Abstract Chi-squared tests are considered for testing homogeneity against an order restriction and for testing an order restriction against all alternatives on multinomial parameters. Closed-form expressions are obtained for the minimum chi-squared estimator and the Neyman modified chi-squared estimator. The asymptotic equivalence between these chi-squared tests and the likelihood ratio test is established. The latter has been studied by Robertson (1978). Their asymptotic null distribution is the chi-bar-squared distribution. These chi-squared tests are applied to a numerical example in horse racing. Also included are the results of some simulation studies conducted to investigate the rate of convergence to the limiting null distributions and to compare the powers of these tests. Chi-squared tests are widely used statistical tools for making inferences about a collection p 1, p 2, …, pk of multinomial parameters. Many such collections encountered in practice exhibit a trend. For instance, pi may represent...


Recent studies suggest that the incidence of urolithiasis has been increasing. In the eastern part of Croatia urolithiasis is a common urologic disease. Stone analysis is an important examination for the treatment and the prevention of recurrence in urolithiasis. Aim was to determine the stone composition in the patients from Slavonija, region of eastern Croatia. We collected 2356 stone samples (male 1362, female 994) and performed stone analysis from 1990 to 2007. Stone samples were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) - Shimadzu infrared spectroscopy and were categorized according to their main component. Our study shows a male predominance of urolithiasis with a sex ratio 1, 37. The most common form of stones were: Calcium oxalate monohydrate was the predominant component (59, 72%), Calcium oxalate dihidrat (14, 69), uric acid (9.16%), Ca-hydroxyapatite (12, 95%), Ca-hydroxyl phosphate (0, 67%), Uric acid – dihidrat (1, 02%), Cystin (0, 93%, ) Ammonium urate (0.17%) , Struvit (0, 17%). In 62 % of cases, the calculi were of mixed composition with two or three main component. Our results are similar to the results in other industrialized countries. As observed in most countries, calcium oxalate was the most frequent component of the stones.


A test of congruence among distance matrices is described. It tests the hypothesis that several matrices, containing different types of variables about the same objects, are congruent with one another, so they can be used jointly in statistical analysis. Raw data tables are turned into similarity or distance matrices prior to testing; they can then be compared to data that naturally come in the form of distance matrices. The proposed test can be seen as a generalization of the Mantel test of matrix correspondence to any number of distance matrices. This paper shows that the new test has the correct rate of Type I error and good power. Power increases as the number of objects and the number of congruent data matrices increase; power is higher when the total number of matrices in the study is smaller. To illustrate the method, the proposed test is used to test the hypothesis that matrices representing different types of organoleptic variables (colour, nose, body, palate and finish) in single‐malt Scotch whiskies are congruent.


The problems dealing with the design and origin of some early basilicas in the young just Christianized states formed in Central Europe in the 10th century (in the lands of the Piasts in Poland, th...


Vitamin A (VA) is an essential micronutrient in fish, vital for reproduction, vision and immunity. Freshwater fish species store and use VA in the form of retinol (ROL), as well as uncommon forms such as 3,4-didehydroretinol (DROL) and 3-hydroxyretinol (3ROL). We developed and validated an HPLC method capable of measuring ROL, DROL and 3ROL in the feed and tissues of North American freshwater fish, for which little information on retinoid concentrations is available. DROL and ROL were higher than expected in both fish feed and fish liver (at 9.5–29.6 mg kg−1 DROL and 26.9–79.2 mg kg−1 ROL for feed; and 19.8–548.8 μg g−1 DROL and 10.4–128.8 μg g−1 ROL for liver). Interestingly, DROL concentrations were lower than ROL in fish feed, but often substantially higher in fish liver. Concentrations of ROL and DROL were similar to each other in muscle. 3ROL was detected in fish liver only. To our knowledge, this is the first publication to measure DROL concentrations in North American farm-raised fish and commercial fish feed. Monitoring of not only ROL, but DROL and 3ROL as well, may be advisable to better assess the VA content of fish feed and tissue.


Quantitative modeling of software aging and rejuvenation has been the object of a vast literature in the last decades. Due to the probabilistic nature of the phenomena to which these studies are devoted, the models rely on the theory of stochastic processes. The present Chapter is intended to provide an overview of the methods and analytical solution techniques related to the stochastic processes that are more often encountered in the literature on software aging and rejuvenation. The Chapter is particularly addressed to researchers who want to have an initial approach to these topics.


Querying geospatial data from multiple heterogeneous sources backed by different management technologies poses an interesting problem in the data integration and in the subsequent result interpretation. This paper proposes broker techniques for answering a user's complex spatial query: finding relevant data sources (from a catalogue of data sources) capable of answering the query, eventually splitting the query and finding relevant data sources for the query parts, when no single source suffices. For the purpose, we describe each source with a set of prototypical queries that are algorithmically arranged into a lattice, which makes searching efficient. The proposed algorithms leverage GeoSPARQL query containment enhanced with OWL 2 QL semantics. A prototype is implemented in a system called OnGIS.


The use of crown flax as herb is proved. The kinds of cultivated plants, optimum and aggressive for crown flax on them allelopathic activity are centain. The offered scale of allelopathic action can be applied at an estimation of cultures of varios purpose, including medicinal.


The Silk Road Pattern (SRP) is an upper-tropospheric teleconnection pattern along the Asian westerly jet in summer on the interannual time scale, and it exerts great influences on the climate of the Eurasian continent. Results in the present study indicate that the SRP exhibits considerable distinctions between early and late summers (i.e., 1 June–9 July and 10 July–31 August, respectively). The SRP is stronger and more geographically fixed in late summer in comparison with its counterpart in early summer. Furthermore, the SRP is closely connected with the summer North Atlantic Oscillation (SNAO) in late summer, but not in early summer. This closer connection in late summer is manifested clearly in the leading mode of upper-tropospheric meridional wind anomalies over the North Atlantic–Eurasian continent domain. The intensified SNAO–SRP relationship in late summer can be explained by the subseasonal change of the SNAO: albeit being a seesaw pattern common in both early and late summers, there is a shift of this pattern toward the northwest–southeast one in late summer from a north–south one in early summer. The southeastern pole of SNAO in late summer extends into the Eurasian continent, and efficiently triggers the SRP to propagate along the Asian jet. By contrast, the south pole of SNAO in early summer is confined over the North Atlantic and is thus less effective to trigger the SRP propagation.


Effect of two groups of stimulant, fMLP and lectins, on the movement of rat lymphocyte was investigated in a modified Boyden's apparatus. Lymphocyte suspension was put in the upper chamber, and after incubation, the number of lymphocyte in the lower chamber was counted to determine the migration rate. The stimulants were added either in the lower chamber only or in both chambers.Lymphocytes showed two types of movement, random movement and chemotaxis. When stimulated by lectins (PHA and ConA), lymphocytes increased a random movement, which depended on the concentration of the lectin but not on the concectration gradient. On the other hand, when stimulated by fMLP, lymphocytes increased a chemotaxis, which depended on the concentration gradient of fMLP but not on the concentration itself.From the results, it was concluded that lectins could increase the locomotion of rat lymphocytes, and that the lymphocytes had two types of movability, a random movement and chemotaxis.


Abstract The rapid expansion of mandarin (Citrus reticulata L.) production areas with high agrochemical input in the highland areas of northern Thailand has resulted in negative effects in terms of production, environment, soil quality, and public health. The use of microorganisms as plant growth promoters is an alternative method to reduce agrochemical input. Thus, we studied the diversity of endophytic actinomycetes in mandarin and their potential as plant growth promoters. A total of 252 endophytic actinomycete isolates were recovered from mandarin. Based on spore chain morphology, cell wall type, and 16S rRNA gene sequence, the isolates were classified into six genera: Streptomyces, Nocardia, Nocardiopsis, Spirillospora, Microbispora and Micromonospora. The most frequent isolates recovered were members of Streptomyces (85.3%). Selected isolates (64 isolates) from these genera were evaluated for their indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production potential in a medium with 2 mg mL−1 tryptophan, and all the selected isolates showed the potential to produce IAA, with average values of IAA production of 13.34, 3.36, 140.38, 12.55, 1.40, and 6.19 µg IAA mL−1, respectively. Isolates of genus Nocardiopsis showed a very high ability to produce IAA that was the highest among all the genera, with values ranging from 62.23 to 222.75 µg mL−1. Twelve isolates selected from these genera were inoculated onto mandarin seedlings, and the results indicated that the shoot height, fresh shoot weight and fresh root weight of the seedlings were promoted by the inoculation of endophytic actinomycetes, with values ranging from 20.2 to 49.1%, 14.9 to 53.6%, and 1.6 to 102% over the control, respectively.


AbstractAt any given ink film thickness, the spectral reflectance of a colour litho print is dependent on the combined optical and spectral properties of the ink and substrate.The theory and practice of computerised colour matching for litho printing onto metallic surfaces is described. A series of results covering different application areas is included together with a summary of the advantages and limitations of the system.


The chapter on "worship and sacrament" provides theological and practical explanation for Methodist views on baptism and the Lord's Supper. If Harmon seems a bit defensive, particularly toward Baptists in regard to infant baptism, his description of the service of communion is an indictment on those denominations which are often indifferent to the significance of the supper. Likewise, he reminds us of the difference in "decent ritual" and cold formality.


Part of the Twintec International Group of Companies, Twintec Industrial Flooring, based in Rugby, Warwickshire, has recently designed and installed a 55,000 m 2 industrial floor slab. The project is a distribution centre for J. Sainsbury Stores Ltd, at Waltham Abbey, Essex, close to the M25 motorway.


The expediency of integration of the competence and contextual methods of teaching mathematics at the technical universities points at the relevance of the elaboration of the competence-contextual methodological training system enabling to form the competence of students by means of professionally oriented instruction in mathematics. The purpose of methodical system is the formation and the development of mathematical competence of future bachelors, as an integral part of their general cultural and professional competences. The author identifies five structural components of the notion of mathematical competence. The elaborated methods of teaching mathematics are aimed at the training and cognitive activity of students, teaching them quasiprofessional activity, development of self-dependence, discovery of creative potential, establishing connection with their future profession, development of students' reflexive activity. The tasks of the teaching methods are framed, the means, the methods and the forms of students' academic work and training activity required to solve these tasks are recognized and justified.


For the dead zone effect in which IGBT exists,the paper solved the dead zone compensation of two key issues:proposed use of reconfigurable voltage deadband compensation method by avoiding the zero-phase current through the direct detection of the first phase currents to be after filtering inverse transform processing to obtain the actual dead time of the IGBT,and appropriate compensation in software.Finally,after completing the pure integral problem by voltage flux observer compensation effect,the experimental results verify the feasibility and validity of the method.


Nanoparticles are produced by chemical methods which are usually environmentally hazardous because of the use of various perilous chemicals and harsh reaction conditions. Bio-mediated synthesis using microbes has been proved to be a promising substitute for traditional methods to synthesize nanoparticles. Herein, based on the principles of biomimetic mineralization, a bio-mediated strategy was proposed to synthesize biocompatible barium carbonate nanoparticles (nBaCO3) in living yeast cells according to the intracellular biochemical reactions using tactfully the interaction of endogenous CO32− and exogenous Ba2+ under normal growth conditions of the yeast cells. The intracellular nBaCO3 are well-dispersed and the diameter of the nanoparticles is successfully controlled at about 5 nm under mild conditions. The bio-mediated strategy to obtain nanomaterials can be universally applied to biosynthesize other kinds of components with good biocompatibility. This biosynthesis route for barium carbonate nanoparticles mediated by the cells not only presents a green and facile design to synthesize well-tailored nanomaterials using a biomineralization-inspired strategy but may also lead to new insights for nanotechnology.


ABSTRACT. Arboreal snakes have evolved for a life in the aboveground vegetation where they are faced with the challenge of movement through an unstable substratum. Many species have ridged bodies that allow them to bridge gaps in the forest, saving them from descending to the ground and back up another plant. I tested the cantilevering ability of five species of Panamanian snakes in the laboratory and made additional observations in the wild. Even among the most highly specialized arboreal snakes there are differences in mean and maximum cantilevering distance.


A study was conducted in the Peace River region of north-western Canada with three cultivars (Boreal, Jasper, Jasper E) of creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L. var. rubra) to identify cultivar-specific management practices for seed production. Experimental treatments included four methods of establishment [Broadcast; 30-cm rows; 15-cm rows; 15-cm rows with sulfur (56 kg ha-1 SulFer 0-0-0-95)], 10 nitrogen (N as 34-0-0) fertilizer treatments, and three methods of post-harvest management prior to winter (flail mowing and residue removal; disc mowing and residue removal; short-duration, intensive grazing with sheep) plus crop residue removal at seed harvest. Total seed yield over 2 consecutive production years was greatest with 30-cm rows although a higher first-year yield was realized with 15-cm rows. In the first production year, establishment in rows produced higher seed yield than broadcasting but, in the second, the converse was true. Within-row supplementation with sulfur decreased the total seed yiel...


In order to compare and contrast different types of subaltern subjectivities represented in literary texts, it is necessary to conceptualize certain terms and notions about the process of the construction of identities, its relationship to structures of power, subalternity, borders, life in the hyphen and immigration. The definition of the term subjectivity inhabits within diverse disciplines such as anthropology, psychology and philosophy, among others, and within critics, theorists and thinkers throughout history. Thus, the definition of subjectivity is a complex one but it presupposes the juxtaposition of the structures of the "I," a structure associated to an existential self-determination, which is always in process, and to a conscious relationship with one ́s self, and its 106170410 HILDA GAIRAUD RUÍZ DR. PRINCIPAL 01/01/2021 21/12/2021 10 HR


Nonlocal-means provides a powerful framework for denoising. However, there are some issues of it. In this letters, we proposed some improvements for solve or alleviating the influence of the issues. First, we show the connection between the NL-means and robust M-estimator framework, and propose a modified robust M-estimator function for NL-means. Then, we introduced the structure similar for searching the similar patches. And then, we propose a iterative theme for using it to improve the quality. Finally, extensive simulation results reveal that the proposed improvements are useful for denoising procedure.


Construction of large water project can modify river flow regime,and thus cause an impact on the pollutant processes of dilution,dispersion,degradation and transformation accordingly,the extent of near\|bank pollution belt will also be modified.The authors analyze a water source pollution event occurred in a reservoir of Hengyang City,Hunan Province.The respective features of near\|bank pollution belts in both the natural channel before reservoir construction and the channel reservoir are studied through an analysis of the flow conditions and the water quality situation and a simulation of both the flow field and the pollutant concentration field at that time when the pollution event occurred.On the basis of the study,some initial views and knowledge are put forward about the environmental issues that are usually easy to be neglected in environmental impact assessment.


One of the major contributors to water loss is unknown underground leaks in the distribution system, most of which go undetected for long periods of time. Aggressive leakage control programs can usually locate 50‐75 percent of unaccounted‐for water, which is the difference between the water delivered to the distribution system and the amount of water sold to customers. This article discusses using sonic leak detection, and also the benefits of a leak detection program.


OBJECTIVE To develop HPLC and nonaqueous acid-base titration for the determination of nifekalant hydrochloride and its related substances for quality control.METHODS Chromatography was carried out on a Shimadzu CLC-ODS column (6 mm×150 mm,5 μm), using the mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.02 mol·L-1 phosphate buffer(pH 5.0 adjusted by sodium hydroxide solution 25∶75) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min-1. The ultraviolet detection wavelength was set at 268 nm,the column temperature was 30 ℃. RESULTS Under the established chromatographic conditions,nifekalant hydrochloride and the related substances were separated completely.The method was validated, and stability tests under various conditions were performed.The standard curve was linear within the range of 5~100 mg·L-1 with the correlation coefficient of 0.999 9, the limit of detection was 0.2 ng. CONCLUSION The established methods were simple, accurate,specific and could be used for quality control of nifekalant hydrochloride.


The present paper is an attempt at the clarification of the relationship between language and politics. Previous studies involving both language and politics can be apparently divided into two major research fields: "language of politics" and "politics of language." However, a close examination of the differences between them will show that, in addition to the important and useful differences, these two fields have one critical underlying property in common, that is, they both involve a selection from linguistic alternatives. On the basis of the concept of the selection, we will propose an integrative model which enables us to understand the issue of "language and politics" in a unified way. Introduction There have been many studies dealing both language and politics. It can be said that most of them aim at deeper understanding of some aspects of politics. Even if the author declares that the subject of his or her study is language or political language (Corcoran 1979: xi-xiii), and not politics proper, the study must perforce aim at "the comprehension of the political effects [our emphasis]" (Corcoran 1979: xiv). Of course, there are exceptions which are intended for other purposes. In the present paper, we will limit our discussion to those studies involving language and politics which aim partially at least at the understanding of some aspects of politics. It seems that these studies can be roughly divided into two broad categories. One group of them address the issue of "language of politics," while the other address the issue of "politics of language." The former deal primarily with political language or language used in politics or verbal behavior in politics, while the latter deal primarily with language politics or politics over language issues. It is obvious that politics over the selection of the official language of a state is a research theme quite different from the political function(s) of the language of political leadership. A


A study is conducted on the factors affecting erosion behavior of ceramic materials such as environment parameters(impact angle,velocity,time,teperature of the target),Characteristics of erodent particles(hardness,size and shape)and the properties of the target materials(hardness,fracture toughness and microstructure).


Abstract A procedure for real-time adjustment of range-dependent biases in Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler version (WSR-88D) rainfall estimates due to nonuniform vertical profile of reflectivity is proposed. Using volume-scan measurements of effective reflectivity, the procedure estimates conditional mean and variance profiles of point reflectivity in the vertical and calculates, as a function of elevation angle and slant range, a multiplicative adjustment factor to be applied to the apparent radar rain rate. As a by-product, the maximum effective coverage of radar is also delineated, outside of which radar rainfall estimates are subject to beam overshooting. To evaluate the procedure, unadjusted and adjusted radar rainfall estimates from a Pacific Northwest winter storm are examined and compared with rain gauge data.


DER ROMISCHE SCHATZFUND VON STRAUBING. By J. KEIM and HANS KLUMBACH, (Munchner Beitrage zur Vorund Fruhgeschichte, Band 3), 4to pp. I-VIII, 1-42, pls. 1-46, figs. 1-2, I map ; C. H. Beck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Munich, 1951 ; Price, D M . 18.50. The very notable hoard here described was found during building operations in October, 1950, just under two miles southwest of the Roman fort of StraubingSorviodurum on the Danube. It included parts of eight parade helmets, five greaves, eight chamfrons, seven bronze statuettes, four bases for statuettes, a few miscellaneous bronze objects and a very diverse mass of iron implements, including weapons, tools, hippo-sandals, fittings and nails, all found close to or covered by a bronze camp-kettle of Roman military type. The great variety of the objects indicates that they are a collection of scrap-metal, comparable in diversity with such cauldron-hoards as the Santon Downham, Carlingwark, or Blackburn Mill hoards in Britain. That some of the Straubing objects were of exceptional beauty has nothing to do with their appearance in such a hoard. But the context of the hoard is obscure. The find-spot was within 130 yards of a Roman ailla, but in ground honeycombed with remains of more primitive settlement, and the real relationship of the objects to these adjacent structures is unrevealed. Four of the visor-masks have something in common with the well-known British examples from Newstead, though their features, which are less stylized, with intense brows and hair blocked out in Pergamene style, owe much to Hellenistic fashion and less to Western art. Only one head-piece, from a helmet otherwise unrepresented, exhibits a coiffure readily comparable with the Newstead examples. Three further visormasks are much more remarkable, with hair fantastically dressed in a high peaked coiffure with small tight curls and central parting, essentially Oriental in type. Their physiognomy is also Eastern. The noses display a marked hook and the mouths are small, tight and down-turned, with bronze vertical strips between parted lips, creating the illusion of wide-spaced teeth. Remarkable though the visor-masks are, the associated accoutrements are, however, no less notable and even rarer. In the Straubing hoard there are five greaves. Two are said to form a pair, and certainly bear inscriptions of turma or turmae named after the same two decurions, but the lack of symmetry in minor detail leads this reviewer at least to wonder whether they are not single pieces from two very similar sets, once allotted together to the same successive squadrons. The other three pieces are certainly single examples from lost pairs, and all were regimental equipment, issued to different squadrons or officers at different times, as is shown by the occurrence of no less than four grajiti on one piece. On these pieces there is full scope for a fine range of symbolic decoration. Mars, Hercules, Minerva, the Dioscuri and Ganymede, Jupiter's favourite, figure on greaves and knee-caps, all with intimate reference to the Roman army and its divine protectors. Comparable decoration appears also on the chamfrons, which comprise five and a fragment covering the full head and two which protect the eyes and forehead only. All except one of the larger chamfrons have basketpattern eye-shields, like the actual examples from Chesters and Corbridge or the figured examples assigned to Sarmatian cataphracts on Trajan's Column. The exception has for an eye-piece a pierced Gorgon-head, and one of the smaller chamfrons has similarly a pierced head of Ganymede. The eyeshields of the smaller pieces also have a pointed terminal like those of peltae and one is similarly finished with an eagle's head. The intriguing Eastern visor-masks bear no inscriptions. All the rest of the inscribed equipment, comprising one visor-mask, one head-piece, three greaves, one knee-cap, and four chamfrons, bear the names of turmae or their officers. The proportion is so large as to suggest that all came from a mounted regiment. Thus, while at first sight


Epidemiology, R. Rowland biokinetics and analytics, A. Kaul dosimetry, K. Eckermann mechanisms of internal radiation carcinogenesis, R. Masse animal studies in comparison with the human situation, B. Boecker molecular biology investigations, H. Hofler genetic background, M. Schwab radiological protection consequences, J. Stather risk comparison - alpha-emitters, N. Priest current status of the studies in humans special problems in the human studies.


These Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne EPFL, n° 221 (1975) Reference doi:10.5075/epfl-thesis-221Print copy in library catalog Record created on 2005-03-16, modified on 2016-08-08


New Zealand is currently reforming its emergency management structures and frameworks. The aim of the reform is to shift the focus from responding to emergencies once they have occurred, to managing the risks each community is subject to, and creating resilient communities. The newly established Ministry for Emergency Management aims to link together existing processes involved in land-use management, risk (hazard) reduction, and sustainable development, in a way that supports economic and social development, on the one hand, and reduces social and economic risk on the other. In doing so, a comprehensive approach is being taken to address the legislative framework; local government structures; training, education, and research sectors available to emergency management practitioners. This paper outlines the reforms, placing them within the context of the risks New Zealand is subjected to, as well as the wider reform of most sectors of the economy since the 1980s.


The aim of this research study is the preparation and characterization of graded glass—ceramic scaffolds that are able to mimic the structure of the natural bone tissue, formed by cortical and cancellous bone. The material chosen for the scaffolds preparation is a glass belonging to the system SiO 2—P2O5—CaO—MgO—Na 2O—K2O (CEL2). The glass was synthesized by a conventional melting—quenching route, ground, and sieved to obtain powders of specific size. The scaffolds were fabricated using different methods: polyethylene burn-off, sponge replication, a glazing-like technique, and combinations of these methods. The scaffolds were characterized through morphological observations, density measurements, volumetric shrinkage, mechanical tests, and in vitro bioactivity tests. The features of the scaffolds prepared using the different methods were compared in terms of morphological structure, pores content, and mechanical strength. The proposed scaffolds effectively mimic the cancellous/cortical bone system in terms of structure, porosity, and mechanical strength, and they exhibit a highly bioactive behavior. Therefore, these graded grafts have a great potential for biomedical applications and can be successfully proposed for the substitution of load-bearing bone portions.


In the current scenario [1] with an increase of traffic (due to the proliferation of the internet of things, the rise of the philosophy of always connected and the increase in multimedia services, cloud, videoconferencing and its associated traffic) along with the proliferation of attacks and new threats, there is a need for fast and adaptable defense models. There are different approaches when dealing with the study of network traffic, but the use of the aggregation approach, both in the capture as in the analysis, comes to partially solve the problems of the huge amounts of traffic that support day-to-day traffic of the organizations. The aggregation allows grouping the traffic, at any given time, in a sequence of packets that share certain values, getting this way reduce the volume of data to be processedwithout losing the relevant information. Despite the reduction in the volume of information, achieved through the use of flows, the use of Big Data techniques to analyze it is still necessary. The current boom in machine learning techniques, hereinafter ML, together with the growth, availability and simplicity of use of distributed computing, provide us with the necessary tools to undertake the tasks focused on the analysis of aggregate traffic. The main objective of this project is to compare and understand different ML techniques applied to the real-time detection of anomalous behaviors in a network's traffic. In a transversal way we will focus on aspects such as the capture of flows or the implementation and deployment of a distributed solution as tools to provide our model with the expected characteristics of performance and scalability..


The invention discloses a balance arm mechanism. The balance arm is provided with an adjustable pull cable tension system which is capable of adjusting the tension; the system comprises a pull cable, an extension spring and a pull cable adjusting mechanism; the pull cable adjusting mechanism is capable of adjusting the total length of the pull cable along with the rotation angle of a balance arm; the total length of the pull cable comprises the length of the extension spring and the length of the pull cable; the pull cable adjusting mechanism is implemented according to the characteristics of the sum of the legs of a right triangle ABC: FORMULA as shown in specification; in the formula, a and b are the opposite sides of the angle A and the angle B of the triangle ABC, the angle C is a right angle, and R is the radius of the circumcircle of the right triangle ABC; based on the characteristics of the sum of the legs of the right triangle, when the legs are one part of the pull cable of the pull cable tension system of a balance arm and when the balance arm rotates, the right-angle vertex of the right angle ABC can be driven by a mechanical structure to rotate along with the balance arm and to synchronously move on line in a circumcircle arc of the right triangle ABC, and then tension of the adjustable pull cable tension system on the balance arm changes along with the rotation angle of the balance arm.


Airborne fungi are important food contaminants and spoiling agents, especially in fruits and their derivatives. This study aimed at identifying the main fungi in the airborne microbiota in a fruit pulp industry, located in Paraiba State , and to investigate the antifungal action of terpenes as an alternative for controlling fungal growth. The Petri plates containing Sabouraud dextrose agar with chloramphenicol (50 µg/mL) were exposed for collecting the fungi. The plates were incubated at 28 °C for seven days ; then the colony forming unitscounting, and description were performed. The identification of fungi was performed by the morphological analysis of isolated colonies. The main group of fungi isolated throughout the industry was Cladosporium spp. Antifungal tests were performed by diffusion technique in solid medium with discs containing terpenes: carvacrol, citronellal, citral, linalool, thymol, terpinolene, p-cymene and β-caryophyllene. The effectiveness of some of these terpenes against Cladosporium spp. strains was shown, especially citral and carvacrol. Based on these results, the fruit pulp industry shows vulnerable ambient air, notably with high contamination by


Endemic fluorosis is widely prevalent in India where sixty million of the population in 200 districts of 20 states is at risk. Already six million Indians are disabled because of fluorosis and a tenth of them might develop neurological sequelae. Fluorosis in humans is predominantly dental and skeletal. This study was done in September 2011 to know the level of dental fluorosis in primary school children in urban field practice area of S.N.Medical College, Bagalkot and to associate between malnutrition and jowar consumption. Socio demographic profile and source of drinking water data were collected. Anthropometric measurements were recorded and body mass index percentile calculated. Dental fluorosis was assessed according to Dean's fluorosis index. Drinking water samples were analyzed for total hardness and fluoride by Orion PH meter 920 A model with fluoride pH electrode Out of 227 children enrolled from standard I to VII (6 years to 12 years of age) in the Government Primary School, 171 (75.33%) were present on the day of the study. It was observed that 102 students (59.65%) had Dental fluorosis and in them 72(70.59%) were under weight. Water analysis revealed that samples from 5 borewells were not potable.


Ginsenoside glucosidase gene was subcloned into expression vector of pET32a(+) to construct the recombinant plasmid.The recombinant plasmid was then transformed into E.coli BL21(DE3) and induced by IPTG.The expressed products were solubilized and refolded to be an active form.The result indicated that the purpose protein of inclusion body expression was obtained under the condition of 0.5 mmol/L IPTG at 30 ℃ for 4 h.And SDS-PAGE analysis suggested its molecular weight is about 75 ku.TLC analysis showed that the target protein has activity of ginsenoside glucosidase.


Unconsummated marriage is a common medical and social problem in andrology clinics in conservative communities. However, its etiological factors remain unclear. Erectile dysfunction, vaginismus, premature ejaculation and desire disorders are factors, inherent in addition, to psychogenic, organic and social factors which represent etiological factors. This case series aimed to define the probable etiology of unconsummated marriage. With similar clinic picture, six couples were involved in this study, three males and three females, aged 17 - 36 years. Duration of marriage was 6 days to one and half years; arranged marriages used matched horoscopes. ICD-10 diagnosis- adjustment disorder -depressed type, intentional self harm, Dysthymia and Anxious Avoidant Personality Disorder; Specific Phobia with Anankastic traits and Bipolar Affective Disorder. Substance abuse among males. In women ignorance and lack of knowledge about anatomy and physiology of sex and misconceptions had contributed to the problem. The problems and resistance during therapy and its implications are discussed.


Farber et al 1 found that physicians practicing in health maintenance organization (HMO) settings compared with those in fee-for-service settings were more likely to suggest reporting patients committing health insurance fraud in the scenarios presented in their questionnaire. In their discussion, the authors opine, Physicians who practice in staff-model HMOs... may feel more allegiance to third-party payers than physicians working primarily in a fee-for-service practice. In addition, physicians in an HMO setting may have a greater financial incentative to report insurance fraud, because their financial well-being is more directly related to the financial health of the third-party payers. An alternative hypothesis explaining the difference is that fee-for-service physicians, in reporting patients committing insurance fraud, may directly affect the likelihood that their fees will be paid. That is, fee-forservice physicians may find that their decision is more directly related the financial health of their own practice, whereas HMO physicians are watching


The main issue of the present work is human subjectivity reproduced by technologies prompted by neurosciences and artificial intelligence. The matter finds its niche in the holistic and systemic epistemology of the theories of complexity. So the reproduction on the level of simulation of the human individuality will give rise to two situations: the robotic and the post human. Once again the consequent probeklms highlight the ethical limits of the use of technologies of the scientific knowledge. So the new frontiers of robotics appear and pave the way for the post human towards a reality where the natural and the artificial merge and mix up into a complex configuration in order to give body to many science-fiction images. There comes an interesting moral chance in which the relationship between faith and science, freedom and necessity meet and clash for a new anthropological-philosophic vision in which man appears to the philosophic knowledge as a great stranger whose faith is completely entrusted to an unpredictable future.


Purpose A key player within diabetic retinopathy is the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) whose expression seems under Protein Kinase C (PKC) control, although no data are available on the molecular pathway underlying this process. Our previous in vitro work in retinal bovine pericytes (Amadio et al., Pharmacol Res. 57: 60, 2008) described a new molecular cascade involving PKCβ, the mRNA-stabilizing protein HuR and VEGF. We investigated whether this pathway is operant also in vivo and altered by diabetes.

Methods After 10 days treatment, retinal tissues from streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats were processed to detect PKCβI and βII, HuR and VEGF content. HuR activation/phosphorylation was also investigated. Immunoprecipitation coupled to real-time quantitative PCR was employed to evaluate HuR binding to VEGF mRNA in ribonucleoproteic complexes (mRNP). The specificity of the PKCβ involvement was tested by experiments performed with a selective PKCβ inhibitor.

Results In retinal tissues from STZ-induced diabetic rats, PKCβI (+160%, p<0.01) and PKCβII (+113%, p<0.05) levels were increased versus sham. In the same STZ tissues a PKC-mediated phosphorylation of HuR (+209%, p<0.01) occurred. A specific binding between HuR protein and VEGF mRNA was also detected in retinal mRNP. As well, the PKCβ/HuR activation was accompanied by enhanced VEGF protein expression (+256%, p<0.05). All these effects were blunted by a selective PKCβ inhibitor.

Conclusion These findings first demonstrate the existence of the PKCβ/HuR/VEGF pathway in experimental diabetic retinopathy, suggesting that this cascade may represent a potential pharmacological target to counteract diabetic retinopathy, and more generally pathologies implicating VEGF deregulation.


cells specially the lymphocytes. In same >>Handbuch<< different authors give the part of disseminated sclerosis in the optic neuritis from 8 to 75 % of their cases. I should hold for very probable, that both diseases contribute to the symptom of optic neuritis, but with aid of above cited litterature, I believe more in the latter as cause of most optic neuritides, this because of the differential count, which leeds us to think of a mild chronic infectious disease. Another fact perhaps equally importent is that we can, with this simple method follow the development of the disease and in a more precise way distinguish, when the patient is to be regarded as healed; long after the eye symptoms have gone over, the relative lymphocytosis persists and yields slowly to the given treatment. When the differential count shows normal figures and first then, the patient is to be regarded as healed and free from symptoms.


This paper discusses Ghana's erstwhile Religious Bodies Registration Law (PNDC Law 221) passed by the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) in 1989 and the associated bans placed on the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormon sects. First, the paper analyzes how the state's surveillance moves engendered lateral and anti-surveillance practices. Second, Eric Stoddart's concept of (in)visibility is used as an analytical framework to track how both the surveilling entity (the state and community surveillers) and the surveilled (religious bodies and their members) actively partook in constructing the visibility and invisibility of the surveilled. The paper concludes that the state's theoretical ambition of religious surveillance was not fully matched in practice, as implementation was mediated by a pragmatic blend of "seeing" and "unseeing." Also, the response of the religious sects to the surveillance involved a strategic pursuit of simultaneous visibility and invisibility.


The City of Manteca (City) Regional Wastewater Quality Control Facility (WQCF) is adding filtration and UV disinfection facilities to meet California Title 22 wastewater reuse criteria. The cloth disk filter (CDF), manufactured by Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc. (AAS) was evaluated and selected as the technology for use at the WQCF. The evaluation process included a pilot filter study, researching historical operating performance of the filter, site visits to existing reclamation plants, and contact with facilities in the process of constructing or starting-up the CDF. Results from the pilot filter study indicated that the CDF was a feasible filtration technology for the WQCF which would meet Title 22 effluent requirements and provide adequate particle removal for effective downstream UV disinfection. References from existing CDF plants confirmed the operational reliability and low-maintenance requirements for the CDF. Final selection of the CDF was implemented after City personnel and design engineers visited several operational CDF facilities. A second site visit at additional CDF facilities aided in determining design features for the 20 mgd filtration process at the WQCF and in identifying potential startup issues.


Heterocyclic amide derivatives of formula (I): -X-Y- Z- is Pharmaceutical compositions containing the methods and these for the manufacture of said heterocyclic amide derivatives is described.


Rotylenchulus reniformis is a major pathogen to several tropical and subtropical economic crops. Frequently this nematode has caused substantial crop losses to soybean and cotton in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The objective of this work was to know the effect of different agricultural systems on R. reniformis soil population. The systems, SCM (mono-cropping soybean with disc preparation of the soil = conventional system), SPD (notillage planting system with crop rotation), SILP (integrated agriculture/pasture system), and SPP (permanent pasture system), were established 8 yrs ago, contiguous to a preserved forest (MC = natural system), that was used for comparison. Five soil samples, comprised of 12 sub samples, were taken from each system. Nematodes were extracted by elutriation/sieving method followed by sucrose centrifugation. There were significant differences (p < 0.01) between R. reniformis abundance in SCM (3,424 nematodes per 300 cm 3 of soil) and those from other systems (maximum of 24 nematodes per 300 cm 3 of soil, in SPD) suggesting that diversified agricultural systems could limit the build-up of R. reniformis soil population.


Classification of wood images has always fascinated researchers and is a hot area of research as it brings automation in wood industry. Wood comes in different types and for a given wood; it can have some good part and some bad part like cracks, water affected and sapwood. The objective of this paper is to classify the sapwood region and the non-sapwood region in oak wood image in order to get the good part of the wood (heart part). Color based features and texture based feature extraction strategies were employed and it was found that color based feature extraction techniques are better compared to others in order to find sapwood.


. In the paper a family of curvature conditions of pseudosymmetry type is determined. We show that the curvature tensor of some Reissner-Nordstro¨m-de Sitter type spacetimes satisfy these conditions.


This article examines the modalities of the integration of commercial fish farming conducted by smallholders in the lowlands of the West African forest area. First, it should be pointed out that the motivation for fish farming of these smallholders is at the origin of a dynamic of dam pond construction, built using their own resources. This fish farming development leans on first kernels of fish farmers who received close and long-term technical support. Integrations are selected and analyzed. On the scale of the production pond, polyculture based on tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and Heterotis (Heterotis niloticus) illustrates the possibility of combining two animal husbandry practices. Another technique widely used in Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire is the integration of floating rice into dams: this combination of plant cultivation and fish offers mutual benefits. In Guinea, the practice of pig farming on the edge of the pond, in connection with the recent development of palm kernel meal production, is also an interesting case in point. Finally, in Côte d'Ivoire, on the periphery of dam ponds and downstream, different types of crops are grown to benefit from the security of water supply: market gardening, irrigated rice, tree nurseries, etc. These integrations increase the sustainable multiplication of the agriculture-aquaculture interfaces and thus constitute an interesting means of ecological intensification. They benefit from the great flexibility of family farms, particularly in terms of the predominantly manual labour force. On another level, these integrations reflect an adaptation to the opportunities of the various territories. Their analysis refers to the need to collect observations at different scales: the productive cycle, the fish farming system (fishponds), the farming system (family farm), the lowlands, the local agricultural network and more generally the agrarian system (territory). The multitude of these scales renders the overall assessment complex. This explains why the benefits of this small-scale fish farming are often poorly described and quantified, or even neglected, despite their great importance and potential. These forms of integration of fish farming should be encouraged. Collaborative approaches supporting smallholder innovation within territories are a tool for their promotion. Support for national development policies is also a lever for action, as in the case of Guinea, which has chosen this integrated aquaculture by family farmers as a strategic priority in the fight against food and nutritional insecurity and one of its contributions to mitigate global warming.


Purpose – The recently introduced collective effort model (CEM) enlightens from a theoretical point of view different facets of the relationship between individual and group performance. From a more practical point of view, the Productivity Measurement and Enhancement System (ProMES) can be seen as an ideal counterpart to the CEM. ProMES is a technique enabling work groups to improve their performance. The article aims to show how CEM and ProMES can be put together.Design/methodology/approach – A ProMES implementation in an industrial setting is described. Moreover, ProMES effects are analyzed by assistance of the knowledge from the CEM.Findings – It was found that the overall positive productivity effects of ProMES can be increased if a pay‐for‐performance‐system is added on. That is, feedback reports can easily serve for the implementation of a group compensation system. Therefore, the overall effectiveness score has to be taken into account.Originality/value – The paper is a useful source of informatio...


This paper addresses some of the debates about citizen involvement in decisions about science and technological innovation. It describes some of the claims and scientific uncertainties surrounding hydrogen energy. It examines qualitative evidence from a series of recent case studies in the UK about public perceptions of hydrogen. It is shown that public attitudes towards citizen engagement are highly ambivalent. While citizens approve of greater consultation, they raise doubts about the degree to which laypersons can be mobilised to participate in public debates, they express contradictory views about their trust in experts, and they are sceptical about whether such involvement will influence policy. These findings add further questions about the efficacy of upstream public engagement in assessments of emergent or novel technologies. They also suggest that over-optimistic expectations about upstream engagement may have to be moderated.


Sn-9Zn solder is a promising Pb-free solder, but it tends to form bulky intermetallic compounds (IMC) grains at the interface when soldered with common simple metal Cu or Ni substrates. Interfacial reaction between Sn-9Zn solder and Ni(Cu) solid solution substrates at 250 °C and 350 °C were systematically probed in this study. Results showed that when soldered at 250 °C, a Ni5Zn21 layer is formed at Sn-Zn/Ni-20Cu and Sn-Zn/Ni-40Cu joints; and Ni2Sn2Zn + Cu5Zn8 and Cu5Zn8 phases are formed in Sn-Zn/Ni-60Cu and Sn-Zn/Ni-80Cu joints, respectively. Fine-grained IMCs formed at the interface are formed even when the soldered time is prolonged to 16 h. This result indicates that Ni(Cu) solid solution substrates inhibit the rapid growth of IMC at the Sn-Zn/Ni-Cu interface. Ni(Cu) solid solution substrate can also provide various combinations of reaction products at the Sn-Zn/Ni-Cu joints. The Ni5Zn21 transfers to Ni2Sn2Zn + Cu5Zn8 phases when the Cu content increased to 60%, and a bi-layered structure Ni2Sn2Zn + Cu5Zn8 IMCs was formed in Sn-Zn/Ni(Cu) joints at 350 °C regardless of the Cu content in Ni(Cu) substrate (20–80%). These results would provide an effective support in designing Sn-Zn soldering system with optimized IMC layer to improve mechanical performance.


In order to solve different problems of firepower assignment of deployed air defense missiles, considering those missiles' characteristics and effectiveness a model of assigning mixed missiles' firepower was built. By setting up attack and defend state of two ship to air deployed missiles, several firepower assignments were contrasted. The result shows that this model is advantageous in improving combat effectiveness.


In the previous article, I defined Case Reports and their clinical utility. In this second article, I will take into account the Care tools that support the writing of Case Reports. The tools are available at www.care-statement.org/index, the website of Case Reports.


A 3dB insertion loss 16 16 channel arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) multi/demultiplexer has been realized based on low absorption loss (<0.001dB/cm) perfluorinated polymers. A temperature dependence of -0.5pm/C was achieved by a novel superstrate tuning technique.


Through the work aims to carry out a quantitative noise assessment issued by equipment and machines in the industry. The first part of this study contains theoretical justification and substantiation of the necessary steps of the execution evaluation. This paper is a part of the important study regarding the sound pollution evaluation in the industrial activity. Key words: sound pollution, experimental study, industrial activity.


Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of 99Tc-MDP on collagen-induced arthritis(CIA) in rats. Methods CIA was established by subcutaneous injection with type Ⅱ collagen and incomplete Freud's adjuvant in rats.Three groups were designed including the control group,CIA model group and 99Tc-MDP treatment group.Rats of the treatment group were given 0.04 μg·kg-1·d-1 99Tc of Tc-MDP by caudal vein injection for 21 days.Arthritis were evaluated by measuring the body weight,joint swelling degree,arthritis index(AI) and synovium histopathologic index.ELISA was used to assay the TNF-α level in serum. Results ①The degree of weight loss,joint swelling,AI and synovium histopathologic index in the rats of CIA model group were significantly higher than those of 99Tc-MDP treatment group and the control group(P0.01);②Post-treatment with 99Tc-MDP obviously attenuated the weight lost,inhibited the degree of joint swelling,AI and synovium histopathologic index;③Compared with the CIA model group,the level of TNF-α was significant decreased in control group and 99Tc-MDP treatment group(P0.01). Conclusion The CIA rats suffered serious polyarthritis,however the clinical symptoms and the synovium histopathologic index were markedly improved and the level of TNF-α in serum was reduced after treated with 99Tc-MDP.99Tc-MDP could inhibit the progress of CIA.


The purpose of this paper is to explore characteristics of corporate universities (CUs) from the adult education (AdEd) perspective in order to identify implications for AdEd theory and practice. Through an integrative literature review of CUs, the differences among CUs, human resource development centers, and traditional universities are investigated. Considering the AdEd characteristics of CUs, such as individuals' learning and qualifications/certifications of higher education, the partnership/collaboration model of CU is suggested in terms of workplace learning, which is the overlapping field of HRD and AdEd. Ultimately, to promote participatory AdEd in the workplace, nations should play crucial roles in providing administrative and financial support to CUs. Introduction Corporate universities (CUs) are one of the progressive approaches organizations use in today's business world to train and educate their employees. Such universities are owned by corporations, and which are called CUs. CU movement has been spreading across North America, Europe, and Asia (Andersen & Lichtenberger, 2007; Gordon, 2009) often in collaboration with traditional universities (TUs) in many countries (Blass, 2005; Kim & Kim, 2002; Nixon & Helms, 2002). Many CU studies have been conducted focusing on organizational aspects as advanced in-house training facilities (Andresen & Lichtenberger, 2007) from the perspective of strategic human resource development (HRD). CUs also have characteristics overlapping with those of adult education (AdEd) institutions in the workplace, focusing on individual aspects such as employee learning needs. In particular, CU partnerships/collaborations with TUs (Ryan, 2007) in applied practice can be interpreted as a crucial attempt to combine HRD and AdEd characteristics for the development of CUs (Oh & Park, 2011). Therefore, it is crucial to analyze CU literature in order to apply the CU field to AdEd for new insights. The purposes of this paper are, (a) to explore characteristics of CUs from the AdEd perspective and (b) identify implications for AdEd theory and practice. Literature Review of Corporate Universities Historically, the concept of CU is rooted in the General Motors Institute (GMI), which was established in the 1920s to improve employee engineering and management skills (Morin & Renaud, 2004; Nixon & Helms, 2002). In the 1950s, GMI, the first CU, was followed by General Electric's Crotonville Management Development Institute (Tichy & Sherman, 1994) and the


AbstractThe Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), the dominant year-round pattern of monthly North Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) variability, is an important target of ongoing research within the meteorological and climate dynamics communities and is central to the work of many geologists, ecologists, natural resource managers, and social scientists. Research over the last 15 years has led to an emerging consensus: the PDO is not a single phenomenon, but is instead the result of a combination of different physical processes, including both remote tropical forcing and local North Pacific atmosphere–ocean interactions, which operate on different time scales to drive similar PDO-like SST anomaly patterns. How these processes combine to generate the observed PDO evolution, including apparent regime shifts, is shown using simple autoregressive models of increasing spatial complexity. Simulations of recent climate in coupled GCMs are able to capture many aspects of the PDO, but do so based on a balance of ...


The re-discovery of Taiwanese history along with both official and local initiatives of cultural heritage and public commemorations constitutes an important postcolonial cultural phenomenon. This paper discusses the "memory boom" in post-martial law Taiwan and examines its implications in our understanding of history, culture, and modernity in East Asian context. The major arguments of this paper can be summarised in three parts. The first section introduces the emergence of new academic and public discourses in Taiwan in the post-martial law era. The second and main section offers four major examples of postcolonial historiography and public discourse including national commemoration, ethnic revival, the heritage movement and Taiwanese wartime experience. The final section further illustrates the features of Taiwan's postcolonial historiography in terms of history and memory with topical discussions on the rethinking of the modernity question and the reinterpretation of Japanese colonial heritage.


This paper presents the comparison and implementation of state estimation and control strategies for the attitude of a quadrotor. We've started by developing a mathematical model for the attitude of the device using quaternions representation of attitude alongside the matrix algebra. Based on this model, we've proposed three different control strategies based on PID control, Feedback Linearization and Backstepping control. The controllers were implemented in the Crazyflie 1.0, an open-source development platform by Bitcraze. The results were compared to the built-in control system and an improvement could be verified. Keywords— Quadrotor, state estimation, Kalman filter, attitude control.


Turner, L. B., Armstead, I. P., Cairns, A. J., Humphreys, M. O., Pollock, C. J. (2001). A physiological and biochemical analysis of the genetic basis of soluble carbohydrate storage in temperate grasses Journal of Experimental Botany, Abstracts Society for Experimental Biology Annual Meeting, Canterbury, Kent, 2-6 April 2001, 52, (Supplement), p39


Objective To investigate the reasons and treatment of iatrogenic bile duct injury.Methods The clinical data of 18 patients with bile duct injury treated from 1997 to 2010 in People's Hospital of Shanxi Province were analyzed retrospectively.Results All patients were performed cholecystectomy complicated with bile duct injury above the common hepatic duct.All patients were cured by one or more than one operations.No bile duct stricture occurred during the follow up period of 1-5 years.Conclusion The key to improve the prognosis of bile duct injury is prevention and treatment in proper time and in correct way.


In this paper, the climatic statistical characteristics of annual number of haze days in Beijing and relationship between haze days and meteorological factors, underlying surface conditions and atmospheric aerosol are analyzed using the station observation data, land use data and remote sensing retrieval data. The results show that: haze days significantly rose from 1980 to 2012, the number of annual haze days of Beijing increased from 48 days in 1980s to 55days in 1990s, and then 73days in 2000s. From 1980 to 2012, the number of haze days presents a significant positive correlation with annual mean temperature and mean pressure, but presents a significant negative correlation with gale days, which shows that meteorological factors are important factors in haze days changing. From 1996 to 2008, the number of haze days presents a significant negative correlation with ecological land and agricultural land, but presents a significant positive correlation with construction land, residential settlements and industry and mining, traffic land, and build-up areas, which means that ecological land which is mainly covered by vegetation has an inhibitory effect on haze, while the increasing of construction land aggravates haze. From 2000 to 2012, the number of haze days presents a significant positive correlation with MODIS AOD, which shows that the increasing of air pollutant emissions promotes the formation of haze. KEYWORD: Haze days; Meteorological factors; Underlying surface conditions; Atmospheric aerosol; Correlation analysis


Faster and more sensitive analysis of water that is contaminated by human fecal matter is very important for public health. The current microbiological methods to assess water quality do not meet this need. Alternate non-microbial human fecal indicators have been proposed by various researchers. The high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis with photodiode array detection (PDA) of three human fecal indicators, caffeine, urobilin, and coprostanol was developed. Both caffeine and urobilin were analyzed simultaneously using a linear gradient protocol and monitored at 270 nm and 480 nm. The analysis gave linearity and limit of detection down to hundredths of μg/mL. A solid phase extraction (SPE) protocol was also developed for caffeine and urobilin. Coprostanol was analyzed using HPLC with PDA detection with post-column derivatization. The derivatization was achieved by acylation of coprostanol with p-nitrobenzoyl chloride.


2086 Background: The OMIT (Drugs and Emerging Therapeutics Observatory) is a French structure created in 2003 by the Regional Health Agencies of Western France (Bretagne and Pays de la Loire). This network gathers clinical data from 50 public and private institutions. Its medical staff (oncologists, surgeons, pharmacists, biologists, etc) has a global reflection on drugs management in cancer patients and is also a task force for French Health Authorities. Despite several promising publications (Vredenburgh Clin Cancer Res 07, Kreisl JCO 09, Friedman JCO 09), the approval of bevacizumab in recurrent glioblastoma patients was declined, in November 2009, by European Medical Agencies.

METHODS
The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the objective responses, progression free survival, overall survival and tolerance of bevacizumab and irinotecan in community practice and, eventually, to define relevant criteria of responders. The data of 162 patients out of 200, treated between July 2007 and June 2010, have already been analysed.

RESULTS
65% males, 35% females, mean age: 53 years [51-55]. 87% of the patients underwent a complete or partial tumor resection and 89% received the Stupp protocol as first line therapy. 31% discontinued treatment before 3 months. At 3 months, objective responses were observed in 43% of the patients and disease stabilization was achieved in 42% of them. The progression free survival and overall survival were respectively 5.57 months IC95% [4.88-6.25] and 8.07 months IC95% [7.11-9.03]. Grade 3-4 toxicities included haematologic (10%) and digesitve toxicities (4%), vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (3%), high blood pressure (1%), intratumoral bleeding (1%), asthenia (1%) and others (2%). They were mainly manageable. Updated results will be presented at the meeting.

CONCLUSIONS
The first results of this cohort show that, after 3 months of treatment, 85% of the patients obtained a clinical benefit. Overall survival is comparable to those reported in other retrospective studies. Cost effectiveness and cost utility studies are necessary. A prospective study is needed to identify prognostic and predictive factors.


In the past - 300ft Leg Jack-Up Rig predominantly used to Drill and Complete wells. In depleted phase currently, MH field is witnessing dominantly well work-over / repair scope to sustain production. Seabed inconsistencies caused by pug marks left by previous Jack-Up rigs and sea-bed pipe line network hinder Jack-Ups to approach platform and rework wells. Specificity of Jack-Up Rigs to approach Specific Platforms due to signature pug-marks left behind Increase in market demand for large Jack-Up rigs, increased day rates to very high levels. Above technical and economic compulsions drove decision making and acceptability to consider modular rigs over other alternatives. In order to ensure optimum performance of your rig, reduce downtime and maintain safety of your personnel, planned maintenance and accurate inspections are essential. Drilling's Rig Inspection Workshop (RIW) teaches the inspection and maintenance procedures required to ensure equipment integrity onland rigs, platform rigs and jack-up rigs. Candidates learn to implement the relevant standards and understand industry requirements so that they can verify the condition of a rig's equipment and improve safety, thus reducing the number of accidents and protecting the asset.


In the aquaculture context, increase on production are expected for the next years and yet, many reproductive issues are reported, including high mortality during early life stages. It concerns mostly species for which the domestication process is at the very beginning. My PhD work aimed at better understanding and potentially helping improving reproductive performance by investigating eggs the transcriptomic content of the Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) eggs in association with their quality which may constitute one of the sources for embryonic mortality. Eurasian perch is a species, in process of domestication, with strong importance for aquaculture diversification in inland Europe. We employed microarray and RT-qPCR analyses to characterize gene expression patterns of Eurasian perch eggs presenting different potential to develop properly after fertilization. The experiments were conducted in two scientific contexts. In the first one, different methods to access egg quality were employed and their potential impacts on the transcriptomic results were evaluated. Therefore, when eggs were classified into the respective quality groups (high or low) using early embryonic survival as criteria, we were always able to identify distinct patterns of gene expression between quality groups. However, the number and nature of the differentially expressed genes (DEG) were variable and only one gene was commonly differentially expressed no matter the methods employed. This shows how transcriptomic results are sensitive to methods and should be deeply considered for intra- and inter-species comparisons. The second context consisted of investigating whether females presenting different histories of domestication would differ in their eggs mRNA content, and how it affects egg quality. In this study, females closest to wild populations presented better egg quality. In addition, two distinct patterns of gene expression were observed and more than 300 DEG were identified between populations. Because not much is known about the causes of high variability in reproductive performance in species in process of domestication, this finds could open new hypothesis of investigation. Finally, it became important to determine the moment until which the gene identified in the previous approaches were exclusively supporting embryonic early development. With this purpose, a preliminary study allowed making a first evaluation of the zygotic genome activation (ZGA) in this species. As a whole, this study identified numerous maternal-effect genes which implication in embryos early development should be further investigated. In addition, these results suggest that more comparable methods to investigate egg quality in Eurasian perch could be established. These methods will make possible more precise studies in the variation of the development success under the influence of distinc factors, such the domestication process. Similar methods could also be established in other species considering their own common or divergent characters. It would help understanding molecular mechanisms species specific or widely found in finfish species.


The article is devoted to the study of the organization of volunteer activities in a pedagogical university as a socially significant phenomenon. The authors considered the content of the concepts "volunteer activity", "educational space". The features of the organization of volunteer activities in a pedagogical university are highlighted. It is determined that volunteering is one of the important factors in the formation of the civil and personal position of students in today's complex world. The development of the volunteer movement, the process of its institutionalization, shows its scale, focus on various spheres of human life, and is of great interest for research. The system of organizing volunteer activities in a pedagogical university has a number of features related to interpersonal communication of student youth, professional orientation and preparation for independent living. Volunteer activity carried out at the Pedagogical University acts as a kind of connecting link between theory and practice, since the inclusion of future teachers in it contributes to the development of an active professional position and the development of professional values in practice. The authors conducted a survey of 3-4 year students in the amount of 120 people from February 5, 2022 to March 10, 2022 in order to study the motivation and involvement of young people in voluntary work in the name of the common good. The accumulation and analysis of the data obtained led to the conclusion that volunteering is attractive to students, as it allows solving certain social issues.


Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) have attracted extensive attention in millimeter wave (mmWave) systems because of the capability of configuring the wireless propagation environment. However, due to the existence of a RIS between the transmitter and receiver, a large number of channel coefficients need to be estimated, resulting in more pilot overhead. In this paper, we propose a joint sparse and low-rank based two-stage channel estimation scheme for RIS-assisted mmWave systems. Specifically, we first establish a low-rank approximation model against the noisy channel, fitting in with the precondition of the compressed sensing theory for perfect channel recovery. To overcome the difficulty of solving the low-rank problem, we propose a trace operator to replace the traditional nuclear norm operator, which can better approximate the rank of a matrix. Furthermore, by utilizing the sparse characteristics of the mmWave channel, sparse recovery is carried out to estimate RIS-assisted channels in the second stage. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme achieves significant performance gain in terms of estimation accuracy compared to the benchmark schemes.


In this paper, cyclic autocorrelation function (CAF) is used for signal type identification. Orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) signals with different cyclic prefix lengths are generated by using software defined radio nodes. According to test results, by using the OFDMA frame structure, it is possible to distinguished between OFDMA signals, hence signal parameters can be blindly differentiated. Additionally, jamming signal and OFDMA signals can also be distinguished from each other. Real-time measurement results are given to demonstrate the performance of the investigated approach.


Underground utility survey is the process of identifying and labeling public utility lines which is underground. These line may include lines for telephones, electricity distribution, natural gas, cable television, fiber optics, traffic lights, storm drains, water mains, waste water pipes and also major oil and gas pipeline, national defense communication lines, mass transit, rail and road tunnels  Many do not understand the importance of an underground utility surveying. Before any form of excavation work starts, it is important that the position of the pipes and underground services are located. A disaster could take place if the work is started before the underground utilities are located. In this paper we discussed about necessity of underground utility survey, it's advantages, limitations, methods to be used for underground utility survey.


The customs vessel EMDEN came into service in August 1988. She was the last of the "Hamburg" class. Like the HAMBURG (1982), BREMEHAVEN (1985) and SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN (May 1988) she was built at the Fr. Schweers shipyard in Bardenfleth, Weser. The maximum speed of the first two was 28 knots; higher power installed enabled the last two to achieve 30 knots. Principal particulars are: length 38.00m oa, 35.00m wl, 33.00m bp; moulded breadth 7.80m; moulded depth 3.90m; draught 1.80m; displacement about 150 t. General-arrangement drawings are given.


This paper presents the experiences of the College of Engineering at Iowa State University in the extensive use of videotape courses for continuing education of engineers at electric utility companies. Most of the courses are graduate level courses and are videotaped as they are presented to an on-campus class. The courses may be taken either on a credit or non-credit basis. If the student chooses, he or she may apply for regular admission to the Graduate College. If accepted, the student can work toward a Masters degree. All of the requirements for the degree can be met while the student remains a full-time employee.


In this paper, two new hybrid CT/DT cascade ΣΔ modulators are proposed for use in low-voltage broadband applications. Unlike the MASH architecture, these modulators are less sensitive to amplifier DC gain of continuous-time (CT) stage and avoid the need of compensation for finite gain-bandwidth induced error in CT loop filter. The modulators also feature global resonation scheme, noise transfer function enhancement, double-sampling technique and flat and unity STFs. These techniques are combined together in novel topologies that allow increasing the resolution in nanometer CMOS high-speed applications. Behavioral simulations confirm the effectiveness of the proposed schemes.


Further (and final) comment on the origin of ancient human skulls from the River Thames (ANTIQUITY 62 (1988): 503–9; 69 (1995): 162–9) is prompted by comparison with the skulls from the London Thames tributary, the Walbrook.


Abstract
Introduction: Inventory management is necessary to reduce the total capital invested in inventory and avoid the lack of products for the customer. Objective: To verify methods of classification of drug stocks and tools used, in order to improve the budget and prevent the lack of products. Methodology: A systematic review of the literature was conducted, through searches in the Google Scholar and PubMed databases, of articles published between 2005 and 2018, about inventory management in pharmacies. Results: Eleven articles were included, six of them used the ABC curve and one of them presented a matrix of the ABC curve and the VED (Vital, Essential or Desirable) method. Four articles dealt with the implementation of software. Conclusion: The ABC curve associated with the VED technique was shown to be effective. Several advantages were cited on the application of computerized systems to improve the management of inventories of dispensing pharmacies.


Recently, ionic liquid gating has been used to modulate the charge carrier properties of metal oxides. The mechanism behind it, however, is still a matter of debate. In this paper, we report experiments on doped and undoped Nd2CuO4. We find major resistance drops of the bilayer coupled to observations of the presence of a considerable Faradeic component in the gate current and of the appearance of charge transfer peaks in the cyclic voltammetry data. This leads us to propose a mechanism of gating based on irreversible electrochemical reactions, likely due to trace amounts of contaminations present in the ionic liquid. This work is therefore in line with previous reports confirming the presence of irreversible electrochemistry in ionic liquid gated electron- doped cuprates.


This study attempts to discuss the issue emerged in the novel Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee. It is a complicated story about an old White man, named David Lurie who his life changed from an honored professor becomes a helper in animal clinic
whose job execute unwanted dog. He has bad habit in satisfying his sexual desire; he never considers the risk and consequences of his action which lead him to rejection, ignorance, scandal and disgrace. He experience difficulty in learning the value of moral since he did not ashamed of what he done to every women he had affair with, but the incident that he and his daughter suffered from finally teach him the lesson. The writer uses intrinsic approach as the tool to analyze the story, which emphasized in characterization and conflict. Through the analysis, the writer finds that David's behavior, which cannot accept by several communities yet, leads him to the conflicts. David suffers conflicts from himself, his prostitute, coed, women of his affairs, his daughter, Petrus and Pollux. Almost all his conflicts make him getting
disgrace. His disgrace is leveled and his highest disgrace stage is all about his daughter, especially after the incident. His disgrace is not only personal disgrace, but also inter-race disgrace.


Introduction Eating is essential for controlling blood pressure level among hypertensive worker, therefore it is important that eating patterns should suit the context and lifestyle of these persons. Methods A developmental research design was used to conduct this study. This study aimed to develop eating patterns for hypertensive worker with uncontrolled hypertension using family participation based on the family participation concept from related literature reviewed and to study the feasibility of using the eating pattern in real situations. The population in the study consisted of: hypertensive worker with uncontrolled hypertension (N=68), their family members (N= 68), and Healthcare volunteer villages and Health promoting hospital staff responsible for chronic illness (N=11). The study instruments were comprised of: People with Uncontrolled Hypertension Eating Questionnaire, Family Members Eating Questionnaire, Focus Group discussion guide for Village Healthcare Volunteers and Health promoting Hospital Staff, Feasibility of Using the Eating Pattern in Real Situation Questionnaire, and Developmental Plan of the eating pattern for people with uncontrolled hypertension using family participation approach. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis. Results Two main results were found. The data from situation analysis phase documented that the workers still had improper eating behaviour and their main obstacle for improving their eating behaviour is time and their socioeconomic status. Secondly, the new eating pattern were comprised of three main ideas: increasing consumption of vegetables, following a low salt diet criteria, and appropriate eating. And the result of possibility for using new eating pattern showed the new plan was suitable for the lifestyle of worker with the uncontrolled hypertension and their family members at a moderate level (x=2.50, S.D.=0.62) and was feasible (x=2.47, S.D.=0.61). In addition, the worker suggested that it is important to use mass media to provide more information about eating patterns to highlight the future benefits for uncontrolled hypertensive persons. Communities should encourage this group and their family members to use the eating plan and promote this eating pattern in the community and in the future, the eating plan should include recipes for hypertensive that use local vegetables known to lower high blood pressure. These recipes should be easy for to prepare. Conclusion In conclusion, although this study could explore the eating situation of the worker with uncontrolled hypertension and can created the new eating plan, but for future study, we should to study more about how to improve the uncontrolled hypertension work eating behaviour following this finding.


Objective To make a simple device for automatic synthesis of 18F-FDG. Methods The 18F was processed by azeotropic drying with anhydrous acetonitrile using hot air bath at the temperature of 116 ℃ for two times. Subsequently triflate precursor was added at an air bath temperature of 85~90 ℃ for 3~5 min. Acetonitrile was evaporated at 116 ℃. The residue was cooled down to 40 ℃ with air bath and the residue was dissolved in 2 mL 0.3 mol/L NaOH for 2 min. The aqueous solution was neutralized and purified with Dowex-50W/AG11A8 resin and Alumin-N, C-18 colum. Results The device can synthesize 18F-FDG within 20 min, and the radiochemical yield was 61% [42%~70%, n=60, end of synthesis (EOS)]. Conclusion The technology and automatic device can synthesize 18F-FDG with high yield within a short time, and it can be used in PET centers.


In this report the requirements of orbit control of geostationary communications satellites are investigated. A comparison between chemical and electrical propulsion is made for mission lives up to I5 years. The mass of electrical propulsion is lower than of chemical syetems, even when mass penalties for the low reliability of the ion thrusters and the generation of electric energy are taucen into account. Tho free inclination drift orbit is an alternative to the high demands of the north south stationkeeping, but different pointing control and antenna steering is necessary. The influence of the orbit control system on the attitude control is discussed. The study was performed in connection with a definition study of a double gimballed momentum tdieel, triiere realistic disturbance torques due to the orbit control system had to be estimated.


Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein that maintains telomeric base pair repeats at the ends of mammalian chromosomes during DNA replication. Telomerase is expressed in various human tumors, some normal tissues, and immortalized cell lines. The assay of telomerase activity has potential as an adjunct for cancer detection in cytologic fluids.


TAVARES, A. C. M. Interactive 3D Segmentation Repair with Image-Foresting Transform, Supervoxels and Seed Robustness. 2017. 65 f. Tese (Doutorado) Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 2017. Image segmentation consists on its partition into relevant regions, such as to isolate the pixels belonging to desired objects in the image domain, which is an important step for computer vision, medical image processing, and other applications. Many times automatic segmentation generates results with imperfections. The user can correct them by editing manually, interactively or can simply discard the segmentation and try to automatically generate another result by a different method. Interactive methods combine benefits from manual and automatic ones, reducing user effort and using its high-level knowledge. In seed-based methods, to continue or repair a prior segmentation (presegmentation), avoiding the user to start from scratch, it is necessary to solve the Reverse Interactive Segmentation Problem (RISP), that is, how to automatically estimate the seeds that would generate it. In order to achieve this goal, we first divide the segmented object into its composing cores. Inside a core, two seeds separately always produce the same result, making one redundant. With this, only one seed per core is required. Cores leading to segmentations which are contained in the result of other cores are redundant and can also be discarded, further reducing the seed set, a process called Redundancy Analysis. A minimal set of seeds for presegmentation is generated and the problem of interactive repair can be solved by adding new seeds or removing seeds. Within the framework of the Image-Foresting Transform (IFT), new methods such as Oriented Image-Foresting Transform (OIFT) and Oriented Relative Fuzzy Connectedness (ORFC) were developed. However, there were no known algorithms for computing the core of these methods. This work develops such algorithms, with proof of correctness. The cores also give an indication of the degree of robustness of the methods on the positioning of the seeds. Therefore, a hybrid method that combines GraphCut and the ORFC cores, as well as the Robustness Coefficient (RC), have been developed. In this work, we present another developed solution to repair segmentations, which is based on IFT-SLIC, originally used to generate supervoxels. Experimental results analyze, compare and demonstrate the potential of these solutions.


A systematic study of the thermal decay of Bragg gratings in high and low Ge-content fibers is presented. The resulting annealing curves are discussed in the framework of three different models of UV-induced index changes.


The experiments were done in pregnant and in nonpregnant rabbits, anesthesized with urethane. Arterial blood pressure was measured directly in carotid artery, estimating changes of blood pressure after infusions and injections of angiotensin II. It was found, that in pregnant rabbits systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure was higher than in non-pregnant animals. Aspirin was given into jugular vein and caused a significant decrease of blood pressure in both groups of animals during whole time of experiment. Aspirin augmented the elevations of blood pressure, caused by angiotensin II.


Objective To observe the therapeutic effects of puerarin injection combined with radix astragli injection on urine micro-protein in patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy. Methods Seventy-eight patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy randomised into the treatment group (41 cases) and the control group (37 cases).The control group were treated with radix astragli injection 30 mL·d -1, iv, gtt, qd, and the treatment group received the same medicine combined with puerarin injection 500 mg·d -1 iv, gtt, qd.Both groups were treated for 2 weeks.The parameters of blood plasma such as TC, TG, PAGT, FIB and UAER were tested before and after the treatment. Results In the treatment group, the average values of the tested parameters were decreased significantly after the treatment than before the treatment (P0.05 or P0.01).Except TC and LDL-C, the average values of the tested parameters were also lowered significantly in the treatment group than in the control group (P 0.05 or P 0.01). Conclusion Puerarin injection can lower the blood lipids, improve blood viscosity, and decrease urine protein.The combination of puerarin injection with radix astragli injection has better effect than radix astragli injection alone in the treatment of type 2 diabetic nephropathy.


Premature ejaculation (PE) is the type of sexual dysfunction, which is characterized by constant or nearly constant uncontrolled ejaculation before vaginal penentration or within minutes of the start of sexual intercourse, that causing a feeling of sexual dissatisfaction and leading to sexual frustration among the partners. It has been shown that the antimicrobial and antiinflammatory therapy of chronic prostatitis (CP) increases the duration of sexual intercourse and improves the control over the ejaculation. PE in the patients with CP may be an independent sexual disorder that may require a specific correction.  Antidepressants are the first line of drugs in the treatment of PE according to the recommendations of the European Association of Urology. However, some patients refuse to intake this medicine.  The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Neyrodoz in the treatment of PE in patients with CP. Materials and methods. The study included 32 patients (mean age 37.5 years) who have had complains on PE after the treatment of CP. All the patients were randomly selected into two groups. 1 st – basic group (n = 15) and 2 nd – control group (n = 17). The first group patients intook Neyrodoz 2 capsules twice a day. The second group got placebo in the same dose during 30 days. Results . The time of intravaginal latency increased from 40,8 ± 9,9 (25–56) to180,1± 41,2 (120–240) seconds in patients of the 1 st group after the therapy. The score of tool-PEDT decreased from 15,8 ± 3,1 (11–20) to 3,9 ± 2,9 (0–8). The visual analogue scale (VAS) symptoms improved from 8,6 ± 1,4 (6–10) to 2,5 ± 2,1 (0–5). The time of intravaginal latency increased from 38,4 ± 10,0 (25–59) to 40,7 ± 7,4 (35–59) seconds in 14 of 17 men in the second group of patients. The score of tool-PEDT decreased from 15,6 ± 2,8 (11–20) to 14,3 ± 2,7 (12–19). The VAS symptoms improved from 8,9 ± 1,3 (6–10) to 8,5 ± 1,7 (6–10). Conclusions. Neyrodoz is an effective and safe medicine to the correction of PE in patients with CP, who did not get an effect after the treatment of CP.


The practice of history in China was long China-centered. With the opening of the country under Deng Xiaoping starting in the 1980s, Chinese historians had greater access to foreign sources, and global history took off. Textbooks, journals, and institutes in global history appeared. Thanks to the efforts of Chinese historian Wu Yujin, global history won recognition in China and many works by Western scholars advocating the global approach were introduced into China. Recent trends in global history in China show an interest for ancient times, from prehistory to the modern era, and for East-West relationships. The number and diversity of the global history themes treated by Chinese scholars in international symposia prove the enthusiasm for this trend in China, even if some remain reluctant.


Tea drink is one of food source with plenty antioxidant. Chemical compound in tea that can be natural antioxidant is flavonoid. Tea is classified by the fermentation process into three categories. The biggest product of tea is black tea. Processing of black tea is using CTC system (Crushing, Tearing, Curling).This study aims to know interaction in grade of black tea and addition of emprit ginger powder to physicochemical and organoleptic properties. After that known the effect of addition emprit ginger powder to herbs tea.
This research use a group random design consisting of two factors. The first factor is kind of black tea (peco fanning, dust II, and tea wash). The second factor is concentreate of the addition of emprit ginger powder (0%, 4%, and 8%). Analyzed parameters are water content, ash content, fiber content, antioxidant activity, total phenolic, brightness level (L), level of redness (a+), yellowish level (b+), and organoleptic test (aroma, taste, and appearance).
Based on the results of the study it is known that the treatment of addition emprit ginger powder to kind of black teas has a very significant effect on water content, fiber content, and total phenolic. The best treatment is tea of tea wash and concentrate ginger powder 8% with water content 7,31%, fiber contente 14,52%, and total phenolic 8,28 mg GAE/g.


Electrostatic dust precipitators of high efficiency are widely used in Europe to clean the flue gas Irom incinera tors. The basic principles of design and the lactors lor successlul application of Lurgi units are explained. A list of installations is included which states the e££ieien cies attained. All types 01 dust collectors arc compared, based on U.S. costs.


Just before 5:30 p.m. on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, five women gathered outside the central Manhattan Public Library where Forty-First Street meets Fifth Avenue. All wore black, some head to toe, some with bare shoulders and arms. They formed a silent line facing rush hour pedestrian and automobile traffic holding a large black banner reading, "Women in Black Against War." At one edge of the small group a woman handed fliers to passersby. The first lines of the handout asserted, "Women in Black New York stand in silent vigil to protest war, rape as a tool of war, ethnic cleansing and human rights abuses all over the world. We are silent because mere words cannot express the tragedy that wars and hatred bring. We refuse to add to the cacophony of empty statements that are spoken with the best intentions yet may be erased or go unheard under the sound of a passing ambulance or a bomb exploding nearby." Over the course of an hour a few more women joined the group. At one point the group numbered eight-all participants over thirty, most over fifty, and all white save for one Black woman appearing to be in her fifties. Most onlookers were also silent. Some took fliers. Others nodded in agreement. Many kept walking, some giving the silent women a quick glimpse. One younger woman en route to somewhere else spontaneously stopped and stood for a few minutes. Passengers on commuter buses observed the vigil from the comfort of air-conditioned seats. A few people verbally asserted their support. Still fewer made disparaging comments.This small group transformed a tiny section of concrete in Manhattan's vast urban landscape into a site for quiet contemplation in the midst of late afternoon busyness. Their attire marked them as separate from locals in business suits and fashionable black, and tourists in summer tank tops and shorts. Together, their silence, immobility, and monotonie black outfits, along with the seriousness of their demeanor, lent a ritualistic tone to their presence. Despite the surrounding bustle, they stood, rupturing the ordinary chaos around them and demonstrating solidarity with people far away. From a wealthy city in a prosperous and militarily aggressive nation, they silently used their gazes and bodies to evoke faraway events and refuse complicity with war-making. By reworking the silence expected of them as women in a male-dominated society, they sought to transform socially prescribed passivity into an active refusal to support or engage in violence.I approach this Women in Black (hereafter WiB) vigil, and another I discuss below, from a feminist perspective that emphasizes the transgressive potential of public disidentification, in Jose Esteban Munoz's sense of the term, with patriarchal expectations of women. For Munoz, disidentification inhabits something differently, in ways that maximize the potential for reworking toxic ideals, such as those that see politics as masculine and women as passive supporters of war-making (Munoz 1999). WiB s strategic deployment of silence demonstrates their astute analysis of gendered spatial conventions and their awareness of the limits of loud, often angry chanting to demonstrate a political position. Given the gravity of the situations they vigil to remember and contest, these public enactments are necessarily limited; nonetheless their limitations do not obliterate thenpossibility for intervention. On the contrary, their public performance of their solidaristic feelings demonstrates the shared humanity of participants and those suffering and dying during war and occupation.Using theoretical approaches to solidarity from Sandra Lee Bartky, Jodi Dean, Carol Gould, and Chandra Mohanty, this essay explores how WiB groups in the United States and United Kingdom express, in Barkty s terms, their "feeling-with" others, especially other women, experiencing war and occupation. In exploring one type of feeling-with, Bartky explains that "emotional infection as a builder of solidarity is promiscuous; its utility rests precisely in its capacity to unite feeling persons from a very wide spectrum of social locations" (2002,76). …


The present invention relates to a lyophilized plasma that is attenuated virus and compatible with all blood types, and a method for obtaining it, derived from a mixture of plasma derived from selected donors.


Abstract Assessment of treatment options in twin-twin transfusion should involve a detailed interrogation of the placenta and fetuses prior to treatment, stratification according to response to amnioreduction and careful analysis of quality of survival. Amnioreduction and laser coagulation are not alternative and equivalent modalities for the treatment of twin-twin transfusion. Randomized trials may not be ethical without prior therapeutic/ diagnostic amnioreduction.


This article focuses on Badin, North Carolina, a segregated aluminum company town established in the early 1900s and site of a current environmental justice struggle. Racialised industrial toxicity operates through quotidian relations of care, corporate and state claims to innocence, and perversion of pleasurable environments. This affective and materialist inventory illustrates how race and waste intertwined in Badin to make aluminum vital and valuable. Drawing on critical race and postcolonial studies, feminist geopolitics, and science studies, this paper argues that intimacy is a crucial analytic for understanding racial capitalism as a political and ecological project in multiple spheres including the workplace, the home, the community and the landscape.