavelength- and temperature-dependent thermal emittance. We anticipate that emissivity engineering with thin-film geometries comprising VO2 and other thermochromic materials will find applications in infrared camouflage, thermal regulation, and infrared tagging and labeling.


Politics has long been a contested idea. Ever since Plato and Aristotle, we've struggled to give the term a stable meaning. Monarchs insisted it was synonymous with their divine right to rule, and revolutionaries with rebellions against this right. Liberals have long associated it with the domain of the interests, and radicals and conservatives with the realm of the passions. Elected representatives will always be the main agents of change in a liberal democracy, and getting out the vote one of the main ways in which we can effect this change. But it is the work of a mobilized citizenry, of those men and women out of office, that can help us publicize complaints, build new constituencies, even run in the opposition.


System for superconducting magnetic energy storage, electrolytic decomposition of water and wassersynthetisierenden power generation, consisting of: one operated at the boiling point of the LH a water, H a fuel cell for generating electrical energy by means of H in which of H or of H an electric power conversion unit, with: of H the electric power from the fuel cell can be fed and on the ascending or SMES is abmagnetisierbar; a H can be liquefied, a GH


We're a caring profession, but that is coming under increasing pressure due to a king tide of issues and challenges washing over the profession and its members.


In This Issue Editor's Note Inside Front Cover From the Executive Director 1 Letter from the President 2 Twentieth Annual WHA Conference in Beijing 5 Special Section: Transnational Crime and Vice in World History Introduction: Elaine Carey (St. Johns University) & Andrae Marak (Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus) 8 When Reading Becomes a Crime: Book Trafficking in Mao's China: Raymond Pun (New York Public Library) 11 Draft Dodging and Bootlegging on the Rio Grande Frontera: Joseph J. Garcia (University of New Mexico) 13 Narcocultural Dialogue withthe Literature on Drugs in Mexico: Froylan Enciso (Stony Brook University) 14 Streams and Banks: Teaching Mexico's Drug War Using Film: Elaine Carey 18 Teaching the Political Economy of Smuggling in a (Modern) World History Course: Alan L. Karras (UC-Berkeley) 21 The Urbanization of the Tohono O'odham: Andrae Marak & Laura Tuennerman (California University of Pennsylvania 24 Outgoing Executive Council Members 34 The World History Association's Mark Welter Challenge Awards for Innovative Pedagogical Activities for K-12 Teachers Understanding 20th Century Genocides: Frances Brock, Burlington High School (Burlington, VT) 37 2011 WHA Teaching Prize Endless Cloth: Lessons from India for a Cross-Cultural Approach to World History: Michael A. Marcus, Berlin High School (Berlin, CT) Minutes of the WHA Executive Council Meeting 55 Minutes of the WHA Business Meeting 60 Book Reviews, Book Review Coordinator Peter Dykema, Arkansas Tech University 61 Fall 2011 Vol. XXVII No. 2


The invention relates to the field of medicine and is used to reduce excess body weight. It represents intragastric stent having in the mounted state the form of the coil spring with no less than two full turns, and configured as a single tow wire component of NiTi (Nitinol) - an alloy having a memory of a predetermined shape, enclosed in a flexible tube of silicone stoppered with two sides sealed, placed into the patient's stomach and unfolding in a spiral shape and is initially given size in the stomach cavity, wherein raspiraya stomach wall, thus creating a by direct patient feeling its complete filling. As a result, the amount of food taken by the patient is sharply reduced, and the patient loses weight steadily throughout the period of time when intragastric stent is in his stomach. The advantage of the utility model is that by placing the intragastric stent into the stomach and its extraction therefrom is not required the use of general anesthesia, and when the intragastric stent in the stomach is not formed bedsores.


Using Dijkstra's algorithm to search an optimal path in a gird has many disadvantages.For example,it requires a large number of canculate and must to consider too many neighboring nodes during a node expansion step.The structure of a grid implicitly decides that,the minimum angle between any two connected lines within an optimal path on a grid is 90 degrees.A simple technique is presented to speed up optimal path planning on grid,and to generate global motion paths for a human model in virtual environments.The feasibility and effectiveness of the algorithm is demonstrated by experiments.


The invention discloses a permission setting method, apparatus and system, belonging to the mobile communication technical field. The permission setting method comprises the steps of: receiving a trigger signal used for establishing a relation between a current account and a target account; obtaining permission information which comprises the check permission of checking the information in a social applications sharing platform of the current account by the target account, and/ or the display permission of displaying the information in a social applications sharing platform of the target account in the social applications sharing platform of the current account; and sending a relation building request including the permission information to a server so as to control displaying contents in the social applications sharing platform(s) of the current account and/or the target account according to the permission information after the server establishes the relation between the current account and the target account. The permission setting method, apparatus and system solve the problem that the prior art can not effectively control the information in a social applications sharing platform requiring displaying.