Hyaluronan (HA) is a major component of the pericellular matrix, and is implicated in cell adhesion, invasion. and tumor metastasis. We have reported that 4-methylumbelliferone (MU) inhibits HA synthesis by cultured skin fibroblasts, melanoma cells, and pancreatic cancer cells. We focused in the present study, on mesothelioma which has an extremely poor prognosis, and in which no effective therapy has yet been established. We investigated dealing with this neoplasm whether MU and 4-methylesculetin (ME), a MU derivative, are able to inhibit HA synthesis by the mesothelioma cell line NCI-H2052. MU inhibited HA synthesis by about 20%, and ME by about 40%, in comparison with the control group. MU inhibited the adhesion of NCI-H2052 cells by about 30%, and ME by about 50%, compared with the untreated control. MU inhibited cell locomotion by about 30%. and ME by about 40%. It is suggested through these results suggest that MU and ME inhibit HA synthesis. adhesion, and locomotion by human mesothelioma cells and weaken their pericellular matrix, and that the inhibitory effect of ME on HA synthesis is stronger than that of MU. It is presumed that both MU and ME may have potential as new therapeutic or prophylactic medicines against mesothelioma. Hirosaki Med. J, 59: 118-127, 2008 ~ ~ ~Y~O~mft~~~M~~~4 -~~~~~~~7~O~~~U4 -~ ~~~~~~7~O~a_W~~~ 4-~~~~~~~~~~~_mt t~ JjtJJl~:~'!T ~ ~ y JvO ~mft~m~~)Jm~~~'! ~ fi ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


We are studying the complex interaction between various biological pathogens and the host to understand the basis infectious or biothreat-induced diseases and to identify host defense strategies and the mechanisms by which they are regulated. Although gene response profiles show unique signatures quite rapidly after exposure, they also have the potential to reveal phases of progression of illness to a) provide stage-specific diagnosis and b) identification of potential molecular targets for stageappropriate therapeutic interventions for intractable illness induced by unconventional pathogenic agents. For this approach, several issues required prompt solutions including a) establishment of a baseline for "normal & healthy" individuals b) ability to fill in the gaps inherent in vivo studies with in vitro findings c) differentiating biothreat induced flu-like illness from flu or other common illness d) harnessing the power of prior knowledge to correlate with the global gene responses, e) as well as certain other factors. We have used a library of 20,000 human cDNA (~10,000 are known genes) to construct customized microarray chips used in these studies. We determined gene expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in response to 15 pathogens at different time points in vitro (3-5 replicates). This provided a framework for us to then utilize responses in animal models that closely imitate the illness as it occurs in humans. For those studies, PBMC or whole blood were collected at various time points post exposure to track the primary, secondary and subsequent gene responses elicited by the pathogenic agents. The massive amounts of data are overwhelming but provide an incredibly rich source for both diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The scientific community has realized the potential of these massive studies. Clever, far-reaching data mining approaches have been devised which we have utilized. Of necessity, we developed and customized certain software ourselves including a MIAME compliant relational database that integrates with external databases such as PubMed, LocusLink, GeneCard, Hugo gene ontology database and Biocarta and KEGG pathway databases. The links are invaluable in data mining and evaluating host response to various pathogens. We have also developed a word-search clustering software that automatically searches PubMed for up to 200 genes at a time seeking documentation of physiologic function to explain stage-specific clinical/pathological observations. This information is aimed at diagnosis, predicting the course of impending illness and identifying appropriate therapeutic targets at different stages. A most critical aspect is to minimize interpretation difficulties by establishing pathogen-specific signatures that can be readily distinguished from "normal /healthy baseline" profiles or common illnesses with similar initial symptoms. Therefore, we analyzed data (obtained over ~4 years) from 75 healthy donor "control" samples of different ethnicity, sex and age range of 18-36 years. Microarray gene expression data were analyzed for the control samples to create a base line for gene expression to be used in our studies. For this purpose, we especially focused on genes that were expressed at approximately baseline levels (barely detectable) in the 75 control samples and exhibited high expression upon exposure to at least one pathogen. Out of these low-expression genes in samples from healthy controls, we identified those that became overexpressed upon exposure to various pathogens. From these genes, pathogen-unique patterns were found, even at early time points. We are evaluating devices that permit rapid hybridization/testing on inexpensive platforms that could be used for wide-spread screening in event of suspected exposure to unconventional pathogens to differentiate from common infectious illnesses. We have identified host gene expression patterns that can discriminate exposure to various biological threat agents. Each of these gene patterns regulated by a specific agent reveals the cascade of events that occurs after the host encounters a pathogenic agent. Even though these pathogens initially cause similar symptoms, such as malaise, fever, headache, and cough, the course of illness induced by each of them differs in time frame of illness patterns. Using these signature gene profiles to assess possible exposure to pathogenic agents or to differentiate them from non lethal illnesses when the classical identification of a pathogen is not conclusive may fill a gap in the arsenal of diagnostic tools. Rapid detection, before the symptoms appear or even at various stages of illness, offers the opportunity to initiate appropriate treatment. Furthermore, this technique may provide the means to identify new therapeutic approaches to ameliorate the devastating results of these pathogens. Report Documentation Page Form Approved


At planting insecticide applications were made to fungicide treated wheat seed in 3 tests conducted on a Marlboro sandy loam in Barnwell County, SC. The experimental design was a RCB with 5 replicates. The experimental unit was a plot 50 x 5.3 ft (8 rows on 8 inch spacing). Hessian fly (HF) resistant varieties (Pioneer 2555, Test 1 and 2; Coker 9835, Test 3) were used to avoid HF yield effects. Granular insecticides were placed in-furrow with electric Gandy applicators. Disyston 8 was applied in-furrow with a CO2 pressurized aluminum manifold delivering 11.1 gal/acre at 25 psi through plastic irrigation tubing (1 mm i.d.). Broadcast application of Disyston 8 was made with a CO2 pressurized boom (10 gal/acre at 25 psi, Teejet 8001 flat fan nozzles) mounted in front of the double-disk openers. Fungicide seed treatments were applied by the Gustafson Seed Research laboratory (Tests 1 and 2) or by a commercial seed treater (Test 3). The NTN 33893 seed treatment was applied by thoroughly mixing a 40 ml-dilution with 6 lb of seed in a plastic bag. Stand and head counts were taken from 2 random 1-m samples per plot. Yields were taken by harvesting the middle 6 rows with a Almaco plot combine.


A series of Bn-PAHs have been prepared by functionalisation of a B1-PAH, leading to the first only boron doped B3-PAH to the best of our knowledge. These Bn-PAHs represent the first three members of a series of {B-Mes} fused oligo-naphthalenes and trends in key properties of this series have been elucidated.


Maleic anhydride (MA) was grafted onto poly(lactic acid) (PLA) in the presence of styrene (St) by using a free-radical grafting methodology. The grafting degree (Dg) of MA was increased from 0.65 wt % to 1.1 wt % with the St/MA ratio up to 2/1, where the grafting efficiency (Eg) of MA was 27%. However, both Dg and Eg were decreased with further increasing of the St/MA ratio to 4/1. The Dg of MA increased with MA concentration and showed a maximum at 180 °C in the temperature range of 165 °C–190 °C. The grafting mechanisms of MA in the presence of St are analyzed based on titration, thermogravimetric analysis and infrared results, i.e., MA is grafted onto PLA chains via single monomers and a charge-transfer-complex (CTC) at St/MA ratios of ≤ 1/1, while dominantly via St-co-MA oligomers at St/MA ratios of around 2/1. Copolymerization rather than grafting of St and MA occurs at St/MA ratios of around 4/1. The thermal stability of PLA was compromised to a certain extent by the grafting of MA, resulting in reductions in the decomposition temperature (Td-5%) and molecular weight of the PLA. In addition, the crystallization and melting temperatures of the PLA were slightly reduced after the grafting.


Abstract : This thesis evaluates several techniques for extrapolating full scale resistance of SLICE hulls from model test data. Using Froude's hypothesis, the ITTC and Hughes methods are employed to analyze single length and fragmented wetted surface area procedures. Finally, a hybrid procedure analyzing the struts as wing shapes and the pods as full hull forms is endeavored. It is shown that the classical Froude method severely overestimates the resistance of a SLICE hull. All approaches predict higher total resistances than Lockheed's own analysis, which is based on a variation of Hughes method. This thesis predicts that speeds of greater than thirty knots are achievable with the primary engine choice.


Nowadays the high school students are weak in the awareness of raising questions in mathematics. Plenty of students dislike raising questions in the course of studying maths. Moreover,students almost have no questions about the contents of the lessons given by the teacher,let alone the contents of the textbooks. It is obvious that the situation is caused by the long term teaching patterns in our country. The ability of raising questions is the key to maths. With questions,we lead our thoughts in the right direction; with questions,we have motivations to power our thoughts; with questions,we have creations in maths study. Whether we can effectively lead the students to find the questions and raise the questions is to some extent associated with the effectives of the second phase of curriculum reform. Therefore,it is of great significance to cultivate the students' awareness of raising questions and improving the abilities of questioning.


Decellularization techniques have been used on a wide variety of tissues to create cell‐seedable scaffolds for tissue engineering. Finding a suitable decellularization protocol for a certain type of tissue can be laborious, especially when organ perfusion devices are needed. In this study, we report a quick and simple method for comparing decellularization protocols combining the use of paraffin slices and two‐dimensional cell cultures. We developed three decellularization protocols for adult murine kidney that yielded decellularized extracellular matrices (ECMs) with varying histological properties. The resulting paraffin‐embedded ECM slices were deparaffinized and reseeded with murine embryonic stem cells (mESCs). We analyzed cell attachment four days post seeding via determination of cell numbers, and used quantitative Real‐Time PCR 13 days post seeding to measure gene expression levels of two genes associated with renal development, Pax2 and Pou3f3. The three decellularization protocols produced kidney‐matrices that showed clearly distinguishable results. We demonstrated that formerly paraffin‐embedded decellularized ECMs can effectively influence differentiation of stem cells. This method can be used to identify optimal decellularization protocols for recellularization of three‐dimensional tissue‐scaffolds with embryonic stem cells and other tissue‐specific cell types. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Introduction Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated to high personal and social burden, impaired social functioning and high levels of disability. Recent studies have showed that relapse rates are significantly reduced in those patients whose families receive psychoeducational interventions. Even though most of available evidences are related to the short-term efficacy of psychoeducational family interventions (PFI). No evidence is available on medium and long-term efficacy. Objectives This study aims to assess the efficacy after one and five years of PFI in BD in terms of: 1) improvement of patients' symptoms and global functioning; 2) improvement of relatives' objective and subjective burden and coping strategies. Methods A multicenter, controlled, outpatient trial has been conducted in BD patients and their key relatives, recruited in 11 Italian mental health centers. Patient's clinical status, social and personal functioning, burden of illness, and relative's burden and coping strategies were assessed with specific instruments at baseline, after 1 year and after 5 years. Results 137 families were recruited, 70 allocated to the experimental intervention. After one year, an increasing positive effect on patients' clinical status, global functioning and objective and subjective burden was found. Moreover, were observed a reduced number of relapses and of hospitalizations after five years, compared to the control group. A reduction in the levels of family burden and an improvement of their coping strategies were also observed. Conclusions Positive effects of the experimental intervention persist over the mid and long-term period. PFI should be provided in mental health centres to patients with BD and their relatives. Disclosure No significant relationships.


From the present situation and industry environment investigation of small micro logistics enterprises,this paper analyses the strengths and weaknesses as well as the external environment opportunities and threats of small micro logistics enterprises in Nantong by SWOT method,and puts forward suggestions for the development of the small micro logistics enterprises.


Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and PTSD are commonly comorbid in veterans. While PAP is the first line treatment for sleep apnea, adherence is low among veterans (Collen et al, 2012). Studies have shown early adherence predicts later adherence (Budhiraja et al, 2007). The current study investigates the impact of intervention on PAP adherence over time.

 Thirty-seven veterans with comorbid OSA and PTSD from VA Palo Alto clinics were randomly assigned to either cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-OSA) or an education arm and also received usual treatment at VA or outside clinics. Twenty-six completed the study. Participants received weekly, individual visits during the first four weeks of PAP treatment, three subsequent quarterly booster sessions, and a final visit at 12 months. PAP data was downloaded at each time-point; prior PAP use was coded.

 Significant mean differences in mask-on time between treatment arms after weekly treatments (Kinoshita et al., 2020) were not maintained at 12 months. Linear mixed modeling showed weekly improvement in mean mask-on time (minutes) over the treatment period (Education: estimate = 13.7, SE = 3.2, 95% CI 7.3, 20.1; CBT-OSA: estimate = 11.4, SE = 3.6, 95% CI 4.3, 18.5); no significant difference between arms (estimate = -2.3, SE = 4.7, 95% CI -11.5, 6.9). Newly diagnosed participants had significantly higher mean mask-on time than prior-PAP users at the end of weekly treatments (F[1, 35] = 17.86, p < 0.001) and at 12-months (F[1, 24] = 19.60, p < 0.001). Average mask-on time following weekly treatments was significantly correlated with average mask-on time at 12-months (r = 0.75; p < 0.001).

 Consistent with prior research, findings suggest that newly diagnosed individuals benefit from weekly individual treatments, regardless of type, and maintain higher mask-on times at 12 months relative to prior PAP users. Early intervention when starting PAP treatment is important to support adherence, especially in patients with comorbid PTSD, a barrier to adherence in the veteran population.

 RR&D Merit Grant, Department of Veterans Affairs (Grant Number 1I01RX001799-01A2); Sierra Pacific MIRECC


Presentation given at the South Central Chapter of the Medical Library Association Annual Meeting held October 2017 in Albuquerque, NM.

Presentation won the Papers-1st place Elizabeth K. Eaton Research Award given by the South Central Chapter of the Medical Library Association (SCCMLA) and the South Central Academic Medical Libraries (SCAMeL).


A large body of research has documented public attitudes toward people with mental illness. The current attitudes of the people who provide services to those with psychiatric disorders are important to understand, as well. The authors review what studies over the past 5 years reveal about the attitudes of psychiatric professionals. Empirical studies of the attitudes of mental health professionals, published since 2004, were identified and reviewed. Only 19 such studies were found. Most of these studies revealed overall positive attitudes among mental health professionals. However, evidence of negative attitudes and expectations was also found, particularly with respect to social acceptance of people with mental illness. Results indicate a need for greater research attention to mental health professionals' views and for improved attitudes among caregivers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


In this note we deal with the problem of force/position control of constrained manipulators subject to input constraints, with only position measurements. We assume that the manipulator interacts with an innnitely stii environment, hence that the constraints are modeled by a singular algebraic equations. In order to cope with these singularities, we use a reduced order model for which the coordinates space is restricted to a subset where the constraints Jacobian is non singular. Our contribution consists of a controller which ensures that if the generalized positions start in this subset, they never escape of it. Moroever, we prove asymptotic stability even with bounded control inputs.


Herbert Blumer left tlnclear the bearing of his method on substantive argumentsthathemadeaboutsocialunrest, socialproblems,publicopinion, race relations, andmass society. These argllments cOllldscarcelY have been grounded upon that weI/-known fundamental of his method, direct observation of ongoing social interaction. Th~ are, boneoer, consistent with another centralprinciple discussed in Blumer's essay on method  empirical tests of concepts. Several of hisarticles onsubstantive concepts suggest thekindsof results that may bepursuedwith concept testing.


We present a remarkable improvement in the efficiency of AlGaN deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) enabled by the coupling of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) mediated by a high-density array of Al nanoparticles (NPs). The Al NPs with the average diameter of ~ 40 nm were uniformly distributed near the Al0.43Ga0.57N/Al0.50Ga0.50N multiple quantum well active region for coupling 285 nm emission by block copolymer lithography. The internal quantum efficiency is enhanced by 57.7% due to the decreased radiative recombination lifetime by the LSPR. As a consequence, the AlGaN LEDs with the array of Al NPs show 33.3% enhanced electroluminescence with comparable electrical properties to the reference LEDs without Al NPs.


The line integral convolution (LIC) method, originally developed for imaging vector fields in scientific visualization, has the potential to produce images with directional characteristics. In this paper, we present four techniques to explore the use of LIC in generating images in the style of the Impressionists. In particular, we develop an Impressionist Line Integral Convolution algorithm (ILIC) to generate images with impressionist styles. This algorithm takes advantage of directional information given by a photographic image, incorporates a shading technique to blend cool and warm colors into the image, and finally applies the revised LIC method to imitate artists, paintings done in impressionist styles. Furthermore, we propose a color fidelity technique, which takes advantage of the cool-to-warm scheme, initiating artists' conventional painting to enhance visual depth perception. We also present an information preservation technique, which quantifies image details to control the convolution length, making it possible to preserve subtle information during the convolution process. Finally, we demonstrate a top-down sampling technique, where a series of artistic mip-maps is generated to construct aesthetic virtual environments. These maps provide constant strokes with directional cues, thus achieving frame-to-frame coherence in an interactive walkthrough system. Both the silhouette drawing and tour into the picture (TIP) approaches are employed to enhance the user's immersion in a virtual world. The experimental results demonstrate the merits of our techniques in generating images in impressionist styles and constructing an interactive walkthrough system that provides an immersion experience rendered in painting styles.


A current-sharing power Supply apparatus with a bridge rec tifier circuit includes a conversion circuit, a square-wave gen erating circuit, a resonant circuit, a rectifiercircuit, and a filter circuit. The conversion circuit has two transformers, and each of the transformers has a primary winding and at least one secondary winding. The square-wave generating circuit is electrically connected to a DC voltage to switch the DC Voltage into a pulsating Voltage. The resonant circuit is elec trically connected to the square-wave generating circuit, and having a first capacitor and the primary windings of the trans formers. The rectifier circuit has at least four switch compo nents, and electrically connected to the secondary windings of the transformers to rectify an AC output voltage into a rectified Voltage, and the rectified Voltage is outputted to at H02M 3/335 (2006.01) least one Voltage output terminal.


Drawing at the Undergraduate Program of Fine Arts is a rather practical subject. Very often, the students show difficulties to choose their work to submit. The aim of this study is to offer a tool for the students to reflect and self-evaluate their drawings, with the intention to help them to be aware of their own learning process. The teacher creates a self-evaluation list, with the most important concepts of drawing that the students have to learn. The student will complete the list, based on the selected drawings. Finally, the teacher will evaluate the work of the students and compare these results with the students' self-evaluation. Both of the evaluations' criteria will be the same. The first results show that this process is being of help on students' self-perception.


A new analytic method is proposed for determining p-benzoquinone (BQ) by the perturbation caused different amounts of BQ on the B-Z oscillating chemical system involving the Ce(IV)-catalyzed reaction between potassium bromate and malonic acid in the acidic medium. The method relies on the linear relationship between the change in the oscillating amplitude of the chemical system and the concentration BQ. The calibration curve is linearly proportional to the concentration BQ over the range 1.0×10~(-8) ~1.0×10~(-6) mol/L, with the regression coefficient R=0.999 9.


Objectives To evaluate the additional, unintended benefits of social distancing in cutting down the prevalence of acute otitis media (AOM) in children, especially during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) periods. Methods The daily outpatient attendance of AOM for childhood (from 6 months to 12 years) was compared in the tertiary hospital in Shanghai during pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 year. Results A total of 24,543 AOM cases were included from 2015 to 2020. When age was taken into account, children in kindergarten (aged 4–6) constitute 66.2% (16,236/24,543) of all case, followed by primary school students (6,441/24,543, 26.2%) and preschoolers <3 years old (1,866/24,543, 7.6%). There was an estimated 63.6% (54.32–70.36%) reduction in the daily outpatient attendance of AOM associated with the introduction of social distancing in 2020 (COVID-19 year). The epidemic trend of AOM in 2015–2019 was characterized by seasonal fluctuations, with highest incidence in December (18.8 ± 0.5%) and lower in February (4.5 ± 0.2%), June (3.7 ± 0.7%) and August (3.5 ± 0.5%). And distribution characteristics of different ages in COVID-19 period broadly in line with that in non-pandemic period. Conclusion Seasonal fluctuation in the prevalence of AOM was observed in pre-COVID-19 period (2015–2019), with a peak in winter and a nadir in summer. The >50% drop of outpatient attendance of AOM in 2020 (COVID-19 year) suggest that social distancing, mask effects and good hand hygiene can significantly reduce the incidence of AOM, which provides a preventive and therapeutic point of view for AOM.


Abstract Describes grooving corrosion attack on welded steel pipe used as pumping columns in South African mines. Outlines metallurgical examinations, chemical analyses, electrochemical studies and residual stress tests made to determine exact cause of the corrosion. Briefly discusses preventive and control measures being used and tested. Photographs, tabular data and graphs. Concludes that grooving corrosion was casued by residual stresses in pipe. 4.6.8


The paper reviews the present literature,and does further research on the relationship of the property institution,the financial structure and the financial development,and uses the Chinese series data to study the relationship and the efficiency of the financial development.The empirical test shows that:(1)the level of economic growth,the property institution and financial structure determine the efficiency of financial development,and all these factors are the determinant factors of financial development.(2)the concentration ratio of the bank industry is more high,financial development grows lower.And the rate is positive relationship with financial development,the real rate RR is the cause of financial development.(3)there is the single causality relationship of financial development and economic growth,and financial development is the result of economic growth.So only if there is to reform the financial property structure of finance,and to realize the multi-property and the competitive financial structure,it is finally to realize the efficiency of financial development.


According to Wordsworth's own account, An Evening trast, even in the 1793 text of An Evening Walk (where Walk (along with its companion poem, Descriptive Sketches) Thomson's influence is still quite marked), Wordsworth was "huddled up" and sent to the printers in 1793 in an pursues a more consistent plan than Thomson ever does in unhappily "imperfect . . . state" (Letters, EY, p. 120). The Seasons, and in the 1794 revisions the poem acquires an Wordsworth was an indefatigable editor of his early work, elaborate and consistent pattern of metaphor and symbol and the more glaring blemishes were duly corrected in that moves it distinctly away from "multiplicity" and subsequent editions. Nonetheless, the first edition retowards "order. " mained the basis for all versions of the poem that appeared in the poet's lifetime; none of these varies greatly from the In escaping the pervasive sense of randomness and 1793 text. In the spring and summer of 1794, Wordsworth ever-varying motivation that characterizes The Seasons, had, however, thoroughly reworked the poem resulting in a Wordsworth is aided by the modest design of his poem: An new text — unfortunately, never quite complete. This Evening Walk follows a day rather than a season to its end, poem ("1794" in this article), hitherto published only in and keeps to a specific landscape. But more importantly it scraps by de Selincourt, has now been made available in a is the consistent, thematic relationship between observed complete reading text by James Averill in his edition of An scene and meditation that gives An Evening Walk, even in Evening Walk for The Cornell Wordsworth (1984). Averill 1793, a unity lacking in The Seasons. Beyond its primary calls this new text the "major contribution to Wordsworth role of providing scenes to be copied, nature in The Seasons studies," and in his introduction points out a number of is treated essentially as an invitation to thought: it taps significant differences between the first published version one's accumulated wisdom, calling it forth in pleasing and and the revised poem of 1794, all of them tending away fanciful forms. But for Wordsworth in An Evening Walk, from "pure" description. He states, among other things, nature (the landscape) is the very medium of memory. The that with the addition of more human beings to the landexternal landscape takes a definite form from one's ex scape, Wordsworth's "focus becomes narrative and perience of and in it, and that form is transferred to the dramatic," and that, furthermore, the landscape becomes mind, where it constitutes memory: the tension in the "paysage moralise." Overall, he concurs with Paul Sheats in poem arises from the poet's sense that neither the image seeing a movement '"from sensation toward thought.'" nor the original is entirely stable. He hopes for a refuge (pp. 13-14). Nonetheless, Averill's claims for the 1794 text against time in a moment's experience of nature, but finds remain cautious. At the end of his introduction, he states that not only nature suffers change, but the mind as well, that the "shortcomings of An Evening Walk are characterThe very idiosyncrasy that gives value to a remembered istic of its genre" (i.e., topographical poetry), and quotes scene foreshadows the loss of the whole experience. Johnson's criticism of The Seasons as an insight applicable to topographical poems generally. Blest are those spirits tremblingly awake To Nature's impule like this living lake On many appearances subsisting all at once, no rule Whose mirrour makes the landscape's charms its own can be given why one should be mentioned before With touches soft as those to Memory known. another; (1794, 191-4)


The authors extend gratitude to Laura Kochevar who served as research associate to the project, enabling its completion. are being asked about the health care system and about the impact on jobs of those in the system. The reshuffling and loss of some jobs is occurring simultaneously with the apparent shrinkage of the health care system. The job security of nurses as well as other professionals is in jeopardy. It may be that nurses need to consider and prepare themselves for non-traditional roles if they are to survive. A specialty field that has been attracting more and more attention of nurses in recent years is occupational health. As part of this trend, and renewed funding, the number of master's-prepared occupational health nurse (OHN) programs and specialists has been growing in the past decade. Yet there is little known about them that is based on empirical data. It is difficult for nurses to make decisions regarding training and education, employment, and career planning without evidence on which to base their decisions. Educators and leaders in health care and business also need information for planning purposes. This paper is Part II of a study designed to analyze the employment patterns of masters-prepared occupational health specialists and to identify emerging roles and functions. The data were taken from the National Occupational Health Specialist Survey (Richard & Abanobi, 1983). The survey was sent to 121 occupational health nurses who graduated from 11 of the National Institutes of Health (NIOSH)-sponsored Educational Resource Centers (ERC) located throughout the country from 1978 to 1983. A final sample size of 73 was obtained. Part I of the study (Occupational Health Nursing, 1985) described the group of 73 masters-prepared occupational health nurses who completed the survey with regard to demographic data, education, work experience, job characteristics, roles and functions and employement patterns. It also includes an introduction and methodology for the study. Part II of the study focuses primarily on master'sprepared occupational health nurses who are employed in occupational health settings. An expected outcome of this study is to show where and how the master's-prepared occupational health nurse can playa part in the health care system. The study may also provide relevant data and show indications in the following areas: • demand for master's-prepared


In the past two decades, central bank communication as a new type of monetary policy tool has continually received attention from central banks. With the gradual advance of the market-led interest rate process, most central banks establish policy operation framework which can effectively guide and regulate the market interest rate. This article is based on the implementation of China's monetary policy tools framework, using EGARCH model to empirically study the impact of central bank communication as a new monetary policy tool to benchmark money market rates. The result indicates: the influence of central bank communication to SHIBOR is significant, the direction of impact is in accordance with the direction of monetary policy intentions; verbal communication is more remarkable than written communication in affecting the SHIBOR; increasing the central bank of communication can dampen short-term interest rate fluctuations and can play a positive role in the financial markets.


hen ozonation is performed, it is often difficult for utilities to maintain sufficient levels of disinfection and pollutant removal while limiting disinfection by-product (DBP) formation. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) can be used to modify the oxidative capacity of a parent compound and, in turn, make oxidation–reduction reactions of ozonation more rapid or complete. However, if ozone (O3) dosages are increased in order to optimize an AOP with respect to micropollutant oxidation, DBP formation increases. In addition, if disinfection is an issue, a high O3 exposure is required. To optimize treatment goals, utilities require knowledge of the oxidant concentrations throughout the process. The authors describe a constant ratio between hydroxyl radical and O3 concentration (Rct) that can be used to predict the oxidation of micropollutants when the O3/H2O2 AOP is used. Utilities can use this information to increase oxidation efficiency and, in turn, effectively disinfect their water.—MKK W


Shi Chong is one of the most excellent artists in 1990s. His super visional and anti - visional pictures painted with realistic skills overmaster the audience. The painting process of these extremely lifelike pictures is very complicated. He could just achieve one or two pictures with great speed every year. Thus disputes occur. Although Shi Chong is still quiet in the 21st Century, guesses at his pictures have never stopped. The majorities think since his pictures are so real, why not make his thought into high quality photos? But half of the essayists arent painters. They always talk about the results, but forget the essence of the painters action as playing a game. So I think if the art is deprived of enjoyment, it will be boring like a politic textbook. Art should be a serious game.


Basing on analyzing the principle of direct digital synthesis(DDS),a kind of signal generator of wide frequency range set,adjustable frequency and fast response is developed with MSP 430F135 microcontroller as main control circuit,AD9833 chip as core.The system structure and software and hardware of this signal generator are designed detailedly.To address the shortcoming of large computation,low efficiency of frequency setting,more storage space occupied or significant cumulative errors of frequency setting when calculating frequency control word with traditional methods,a novel calculation way for frequency control word is researched in this paper.This new method does not need large computation and more space and simultaneously it can decrease the error greatly and it can be applied effectively in designing signal generator.


The goal of this research is to evaluate the effects of adding 1, 5, 10wt.% Indium into Sn-Ag-Sb lead-free solders on melting point, microstructure, wettability, microhardness and the interfacial reaction with Cu substrate. Furthermore, the single lap specimens and high temperature storage were used to evaluate the shear strength and heat-resistance of Sn-Ag-Sb-xIn solder joints. Experimental results show the melting point of Sn-Ag-Sb-xIn solders are decreased with greater indium additions. The gap between solidus and liqiudus temperature (Mushy zone) will expand with the addition of Indium into Sn-Ag-Sb solder The formation of Ag3(Sn,In) is suppressed by the presence of indium in Sn-rich solder matrix and Ag2(In,Sn) appears in the solder matrix through the substitutional reaction between Sn atoms and In atoms. Moreover, the area of β-Sn in solder matrix also increase. When Sn-Ag-Sb-xIn solder combine with Cu substrate, Ag-Sn-In-Cu and Cu-Sn-In IMC compounds were observed on the interfacial microstructure. The greater Indium additions and thermal storage time, the coarser of Ag-Sn-In-Cu compounds. After the 150℃ thermal storage, thickness of IMC layer will be raised as the Indium addition increasing. The spreading ratio (Sr) tend to increase with presence of Indium, contact angle decreases with the greater Indium content. The hardness of Sn-Ag-Sb-xIn solders will increase as the addition of indium and degradation occurred after thermal storage.Shear strength of as-soldered joints is increased with higher Indium additions. The shear strength of whole solder joint decrease distinctly after 150℃ thermal storage. Fractographic analysis showed that most of the solder joints failure in solder (Solder mode) at the as-soldered condition. The greater additions of Indium and thermal storage time lead to transform the fracture mode to be IMC mode which fracture occurred at IMC layer. With compare of melting point, microstructure, wettability, shear strength and interfacial behavior of Sn-Ag-Sb-xIn solder. The solder contains 5wt.% Indium has better behaviors. Keywords : Lead-free solder joint, melting point, Ag2(In,Sn) compounds, wettability, hardness, shear strength.


ABSTRACT Objective Recent advancements in the field of psychotherapy have included a diversification in Cognitive Behaviour Therapies (CBTs), often referred to as the "third wave", yet relatively little is known about their coverage in Australian postgraduate clinical psychology training. Data were gathered to study the relationships between training program theoretical orientation, therapies covered, and factors determining the coverage of therapies. Method Responses to a semi-structured interview of 28 Directors of Clinical Training (DCT) or equivalent of Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) approved clinical psychology training programs (representing 72% of all accredited programs) were examined. Results Behaviour and cognitive theories were identified as dominant in programs. Coverage of Beck's CBT was not correlated with other CBTs, and the number of therapies covered did not distinguish integrative (64.3%) from non-integrative programs. In an examination of the factors guiding the adoption of insight orientated therapies (i.e., Cognitive Analytic Therapy, Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Humanistic Therapy, Psychoanalytic Therapy, Process Experiential/Emotion-Focused Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, and Existential Therapy), the focus of clinical research, and student interest emerged as significant predictors (β = −.16, SE =.06, p < .05, 95% Boot CI [−.27, −.03]). Conclusions Beck's CBT, and its undergirding theories emerged as dominant and was not associated with coverage of more recent CBTs, suggesting that there is opportunity to diversify therapies covered considering their evidence base. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) has evolved and now includes therapies focused on acceptance, dialectical thinking, and mindfulness. Australian clinical psychologists predominantly self-identify a CBT theoretical orientation. Previous surveys of clinical training programs indicate a primary focus on traditional CBT. What this topic adds: Data on the extent to which diverse theories are included in Australian clinical psychology programs. Data on the extent to which various therapies, including third wave CBTs are included in Australian clinical psychology programs. Data on the factors guiding the adoption of therapies in Australian clinical psychology programs.


The concept and theory of lasers was first put forward by Albert Einstein in 1917 and was first realized by researcher Theodore. H. Maiman in 1960. The invention of the laser is based on the theories of quantum physics, but research on the properties and optical characteristics of lasers, especially diode lasers is rarely carried out, so references for developing and applying them are very difficult to obtain. Lasers have coherent properties, which are parallel, massive, single-color (monochromatic) light propagations, which are different from incandescent white (polychromatic) light which is commonly known everyday from the sun, fire, lamps and so on. Laser diode devices have various types of power, which of course differ in the amount of voltage, current, strength of light in each condition (Uiga. E, 2014).The purpose of this research is to examine the physical characteristics of the diode laser, to determine the range of the current-voltage limits and the divergence angle in the radiant, to determine the characteristics of the laser diode with different powers.The research method used is experimental, which is carried out by testing variables and measuring the magnitude of the voltage, current, divergence of different powers from the diode laser.Based on the experimental results, the diode laser has a characteristic phase of the Volt-Ampere change called the laser phase. There are 3 phases that have been proven, namely the spontaneous emission phase, the transition phase, the stimulated emission phase and one characteristic that has been found, namely the power characteristics, the strong light (flux) (Uiga. E, 2014 ). The resulting data and variables can be used as a reference, study for research so that they can be used as a basis for further research.Keywords: Laser-Diode, Divergence, voltage, current, power


We investigate the relationship between the dynamical properties of minimal topological dynamical systems and the multiplicative combinatorial properties of return time sets arising from those systems. In particular, we prove that for a residual sets of points in any minimal system, the set of return times to any non-empty, open set contains arbitrarily long geometric progressions. Under the separate assumptions of total minimality and distality, we prove that return time sets have positive multiplicative upper Banach density along $\mathbb{N}$ and along multiplicative subsemigroups of $\mathbb{N}$, respectively. The primary motivation for this work is the long-standing open question of whether or not syndetic subsets of the positive integers contain arbitrarily long geometric progressions; our main result is some evidence for an affirmative answer to this question.


Objective To observe the apoptosis and proliferation of chondrocytes in tissue engineered articular cartilage 3 weeks after construction with centrifuge tube. Methods Tissue engineered articular cartilage constructed by centrifuge tube were studied with electron microcopy, TUNEL, 3H-TdR incorporation and flow cytometry. Results Nearly 5% apoptotic cells were found in the engineered articular cartilage under a microscope which were similar with that obtained by flow cytometry. The chondrocytes in tissue engineered articular cartilage had more 3H-TdR incorporation than the articular chondrocytes from 3-week-old rabbits. Conclusion The chondrocytes in 3-week tissue engineered articular cartilage have stronger potency in both proliferation and apoptosis than the cells in normal articular cartilage.


Modern structural materials, which currently include a wide range of materials metals, polymers, ceramics and composites, as well as those being in the research phase, like for example fullerenes, thanks to a set of specific physicochemical characteristics are finding diverse, ever more specialized use in all sectors of economy. At the same time, wider and wider range of materials available in the market forces the use of new research techniques that enables faster, more versatile, and unambiguous definition of the structural and functional properties, that would help in the proper selection of materials. One of these modern methods are 3D techniques used, among other things, in modern computer numerical control (CNC) tooling machines, 3D scanners and printers, coordinate measuring machines (CMM) or incremental technologies like RP (rapid prototyping). In addition to the typical manufacturing applications, 3D techniques are also widely used in laboratory structural studies [1-10], qualitative and quantitative analysis [6-10], or other high-speed measurements of specific materials' properties, made for the sole purpose of manufacturing processes. The versatility of these research methods allows its use in many industries, from timber industry (quality assessment of wood at sawmills) [4], to the highly specialized electrotechnic and electronic companies [2], to medical applications [5]. The X-ray computed tomography (CT) is also a 3D technique method, which popularity is evident mainly in the spatial imaging of material defects, cracks, different types of discontinuity or latent defects. It is used primarily in the automotive industry, where, in factories of some vehicle manufacturers, engine blocks and critical structural components of vehicles or bulky products are subjected to tomographic examinations [11]. X-ray methods are also A R C H I V E S O F M E T A L L U R G Y A N D M A T E R I A L S


The invention relates to a connecting method, a conductor having a first connector, a second conductor formed by at least one strand made of aluminum or aluminum alloy and having at least one end the shape of which allows its introduction into the connector the first conductor. The method comprises at least the following steps:. a step of implementation of the conductors, the end of the second conductor being inserted in the first conductor connector;. a step of magnetostrictive, electrodynamic force being generated in the connector so that said connector got around the second conductor inserted into the connecteur.L'invention also relates to a particular magnetostriction.En generating device, the invention applies to the wiring of energy networks on all vectors and equipment (e.g., aerospace), the high-current connections and / or great length. The invention may also be applied to wiring adapted for transmitting information on unmarked conductors.


The survey and the meaning of the village tourism development were elaborated.The situation and problem of urban and rural tourism were analyzed.Then the city and village could be as the resource and the source of tourism market was pointed out.Through providing the attractive tourism product to each other and developing tourism mutual,it was advantageous to realize the urban and rural tourism harmonious development which were the city leading the countryside and the countryside supporting the city.Finally,a series of countermeasures and suggestions to promote the tourism harmonious development overall the urban and rural were proposed.


Gene biomarkers will play an increasing role in treating many diseases such as cancer and pharmacists have an important role in helping to educate the public.


The present invention relates to wipe toner and a preparation method for floor paint PU; the floor for the PU paint wiping toner, is made of the following weight proportions of ingredients: castor oil: 10-30 parts, epoxidized soybean oil: 30-50 parts, long oil alkyd resin: 10 parts of white carbon: 0.1 to 2.0 parts, wetting agents: from 0.1 to 1.0 parts, DBE: 15-40 parts, fine color: 0.5 -20 parts; the present invention has good wettability and bleeding resistance, can effectively replace PU transparent colored paint directly brushed onto the dried paint coating of PU floor, solves the transparent colored paint brush PU the construction problems; moreover, after brushing without sanding, easy to operate, does not affect the adhesion of PU floor paint, you can obtain uniform color, wood grain clearer, decorative effect and has a wide range of home improvement floor.


It is still recognized as a challenge task while blind and visually impaired people travel outdoor independently, even if there are a number of assistive mobility aids available. In addition to building universal facilities in urban and rural environments for them, it is essential to develop novel mobility assistive technologies and systems to satisfy their increasing demands for mobility. To investigate those demands, an international survey with 106 blind and visually impaired people from 13 countries is undertaken within this work, with regarding to outdoor mobility experiences, usages of mobile devices and collaborative approaches. From the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Accessibility, the dissertation focuses on enhancing blind people's capabilities of acquisition of spatial environmental information from tactile displays. The spatial environmental information, in this study, is in terms of clusters of surrounding obstacles, geographic information on city maps, and information on environmental accessibility. In order to non-visual representation of the clusters of surroundings obstacles detected by a 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) infrared camera, a portable pin-matrix display with a matrix of 30 x 32 pins is employed and a pre-designed set of tactile obstacle symbols is used to render the properties of obstacles (e.g., type, size). Additionally, aiming at helping blind people access geographic information, a desktop based pin-matrix display (an array of 60 x 120 pins) and a mobile pin-matrix display (an array of 30 x 32 pins) are used to represent a large-scale city map and a location-aware city map, respectively. A set of tactile map symbols rendered with the raised and lowered pins, has been designed for rendering various map features. To allow blind and visually impaired people to acquire information on environmental accessibility, besides a traditional web browser client and a popular smart phone client, an audio-haptic client on a tactile display with 7200 pins is developed. Users are able to create and share collaborative annotations on environmental accessibility across the 3 clients.


Explainable AI represents an increasingly important category of systems that attempt to support human understanding and trust in machine intelligence and automation. Typical systems rely on algorithms to help understand underlying information about decisions and establish justified trust and reliance. Researchers have proposed using goodness criteria to measure the quality of explanations as a formative evaluation of an XAI system, but these criteria have not been systematically investigated in the literature. To explore this, we present a novel collaborative explanation system (CXAI) and propose several goodness criteria to evaluate the quality of its explanations. Results suggest that the explanations provided by this system are typically correct, informative, written in understandable ways, and focus on explanation of larger scale data patterns than are typically generated by algorithmic XAI systems. Implications for how these criteria may be applied to other XAI systems are discussed.


A method for manufacturing an optical substrate according to the present invention includes the steps of: preparing a base substrate having circuit patterns on both surfaces thereof; forming an optical waveguide on one surface of the base substrate; forming photosensitive insulation layers on the surface of the optical waveguide and the other surface of the base substrate; forming, on the photosensitive insulation layers, an aperture for forming a mirror groove to expose the surface of the optical waveguide and an aperture for forming an optoelectronic element to expose the other surface of the base substrate; respectively forming the mirror groove and a via hole on the optical waveguide exposed through the aperture for forming the mirror groove and on the base substrate exposed through the aperture for forming the optoelectronic element; forming a metal layer on the photosensitive insulation layers including the inner walls of the mirror groove and the via hole; and patterning the metal layer to form a metal mirror layer, an external layer circuit, and an optoelectronic element connection pad.


Purpose. A new series of some new pyrazoline analogues of Rosuvastatin were designed and synthesized to meet the structural requirement of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory drugs. Methods. The starting material for the synthesis of new pyrazoline analogues of Rosuvastatin (14a-j) was N-[4-(4-fluorophenyl)-5formyl-6-(propan-2-yl)pyrimidin-2-yl]-N-methylmethanesulfonamide which in turn was prepared from commercially available 4-fluorobenzaldehyde and methyl 4-methyl-3-oxopentanoate. The pyrimidine aldehyde reacts with different acetophenones gave chalcones which on reaction with hydrazine hydrate produced pyrazoline derivatives. The structure of newly synthesized compounds were characterized by spectral data and studied for their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. Results. Compounds 14g and 14h showed significant inhibition against all pathogenic organisms used for the study. The compound 14d and 14e were only active against the gram+ve organisms and the compounds 14f and 14j were active against the gram-ve organisms. Similarly the compounds 14f,14g, 14h, 14i and 14j were shown good anti fungal activity. The compounds 14a, 14b showed highly significant good anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan induced rat paw oedema model. Conclusions. In this article we reported the synthesis of a new (14a-j) pyrazole analogues of Rosuvastatin compounds substituted at C5 position with different functional groups starting from commercially available 4-Fluorobenzaldehyde and methyl 4-methyl-3-oxopentanoate. Investigation on biological activity data of synthesised compounds revealed that, the synthesized compounds are good antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agents.


A human platelet sonicate was evaluated for its effects on the growth of human metastatic melanoma colony-forming cells in soft agar from cells in culture and from biopsies. The addition of platelet sonicate increased both cloning efficiency and prolifera- tive capacity in that more and larger colonies were formed. In more detailed studies under growth-limiting conditions, mela noma cellular responses to known growth factors were com pared to the activity found in the platelet sonicate. None of the growth factors tested either alone or in combination, including platelet-derived growth factor, epidermal growth factor, a-type transforming growth factor, and 0-type transforming growth factor, were capable of inducing melanoma colony formation to the 12-fold stimulation observed with the platelet sonicate. Treat ment of platelet sonicate with dithiothreitol, trypsin, or acid resulted in loss of activity for human melanoma. Our results suggest that human platelets contain an acid-sensitive protein which can support the expression of the transformed phenotype of human melanoma, and this factor is distinct from acid-stable activities previously characterized from human platelets.


State immunity — Attachment and execution — Embassy bank account — Judgment creditor seeking to levy execution against foreign State by attachment of bank account — Principles of international law governing immunity of embassy funds from enforcement jurisdiction of receiving State — Whether execution permissible only if account used exclusively for non-sovereign purposes — Assets used for exclusively commercial purposes — Requirement of ministerial authorization for execution — Italian Law No 1263 of 1926 Diplomatic relations — Immunity — Embassy bank account — Account in use for meeting expenses of embassy — Whether subject to execution in receiving State — Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 — Provisions applicable only to diplomatic envoys and not to States Relationship of international law and municipal law — Customary international law — Automatic incorporation into municipal law — Italian Constitution, Article 10 — The law of Italy


To date, theoretical and empirical research has largely focused on interpersonal forms of trust and trust building at the expense of institutional forms, despite a rich conceptual trust foundation for the latter. Indeed, in order to understand and address widespread failures of trust, not only in business institutions, but also in other central institutions such as healthcare, government, education and religion, we argue that research must begin to integrate institutional factors with interpersonal ones. Moreover, most research to date has neither explicitly nor fully considered the salient role of context, especially those contexts involving high degrees of uncertainty, vulnerability and/or stress that are particularly germane to trust. Utilising a cross-level case study, we discuss how both interpersonal factors and institutional influences, shaped by context, develop both organisational trust and trust in leadership. We also provide several recommendations for future research, and make the case for studying trust by building trust with research subjects. By examining the interplay among interpersonal trust factors and trust-building efforts with institutional factors, we can develop a more complete picture of how trust within organisations (and even across organisations) is developed, sustained, and even rebuilt.


ABSTRACT Primary Objective To examine whether vibration to the palm of the hand induces motor activity in the forearm muscles of individuals with post-stroke and healthy young adults. We hypothesized that the vibration would induce antagonistic muscle activities via the motor cortex. Research Design Observational study using the between- and within-subjects mixed design. Methods and Procedures Vibratory stimulation was applied to the palm of the paretic and non-paretic hands in seven post-stroke hemiplegia, and of the right hand in 22 healthy young adults in the eyes-closed and eyes-open conditions. Surface electromyography (sEMG) was recorded from the forearm extensors and flexors and the sEMG amplitudes were analyzed. Main Outcomes and Results The extensor activities were significantly larger than that of the flexors in all hands. Especially, the extensor activities were augmented when the eyes were open in the paretic and non-paretic hands. Moreover, there was greater muscle activity in the non-paretic hand compared with the paretic hand. Conclusions These novel findings revealed that vibration to the palm augmented the activity of the antagonistic forearm extensors, especially in the paretic hand, which was induced via top-down cortical modulation. Thus, it can be utilized to improve the impaired forearm extensors in post-stroke rehabilitation.


The formulation of objectives is receiving much attention at the present time. This is a desirable line of emphasis, since the work of the school can be made meaningful only in so far as it aims toward definite and specific goals of instruction. Probably the most comprehensive investigation of objectives in the field of English has been made by Pendleton.l In the course of the study 1,581 social objectives of English instruction were collected from seven sources of information. Eighty competent teachers of English catalogued the objectives according to their comparative importance. The eleven objectives relating to reading which were considered most important are as follows: The habit of reading for enjoyment literature of the better sort. A taste for reading books (not merely magazines) of an excellent sort. An attitude of alert interest in the world and all things in it, and a desire to increase one's knowledge. A perennial, never-failing interest in people; the habit of studying them sympathetically. The ability to refrain from marking or marring in any way a borrowed book. Habitual realization that good physical and mental health is fundamental to really profitable reading. A taste for reading the better class of magazines, not the inferior fiction sort. The ability to rest oneself and divert one's mind from business or social perplexities through the enjoyable reading of literature. The ability to determine quickly and accurately from a dictionary the pronunciation of a word.


The polyfluoroarenes m-H2C6F4, m-O2NC6F4H, m- and p-BrC6F4H, (p-HC6F4)2, C6F5H, 1,3,5-F3C6H3 and m-FSO2C6F4H have been thallated by thallic trifluoroacetate in fluorosulfuric acid in the presence of antimony pentafluoride. Substantial dithallation of m-H2F4 and 1,3,5-F3C6H3 and slight trithallation of the latter have been achieved. The products were identified by conversion into the corresponding polyfluoroiodoarenes on reaction with aqueous sodium iodide. From the reaction with pentafluorobenzene, pentafluorophenylthallium(III) species have been characterized. 1,2,4,5-Tetrafluoro-3-methoxybenzene was thallated by thallic trifluoroacetate in 1,2-dichloroethane in the presence of boron trifluoride etherate, but C6F5H and p-MeC6F4H failed to react.


of is provided by the experience of past factory properties have been sold, having a first cost of $3,727,749 against which normal depreciation reserves of $1,005,930 had been set aside, leaving a book value of $2,721,819. These properties were finally sold for $2,410,028, or a loss from first cost of $1,317,721, and a book loss of $311,791 which was charged against the general plant reserve. This illustration does not include machinery and equipment, on which further loss was sustained."


Anterior mediastinal lesions which are directly posterior to the sternum and have no significant parasternal component are difficult to approach for biopsy. Very few cases of CT-guided trans-sternal mediastinal mass biopsy have been reported in the literature. We report two cases of CT guided trans-sternal mediastinal mass biopsy to highlight the importance of this technique.

Keywords: CT scan, Mediastinal mass, Trans-sternal approach, Biopsy.


Aims: This study is to analyze the expression pattern of matrix metalloprotein 9 (MMP-9) in patients with Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis and to investigate the molecular mechanism responsible for its regulation in H. pylori-associated gastritis. Methods: Ulcer tissues, blood and saliva samples were collected from 46 patients with H. pylori-associated gastritis. Normal stomach mucosa, blood and saliva in 29 healthy people confirmed by endoscopy biopsy were collected as control group. The levels of MMP-9 mRNA expression were measured by quantitative Real-time PCR, and MMP-9 protein levels were analyzed by Western Blot and ELISA. MiRNAs that regulate MMP-9 expression was predicted by bioinformatics analysis, and the expression of predicted miRNA was measured by quantitative Real-time PCR. Results: MMP-9 was significantly upregulated at both mRNA and protein levels in ulcer tissues, blood and saliva samples from patients with H. pylori-associated gastritis compared with that from healthy control. MiR-204 was predicted to regulate MMP-9 expression, and miR-204 level was significantly downregulated in samples from patients with H. pylori-associated gastritis. Conclusion: The miR-204 expression is decreased whereas the MMP-9 expression is increased in H. pylori-associated gastritis. MiR-204 might affect the healing of H. pylori-associated gastritis by regulating the expression of MMP-9, and therefore this miRNA could serve as a potential biomarker in the diagnosis of H. pylori-induced gastritis.


It is common practice in power transmission to use bundled overhead electrical conductors because the lower rate of corona discharge, compared with single conductors, makes the bundle attractive for high voltages. However, secondary problems may arise from the vibrations induced by the aerodynamic forces which act on the leeward conductors as a result of their immersion in the wake of a windward conductor. Thus, in addition to possible aeolian and galloping oscillations observed for a single conductor, bundle conductors may also be subjected to wake-induced oscillations. 1,2 Although extensive research has been done on the aeroelastic behavior of single and bundled conductors which are bare, little is known about the galloping or wake oscillation characteristics of given bundle conductors which, depending upon the environmental conditions during the formation of ice, may have five or so representative shaped cross-sections. One important task involves the aerodynamic quasi-static force and moment measurements in a wind tunnel using full scale conductor cross-sections each of which must be rotated through many angles at different spacings. Such measurements are repetitive as well as tediously time consuming and, hence, are beneficially automated. A reliable, accurate and inexpensive automated apparatus is described in this paper which permits the aerodynamic measurements to be performed efficiently and without intervention. Most importantly, it relieves the operator of the usual responsibility for manually controlling the separation and orientation of the sections as well as the need to manually compensate fluctuations in the free stream air speed. For simplicity, the apparatus is detailed in the context of a twin bundle conductor.


Sequential supervised learning problems involve assigning a class label to each item in a sequence Examples include part of speech tagging and text to speech mapping A very general purpose strat egy for solving such problems is to construct a recurrent sliding window RSW classi er which maps some window of the input sequence plus some number of previously predicted items into a prediction for the next item in the sequence This paper describes a general purpose implementation of RSW classi ers and discusses the highly practical issue of how to choose the size of the input win dow and the number of previous predictions to incorporate Exper iments on two real world domains show that the optimal choices vary from one learning algorithm to another They also depend on the evaluation criterion number of correctly predicted items ver sus number of correctly predicted whole sequences We conclude that window sizes must be chosen by cross validation The results have implications for the choice of window sizes for other models including hidden Markov models and conditional random elds


Femtosecond fluorescence up-conversion technique was employed to reinvestigate the intriguing dependence of fluorescence quantum yield of trans-4-dimethylamino-4(')-nitrostilbene (DNS) on dielectric properties of the media. In polar solvents, such as methanol and acetonitrile, the two time components of the fluorescence transients were assigned to intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) dynamics and to the depletion of the ICT state to the ground state via internal conversion along the torsional coordinate of nitro moiety. The viscosity independence of the first time component indicates the absence of any torsional coordinate in the charge transfer process. In slightly polar solvent (carbon tetrachloride) the fluorescence transients show a triple exponential behavior. The first time component was assigned to the formation of the ICT state on a 2 ps time scale. Second time component was assigned to the relaxation of the ICT state via two torsion controlled channels. First channel involves the torsional motion about the central double bond leading to the trans-cis isomerization via a conical intersection or avoided crossing. The other channel contributing to the depopulation of ICT state involves the torsional coordinates of dimethylanilino and∕or nitrophenyl moieties and leads to the formation of a conformationally relaxed state, which subsequently relaxes back to the ground state radiatively, and is responsible for the high fluorescence quantum yield of DNS in slightly polar solvents such as carbon tetrachloride, toluene, etc. The excited singlet state which is having a dominant π-π∗ character may also decay via intersystem crossing to the n-π∗ triplet manifold and thus accounts for the observed triplet yield of the molecule in slightly polar solvents.


BACKGROUND
The long-term impact of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on adult vascular health was assessed using a prospective cohort first identified while in utero.

METHODS
Participants with no PAE (n = 37, Mean Age = 36.7 (1.6) years) were compared to participants with PAE (n = 51, Mean Age = 36.3 (1.7) years). Their vascular health was assessed by arterial blood pressure (BP) as well as peripheral arterial tonometry, which yields an index of endothelial function (reactive hyperemia index) and a measure of arterial stiffness (augmentation index). Blood samples were collected to assess cholesterol levels and insulin resistance (glucose, hemoglobin A1C, and insulin). Path analysis was used to examine the direct and indirect effects of PAE on vascular health after adjusting for other known physical outcomes.

RESULTS
Participants with a history of PAE weighed less, trended towards being shorter, had smaller body mass, and had more alcohol-related dysmorphic features than those without PAE. Path analysis suggested that the impact of PAE on BP were through its indirect relationships with height, BMI, and dysmorphic features and resulted in protective effects relative to the Contrast group who were disproportionately overweight. In contrast, PAE was found to have a direct negative effect on endothelial function. An index of total alcohol-related dysmorphic features was negatively associated with both a direct effect on arterial stiffness and an indirect effect on endothelial function.

CONCLUSIONS
PAE's impact to vascular function is not independent of other common physical and environmental factors but endothelial function and arterial stiffness seemed most compromised after controlling for these other factors. Level of alcohol-related dysmorphic features seemed to be predictive of more adverse effects to endothelial function and vascular stiffness.


Two-d-old leaves which do not contain prolamellar bodies synthesize active protochlorophyllide in darkness. When protochlorophyllide is photoreduced by one intense white flash, a main chlorophyllide species emitting at 690 nm is formed. After the photoreduction, the emission maximum is shifted to 675 nm within 5 s. This result suggests that in young leaves, chlorophyllide formed after one flash is quickly released from the active site of NADPH : protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase. This interpretation is strenghtened by time-resolved fluorescence measurements at room temperature, showing that 675 nm emitting chlorophyllide does not transfer excitation energy to the 696 nm emitting chlorophyllide which is formed in very low amount. In 10-d-old bean leaves, the 690 nm chlorophyllide emitting species formed after one short flash undergoes the well known rapid and Shibata spectral shifts. The 675 nm emitting chlorophyllide appears only as a shoulder. At both ages, the fluorescence intensity of the active protochlorophyllide strongly decreases during and after photoreduction, suggesting rapid modifications in the close environment of the pigment.


Friction stir welding (FSW) is a recently developed method for making a rigid joint of materials that are otherwise hard to weld. It uses a rotating tool for softening the materials without reaching the melting point, and while the tool is moved along the joint line the plasticised material from the joined materials is mixed and hardened producing the solid phase bond. The article presents the authors' method for monitoring the Friction Stir Welding (FSW) processes with use of thermal imaging camera.FSW method is a new method and there are only few tools to assess the quality of the process, especially on-line, that is in the making of the weld. The authors propose a method for monitoring the FSW process using hybrid vision methods that is acquisition of the image of the weld with the use of a thermal imaging camera and visual band camera. The paper presents selected results of research performed using infrared imaging channel.The recorded thermograms allow identifying the weld defects and non-compliances during the process and using a thermal imaging camera, also allow detecting subsurface defects. The obtained results indicate its potential practical application but still the described application is to be further developed to become a part of a hybrid system for monitoring the FSW processes.


This study elaborates the bending process of Al 6061 aluminium alloy using three-point bend test. The permanent deformation takes place on the sheet metal strip as a result of severe plastic strain. One of the major issues in the sheet metal bending process is that the formation of spring back during unloading. This study involves combined design of experiment and finite element analysis to understand the bending and spring back behaviour of sheet metal. The elasto-plastic behaviour is studied by parametric numerical simulations. The static mechanical behaviour at ambient temperature is investigated for various thickness and radius of punch to achieve its correlations. The systematic approach is carried by developing numerical models of three-point bending of aluminium strips.


The compositions of short-chain carboxylates (formate, acetate, propionate and oxalate) and inorganic anions (F-, Cl- and SO2-4) in leachates of fluid inclusions from quartz in some granite-pegmatites were studied using ion chromatography. The compositions of oxygen isotope of quartz and hydrogen isotope of inclusion fluid in the mineral were determined, and microthermometric studies were also carried out. The results show the presence of formate and acetate in a small amount in leachates of fluid inclusions in quartz from the Dazhuangke granite-pegmatite, Yanqing County, Bejing. It is possible that short-chain carboxylates are present in high temperature hydrothermal fluids at the late stage of the granite evolution, the pegmatite stage.


The source of employment and wage data used in this study is the Covered Employment and Wages Program, jointly operated by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and State Employment Security Agencies. The program, commonly known as the ES-202 program, provides comprehensive wage and employment information by establishment for employees covered by state Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and federal workers covered by the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees Program. The data on state-insured workers are compiled from quarterly contribution reports submitted by employers subject to New Mexico law. Employment data pertaining to the federal government are obtained from similarly required reports submitted by the various government installations in New Mexico.


Remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) have become powerful techniques for sustainable planning and management of water resources. This research utilizes RS and GIS for the hypsometric curve (HC) and hypsometric integral (HI) estimation of nine sub-watersheds (SWs) of a hilly watershed "Bino", located in the upper Ramganga river basin in Uttarakhand State, India. The findings exposed three geological stages of the erosion cycle i.e., monadnock, mature and late youthful, and their HI ranges from 0.280 to 0.538 happened in the study SWs. The original soil mass in these subwatersheds is 28.0% to 53.8%. The results of this research could be useful for constructing suitable soil and water conservation structures at appropriate locations in the sub-watersheds of the Bino watershed.


David Witzthum is an Israeli television presenter and an editor and lecturer on German history and culture. He is the author of a number of books on topics such as Germany's relationship with Israel and the role of media during times of conflict. His latest book, The Beginning of a Wondrous Friendship?—The Story of Israeli–German Reconciliation 1948–1960 [Hebrew], was published by Schocken in 2018. This article expands upon his presentation at a symposium on German–Israeli relations jointly organized by the Israel Office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Israel Council on Foreign Relations on May 30, 2019.


Purpose of review Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has long been known to have genetic risk factors because of increased prevalence in the relatives of affected individuals. However, genome-wide association studies have only explained limited heritability in IBD. The observed globally rising incidence of IBD has implicated the role of environmental factors. The hidden unexplained heritability remains to be explored. Recent findings Recent aggregate evidence has highlighted the extent and nature of host genome–microbiome associations, a key next step in understanding the mechanisms of pathogenesis in IBD. An individual's gut microbiota is shaped not only by genetic but also by environmental factors like diet. Minimizing exposure of the intestinal lumen to selected food items has shown to prolong the remission state of IBD. Among a genetically susceptible host, the shift of gut microbiota (or 'dysbiosis') can lead to increasing the susceptibility to IBD. With the advances in high-throughput large-scale 'omics' technologies in combination with creative data mining and system biology-based network analyses, the complexity of biological functional networks behind the cause of IBD has become more approachable. Therefore, the hidden heritability in IBD has become more explainable, and can be attributable to the changing environmental factors, epigenetic modifications, and gene–host microbial ('in-vironmental') or gene–extrinsic environmental interactions. Summary This review discusses the perspectives of relevance to clinical translation with emphasis on gene–environment interactions. No doubt, the use of system-based approaches will lead to the development of alternative, and hopefully better, diagnostic, prognostic, and monitoring tools in the management of IBD.


Based on the energetics for hydrogen desorption from the interface between silicon and silicon-dioxide, we argue that the hard threshold for this effect may be considerably lower than the previously assumed value (∼3.6 eV). We support these findings further by recent experimental results related to the giant isotope effect in hydrogen related transistor degradation and the fact that degradation occurs also with relatively low supply voltages. We also show that the high threshold energy model is difficult to defend at these low voltages, even though electron–electron interactions provide a mechanism to create hot electrons with energies of ∼3.6 eV.


ObjectiveTo detect the efficacy of training method of coping function.Methods29 university students were treated with the training experiment of coping function by using measuring scale of coping function,measuring scale of general self-function and questionnaire about Beck depression.ResultsThe coping function in experimental group was significantly increased after training,while it did not showed significantly difference before and after training in control group.ConclusionThe training of coping function could significantly improve the coping function of university students.


Block dead zone scale generator 202, the input image signal and the prediction error, and interprets the picture or prediction performance of a target block, and outputs a dead zone scale suitable for illustration, the prediction performance of the block. Dead zone generating device 201, the block dead zone scale generator 202 is the dead zone scale and quantize the MB quantization parameter from the control device 103 as an input, and the dead from the zone scale and the MB quantization parameter zone from It calculates the width, and outputs the dead zone width. Quantization unit 102, with respect to an orthogonal transformation coefficient supplied from the orthogonal transformation unit 101, by using a dead zone from the dead zone generating apparatus 201 performs the quantization, and outputs the quantized transform coefficients. As a result, without using the quantization characteristic additional information, each transform coefficients, each block being a plurality of transformation coefficients as constituent elements to enable the strength of the quantization of freedom, it is possible to provide a high-quality image encoding technology. Dead zone scale, the dead zone width, MB (macro block), quantizing, visual sensitivity, the conversion factor, the image frames


The purpose of this study is to examine language abilities of school-aged children with multi-cultural background via Language Scale for School-aged Children (LSSC). The participants were a total of 45 school-age children: 15 children with multi-cultural backgrounds, 15 age-matched and 15 language-matched children from non-multicultural families. Language abilities of participants were measured using the LSSC, which was standardized test for assessing languages of school-aged children. The results were as follows; (1) There were significant difference in the total/receptive/expressive language score. (2) According to the language area, significant difference revealed in part of the semantics tests and all the syntax tests between children with multi- cultural backgrounds and age-matched peers. The results help to understand the overall language characteristics of school-aged children with multicultural backgrounds.


The effective channel length (LEFF) of a metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) as a function of gate voltage is extracted by a channel resistance method. It is observed that LEFF is strongly affected by the channel dopant nonuniformity and gate voltage. It is also weakly affected by the source–drain junction and substrate voltage. Considering these properties, we propose a new channel length definition, which is constant and obeys the classical current equation for MOSFETs with uniform channels, in order to provide a common channel length interpretation for both design and technology engineers.


Ret inopathy Diabetic retinopathy is an important long-term complication of DM and is the most frequent cause of new cases of blindness among adults 20–74 years of age (Figure 1).1 The mortality rate of patients with diabetic retinopathy is much higher than that of the general population.2 Eye disease in general is much more common among older adults than in younger populations, and studies by Whitmore3 and Mitchell, et al.4 have shown that the prevalence is even higher in nursing home residents. Many of these eye conditions are potentially treatable. In the Oulu Eye Study, a 21% prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was found in individuals with diabetes aged 70 years or older.5 An important point to note is that most patients are asymptomatic at the time that background diabetic retinopathy is detected. By the time patients notice any visual deterioration, retinopathy is usually well advanced.6


We performed in situ field emission (FE) measurements on vacuum nanodiodes with a dynamically tunable nanogap, ranging from 20 to 150 nm. The nanogap was precisely controlled by a scanning tungsten probe (anode) attached on the nanomotor, thereby allowing the accurate and flexible three-dimensional FE characterization for silicon nanowire emitters (cold cathode). Our experimental results show that the local field enhancement factor and the onset voltage are sensitively dependent on the nanogap size, agreeing quite well with the theoretical fitting curve. Moreover, efficient and low-power driving FE nanodevices are envisioned by aggressively reducing the nanogap and squeezing nanodiodes.


ABSTRACTSalele Timor Leste people have long known betel leaf, betel nut, and lime as ingredients for betel or toothbrush. The behavior of brushing teeth with betel nut peel is one way to take care of teeth which was believed by the ancestors. There are positive and negative effects on dental health. From a positive point of view, it inhibits the process of caries formation, while the negative effects of brushing teeth with betel nut peel on the teeth and gums can cause discoloration of the teeth (stain), periodontal disease on the oral mucosa, lesions on the oral mucosa, poor oral hygiene,  atrophy of the tongue mucosa and can cause abrasion.This research is an analytic observational study with a cross-sectional approach. The sample size used is 25 respondents with purposive sampling technique. The data were analyzed by univariate analysis (frequency distribution) and bivariate analysis (rank Spearman correlation test) to determine the relationship between the traditional habit of brushing teeth with betel nut peel on the incidence of abrasion. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between the tradition of brushing teeth with betel nut peel on the incidence of tooth abrasion. The frequency of brushing your teeth with betel nut peel more than twice a day can have bad effects on oral and dental health.


Topological insulators enable non-reciprocal light propagation that is insensitive to disorder and imperfections. Yet, despite considerable attention from the photonics community and beyond, the very feature that has inspired numerous proposals for applications of topological transport also turns out to be one of the main stumbling blocks for practical implementations: Accessing topologically protected states is generally assumed to require their protection to be lifted. We overcome this limitation by topology-entailed trivial (TET) states that arise from the hybridization of counter-propagating interface states. We demonstrate selective injection and extraction of light into topological states as well as long-range coherent light exchange between spatially separated topological channels. Our results highlight the potential of TET states as protection-preserving paradigm to manipulate the flow of light in topological platforms.


Objective To compare the pain influence of Cortisomol and zinc oxide eugenol paste after root canal filling.Methods A total of 160 permanent teeth which needed root canal therapy,were randomly divided into A group(the use of Cortisomol root canal filling paste) and B group(the use of root canal filling agent zinc oxide eugenol paste).The pain after one week(based on Negm's score) and the acute reaction of X-ray were assessed.Results The A group and B group patients' acute reaction were 6.6% and 10.8% in one week of root canal filling of X-ray,there were no significant difference between the A group and the B group(P 0.05).The A group and B group patients' pain were 9.2% and 12.2% in one week of root canal filling which based on Negm's score with no significant difference between the A group and the B group(P 0.05).Conclusion Application of Cortisomol or ZOE paste can significantly relieve the postoperative pain of root canal filling with no significant difference,which standard aseptic operation is the key to a satisfactory effect.


Conducting survival analysis on distributed healthcare data is an important research problem, as privacy laws and emerging data-sharing regulations prohibit the sharing of sensitive patient data across multiple institutions. The distributed healthcare survival data often exhibit heterogeneity, non-uniform censoring and involve patients with multiple health conditions (competing risks), which can result in biased and unreliable risk predictions. To address these challenges, we propose employing federated learning (FL) for survival analysis with competing risks. In this work, we present two main contributions. Firstly, we propose a simple algorithm for estimating consistent federated pseudo values (FPV) for survival analysis with competing risks and censoring. Secondly, we introduce a novel and flexible FPV-based deep learning framework named Fedora, which jointly trains our proposed transformer-based model, TransPseudo, specific to the participating institutions (clients) within the Fedora framework without accessing clients' data, thus, preserving data privacy. We conducted extensive experiments on both real-world distributed healthcare datasets characterized by non-IID and non-uniform censoring properties, as well as synthetic data with various censoring settings. Our results demonstrate that our Fedora framework with the TransPseudo model performs better than the federated learning frameworks employing state-of-the-art survival models for competing risk analysis.


In its particularity, African Catholic theology had its foundation in mission theology, a theology that facilitated the establishment of Christianity in Africa. As part of contemporary African theology (Theologia Africana), it was launched in the 1950s when young African intellectuals, writers, philosophers, and theologians began to question the authenticity of missionary Christianity in Africa. It is influenced by the long standing tradition of Catholic scholarship in the articulation of the tenets of faith for the African Church. In other words, African Catholic theology is a critical Christian response by African theologians, church leaders, and the ordinary people to cultural, social, and political issues that affect the people of Africa. Done in the spirit of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, African Catholic theology is an "intellectual reception" of the Second Vatican Council in Africa. Thus, African Catholic theology fulfills functional, apologetic, foundational, pastoral, systematic, and hermeneutical functions in service of the church and society. Today, African Catholic theology continues to render an intellectual explication of the way in which the Catholic faith is lived, celebrated, and internalized for authentic Catholicism. And, African Catholic theologians are "interpreters" or "critical articulators" of the encounter between the Catholic faith and African cultural heritage. Introduction The story of African Christianity is a multifaceted and complex narrative often told from a Eurocentric perspective. The Eurocentric portrayal of Christianity compounds the way in which Africans understand the


Based on the book of Chinese plants (Vol. 1 and Vol. 2) and the national important wild conservative plants list,there are 39 families, 66 genera , 77 species of the rare and endangered plants in Dabashan Nature Reserve, including 1 family ,1 genus,1 specie Pteridophyte, 5 families ,8 genera, 12 species Gymnosperm and 33 families ,57 genera and 64 species Angiosperm.In terms of growing types, the rare and endangered plants in Dabashan Nature Reserve consist of 45 arbors, 3 shrubs, 21 herbs and 8 vines. The features of the rare and endangered plants in this area are ancient origin ,obvious endemism ,complicated elements. Some proposals for pretecting these resources are presented according to their growing types,distribution and endangered causes.


Katrina was an exceptionally large and intense hurricane causing an estimated $75 billion in damage and 1,336 deaths across five states. The sheer physical size of Katrina caused devastation far from the eye, with an estimated radius of maximum winds extending nearly 56 km, making Katrina quite possibly the largest hurricane of its strength on record. On 29 August, Katrina's storm surge breached the levee system that protected New Orleans, flooding nearly 80% of the city and permanently destroying 275,000 to 300,000 homes. The extent, magnitude, and impacts of the damages caused by Katrina are astounding, resulting in public outrage in the U.S. government's response to the disaster, and a realization that further studies are vital to better understand landfalling Gulf Coast hurricanes. Since the late 1960s, numerous studies have been conducted to better understand the rapid intensification (RI) a tropical cyclone (TC) undergoes over the open ocean. While forecasting TC intensity changes prior to landfall is imperative, understanding the structure and decay patterns of TCs post-landfall and when the TC is only a few hundred kilometers off the coast, is crucial since populations continue to increase in these vulnerable coastal regions. TCs are driven by latent heat flux over the warm ocean surface. This heat flux increases rapidly with increasing wind speed, making mature TCs effective heat engines. Upon landfall, this latent heat flux shuts down and frictional dissipation decreases the storm's kinetic energy, causing the storm to dissipate and the eye to fill with clouds and precipitation. This study aims to document the decay patterns of Hurricane Katrina as it made landfall along the Gulf Coast using land-based NEXRAD radar reflectivity and radial velocity data. Section 2 provides a literary background of previous landfalling TC studies, followed by a synoptic summary of Katrina and a discussion of RI periods in section 3. The WSR-88D radar and NCAR Solo


AIM To study the relationship between expression of fas gene and cardiac pathological changes in rheumatic heart disease. METHODS Streptavidin Biotin peroxidase complex (SABC) methods and collagen staining were used to observe fas gene expression and the extent of myocardial fibrosis. Echocardiograms were performed to estimate the patient′s heart function. RESULTS fas immunoreactivity was detected in 25 out of 32 cases of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and 2 out of 10 cases of the normal control.


We demonstrate a theoretical expression that successfully reproduces rate constants of reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) ranging over five orders of magnitude in twenty different molecules exhibiting thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF).


The direct selling retail channel is often abused by rogue trades which triggers Draconian responses from national legislators. As a result, the direct selling industry in the EU is restricted by a number divergent trade barriers. At the chore of the problem lies the conflict of interest between the liberalization of trade in respect of the direct selling industry and Member States' freedom to impose stringent regulations in order to favor consumers' economic interests.The current paper assesses direct selling trade barriers' compatibility with European law, and in particular, the fundamental freedoms of the internal market and the relevant secondary law regulating consumer protection, fair trading law and the provision of services.Through the comparative analysis of the CJEU's jurisprudence concerning four direct selling trade barriers, it was found that the unworkable rigidity of the Keck formula has significantly hampered the Court's efforts to give clear rulings on the assessed cases, although curiously, in none of the four cases did the Court pronounce that direct selling trade barriers were in compliance with the free movement of goods principle.The Consumer Rights Directive is expected to bring about much needed clarity and legal certainty in respect to direct selling trade barriers. Complemented by the assessment of relevant provisions of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and the Services Directive, it was concluded that as of the entry into force of the Consumer Rights Directive, the introduction or maintenance of direct selling trade barriers will no longer be legitimate under European law.


In the hydrogenation of phenylacetylene by PdCI2 and 5% Pd/A120J, two Pd(II) intermediate complexes have been identified. The intermediate of PdCI2/PHC = CH reaction mixtures is [PdCI2(PhC= CH)]2, (I), and the intermediate of Pd/A120/PhC=CH reaction mixtures is [Pd(PhC= C}z(PhC= CH}z],(II). A mixture of intermediates (I) and (D) is formed when a few drops of cone, HCI are added to the hydrogenation mixture of PdI A1203 and PhC = CH. These two intermediates, which are also formed when hydrogen is not present, have been identified by IR and UV/ vis spectroscopy. Also, with PdCI2catalyst, a black colloidal Pd-metal is precipitated and HCI gas is evolved. The selectivity of PdCI2 and PdlAl203 towards the production of styrene are 74% and 97%, respectively. The selectivity of PdlAl203 in the presence of a few drops of cone. HCI is 73%. The rate of hydrogenation of phenylacetylene by PdI A1203 is 4 times higher than that when PdCI2 is used as a catalyst.


The Canadian Ice Service (CIS) is receiving hundreds of SAR images daily with almost a 9 complete coverage of the Canada navigable waters for monitoring and mapping of seasonal sea and 10 lake ice. In order to efficiently use and analyze such a large amount and a wide areal extent of data, 11 short-term (i.e. 12 hours to a few days) high-resolution mosaic products are of interest. Among these 12 SAR images Sentinel-1 data have been known with an issue of border noise which needs to be 13 removed before generating a seamless mosaic. A method using line-by-line scanning and filtering 14 is proposed, which traces an extreme jump between two neighboring pixels along every scan line. 15 The results show this method can remove the noise precisely while retaining the rest of the valid 16 data. For visual display, analysis, and interpretation, such as that done at the CIS, a tone-balanced 17 smooth mosaic is of interest and value to ice analysts in displaying overall ice distribution and in 18 viewing and comparing cross-region ice conditions. To address this, a scene boundary match 19 balancing method is developed. These short-term mosaic products are proved very helpful in daily 20 ice analysis and macroscopic ice drift measurement. 21


The derivation of formulae to express the isotropic, as well as the anisotropic, part of the Rayleigh factor of pure liquids in the characteristics of the polarizability tensor of the free molecules is reviewed. The effect of the internal electric field on each of the two types of scattering is indicated. The formulae obtained have been applied to experimental results. For anisotropic scattering, additional effects, such as orientation correlation of the molecules, or anisotropy of the internal field, may be taken into account.