Purpose – Much of the resources for mitigating the impact of poverty found their way into new technologies or programs that aimed to provide energy access to the poor in the "bottom of the pyramid" (BOP). Thus billions have been spent and will be spent on projects such as expensive line extensions or solar panels to the poor living in "last mile" communities. The purpose of this paper is to review the traditional responses to income and energy poverty, and describe a sustainable community model to address the poor at the BOP. Design/methodology/approach – This paper looks at the approaches that have been tried in making a dent in the poverty incidence in households living in last mile, BOP areas in the Philippines and posits the critical question of why these approaches have failed despite successes in the more economically positioned strata of society. After identifying the critical variables that militate against the successful programs, the authors seek to proscribe a separate methodology for intervent...


In this chapter, we determine possible needs that customers are fulfilling by participating in the Facebook fan pages. Understanding the needs that customers aim to pursue is the priority of marketing communications. Therefore, the chapter analyzes a theoretical approach to identify and respond to the needs that consumers seek to satisfy on fan pages. The customer needs are evaluated from functional, hedonic, social, and psychological perspectives and all four of the need components make significant contributions to the overall need on fan pages. Businesses in the food service industry are advised to build an emotional bond with consumers, enhance two-way communication, provide useful information and encourage entertainment on their fan pages. Managers of brands that operate fan pages can be guided by our research with regards to deciding which characteristics or content consumers find important in the these pages.


Relationships between health inequalities and social disadvantage are well established, but less is known about spatial variations in health. Most geographical studies of health in Ireland have been conducted at a county level. Counties are too large to identify more localised pockets of poor health, whereas electoral districts (EDs) can be too small to permit stable estimates of the underlying rates, due to the small number of deaths each year. This paper reports the findings of an analysis of deaths in 2006 and 2011 using a new set of 407 areas intermediate in size between counties and EDs. The areas having the lowest and the highest age standardised death rates were mostly in Dublin and the other larger cities, but there is at least a 3-fold difference which demonstrates inequalities in health outcomes. Further modelling is required to establish whether this simply reflects the geography of social status.


The article presents a principle layout of a modem HUMSalong with the basic system operating procedures. The articlealso deals with the impact of HUMS Oil aircraft maintenanceprocedures and economy, the impact on maintenance systemarchitecture and the implementation of cost-saving measures.The improvement of flight-safety as a consequence of HUMSapplication is also discussed.


lathe tool cutter radius compensation is a common problem in NC turning,the tool nose radius in the process of impact analysis,finally through an example of tool nose radius compensation method are introduced in detail.


In 2008,water quality parameters were monthly monitored in three tributaries of Zhuozhang River system,and spatial-temporal variations were compared among those rivers.The results showed that: ①The river dominated by agricultural nonpoint pollution through agricultural plain had best water quality,the river dominated by agricultural nonpoint pollution through alpine-valley had relative poor water quality which influenced by the agricultural activities,and the river dominated by industrial and domestic waste water had worst water quality with organic matter and indicators of nitrogen and phosphorus seriously exceed standard.②Four chemical parameters of including NH4+-N,TN,TP and CODMn in three tributaries had significant differences in different seasons.Nitrogen concentrations of the river dominated by agricultural nonpoint pollution were highest in wet season and were lowest in dry season.TP and CODMn concentrations were relatively stable,and had little variation among various rain periods.Nitrogen nutrient concentrations of the river dominated by point serious pollution were highest in dry season and were lowest in wet season.TP and CODMn pollution of individual monitor section were relatively obvious.


The alloy bearing liner of turbine generator unit in operation has frequently seen crack,slot,excessive abrasion,delamination and even liner burn.Combined with the practice experience of predecessor and authors,analysis is made on various defects or faults of bearing liners,and the applicability of several repairing methods and technique in common use were also discussed.The results of technical and economic comparison as well as engineering practice demonstrate that flame heating repair welding renders relatively good effect.


Under specific circumstances signal timing at a traffic signal allows the switching of two green times within one cycle. Practitioners expect a reduction in delays and queue length as a result of this control strategy. However, no analytical methodology is available to quantify this effect. To resolve this deficit, analytical considerations have been undertaken. They follow the principles that are also the basis for conventional signal performance analysis. The basic difference compared with a single green is that, within each cycle, the maximum length of the vehicle queue remains shorter under the two-green regime. This effect is expressed by the term uniform delay, w1. For that parameter, a specific deterministic derivation is proposed. The second element is the incremental delay, w2, which stands for the effects of randomness and temporary oversaturation. The analysis confirmed that this parameter could be adopted from conventional methods. Different formulas for the estimation of w2 were investigated using simulation studies. Thus, a set of equations is given for the prediction of average delay and of percentile queue length in the case of two green times. Verification of the derived formulas was performed using Monte Carlo simulations. The results could easily be applied in practice and might be implemented into guidelines. The application demonstrated how a second green within one signal cycle reduced delays and, notably, queue lengths.


Camera Link is based on the development of Channel Link Technology. The data is transmitted using low voltage differential signal (LVDS). It has some advantages, such as fast speed, strong anti-interference ability and so on. Camera Link is widely used in the field of robot vision applications. FPGA integrates rich gate circuit resources and has the advantages of high speed, which makes it suitable for processing parallel data. In this paper, a Camera Link image data processing method based on FPGA is proposed, which is verified by simulation and has been successfully applied to practical projects. Introduction Camera Link is a serial communication protocol in the field of machine vision application. It is based on the development of Channel Link technology and uses low voltage differential signal LVDS transmission. There are four kinds of camera signals: power signals, video data signals, camera control signals and serial communication signals. The video data signals are the core of Camera Link, including 1 pairs of differential clock and 4 pairs of serial differential data. The Camera Link conversion chip converts 4 pairs of differential data into parallel data, and parallel data includes 24 bit data, frame synchronization, row synchronization, data synchronization and image pixel clock. There are three modes of video transmission: Base, Medium and Full. The conversion chips, interfaces and data bits for each pixel clock transmission under the three modes are shown in the following table. Table 1. Three modesTable headings. Mode Frame conversion chips Mechanical interface Transmit bit per pixel clock Base Basic 1 1 28 Medium Midile 2 2 40 Full Complete 3 3 68 FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a chip that can change the internal routing and logic by programming. It integrates logic block, layout and routing resources, configurable IO port, clock management unit, RAM memory, DSP module and other resources. It is widely used in video image preprocessing because of its fast processing speed and high capability of data processing in parallel. The data output of Camera Link is in parallel, and FPGA stores the data in the FIFO, the processor reads the data out by detecting the state of FIFO, and then processes, displays, or compares the data. System Structure The system consists of peripherals, Camera Link adapter, FPGA and DSP processor. The constitution of the system is shown below.


A theoretical analysis of the Doppler return from a random rough surface ace shows that the Doppler spectrum is composed of three distinct components. The methods of analysis for determining the average power return for the static case and an application of the ergodic hypothesis for a stationary surface show that the assumption of a single Doppler component is based on a smooth surface. In addition to this coherent component, the incoherent components of the random rough surface produce two additional frequency components. The amplitudes of these latter components depend on the variance of the surfaceand the antenna beamwidth averaging. Radar measurements were made, utilizing a scatterometer, in order to measure the surface characteristics. s. Simultaneous measurements from a Doppler radar system were analysed to identify the additional frequency components.


We are accustomed to think of privacy violations as misuse of information by one person against another person to whom that information relates. A privacy tort may be committed when someone publishes embarrassing facts about another against his will. A statutory breach of privacy may occur when a company collects sensitive information about its customers without their consent.

This article focuses on a different problem — a collection of persons uses information in a way that causes harm to an individual, despite that each individual use appears innocuous in its own context. "Collective" misuse of information is distinct from "individual" misuse of information not merely because, in the former case, more than one individual contributes to the imposition of harm or risk of harm. Rather, collective misuse of information can exist in the absence of individual misuse of information. In other words, no individual might be blameworthy for the harm or risk of harm brought about by a collective.

This article forms part of an emerging body of literature highlighting the danger of cumulative harm and provides a novel account in favor of imposing an information tax on persons who use and transmit personal information.


This study compares verbs and verb collocation patterns in English and Persian in terms of their internal size. English is a language of conciseness, while Persian uses too many words to express a single concept. Due to the diversity of English verb types governed by certain syntactic restriction rules, and thanks to different types of verb collocations, it is potentially hard for the Iranian EFL learners to establish compatibility between Persian and English verbs. The study, using the Hamshahri Newspaper corpus shows that some English verbs have subject or object arguments and even adverbs included within their semantic and syntactic properties and this makes it very easy for the native speakers to express the most with the least number of words This, however, can make finding equivalents very hard especially when Persian follows an SOV sentence pattern in which the two parts of collocation may stay far from each other.


An indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was developed with purified PRRSV (Resp strain) and prepared from Marc145 cell line to detect monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) secreted by hybridoma cell lines. The BALB/C mouse were immunized for several times with the virus replicating on porcine alveolar macrophage, then the spleen cells of the hyper immunized mouse and SP 2/10 cells were fused with PEG 1500. The results showed that the cell fusion rate was 70 6%,positive rate was 6 3%, and two hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies were obtained after sub cloning. The McAbs could be used to detect PRRSV antigen in cells with IFA. It would be useful for studying the immunity of PRRSV isolates and improving present diagnostic methods.


Cryogenic pellet injection is an important means of refuelling and terminating fusion plasmas, with fuel pellets exhibiting a range of phenomena beneficial to confinement and the energy balance between ions and electrons. In this investigation we consider the self-similar expansion along magnetic field lines of the plasmoid produced by a small pellet. In particular, we consider the case when the expansion timescale is comparable to the time taken for the pellet gas cloud to cross a field line. It is shown that plasmoid ions acquire a significant fraction of the energy that is transferred to plasmoid electrons via collisions with the ambient plasma. It is found that the expansion is insensitive to the profile of the gas cloud and details of the ionisation of the gas—the plasma flux emerging from the gas cloud is the only quantity that affects the expansion.


The symptoms of Meniere's disease form a distinct cluster: bouts of vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, low-frequency tinnitus, and a feeling of pressure in the ear. Traditionally, these signature symptoms have pointed to some sort of pathology within the inner ear itself, but here the focus is shifted to the middle ear muscles. These muscles, the tensor tympani and the stapedius, have generally been seen as serving only a secondary protective role in hearing, but in this paper they are identified as vigilant gate-keepers – constantly monitoring acoustic input and dynamically adjusting hearing sensitivity so as to enhance external sounds and suppress internally generated ones. The case is made that this split-second adjustment is accomplished by regulation of inner ear pressure: when the middle ear muscles contract they push the stapes into the oval window and increase the pressure of fluids inside the otic capsule. In turn, hydraulic pressure squeezes hair cells, instantly adjusting their sensitivity. If the middle ear muscles should malfunction – such as from cramp, spasm, or dystonia – the resulting abnormal pressure will disrupt hair cells and produce Meniere's symptoms. A wide-ranging review of Meniere's disease and the middle ear muscles reinforces the link between the two. Since every striated muscle is prone to dystonia – an involuntary contraction involving derangement of its underlying control loop – middle ear muscle dystonia would lead to elevated pressure and abnormal hair cell function. The hypothesis is based on recognizing that the inner ear is a hydrostat – a cavity filled with fluid whose pressure is controlled by the middle ear muscles. Since the fluid is incompressible, even a slight contraction of the muscles can increase the pressure in the labyrinth to 3 kPa. The effect of such a pressure on the sensing cells within is crucial. Outer hair cells carry an internal turgor pressure of about 1 kPa, behaving physically like inflated balloons, and hence contraction of the middle ear muscles can instantly overcome internal cellular pressure, switch off ion channels, and reduce hearing sensitivity. This paper brings together supporting evidence and sets out major implications for Meniere's disease, including possible treatments.


The paper discusses some issues of didactic and methodological bases of teaching written speech to a staff of technical universities, a set of exercises has been offered to teach writing on the example of the discipline content «Professional and Academic Writing» within the development training program «English for Scientific and Engineering Purposes», the intermediate results of the use the developed set of activities at classes have been described.


The Graduation project is the most important step as well as the last in the whole teaching procedure of institutes of technology.The quality of the graduation project directly reflects the teaching quality of the institute of technology.The author name some present issues lying in graduation projects and offer some measures on them.


The article researches principal forms of nationalism in contemporary Russia. The authors analyze possibilities and restrictions for usage the idea of nationalism as an instrument of political rivalry, and discuss implications of creating "national interests" of national practices representatives by the political elites.


Planar lightwave circuit (PLC) hybrid integration is a promising way to realizing low-cost and highly functional optical components which are integrated with opto-electronic (OE) devices. As low-cost components, WDM hybrid transceiver modules have been developed to construct the fiber-to-the- home networks. As highly functional optical components, a multi-wavelength light source, a high-speed optical wavelength selector and a differential photoreceiver module have been demonstrated to construct optical transmission and switching systems employing dense wavelength-division- multiplexing and time-division-multiplexing technologies. This paper reviews the current status and recent progress on the PLC hybrid integration.


A theoretical model for scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) based on the consideration of the interaction between the probe tip and the sample is proposed. Both the optical probe tip and the sample protrusions are represented by polarizable dipole spheres. The induced polarization effects on the sample surface can be replaced by the image dipoles by adopting the quasi-electrostatic approximation. Applying the radiation theory of the dipole, we have established a set of equations to describe the field distribution at the sites of the probe tip and the sample protrusions. This set of field equations can be solved self-consistently. The results are exactly the same as those obtained by means of the dyadic electromagnetic propagator formalism, and also the derivation procedure is relatively simple. This method permits us to analyse the physical mechanisms of the interaction between the probe tip and the rough surface in SNOM intuitively.


In the present invention, disclosed is a cover device for an electronic apparatus, which includes a cover which is rotationally combined with a body of the electronic apparatus and opens or closes a part of the body; and an elastic member whose one end is supported in the cover and the other end is supported in the body. The elastic member supplies driving power to rotate the cover in a direction to open the part of the body. The cover includes a receiving unit which fixes one end of the elastic member. The cover device with the above configuration facilitates an assembly process by installing the elastic member to be arranged on a preset position without using a separate jig.


The writers have described elsewhere (Bull. Seis. Soc. Amer., v. 25, pp. 313–321, 1935) the results of the experiment of installing a water-stage recorder with greatly extended time-scale on a well at Lodi, California. This well was known to be susceptible to distant earthquakes. During the experiment it recorded the individual pulsations caused by the passage of seismic waves. Some hydrological aspects of the work will be briefly discussed here.

It is shown in the previous paper that the phenomenon may be analytically explained as due to alternate dilatation and contraction of a confined aquifer resulting from the phase-difference of the opposite sides during the passage of longitudinal waves. This is an extension of H. T. Stearns' (Bull. Seis. Soc. Amer., v. 18, pp. 9–15, 1928) conclusion that the effect is due to compression of confined aquifers in a deep well, similar to that caused by passing railroad trains. According to this explanation, the transverse or shear waves, being equi-voluminal, would not directly affect the water-level in the well, though they may do so indirectly through transformation to longitudinal waves at the ground-surface. The well-water motion magnifies the amplitude of Earth-motion by a factor called the phreatic magnification, which is a function of the dimensions of the well and the aquifer it taps.


A statistical mechanical theory that can describe both solids and fluids in a self-consistent way is described. This theory utilizes a optimized reference potential whose repulsive range shrinks with density. A unique feature of the new theory is that solid- and fluid-phase thermodynamic properties are both computed within a single theoretical framework. Hence, it allows us to study melting phenomena in a self-consistent manner. For solids, the new theory treats both harmonic and anharmonic effects in thermodynamic properties on equal footing. Applications to several model and rare gas systems show that the new theory can accurately predict fluid, solid, and fluid-solid transition properties. Effective pair potentials inferred from the analysis of krypton and xenon isotherms contain short- and long-range modifications to the Aziz-Slaman pair potential. The long-range correction is repulsive and originates from the Axilrod-Teller three-body force, while the short-range correction probably originates from many-body forces. Using the computed melting curves of krypton and neon, we discuss the range of validity of the corresponding states principle for rare gas systems. 68 refs., 8 figs., 6 tabs.


Objective To identify occupational hazards in the construction project of the chemical assistant solvent plant,analyze and evaluate the control effect.Methods According to Hygienic Standards for the Design of Industrial Enterprises and Specifications of Air Sampling for Hazardous Substances Monitoring on the Workplace,sites were chosen and occupational hazards were evaluated by methods of field investigation,monitoring and occupational health examination.Results Contents of this construction project including the overall layout,the layout of production equipment and technology,the building hygiene,personal protective equipment and use of supplies,auxiliary rooms,emergency rescue,occupational hazard protection facilities and occupational health management measures basically accorded with the requirements of laws and specifications for occupational health.Noise intensity was between 54.2-86.3 dB(A),and one point exceeded the allowable limits of national standards.Workplace integrate temperature(WBGT index) was between 28.5-34.6 ℃,and one position didn't meet the requirements.The results of poisonous chemicals,power frequency electric field were in line with the national standards.Conclusion The occupational hazards prevention facilities have been built up with the main project at the same time.The control measures on occupational hazards in the construction project are basically feasible.


The aim of this study was optimization of the processes and experimental conditions for fabrication of stable artemisinin (ART) nanosuspension using precipitation ultrasonication approach with subsequent enhanced dissolution rate compared to raw and micronized ART. The effect of important parameters including concentrations of stabilizer solution using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), ultrasonication power inputs, length of ultra-sonication and effect of temperature were systematically investigated for fabrication of stable ART nanosuspension. The optimized parameters to produce ART nanocrystals with smaller particle sizes were found to be 0.15% of PVA, at 200 Watt ultrasonic power input over 15 minutes of ultra-sonication at 4°C temperature. The average particle size and polydespersity index for ART nano suspension were found to be 98.77± 1.5 nm and 0.186± 0.01 respectively. Crystallinity of the processed ART particles was confirmed using DSC and PXRD. Physical stability studies conducted for 30 days at different storage temperatures which include 4, 25 and 40°C demonstrated that nanosuspensions stored at 4°C and 25°C were most stable compared to the samples stored at 40°C. The ART nanosuspension showed significantly (P<0.05) increased (87 fold) in dissolution rate of the produced nanocrystals compared to the micronized and raw ART which include 97%, 70% and 10.5% respectively after 60 minutes.


Objective:To study the value and significant of the clinical symptoms and MRI to diagnose multiple sclerosis(MS) Methods:20 cases of multiple sclerosis patients were analyzed synthetically from ordinary datas,MRI,cerebral spindl fluid(CSF)examination and therapy.Results:MS usaurlly occurs between 10 and 40 years old,especially in female.The form of occurance and clinical symptoms are rarious.The course of MS is alternation of relapse and remission.The finding rate of MRI to MS focus is 100%.Glucocorticoid is effective drug on therapy,but is not good down on the extending of course and many times relapse.Conclusion:It can heighten the diagnosis rate of MS through the clinical features,imaginative examination,CSF examination and electophgsiology examination.


Prototype landscape refers to the impressive scenes that one has experienced in his/her living environment before 20 years old. Based on the analysis of the literature,the authors compile a standard scale type questionnaire through surveying on the interview and semi-open questionnaire way,which is about the influence of prototype landscape on one's landscape perception. Taking Likert scale as the main part,this questionnaire analyzes the influence of original scenery on landscape perception from perception,attitude,and behavior dimensions. In order to further improve its rationality,the authors tested some other aspects of this questionnaire,including logic validity,construct validity,congeniality reliability,split-half reliability,etc. The results validated that the questionnaire possess good theoretical structure and validity target,which can evaluate various aspects of prototype landscape on one's landscape perception in an effective and reliable way. Therefore,the questionnaire put forward by this study not only enriches the studies of prototype landscape on landscape designing,but also provide an effective tool for quantitative analysis of the "impact of Prototype landscape on one's landscape perception".


Aim: We compared the accuracy of MRCP and ERCP findings in the management of suspected common bile duct stones.
Material and Methods: Between September and December 2017, 104 patients underwent MRCP and then ERCP to explain the
etiology of cholestasis and elevated liver enzymes and / or the bilirubin levels. Laboratory values and MRCP were compared with
ERCP findings for the accuracy and reliability of laboratory and radiological findings.
Results: The one-hundred four patients underwent MRCP and then ERCP. Of these, 49 (47.1%) were males. The mean age of the
patients was 60.7 ± 16.4 years. When compared MRCP and ERCP findings, the sensitivity of MRCP was 71%, specificity was 35%,
negative predictive value (NPV) was 31% and positive predictive value(PPV) was 75%. The accuracy rate was calculated as 61%
Conclusion: The diagnosis of choledocholithiasis, should have been done with primarily MRCP and EUS should be used in cases
when MRCP is inadequate. ERCP should be used for only in therapeutic procedures.


A subgroup H of a group G is said to be nearly normal in G if it has a finite index in its normal closure H G.T he setnn(G) of nearly normal subgroups of G is a sublattice of the lattice of all subgroups of G. Isomorphisms between lattices of nearly normal subgroups of FC -soluble groups are considered in this paper. In particular, properties of images of normal subgroups under such an isomorphism are investigated. Moreover, it is proved that if G is a supersoluble group and ¯ G is an FC -soluble group such that the lattices nn(G )a ndnn( ¯ G )a re isomorphic, then also ¯ G is supersoluble.


The World Wide Web has now entered its mature age. It not only hosts and serves large amounts of pages but also offers large amounts of information potentially useful for individuals and businesses. Modern decision support can no more be effective without timely and accurate access to this unprecedented source of data. However, unlike in a database, the structure of data available on the Web is not known apriori and its understanding seems to require human intervention. Yet the conjunction of layout rules and simple domain knowledge enables in many cases the automatic understanding of such unstructured data. In such cases we say that data is semi-structured. Wrapper generation for automatic extraction of information from the Web has therefore been a crucial challenge in the recent years. Various authors have suggested different approaches for extracting semi-structured data from the Web, ranging from analyzing the layout and syntax of Web documents to learning extraction rules from user's training examples. In this paper, we propose to exploit the HTML structure of Web documents that contain information in the form of multiple homogeneous records. We use a Tree Alignment algorithm with a novel combination of heuristics to detect repeated patterns and infer extraction rules. The performance study shows that our approach is effective in practice, yielding practical performance and accurate results.


muscle tumours of the uterus share at least some of the molecular pathways of smooth muscle tumours at other sites in the development of malignancy. These pathways are shared, despite the differing criteria used to determine malignancy and the differing prognoses attached to leiomyosarcomas of uterine versus non-uterine sites. In particular, p16 immunohistochemistry may represent a method for predicting malignancy in subcutaneous smooth muscle tumours whose light microscopic features straddle the current guidelines distinguishing benign from malignant. Within the subcutaneous leiomyosarcoma group, the level of p16 positivity may be an additional tool in determining which patient's tumour will fall within the approximately 30% that are known to metastasise. The current results suggest that subcutaneous vascular leiomyomas are p16 negative, whereas subcutaneous leiomyosarcomas (like those in the uterus) are p16 positive. These results need to be validated in studies of larger size and the level of p16 positivity correlated with patient follow-up data.


A theoretical model is set up to examine the question: are the results of dielectrophoretic measurements influenced by the frequency response of the diffuse double layer in the low frequency region (<100 Hz)? Within the constraints or the model and assumptions made in this paper our results show that under the typical electrolyte concentrations that are used in experiments the frequency response of the double layer does not color the experimentally observed dielectrophoretic spectrum.


In recent years, international marriages have been rapidly increasing in Korea. The purpose of this study was to assess health and nutrition status for Vietnamese wives in Korea. The subjects were recruited from a medical examination center in Seoul. The mean age of the subjects was 24.7±0.3 years and mean length of residence in Korea was 2.8 years. The mean BMI (body mass index), systolic, diastolic blood pressure, HDL‐cholesterol, triglycerides and fasting blood glucose of the subjects were within the normal ranges. However, some subjects should abnormal anthropometry and hematological variables as follows high BMI; 7.4%, high blood pressure; 6.8%, low HDL‐cholesterol; 59.2%, high triglycerides; 12.8%, and high fasting blood glucose; 0.3%. Intakes of protein and vitamin C were above Estimated Average Requirements (EAR). However, intakes of vitamin A, iron, zinc and folate did not meet EAR. In conclusion, anthropometry and hematological variables were within the normal ranges. However, status of nutrient intakes was not satisfactory, especially intakes of antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin A and folate were lower than EAR. The society must give special attention so that the Vietnamese wives should be encouraged to lead a stable dietary life. (This study was supported by a grant of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2006‐347‐2910‐213‐207) and second stage of BK21 project in 2007.)


The life of plastic gears is shortened when they are used at a high temperature because they become less strong and vary in the way they mesh each other, causing them to be worn away at their root in an abnormal way. It is necessary for lengthening the life of plastic gears to take care not to generate heat in them and to keep them from rising in temperature by radiating heat quickly. The present report treats of various methods designed for lengthening the life of plastic gears having form and dimensions adapted to given operating conditions and inquiries made about whether the use of these methods can lengthening the life of plastic gears to a greater extent than anticipated at the time of designing.


Background and Objectives: Surgical cancelation is a significant source of time and resource waste, patient safety risk, and stress for patients and their families. In this study, a risk management-based approach is developed to prioritize factors contributing to surgical cancellation.
 Methods: Factors leading to surgical cancellation were comprehensively classified based on literature review. A Fuzzy Failure Mode and Effect Analysis were developed for identifying the relative importance of the potential surgical cancellation factors. Validity of the results was examined by obtaining experts' opinions.
 Findings: Our analysis identified inadequacy of recovery beds, inadequacy of ICU beds, high-risk surgery, and high blood pressure and diabetes as the most important factors contributing to surgical cancelation.
 Conclusions: According to our results, the Fuzzy Failure Mode and Effect Analysis can successfully rank the factors contributing to surgical cancellation. Our results encourage further use of the risk management theory and tools combined with fuzzy set theory to support and facilitate the clinical decision-making process.


Enhancing photoluminescence (PL) of semiconducting 2D materials is proven essential for many applications related to optoelectronics and sensing. Here, we demonstrate synergistic PL enhancement in 2D materials by incorporating silver plasmonic nanodiscs in defect-induced monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) for luminescent quench sensing of dopamine with high accuracy and selectivity. We develop a hole-array perforated 2D MoS2 embedded with plasmonic silver dimers to harmonize the surface plasmon resonance with the PL wavelength of monolayer MoS2, which enhance it by 56-fold. We implemented the optimized perforated MoS2/dimers platform as a catalytic assay for on-chip PL quenching detection of dopamine, achieving a low limit of detection of 9.3 nM. This approach opens avenues of high-performance molecular sensing applications by improving the PL emission of 2D materials.


The existence of street vendors has opened up job opportunities so that the unemployment rate can be suppressed and its existence is needed by the lower class, because the prices are relatively cheaper than modern shops or restaurants. Street vendors always take advantage of places that are always seen as profit, for example the city center, crowded places to places that are considered to have the potential to become tourist attractions.  On the one hand, the existence of street vendors is one of the safety valves to overcome unemployment as a whole, but on the other hand the phenomenon or growth of street vendors has resulted in the disruption of aspects of public order which are prerequisites for the ideal conditions of a city. To overcome these problems, the Grobogan Regency Government issued Regional Regulation (Perda) No. 16 of 2014 concerning the arrangement and empowerment of Street Vendors.The problem in this research is how the implementation of Regional Regulation Number 16 of 2014 concerning the Arrangement and Empowerment of Street Vendors on the Compliance Level of Business Actors in Grobogan Regency. The research method used is sociological juridical. The focus of the location is in Purwodadi City, Grobogan Regency. Research results Grobogan district government plays a role as enforcer of regional regulation no 16 of 2014 on the level of compliance of street vendors by providing guidance and direct action for the implementation of public order and city tidiness in Grobogan Regency. The research took place in June-July 2022 at the Grobogan district Satpol PP office. The role of the Grobogan district government in enforcing Regional Regulation No. 6 of 2014 has been going well. However, along the way, there are still some obstacles experienced by the government, namely there are still many naughty traders and the lack of supporting infrastructure for members of the Satpol PP.


The paper considers an important area of today neurology, that is imaging techniques in the diagnosis of brain tumors. It summaries the many-year experience of the Neuroroentgenology Department, N. N. Burdenko Institute of Neurosurgery RAMS (more than 3,000 verified cases). Basing on findings of imaging techniques such as CT, CT angiography, MRI (including new scan modes such as diffuse weighed MRI, functional MRI, perfusion imaging, MR spectroscopy), MR angiography, direct angiography, the author specifies features of neuroepithelial, cranial and spinal neural, meningeal, lymphoid, germ-cell and metastatic tumors. MRI is currently considered the diagnostic method of choice because it provides a detailed imaging of lesions and edemas, accurately defines their borders, condition of adjacent brain substance, conduction tracts, functionally relevant segments of the cortex. Algorithm of assessment in individual cases depends on tumor histology and location. CT is an important supplementary tumor imaging technique to assess more accurately condition of adjacent bone structures, the presence of stromal petrification.


Fundamental measurement procedures are described that enable full end-to-end characterization of the entire imaging path between astronomical objects and their telescope images. The procedures are based on measurements of certain key properties of point-object (unresolved star) images, properties that carry the essential information about the integrated effects of all mechanisms in the imaging path that contribute to the OPD fluctuations. These mechanisms can include, but are not limited to, atmospheric turbulence, dome turbulence, telescope aberrations, the effect of wind-induced oscillations on large multiple-segment primary mirrors, and the (corrective) effects of Adaptive Optics (AO). The measurement procedures are fully general and take into account amplitude scintillation as well as phase variation in the wavefronts. The effects of atmospheric turbulence are fully encrypted in the statistical properties of the OPD fluctuations in the telescope pupil. In turn, these OPD properties are fully encrypted in the measured point-object image properties. Consequently, there is no need to make a priori assumptions about the form of the turbulence structure function, Kolmogorov or otherwise; the measurement procedures naturally provide the appropriate structure function. Whereas telescope aberrations usually contribute fixed amounts to the total OPD fluctuation, other mechanisms, such as atmospheric turbulence, contribute time-varying amounts. The measurement procedures allow the fixed OPD contributions to be separated from the time varying contributions. If AO is used, it is appropriate to have the AO system running during the measurement procedures, which otherwise remain unchanged. The procedures described are fundamental to establishing appropriate end-to-end wavefront error budgets for ground-based telescopes and to establishing telescope resolution expectations as a function of wavelength.


The research design planned for a toxicological experiment required simultaneous exposure of three groups of mice to either nitrogen dioxide, ozone, or zero air. Maximum control and precision could be achieved by placing identical strains of mice into three separate 11.4 ft/sup 3/ stainless steel chambers according to a previously reported design, supplying each chamber with a different test or control gas, and sampling each chamber continously over the test period. The equipment needed to monitor O/sub 3/ and NO/sub 2/ concentrations is expensive, while the NO/sub 2/ analyzing system requires frequent calibration. These were excellent reasons to attempt monitoring all three chambers on a single set of analyzing equipment, but additionally, such a setup would provide greater control and precision. In order to accomplish this, a system was needed to sample each chamber sequentially and then deliver this sample to the anlayzing devices. Since such a system is not commercially available it was necessary to design and construct such a device. A design for a sequential sampling system to meet our special needs was supplied for construction, and the system has been installed in our operation and functions according to specifications. The design and performance of the sampling systemmore » are discussed. The device was developed for use with a specific set of exposure chambers and sampling devices. It's design is general enough that a variety of chambers and/or monitoring instruments may be used. The user is not limited to three chambers or two monitoring instruments. The addition of solenoid valves and relays can expand the basic system to handle many additional chambers and/or instruments. This system has functioned in a highly efficient manner to deliver samples of chamber gas sequentially from three separate chambers to the same calibrated monitoring devices and insure greater quality control of the results.« less


This article examines the problem of correctional education and upbringing of children with visual impairments by attracting them to work. It is shown that introducing visually impaired children to work improves their sensorimotor skills, and their presence will be necessary for them in their future profession. The formation of a visually impaired person's personality primarily depends on the attitude towards disabled people in society. This study examined the effect of wool felting on children's sensorimotor skills. The study results showed that felting in children's labour education could improve their sensorimotor skills, gain self-confidence, and instil a love of labour efficiency.


This study aims to analyze the use of an artistic approach in transmitting Islamic messages by Kyai Zen, a popular da'i (da'wah actor) in West Java in the last 50 years. The process of conveying Islamic values will always be in the local social sphere where the da'wah is conveyed. As a process, the transmission of Islamic messages, or da'wah, can be done through an artistic approach by considering the socio-cultural dimensions of the da'wah target. This kind of approach is considered relevant especially because da'wah is aimed at instilling values, and not just informing something about religious teachings. The method used in this research is phenomenology about the actor of the da'wah who uses art as his preaching approach. This research seeks to reveal and study things that are typical of the phenomenon, as well as in the socio-cultural context of what kind of process of communicating Islamic messages takes place. As an analysis tool, this study uses Melvin DeFleur's Simultaneous Transaction Model. The results show that the process of transmitting Islamic messages through an artistic approach can be described as something unique and distinctive. This research also proves that the artistic approach taken by Kyai Zen in conveying Islamic messages finds compatibility and can be accepted by the people of West Java, and appears to be politer to invite people, but still friendly to local socio-cultural conditions.


Abstract 4485

Purpose Thanks to the development of knowledge in the field of molecular biology, the great progress has been done in risk stratification of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at diagnosis, in recent years. Based on the recommendations of international expert groups there were identified the patients who may benefit from the allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) as a consolidation of first complete remission (CR). In the absence of an universal marker for minimal residual disease (MRD) measurements, there is still little information about the importance of MRD prior to allo-SCT. Our department has a very good experience with quantitative monitoring of WT1 gene expression as a marker of MRD during treatment of AML. The aim was to retrospectively evaluate the significance of MRD in patients indicated for allo-SCT in 1.CR.

Patients and methods Overall 35 patients (pts) in the first morphological CR were transplanted from April 2005 - July 2011. Median age was 46 years (range; 20–63), mens 14, women 21, three good risk, intermediate risk 23, high risk 7 (NA 3). A total of 19 pts achieved CR after second induction (salvage), 11 pts were in 1st iCR. Induction 3+7 was given to 31 pts (4x other), as consolidation has been used HIDAC in 28 pts (7x other). As the graft, peripheral blood stem cells were used in 27 pts, bone marrow in 8 pts. The donor was identical sibling in 15 pts (1x mismatched sibling), matched unrelated donor (MUD) in 10 pts and mismatched UD in 9 pts. Conditioning regimen was myeloablative in 29 pts, reduced-intensity in 6 pts. Median follow-up was 18 months (range; 2–56). The expression of WT1 gene was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction in peripheral blood according to the European Leukemia Net recommendations. The WT1 expression was related to the expression of a reference gene and the results were calculated with a number of WT1 copies related to 104 copies of ABL gene. The upper limit of normal WT1 expression was set as 50 copies of WT1 to 104 copies of ABL. Before allo-SCT, 25 pts were WT1-negative, ten pts were WT1-positive.

Results When comparing the two groups according the MRD status, there was not significant difference in terms of age, risk groups, first induction failure, number of iCR, induction or consolidation type. Also, type of graft, conditioning regimen, or HSCT-CI was not significantly different. The group of WT1-positive pts had more unrelated donors, more aGVHD and shorter follow-up. In terms of cGVHD, the groups were comparable.

When comparing the overall survival (OS) and cumulative relapse incidence (RI) of the entire group in terms of: risk group, first induction failure, iCR, consolidations number and incidence of aGVHD, we found no significant difference. Pts with cGVHD had a better OS, lower RI with comparable non-relapse mortality (NRM).

In contrast, the MRD status measured by WT1 gene expression appears as clearly significant factor. The outcome of WT1-positive pts is significantly worse in terms of OS (55% vs 83% at 3 years, p = 0.03), RI (50% vs 11% at 3 years, p = 0.008), and there is a trend toward higher NRM (23% vs 5% in 3 years, p = 0.08).

Conclusion Our results show that MRD status measured by WT1 gene expression in patients with AML in 1.CR significantly affects their future prognosis. Opportunities to influence the unfavorable prognosis of MRD-positive patients may be more intensive pre-transplantation therapy or earlier immunomodulatory intervention after allo-SCT (pre-emptive DLI). The larger prospective studies are necessary to confirm this hypothesis.

The study was supported by scientific project MZ 00023736 granted by the Ministry of Health, Czech Republic.

Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


The title compound, C3H7NO2 C3H8NO2 NO3, contains l-alanine±alaninium dimers bonded via the carboxyl groups by a strong asymmetric hydrogen bond with an O O distance of 2.4547 (19) AÊ . The neutral alanine molecule exists as a zwitterion, where the carboxyl group is dissociated and the amino group is protonated. The alaninium cation has both groups in their acidic form. The alanine molecule and the alaninium cation differ only slightly in their conformation, having an NÐC ÐC O torsion angle close to ÿ25 . The dimers and the nitrate anion are joined through a threedimensional hydrogen-bond network, in which the full hydrogen-bonding capabilities of the amino groups of the two alanine moieties are realised.


Abstract An algorithm for automatic selection and estimation of model parameters is presented. The algorithm uses a sensitivity matrix based calculation of the parameters effects on the measured outputs and of a linear-independence metric. A predictability degradation index and a parameter correlation degradation index are used as stop criteria and the method is extended to dynamic models and multiple operating points. The applicability of the developed algorithm is illustrated through a hypothetical nonlinear input-output model and through the analysis of data from an experimental isothermal batch bioreactor. The obtained results show the effectiveness of the algorithm.


The Duluth Complex is a set of intrusive series of rocks which are the products of the 1.1 Ga old Midcontinent Rift system of North America. One of the troctolitic intrusions that host the vast majority of unexploited Cu-Ni-PGE mineralization is the South Kawishiwi Intrusion. Mantle-derived troctolitic melts intruded from a deep-seated chamber system into their current position through a magmatic plumbing system. During their ascent, they had reacted with metasedimentary rocks and this process triggered sulphide saturation producing an immiscible sulphide melt phase (Miller et al., 2001). During formation of the South Kawishiwi Intrusion, the intruding sulphide-laden melts subsequently reacted with granitoid footwall rocks as well, resulting in contamination with a felsic partial melt component (Molnár et al., 2010). Combined analysis of primary fluid and melt inclusions provides a strong tool to understand and evaluate different components of this late magmatic – early hydrothermal stage of the orebearing system. In the present study, we have investigated mostly pegmatitic, quartz-rich, sulphide-bearing samples close to the basal contact of the intrusion. Macroscopic textures of the rock samples and micropetrographic features of coeval fluid and melt inclusions in quartz show that the crystallizing melts have exsolved a magmatic fluid phase. That fluid coexisted with the late stage silicate and sulphide melt phases. Negative crystal-shaped primary fluid inclusions usually form groups in the centre of quartz grains and are dominated by relatively low density, near critical CO2 (Fig. 1.). Raman-spectrometry confirmed minor amounts of methane and N2 inferred from the slight decrease of the triple point of the inclusions (~-57.2 °C) compared to pure CO2. After heating and total homogenization of inclusions well above 300 °C, small amount of H2O was also detectable by Ramanmicrospectrometry.


How does a baseball batter decide quickly enough whether a pitch will cross the plate in the strike zone to initiate a swing at a 95-mph (42-m/s) fastball that travels the distance between the pitcher's hand and the plate in only 420 ms? It is unlikely the batter could use visual information to accurately predict the height at which the pitch will cross the plate before deciding whether to initiate a swing, because the primary source of information (the angular drop rate) does not vary significantly as a function of crossing height for the first part of the ball's flight (Bahill & Karnavas, 1993; Watts & Bahill, 1991; also see Figure 1). It is more likely the batter uses visual information about the ball's crossing height to adjust the movement parameters for the final phase of the swing (Gray, 2002a; Gray, 2009). Electromyographic research has shown that a baseball swing is a highly complex motor action involving several different muscle groups (including the lower extremities, trunk, and upper extremity) and has multiple phases of motor activation (Shaffer, Jobe, Pink, & Perry, 1993; Welch, Banks, Cook, & Draovitch, 1995); therefore, it must be initiated early in the ball's flight. One information source the batter could potentially use to make a decision about initiating a swing is the vertical launch angle (LA) of the pitch; this is defined as the angle subtended at the hitter's eye by the horizontal plane extending from the pitcher's hand and a plane intersecting the center of ball. As shown in Figure 1A, although LA does not perfectly predict crossing height, it could be used to establish rough criteria for initiating/inhibiting the swing (e.g., inhibit the swing if LA is ≥ 2° or ≤ -2°). The use of LA criteria creates a problem, because, as illustrated in Figure 1B, for some values of LA the pitch can cross the plate either inside or outside the strike zone depending on its speed. Thus, the batter has the challenge of setting LA criteria that maximize swing initiations at "strikes" while at the same time minimizing swing initiations at "balls." This LA criteria decision is a classic example of a task that can be understood with signal detection theory (Green & Swets, 1966). The batter's decision to initiate or inhibit the swing creates four possible outcomes as shown in Table 1. Decision-making sensitivity can be quantified by using the proportion of hits (which the batter wants to be high) and the proportion of false alarms (FA, which the batter wants to be low) to calculate the statistic d'. A basic prediction of signal detection theory is that expert baseball batters should set LA criteria resulting in a greater d' than less experienced batters. In addition, the batter's LA criteria should relate to how "aggressive" or "patient" the batter is when at the plate. This study examined the LA criteria used by expert (college players) and less experienced (recreational league players) batters using a baseball batting simulation.


Between August and October 2015, public auctions are being held for the privatisation of publicly owned media companies. The Agency for Privatization of the Republic of Serbia (Agency), which is responsible for the implementation of the process, announced public calls for the privatization of 50 media companies which have fulfilled all legal requirements for a public auction (submitting the fair assessment of their value and other documentation). The public auctions will be held within 30 to 90 days from the day of the public call


Based on case studies,this research probes into the Zhuang-English translation strategies for Liao Songs in terms of imagery,vocabulary and culture.Translators should achieve precise understanding of the source text firstly,and then manage to convey and represent the artistic conception of Liao Songs through the ingenious application of the methods such as Retention,Transplantation,Conversion,Simplification,Omission and Addition of images while maintaining its language style and local culture.


The increase in the share of renewable energy in the power generation mix plays a pivotal role in the decarbonisation of power systems, thus facilitating the achievement of international and national targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate change. Due to the intermittent nature of variable renewable energy, the integration of these sources in power systems requires investments in additional solutions and setting strategies to ensure grid stability and reliability. For that purpose, a prospective modelling was applied to the relatively isolated island named Procida, located in the gulf of Naples in Italy, through the bottom-up optimization model TIMES-Procida for a long-term energy plan where technical solutions, i.e., deployment of photovoltaics on rooftops and storage, and policy scenarios, i.e., energy efficiency, were used to analyse the evolution of the energy system. The introduction of renewable energy could be much more relevant when dealing with islands; they appear as decisive territories for experimentation and analysis of the transformation of all power systems. At year 2050, our results address decarbonisation and energy autonomy. They show that only with high shares of renewable energy will the territory see a noticeable decarbonisation of its economic sectors (up to 24%) and a decreasing dependency on imports (−16.6% compared to low renewable integration). By comparing the results of scenarios including or lacking storage solutions, we showcased how this reflected on the investments in PV and on grid congestion relief.


A model waste based on a modest vegetarian diet is given, including composition and elemental analysis. Its use is recommended for evaluation of candidate waste treatment processes for a Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS).


Training and development, as one sector of lifelong education, plays an important role in the development of people and organizations. But in spite of its importance we have only a limited understanding of the interrelations of all the issues that have been raised in this sector during the past decades. This is partly due to the fact that there is only limited agreement on the research agenda for training and development of human resources in organizations. In this article we present both an approach to establish a set of priorities for such a comprehensive research agenda, and a proposal for such an agenda for research on training and development in business and industry. Preliminary results of a survey, content analysis, trainers' inventory, trends analysis and case studies were documented into a consultation document that was offered to a nominal group of 21 policy makers, training managers and other training practitioners. This group analysed a research proposal consisting of analytical propositions a...


This article describes an innovative system in Texas to provide special training opportunities for transportation managers, engineers, technicians, supervisors, and crew members. The program was made possible through 402 Safety Funds from the Federal Highway Administration for highway safety courses. The program gave first priority for classroom attendance to municipal and county employees. The location of courses, and course criteria are described. The 14 highway safety courses offered are listed. Through this system the Public Works Training Division has access to current state-of-the-art transportation engineering information from Texas Transportation Institute located at Texas A&M University. The success of the program has been partly attributed to an intensive evaluation program that includes feedback from students attending classes.


There was a case of carcinoma of the ovary that coexisted with PCO syndrome in young, 25 years old woman. After clinical examination and USG doctors suspected PCO syndrome and hydrosalpings that is why the patient underwent an operation. In intraoperative histopathological examination bilateral adenocarcinoma were found. In prophylactic examination of patient's mother ovarian tumour was found that is also turned out to be an adenocarcinoma.


Excess radiation is one of frequent natural environmental stresses that plants have to cope with on a daily basis. Therefore, plants have evolved many shortand long-term mechanisms to acclimate to high irradiance and tolerate it. Ureides, generated from purine degradation, have been proposed as compounds involved in environmental stress responses, including altered irradiance. In the present study, high irradiance was used to investigate ureide content and gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. Arabidopsis plants shifted to high irradiance showed high content of a specific ureide compound, allantoin. The accumulation of allantoin was associated with increased expression of uricase, an enzyme involved in its production. When an Arabidopsis mutant (aln-3), which constitutively accumulates elevated amounts of allantoin, was exposed to high irradiance, mutant plants demonstrated enhanced tolerance to the stress conditions compared to the wild-type plants. Our results provide evidence that accumulation of the allantoin might contribute in plants response to increased growth irradiance. Additional key words: abiotic stress, allantoinase, high irradiance, ureides, uricase.


To address the lack of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) reliability data as well as a standardized methodology for assessing reliability, the Metallic Materials Technology Branch at Picatinny Arsenal has initiated a MEMS Reliability Assessment Program. This lack of data has been identified as a barrier to the utilization the MEMS in Department of Defense (DoD) systems. Of particular concern are the impacts of long-term storage and environmental exposure on the reliability of devices. Specific objectives of the Metallic Materials Technology Branch (MMTB) program include: ○ Identify MEMS devices to be utilized in weapon systems ○ Determine the relevant categories of MEMS materials, technologies and designs in these applications ○ Assess the operational environments in which the military MEMS device may be utilized ○ Analyze the compatibility of MEMS devices with energetic and other hazardous materials ○ Identify physics of failure, failure mechanisms and failure rates ○ Develop accelerated test protocols for assessing the reliability of MEMS according to the categories ○ Develop of reliability models for these devices ○ Conduct testing and modeling on representative devices of interest to Army and DoD ○ Develop of a methodology and capability for conducting independent assessments of reliability that cannot be obtained from private industry In support of this effort, some testing has been performed on prototype mechanical Sating and Arming (S&A) devices for the 25-mm XM25 Air Burst Weapon. The objective is to test the S&A as a representative device for the identification of potential failure modes and effects for devices of the same class. Information derived from this testing will be used to develop standardized test protocols, formulate reliability models and establish design criteria and to identify critical parameters in support of the S&A development effort. To date, Environmental Stress Screening (ESS) tests have been performed on samples of the device. Along with the ESS testing, a failure modes and effects analysis has been developed and reliability modeling is under way.


Computer Application Fundamental Course is a basic course for students in universities, and is a leading course of learning computer programming language. So teaching effectiveness is very important for students. Considering a number of issues, such as a computer uneven level of college freshmen, teaching the content of complex, high precision operation, and so on, this paper propose the teaching methods which combined with a variety of factors(Level-Differentiated Teaching Methods, interactive effects, etc). Through building the site, to broaden students' learning space and to expand teaching content; Through examination reforms, to stimulate students' hands-on initiative. We made well teaching results in teaching practice, which greatly improve students' pass rate of grades exam.


Western developed countries have laid down relevant laws based on non-profit organizations and agent theories and carried out effective management to boost industrial economy. These laws have enabled these countries to function actively in WTO-related affairs. In addition, the management of commercial chambers in these countries is also efficient and highly developed. This article analyses various legal and managerial problems in Chinese commercial chambers and puts forward suggestions for improvement.


This book traces the early history of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, showing how brutal police treatment of civil rights demonstrators in Birmingham, Alabama, forced President Kennedy to send a strong civil rights bill to Congress in June of 1963. The various legislative strategies used to get the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through Congress are detailed.


The paper presents the morphological characteristics and the mechanism of the formation of a fracture of the skull bones with the signs of dissection during a long stay of parts of a corpse in water.


Located at the right bank of downstream Tamsui River, Tamsui has been an important port town in northern Taiwan since the 17th century. During the Qianlong reign, ethnic-Han settlements dominated downtown Tamsui. With the development of markets and streets, immigrant groups from different regions established their separate temples. The Fuyou Temple became the largest and most important cult center. Circumstances changed after the Sino-French War. During the war, French troops took the economically and strategically important Tamsui as the major battleground. In this local society, which had rarely been attacked by large-scale military force before, the new ways of battle-fighting and the French marine's siege of Taiwan Strait affected the residents' daily lives and economic activities. To cope with these circumstances, residents found their solace in popular belief. The locals constructed oral legends mixed with historical facts that attribute success of battles to the help of certain deities. A particularly notable example is the elevated status of Master Clear Water (Qingshui Zushi). Legends that feature deities who helped with military actions since early Qing dynasty indicate the regime's intention to defend its legitimacy. The imperial plaque bestowed by Emperor Guangxu, in particular, enhanced the marvelous aspect of local legends. In this study, I analyze the narratives regarding Master Clear Water's dropping his nose and his help with various battles, and investigate the development of Master Clear Water's cult, as well as the factors contributing to the re-construction of cult in late Qing Tamsui local society.


The changes in society in recent decades and the growing participation of women in public space have impacted on the gender system and on women's life projects. In this context, the article aims to identify and analyze motherhood representations among among young female university students from lower to middle strata of Lima and the meanings attributed to the construction of female identities.From a methodological framework based on the theory of the central nucleus and the development of interviews, we found that the young people interviewed plan their life projects based on factors such as motherhood and their professional development, but with new configurations. They try to integrate both of them, but tensions are generated, even though there is a greater appreciation of motherhood than of participation in the public space. Mainly, the young women interviewed consider that motherhood constitutes a source of affection and company. Additionally, motherhood is based on sacrifice, it is configured as the only space where women belong, it constitutes an idealization of the hegemonic family and it is a source of tensions between the domestic space and public space.


Induction motors are traditionally controlled by standard PWM-VS inverters. An alternative is the matrix converter which consists of nine bidirectional switches. This converter has benefits compared to a standard inverter like sinusoidal input current and bidirectional power flow. The main disadvantage is the lack of a bidirectional switch because such a switch may be done by two transistors and two diodes. An important topic is also protection of the matrix converter and this paper proposes two new components' reduced protection circuits for matrix converters. The number of protection diodes is reduced by 6. Design expressions of the protection circuit are calculated and validated by simulation. The standard protection circuit and the new circuits are demonstrated by simulation to have the same performances. Experimental results on an 8.5 kVA matrix converter show the design expressions are correct. It is concluded that it is possible to reduce the necessary power devices in a matrix converter.


Photoemission‐assisted plasma irradiation of a 2″ Cu substrate was performed to clarify the effect of ion impingement on the substrate. With the use of a photoemission‐assisted plasma apparatus, the photoemission‐assisted plasma was evaluated by optical emission spectroscopy and discharge characteristics. The density ratio of Ar ions and atoms increases with increasing the bias voltage of photoemission‐assisted plasma. Changes in the surface morphology of the substrate were investigated using atomic force microscopy. Sufficient ion density can be obtained in photoemission‐assisted Townsend discharge, and surface roughness of the Cu substrate decreased as the plasma irradiation time increased. This result indicates that ion impingement from photoemission‐assisted Townsend plasma can sputter the metal surfaces, leading to a decrease in surface roughness. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The cash-indemnity health insurance system that emerged in the United States after 1945 represented but one trajectory among many. The late 1930s and early 1940s marked a period of innovation and creative experimentation in voluntarist health care programs. Spurred by the Social Security Act of 1935 and the New Deal's legitimization of the politics of security, unions, consumers, employers, and doctors began developing a range of health care programs that enabled patients to pool the risks and costs of sickness and injury, thus bringing medical care within the reach of more people. Employers and private insurers, too, acceded to the pervasive ideology of security. Invoking the New Deal language of security, life insurance companies competed with community and nonprofit organizations to meet a burgeoning market—the market for prepaid health services. While organized labor advocated noninsurance models, commercial insurance companies, aligning with large employers, dramatically expanded their reach during the 1940s, bringing in large groups of subscribers. By the time substantive collective bargaining over health benefits commenced between unions and management in 1950, commercial group health insurance had become well entrenched in many workplaces, and, as a result of this growth, had undercut the competitive and political conditions that enabled other, more equitable, communal-based health insurance alternatives to thrive.


In the loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, triploid (3n) and tetraploid (4n) individuals were produced by crosses using diploid (2n) gametes of natural tetraploids, which had been found in the specimens obtained from fish dealers. Long-term communal rearing experiments from the age of 1 month old to 3 years 1 month old were carried out among diploid (2n female•~2n male), triploid (4n•~2n) and tetraploid (4n•~4n) to compare their performance under a laboratory condition. At the end of experiments, significantly retarded growth was observed in tetraploids and they showed significantly lower body length/head length proportion than diploid and triploid individuals. Triploid females exhibited less developed gonad than tetraploid and diploid individuals, when compared gonad somatic index (GSI). Triploid and tetraploid males showed lower GSI than diploid males, but tetraploid males gave better gonadal development than triploid males.


The bis(imido) complex MoCl(2)(Nmes)(2)(dme) (1) (mes = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl, dme = 1,2-dimethoxyethane) has been used as the starting material for the preparation of the compounds (L(OEt))Mo(Nmes)(2)Cl (2) (L(OEt) = (eta-C(5)H(5))Co{P(O)(OEt)(2)}(3)) and Mo(Nmes)(2)(acac)(2) (5), as well as for the synthesis of the mixed oxo-imido MoCl(2)(Nmes)(O)(dme) (6), the latter reaction involving conproportionation of 1 and MoCl(2)(O)(2)(dme). Similarly, the paramagnetic mono(imido) species Mo(Nmes)Cl(3)(dme) (11) can also be obtained from 1 by interaction with MoCl(4)(THF)(2) (THF = tetrahydrofuran) in refluxing dme. Compounds 6 and 11 are suitable sources for the synthesis of other diamagnetic mixed oxo-imido and paramagnetic mono(imido) compounds, respectively. Three of the newly synthesized complexes, namely, (L(OEt))Mo(Nmes)(2)Cl (2), (L(OEt))Mo(Nmes)Cl(2) (12), and MoCl(3)(Nmes)(depe) (14) (depe = Et(2)PCH(2)CH(2)PEt(2)) have been characterized by X-ray crystallography.


Finite element reliability is highly sensitive to the input data quality and constitutive equations used. In this article, two constitutive equations for modeling the plastic flow of metals are used. Two equations commonly employed in metal forming finite element analysis were selected, e.g., the Hensel-Spittel and Johnson-Cook. Compression tests were conducted at various temperatures and strain rates to obtain the plastic flow stress curves. These experimental results were used as a target to fit the constitutive equation parameters. The parameter identification procedure was conducted by solving the so-called inverse problem. An objective function gives a value (error) that indicates how well a parameter set makes the equation fits the experimental results. This error value is minimized by applying optimization techniques; in this case, by using a Genetic Algorithm followed by a gradient-based strategy. Two objective functions are used; the first is based on the well-established least square approach, and the second is proposed. The proposed objective function shows a faster performance than the least square. In addition, the proposed objective function also gives the best fit for the Hensel-Spittel equation. The Johnson-Cook equation is fitted using only the proposed function. The Hensel-Spittel equation shows several local minimums, whereas the Johnson-Cook shows a global one.

Keywords: Hot forging, Parameter identification, constitutive equations, finite element analysis.


16 The Arabian Sea is a region of elevated productivity with the highest globally recorded 17 fluxes of particulate organic matter (POM) to the deep ocean, providing an abundant food 18 source for fauna at the seafloor. However, benthic communities are also strongly influenced 19 by an intense oxygen minimum zone (OMZ), which impinges on the continental slope from 20 100 to 1000 m water depth. We compared the trophic ecology of foraminifera on the Oman 21 and Pakistan margins of the Arabian Sea (140 – 3185 m water depth). These two margins are 22 contrasting both in terms of the abundance of sedimentary organic matter and the intensity of 23 the OMZ. Organic carbon concentrations of surficial sediments were higher on the Oman 24 margin (3.32 ± 1.4 %) compared to the Pakistan margin (2.45 ± 1.1 %) and sedimentary 25 organic matter (SOM) quality estimated from the Hydrogen Index was also higher on the 26 Oman margin (300 – 400 mg HC/mg TOC) compared to the Pakistan margin (< 250 mg 27 HC/mg TOC). δC and δN values of sediments were similar on both margins (-20 ‰ and 8 28 Moved (insertion) [1] Deleted: and 29 Moved up [1]: D. S. M. Billett 30 Deleted: at bathyal depths 31 Deleted: . 32


: So powerful is language that it has the ability to not only annihilate but also restore relationships. Through it power relations are instituted. In Patriarchal societies of which the Luo nation is part, power relations have the ability to conceive and nourish a sexist culture and a sexist language by extension. In sexist cultures, negative representations of women are common place in varied discourses. In such conversations, women are degraded, subjugated, demeaned and adulterated. They are also subjected to hostility especially in social discourse. The other gender on the other hand, is portrayed as superior, dominant, powerful and is therefore elevated. It is on this stand point that this paper seeks to explore the language used to portray masculinity and feminity with the aim of unveiling the existing biases in the language used to refer to women as opposed to the one used to refer to men since such a language has grave implications on the young generation especially the girl child whose self-esteem and general world view is likely to be affected by such discourse. The study sought to address the following objectives: to explain the metaphors used to refer to men and women in Dholuo Benga music and to illustrate the cognitive processes in the creation of metaphors in Dholuo Benga music. The study adopted a Cognitive Linguistic approach in analyzing these metaphors. The study employed data in the form of words and expressions downloaded from You tube. A sample of ten Benga songs was selected using purposive sampling and they were subjected to analysis based on the tenets of Conceptual Integration Theory. The findings of the study indicate that depiction of both men and women in Benga music is largely done through the use of figurative language and the Luo society prejudices women while it dignifies men.


Background - Insulinoma is a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor originated from pancreatic islet beta cells. Although rare, is the most common pancreatic endocrine tumor, with about four cases per million people. The preferential treatment of insulinoma is surgical. Aim - To analyze the epidemiological, pathological, clinical and surgical patients treated in the last decade in two surgical services. Methods - Were retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients undergoing surgical treatment of insulinoma in the period of 1999 to 2011. Demographic data, type and duration of symptoms, associated or not with endocrine syndrome and diagnostic tests were obtained from medical records. Were analyzed the method of surgery, intraoperative findings and immediate and late complications. Results - Sixteen patients with insulinoma underwent surgical treatment, 68,7% were women. The age ranged from 20 to 60 years, with a mean age of 39 years. Only one case was associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1. Neuropsychiatric manifestations, mainly syncope , were the most prevalent. The average duration of clinical manifestations


The technology and equipment to produce high degree of decoration materials with discharged glass bottles are discussed in details.The technical and economical analysis is cited.Those products can replace high degree of granite,marble or ceramic tiles.


A is in the physiological pH range, and at the same time be sufficiently treat the symptoms of periodontitis mucositis, used to treat and substantial prevention of periodontal disease to promote recovery of the gums by activating the immune system providing compositions and methods of use thereof. The invention relates, acemannan, immunostimulants with tissue repair activity, and the molar ratio to the metal complexing agent is 1: containing polycarboxylic acid dialkali mono metal hydrate is 1, periodontal is a disease treatment and prophylactic mixture. The mixture activates lysyl oxidase respect collagen formation and substantial tissue repair. .BACKGROUND


The number of learning opportunities that are technology mediated (e-learning) is increasing as institutions of higher learning discover the value of technology in reaching larger numbers of students. The challenge for those instructors who implement such technology in higher education is to correctly apply pedagogy that has been successful in student learning to these new delivery methods. In some cases, new pedagogy is being created. For successful facilitation of knowledge to take place, instructors must make students partners in the process, help them learn to reflect about their activities, and focus on course outcomes rather than the technology itself. We will share key e-learning pedagogy from different areas of specialty (mathematics education, special education, and instructional technology) in higher education.


Abstract : In this report scientific evidence is presented that PIND testing, in its present format, is not an effective screening tool for particle contamination in microelectronic packages.


This paper examines how the macroeconomic environment affects the determinants of prepayment of mortgage loans from October 2004 to February 2020. For more accurate analysis, the authors define the timing of prepayment not only before the loan maturity but also at the time when 50% or more of the loan principal is repaid. The results show that, during the global financial crisis as well as the recent period of low interest rates, macroeconomic variables such as interest rate spreads and housing prices have a different effect compared to the normal situation. Also, significant explanatory variables, such as debt to income (DTI) ratio, loan amount ratio and poor credit score, have different effects depending on the macroenvironment. On the other hand, in all periods, the possibility of prepayment increases as comprehensive loan to value (CLTV) increases, and the younger the age, the shorter the loan maturity. The results suggest that, in the case of ultralong (40 years) mortgage loans recently introduced to support young people purchasing houses, the prepayment risk can be, at least partially, migrated by offsetting the increase in prepayment by young people and the decrease in prepayment due to long loan maturity. In addition, this study confirms that the accelerated time failure model compared to the logit model and COX proportional risk model has the potential to be more appropriate as a prepayment model for individual borrower analysis in terms of the explanatory power.


Mannich reactions of imine with acetylacetone were effectively catalyzed by the modified chiral cinchona alkaloid-derived thiourea. The reactions led to chiral β-amino carbonyl compounds in high yields and good enantioselectivities. The study demonstrated for the first time that Mannich reactions of unmodified acetylacetone with heterocyclic imine derived from benzothiazole can be promoted by chiral bifunctional organocatalyst.


Masked hypertension is a common condition in the general population and is associated with high cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. In a prospective study conducted among 1836 middle-aged normotensive workers, the cumulative incidence of masked hypertension was 10.3% over a mean follow-up of 2.9 years. Male gender, older age, higher education, body mass index (BMI), alcohol intake and smoking were associated with a higher incidence of masked hypertension. As it is impractical to measure ambulatory blood pressure in all normotensive patients, the factors here identified could be considered for the screening of at-risk individuals and for primary prevention of masked hypertension.


Objective:The purpose of this study was to investigate the change of sweat rate and sweat ion in humans during active heat acclimation.Methods:8 male participations(16.59±1.38yrs,18.34%±5.77% body fat,57.12±2.12mL/kg/min VO2max) were asked to heat expose in a hot(33℃,80% relative humidity) environment for 60 minutes on the first day and then in the following 9 consecutive days,they were asked to cycle at 40% of their VO2max workload for 15 minutes every time with three times in 60 minutes and rest for 5 minutes between intervals.Heart rate,core temperature and whole-body sweat rate were measured in the following 9 days.Sweat ion,unit area sweat rate and sweat ion loss were measured or estimated in the day 1,5,9 of active heat acclimation.Results:The mean heart rate and core temperature were significantly decreased(P0.05) by 10 beats/min and 0.28℃,respectively,and whole-body sweat rate and unit area sweat rate were increased(P0.05) about 42% following heat acclimation.The mean Na+ and Cl-concentration were significantly decreased(P0.05) around 31% and 32% respectively at the same time.K+ concentration and was no significant change(P0.05).The trend of the amount of sweat loss of Na+,Cl-,K+ were increased in early days then decreased in later days but no significance(P0.05)in heat acclimation.Conclusion:The current study was successful in conferring heat acclimation.It suggests that heat acclimation improve sweat gland function and sweat ion loss change differ in different stage of heat acclimation.


Aim:To examine the expression of PTEN and phosphorylated protein kinase B(P-AKT)in endometrial adenocarcinoma tissue.Methods:The expressions of PTEN and P-AKT in 12 cases of proliferative endometrium,42 cases of endometrial hyperplasia including 15 cases of simple hyperplasia(SH),19 cases of complex hyperplasia(CH) and 8 cases of atypical hyperplasia(AH),and 46 cases of endometrial adenocarcinoma were detected by immunohistochemistry(SP).Results:The positive expression rate of PTEN declined from proliferative endometrium(91.7%),endometrial hyperplasia(42.9%) to endometrial adenocarcinoma(37.0%)(χ2=11.64,P=0.003).The positive expression rate of PTEN in SH tissue was 73.3%,significantly higher than that in CH tissue(26.3%) and AH tissue(25.0%)(P=0.014).The positive expression rate of P-AKT showed an increased trend in proliferative endometrium(25.0%),endometrial hyperplasia(57.1%),and endometrial adenocarcinoma(87.0%)(χ2=19.37,P0.001).From SH,CH,to AH,the positive expression rates of P-AKT were 26.7%,68.4% and 87.5%,respectively.The positive rate of P-AKT in SH and CH tissue was lower than that in AH tissue(χ2=5.28,P=0.027).The expression of PTEN was related with histological grades(P0.001),but not with FIGO stage(χ2=0.06,P=0.89).P-AKT was not related with histological grades or FIGO stage in endometrial carcinoma(χ2=0.02,P=0.82).The expression of PTEN was related with P-AKT in endometrial adenocarcinoma(rP=-0.368,χ2=6.69,P=0.012).Conclusion:PTEN gene and P-AKT are involved in the carcinogenesis and development of endometrial adenocarcinomas.


Video on demand and switched digital television programming for other interactive television services are combined using a multidimensional decision logic of class-based, with minimal latency while users interact with the system via a non-managed network, while video quality and audio uniformity to be optimized. For example, the content-how to adapt the stream bandwidth, and wherein generating the content stream for transmission over the unmanaged network having a variable capacity; Transmitting a content stream towards the client device over the unmanaged network; Monitoring the capacity of the unmanaged network; The method comprising the aggregate bandwidth of the up-coming portion of the content stream, determining whether the capacity - up-coming portion of the content stream corresponding to each frame time, including video content, and the user interface data; And to set the bandwidth in response to a determination does not meet the capacity, and a step of reducing the size of the up-coming portion of the content stream.


DR. THOMAS KING discussed the treatment of intracapsular fracture of the neck of the femur. He said that the choice of adopting either the non-operative method of Whitman or one of the various operative measures was by no means settled, but that present surgical opin.ion tended to favour the method of fixation by the SmithPetersen nail. The greater problem was whether the nail should be introduced after arthrotomy and direct visualization of the fracture or by closed reduction and nailing the fragments by a small [nclston over the junction of the shaft with the base of the trochanteric region. Dr. King said that while he was keeping an open mind on this question and was prepared to admit that arthrotomy had a place in the treatment, he was using a subcutaneous method of directing the nail. He used a Smith-Petersen nail canaliculized by a hole, 2·3 millimetres (1/\ inch) in diameter, along the whole length of the nail, at the junction of the three blades or fins. A Kirschner wire introduced and checked by X ray control acted as a guide along which the nail could be accurately driven into the head. Having used this method eighteen months previously for the first time, he had subsequently· learnt that Johansson, Nicklas, Jerusalem (who used a nail with a hole in the head only) and others were also using a Kirschner wire drilled into the neck and head of the femur as a guide for the nail. Dr, George Clemons, of Launceston, had also suggested this method. Whilst many were following Johansson's technique for obtaming the surface anatomy of the head and neck of the femur, others were working on different lines. That the markings were not entirely satisfactory was borne out by the multiplicity of methods for determining them. Dr. King did not think that the neck of the femur could always be made to lie horizontally to the operating table by internal rotation of the foot for 45°. Dr. King said that his treatment was different from all others in that the wire was placed behind the neck, under fiuoroscopic control, and formed the' basis for guidance of the actual wire in the bone itself. He now drilled two wires into the bone and chose the better one as a guide, as shown by skiagrams in antero-posterior and lateral views of the hip. A cinematograph film of the complete technique was shown. It was seen that the nail was introduced along the guide wire in the bone with the "V" of the blades looking cranially, so that the broadest surface of the nail lay on the dense calcar temorau«. Dr. King said that the ideal place for the nail was in the lower one-third of the neck. After four weeks' traction on a Braun splint the patient could go home and lie about on a sofa or sit on a chair. Weight-bearing before the lapse of eight to twelve weeks was forbidden. The nail became loose after six months and should then be removed.


Marketing-mix models fundamentally are designed to measure the impact on brand sales of each of the key elements of a brand's marketing mix. Broadly, marketing-mix modeling consists of statistical analyses, such as multivariate regressions, using sales and marketing time-series data to estimate the


A prototype autonomous rotary scanning X-band radar system has been developed for cliff top monitoring of the wave climate over an area up to 1.5 km from the shore. The system was deployed on a cliff top site approximately 10 metres above sea level on the east coast of the United Kingdom from October 1994 to February 1995 in close proximity to a variety of other wave monitoring equipment. Sequential scans of the radar data were captured in digital form, using a dedicated board mounted in a PC. Following capture, the data was processed to give directional wave spectra. Capture of data over an area of the sea by this system allows excellent directional resolution within the resulting spectra. Comparisons have been made between these directional wave spectra and those from directional waveriders and nearshore pressure sensors. Results demonstrate that the use of radar is a convenient system for routine wave monitoring or for rapid deployment in response to extreme event forecasts.


Application or the basic research of the stem cells is continously conducted to explore their potential, particularly the use of stem cells in health. Cryopreservation technology is needed to maintain availability of stem cell. This study was aimed to observe the development of murine embryonic stem cell (ESC) primary colonies postvitrified inner cell mass (ICM). Inner cell mass (ICM) was derived from blastocysts of murine embryos of female Swiss webster mice using pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Inner Cell Mass (ICM) was isolated from blastocysts by immunosurgery. Inner Cell Mass (ICM) were divided into two groups: the control and vitrified ICM. Both groups were cultured and observed on the ICM attachment (attachment rate/AR), the primary formation of ESC colonies (primary colony/PC) and diameter of primary colony ESC which grouped into small, medium and large. The results showed that AR and medium diameter's group of primary colony ESC were lower (p<0.05) in vitrified ICM than control ICM. However the percentage of PC and diameter of primary colonies ESC in small and large groups were not different compared with control (p>0.05). This study shows that vitrification for cryopreserving ICM can be used as an alternative source of ESC.


Z-Scan technique has been used to study the nonlinear characteristics of nano CuO. The results of the experiment show that there is an excellent agreement between experimental and theoretical analysis of the three photon absorption (3PA) spectrum of CuO.


The article presents the results of comparative tests on the wear resistance of composite materials (CM) sintered at high pressures and temperatures based on impact diamond (diamond-lonsdaleite abrasive — DLA) when processing silicon carbide (SiC). To assess the CM performance based on impact diamonds, a method has been developed for determining the wear resistance, based on the determination of the CM specific productivity. It is shown that for CMs based on impact diamond, it is expedient to use SiC as a binder. For CMs based on impact diamond with an additive of 40 vol.% SiC, specific productivity when machining a silicon carbide wheel is 25–30 % higher than for compositions containing dense BN phases — wBN and cBN. The decrease in the specific productivity of CM "impact diamond — cBN" relative to CM "impact diamond — SiC" is determined by the higher dispersion of crystals of dense BN phases in comparison with SiC, which generally impairs the abrasive ability of the material. In this case, the addition of a coarse fraction of impact diamond 100/63 μm to the charge composition does not lead to an increase in the specific productivity of the abrasive element as compared to CM based on DLA with a particle size of less than 40 μm. Preliminary mechanical activation of the initial charge also reduces the CM abrasive ability due to the formation of a highly dispersed structure of the material.


Abstract The 13C NMR chemical shifts of 19 2-substituted 1,3-dithian-2-ylium-tetrafluorborates 1a-1s are discussed in comparison to known analogous 1,3-dithianes and 2-lithio-1,3-dithianes. The unusual γ-effects (up to 9 ppm), which can also observed in other six-membered ring systems, are explained by the electric field effect (σ-polarisation effect). The electron density distribution can be estimated qualitatively by comparison with the 1,3-dioxan-2-ylium-and cyclohexylcations.


This article traces the origin of teleological of ancient Greek philosophy by the way of tracing the source.It unveils the differences between the Plato's external teleological and the Aristotle's internal teleology by comparing them in order to underline that the course of analyzing the reason for generation and changes everything by Aristotle's internal teleology.It also solves the ancient Greek philosophy's speculative process about "Shelter" to "to shield" so as to demonstrate the decisive voice in logical process of the ancient Greek philosophy and contribute huge value for epistemological problems of contemporary philosophy of mind.


Background: Advanced thumb carpometacarpal arthritis is widely treated with trapeziectomy and tendon interposition despite donor-site morbidities. Trapeziectomy alone leaves a postresection space, leading to proximal metacarpal migration and scaphoid/trapezoid impingement. Prosthetic implants have been unsuccessful due to particulate debris, silicone synovitis, osteolysis, and migration. Recent studies have shown successful use of allograft for interposition material in the posttrapeziectomy space both in animal and human models. To obviate the need for autologous tissue, maintain thumb length, and reduce the risk of scaphoid impingement, the senior author developed an interposition arthroplasty technique using a spacer constructed from human acellular dermal matrix (HADM). Methods: Sixteen patients with Eaton stage III–IV thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis received the above procedure from the 2 senior authors. HADM was imbricated to fill the posttrapeziectomy space and secured to the volar capsule and metacarpal base. Pre- and postoperative trapezial space on radiograph, pain scores, and grip strength were recorded. Results: Six months postoperatively, radiographs showed an average joint space loss of 11%. Heights postoperatively were not significantly different from immediate postoperative heights (P ≥ 0.01). At 6 months, patients had improved pain and grip strength (P ⩽ 0.01). No infections, foreign body reactions, or other complications occurred. Conclusions: HADM has been used extensively in other forms of reconstruction and has been shown to incorporate into surrounding tissues through neovascularization. Our early results illustrate that HADM can safely fill the dead space left by trapeziectomy.


Biodegradable Y-shaped amphiphilic block copolymer mPEG-b-PLG-b-(PLA)2 was synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR and FTIR. The amphiphilic property of the copolymer with a mPEG-b-PLG segment as the hydrophilic arm and two PLA segments as the hydrophobic arms endows the copolymer with the ability to form core–shell nanoparticles in aqueous solution. Co-assembly of doxorubicin (Dox) and the block copolymer in selective solvent was carried out to prepare Dox-loaded micelles. The inner-shell (PLG) of the micelle was crosslinked through a carbodiimide coupling method with cystamine as the crosslinker. The crosslinked micelles exhibit reduction-responsive release of Dox and the stability in vitro was much better than non-crosslinked micelles. In acidic release condition, the total amount of Dox released could be increased due to the increased solubility of Dox. The blood clearance of Dox in different form of micelles was studied and the results show that Dox loaded in the crosslinked micelles with PEG5K as the outer shell exhibit the longest blood circulation after intravenous injection.


Conclusions (i) Angle-closure glaucoma may remain unilateral in 50 per cent. of acute cases. It is impossible to predict future structtural changes in the anterior segment. Provocative tests are always valuable and prophylactic conventional iridectomy should be carried out on the fellow eye. (2) Chronic simple glaucoma may be markedly asymmetrical, but the asymmetry is rarely so important that the glaucoma appears to be unilateral. If the spared eyes are studied by tonography, the dexamethasone test, and cyclopentolate tonography, they nearly all react like glaucomatous eyes. So, if one accepts a hydrodynamic definition of glaucoma, unilateral glaucoma does not exist: there are only asymmetrical glaucomatous eyes. But if one does not accept this hypothetical concept unilateral glaucoma must exist. (3) To explain why only one eye is diseased is another story.