The ferroelectric hysteresis loops of sodium bismuth titanate Na0.5Bi4.5Ti4O15 bulk ceramics were measured under periodical electric field in range of frequency from 0.01Hz to 100Hz and field from 10kV/cm to 150kV/cm. The three-stage scaling behavior of dynamic hysteresis was investigated in Na0.5Bi4.5Ti4O15 bulk ceramics. The scaling behavior at low amplitude of electric field is described as is proportional to f^(-0.122)E0^3.30 for low frequency and is proportional to f^(-0.122)E0^3.15 for high frequency. , f and E0 represent the area of hysteresis loop, frequency and amplitude of periodic electric field, respectively. At E0 around coercive field, scaling behavior takes the form of is proportional to f^(-0.11)E0^4.28 for low frequency and is proportional to f^(-0.11)E0^4.17 for high frequency. At high E0, we obtained is proportional to f^(-0.04)E0^2.90 for low frequency and is proportional to f^(-0.06)E0^2.75 for high frequency. The contribution to scaling relation mainly results from reversible of ferroelectric domain switching at low E0, the velocity of domain wall motion at E0 around coercive field and simultaneously reversible and irreversible domain switching at high E0.


The invention discloses an Internet of Things gateway for perceiving wild environment and a data transmission method thereof. The gateway comprises a SinkNode module, a core advanced RISC machines (ARM) control module, a general packet radio service (GPRS) module, a third generation telecommunication (3G) module and a power supply module, the SinkNode module, the GPRS module, the 3G module are respectively connected with the core ARM control module, and the power supply module is connected with other modules. The method includes that node acquisition data of a monitored region is sent to the SinkNode module, the SinkNode module sends the data to the core ARM control module, the data is classified and sent to the GPRS module and the 3G module by the core ARM control module, the GPRS module sends sensing data to a remote server, and the 3G module sends image data to the remote server. The gateway uploads the perception data of the wild environment to a data base of the remote server through the GPRS network and 3G network on the Internet of Things gateway, so that a monitoring center can real-timely receive the data and can further process the data in the data base of the remote server, and the data remote supervision by the monitoring center is achieved.


Abstract Tolerance of Hesperophylax sp. to a low pH mine tailings seep which contained high concentrations of heavy metals was documented in Lake County, Colorado.


The spin wave dispersion relation in the case of MnF/sub 2/ is studied for various assumed values of the ratio of the exchange coupling constants J/sub 2/ to J/sub 1/. The inelastic scattering cross section of neutrons by spin waves in this crystal is also calculated. Using the value of J/sub 2/ = 1.08J/sub 1/, which is supported experimentally, distinctive features of the scattering cross section are discussed. (auth)


The utility model discloses a receivable foot pedal switch pedal console for a hoist, which aims to provide a console of a receivable foot pedal switch pedal for a hoist with simple structure, convenient operation and fine comfortability. The console is formed by a control box, a seat chair, a base plate, a left pedal plate and a right pedal plate. The left pedal plate and the right pedal plate are symmetrically installed on the base plate below the front of the seat chair; each pedal plate is formed by a foot pedal switch casing body, a switch assembly, a foot pedal switch action set and a pedal plate steam ejector rod; the switch assembly is installed on the back surface of the foot pedal switch casing body; the foot pedal switch action set is installed inside a through hole of the foot pedal switch casing body and connected with the switch assembly; the foot pedal switch casing body is movably connected with the base plate in order to enable the foot pedal switch casing body to rotate relatively to the base plate; one end of the pedal plate steam ejector rod is fixedly installed on the base plate; and the other end of the pedal plate steam ejector rod is fixedly installed on a rib plate of the back surface of the foot pedal switch casing body. The console can meet use requirements of a general hoist on the console.


This report describes Reduced-Impact Logging(RIL) which will be implemented in the lowland and hill dipterocarp forest of the Bulungan Model Forest project in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is anticipated that through the implementation and supervision of the RIL practices described in this document, the timber concession operators (INHUTANI II) can expect to: reduce disturbances to soil and residual vegetation by at least 50% in comparison with conventional logging operations where these guidelines are not applied; limit overall direct impacts to the forest


Introduction: This article shows an action-research conducted on a service-learning program in Physical Education Didactics. The work is based on the results of multiple previous research and aims to improve the service-learning program to promote the development of social skills and attitudes on future teachers. To achieve a framework of broad and comprehensive understanding of the intervention program we used a mixed research method. Method: firstly,the content of interviews and daily monitoring diaries of students were analyzed and, secondly, it was implemented a quasi-experimental design with three nonequivalent groups. We used t tests for the comparison pretest-posttest of each group, and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the comparison post-test. Results: the quantitative study shows that, unlike the control group, both experimental groups improved their social skills and attitudes after de service-learning program. Discussion: the qualitative study helped to complement and enhance the understanding about the effects of the program to refine the skills and attitudes achieved. The three categories obtained were: group consciousness, implication and group organization skills and communication skills. Conclusions: it was concluded that it may be necessary to improve the model of reflection and deliberation inherent in the program, thus establishing the basis for a new plan.


A new so-called truncation error reduction method (TERM) is developed in this work. This is an iterative process which initially uses a coarse grid (2h) to estimate the truncation error and then reduces the error on the original grid (h). The purpose of this method is to use multigrid technique to achieve high-order accuracy on simple stencils.


A method for reconstruction of oral cavity soft tissues using segmentally or axially supplied free muscle flaps harvested as a unit with their bone components is presented. Both fibular/soleus and iliac crest/internal oblique free flaps are documented, and the pros and cons of each donor site are presented.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of core exercise on body composition, body shape, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio for women in twenties. A total of 15 healthy participants who volunteered at Kyunghee university were enrolled and divided into two groups such as exercise(9) and control(6). Core exercise consisted of plank, crunch, leg raise, mountain climber, quadruped, hip cross over, russian twist, curl-up, and squat that reported by Ellsworth on 2011. Exercise frequency and duration were 1 hour a day, 3 days a week, 9 weeks. Subject's height, weight, body composition, body segment's circumference, body circumference's ratio, and waist-to-height ratio were measured pre and post. The result of the present study were as followed: 1. Bust circumference(t=3.071, p=.028) and underbust circumference(t=2.858, p=.035) were significantly decreased in control group. 2. Waist circumference(t=3.395, p=.009) was significantly decreased in exercise group. 3. Waist-to-hip ratio(t=2.706, p=.027) and waist-to-height ratio(t=3.450, p=.009) were significantly decreased in exercise group.


The paper highlights the questions of cost management at the mining enterprises with a complex multi-component processing of raw materials. The features of methods for determining the cost of co-products have been considered by the example of one of the enterprises of the Murmansk region. The limit of price reduction on products in unfavorable economic conditions has been proved.


A roundtable discussion with Hon. Daniel J. O'Donnell, Member, New York State Assembly, and Katherine Grainger, Assistant Counsel to New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. Moderated by J. Stephen Clark.


To prevent Nachbittern and flavor loss during prolonged infusion of tea, tea bags are proposed with a filter material that automatically closes after a defined Bruhperiode. This filter should be used in cups that are pre-filled with tea material.


In the field of criminal law, the recognition of artificial intelligence technology and criminal subjects is considered as one of the key issues. Considering about China's penal system, AI cannot be regulated effectively. Therefore, we must not only consider the effective means of punishing artificial intelligence in the future, but also take a deep consideration into how to effectively regulate artificial


A least-squares mixed finite element procedure with the method of characteristics for convection-dominated diffusion equations was presented.By properly selecting the least-squares functional,the procedure can be split into two independent sub-procedures.The solution u and the flux σ can be directly obtained.Moreover the method permits the use of large steps.The optimal convergence analysis was established.


There is insufficient research on rating psychological well-being and distress in clinical populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differential characteristics of instruments assessing well-being and distress in 20 remitted patients with affective (mood and anxiety) disorders and 20 healthy control subjects matched for sociodemographic variables. Remitted patients displayed significantly higher levels of psychological distress—as measured by Paykel's Clinical Interview for Depression (CID), Van Praag's Scale for Personality Disturbances and Kellner's Symptom Questionnaire (SQ)—and significantly less well-being—as measured by Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-Being (PWB) and the SQ—than control subjects. The correlations between scales of psychological distress and well-being were found to be complex in both patients and controls. Psychotherapeutic treatment of residual symptomatology in patients disclosed a differential sensitivity of the scales to changes. The results thus suggest that well-being cannot be equated to lack of distress (as implicitly endorsed by current psychiatric paradigms), and the need for a multidimensional assessment in stress medicine. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The people's democracy is the life of socialism. To develop socialist democracy is a goal that our party always pursues to. The rural grass-root democracy construction is the widest practice of socialist democratic politics in the countryside of our country,and it is one of the most important issues of grass-root democracy construction,relating to the success of the construction of socialist new countryside and the realization of democratic politics of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Through analyzing the problems of grass-root democracy construction in the rural areas in the new situation and the causes,this paper deeply probes into the countermeasures for solving the democratic politic problems and promoting the politic civilization construction in the countryside of our country.


An essential element of capitalism is corporate reporting. Today's capitalism is supported by financial reporting. Critics of today's capitalism argue that it is too short-term oriented and rewards companies for creating negative externalities. Integrated reporting can play an important role in changing this since it is focused on the material issues that affect a company's ability to create value over the short, medium, and long term. Each country must take its own path to integrated reporting. This is illustrated by analyzing the different regulatory and legislative regimes in the United States and the European Union.


INTRODUCTION The concept and study of SST has gained wide spread interest in recent years (Beatson, Lee, and Coote, 2007; Dean, 2008; Forbes, 2008; Makarem, Mudambi, and Podoshen, 2009; Kelly, Lawlor, and Mulvey, 2010). The proliferation of new self-service technology (SST) found in the retail environment today suggests a need to assess the extent to which consumers are willing to actually use this new technology. A general conclusion from previous research is that the adoption of SST is driven by technology characteristics and individual differences. SST is likely to become increasingly more important because it allows retailers to standardize their interaction with consumers (Hsieh, Yen, and Chin, 2004), to increase productivity and efficiency (Walker, Craig-Lees, Hecker, and Francis, 2002), and to offer consumers access to services through new and convenient channels (Meuter, Ostrom, Bitner, and Roundtree, 2003). SST also allows consumers to be productive resources involved in the service delivery, thus allowing retailers to handle demand fluctuations without expensive adjustment of employee levels (Curran, Meuter, and Surprenant, 2003). Self-scanning checkouts in grocery stores is one type of SST that when first introduced over two decades ago was initially not well received by consumers. This resistance may have been due to consumers' lack of trust and confidence in themselves and in the new technology to perform correctly. Today, however, self-scanning technology is very popular and has grown beyond grocery stores, with self-scanning checkout/check-in kiosks found today in airports, movie theaters, and libraries. The modern consumer is seemingly more technologically informed and comfortable with using self-scanning technology. One of the nation's largest grocery stores, Kroger Co. is currently testing a new advanced self-checkout system (Gasparro, 2011). This new technology, which is a scan-tunnel system, is similar to what airlines use for carry-on luggage. Customers place their grocery items on a conveyor belt and the tunnel scans the barcodes regardless of which direction they are facing. Initial results are encouraging as customers appear to be embracing the scan tunnels, and the new technology has the potential to reduce theft but still allow for employee interaction by bagging the groceries and manning the scan tunnels. Given the expanding role and importance of self-scanning technology in the retail setting, it is imperative to enhance the understanding of factors that may affect consumers' evaluation and intention to use self-scanning technology. The purpose of this paper is to extend recent research that has investigated factors driving consumers' usage of self-scanning technology. Specifically, this study assesses the impact of consumer differences (i.e., technology readiness) and SST attributes (i.e., perceived reliability and perceived fun) on consumers' intention to use self-scanning technology to complete a retail transaction. LITERATURE REVIEW Self-Scanning Technology Meuter, Ostrom, Roundtree, and Bitner (2000) first defined SST as "technological interfaces that enable consumers to produce a service independent of direct service employee involvement." The increasing use of SST by retailers has created a growing need for classifying different types of SST. Meuter et al. (2000) introduced a classification of SST along two dimensions: 1) interface (telephone/interactive voice response; online/internet; interactive kiosks; video/CD) and 2) purpose (customer service; transactions; self-help). Cunningham, Young, and Gerlach (2008) also classified SST along two dimensions: 1) standardized vs. customized, and 2) separable vs. inseparable. Standardized includes pay at the pump, Internet search, self-scanning, and tax software. Customized includes online education and online brokerage services. The importance of one type of SST, self-scanning technology, has grown significantly in retailing seemingly because of its potential strategic value. …


For many years now in England the ways to train for the profession of teaching have been varied, but most teachers have been prepared through partnerships between universities and schools. Now, proposals by the Secretary of State for Education are attempting to virtually remove teacher education from universities giving it into the control of schools, based on the belief that teaching is merely a 'craft' not an academic discipline. The resistance to this idea from the majority of the profession is huge but will the practitioners be heard?


In this paper we present a synthesis of experiments of eye movement pursuit that have been applied to documents structure retrieval. The aim of this work is to propose a representation of structured documents content (the physical layout) through the simulation of a possible human inspired scan path. The research project which is presented here is based on the hypotheses that the analysis and the comprehension of real human trajectories are necessary to design a realistic automatic self-governing system that simulates eye-catching information retrieval whatever are the page designs.


Base on the study of oil and water plane and radial flow,the KHK formula of production splitting was obtained,which applied relative permeability curve and considered the difference of oil and water flow capacity under the different oil saturations.The new formula of production splitting was improved better than the old,which considered the viscosity and pressure difference and applied relative permeability curve to split production,according to the difference of oil and water flow capacity under the different oil saturations.The new formula of production splitting is verified by the technique of numerical simulation,which solves the problem that the pure oil layer produces more water by the old KH formula of production splitting.The result of new formula has the great coincidence,which can solve the production splitting problem of the large holes and multilayered sandstone reservoirs.The new formula of production splitting has the extensive applicability.


This project describes the design and construction of AN AUTOMATIC IGNITION SYSTEM USING LIGHT ANALOG COMPONENTS in order to achieve energy savings. To develop this automatic building a power source 12VC feeding system and the one that is conditioned when ignited generating a pulse of 4 seconds which allows activating a relay for connecting any device or electronic component is performed requiring high voltages. For this system analog components are used as the regulator 7812 allows twelve volt output, a photoresistor, LM358 operational amplifier with hysteresis makes the comparison values or the illumination light, in a 555 monostable that generates the pulse using 330uf capacitor and resistor to set the required time. The purpose of the system is to prevent light up the lighting during the day and allow lighting at night or when there is darkness generating a pulse of 4 seconds it will allow light a green LED indicating that our system is active and a red LED indicating the system it is off.


Antituberculosis drug‐induced liver injury (ATDILI) has received increasing attention globally, which may limit the effectiveness of antituberculosis (anti‐TB) treatment. Many host genetic determinants of ATDILI have been identified recently. As little knowledge is currently available about the association between aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A1 (ALDH1A1) polymorphisms and ATDILI, the association between their variants and the susceptibility to ATDILI was investigated. A total of 747 patients with TB treated by first‐line anti‐TB drugs were prospectively enrolled at West China Hospital. Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood sample of each patient and seven single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ALDH1A1 gene were screened and genotyped with a custom‐designed 2×48‐plex SNP Scan TM kit. The patients were followed up monthly to monitor the development of ATDILI. The C allele and the CA genotype of rs7852860 were significantly associated with an elevated risk for ATDILI (p = .006 and 0.005, respectively), which was consistent with the results in the dominant and additive models. No allele, genotype, or genetic model of the other six SNPs (rs3764435, rs348471, rs63319, rs610529, rs7027604, rs8187876) were found to be associated with susceptibility to ATDILI. The findings first demonstrate that rs7852860 variants in ALDH1A1 gene is associated with susceptibility to ATDILI in the Chinese Han population. Validation studies with larger sample sizes and other ethnic groups are needed to confirm the findings.


Canada has seen some community approaches to watershed management similar to network governance, citizen advisory boards, and participatory action mechanisms. These collaborative approaches are highlighted in scholarship, but are limited by context as implementation is not utilized well beyond local situations. The successes of Nova Scotia wetlands are generalizable, as they provide applicable knowledge about natural resource governance with limited federal guidelines, numerous exclusionary authorities, and new regional development tactics that are beneficial for many. In practice, this case study specifically explains the role of earnest, local, and inclusive participation that is well coordinated with multiple civic agencies.


A feedforward control method based on non-equiratio model is proposed to reduce the positioning error of an atomic force micrsscpoe (AFM)piezo-scanner caused by the hysteresis nonlinearity.By analyzing the AFM image data,an exact hysteresis nonlinear model is obtained for the AFM piezo-scanner.An inversion-based compensation strategy is proposed for periodic trajectories of the piezo -scanner during AFM scanning process on nano surface.The proposed hysteresis compensation algorithm is applied to Being CSPM5500 AFM system,and the experiment results show that the proposed method reduces the effect of hysteresis remarkably,thus the image distortion is corrected effectively.


The RAFT synthesis and solution properties of AB block copolymers of 4-vinylbenzyl-trimethylphosphonium chloride (TMP) and N,N-dimethylbenzylvinylamine (DMBVA) is described. The pH-dependent self-assembly properties of the AB diblock copolymers were examined using of 1 H NMR, DLS, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The size of the polymeric aggregates depends on the block copolymer composition/ molecular mass. The self assembly is completely reversible, as predicted from the tunable hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of the DMBVA residues. The AB diblock copolymers can be effectively locked in the self-assembled state using a straightforward core crosslinking reaction between the tertiary amine residues of DMBVA and difunctional 1,4-bis(bromomethyl)benzene.


Warming induced changes in Arctic vegetation have to date been studied through observational and experimental field studies, leaving significant uncertainty about the representativeness of selected field sites as well as how these field scale findings scale up to the entire pan-Arctic. The purposes of this thesis were therefore to 1) analyze remotely-sensed/modeled temperature, Normalized Difference Vegetation Indices (NDVI) and plant Net Primary Productivity (NPP) to assess coarsescale changes (1982–2006) in vegetation; and 2) compare field, remote sensing and model outputs to estimate limitations, challenges and disagreements between data formats. The following data sources were used: • Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer Polar Pathfinder Extended (APPx, temperature & albedo) • Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) & Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) ) • Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (Landsat ETM, NDVI) • Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS, NDVI) • Global Productivity Efficiency Model (GloPEM, Net Primary Productivity (NPP)) Over the pan-Arctic (1982-2007), increases in temperature, total annual NPP and maximum annual NDVI were observed. Increases in NDVI and NPP were found to be closely related to increases in temperature according to non-parametric Sen' slope and Mann Kendall tau tests. Variations in phenology were largely nonsignificant but related to increases in growing season temperature. Snow melt onset and spring onset correspond closely. MODIS, Landsat and GIMMS NDVI data sets agree well, and MODIS EVI and NDVI are very similar for spring and summer at Fosheim Peninsula. GloPEM NPP and field estimates of NPP are poorly correlated, whereas GIMMS NDVI and GloPEM NPP are well correlated, indicating a need for better calibration of model NPP to field data. In summary, increases in pan-Arctic biological productivity indicators were observed, and were found to be closely related to recent circumpolar warming. However, these changes appear to be focused in regions from which recent field studies have found significant ecological changes (Alaska), and coarse resolution remote sensing estimates of ecological changes have been less marked in other regions. Discrepancies between results from model, field data and remote sensing, as well as central questions remaining about the impact of increases in productivity on soilvegetation-atmosphere feedbacks, indicate a clear need for continued research into warming induced changes in pan-Arctic vegetation.


The temperate coliphage N15, unlike most low copy‐number prokaryotic replicons, is maintained as a linear DNA molecule with covalently closed ends. Accurate partitioning of the plasmid prophage is assured by a close homologue of the sop locus of the F plasmid. However, the region upstream of the N15 sopAB genes contains multiple putative promoters, in contrast to F sop whose expression is driven by one negatively autoregulated promoter. In addition, the centromere of N15 is represented by four inverted repeats located at widely separated sites within the region essential for replication and control of lytic functions. We have analysed expression of N15 sop genes. We find that transcription of N15 sop is driven by two major promoters. The first, P1, is similar in sequence and function to the F sop promoter; it is repressed by Sop proteins. The second promoter, P2, is upstream of P1 and is several times stronger. It is insensitive to regulation by Sop proteins but is tightly repressed by protelomerase, the N15 enzyme that completes prophage replication by generating hairpin telomeres. These results establish a regulatory link between the partition system and other processes of N15 maintenance.


Neena Mitter1, Keith Chua1, Sudeep Bag2, Roger Mitchell3, Sarah Williams 3 and Hanu R. Pappu2 1Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia 2Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA 3Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNA) have been proposed to be key regulators of many fundamental processes in eukaryotes, such as the modulation of host endogenous gene expression and suppression of aberrant RNA elements. RNA silencing by this class of highly conserved small non-coding RNA is highly specific and effective. We used artificial miRNA (amiRNA) technology to develop resistance against Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). amiRNAs were designed to target viral RNA encoding the TSWV nucleocapsid protein (N) and the silencing suppressor (NSs). The virus-specific amiRNAs was vectored by Arabidopsis thaliana miR159 precursor (Ath-pre-miR159). Transient expression of amiRNAs in Nicotiana benthamiana by agroinfiltration has confirmed by the expression of virus-specific amiRNAs in Northern blot analysis. The ability of the amiRNA constructs to confer resistance to TSWV was confirmed in virus challenge experiments. Stably transformed Arabidopsis plants were generated with selected constructs. We are investigating the various construct design features to improve the expression of the mature amiRNA that would provide effective resistance against tospoviruses.


Maximum germination was obtained in spruce when seed was treated with 36× 10 -5 M, 24×1O -5 M and 12× 10 -5 M of IAA for 24,48 and 72 hours, respectively and 6×1O -5 M and 12×1O -5 M of IBA for 24 hours.


Abstract Nowadays, graphene is considered as one of the most ideal reinforcements for composite materials due to the outstanding mechanical properties. From the literature survey, it is found that the researches on interlaminar stress analysis of functionally graded graphene reinforced composite (FG-GRC) laminated structures are scarce in literature. If transverse shear deformations are unable to be described accurately, the reasonable design of FG-GRC laminated structures will meet severe challenges due to the differentiation of material properties at the adjacent layers. Thereby, such issue is less studied by using the efficient models, so an advanced mixed-form plate theory is to be proposed for transverse shear stress analysis of FG-GRC laminated plates. The proposed theory can meet beforehand compatible conditions of transverse shear stresses at the interfaces of adjacent laminates and only contains seven independent displacement variables. By applying the three- dimensional (3D) equilibrium equations and the Reissner mixed variational theorem (RMVT), the accurate transverse shear stresses are obtained. The 3D elasticity solutions and the results computed by using the chosen models are selected to appraise the capability of the proposed model. Numerical results show that the proposed plate model can yield accurately transverse shear stresses without any post-processing procedure. In addition, the effects of graphene volume fraction, graphene distribution pattern, lamination sequence, span-to-thickness ratio and aspect ratio on the displacements and stresses of the FG-GRC laminated plates are thoroughly investigated.


The difficulty of properly measuring neutron doses received by the workers in the nuclear industry is becoming more acute in the context of the revised recommendations of the ICRP Publication 60. A working group composed of representatives of the French nuclear industry was set up at the end of 1992 with the aim of assessing the extent of this problem and looking for appropriate solutions. The aims were (i) to define the needs as far as neutron dosimetry is concerned, (it) to examine the different techniques used or currently available, and (iii) to draw up the specifications for the individual dosemeter which would ideally satisfy all the technical and practical requirements. This paper is intended as a first review of the analysis made.


Patagonia has become a controversial scenario, marked by the struggle and resistance against extractive progress and in defense of natural resources. Neuquen is distinguished by the presence of a counterculture of protest, the hegemony of the ruling party and its cultural diversity. In this context, the struggle carried out by the Mapuce communities is the subject of our interest, specifically the participation of women in the different territorial conflicts. On this occasion, we propose to present some of the results we reached during the realization of our doctoral thesis, product of years of field work. From now on, we will go through part of the history of Neuquen, focusing on the experience of women in the Mellao Morales and their struggle. So we reflect on the extractivismo-patriarchaly relationship and the feminization process of the struggles in extractive contexts.


The aim of present study was to evaluate the effects of drought stress on net photosynthesis rate (Pn), stomatal resistance, water use efficiency (WUE) and biomass (BM) of six maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids. Drought stress applied by withholding water supply at 4-5 leaf stage (S1, vegetative stage), anthesis (S2, reproductive stage), and dual stress condition (S3, combination of vegetative and reproductive stages). Results showed that all of the traits changed differently among hybrids under water stress but recovered close to initial values after re-watering. S3 affected leaf gas exchange and agronomic traits more severely than S1 and S2 treatments. Pn decreased due to imposed drought but more slowly in hybrids SC647 and SC704. In addition, SC700, SC704 and SC647 had the maximum BM and plant height. But, WUE decreased during the water stress period especially in hybrids SC260 and SC370 in which the decrease was remarkable. It can be concluded that SC704 and SC647 were the most tolerant and SC260 and SC370 were the least tolerant hybrids to water stress. The variation observed amongst the evaluated hybrids suggests the existence of valuable genetic resources for crop improvement in relation to drought tolerance.


This paper presents a novel initial cell search algorithm for 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless networks. An innovative processing algorithm for the primary synchronization signal (PSS) is here provided. The signal processing procedure as well the PSS symbol structure we propose can be applied to every LTE transmission standard, since we require modifications only at the receiver side. Performance analysis is carried out in comparison with the conventional approach, based on the power detector test. The numerical results, obtained from wide simulation trials under operating settings, have evidenced that the devised method outperforms the conventional approach for all the timing offsets.


High intensity focused ultrasound surgery still requires relatively a long surgical time due to small size of coagulative necrosis per each sonication. In order to increase a region of coagulative necrosis, dual-frequency ultrasound scheme has been proposed and showed notable results. In this paper, a novel dual-frequency ultrasound transducer based on the inversion layer technique is presented. Finite element analysis simulation was conducted, and the prototype transducer was fabricated to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method. The optimized thickness ratio between the inverted and non-inverted piezoelectric layers was chosen as 0.3:0.7. The proposed transducer with the chosen ratio generated the fundamental (at 1.2 MHz) frequency and the second harmonic frequency (at 2.4 MHz) ultrasound at the same time. The performance of the proposed transducer was numerically and experimentally verified through electrical impedance, pulse-echo response, and beam profile tests.


The changing role of tutorials and tutors in an age of mass higher education is sketched. The differing purposes of small group teaching are explored; small groups are shown to have a variety of academic and pastoral functions. The mechanics of tutorial organisation are explored and the range of teaching formats examined.


Alumina-reinforced zircon ceramic composites with magnesia and yttria as sintering aids obtained by direct sintering were successfully fabricated.The flexural strength and fracture toughness of ceramic composites were 371 MPa and 3.4 MPa·m respectively at room temperature.The results were explained by X-ray diffraction(XRD) analysis and scanning electron microscope(SEM) analysis.Zirconium silicate was the main crystalline phase and a small amount of alumina and zirconia could be observed.The mechanism of strengthening-toughening was the combination of crack deflection toughening,microcrack toughening caused by alumina particle and transformation toughening caused by zirconia which was derived from the thermal decomposition of zircon.The fracture mode was mainly transeranular fracture.


The focus of this chapter is on "key issues for fostering OER communities of practice with teachers." It is based on the successful experiences of three European funded projects: SLOOP, TENEGEN, and SLOOP2DESC. These three projects draw on the concept of open education as well as on the open and free software movements. The original idea behind the three projects was that teachers can build learning objects in conjunction with software specialists who are developing open software packages: each teacher can contribute to the development phase, as well as repurposing the learning objects to meet her/his specific needs, thus working in a collaborative environment. In order to enable this collaborative production and reuse of learning objects, the authors have introduced the Open Learning Object or OpenLO model, which combines the benefits of the learning object paradigm with the 'Openness' concept characterized by Web 2.0 approaches to knowledge building and sharing.


The implementation of new methods for fast classification of seeds is of major technical importance in the large-scale investigation of seeds identification. A few indices with biological significance were used to identify rapeseed type and variety. The plumpness and the plumpness ratio of rapeseed were extracted by using the variation coefficient of radius for fourteen rapeseed varieties at Chinese five locations. The equivalence diameter was extracted by using reference calibration method. The major color ratio and color saturation were extracted by using nine color HSV model and major color method. ANN-BP models were established for rapeseed varieties classification. The equivalent diameter and plumpness ratio were used to identify two classes' rapeseed, B.compestris and B. napus L. with accuracy of 100%. The equivalent diameter, plumpness ratio and color saturation were used to identify six rapeseed varieties, with accuracy of 92.06% to 92.37%,, with average of 92.15%. By machine vision, it is feasible to identify rapeseed type and variety with a few biological indices.


[Objective]To summarize the thunderbolt moxibustion treatment of RA and patient care experience.[Methods]96 patients with RA hospitalized patients,implementation of the thunderbolt moxibustion treatment to be psychological and health guidance,diet,functional exercise and other aspects of care.[Results]The patients in the hospital during the thunderbolt moxibustion treatment satisfaction,and nursing actively cooperate.[Conclusion]Implementation of effective care for RA patients,reduce patient pain,increase confidence in the treatment of diseases,shorter hospital stays.


The integrated geoecological reconnaissance investigations of the Landfill N 5 area for the municipal solid waste disposal situated near the city of Kyiv show its negative impact on the environment. The severe copper-lead pollution of soils has been detected. Moreover, in vicinity of the south-eastern contour of Landfill area the content anomalies for Cu (10000 mg/kg that is in 300 times higher than the maximum allowable concentrations – MAC), Pb content (1000 mg/kg that is in 30 times higher than the MAC) Zn content (300 mg/kg that is in 5 times higher than the MAC) are revealed in the samples taken from the surface soil layer of 0–5 cm. These soil samples are characterized by maximal specific magnetic susceptibility (572.1 SI×10-8 m3/kg). The heavy metal specification in soil has shown that their mobility increased tenfold in comparison with the background sites. The elements of significant accumulation in the grass vegetation are Cu and Cr at the biological absorption coefficients of 1.25 and 1.0, respectively.


Recent and proposed developments to the Stryker combat vehicle and how it is employed bear striking similarities to Soviet and later Russian development of the Bronetransporter (BTR) armored personnel carrier and motor-rifle formations. These similarities mirror both materiel and doctrinal concepts developed by the Soviets as they introduced, modified, and updated the BTR. However, the current Stryker developmental path is following an outdated methodology that is inappropriate for the modern battlefield. This article identifies the regressive approaches currently being used by the U.S. Army to develop the Stryker medium-force concept and recommends new directions for its development based on historical analysis and current scholarly research.Materiel Comparison of the Stryker Platform and the Russian BTR SeriesThe Stryker concept has been in a constant state of flux since its inception. This is to be expected since it is a relatively new concept in the Army. Originally proposed by Gen. Erik Shinseki in the 1990s, the Stryker does not have the same depth and breadth of historical experience for the purpose of assessment compared to many other U.S. weapon systems due for materiel upgrades.1 For example, the development of the M1 Abrams tank commenced with the XM (experimental model) in the 1970s. It was fielded in 1979 and continues in service today, a long period over which data have been collected, including from its use in combat situations.The medium vehicle and force concept is not new worldwide. The Soviet Union fielded a medium-armored vehicle in the BTR and began to develop the motor-rifle regiment concept circa 1961.2 The Soviet concept is distinctly different from World War II-era medium-armored vehicles. Some World War II-era armored vehicles and mobile guns can be said to be medium platforms, but these vehicles were always task-organized with heavier platforms. In contrast, the Soviet motor-rifle regiment was the first mechanized force organized to take advantage of the unique abilities that are afforded unilaterally by a medium force. Though the motor-rifle regiment may be involved in operations with heavy armored forces, it is considered distinct and separate from those forces. Similarly, the Stryker concept resembles the motor-rifle concept in that it is conceived as a stand-alone medium force. However, it differs from the Russian concept in some key areas.While some changes to the original concept of the Stryker are expected and necessary, such as the ongoing Stryker upgrade to a double V-hull (a survivability design that deflects blasts from below a vehicle away from the crew compartment), some of these adoptions appear to be ad hoc and piecemeal.3 Following the current Stryker upgrade to the Stryker Double V-Hull, General Dynamics has proposed several improvements for the next generation of Stryker, including the addition of a 30 mm cannon for some vehicles to increase the Stryker's direct-fire capability.4Of note, this addition mirrors earlier Soviet-era development of medium-armored vehicles. The Soviet Union identified a similar weakness in the armament of its BTR in the 1960s. The BTR was originally fielded with the 12.7 mm DShK heavy machine gun, which is comparable to the current Stryker's armament of the M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun. The Soviets replaced it with a heavier 14.5 mm cannon in later productions of the BTR 60.5 Still later, during its modernization program, Russia adopted the even heavier 30 mm Shipunov cannon for the BTR-90 to give it greater direct-fire capabilities.6 Additionally, Russia also added the 30 mm cannon to the BTR-80 series with the fielding of the BTR-82A. Notably, this gave the BTR offensive direct-fire capability similar to the Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty (2BMP) infantry fighting vehicle, which mounts the same cannon.7 This is comparable to the current proposed change to the Stryker main gun, which would give the Stryker direct-fire capability akin to the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle. …


Purpose: Breast cancer occurs in about 1 in 9 women in the Netherlands. Every year, 11,000 new cases are registered and about 3,500 women die of breast cancer. Prognosis after primary treatment is improving, leading to an increased number of follow-up visits and increasing workload to physicians. National guidelines currently assign all these patients the same follow-up program: twice a year for 5 years. The present study was undertaken to determine an individualized follow-up program that gives women the follow-up they need and reduces physician workload. Method: Breast cancer patients were classified according to different risk groups for recurrence based on age, tumor size and lymph node status. We chose follow-up programs with different frequency and length. To determine the most appropriate follow-up program for each patient group we modeled the process of breast cancer in a state transition model, and used discrete event simulation to investigate the effectiveness of various follow-up programs. Follow-up programs are compared based on the number of visits and quality adjusted life expectancy. We simulated 150,000 patients per patient group and follow-up program. Result: For patients older than 70 years and patients with favorable tumor characteristics follow-up could be minimized to 1 visit. Patients younger than 40 years and patients with unfavorable tumor characteristics can benefit from a more intensive follow-up of twice a year for 5 years. Overall a reduction of 70% of needed follow-up visits can be quickly achieved. Conclusion: The present study illustrates the potential for individualized follow-up in breast cancer patients. Implementing individualized follow-up can lead to a reduction of number of follow-up visits needed.


Social law, the third field of law integrating the public law and private law in the legal socialization, led to the emergence of economic law which is a reflection of the legal socialization in the field of economy. Therefore, on the one hand, the economic law has the basic features of the social law in the broad sense; on the other hand, economic law is different from the social law in the narrow sense in that their corresponding state intervention is different in scope, purposes, and means. In the modern market economy where the economy integrates with the society, they should better cooperate with each other in their functioning.


Sometime after 1679, Pierre-Daniel Huet (1630-1721) indulged an author's vanity by comparing his Demonstratio evangelica with works whose authors are far better known today. He recorded his judgments on a scrap of paper.1 First, he contrasted the Demonstratio to Antoine Arnauld's Les nouveaux elemens de geometrie (1664). While Arnauld had assumed that all the principles of geometry were true and all geometrical demonstrations certain, and had considered religious questions not amenable to methodical demonstration, Huet noted, "I made clear the contrary by proving religion through a methodical sequence of propositions similar to those one finds in geometry." For Arnauld religious belief fell into the class of things better proven through a series of mutually reinforcing propositions than through proofs modeled on geometry; Huet had actually accomplished the latter. Arnauld did not require geometric proofs in religious works; Huet wrote the Demonstratio "to satisfy those who do." Indeed, Arnauld forbade such proofs, "but I permitted them ... and I proposed something to satisfy those who do [demand them]." Huet then considered Blaise Pascal's Pensees (1670). Pascal had also rejected demonstration in proving religious truths, Huet noted, opting instead for "moral proofs, which are directed more to the heart than to the mind. In other words he desired to work harder at moving and disposing the heart than at convincing and persuading the intellect." Apparently, "M. Pascal did not believe that one could prove the truth of the Christian religion by geometric proofs; much less that he had any hope of doing so." Huet's jottings precisely situate the Demonstratio evangelica (1679) between the claims of Cartesian rationalism and Pascal's fideism and religion of the heart, inviting us to take another look at an imperfectly understood work. Scholarly treatment of the Demonstratio has generally been cursory or partial because it has been considered less for its own merits than for how it fits into larger research agendas.2 Some scholars have offered important insights but either do not develop them or do not consider the Demonstratio in a sufficiently broad context.3 A consensus on the Demonstratio's general thrust thus masks puzzling questions. Everyone acknowledges, for example, that Huet's apologetic responded to Baruch Spinoza's Tractatus theologico-politicus (1670). Like other Christian apologists, he had to maintain "the Mosaic authorship" that was "the supposed guarantee of the truth of the text,"4 devoting "long chapters to the authenticity of the books of the Old Testament."5 Yet Huet began the Demonstratio with an assault on geometrical knowledge and an epistemological discussion-an odd place to begin refuting the Tractatus.6 Why? The question deserves a good answer, as Huet was a scholar of international reputation, and his contemporaries judged the Demonstratio an important work.7 More important for us, the evolution of the Demonstratio superbly reflects a vanished intellectual world and scholarly culture and in fact records change in that world over four decades. Its genesis was the rash promise of a young man inspired by the possibilities of geometry and aspiring to recognition in the Republic of Letters, but before fulfilling that promise Huet developed a lively interest in such diverse fields as biblical criticism and natural philosophy, and he would apply the insights gained there in his apologetic. …


A technique that improves the accuracy of the eigenvalue predictions as computed by a first-order uniform expansion perturbation scheme for a class of eigenvalue problems associated with linear ordinary and partial differential equations is introduced. As suggested by a comparison with the classical Ritz method, the computational accuracy of a usual perturbation technique such as strained parameters can be effectively increased by simply replacing the usual M-norms appearing in the denominator of the expressions for the first-order changes in the eigenvalues by the corresponding MP-norms, where MP is the perturbed M operator. With increasing sizes of the perturbations of the operators L and M of the class of boundary-value problems considered, this improved perturbation technique produces results of substantially increased accuracy relative to the usual first-order uniform expansion perturbation techniques. Numerical examples are presented.


For the nonequilibrium flowfield and high-temperature gas radiation spectral characteristics of the hypersonic reentry capsule, a spectral prediction method based on quasi-steady-state assumption and line-by-line method is introduced. Meanwhile, the characteristics of the spectrum are studied to investigate the influence of viewing angles and trajectory points during reentry based on this method. We use Fire II flight test data to verify the accuracy of the gas radiation model and update the prediction values of the cumulative radiation intensity in the wavelength range of 2.2–4.1 eV by previous methods. The results show that the radiation signal is most significant at the stagnation line and gradually decreases with the deviation of the line of sight from the stagnation line. The cumulative radiation intensity of the various trajectory points exhibits a profile that increases and then decreases during reentry; it rises to its peak at 50 km. The emission spectrum of gas radiation is mainly distributed in the ultraviolet and near-infrared bands. The transition processes of atoms N and O contribute more than 90% of the total radiation intensity, and the contribution of the [Formula: see text] first negative series in the molecular spectrum is relatively considerable compared to other molecular components.


A method of forming a microstructure comprising providing a substrate comprising a metallized structured surface region comprising a metal layer disposed the structured surface region, the metallized structured surface region comprising one or more recessed features having recessed surfaces, the metallized structured surface region substantially free of plateaus; disposing a fluid composition comprising a resist material and a liquid onto the metallized structured surface region; and evaporating liquid from the fluid composition, the resist material collecting on the recessed surfaces such that a remainder of the metallized structured surface region is substantially free of the resist material.


A series of environmental problems caused by human depredation, such as air pollution, water pollution, energy depletion and species extinction, have been gradually emerged since 1980. To focus global attention on the risk of environmental protection, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) proposed the slogan of sustainable development. After discussing sustainable environment and green building in the last few decades, the concept of roof greening has been broadly accepted and valued. Since then, a large amount of research related to roof greening has been published, including techniques, benefits, materials, etc. However, a holistic discussion about the application guidelines of roof greening has not been developed. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive way of thinking about roof greening. By introducing the development process for roof greening, and reviewing and integrating related articles, this paper proposes different greening techniques, their benefits, guidelines, and future research suggestions for people who are interesting in doing practical roof greening projects.


Platooning has become one of the most appealing formations for intelligent vehicles safety enhancement and traffic regulation. Besides the traditional control algorithms, which are required to enforce at least local and string stability, more complex control schemes can be designed to cope with advanced requirements. In this paper, a suitable Distributed Model Predictive Control (DMPC) scheme, robustified with a second -order Integral Sliding Mode (ISM) correction term, is proposed to enforce and maintain coherence during cruising, while considering energy efficiency during acceleration/deceler-ation phases. While the former aspect has a complex impact on traffic regulation, especially when a large number of vehicles is considered, the latter is of primary importance in an increasingly eco-friendly transportation systems design. The proposed approach is well suited for real-world implementation, and can constitute a valid basis for more advanced control architectures. Simulation results highlight the effectiveness of the proposed architecture in maintaining the formation while guaranteeing a robust achievement of the required performance.


Objective: Microvascular dysfunction usually precedes the onset of hypertension. We hypothesized that offspring of offsprings of hypertensive parents (OHP) would have coronary microvascular dysfunction. Yet, the determinants of microvascular dysfunction in OHP are not fully determined. We, therefore, studied coronary flow reserve (CFR) in OHP in relation to ambulatory blood pressure and lipid profiles. Subjects and Methods: One hundred and twenty-five healthy normotensive offsprings with family history of hypertension and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy normotensive offsprings without family history of hypertension (ONP) were enrolled for the study. All participates underwent transthoracic color Doppler echocardiography at rest and during adenosine (0.14 mg/kg) infusion. CFR was calculated as the ratio between hyperemic diastolic coronary flow to the resting diastolic coronary flow. All participates had ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. In addition, lipid profile was obtained, and triglycerides (TGs)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was calculated. Results: CFR was significantly reduced among OHP compared with ONP (P < 0.001). Moreover, 61 of the OHP (49%) had CFR <2.0. OHP had an exaggerated morning blood pressure surge (MBPS) compared with ONP (P < 0.001). TG/HDL-C was significantly higher in OHP with reduced CFR compared with both OHP without reduced CFR and ONP (P < 0.001). TG/HDL-C was negatively correlated with CFR (P < 0.001). Furthermore, TG/HDL-C ratio was positively correlated with MBPS (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that BPMS and TG/HDL-C were independent predictors for reduced CFR in OHP (P < 0.001). Receiver-operating characteristic analysis showed that TG/HDL-c ratio ≥3.8 and MBPS ≥49 mmHg were the optimal cutoff values to predict reduced CFR among OHP, with (area under the curve = 0.91 and 0.92, respectively; P < 0.001). Conclusion: Our study suggests that microvascular function is significantly impaired in OHP. TG/HDL-C ratio and MBPS are independently associated with reduced CFR. These relationships could potentially reflect a subclinical precursor of cardiovascular risks and future hypertension, a premise that warrants close follow-up.


Let (R,m) be a Noetherian local ring of prime characteristic p. We define the F-rational signature of R, denoted by r(R), as the infimum, taken over pairs of ideals I ( J such that I is generated by a system of parameters and J is a strictly larger ideal, of the drops eHK(I,R)) − eHK(J,R) in the Hilbert-Kunz multiplicity. If R is excellent, then R is F-rational if and only if r(R) > 0. The proof of this fact depends on the following result in the sequel: Given an m-primary ideal I in R, there exists a positive δI ∈ R such that, for any ideal J ) I, eHK(I,R) − eHK(J,R) is either 0 or at least δI . We study how the F-rational signature behaves under deformation, flat local ring extension, and localization.


An assessment of the application of varying levels of optimisation on model simulation performance and parameter identification was done using the genetic algorithm (GA) and a 10-parameter version of the MODHYDROLOG rainfall-runoff model, Four levels of optimisation were obtained through the use of two GA formulations, the traditional and an improved GA, and by varying the optimisation parameters with each formulation. Sixteen years of data from a 27 km 2 Australian catchment was used. With each level, ten randomly initialised optimisation runs were made. The differences in simulation performance quantified by the coefficient of efficiency, bias, absolute deviation and a residual mass curve coefficient were notconsiderable although the performance improved as the level of optimisation effort increased. Superior parameter identification, and consequently a better detection of parameter correlations was achieved with the higher optimisation levels. Based on the objective function values, the highest level of optimisation practically located the global optimum in all the ten runs. The second level achieved this in nine of the ten runs whi le the lower two levels did not locate the global optimum in any of the ten runs. It is proposed that the systematic verification of the adequacy of optimisation should be an integral part of model calibration exercises. The form of verification should depend on the specific problem at hand.


Multiferroics are the materials possessing two or more ferroic orderings viz. ferroelectric, ferroelastic, ferromagnetic or ferrotoroidic. Magnetoelectric coupling requires manipulation of electrical ordering via magnetic field or vice versa. In this work, the magnetoelectric composites of (1-x)Co0.5Ni0.5Fe2O4-xBaTiO3 (CNFO-BT) (x=0.3 and 0.5) were prepared employing solid state reaction method. The structural measurement of CNFO-BT composites employing X-ray diffraction technique confirm single phased nature of cubic and tetragonal phase with space group Fd3m and P4mm for CNFO and BT phases respectively. The magnetodielectric change exhibit robust non-zero coupling even at magnetic field of 6 kOe. The ferroelectric measurements show improvement in CNFO-BT composites with increasing amount of BT due to enhanced electrical properties. The magnetic hysteresis curves reveal strong ferromagnetic behavior in all composites. These measurements establish the multiferroic and magnetoelectric nature of CNFO-BT composites.


The object of this research was to compare the strength and endurance versions of progressive resistance exercise for patients with neck pain. In the Australian Capital Territory the most frequent accident type is the rear end collision which constitutes around 46 percent of all crashes. Three percent of people involved in rear end collisions are injured. Up to 84 percent of victims of rear end collision who are hospitalised report acute neck pain, of whom 10 percent progress to chronic pain. Therefore, it is important to ascertain which treatment is most effective for reducing the pain and functional limitations. In March 1996 the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and the NRMA Road Safety Trust jointly funded a randomised controlled trial to compared therapeutic exercise for chronic neck pain. The trial was conducted in the ACT and is now complete. 103 patients with chronic neck pain were randomised to either strength or endurance training. Primary outcomes were pain and functional limitations. Secondary outcomes were muscular strength and endurance and range of movement. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E209619.


The fatty acid, hydrocarbon and sterol composition were used to investigate the organic sources and compositional changes in particulate organic matter (POM) and trap material in the water column in the deepest part of Lake Bled (NW Slovenia) in October 2006. Fatty acids distribution of algal origin were abundant in particles and trap material in epilimnion, while in anoxic zone POM and trap material were enriched in bacterial fatty acids (e.g. 16:1n-7, 18:1n-7, 18:1n-9, iso-C14-C16 and anteiso-C15). The lowest δ13C value of −51.7‰ was observed in 18:1n-7 FA in trap material and was the only FA which could be linked to methanotrophic bacteria. In addition Zooplankton left a marked imprint on particulate lipids and trap material at 12 m by predominance of n-C18:0 over n-C16:0 FA, short-chain, even-carbon n-alkenols, the high proportion of cholest-5-en-3β-ol (44.8% of total sterol concentration (TST)), cholesterol/phytosterol ratio of 0.49 and δ15NPN values of 6.8 and 11.7‰. It was shown that lacustrine phytoplankton biosynthesize 24-ethylcholest-5-en-3β-ol which is often used as a marker of terrigenous organic matter. Phytoplankton represented an important source of cholest-5-en-3β-ol and 24-methylcholest-5,22(E)-dien-3β-ol, while 24-ethylcholesta-5,22E-dien-3β-ol and 24-methylcholest-5-en-3β-ol were of terrestrial origin. There was an evidence of microbial transformation of Δ5-stenols to 5α(H)-stanols in POM and trap material in hypolimnion.


We previously reported that mast cell α-chymase cleaves and activates progelatinase B (progel B). Outside of cells, progel B is complexed with tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, which hinders zymogen activation and inhibits activity of mature forms. The current work demonstrates that dog BR mastocytoma cells, HMC-1 cells, and murine bone marrow-derived mast cells secrete TIMP-1 whose electrophoretic profile in supernatants suggests degranulation-dependent proteolysis. α-Chymase cleaves uncomplexed TIMP-1, reducing its ability to inhibit gel B, whereas tryptase has no effect. Sequencing of TIMP-1's α-chymase-mediated cleavage products reveals hydrolysis at Phe12-Cys13 and Phe23-Val24 in loop 1 and Phe101-Val102 and Trp105-Asn106 in loop 3 of the NH2-terminal domain. TIMP-1 in a ternary complex with progel B and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin is also susceptible to α-chymase cleavage, yielding products like those resulting from processing of free TIMP-1. Thus, α-chymase cleaves free and gel B-bound TIMP-1. Incubation of the progel B-TIMP-1-neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin complex with α-chymase increases gel B activity 2- to 5-fold, suggesting that α-chymase activates progel B whether it exists as free monomer or as a complex with TIMP-1. Furthermore, inhibition of α-chymase blocks degranulation-induced TIMP-1 processing (absent in α-chymase-deficient HMC-1 cells). Purified α-chymase processes TIMP-1 in BR supernatants, generating products like those induced by degranulation. In summary, these results suggest that controlled exocytosis of mast cell α-chymase activates progel B even in the presence of TIMP-1. This is the first identification of a protease that overcomes inhibition by bound TIMP-1 to activate progel B without involvement of other proteases.


The present invention, for increasing the expression of proteins, and, for example, tumors and cancer diseases in gene therapy, cardiac and circulatory diseases, infectious diseases, pharmaceutical use in the treatment of autoimmune diseases or single gene disorders, composition, provides in particular for the preparation of a vaccine, the base-modified RNA and its use. Furthermore, the present invention provides in vitro transcription method, a method in vitro to increase the expression of the protein using base-modified RNA, and provides a method of in vivo.


(57) [abstract] It is a component of an artificial joint having a bearing mounting a diamond and a joint surface. The component includes a substrate to which an amount of diamond is bonded by sintering to form a sintered polycrystalline diamond compact.


Since 2004, the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ) and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) have submitted samples of known activity of 57Co to the International Reference System (SIR). The values of the activity submitted were about 1.8 MBq and 1.3 MBq respectively. These key comparison results have replaced the previous results for Japan and Germany in the matrix of degrees of equivalence in the key comparison database that contains 14 results, identifier BIPM.RI(II)-K1.Co-57. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by Section II of the Consultative Committee for Ionizing Radiation (CCRI(II)), according to the provisions of the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA).


The biopharmaceutical industry gains enormous flexibility in production processes by using sterilized preassembled single‐use devices. Gamma irradiation is an established sterilization technology that may be restricted in the future by the availability of 60Co as irradiation source and irradiation capacities. X‐ray technology is considered an alternative type of radiation for sterilizing SU equipment. In the context of extractables and leachables—one concern connected with the use of single‐use process equipment—the effect of X‐ray irradiation on the extractables profile of the materials needs to be compared to established gamma irradiation to qualify this alternative technology. An approach is presented to obtain robust and comprehensive extractables data for materials used in SU devices after sterilization either using X‐ray or gamma irradiation. A careful selection of the test items and the test design allows a one‐to‐one comparison of data obtained from a combination of orthogonal analytical techniques. The extractables of a modern SU film material and the copolyester Tritan™ are evaluated. The data presented allow a risk evaluation on the safety of this new sterilization modality for biopharmaceutical applications. It is demonstrated that the extractables profile of a polymer is not affected by the type of irradiation used for sterilization.


The PRESIDENT said that the diagnosis in this case seemed to rest largely on the interpretation of the skiagram; he had never seen anything like it. He agreed with Dr. Brain in being sceptical as to aneurysm, when there was only six months' history of such a large mass. Much smaller aneurysms-if this was an aneurysm-in the same place had caused symptoms long before six months. It seemed almost absurd to suggest neoplasm. The calcifications which he (the President) had seen were not so symmetrical as this. Aneurysm was not necessarily circular.


The association between increased risk of coronary heart disease and elevated levels of serum cholesterol and systolic blood pressure is well known. Several questions about the magnitude of this association remain unanswered, however. Thus, are there critical values of serum cholesterol (or blood pressure) below which no relation between disease risk and cholesterol value exists, but which when exceeded are accompanied by abrupt elevations in risks? If no critical value exists is it nevertheless true that a given elevation is associated with a larger "effect" when added to a high rather than a low level? Does the apparent effect of serum cholesterol persist when levels of systolic blood pressure are held constant, and does the apparent blood pressure effect persist when serum cholesterol is held constant? If they do, are the effects independent of each other or do they, in the sense of the pharmacologist, potentiate each other?


Dryland wheat has been a significant crop grown in Utah for over 100 years. The dominant cropping system is a wheat-fallow rotation. Organic wheat producers face numerous challenges, such as low soil moisture, soil erosion, and low soil fertility. Organic wheat growers often do not apply fertilizer due to the inability to recoup costs in the short-term. Compost enhances long-term improvement in soil quality and soil fertility and increases yields in low-input environments, however. Improved understanding of compost carryover effects in dryland wheat systems could lead to increased use by growers. A previous study of calcareous soil in Utah showed evidence of soil benefits twenty-two years after a single application at 50 Mg ha-1 dry weight. A new experiment was initiated in 2011 at the Blue Creek farm to test reproducibility on a less marginal soil type. Compost was applied at 0, 12, 25, and 50 Mg ha-1 plus a conventional fertilizer control. Wheat yield was significantly increased three years after application at the 50 Mg ha-1 compost rate only. Conventional fertilizer increased grain protein. Mineralizable C, microbial biomass and phosphatase enzyme activity increased significantly at all compost rates, while available soil P increased at the 25 and 50 Mg ha-1 rates and total soil N at the 50 Mg ha rate-1. A lack of yield response to conventional fertilizer suggests improved soil health and or soil moisture was responsible for improved yields at the high compost rate. 16 Abbreviations: DW, dry weight; TOC, total organic carbon; TN, total nitrogen; DOC, dissolved organic carbon; DHA, Dehydrogenase; RMC, readily mineralizable carbon; BR, basal respiration 1 | INTRODUCTION Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is Utah's largest certified organic crop, with organic winter wheat accounting for 41,834 acres harvested in 2015, which generates $12,171,794 revenue (USDA-NASS, 2015). However, organic wheat producers face numerous challenges, such as low soil moisture, soil erosion, and low soil fertility, especially in dryland areas. Organic dryland wheat is commonly managed with a wheat-fallow rotation to conserve soil moisture. Organic dryland wheat-fallow systems risk soil loss as a result of overreliance on tillage for weed control, declining wheat yield, lack of economically viable inputs to improve yield and soil properties, and long hauling distances for organic inputs (Carr et.al., 2012). Soils do not have a perpetual reserve capability to supply the required nutrients to crops, and thus call for sustainable management with a long-term economic, resource conservation, and environmental benefits approach. A major challenge of organic farming is the maintenance of soil fertility, which is a function of nutrient sources and crop management. Maintenance of soil fertility in organic systems for sustainable crop production is complex and requires a combination of cover crops, extended crop rotations, compost and other organic inputs (Watson et al., 2002). The use of compost and manure by organic and low-input farmers has been shown to maintain or improve soil fertility by modification of soil chemical, physical and biological properties (Barker, 2010). Compost has a positive effect on soil 17 microbial biomass that can last for several years. Organic amendments activate soil microbial populations and increase bacteria and fungi in the soil, which eventually increases the nutrient cycling of elements such as nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) for soil sustainability (Flieβbach et al., 2000; Hernandez at al., 2016). Soil amendments such as compost or manure from livestock may be necessary for dryland farming to maintain long-term soil fertility of dryland organic wheat (Miller et al. 2008). However, many organic dryland wheat growers do not use compost or manure because it is bulky and costly to apply (Reeve et al., 2012). In drylands, low soil water content further limits nutrient availability. During the growing season as water distribution declines, nutrient availability decreases and root growth is impaired by dry soil (Marschner & Rengel, 2012). There is a high correlation between winter wheat yield and available soil water at planting (Nielsen et al., 1999; Nielsen & Vigil, 2005). Also, reduced crop yield and grain quality is attributed to low inputs, and inadequate weed and pest control (Cavigelli et al., 2013). Grain quality is as important as yield quality for farmers growing wheat as a cash crop because the commercial wheat value is dependent on grain protein content and other quality characteristics. The main benefits of compost are the slow mineralization of plant available nutrients and contributions to soil organic matter. Research shows that compost has long-term carryover that persists at least 16 years after a one-time application. (Reeve et al., 2012). Organic wheat growers in Utah are interested in the potential for single applications of compost to increase yield and improve grain quality at a reasonable cost of production. The goal of this research is to determine how long the beneficial effects of compost carryover last, what rate is adequate to maximize yield and to what extent is the influence on grain quality that brings about 18 higher commercial value. More information is needed to determine optimum compost application rates that will be economically viable in the short to mid-term and improve soil fertility and quality. To meet this goal, we had two main objectives. The first is to examine the effects of four rates of compost and a conventional fertilizer control on wheat yield and quality in a continuous wheat-fallow rotation system under dryland conditions. The second is to evaluate the effects of the same treatments on soil quality and water availability in a dryland organic wheat system. We hypothesized that yield and quality of winter wheat would increase after a one-time compost application. We expected that compost incorporation would increase soil moisture, soil fertility and quality in dryland organic systems. 2 | MATERIALS AND METHODS 2.1 | Site Description The study was conducted in the years 2011-2015 at the Utah State University Blue Creek Dryland Experimental Station (N41 o 56'6" W 112o25'48" W, 1575.8 m elevation above sea level). The study site soil is classified as Parleys silt loam (finesilty, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcic Argixerolls) (USDA Soil Survey, 2016) with an average pH of 8.0, and calcium carbonates equivalent ranging from 15 to 30%. The total annual precipitation is 432 mm, mean air temperature is 10o C, and total annual evapotranspiration is 1479 mm (Utah Climate Center, 2016). The compost trial was established in 2011 with four replicates (blocks 1-4). A steer manure compost was purchased from Miller's (Hyrum, UT) and applied at the rates of 0, 12.5, 25, and 50 Mg ha-1 on a dry matter basis. A positive control treatment consisted of 0.05 Mg ha-1 of anhydrous ammonium applied annually in October with buffers of 7.3 m on either 19 side of the inorganic fertilizer control so as not to compromise organic certification. In the fall of 2012, two more replicates were added (blocks 5 and 6) to the second phase of the rotation. Compost was applied as described above in late August, before planting of winter wheat. The cropping system is a wheat-fallow rotation, with winter wheat planted in even years in blocks (5, 6) and odd years in blocks 1 through 4. The experimental design is a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with six replicates. The size of the whole plot is 6.86 by 8.53 m. 2.2 | Measurement of Wheat Yield and Quality Data on wheat yield and quality from this trial was collected from 2012 to 2015. The trial was planted with winter wheat cultivar Promentory in October (starting in 2011) and harvested in July of the following year throughout the study. Wheat yield were monitored annually. Winter wheat yield (block 1-6) was harvested using a combine on a plot-by-plot basis. Wheat quality assessment was analyzed using Near Infrared (NIR) reflectance spectroscopy with a Bran-Luebbe InfraAlyzer 2000 (United Dominion Industries Limited, Norderstedt, Germany) instrument to analyze flour for moisture, and protein concentration (ICC Method 159). 2.3 | Soil Sampling and Analysis Soils samples were collected in 2011 (Block 1-4) and 2012 (Block 5 and 6) for baseline data while experimental data samples were collected in the spring of 2013 and 2015 in block 5 and 6. Five subsamples of soil were collected at 0-0.3, 0.3-0.6, 0.6-0.9 and 0-0.1m from the center of each plot and combined into one representative sample per depth for each plot. Soils were sieved through a 2 mm screen, a portion air-dried and the remaining stored at 4 oC until analysis within a week. The following standard soil analyses were conducted on air dried soils using methods described in 20 Soil and Plant Reference Methods for the Western Region (Gavlak et al., 2003): Olsen P and K (Method S4.10), DTPA – extractable elements Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn (Method S6.10), pH (Method S2.20); electrical conductivity (EC) (Method S2.30); and cation exchange capacity (Method S10.10). Total carbon (TC), inorganic carbon (IC) and total nitrogen (TN) were determined on air-dried and finely ground (0.2 μM) soils from the 0-10 cm depth with PrimacsSLC for total C and PrimacsSN for N instruments (Skalar Inc., Buford, GA) respectively. Total organic carbon (TOC) was determined by calculating the difference between TC and IC. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was extracted from the field moist soils collected at 0-30, 30-60, and 60-90 cm depth in 2013 and 2015. DOC extracted in water was analyzed with a UV-Persulfate TOC analyzer (Phoenix 8000, Teledyne Tekman, Mason, OH). Soil nitrate (NO3-) and ammonium (NH4+) were extracted in 1 M KCl (S-3.50 Gavlak et al., 2003) from field moist samples collected at 0-30, 3060, and 60-90 cm depth in 2013 and 2015 and measured in the range of 0 to 5 mg N L-1 to detect NH4 + -N (QuickChem method 12-107-06


A sealing member 21 is lifted to cause its edge 21a to be in contact with a contact surface 17a of a support member 13. In the state where a precision ejection nozzle 5 is isolated, a gas exhaust unit 41 is operated to exhaust the inside of a chamber 1 to reduce the pressure in the chamber 1 to a predetermined level. Then, a purge gas is introduced into the chamber 1 from a purge gas supply source 31 through a gas introduction section 26 to replace the atmosphere in the chamber 1 with the purge gas, and the pressure in the chamber 1 is returned to the atmospheric pressure. After that, the sealing member 21 is lowered to release the isolation of the precision ejection nozzle 5. Then, liquid droplets of a liquid device material are ejected toward the surface of a substrate S while a carriage 7 is reciprocated in the X direction.


This paper examines the interdisciplinary approach of religion and law in the contexts of legal traditions of the world wherein the Talmudic legal tradition has been studied with the core aspects of Western-Christian influence over it. It starts with a brief introduction of the origins of Christian influences as propounded within western approaches going back to the era of the Roman Period being Christianised. We have attempted to study and interrogate the theoretical assertions of 'Traditions' provided by Patrick H. Glenn in the context of Western-Christian dominance originating within revolutionary historical phases. It was also an endeavour of this study to better understand the exchange of traditions within western dominance by judging one's juxtaposition of internal rationality within their orbit. The process continues with the analysis of the 'identity persuasion' and the 'proselytizing character' of traditions. The various aspects of the Talmudic legal tradition have been dealt with herein covering a Rights based approach with identity features and Western-Christian influence in its origins having a basic structure with the 'Talmud' at its cores. The basic nature of 'Talmud' in both civil and criminal laws has been dealt with and we have sought to understand its relevance.


In writing about heritage, we tend to approach the question of the destruction of buildings from a particular angle; that is, a concern with the creative possibilities present in the act of preservation rather than a mediation on the meaning and implications of demolition or erasure. Indeed, the modernist dream of progress has often been placed in opposition to that of heritage preservation, with selfproclaimed modernizers caricaturing preservationists as antiquated and antimodern. Yet throughout history, iconoclasm (defined broadly here as the erasure of symbols and images associated with an "other") and destruction have often been preconditions for the realization of new regimes of social and political power as well as the setting for the creation of new collective understandings of the past with which to recreate the present and reimagine the future. Like preservation, such acts often involve judgements of value by majorities or political elites about what should be removed and what should be preserved. These are thus creative performances that are underpinned (and in some cases haunted) by the tacit acknowledgment of the symbolic power of the image being removed. Yet the discussion of the role of destruction has remained largely undeveloped in the critical heritage studies literature. The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (signed May 14, 1954) officially acknowledged the symbolic power of the destruction of cultural heritage sites in times of war and established violence perpetuated against architecture as an analogue to the destruction of collective memory.


Pursuing the aim of fostering better mutual understanding between Japan and the European Communities, the Japanese Foreign Office held for several consecutive years an essay contest for young Europeans between the ages of 28 and 35 years. Mr. Michel BLOND, a French translator with the Commission in Luxembourg, participated in the 1981 contest: 'What is now required for a new constructive partnership between Japan and Europe?' The Japanese authorities allot two places a year to European Community officials and Michel BLOND was one of the successful competitors. As a translator he took a special interest in the language problem. In the following short text he gives his impressions in the form of an imagined interview. — J. A. Bachrach (February 19$3)


Recent research at MIT's Experimental Music Studio in binaural signal processing has led to a simple technique for separating the correlated portion of an audio signal received by a listener (the quasimonophonic portion related to the direct sound path, nondiffuse first‐order ceiling reflections, etc.) from that portion of the signal in which the amplitude and/or phase relationships differ at each ear (due to lateral reflections of different path length, randomly arriving diffuse reflections, etc.). The noncorrelated sound‐pressure level is easily measured by comparison of the relative voltage outputs of the microphones in the binaural head using a sound level meter. Real heads exhibit unsystematic amplitude and phase anomalies which render perfect cancellation of monophonic signals impossible. However, for the unequalized head used in this study, the noncorrelated sound‐pressure level of monophonically presented pink noise is more than 10 dB below the sound‐pressure level measured in octave bands by each...


The article presents the results of the development of a method for analyzing the structure and estimating the parameters of multicomponent Gaussian signals. The results of solving the problems of modeling and analyzing the structure for different dimensions of linear mixtures of Gaussian time signals are presented. The results of solving the problems of modeling and estimating the parameters of typical variants of binary mixtures of signals with different degrees of overlap, formed by linear overlapping of elementary signals of the same shape, but differing in duration and amplitude, are given. Such signals are often found in applied problems of electrical engineering, radio engineering in a wide class of applied information-measuring systems. The method allows to estimate the true values of the parameters of signals subject to distortion as a result of overlap. This method does not require a priori information about the structure of a multicomponent signal; It has high accuracy and ease of computational implementation. The method provides the ability to automate the processing of multicomponent signals, expands the capabilities of primary information converters.


There is currently no reliable method for early characterization of breast cancer response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) [1,2]. Given that disruption of normal structural architecture occurs in cancer-bearing tissue, we hypothesize that further structural changes occur in response to NAC. Consequently, we are investigating the use of modalityindependent elastography (MIE) [3-8] as a method for monitoring mechanical integrity to predict long term outcomes in NAC. Recently, we have utilized a Demons non-rigid image registration method that allows 3D elasticity reconstruction in abnormal tissue geometries, making it particularly amenable to the evaluation of breast cancer mechanical properties. While past work has reflected relative elasticity contrast ratios [3], this study improves upon that work by utilizing a known stiffness reference material within the reconstruction framework such that a stiffness map becomes an absolute measure. To test, a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) cryogel phantom and a silicone rubber mock mouse tumor phantom were constructed with varying mechanical stiffness. Results showed that an absolute measure of stiffness could be obtained based on a reference value. This reference technique demonstrates the ability to generate accurate measurements of absolute stiffness to characterize response to NAC. These results support that 'referenced MIE' has the potential to reliably differentiate absolute tumor stiffness with significant contrast from that of surrounding tissue. The use of referenced MIE to obtain absolute quantification of biomarkers is also translatable across length scales such that the characterization method is mechanics-consistent at the small animal and human application.


Image rain removal is an essential problem of common concern in the fields of image processing and computer vision. Existing methods have resorted to deep learning techniques to separate rain streaks from the background by leveraging some prior knowledge. However, the mismatch between the size of the rain streaks during the training and testing phases, especially when large rain streaks are present, frequently leads to unsatisfactory deraining results. To address this issue, we propose a multi-scale self-calibrated dual attention lightweight residual dense deraining network (MDARNet) for better deraining performance. Specifically, the network consists of monogenic wavelet transform-like hierarchy and self-calibrated dual attention mechanism. With the help of scale-space properties of the monogenic wavelet transform, key features at different scales can be extracted at the same location, which makes it easier to match structural features across scales. The self-calibrated double attention mechanism was used as a basic model for enhancing the channel dependence and spatial correlation between each layer component of the monogenic wavelet transform. Thus, the network can establish long-range dependencies and take advantage of rich contextual information and multi-scale redundancy to accommodate rain streaks of different shapes and sizes. Experiments on synthetic and real image datasets show that the method outperforms many of the latest single-image deraining methods in terms of visual and quantitative metrics. The source code can be obtained from https://github.com/smart-hzw/MDARNet.


It has been noted that, in classical extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars, the abundance ratio of Sr and Ba, is always higher than [Sr/Ba] = -0.5, the value of the solar r-only process; however, a handful of EMP stars have recently been found with a very low Sr/Ba ratio. We try to understand the origin of this anomaly by comparing the abundance pattern of the elements in these stars and in the classical EMP stars. Four stars with very low Sr/Ba ratios were observed and analyzed within LTE approximation through 1D (hydrostatic) model atmosphere, providing homogeneous abundances of nine neutron-capture elements. In CS 22950-173, the only turnoff star of the sample, the Sr/Ba ratio is, in fact, found to be higher than the r-only solar ratio, so the star is discarded. The remaining stars (CS 29493-090, CS 30322-023, HE 305-4520) are cool evolved giants. They do not present a clear carbon enrichment. The abundance patterns of the neutron-capture elements in the three stars are strikingly similar to a theoretical s-process pattern. This pattern could at first be attributed to pollution by a nearby AGB, but none of the stars presents a clear variation in the radial velocity indicating the presence of a companion. The stellar parameters seem to exclude any internal pollution in a TP-AGB phase for at least two of these stars. The possibility that the stars are early-AGB stars polluted during the core He flash does not seem compatible with the theory.


Fluorescent tubes have carried the bulk of lighting in offices, factories and public buildings due to their relatively high efficiency and long life. But with recent developments in the field of lighting, Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have increased to levels approaching those of fluorescent tubes. An 18W LED tube is presented with an improved design elaborately considering the proper design steps to be considered while designing, setting an old LED sample as a target to improve the design and 40W OSRAM FTL is used as to set a benchmark for the target Lux level. A case study is presented as a DIAlux project for both of the FTL and the LED tube and the performance results are compared and cost saving analysis is done to show that 40W FTL can be replaced by an 18W LED tube avoiding the drawbacks of FTL technology, including harmonics, sensitivity to supply disturbances causing light flicker.


Accurate theoretical calculations of slepton pair production processes at threshold are necessary for an accurate determination of slepton masses. We discuss the gauge invariant calculation of these processes for selectron and smuon pairs, including finite width effects and Coulomb corrections. Energy cuts to reduce irreducible supersymmetric backgrounds are presented.


Cryopreservation of Danio rerio sperm cells requires post-thaw evaluation of viability on a per-sample basis. Sperm viability is often correlated to motility, and zebrafish sperm, in particular, pose a significant challenge for motility assessment due to a very short period of maximum motility following activation (sometimes as little as 10 seconds). Therefore, it is vital to determine the optimum activation environment in order to maximize sample analysis time [1,2] . The purpose of this project will be to develop a high throughput microfluidic device for small-scale, self-contained mixing, activation, and analysis of a zebrafish sperm sample with a manually controlled trigger. This system will allow CASA (computer assisted sperm analysis) to respond when a foot pedal is pressed and rapidly assess sperm motility. Thus, the microfluidic system will act with the CASA system to perform single-cell characterization [2,3] . The design would also incorporate an intricate valving system in which multiple samples could be run rapidly on a single chip.


Although beer had a profound cultural, economic and religious significance among traditional societies in central Africa, teetotalism – in other words, abstinence from alcohol – has become widespread in Malawian Protestantism (as elsewhere in African Christianity), and in many churches it is regarded as a mark of true faith. This article examines the origins of the antipathy to alcohol in the Presbyterian missionaries who evangelised Malawi in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, who drew a parallel between the 'problem of drink' among the working poor in their home culture and central Africans, to urge sobriety and its concomitant values of thrift and hard work among their converts. Yet research shows that it was new Christians in Malawi themselves (and not the missionaries) who took the lead in making temperance or teetotalism a criterion for church membership. By drawing upon the experiences of other socially and politically marginalised groups in the British Empire at this time, it is su...


Abstract : The surgeon's scalpel is the instrument of choice for excisional, incisional, and debridement procedures. The carbon dioxide laser can be employed for similar purposes; however, additional applications include hemostasis, sterilization, endoscopy, preparation of recipient sites for flaps or grafts, and generation of granulation tissue. Two disadvantages that are associated with the use of the carbon dioxide laser are an increase in post treatment infection following some types of incisional surgery and a delay in the healing of tissue.


Article history: Received 1 June 2011 Received in revised form July, 29, 2011 Accepted 30 July 2011 Available online 3 August 2011 In this paper, a new multi-item inventory system is considered with random demand and random lead time including working capital and space constraints with three decision variables: order quantity, safety factor and backorder rate. The demand rate during lead time is stochastic with unknown distribution function and known mean and variance. Random constraints are transformed to crisp constraints with using the chance-constrained method. The Minimax distribution free procedure has been used to lead proposed model to the optimal solution. The shortage is allowed and the backlogging rate is dependent on the expected shortage quantity at the end of cycle. Two numerical examples are presented to illustrate the proposed solution method. © 2012 Growing Science Ltd. All rights reserved


Abstract Western Australia's Canning Basin is an underexplored prospective basin with proven petroleum systems and small-scale production. Recently, several formations within deeper depocentres have been investigated for unconventional hydrocarbon resources. Modern petroleum resource evaluation generally depends on an understanding of local and regional stresses that are a primary control over the formation and propagation of induced fractures. There are significant gaps in our understanding of these factors within the Canning Basin. This study characterises the regional stress regime of the onshore Canning Basin and presents modelled present-day stress, allowing for the identification of significant stress heterogeneity and natural fracture barriers. Interpretation of wireline data reveals a present-day state of stress with variation in magnitude and faulting-type. An approximately northeast–southwest regional present-day maximum horizontal stress orientation is interpreted, which is in broad agreement with the Australian Stress Map and previously published data. One-dimensional mechanical earth models, constructed for intervals from 15 Canning Basin wells, highlight the relationship between lithology and stress. Significant changes in stress within and between lithological units, owing to the existence of discrete mechanical units forming numerous inter- and intra-formational stress boundaries, likely to act as natural barriers to fracture propagation, particularly within those units currently targeted for their unconventional resource potential, are interpreted. A strike-slip faulting stress regime is interpreted broadly through the basin. However, when analysed in detail there are three distinct stress zones identified: (1) a transitional reverse- to strike-slip faulting stress regime in the top ∼1 km, (2) a strike-slip faulting stress regime from ∼1 km to ∼3.0 km and (3) a transitional strike-slip to normal faulting regime at depths greater than ∼3.0 km. This study is a component of the Australian Government's Exploring for the Future initiative, which focusses on gathering new data and information about northern Australia's resource potential. KEY POINTS New stress data, including 15 mechanical earth models, are presented for Western Australia's onshore Canning Basin. Broadly, a strike-slip stress regime with a NE–SW-oriented maximum horizontal orientation is described. Significant stress heterogeneities and natural fracture barriers are identified.


A class of experimental drugs staged a quiet comeback last month at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting, held in Chicago. A cluster of studies suggested that compounds that block PARP, an enzyme involved in DNA repair, could be useful in treating ovarian and breast cancers driven by a mutation in BRCA, a gene that recently made headlines when actress Angelina Jolie revealed she carried the mutation. The data presented at the ASCO meeting were not earth-shattering. And the results are early; companies still need to show their compounds can prolong cancer patients' lives, a feat that has for years eluded the drug class. But for a field that has endured a roller-coaster ride of hype and disappointment, the forward momentum is encouraging. At least four drugs are poised to enter Phase III clinical studies in both breast and ovarian cancer later this year, and oncologists say companies ...