The establishment and the maintenance of a mutualistic arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) interaction are based on intense communications between the partners and within and between plant cells and organs. Legumes, which can in addition to the AM symbiosis undergo a symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing rhizobacteria, serve as model plants to study the signaling in both root endosymbioses. This chapter will summarize the current knowledge on early signaling and regulation of arbuscular mycorrhization as follows. The first part provides an overview on the signaling leading to successful infection of the root - including common elements required for both legume endosymbioses. This part comprises (i) signals involved in attraction and recognition of the partners, (ii) the activation of a signaling cascade in root hair cells of legumes by AM fungal and rhizobacterial signals, and (iii) the mechanisms leading to successful penetration of the root surface and to intracellular accommodation of the AM fungal partner. The second part focuses on the carbon supply of the fungus and on the role of apoplastic invertases and sugar-induced signaling in the AM interaction. The regulation of the AM symbiosis by a long-distance and systemic feedback mechanism, called autoregulation of mycorrhization, is topic of the last part of this chapter.


One of the concerns of South African anthropologists at present is how to give voice in contemporary political processes to those who have been rendered voiceless by the country's long history of structural violence. Isabelle Stengers (2005:995), advancing her 'cosmopolitical proposal', has argued that as political issues are formulated and engaged, there is a seemingly insatiable tendency to 'think in grooves'. If we want the issues mobilising us at present to constitute genuine causes for thinking, we need to slow down our processes of reasoning, and in such a way that prevailing political voices are unsettled by the feeling that "they do not master the situation they discuss, that the political arena is peopled with shadows of that which does not have a political voice, cannot have or does not want to have one" (2005:996). In the context of the scholarship of the AIDS pandemic, which is targeted largely at the abstract level of global and public health, Henderson's A Kinship of Bones is an important book. It is grounded in Henderson's experiences with a high-burden rural population in Okhahlamba, KwaZulu-Natal, between 2003 and 2006 – a transitional period during which anti-retroviral medicines (ARVs) gradually entered mainstream treatment programmes in South Africa. With its ground-level ethnographic approach, and its rigorous engagement with the neglected themes of intimacy and care, A Kinship of Bones makes a valuable contribution towards a cosmopolitical approach to the pandemic. In Chapter 1, Henderson explores the ways in which the disintegration of bodily integrity entailed by AIDS – "you remain with bones", as the saying goes in Okhahlamba (p. 42) – is mirrored and exasperated by a concurrent disintegration of social relations. Associated with moral pollution as it transcends its physical limitations with the onset of AIDS, the inflicted body becomes perceived as a profound and daunting threat to the proper social order, one which legitimises what are often extreme enactments of social exclusion. In Chapter 2, arguably the book's most important theoretically driven chapter, Henderson draws out the ethical and methodological implications for the anthropologist working in the context of such acts of violence. Drawing upon the philosophical insights of Emmanuel Levinas (2001), she advocates the cultivation of 'solicitude' in the ethos of the researcher, which means listening to the afflicted in such a way as to avoid placing their suffering within one's pre-existing conceptual and experiential frameworks. She argues: As anthropologists, we seek understandings of the world in terms larger than the individual ... However, in attending to detail we hold the tension of the ways in which individual stories may disrupt our search for some kind of generality ... In our conversations with individuals, there is always a space in which they surprise us (p. 65). In adopting and advocating an ethos of solicitude, Henderson demonstrates a means of escaping 'thinking in grooves', and a way of giving presence, as Stengers (2005:996) puts it, to "that which does not have a political voice, cannot have or does not want to have one". Many of the important findings of the book, ones which are often highly relevant to contemporary debates regarding formal healthcare provision in contemporary South Africa, are a product of Henderson's solicitude-oriented methodological approach to the themes of intimacy and care in Okhahlamba. However, while Chapters 1 and 2 focus on the extent of the momentous suffering – not only physical, but also profoundly social – endured by people afflicted with AIDS, the latter chapters exemplify another important aspect of the lived experience of AIDS, one which is also neglected by and subversive of macro-biomedical discourse: the remarkable ability of bodies to exercise agency in the face of adversity. In Chapter 3, Henderson challenges the oft-assumed passivity of AIDS orphans when their parents perish. She argues that, far from being mere passive 'victims' of the death of their parents, children and young people exploit, in dexterous ways, cultural repertoires of relatedness in order to secure – with varying degrees of success – the care that they need (p. 102). In Chapter 4, Henderson follows how two healers use 'tradition' as a vital resource for navigating the landscape of modernity, and for securing a degree of coherence in their day-to-day lives. Without attempting to reconcile 'tradition' and 'modernity', nor suggesting the triumph of one over the other, she goes on to demonstrate the intimate but often strained relationship between local healing repertoires and current biomedical configurations (pp. 116-23). Moving her ethnography into even less chartered territory, Henderson, in Chapter 5, relates the love story of two HIV-positive individuals. Henderson wonderfully relates how their union, rather than being merely 'threatened' by their affliction, was inextricably intertwined with the HI virus and its often devastating effects (p. 127). In the book's final ethnographic chapter, Henderson traces the role of home-based carers in the context of the state's shifting "the bulk of care for the chronically and terminally ill from formal institutions into homes and communities" (p.154). This she does while holding in tension the incredible pressure put on women to take on unpaid carer roles, on the one hand, and on the other, the question of how the endeavours of these women are to be "acknowledged and, dare I say, celebrated" (p.177). Drawing together the lessons of the book's ethnographic chapters in an apt conclusion, Henderson reflects upon the importance of a non-linear understanding of the relationship between providers and recipients of 'care':


Ligand domin(o)ated: In contrast to the straightforward deprotonation of benzothiazole using Grignard reagents, treatment of benzothiazole with 1 leads to a novel type of activation. The initial magnesiation initiates an unstoppable domino reaction of C-C coupling, ring opening, nucleophilic addition, and deprotonation to give 2. THF=tetrahydrofuran.


The RAFT/MADIX polymerisation of N-vinyl pyrrolidone was successfully carried out in homogeneous water medium at 25 °C using the tert-butyl hydroperoxide/ascorbic acid redox initiator. The controlled character of the polymerisation was confirmed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, SEC and NMR analyses. This finding paves the way for the preparation of novel all-hydrophilic complex copolymer architectures based on poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone).


Background: Single-limb stance is maintained via the integration of visual, vestibular and 49 somatosensory afferents. Musculoskeletal injury challenges the somatosensory system to 50 reweight distorted sensory afferents. This investigation supplements kinetic analysis of eyes- 51 open and eyes-closed single-limb stance tasks with a kinematic profile of lower limb postural 52 orientation in an acute lateral ankle sprain group to assess the adaptive capacity of the 53 sensorimotor system to injury. 54 Methods: Sixty-six participants with first-time acute lateral ankle sprain completed a 20 55 second eyes-open single-limb stance task on their injured and non-injured limbs (task 1). 56 Twenty-three of these participants successfully completed the same 20 second single-limb 57 stance task with their eyes closed (task 2). A non-injured control group of 19 participants 58 completed task 1, with 16 completing task 2. 3-dimensional kinematics of the hip, knee and 59 ankle joints, as well as associated fractal dimension of the center-of-pressure path were 60 determined for each limb during these tasks. 61 Findings: Between trial analyses revealed significant differences in stance limb kinematics 62 and fractal dimension of the center-of-pressure path for task 2 only. The control group 63 bilaterally assumed a position of greater hip flexion compared to injured participants on their 64 side-matched "involved"(7.41 [6.1°] vs 1.44 [4.8]°; η 2 = .34) and "uninvolved" (9.59 [8.5°] 65 vs 2.16 [5.6°]; η 2 = .31) limbs, with a greater fractal dimension of the center-of-pressure path 66 (involved limb = 1.39 [0.16°] vs 1.25 [0.14°]; uninvolved limb = 1.37 [0.21°] vs 1.23 67 [0.14°]). Interpretation: Bilateral impairment in postural control strategies present following a first time acute lateral ankle sprain.


Objective We provide an update of the current challenges facing public and private psychiatric care sector in Australia, contextualised by international and national information on factors affecting health system performance. Conclusions There are practical and sustainable repairs that may bridge the gaps between primary care, private psychiatrists, and the public psychiatric system. These are based upon foundations of better linkages, adequate infrastructure, improved social support, and reforming public and private sector workplaces to retain healthcare workers despite pandemic-related attrition. Professional organisations need to redouble their efforts as advocates to governments, in the media matrix, and the general public.


According to this method, used is a granulator (10) rotating drum and the fluidized bed, usually used to produce dense pellets for producing porous granules. To this end, is sprayed in the granulator of the ammonium nitrate solution and there is provided a combined cycle granulation drying which causes pore formation in the mass of the granule. Curing is then completed in a dryer (20) and the product is then screened and cooled.


Abstract : The Navy is developing a flight restraint integrated with a survival vest and life preserver which is mounted on the aircraft ejection seat. This integration uses three standard items which are minimally modified. This development is intended to improve comfort for the crewmember and to simplify logistic support without sacrificing performance. (Author)


Public health emergencies are not the norm in cities and have significant specificity, but they impact nearly all systems in a city. This paper analyzes the stakeholders concerns during a pandemic based on their activities and the citizens' needs during Covid-19 pandemic in a city that has the population of around 8 million people. These data are classified by real city service hotline calls. The analysis of concerns and needs of stakeholders can support city governance and help citizens live as normal a life as possible with city services in a pandemic.


The multiphase thermodynamic and hydrodynamic characteristics of the two-dimensional cavitating flow of liquid helium through a horizontal converging-diverging nozzle near the lambda point are numerically predicted to realize the further development and high performance of new multiphase superfluid cooling systems. First, the governing equations of the cavitating flow of liquid helium based on the unsteady thermal nonequilibrium multi-fluid model with generalized curvilinear coordinates system are presented, and several thermal flow characteristics are numerically calculated, taking into account the effect of superfluidity. Based on the numerical results, the two-dimensional structure of the cavitating flow of liquid helium though a horizontal converging-diverging nozzle is shown in detail, and it is also found that the generation of superfluid counterflow against normal fluid flow based on the thermomechanical effect is conspicuous in the large gas phase volume fraction region where the liquid to gas phase change actively occurs. Furthermore, it is clarified that the mechanism of the He I to He II phase transition caused by the temperature decrease is due to the deprivation of latent heat for vaporization from the liquid phase. NOMENCLATURE e specific internal energy g r contravariant vector of gravitational acceleration g fundamental metric tensor h specific enthalpy J momentum flux density N number density p absolute pressure R radius of bubble or droplet S specific entropy T absolute temperature t time u, u contravariant velocity α volume fraction Γ phase generation density η longitudinal coordinate κ ratio of specific heat λ thermal conductivity μ dynamic viscosity ν kinematic viscosity ξ transverse coordinate ρ density ∇j covariant differential Subscripts ( )(ex) exit section of the duct ( )g gas phase ( ), ( ) , ( ) contravariant component ( )i, ( )j , ( )k covariant component ( ) interface ( )(in) inlet section of the duct ( )l liquid phase ( )(n) normal fluid ( )s saturation


Based on reference temperature technique for compressible flows and empirical laws of resistance for incompressible turbulent flows over smooth flat plates, simple, explicit and analytical expressions for the ratios of local skin- friction coefficient, average skin-friction coefficient and laminar-sublayer thickness in compressible turbulent boundary layers on smooth surfaces to the corresponding values in incompressible case for the same free stream13; conditions have been derived as functions of Mach number, Reynolds number, Prandtl number and wall-to-free-stream temperature ratio. The expressions for the ratios of skin friction coefficients compare very well with available experimental data including those at very high Reynolds number and those with heat transfer. The analysis brings out the appreciable effect of compressibility and heat transfer on skin-friction coefficient and laminar-sublayer thickness and therefore on maximum permissible roughness (based on the13; criterion of laminar-sublayer thickness) in compressible turbulent flows. High speed flows permit considerable increase in the permissible roughness whereas cooling of the surface decreases it. For the usual value of is entropic exponent equal to 1.4, the numerical results have been presented in the form of graphs to bring out quantitatively the appreciable effect of compressibility and heat transfer and for the convenience of users. An approximate estimate13; of the laminar-sublayer thickness based on local fluid properties has also been appended.


Here, we report a general route to form high‐performance and stable solution‐processed metal‐oxide TFTs and circuits at room‐temperature by deep‐ultraviolet (DUV) photochemical activation The photo‐enhanced DUV annealing induces condensation and densification of amorphous metal‐oxide semiconductor films via photochemical reactions and film microstructure modifications by energetic photons. It was found that the photochemical annealing is effective in fabricating most metal‐oxide semiconductors and the metal‐oxide TFTs typically demonstrate comparable or even better electrical performance and operational stability with high‐temperature (≥350C) annealed devices. The room‐temperature fabricated metal‐oxide TFTs and circuits have shown field‐effect mobilities of more than 14 and 7 cm2 V−1 s−1 on glass and polymeric substrates, respectively. The fabricated 7‐stage ring oscillators on polymeric substrates indicate oscillation frequency of > 340 kHz corresponding to propagation delay of < 210 ns per stage.


Pseudo random sequences (PN-sequences) are widely used in communication systems. They are often generated by discrete time binary automata like the LFSR (linear feedback shift register). Chaotic maps were considered as an effective alternative for generating PN- sequences. One specific motivation for this choice is the theoretically infinite state space expected to produce infinitely long periods and the existence of the chaos synchronization properties which opens a novel perspective to otherwise complex and power consuming PN-acquisition schemes based on correlating the received sequence with a local reference.


Two electron processes in ~ e ~ + +He collisions are investigated theoretically within the independent electron approximation. The transition probabilities for double capture, transfer ionization and double ionization processes are expressed in terms of products of single electron transition probabilities which are calculated using the atomic orbital expansion method (AO). The effect of relaxation due to the change of screening in the second electron is examined by using a different effective charge in the calculation of single electron transition probabilties for the second electron. The role of electron correlation is partially explored for the double electron capture process by performing a two-electron version of the AO+ code.


Abstract In view of large amount of monitoring data for Pearl disease, complexity of network structure of the traditional diagnostic neural network method, validity of disease data issues and slow training, this paper introduces the rough set theory to intelligent Pearl disease diagnosis. A method for disease diagnostics is proposed based on rough set -neural network. The rough set is used to remove the redundant attributes of decision table in order to reduce the number of input neurons and optimize neural network topology. The experimental simulation shows that the proposed algorithm can effectively improve the diagnostic rate and diagnostic accuracy. The proposed algorithm is a new way of methods for the diagnosis aquaculture technology


By 2019, Korea is expected to be an aged society, age-group of 65 and older being over 14% of the total population, considering their rapid increase today. It is assumed that the aged prefer a option to the other, according to elderly' situation. This study is intended to find out the difference in the choice of housing options. The survey was taken by trained survey takers. The data were collected through interview from the people of ages 65 and older residing in Daejeon city. The elderly want to take more dynamic exercise than now. If the aged is sick and have spouse, they want to live in an apartment house or a detached house rather than son's house. And if they are sick and widower or widow, they want to live in son's house. And the most elderly want to live the housing of 100~150 million won (as of October 2002, price before rise due to the announcement of Administrative Capital rearrangement). They want to live the first floor, especially.


The paper examines the possible connection of the Ottoman princess Esma with the construction of a mosque in Jajce, which, as recorded in folklore, she had built by donating her jewelry. In this regard, information is provided about the princess herself, as well as her husband, Grand Vizier Muhsinzada Mehmed-pasha, who once held the position of vali of the Bosnian eyalet, and the waqfs they left in both Bosnia and Istanbul.


To elucidate the hydrodynamic characteristics of a fish-friendly open channel, a three-dimensional numerical hydrodynamic model is constructed in this study employing the Large-eddy Simulation (LES) technique. The reliability of this numerical model is thoroughly validated by incorporating periodic boundaries in the flow direction, allowing for the recurrent development of water flow within the computational domain and utilizing experimental data from a flume. The results demonstrate that the fish-friendly channel is partitioned into a high-velocity mainstream zone and a low-velocity habitat zone. The time-averaged flow velocity in the mainstream zone is approximately 2.0 times the cross-sectional average flow velocity. In the low-velocity habitat zone, the average hourly flow velocity and turbulence are at a relatively low level, rendering the zone suitable for fish habitation and the incubation of adhesive fish eggs. A significant vortex structure is present in the mixing layer at the junction of the main flow area and the habitat area, which not only markedly increases the turbulence intensity but also serves as the primary driver of momentum exchange within the open channel.


Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. # LOLMU) control in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using chlorsulfuron {2-chloro-N-[[(4-methoxy-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl) amino] carbonyl] benzenesulfonamide} at 35 g ai/ha was significantly higher when applied preemergence (pre) than early postemergence (poe) to ryegrass with two to four leaves and wheat with three to five tillers. Metribuzin [4-amino-6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-(methylthio)-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one] applied at 420 g ai/ha early poe controlled more than 95% of the ryegrass, but control was unacceptable when the same rate was applied late poe when the ryegrass was at midtiller and wheat at full tiller. Wheat leaf burn, stunting, and stand reduction occurred where metribuzin was applied early poe but yields were not affected. Ryegrass control was excellent where diclofop {(±)-2-[4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenoxy] propanoic acid} was applied early poe at 560 g ai/ha. Wheat yields, averaged over years, for early poe applications of chlorsulfuron at 35 g/ha, metribuzin at 280 and 420 g/ha, and diclofop at 560 g/ha were 22, 22, 24, and 20% higher, respectively, than the untreated stands. Injury associated with the herbicide treatments was not observed on soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] planted following wheat.


The impact of abnormal weather conditions in the spring of2013 on agricultural production in Fushun City was analyzed. The results showed that the average temperature of the whole Fushun was 6.3℃ in the spring of 2013,and 1.4℃ lower than the past years;The amount of precipitation was 118.9 mm,and 10 percent less than usual; The solar radiation were 643 hours,and 30 hours less than before. It was cold and humid in the prophase of spring,that has caused the delay of soil preparation and spring-sowing. The adverse weather conditions have led to a negative influence on agricultural production:soil temperature got warm slowly,and spring sowing period was delayed. The edible fungus sprouted slowly,and the growth of greenhouse vegetables was also affected. Plant diseases and insect pests were serious,and solar terms were postponed. The characteristics of abnormal climate circulation situation were as follows:the core of circumpolar vortex deviated to the northeast. East Asia major trough lied westward and stronger in April.There was distinct negative anomaly in the Northeast of China,and that caused unusual low-temperature in the early and middle of spring of Fushun. The rain and snow weather happened frequently.


Abstract:This article explores the overlaps between the emergence of mestizaje as a political discourse and the oligarchy's refashioning of itself as a national elite during the 1920s in Bolivia. In the discussion, I refer to three works of Adolfo Costa du Rels: two different editions of "La Miskki Simi," a short story first published in the anthology El traje de Arlequin in 1921 and Tierras hechizadas, a novel whose original French version published in 1931 under the title of Terres embrasées. Weaving the historical context into the reading of the three texts, the article demonstrates mestizaje's provenance as a political discourse can be traced to the oligarchy's ambivalent attempts at readapting itself to the social, economic and political changes of the period, brought about by the growing politicization of the working classes. While mestizaje, as a discourse has traditionally been associated with pedagogical projects for promoting, conditioning and also containing subaltern negotiations of modernity, this article shows that in undertaking to change the national reality in accordance with their visions, the elite could not escape an introspection on their own role and place in it. The discourse of mestizaje was thus Janus-faced that involved not only the education of the indigenous masses, but also the reeducation of the oligarchic elite.


Background: Research has shown that body mass index (BMI) does not take into consideration the gender and ethnicity. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the interaction effect of the BMI and age on fat-free mass (FFM), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and soft lean mass (SLM). The secondary purpose was to evaluate the practical significance of the findings by examining effect sizes. Materials and Methods: The study was comparative in nature and employed a factorial design. Due to nonexperimental nature of the investigation, no causal inferences were drawn. The nonprobability sample consisted of 19,356 adults. Analysis of the data included factorial analysis of variance, analysis of simple effects, calculation of mean difference effect sizes, and data transformation. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22 was employed for the purpose of data manipulation and analysis. Results: The BMI by age interaction effects on FFM, F (10, 19,338) = 28.26, P < 0.01, on WHR, F (10, 19,338) = 18.46, P < 0.01, and on SLM, F (10, 19,338) = 14.65, P < 0.01, was statistically significant and ordinal in nature. Analysis of the effect sizes, ranging from 0.30 to 1.20, showed that the BMI and age influenced the WHR but their interaction effects on FFM and SLM, ranging from 0.04 to 0.36 and 0.03 to 0.33, respectively, were mainly negligible. Conclusion: Based on the examination of the statistical and practical significance of the results, it is concluded that the BMI and age together can influence the WHR but their interaction effect on the FFM and SLM is questionable.


The continuous increase in the speed and load of railway transport operating in a wide range of climatic zones of the Russian Federation creates a need to develop new friction materials with the improved performance properties that can ensure high functioning reliability of the electric switch mechanisms. The paper presents the results of the study of the microstructure, physical, mechanical, and operational properties of a new material for friction inserts based on an iron matrix for the switch gear clutches. The new material composition includes such components as Fe, Cu, BaSO4, SiO2, C, and Zn. The authors propose a technique for selecting materials with the specified performance properties based on the results of the research carried out using the experiment factorial planning. For this purpose, the authors carried out the studies and established a relationship between the values of microstructure indicators, physical, mechanical and operational properties of the materials with different quantitative composition of components. The grain boundary density was proposed as an indicator of the dissipative properties of the material, and the possibility of its application as a structural parameter for evaluating the friction material performance characteristics. To assess the friction material performance characteristics, which determine the possibility of its application as a part of the friction clutches of the electric switch mechanism, the authors proposed a new parameter – the endurance period . Another service property was the deviation of the friction coefficient ƒ values in the range of values of the clamping force of the electric switch mechanism. According to the results of bench tests of a new friction material within the friction clutches of the electric switch mechanism, the authors identified a high wear resistance of the material and the possibility of its use in severe climatic conditions. The proposed testing technique allows predicting the performance properties of new materials at the stage of studying the microstructure based on the obtained dependences, which can significantly narrow the search range.


This report evaluates the effectiveness of the Crime Prevention project that was
funded as part of South Leytonstone Single Regeneration Budget Programme (SRB) and contributes to Strategic Objective 6 (SO6), 'Tackle crime and improve community safety'. The research aimed to evaluate the effect of the project on its users and to consider its wider implications as a crime prevention initiative in South Leytonstone. The evaluation assesses the short-term behaviour and attitude changes of young people who participated in the project.


In this paper, we apply generalized weighted mean to construct interval-valued fuzzy relations for grayscale image edge detection and derive the learning formulas for parameters in order to decrease the edge detection error. The proposed detector consists of three stages. In the first stage, we use the upper and lower constructors to calculate the weighted mean aggregations of the central pixel and its eight neighbor pixels in each sliding window. Then we construct the interval-valued fuzzy relation and its associated W-fuzzy relation indicating the degree of intensity variation between the center pixel and its neighborhood. In the second stage, we update the weighting parameters of the mean which can be learned by the gradient method casted in discrete formulation and utilize pocket algorithm to obtain the optimal parameter set for all training images. Finally, we use post-processing techniques to strengthen the connectivity of edges and remove isolated pixels for obtaining better edge images. Our method produces a more stable and robust edge images on synthetic images and nature images as well, in comparison with the well-known Canny edge detector.


Background. Damage to the urethra in damaged pelvic bones in children is marked less than in adults (less than 1 %) (Tarman G.J. et al., 2002). Post-traumatic urethral stricture in children is a quite rare and complex urologic pathology. Due to anatomical features, treatment for urethral stricture in children is different from its treatment in adults (Onen A. et al., 2005; Nerli R.B. et al., 2008; Ranjan P. et al., 2011). M.M. Koraitim (2012) described the experience of treating 20 patients with complications after transperyneal urethral plasty. The author noted that in the absence of need for reconstruction of the bladder neck, it is quite effective to use endoscopic incision of urethral stricture. T.E. Helmy, A.T. Hafez (2013) also described the results of the successful application of endoscopic equipment (direct visual urethrotomia) after open urethroplasty. The important point that leads to finding effective minimally invasive treatments for post-traumatic urethral strictures in children is the development of erectile dysfunction in the future, the incidence of which, according to some authors, (Koraitim M.M., 2014) is up to 47 %. The aim of the study: based on the available published data and own treatment outcomes in children with posterior urethral strictures, to establish the role of endoscopic treatment of this complex pathology as a method of prevention and treatment of neuromuscular dysfunction of the bladder. Materials and methods. At the premises of the surgical departments of Zhytomyr Regional Children's Clinical Hospital, there were widely implemented invasive endoscopic methods for the diagnosis and treatment of pathologies of the lower urinary tract. Available equipment enables to carry out diagnostic procedures from 1 month old. A variety of endoscopic surgeries on the lower urinary tract is being performed, namely — the removal of calculi, incision of valves and strictures of the posterior urethra, dissection of urethral cysts and ectopic ureterocaele, etc. Also in 2010, the first attempt was made to remove a calculus from the posterior urethra by means of percutaneous 3-port cystoscope. From 2013, the treatment of post-traumatic strictures of the posterior urethra began using endoscopic control. Results. The article presents the results of a successful minimally invasive treatment using modern endoscopic equipment in two patients with post-traumatic posterior urethral strictures. A special attention was paid to the effectiveness of the method in the diagnosis and treatment of neuromuscular dysfunction of the bladder in these patients. Conclusions. Consequently, the use of minimally invasive modern equipment not only makes it possible to effectively diagnose the damage to lower urinary tract, but also can be an effective mechanism for low-impact surgery at short post-traumatic urethral strictures in children. Timely adequate treatment of scar urethral strictures in children will minimize the incidence of infravesical obstruction and violation of the evacuation function of the bladder with the development of its neuromuscular dysfunction.


This is a translation by the author of his contribution to the XXVth International Congress for the History of Art held in Vienna in September 1983, presented under the chairmanship of Professor L.D. Ettlinger in the section "Vienna and the Development of Art Historical Methodology" under the title "Kunstwissenschaft und Psychologie vor funfzig Jahren." It will be published in the Acts of the Congress. Thanks are due to Professor Hermann Fillitz for his permitting publication of the present English version.


AQP1 expresses abundantly at proximal‐tubule (PT) apical and basolateral membranes, contributing to H2O and CO2 permeability. Previous work showed that the knockout of AQP1 causes a ~50% fall in PT HCO3 reabsorption, presumably by reducing apical CO2 uptake. To test whether AQP1‐null mice (KO) have a decreased ability to resist acid loads, we catheterized the carotid artery of wild‐type (WT) and KO mice with a gas‐impermeable catheter, and imposed chronic metabolic acidosis (MAc) by adding 1% (WT) or 0.6% (KO) NH4Cl to the drinking water. The net NH4Cl loads were 2.67 (WT) vs 2.74 (KO) mg/day/gram body weight (p = 0.27). We collected arterial blood‐gas samples from conscious mice on days 0, 2 and 7. On day 0 (before challenge), pH, pCO2, and [HCO3] were not different for WT vs KO. At day 2, arterial pH fell from 7.42 ± 0.01 (day‐0 value) to 7.37 ± 0.03 for WT, but from 7.45 ± 0.01 to 7.25 ± 0.02 for KO. Similarly, [HCO3] fell from 21.4 ± 0.7 to 17.7 ± 0.9 mM (p < 0.01) for WT, but from 22.5 ± 0.6 to 13.9 ± 0.7 mM (p < 0.01) for KO. At day 7, the parameters recovered to day‐0 levels for WT, but for KO remained depressed: pH = 7.29 ± 0.02 (p < 0.01 vs day 0) and [HCO3] = 16.2 ± 0.9 mM (p < 0.01 vs day 0). Values of pCO2 (30 to 33 mm Hg) or body weight did not change significantly during the study for WT or KO. Thus, AQP1, presumably by acting as a CO2 channel in the PT, plays an important physiological role in allowing the animal to stabilize arterial pH during chronic MAc.


This work presents the studies of gaseous multiplication coefficient behavior for isobutane, as function of the reduced electric field, by means of signal amplitude analysis. The experimental method used is based on the Pulsed Townsend technique, which follows from Townsend equation solution for a uniform electric field. In our configuration, the anode is made of a high resistivity (2.1012 Ω.cm) glass, while the cathode is of aluminium. In order to validate the technique and to analyze effects of non‐uniformity, results for nitrogen, which has well‐established data available in literature, are also presented.


Leigh's syndrome is a rare inherited metabolic neurodegenerative disease due to a mitochondrial enzyme deficiency that can potentially occur in any site of the enzyme pathway for respiratory metabolism. The disease usually affects infants and children; adult onset cases have been described occasionally. Leigh's disease usually has involvement of the periaqueductal gray matter, the basal ganglia (particularly the putamina) and the white matter. 1,2 We present a 4-year-old girl with this disorder.


Through a careful revision of the bibliography of quantum electrodynamics (QED) and its application to the biochemical structure of the unified synaptic channel (USC), a model of consciousness identification is proposed. The model entails a channel running in loops all along the labyrinthic structure of the cerebral cortex and constituting an anatomical-histological structure on its own along which the flow of molecular (and ionic) particles as neurotransmitters determines a sort of constant low-noise effect.


Movement of cargo from the holds of LHA 1 Class ships to landing craft in the ship's wet well involves the simultaneous use of a number of interdependent cargo handling systems. These systems include forklift trucks in the ship's holds, transfer tables at each deck serviced by the elevators, five cargo elevators that run from either the inner bottom or the second platform to the third deck or the hangar deck, a longitudinal conveyor and eight cargo monorail trains in the overhead of the wet well. In support of the LHA Mid-Life Upgrade, NAVSEA PMS 335 tasked Westinghouse Machinery Technology Division to develop a cargo flow simulation model for these ships in an effort to reduce the number of trains and the complexity of the cargo handling systems needed to support amphibious assault operations. This paper discusses the development of the simulation model and the potential system simplifications derived through the use of the model. Future application of the model as a training or shipboard management tool is also evaluated.


raises interesting points, and cumulatively they amount to a description of the interplay of local and broader politics in the Alsace region, one is left wondering whether it might have been possible to take a slightly clearer route through the period, concentrating either on the Etichonids or on the monastery of Weissenburg. Both the family and the monastery deserve fuller treatment than they receive here. A more narrowly focused argument, which gave a slightly more coherent account of one aspect of what this book is about, might have managed to cover most of the same general points in a more reader-friendly fashion. As it is,Hummer perhaps tries to give the reader too much. Even so, the interlocking studies which make up this book contain a good deal of useful analysis and information that anyone working on the period ought to take into consideration.


Changes in sexual behavior of teens these days cause an increase in sexual problems, such as premarital sex resulting in teenage premarital pregnancy women. Most adolescents have a perception that they will not get pregnant if sexual intercourse first sexual intercourse and if it was not until the climax does not lead to premarital pregnancy (Kantner & Zelnik in Conger, 1991). Of premarital pregnancy is a lot of young women decide to have an abortion because her pregnancy just brings a big impact for them. This study aims to find out the things that cause adolescents to have an abortion, premarital pregnancy in adolescents perception of abortion actors and factors that influence perceptions premarital pregnancies. While the observation method used is non-participant observation method, observation of people who do not participate or did not take part in the lives of those who observed. The subject of abortion for several reasons, among other subjects feared education would be hampered, fearing his life would change; the subject was not ready to settle down because the economy is not ready, and the subject was scared when the neighborhood knows about the subject of pregnancy outside marriage. Subject perception of premarital pregnancy mediocre although the subject was initially shocked, shocked, and confused. Factors that affect the subject in perceiving the premarital pregnancy is a hard characteristic, premarital pregnancies are considered negative, and family and environmental factors premarital pregnancy.


The method for producing an alanine with N- terminal polypeptide in bacteria without having the N- terminal methionine. NA sequence expressed has an alanine codon, at least a methionine codon immediately adjacent to and for eukaryotic proteins having the amino acid sequence substantially such various naturally occurring bovine and porcine somatotropin species expression. In another important embodiment, the present invention provides a composition comprising a certain class of somatotropin species containing a valine, which increases the number of milk production than other varieties of the same Leucine growth hormone in lactating mammal component larger.


This paper established a kinematic model of spring operating mechanism of circuit switch in order to solve the problems in switch design,and created 3D parts and assemblies of spring operating mechanism under UG circumstance.Based on virtual prototype technology,the kinematic behavior of spring operating mechanism was simulated with ADAMS software,some relationship curves among the main parameters affecting switch performance were obtain,and the speed of moving contact was optimized,providing a basis to decide the most reasonable time of opening or closing switch.This research is expected to supply a new method for virtual design of high voltage switch.


We propose a power converter, the power converter module is adapted to a clock and a control circuit and method. The control circuit of each embodiment of the present disclosure at least a main switching power converter is turned on and off to control the input voltage into an output voltage in accordance with. Clock module provides a clock signal, and offset by the variation of the expected value of the output voltage detection of the power converter and determining whether the change amount exceeds a first threshold window is set to adjust the state of the clock signal, if the detected variation exceeds the set first predetermined threshold value window will reset the clock signal to trigger the control circuit of the main switch is turned on. Thus, the output voltage of the power converter generating large fluctuations, by detecting the amount of change exceeds a first threshold value set to the window signal and the clock reset may be triggered immediately turned the main switch quickly adjust the output voltage to return to normal and stable level.


We propose an exactly solvable quantum spin model, in which the alternation of the exchange interactions between neighboring spins is accompanied by the multiple spin exchange. The model permits us to obtain exactly thermodynamic characteristics of the considered quantum spin chain. In the ground state, depending on the strength of the three-spin coupling, the model manifests either the spin-gapped behavior of low-lying excitations at low magnetic fields, or the ferrimagnetic ordering with the spontaneous magnetization and with gapless low-lying excitations. The system undergoes second order or first order quantum phase transitions, governed by an external magnetic field and the multiple spin exchange coupling strength. Our exactly solvable quantum spin model demonstrates that multispin interactions in a dimerized quantum spin chain can produce a spontaneous magnetization. On the other hand, for quantum spin chains with a spontaneous magnetization, caused by multispin couplings, the alternation of nearest neighbor exchange interactions can be the reason for destroying of that magnetization and the onset of a spin gap for low-lying excitations.


Simple Summary We have investigated the efficacy of six different pheromone lures for the cocoa pod borer in Indonesia. The lures provided by the USDA captured more males than the lures manufactured by Alpha Scents when loaded with a 0.1 mg pheromone blend. We increased the lure longevity to 7 months by increasing the Alpha Scents pheromone load to 1 mg. The long-life pheromone lure may be particularly useful in monitoring large-scale cocoa farms and developing new mitigation technologies that would necessitate high longevity powerful attractant. Abstract The previously identified female sex pheromone of cocoa pod borer (CPB), Conopomorpha cramerella (Snellen) (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), was re-evaluated for male attraction using six different pheromone formulations in Indonesian cocoa plantations. In a dose-response experiment, the 0.1 mg pheromone load was significantly more attractive to male CPB than the lower doses tested. Additionally, during the first four-week trapping period, USDA (Beltsville, MD, USA) lures containing 0.1 mg of synthetic pheromone blend exhibited significantly better attraction than the commercial lure obtained from Alpha Scents, Inc. (Canby, OR, USA) with the same pheromone load (0.1 mg). Although the 1.0 mg lure did not show any higher attraction than the 0.1 mg lure during the first month, it was significantly attractive for CPB males with the same weekly average capture efficacy for the whole twenty-seven weeks in field conditions in 2018. A long-life pheromone lure can be particularly useful in monitoring large-scale cocoa farms.


Specific heat in applied magnetic fields were measured to a low temperature 0.08 K and resistance to 0.5 K. The specific heat shows a wide peak at 1 K, and a high value of the electronic coefficient gamma(T --> 0) approximate to 1200 mJ/mol.K-2 is obtained. The temperature independence of the wide peak in specific heat at 1 K in magnetic fields further suggests that the high value gamma of CeCuGa is due to Kondo effect.


In this paper, an artwork that depicts interactions among human subjects is presented. Humans communicate and interact with one another by creating and responding with various physical actions. Such variations in the physical motion of human interaction are visualized through Kinect-based depth estimation and video tracking algorithms. The proposed work attempts to sublimate the intangible social connection of humans to a visible art, based on the analysis of concrete values, such as the changes in physical distance between the subjects. Through the artwork, experiences in which a participant becomes a part of the artwork in the form of shape and interface are also provided. The body of a participant plays an important role in communicating and interacting with other participants and the artwork itself.


The Basque Country exhibits contradictory symptoms of good health and chronic internal rupture. A flexible and robust economy and a vibrant cultural life are undermined by opposed senses of identity, which make almost any statement about the region deeply contentious. The verifiability—or otherwise—of Basque nationalist and Spanish nationalist readings of Basque history and culture matter less today than the fact that they are held with genuine conviction by big sectors of Basque society. Both traditions have their own legitimacy, but neither has been capable of fully acknowledging or including the other. Paradoxically, Francoism reinforced Basque nationalist identity, and anxieties about the survival of the Basque language stimulated radical Basque nationalism, with enduring consequences. An accommodation might be found in acceptance by both sides that Basque identities are multiple, and through recognition that there are several ways of being Basque, none of which need negate any of the others. The recent Irish settlement offers some pointers, though no rigid templates. Bernardo Atxaga's declaration that Euskera is not the Basque language, but a Basque language, is an indication that this process of respecting multiple identities is already underway, though the obstacles to a resolution remain formidable. This article is available in Studies in 20th & 21st Century Literature: http://newprairiepress.org/sttcl/vol33/iss2/5 The Basque Country: the heart of Spain, a part of Spain, or Somewhere Else Altogether


The invention discloses a simulation sun movement astronomical refraction correction and test LED light source apparatus. The apparatus comprises: a fixed plate; a horizontal rotary plate; a horizontal driver, which is used for controlling horizontal rotations of the horizontal rotary plate to simulate an azimuth change of the sun; a vertical shunt; a vertical driver, which is used for controlling vertical rotations of the vertical shunt to simulate a pitch angle change of the sun; a simulation LED light source device; a sun aspect sensor; and an atmospheric environment simulator, which is used for simulating meteorological conditions of weathers. The fixed plate and the horizontal rotary plate are connected smoothly and rotationally; the vertical shunt and the vertical driver are arranged on the horizontal rotary plate; the simulation LED light source device is arranged on the vertical shunt; and the horizontal driver is arranged on the fixed plate. Besides, a distance between the simulation LED light source device and the sun aspect sensor can be adjusted movably, so that a sun-earth distance and changes of sun visual sense sizes can be simulated, wherein the changes of sun visual sense sizes are caused by the astronomical refraction. According to the invention, an actual running state of the sun can be simulated realistically.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the gender gap in pre-career salary expectations. Five major explanations are tested to explain the gap, as well as understand the relative contribution of each explanation. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 452 post-secondary students from Canada. Findings – Young women had lower initial and peak salary expectations than their male counterparts. The gap in peak salary could be explained by initial salary expectations, beta values, the interaction between beta values and gender, and estimations of the value of the labor market. Men and women in this study expected to earn a considerably larger peak salary than they expected for others. Research limitations/implications – Cross-sectional data cannot infer causality, and the Canadian sample may not be generalizable to other countries given that an economic downturn occurred at time of data collection. Research should continue to investigate how individuals establish initial salary ex...


The deployment of a ubiquitous Broadband Integrated Services Digital Network (BISDN) will have a dramatic effect on the consumer electronics in the home. It will cause the intelligence to migrate away from the consumer electronics in the home to the network. This will result in a display system with no intelligence. A network with BISDN functionality would evolve as a centralized, large television tuner and storage system. The migration to BISDN is intended to add video transport capabilities to the telephone company network. This infrastructure will parallel CATV networks deployed throughout North America. It assumes that analog coaxial cable is an obsolete transmission medium for video. Consumer electronics manufacturers and the CATV industry have been working together to devise various product solutions to resolve years of divergent evolution and establish uniform functionality and interfaces.


The invention provides a method and a device for generating data and relates to the field of computers. The method and the device have the advantages that big data can be generated by utilizing small-scale sample data, the features and the rules of original small-scale data are also kept at the same time, reference values of the generated big data are improved, and the mass movement of the data needs not to be performed, so that the storage and network overhead is effectively saved. The method comprises the following steps of: making data generation strategies through a main node according to the sample data and distributing the data generation strategies to at least one slave node, so that the main node and the slave node generate the data according to the data generation strategies; uploading the generated data to a file system. The method and the device have the benefits that the finally-generated data is enabled to have numerical value rules of the sample data, and the reference values of the generated data are improved based on this; meanwhile, the mass movement of the data is avoided, so that the storage and network overhead is effectively saved. The method and the device are used for generating the big data.


We present a microdroplet-based system for the on-chip extraction and purification of DNA from lysed cells. The setup of the droplet manipulation system is schematically shown in figure 1. A reservoir, placed on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) with four levels of square coils, serves as platform for the experiments. The hydrophobic Teflon bottom of the reservoir carries several hydrophilic spots created via local oxygen plasma treatment. The reagents necessary for the desired bioanalytical protocol can thus be immobilized over the PCB, while magnetic particles are passed through them [1]. In the experiment described here, we implemented a macroscopic protocol for the extraction and purification of DNA into the magnetic droplet manipulation system. We are able to use the same set of reagents, while using only a fraction of the volume usually required [2]. First experiments show, that we are able to capture the DNA in an immobilized droplet of 10 μl at a high rate and with a good reproducibility (figure 2). Thus we are able to extend the processing steps performed on the chip. Figure 3 presents the on-chip extraction and purification procedure, which consists of a lysis and binding step containing Guanidinium thiocyanate, three washing steps containing an ethanol solution and two final elution steps in deionized water [3]. Thus the DNA is selectively attached to the magnetic silica particles [4], cleaned from cell debris and proteins and finally again eluted from the particles to be either quantified or amplified in a off-chip Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) step. The result of a fluorescent DNA quantification for different amounts of Jurkat cells is presented in figure 4. Due to the small sample volume the influence of the viscous cells debris in the binding buffer needs to be considered for larger amounts of cells, since the increased viscosity inhibits the movement of the magnetic particles and thus decreases the amount of bound DNA. In addition to the fluorescent quantification using PicoGreen, we examined the purity and intactness of the DNA in a PCR amplification step. Since this type of reaction is easily inhibited by impurities such as proteins, a successful amplification is a sign for the quality of the purified DNA. Figure 5 shows that the DNA obtained in the presented system is sufficiently pure to be amplified via PCR. In the electropherogram we can additionally see differences between the columns of the experiments. A low cell and thus DNA content results in a smaller intensity of the signal for the amplified stands as well as in the comparatively large amount of remaining primer (lowest band). Using a magnetic droplet manipulation system we demonstrated successfully the miniaturization of a standard lab-bench bioanalytical protocol. With only fractions of the reagents usually required we are able to extract, purify and measure the DNA of as little as 10 cells.


Trials conducted on the development of a solid-bed track that could be maintenance-free have been conducted. Preliminary results are summarized and evaluated.


The tiled display system is disclosed. The system is provided on the active region, a plurality of display devices and the bending region comprising, based on the active area of the display panel including a bending region connecting the inactive region and the active region and the inactive region bent towards at least one, respectively, an optical member for transmitting light emitted from the bending area. Here, the plurality of the display device may display to compensate for each image part corresponding to the bent region in the display image. This makes it possible to minimize the interference caused by viewing the non-active areas.


This scientific commentary refers to 'Sequence of clinical and neurodegeneration events in Parkinson's disease progression' by Oxtoby et al. (doi: 10.1093/brain/awaa461).


Functional properties of a material can be enhanced by protective coatings. Protective layer impart corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance, wear resistance, low friction coefficient and high surface hardness. Protective layer modifies the surface properties and maintains its stability in severe service conditions thereby increasing the life of the components [1-3]. Transition metal nitrides of binary systems are widely used as protective coatings [4]. Two such coatings namely TiN and NbN are widely used because of their favorable mechanical properties and high corrosion resistance [4]. TiN coated component combines high load bearing capacity, high wear resistance and good fatigue strength [5]. Ti-based hard nitride coatings are being used for various applications [6, 7]. NbN exhibit good mechanical properties coupled with high wear resistance, high temperature stability, chemical inertness, high melting point and good electrical conductivity [8, 9] and therefore used for field emission cathode [10], protective surface coating [11] and diffusion barrier in microelectronic devices [12]. Few studies have been performed on the ternary Ti-Nb-N ceramic coating deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering on various aspects such as texture, structure, properties [13-15]. To this date, the properties of Ti-Nb-N coatings, deposited by reactive D.C. magnetron sputtering, have not been evaluated on SS substrate. Thus the objective of this paper is to report the results of characterization of these coatings on SS substrate and compare them with the results from previous studies so as to provide the conditions for a founded choice of their applications. Abstract Thin film ceramic coatings are extensively used to improve the surface properties of the components especially in aerospace applications, surgical, tool industry, artificial implants etc. To enhance the surface properties of stainless steel, the substrate was coated with a 1μm thick coating of Ti-Nb-N by reactive DC magnetron sputtering at different N2 flow rates, substrate biasing and Nb-Ti ratio. The coated samples were evaluated by the following techniques: hardness by Knoop micro-hardness tester, phase analysis by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), compositional analysis by Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and adhesion by scratch test. The microhardness test yielded appreciable enhancement in the surface hardness with the highest value being1450 HK. Presence of three prominent phases namely NbN, Nb2N3 and TiN resulted from the XRD analysis. EDS analysis revealed the presence of Ti, Nb and Nitrogen. Adhesion was evaluated on the basis of critical loads for cohesive (Lc1) and adhesive (Lc2) failures with values varying between 7–12N and 16–25 N respectively, during scratch test for coatings on SS substrates.


Cognitive decline has been associated with a history of multiple concussions and repetitive head impact exposure. Cognitive decline may also result from hypopituitary dysfunction, undermanaged post-concussive symptoms, other mental health symptoms and disorders, medical conditions, and a genetic predisposition to neurodegeneration. Cognitive decline may be static or progressive. Any individual who presents with cognitive decline following a history of concussion should undergo a complete neuropsychiatric evaluation, and this should be coupled with a detailed medical and neurological exam to assess for all possible causes of impaired cognition. Neurodegeneration should not be assumed as a result of prior brain injury.


Aqueous zinc batteries are increasingly gaining attention of the researchers in recent years because of their environmental and user friendliness as well as the economic benefits of the zinc metal. Herein we report a ferrocene based organic cathode synthesized by following green chemistry principle and stabilized by low temperature thermal encapsulation in multiwalled carbon nano tubes (MWCNTs) for stable electrochemical performance. Successful intercalation was confirmed by XRD, Raman, FTIR spectra, TEM-HAADF imaging. Without encapsulation, material exhibited initial capacity of 64.7 mAhg-1 which was drastically faded with time due to dissolution of active material. However, by low temperature thermal encapsulation, the capacity was remarkably improved to 71.3 mAhg-1 with 94% columbic efficiency and 91% capacity retention at a current density of 75mAg-1 in a 100 charge/discharge cycles. The stability of the electrode has been explained on the basis of a friendly host-guest interaction between CNTs and the organic molecules by π-π stacking, dipole-dipole and dipole induced dipole interactions with detailed electrochemical and spectroscopic characterization. From this study we conclude that the thermal intercalation in MWCNTs has been found to be excellent method to stabilize the electrode materials in battery application.


Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease caused by the Eimeria spp. that affects sheep and ruminants and leads to important economic losses. Studying of incidence of coccidiosis will help us to decrease the coccidiosis infection in the sheep flocks, and resulting in novel control programs. The Eimeria prevalence in sheep is taken in the Diwaniyah city from March 2017 to February 2018. 200 sheep were used in this study (95 Lambs and 105 Adult) that tested clinically by taking fecal samples and examined by a routine microscopic examination and conventional PCR. Results revealed that 57.5% of sheep were infected by the Eimeria parasite. Adult female sheep were more infected 77.9% than adult male sheep 41.3%, but in Lambs the parasite was higher in males 62% than the male 44.4%, also the overall prevalence of Eimeria spp. according to age was higher in adult's 60.9% than that in Lambs 53.6%. In conclusion, gender significantly affected the prevalence and severity of the infection. Age, possibly, might be a significant factor adding to the notable losses in sheep in the Diwaniyah city in Iraq.


Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) play an important role in the global economy through technological innovation, creation, and problem-solving in this century. But it is difficult to capture students' attention to it, and the loss of students in the STEM field hinders society's development, and Portugal is no exception. The students feel that this field is difficult, they feel disappointed as the academic outcomes are more difficult to obtain in the upper secondary, and they easily give up on this area and/or choose other fields. To mesmerize students in the science area and reinforce their positive emotions a project was elaborated based on flipped classrooms with a laboratory station model and started in September 2021. A study case was designed to perceive the impact of the laboratory station methodology and flipped classrooms on the motivation of upper-secondary science students. Self-response questionnaires were applied before and after an intervention phase where students had flipped classrooms and laboratory stations, experimental classes, during one school year. This research concludes that this teaching methodology allows students to maintain motivation throughout the school year. The teacher´s attitudes regarding school, learning and teaching processes, influence students and can trigger positive emotions concerning overcoming school difficulties and barriers they found during their learning journey. It is essential to disseminate these results, as they can help teachers to face the difficulties of engaging students in the learning process in the science field. As the limitation of this study is the small sample (26 students), this study will be replicated with new students in 10th grade and students who were part of this study will continue to be followed as this methodology will continue to be applied in 11grade.


In the families of manic-depressive patients, relatives with a history of affective disorders had a significantly higher ratio of mean red cell lithium to plasma lithium in vitro than relatives with no such history. A genetically controlled abnormality in lithium-sodium transport, the mechanism that determines the lithium ratio, may play a role in the etiology of some forms of affective disorders.


The exact solution of electrodynamic equations for the anisotropic magneto active plasma on the back-ground of Bondi Pirani Robinson metric for vacuum plane gravitational wave with arbitrary polariza-tion was obtained. This generalizes the results earlier obtained by one of the authors in the case of gravita-tional wave with polarization.


The shaft-fixed aeroelastic stability of a 1/8th Froude scaled bearingless rotor model was examined experimentally in a wind tunnel. A parallel theoretical analysis was performed using a finite element formulation. A crucial issue was to determine whether a bearingless rotor system could be made aeroelastically stable without the incorporation of auxiliary dampers. For the model rotor tested, a mechanical pitch-lag coupling was incorporated to improve aeroelastic stability. Negative pitch-lag coupling is implemented with a novel lag pin design attached to the root end of the torque tube. For analysis, the blade is modeled as an elastic beam undergoing flap bending, lag bending, elastic twist, and axial deformation. Blade response is calculated using a finite element method in time. The linearized periodic rotor perturbation equations in the nonrotating frame are solved for stability roots using Floquet transition matrix theory, as well as constant coefficient approximation. The wind tunnel investigation generated a comprehensive set of stability data


lt is an honor to present this paper celebration of the tercentennial of Wesley' s birth. come to this topic not as a Wesley scholar but as an organizational While Wesley tops my of ecc1esia1 saints, my research falls the areas of organizationa1 behavior. Therefore will se1ected events early Methodism using organizational constructs. Doing organizational analysis from events more than two hundred years old allows the luxury of while also providing the of imposing will trust the Wes1ey scho1ars among us to my fa1se menta11eaps and factual fuzziness. have another bias of jealousy to disclaim as confess serve both as a professor and as a District Superintendent the United Methodist Church. This bias probably as discover that, by the time he was my age, Wes1ey had not onIy taught at Oxford, been a missionary to pioneered preaching with George and helped launched the great English revival, he had and organized the initial Methodist societies for over two thousand adherents. Some heroines and heroes are too productive to emu1ate. pIan to examine Mr. Wes1ey's movement from the perspective of how the ous decisions and structures adopted (for the most part) the early years of Methodism impact the Wesley sought to launch. The focus will be the deveIopments EngIand, as tempting as Methodism is to we natives. For exampIe, the decision of the Methodists to sp1it 1828 over the ty of the bishops and roIe of the laity (resulting the Methodist Protestant branch) nearIy distracted me as was visiting one of United Methodist conference centers August. NonetheIess, chose to be hedged to the resu1ting exploration of Methodism Eng1and the 700s. The discussion is organized using concepts such as organizational


The multiple-symbol differential detection scheme based on the MAP criterion is adopted to APSK. The decision rule to estimate the transmitted signals is constructed theoretically which includes the terms of the channel noise power. The symbol error rate (SER) performance of 16APSK under the decision rule is evaluated. It is confirmed that the performance shows good approach to that of the ideal coherent detection on the AWGN channel. We also consider the transmission over the Rayleigh fading channel and confirm the performance through the computer simulation for the star QAM and the (4,12) QAM which are the typical constellations for 16APSK.


We have studied the photoluminescence (PL) of AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs pHEMT heterostructures with donor-acceptor doping of AlGaAs barriers. We have found out that the application of additional p+doped AlGaAs layers leads to the appearance of the new bands in the PL spectra. These bands are identified as the transitions between 1) donor-acceptor pairs in the doped AlGaAs layers and 2) conduction subband - acceptor levels in the undoped InGaAs well.


The analysis and standarization of Senior High School (SHS) chemistry text books for class XII semester I based on the contents standard of KTSP curriculum was described in this study. The aim of research are: (1) to analyse chemistry text book that commonly used in SHS at North Sumatera, (2) to compose a list of suitable and systematic chemistry materials for teaching SHS students class XII semester I based on the KTSP, (3) to determine suitable and proper chemistry materials for teaching SHS students class XII Semester I, (4) to develop a standard chemistry text book for learning and teaching process of SHS students class XII semester I, and (5) to explore the opinion of chemistry teachers about the developed chemistry text books. The study was a descriptive study. The population were: (a) all text books of SHS class XII semester I, and (b) certified SHS chemistry teachers who taught in class XII. The samples were five text books under criteria as follows: the text book should be based on KTSP curriculum, pass the assessment of Pusat Perbukuan Depdiknas, and commonly used in SHS Schools in North Sumatera. The instrument used was questionnaire with category sheet with indicators included, which then identified by percentage of appearance for each book and the categories. The results showed that the percentage of book A, B, C, and D were 78%, 86%, 93%, 94%, and 97% respectively. Listed chemistry materials suitable for teaching SHS students at class XII semester were Colligative properties of solutions: concentration of solutions, vapor pressure lowering, boiling point elevation, freezing point depression, diagram PT, osmotic pressure, and colligative properties of electrolytes; Redox reactions and electrochemistry: redox reactions, Voltaic cells, Voltaic cells applications, corrosion, electrolytic cells, Faradays law, and electrolytic cells applications, Chemical periodicity: chemical periodicity of main groups and transitions of elements, chemical elements properties, applications and effects of the element utilization; and Nuclear chemistry: radioisotope properties, nuclear reactions, applications and effects of radioisotope. Teachers opinion revealed that they agree (average 3.49) with the listed chemistry materials. The standard chemistry text book for SHS developed were consisted of Chapter 1. Colligative Properties of Solutions, Chapter 2. Redox Reactions and Electrochemistry, Chapter 3. Chemical Periodicity, and Chapter 4. Nuclear Chemistry. All chapters were supported by illustration, problem-solving, and evaluation. The developed SHS chemistry text book was evaluated by the chemistry teachers to validate the contents of the book as reference materials. The results showed that the respondents were agree (average 3.6) with contents of the text book. It was concluded that SHS chemistry teachers in North Sumatera respond positively to the content, design, illustration and evaluation provided in the textbook developed in this study and it is suitable to be used in teaching and learning chemistry.


Graduation is the time when youth have to make important decisions and choose what they want to do after the school, which profession they want to acquire, in which professional field they want to work. This is the first stage of the professional self-determination as the professional self-determination and career selfmanagement is a life-long process. For the purpose of this research an empirical study was performed with an aim to explore the professional self-determination of 12th grade pupils in the establishments of general secondary education, especially focusing attention on engineering professions. For the theoretical and methodological basis of the research the results of theoretical studies in the following directions were used: 1) Self-Determination and Professional Self-Determination; 2) Career Management and Self-Management; 3) Professional Directionality of Personality; 4) Career Guidance, including Career Guidance System at School. Research methods: test for the determination of the professional directionality. Both results of the descriptive and the inferential statistics show that in both schools where the study was carried out there is a profound discrepancy between I want and I am able aspects in the self-assessment of pupils in relation to their future profession.


Hyponatremia is a frequent condition of body fluid and electrolyte imbalance encountered in clinical practice. However, rhabdomyolysis has rarely been reported in association with hyponatremia. We experienced a 56-year-old woman who had developed symptomatic hyponatremia after prolonged nausea and subsequent rhabdomyolysis. Hyponatremia was probably mediated by hypersecretion of antidiuretic hormones. The woman had developed severe hypotonic hyponatremia with an alternation in mental status after suffering from severe nausea and vomiting for x months/years. She recovered with intensive supportive therapy, including hypertonic saline administration. One day after hospitalization, she complained of thigh pains; furthermore her serum creatine phosphokinase level had increased. She was treated with alkaline diuresis. Renal failure or compartment syndrome did not complicate the clinical course. The patient was discharged and returned to her normal daily activities. The possibility of rhabdomyolysis should be considered in patients with acute hyponatremia who have developed muscle pain.


Two new hydralazine hydrochloride-derived Schiff bases: (E)-1-(Phthalazin- 1-yl)-1-[(Pyridin-2-yl)Ethylidene]Hydralazine (PPEH), and 1-[2-(1-(pyridine- 3-yl)ethylidene)hydrazinyl]phthalazine (PEHP), were synthesized and partially characterized by spectroscopic and crystallographic methods including IR and X-ray. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) analysis of PEHP indicates that the hydralazine moiety of both ligands possesses the exocyclic C=N bond. Both, PPEH and PEHP were tested as antimicrobials and antiparasites. Just PEHP could be considered as slightly antiplasmodial and antibacterial agent. In effect, PPEH showed low antimicrobial activity against one bacterial strain with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) value of 250 μg/ml while PEHP showed very interesting activity against 18 out of 19 bacterial strains with MIC of 31.25 - 250 μg/ml compared to the standard drug, amoxicillin. PPEH and PEHP showed higher reducing activity on ferric ions compared to Vitamin C. On the other hand, both hidrazaline synthetized derivatives showed as better reducing agents than Vitamin C on ferric ions, while again, only the PEHP showed slightly high inhibition of lipid peroxidation using Vitamin C as standard. Regarding their catalase activity, both compounds showed concentration dependent effect, but Vitamin C continued showing a higher stimulatory effect on the enzyme activity. Additionally, while PPEH showed less than 80% inhibition in the preliminary antiplasmodial assay and so was not considered for the dose-response studies, PEHP displayed an inhibition percentage of 83.60% and 50% Inhibitory Concentration (IC50) value of 44.13 μg/mL compared to the standard drug, artemisinin and was classified as slightly active.


The present invention relates to an improved polymeric thickener containing one or more of the polymer stages, wherein at least one of said polymer stages is soluble ionic polymer, said ionic polymer is soluble comprises the monomer mixture obtained by polymerizing the following components: a) from about 0.1 to 55 wt% of at least one first hydrophobic monomer, b) about 10-60% by weight of (C


MEMS technology could be an option for the development of a pressure sensor which allows the monitoring of several electronic signals in humans. In this work, a comparison is made between the typical elasticity curves of several arteries in the human body and the elasticity obtained for MEMS silicon microstructures such as membranes and cantilevers employing Finite Element analysis tools. The purpose is to identify which types of microstructures are mechanically compatible with human arteries. The goal is to integrate a blood pressure sensor which can be implanted in proximity with an artery. The expected benefits for this type of sensor are mainly to reduce the problems associated with the use of bulk devices through the day and during several days. Such a sensor could give precise blood pressure readings in a continuous or periodic form, i.e. information that is especially important for some critical cases of hypertension patients.


Even if no one disputes over the importance of microfinance schemes, several evidences revealed that the conventional microfinance scheme in Pakistan did not reach the poor and has not yet achieved the expected result. Alternatively, a new microfinance scheme was innovated in Pakistan and found to be more beneficial to the poor. Conversely, there are no sufficient empirical studies conducted to evaluate the impacts of the two alternative microfinance schemes in Pakistan. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to evaluate the real impact of Akhuwat microcredit intervention on the profitability of small business enterprises. The study was conducted based on Randomized experimental design through which experimental treatment of microcredit was considered as family enterprise loan. The loan was exclusively granted for running business activities. The samples under study consist of firms that are randomly assigned to treatment and control groups which entail as similar character as possible. Difference in Difference (DID) is the classic empirical approach used for analyzing the net impacts treatment effect on the treated. The method is highly instrumental to eliminate the effect of both observable & unobservable characteristics varying across firms and over time. According to the findings, Akhuwat microfinance intervention strongly impacted the firm capital stock and profitability. The estimated coefficient for capital stock by its exogenous treatment effect revealed that treated firms had been accumulating on average more than 9 percent excess monthly capital stock. Profits (direct and an indirect profits) significantly vary in between the treated and untreated firms. Due to Akhuwat microcredit service, firms could earn 3 percent additional monthly profit and 8-10 percent monthly returns to capital on average. The estimated monthly direct rate of return and Net rate of return comprises of 36 and 27 percent, which is higher than the market or bank interest rate, (35-40 percent) meaning that profitability of small firms by the effect of Akhuwat microcredit provision can exceedingly benefit Pakistan's economy to grow faster than any other large businesses.


The aeroacoustics of a porous plug jet noise suppressor was investigated. The predicted flow features of isentropic plug nozzles for different pressure ratios or exit flow Mach numbers, throat areas, ratios of the plug to annular nozzle radii, mass flow rates and the available run times possible with the existing compressed air supply system, are compiled. The dimensions and the coordinates of the contour of typical isentropic external expansion plugs with different exit flow Mach numbers are listed. Design details of the experimental facility and the plug nozzle selected for experimental aeroacoustic studies are reported. The analytical flow prediction by method of characteristics of a conical porous plug nozzles is initiated. The role of the shape, size, and porosity of the plug surface in achieving over a perforated conical plug a nearly isentropic shockfree supersonic flow field which is closely similar to the flow field of a contoured isentropic plug nozzle is examined.


espanolThe aim of this paper is to understand the importance of word-of-mouth and user generated content for travelers and tourism activity in Portugal, taking the example of TravelTailors, a travel agency offering customized services. Research demonstrates that word-of-mouth influences purchase decisions and that consumers search for information in user generated content websites when they are interested in a product or service. It is intended to identify the sources of information about tourism activities for the Portuguese consumers, assess their trust in the experience and advice of other travelers, relatives and friends, when compared to other sources of information, and discover whether if word-of-mouth and user generated content influence their decisions. Scholarly literature and statistics were reviewed, observation and document analysis at TravelTailors were undertaken and a survey to this agency´s Portuguese list of contacts was implemented. Findings reveal a particular relevance of word-of-mouth, both for consumers and the travel agency portuguesO presente artigo tem como principal objetivo compreender a importância do word-of-mouth e do conteudo gerado por utilizadores nos viajantes e na atividade turistica em Portugal, analisando o exemplo da TravelTailors, agencia de viagens a medida. Estudos demonstram que o word-of-mouth influencia as decisoes de compra na atividade turistica e que os consumidores procuram informacoes em websites com conteudo gerado por utilizadores quando estao interessados num produto ou servico. Pretende-se concretamente identificar as principais fontes de informacao sobre atividades turisticas para os consumidores portugueses, avaliar em que medida confiam na experiencia de utilizadores e no conselho de familiares e amigos, face as outras fontes de informacao, e perceber se o word-of-mouth e o conteudo gerado por utilizadores influenciam as suas escolhas turisticas. Recorreu-se a literatura cientifica e a estatisticas sobre o tema, a observacao participante e analise documental na TravelTailors e ao inquerito por questionario a lista de contactos portugueses desta agencia. Os resultados mostram uma especial relevância do word-of-mouth para os consumidores e a agencia


Aim To establish the incidence and characteristics of tenfold or greater and a tenth or less medication errors in children<16 years in Wales to help inform patient safety on a population level Method Population-based incidence study in Wales, UK, from July 2017 – June 2018 (12 months). Cases were reported from paediatricians and hospital pharmacists using the monthly Welsh Paediatric Surveillance Unit (WPSU). Results 25 confirmed incidents in 23 children from 36 notifications were identified. Cases came from 5 hospitals in Wales with 12 (48%) from the sole tertiary hospital. Median age was 1.7 years and weight 10.7 kg (0.6 to 59). 22 were overdosing (up to 1000x fold error) and 3 underdosing. 22 different medications were involved, 10 (40%) intravenous. Of 15 cases involving enteral medication, 12 were liquid formulations. Two cases were discharge medication administrated at home by parents. Stage of errors were primarily in prescribing 20 (80%), administration 4 and dispensing 1. Ten (40%) cases reached the patient, six from prescribing. Two resulted in significant temporary harm requiring ICU admissions and the remainder received additional monitoring only without harm identified. Several human factor themes were identified: Prescribing confusion between gram milligram and microgram (none reached patient, n=4), confusing between mg and mg/kg (n=5 including all 3 underdosing errors), leading zero errors (e.g. 0.1 vs 0.001 mg, n=3) and prescribing reconciliation errors where admitting doctor attempted to prescribe chronic medication in mg by reversing calculating liquid dosage expressed in mls (n=4). Conclusion In this first ever population surveillance study, tenfold errors in children occurred at every stage of medication process and in the full range of care settings. Errors found were very different from those obtained from tertiary hospital single centre study and UK National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS). Strategies for error reduction will be more productive if designed across a whole national healthcare system.


In order to stimulate growth model of poplar and achieve the visualization of poplar growth, the growth model is investigated from the perspective of computer simulation technology. The paper first presents physiological changes of poplar, discusses the changing rules of the space-time state of poplar growth, proposes the growth model of poplar based on state machine and predicts the growth of poplar authentically. Based on this model, the visualization algorithm of poplar growth is constructed; the data of poplar growth is properly organized; a simulation prototype system is developed to verify the validity of the model. Practice has shown that this growth model can simulate growth process of poplar and has high correctness and efficiency in the application of poplar visualization.


Effect of phytoecdysteroid on silk producing potential of multivoltine mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori was studied. Experiments were performed by 40, 50, 60 and 70% concentration of phytoecdysteroid obtained from Achyranthes leaf extract. A control set was always maintained with each set of experiment. Maximum shell ratio (15.45 ± 1.07) was noticed to be in case of the double treatment (IV and V instar larvae were treated) by 60% phytoecdysteroid and minimum (12.25 ± 0.831) was recorded in triple treatment (III, IV and V instar larvae were treated) by 70% phytoecdysteroid concentration. Phytoecdysteroid treatment,if applied tactfully,may be useful for boosting up the sericulture industry as well as the economy of silkworm rearing.


Late Berriasian–earliest Valanginian lamellaptychi (Cephalopoda) are described in detail for the first time. With one exception, all species belong to early representatives of Mortilletilamellaptychus . The majority of the well dated aptychi come from the cephalopod-rich sediments of the Vocontian Basin in south-eastern France; others are from south-eastern Spain. Thorolamellaptychus anglesensis sp. nov. is introduced.


Abstract : The report presents the results of an extensive series of measurements of the blast fields generated by firing of recoilless rifles and solid-propellant rocket motors. Peak overpressures and positive impulses are reported for blast waves in free air as well as waves reflected from plane surfaces located near the weapons and parallel to their lines of fire. Test techniques and equipment are described in some detail. Model laws are given for scaling pressures and impulses in the blast fields about recoilless rifles, and these laws corroborated by comparison with experimental results from these and previous tests. Attempts were made to generate scaling laws for prediction of blast parameters about rockets, but proved unsuccessful. Significant differences were observed in the characteristics of pressure fields generated by different rockets, and these differences are discussed in the report.


Power system stabilizer must be capable of providing appropriate stabilization signals over a broad range of operating conditions and disturbances. Traditional power system stabilizers rely on linear design methods. To cover a wider range of operating conditions, fuzzy logic power system stabilizers are proposed. Design of fuzzy logic power system stabilizer (FLPSS) is not an easy task. It is very important to appropriately tune the parameters used in FLPSS. These parameters are commonly determined by trail and error method, which is rather time consuming. Hence deriving an analytical structure for the fuzzy controller is very important as it gives the mathematical structure to the FLPSS rather than the 'black-box' approach. In the present paper a systematic approach through analytical structure of PID FLPSS is proposed to approximately tune the parameters. Structurally, a FLPSS is similar to a conventional PID controller, but is nonlinear and adaptive controller in nature whose gains change automatically and continuously with its inputs. This special structure preserves the efficiency of the conventional PID controller while enhances the capability of the controller, particularly for the control of nonlinear and complex processes .The FLPSS can be implemented either by using a three input fuzzy controller with coupled rules or by using three input fuzzy controller with decoupled rules. The advantage of the second type is the number of rules required to implement the FLPSS reduces. In the present paper a FLPSS is implemented using a three input fuzzy controller with decoupled rules. The dynamic response of FLPSS following perturbation in excitation for a single machine connected to infinite bus bar is observed. The robustness of the controller is emphasized.


A significant part of recent research activities in science and engineering revolves around the modelling and numerical simulation of instabilities. Instabilities appear in various ways and at different scales of observation. They reflect a change in the fundamental behaviour of physical systems and often act as a precursor to failure. Consequently, in many fields of application, instabilities are considered an intriguing phenomena that need to be understood in detail. The purpose of this special issue of the Philosophical Magazine dedicated to 'Instabilities Across the Scales' is to present and highlight analogies regarding the modelling of instabilities at different scales of observation, and to review the current state-of-the-art on computational procedures appropriate for the numerical simulation of instabilities across a wide range of scales. It contains invited contributions from a special symposium on this topic organized by the editors in Cairns, Australia, during September 14–17, 2004. The review of the accepted contributions followed the standard review procedures of the Philosophical Magazine. At the largest scale, a supercritical thermal gradient across the radius of the Earth is known to trigger a thermo-mechanical instability which, in turn, causes the mantle material to convect on a timescale of ten to hundreds of millions of years. A thermo-mechanical boundary layer forms close to the surface of the Earth due to the exponential temperature dependence of the viscosity and the visco-elastoplastic nature of the mantle and crustal materials. This boundary layer is broken up into continents separated and pushed around by opening and contracting oceanic plates. Within the cold layer or plate, many kinds of instabilities, such as necking, buckling and shear banding are observed which, in addition to the enormous pressure and temperature ranges, are ultimately responsible for the layered structure of the Earth. Similar instabilities are observed at a smaller scale of observation relevant to engineering materials. In materials such as metals, granular materials or polymers, instabilities are commonly manifested by local deformation patterns that prelude the ultimate collapse of the material. These local deformation patterns are accompanied by non-homogeneous stress states, and are triggered by initial material flaws or non-uniform boundary conditions. Typical local failure modes in metals and polymers are necking and cracking, whereas in granular materials one may observe bulging and shear band formation. The geometry of a failure mode depends on the material properties and the loading characteristics. For example, low-cohesive granular materials subjected to uniaxial tensile loading commonly fail by the


Background Mutations in RNA-binding Motif Protein 20 (RBM20) were recently described in families with early onset dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). In silico predictions indicated that RBM20 is an RNA-...


ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the interaction effects of the physico-chemical parameters on the endoglucanase (CMCase) production by Trichoderma reesei Rut C30 on a cellulosic agro-residue by the solid-state fermentation (SSF) and to determine their optimum values by the EVOP factorial design technique. The best combination of physical parameters for the maximum production of the endoglucanase (CMCase) was 28 o C temperature, 79% relative humidity and 4.8 pH of the medium. The best combination of the chemical parameters was (mg/L) nicotinic acid 15, naphthalene acetic acid 7, ferric chloride 5 and Tween-80 6. With the application of this technique, the yield of the CMCase increased by ~ 2.3 fold. Key words: Enzyme, endoglucanase, carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase), EVOP factorial design technique * Author for correspondence INTRODUCTION Cellulases have attracted much interest because of the diversity of their application. Since the cost of production is the major constraint in the cellulase production, much attention is drawn on the availability of low cost carbon source and on effective fermentation system. Fungal cellulases are produced in large amounts, which include all the components of multi enzyme system acting in a synergism for the complete hydrolysis of the cellulose. Trichoderma reesei Rut C30 is known to be one of the best cellulolytic fungal strain, which makes it an ideal test organism for the cellulase production. The organism produces CMCase in major level than the other two enzymes, exo-β-glucanase and β-glucosidase (Chahal et al ., 1982; Juhasz et al ., 2004). Both the liquid and solid -state fermentations have been tried for the cellulase production by Trichoderma sp . (Esterbauer et al ., 1991; Kubicek, 1992; Montenecourt, 1983). Wheat bran has been extensively used in SSF (Jabbar and Ilahi, 1981). Reports on the production of the cellulase by Trichoderma sp. in SSF (Chahal, 1985; Chahal, 1986; Chahal, 1991; Kim et al ., 1985; Sim et al ., 1990) are numerous because different strains and mutants, culture conditions and substrates have been used under different studies. In the present study, the fungus was grown on a novel substrate (mixture of sawdust and seeds of Ocimum gratissimum, ) and through optimization of the physicochemical parameters of the solid-state fermentation process, enhanced yield of CMCase was expected.


ABSTRACT This research examines cross-cultural differences in the responses of university students (n = 792) from the United States (US), the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and Viet Nam (VN). The survey instrument uses ethical dilemmas familiar to the academic environment of the students. General linear model (GLM) analysis of the students' responses was by CULTure, GENder, and a CULT*GEN interaction term. The results indicated significant differences (p INTRODUCTION Ethical studies have increased in number over the past few decades. As universities prepare students to enter the workforce, an understanding of the ethical orientation of our students takes on an added interest. Today's students will graduate into an international and multi-cultural work environment. These cultural differences can have an effect on the ethical beliefs and attitudes of the students coming from diverse cultural backgrounds. The seminal work of Hofstede (1984) lays the foundation for the study of cultural elements in societies. It is Hofstede's individualism dimension that is of interest to this research. Individuals who "live in societies in which the interests of the individual prevail over the interests of the groups (p. 50)" are called individualistic. Those who "live in societies in which the interest of the group prevails over the interest of the individual (p. 50)" are called collectivistic (or low individualistic). From the research reported by Hofstede, the US ranks the highest on the individualism dimension of all of the 53 countries surveyed; and most of the Asian countries rank in the lower one-third of the countries surveyed. The purpose of this research is to examine differences in the ethical orientation of university students from an individualistic culture and from a collectivistic culture. An appreciation for cultural characteristics and a better understanding of how cultural attitudes and beliefs act as a "cognitive filter" for societal perceptions and attitudes is a part of the overall understanding of how culture is linked to ethical orientation. Since the cultural tie is the focus of this study, it is the attitudes of the students toward the ethical dilemmas, not the actual behaviors, that will be examined. Because gender differences and their relationship to ethical responses are also studied in ethical research, it will be a secondary focus of this research. LITERATURE REVIEW A number of studies have used student subjects to investigate cultural differences based on the individualism dimension between the two global areas of interest. The results of these studies have offered additional validation of the differences between the subjects from the US and the Asian-Pacific area. Singh et al. (1962) found, as predicted by the individualism variable, societyversus self-orientation differences between American and Chinese students. Triandis et al. (1986) reported support for Hofstede's individualism cultural dimension, using students from nine countries. Bond et al. (1982) and Kim et al. (1990) reported support for the individualism dimension when their studies examined reward allocation intentions of students from the US and Asian countries (i.e., Japan, Korea, Hong Kong). …


The (r/Xp)-medianoid and (r/p)-centroid problems are two well-known competitive location problems on networks. In the medianoid problem, a player locates r facilities in a network in order to maximize its market share, given that p facilities are already located. In the centroid problem, two players in turn locate p and r facilities at the vertices of a network in order to maximize their market share. The problem is for the first player to find a set of locations that will minimize the second player's maximal market share. These problems are both NP-hard. They are solved by means of tabu search heuristics. Computational results confirm the value of the proposed approach. (A)


Traditionally, the majority of thermoset composite materials have been autoclave cured. Some alternatives to curing in an autoclave include E-Beam and microwave curing. In the Microwave Research Group at MSU, microwave curing technology is being pursued for the purpose of achieving higher throughput, lower cost and higher energy efficiency, relative to autoclave curing.