Patchouli is a plant which is native in Malaysia. It is an economic crop, planted for its essential oil. Patchouli oil has a characteristic woody scent and is used commercially as an ingredient in fragrance and cosmetic products. The average yearly consumption around the globe is around one metric ton. A marker compound responsible for the patchouli oil scent is patchoulol (C15H26O). It is the major compound in patchouli oil representing around 40–50% of the essential oil composition. The aim of this study is to simulate the patchouli oil extraction process using patchoulol as a modeled molecule in different solvents, namely acetone, ethanol, and hexane. The simulation aim is to recognize molecular interaction between patchoulol molecules with solvent molecules through hydrogen bonding and also the repulsion forces between them due to the abundance of hydrogen atoms in the patchoulol molecule. The simulation is equilibrated under moles, volume, and energy followed by moles, pressure, and temperature ensem...


(April 8, 2005) Gaithersburg , Maryland GeneDx, Inc., a worldwide leader in specialized genetic testing for rare genetic disorders, announced at the annual ACMG clinical genetics meeting in March that it has expanded its extensive test menu by adding CHD7 testing in CHARGE syndrome. GeneDx offers complete sequence analysis of the coding region and splice junctions of the CHD7 gene. This test will identify disease-causing mutations in more than 50% of individuals with CHARGE syndrome who do not have microdeletions of the gene locus. The availability of molecular diagnosis of CHARGE syndrome will aid physicians in differentiating this syndrome from 22q11 deletion syndrome (VCFS/DiGeorge syndrome), VACTERL association, retinoic embryopathy and other disorders, help in developing a targeted evaluation and management plan, and provides information for more accurate genetic family counseling. CHARGE syndrome, also known as CHARGE association, comprises a cluster of birth defects, including coloboma of the eye, heart defects, choanal atresia, mental and growth retardation, genital hypoplasia, ear anomalies and/or hearing loss. It has a prevalence of 1 in 8,500 to 1 in 15,000 births and a high mortality rate of over 10% in the first 2 years of life, mostly attributable to congenital heart and choanal malformations. The clinical presentation of CHARGE syndrome is very complex and highly variable between patients, which can result in diagnostic difficulties. In 2004, research studies revealed that CHARGE syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder due to haploinsufficiency of the CHD7 gene on chromosome 8q12. Most mutations in affected individuals, however, arise de novo. CHD7 encodes for a member of the chromodomain helicase DNAbinding protein family, which plays a putative role in the general control of gene expression during embryological development as well as in mesodermal patterning. The spectrum of pathogenic mutations identified to date includes missense, nonsense, and splice-site mutations scattered throughout the gene, which can be detected by the test offered at GeneDx. Large deletions and other gross rearrangements of the CHD7 gene, which would not be identified using sequence analysis, have been observed using cytogenetic and microarray methods in patients with CHARGE syndrome.


It is well known that the surface shape of the grinding wheel is directly transferred to the workpiece. Therefore, by grasping the surface shape of the grinding wheel, it is possible to give a desired shape to the workpiece. This study aims to measure the surface shape of the grinding wheel in a non-contact measuring method using laser probe method. The detection method of postmeasurement height is used in which the objective lens is fixed and the measurement is carried out at high speed by rotating the object. From experimental results, it is possible to measure with high accuracy for surface shape of the grinding wheel. Introduction In grinding process, it is well known that the surface shape of the grinding wheel is directly transferred to the workpiece. Therefore, it is important to grasp the surface shape of the grinding wheel. If surface shape of the grinding wheel can be known before actual processing, the shape of the workpiece after processing can be predicted. In the previous study, surface shape of the grinding wheel is trialed to be measured by triangulation method with laser measuring device [1]. The triangulation method is convenient because the measurement is simple, but it has a disadvantage that it is not suitable for the measurement of the part with a large slope. Then, it is very difficult to accurately measure surface shape of the grinding wheel which has complicated abrasive grains in shape without any error. On the other hand, there is measurement method for the laser probe method using a laser similarly [2]. In this method, controlling the objective lens height, laser focused point in the grinding wheel surface can be obtained as a digital data. It is characterized that the measuring object can be measured even if it is tilted to some extent. However, in order to perform automatic focusing and measure each points for this method, measuring time increases with increase of measuring point. Then, in order to accurately measure a fine uneven surface such as a grinding wheel, it is necessary to make short the measurement interval, which requires a very large measurement time. From such a viewpoint, in order to calculate laser focused positions, the detection method of postmeasurement height applying laser probe method is proposed. This study aims to measure the threedimensionally surface shape of the grinding wheel quantitatively using the prototype surface shape measuring device. Laser probe method and detection method of post-measurement height A measuring method using laser probe method is shown in figure 1. The laser-beam irradiated from the laser oscillator refracts with the two half-mirrors. Then, this laser-beam passes through the objective lens, and irradiate the measuring object. After that, this laser-beam reflected by the measuring object passes through the objective lens again, and passes through the condenser lens. Finally, four photodiode sensors A, B, C and D receive this laser-beam. From output voltages of each sensor, differential voltage V can be defined as follow. 926 Advances in Abrasive Technology XX


We address a unique security vulnerability in long term evolution (LTE) advanced and high speed packet access (HSPA+) wireless networks due to carrier/channel bonding. This vulnerability is shown to result in various amounts of service disruption based on the radio network parameters and the user locations. Typically, channel bonding have been perceived as a means to enhance the bandwidth and throughput for the users. However, this could also result in the loss of orthogonality between the bonded spectrum bands. We show that this leads to a security vulnerability that can be exploited by an attacker to cause service disruption. In this case, the attacker need not even operate in the same bands as the user, to be effective. We present an analysis to compare the loss in throughput caused by the vulnerability due to channel bonding in advanced LTE and HSPA+ networks. Results indicate that channel bonding is susceptible to about 70\% loss of throughput in LTE networks and about 11-15\% in HSPA+ networks compared to systems with no bonding. Also, users farther away from the base station suffer larger throughput degradation due to channel bonding in LTE networks, while it causes larger degradation in throughput for near users in HSPA+ networks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to identify and analyze a significant security vulnerability in LTE and HSPA+ networks.


This insightful collection of classic papers explores the effects of various legal institutions and policies on economic development. The editors include analysis of the historical, current, and future conditions of numerous legal traditions and strategies, both nationally and globally. The volume will enhance understanding of how legal policies influence economic growth. It will also contribute to the selection and advancement of those legal policies most likely to improve overall economic development and social welfare.


The apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (Asbt) is responsible for transport across the intestinal brush border membrane; however, the carrier(s) responsible for basolateral bile acid export into the portal circulation remains to be determined. Although the heteromeric organic solute transporter Ostα-Ostβ exhibits many properties predicted for a candidate intestinal basolateral bile acid transporter, the in vivo functions of Ostα-Ostβ have not been investigated. To determine the role of Ostα-Ostβ in intestinal bile acid absorption, the Ostα gene was disrupted by homologous recombination in mice. Ostα−/− mice were physically indistinguishable from wild-type mice. In everted gut sac experiments, transileal transport of taurocholate was reduced by >80% in Ostα−/− vs. wild-type mice; the residual taurocholate transport was further reduced to near-background levels in gut sacs prepared from Ostα−/−Mrp3−/− mice. The bile acid pool size was significantly reduced (>65%) in Ostα−/− mice, but fecal bile acid excretion was not elevated. The decreased pool size in Ostα−/− mice resulted from reduced hepatic Cyp7a1 expression that was inversely correlated with ileal expression of fibroblast growth factor 15 (FGF15). These data indicate that Ostα-Ostβ is essential for intestinal bile acid transport in mice. Unlike a block in intestinal apical bile acid uptake, genetic ablation of basolateral bile acid export disrupts the classical homeostatic control of hepatic bile acid biosynthesis.


Background The COVID-19 crisis has introduced a variety of stressors, while simultaneously decreasing the availability of strategies to cope with stress. In this context, it could be useful to understand issues that people find most concerning and ways in which they cope with stress. In this study, we explored these questions with a sample of graduate and professional students. Method Using open-ended assessments, we asked participants (n = 305) to identify their biggest challenge or concern ("top problem"), their most effective way of handling stress ("effective strategy"), and their most common way of handling stress ("common strategy"). We applied thematic analysis and evaluated whether participants' strategies corresponded with evidence-based practices (EBPs). Results Participants frequently reported top problems relating to productivity (27% of sample), physical health (26%), and emotional health (14%). Distraction was the most frequently classified common strategy (43%), whereas behavioral activation was the most frequently identified effective strategy (50%). Participants who reported a common strategy classified as an EBP reported lower depressive and anxiety symptoms. In contrast, there was no evidence of an association between symptom levels and whether or not participants' effective strategy was an EBP. Participants who reported the same strategy as both their common and effective strategy (29%) reported lower depressive symptoms than those whose common and effective strategies were different. Conclusion Our findings highlight stressors that students are experiencing and ways they are coping during the COVID-19 crisis. We discuss how these findings can inform mental health promotion efforts and future research on coping with stressors.


The effect of x rays on lymphocytes of man and lower animals was studied by the slide-chamber method and the method of unstained cell counts. Large doses of x rays (4000 r or more) killed lymphocytes by delayed fixation. Moderate doses (1000 r or less) killed lymphocytes by intranuclear vacuolization. Nonirradiated lymphocytes also died by intranuclear vacuolization, but at a slower rate. Irradiation with 10 r produced a perceptible decrease in the survival time of human lymphocytes incubated at 37 deg C in slide chambers. Human lymphocytes were slightly more radiosensitive than lymphocytes of the rat, rabbit, and guinea pig. The effect produced by irradiation was a linear function of the logarithm of the dose. Blood lymphocytes from rats irradiated in vivo with 50 r had a shortened 10 per cent survival time: 0.75 days as compared to 2.3 days for lymphocytes from nonirradiated rats. This shortened survival time demonstrated that irradiation in vivo produced a deleterious change in circulating lymphocytes of rats.


In this research, the silver carp surimi is stored respectively at room temperature, 4 ℃ and -18 ℃ for several days, and then get pH testing, H2S detection, biuret and differential scanning calorimetry to detect the change of freshness and salt -soluble protein so as to reflect changes in quality. The results of experiment show that surimi fish can be respectively stored for 2 days, 6 days and 27 days freshly at room temperature, 4 ℃ and -18 ℃; Salt-soluble protein of surimi respectively loses 8.6%, 11.6% and 13.2% of the storage capacity at room temperature, 4 ℃ and -18 ℃. Salt-solubable protein denaturation temperature is about 67.5, 67, 66.5 ℃respectively and the denaturation temperature doesnot change much.The above result shows the lower temperature is good for the silver carp surimi preservation, and the salt-soluble protein content does not lose much.


This work investigates the Thin Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator operating at low frequencies. This study aims to substitute quartz resonators in the 4-27 MHz band and to fabricate selective filter for frequencies lower than 1GHz with quality factor higher than 10000. In this paper, we present the design, fabrication and testing of two different types of resonators. It consists of aluminum nitride film (0.8 μm) sandwiched between two aluminum electrodes (0.2 μm each). The first resonator is made by clamped edge beam and the second one is a free-free beam construction anchored in the middle of the cantilever. A demonstrator was achieved and the resonators are manufactured on a silicon substrate; AlN and Al layers were deposited on silicon using standard cathode sputtering technique. The resonators operate in extensional mode and the thicknesses of each of the materials are lower than 1μm. ANSYS, a Finite Element Analysis, has been performed to simulate the static, modal and harmonic behaviour. The simulation has been used, on the one hand, to determine the thickness of each material so as to reach the desired frequency range, on the other hand, to compare theoretical and experimental frequency values. First resonant frequencies between 2 and 10MHz were measured for resonators with dimensions of 20-40μm wide and 200-1000μm long and were found close to theory. Quality factor under 10000 operating in air has been achieved. These results confirm that such an integrated solution will replace Quartz oscillators and/or Surface Acoustic Wave filters in very compact applications.


A method for the delineation of cortical gyri on MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) data is proposed. The method essentially consists of three original algorithms for segmentation, interpolation, and projection of surface information on a planar map. First, a gray-level thresholding is performed on white and gray matter tissues. Second, white matter is automatically segmented with a 3-D connectivity algorithm that accounts for the MRI voxel anisotropy. Third, gray matter is segmented with a local connectivity algorithm. Mathematical morphology tools are used to interpolate slices. The process provides an isotropic binary representation of both gray and white matter that is available for 3-D surface rendering. A brain planar map is then generated by the projection onto an ellipsoid of the distance between the brain surface and its convex hull. Gyri are delineated on the planar development of the ellipsoid and retroprojected on the brain surface.<<ETX>>


This study examined the effectiveness of policy measures in a growth management plan by analyzing empirically the influence of regulations and incentives in a non-urban growth management plan of Sejong City using the binomial logistic model. The parcel unit data related development location of Sejong City from 2012 to 2017 was used in the model. The analysis showed that time regulation in the growth management plan has a negative (-) impact on the spread of development, which means it is effective in slowing urban sprawl by lowering the profits of developers. The time regulation applied in Sejong City needs to be used actively in other cities in Korea to prevent urban sprawl. Nevertheless, floor ratio incentives had no influence in inducing development within the growth management area, which means a new incentive policy to meet the local characteristics is needed to strengthen the effectiveness of the growth management plan. This study is meaningful because it attempted an empirical analysis of the effects of the growth management plan at The National Territory Act, and this study could encourage further studies.


In this paper we present an end-to-end mobile communication testbed that utilizes various open source projects. The testbed consists of Global System for Mobiles (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and System Architecture Evolution/Long Term Evolution(SAE/LTE) elements implemented on a virtual platform. Our goal is to utilize the testbed to perform security analysis. We used virtualization to get flexibility and scalability in implementation. So as to prove the usability of the testbed, we reported some of the test results in this paper. These tests are mainly related to security. The test results prove that the testbed functions properly.


Optimal health conceived in Ayurveda is perfect harmony of body, mind and soul i.e. a psychosomatic approach of health. Ayurveda emphasizes equally on promotion of physical and mental health for prevention as well as for management of a disease. Ayurveda described two fold management of disorders which is Dravyabhoot Chikitsa (pharmacological management) and Adravyabhoot Chikitsa (non-pharmacological management). The non-pharmacological management of psychosomatic disorders include Daivavyapashraya Chikitsa (divine therapy), Satvavajaya Chikitsa (psycho-behavioral therapy), Pathyapathya (do's & don'ts regarding diet and behavioral conducts), non-pharmacological Rasayana (rejuvenative measures) like Achara


Abstract:  Background:  Slow graft function (SGF) is an immediate post‐operative complication of cadaveric kidney transplantation pre‐disposing to acute rejection (AR) and lower graft survival. The objective of this study was to test whether intraoperative hypotension and/or prolonged operative time are risk factors for SGF in patients post‐cadaveric kidney transplant.


Wireless local area network (WLAN) systems are widely implemented today to provide hot spot coverage. Operated typically in an infrastructure mode, each WLAN is managed by an access point (AP). Wireless mesh networks are employed for the purpose of extending the wireless coverage scope of the network. We synthesize a wireless mesh backbone network that serves to interconnect the underlying AP nodes. The capability of the dynamically synthesized backbone network is further enhanced by the possible use of multiple communications bands and by the employment of multiple radio modules at more capable nodes. In this paper, we present a fully distributed multi-radio backbone synthesis algorithm (MR-BSA), which serves to construct a mesh backbone network of access points. We prove mathematically that the size of the backbone network constructed by MR-BSA is bounded by a constant, so that it is independent of the number of network nodes. We also prove that the control overhead is bounded by a constant value that is independent of the number of network nodes, and the underlying backbone synthesis algorithm converges in constant time.


Note: The following is a response to "Living in the Gutter: Conflict and Contradiction in the Classroom, A Call to Action" (2011, this volume). Among other critical insights, Ayers Neoliberal and Ayers argue that we must frame conversations about educational reform in ways that center education for democracy. Here, I build on this argument by suggesting that young people must be fully welcomed and involved in the construction of this alternative frame.


The Innovation Pause Hypothesis is developed in the article. According to this hypothesis, the current crisis can be explained by the exhaustion of possibilities of existing general purpose technologies and by the delay of new ones in combination with overoptimistic expectations due to a long period of rapid economic expansion. If this hypothesis is correct, then it is quite plausible that a significant period of time will be required before fast growth is restored in Western economies. Russia gets an additional chance to decrease the gap between Russian and Western economic productivity provided that an efficient mechanism of technology borrowing is created. An appropriate strategy must include a set of measures aimed at: increasing the country's adaptive capacity; designing an interactive planning system in order to develop large-scale modernization projects; increasing the capital accumulation rate by stimulating savings and improving the credit system.


This virtual special issue represents a collection of papers concerning Crustal Melting selected by the Editor from those published on various aspects of this theme in the JMG since 1982. The papers are grouped into sequences that address topics that have been prominent in the JMG during the last 30 years concerning the origin, evolution and tectonic role of migmatites and migmatitic granulites in crustal evolution. These topics are: Open‐ and closed‐system processes in the formation of migmatites and migmatitic granulites; thermobarometry, P–T paths, phase equilibria modelling and retrograde processes in formerly melt‐bearing rocks; geochronology in partially melted rocks; and, microstructures, deformation and tectonics of melt bearing rocks.


Antivirus is a fundamental presence in every computer infrastructure nowadays. The exponential growth of Internet usage with increasing higher bandwidth led to situations where virus (as well as worms and other type of malicious content) had constant outbreaks with impressive amounts of infected computers across the entire world. Email has been the preferred choice for several of these malicious content outbreaks. This paper describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of RAVE, a Replicated AntiVirus Engine for email infrastructures. Based on fault/intrusion tolerance concepts, this system allows to increase the detection capability of anti-malware solutions for email infrastructures by having different engines working in parallel, allowing at the same time arbitrary faults in a predefined number of replicas.


Breakfast beef, stir-fry, pot-roast and oven-roast meats were prepared from the brisket, clod, inside round and knuckle of bulls on two pasture-based finishing diets (6 weeks of grain supplement before slaughter or no supplement). Diet affected the fatness of the raw meat but had no significant effect on the attributes assessed by the in-house consumer or trained panel. Stir fry from brisket, and pot roast and oven roast from brisket and clod, had higher (P knuckle > inside round > brisket; and that of product acceptability with appropriate processing was breakfast beef > oven roast > pot roast > stir fry. Female in-house consumer panellists assigned lower acceptability scores to the beef products than their male counterparts (P < 0.05). Because none of the muscles or products made from the muscles were totally rejected by the consumer panel (overall scores range from 4.2 to 7.0), there is potential to add value to these cuts through further processing.


A Xanthomonas sp. was isolated from the sludge on the drain outlet of a pharmaceutical factory. Then, the bacterium and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were co‐attached to an oxygen electrode for rapid analysis of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). The response current was linear with BOD values in the range 10 to 300 mg/L for standard BOD solution with a response time of 35 seconds (R = 0.9994) and 20 to 580 mg/L for pharmaceutical wastewater with a response time ≤200 seconds (R = 0.9985), which means that this modified electrode might be used for online BOD analysis of pharmaceutical wastewater. Further studies revealed that the modified electrode can be used for BOD measurement in a high‐salt condition. Also, the bacterium/CNTs biofilm can maintain its activity and good performance, even after being sealed and stored at 4°C for 50 days.


In view of the worldwide increasing energy and raw material demand with continually shortening of the fossil resources, an increasing request towards environmental friendly recycling technologies is observed. The market for Lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) increases rapidly due to their uses as electrochemical power sources. They are widely used in mobile phones, laptops, videocameras and more recently in automotive applications [1, 2]. From the worldwide LiB consumption, 3400 metric tons of waste is estimated for the year 2020 just from electrical vehicles (EV) application, which is about four times the collection volume of LiBs waste from consumer electronics in 2012 [3]; while between 2015 and 2040 a 4 million metric tons of lithium-ion cells is predicted to be generated [4]. The use of cobalt in LIBs has grown from 700 tons to 1200 tons per year during the years 1995–2005, which is 25 % of the global cobalt demand [5]. London Metal Exchange [6] reports that the price of cobalt is then two times higher than of nickel and about 4 times more expensive than copper [6]. According to Dewulf et al. [5], if only recycled cobalt and nickel are used in the production of LiBs cathode active materials, 51.3 % savings can be achieved in natural resources, while 45.3 % in fossil fuel resources and 57.2 % in nuclear energy demand. Thus, a research increase is expected based on the optimization composition of new cathode materials that give higher energy and power density.


This study was performed to apply the evoked electromyographic (EMG) test to the larynx and to find out whether or not this test is useful for diagnosis of patients with recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis. As a result, it was considered that the present test was useful for the following:


Coal is one of the most important sources of energy, providing for over 40% of global electricity generation. Coal fly ash (CFA) is the by-product of thermal generation of energy in coal-fired power plant. CFA has been widely employed in the construction of concrete; however, there are only a few cases in which asphalt pavements have employed coal fly ash. This paper aims to determine the performances of CFA as filler in hot mix asphalt (HMA) mixture. This study used four CFA contents as filler by weight of aggregate in the dry method, namely CFA-0, CFA-2, CFA-4, and CFA-6. The mixtures were tested for stability, flow, stiffness, moisture damage, and Cantabro loss test. The findings indicated that the stability values of asphalt mixtures containing CFA were higher than conventional mixture. In addition, incorporating CFA also improved resistance towards moisture damage and durability. As a result, it can be inferred that CFA can be employed as filler substitute in HMA mixtures.


Agriculture is one of the most productive sectors in the US economy. The amount of labor used in farming has declined since the early years of farming. The long-term trend of less-farm labor and more of the other farm inputs has allowed farm operators and other family members to allocate more time to off-farm jobs. Most farmers receive income from off-farm work, but small-scale operations rely on off-farm income to sustain their operations. More than half of US farm operations are small-scale and have annual sales of less than $10,000.


Bank of Kiribati The Bank of Kiribati is a joint venture between Westpac Banking Corporation with a 51 per cent shareholding and the government of the Republic of Kiribati, with a 49 per cent shareholding. It was established in 1984 to t a k e over t h e bank ing bus iness being conducted in Kiribati by Westpac Banking Corporation that had been providing banking services in Kiribati since 1970. It is a full service bank, providing a complete range of banking services: savings accounts, cheque accounts, personal and commercial advances, international services, etc.


ABSTRACT This study examines the role of receivables as a intervening variable in the capital structure affecting stock returns. The amount of receivables is measured using the natural logarithm of receivables, the capital structure is measured using the debt equity ratio (DER) and the return on shares is measured using annual stock returns.  The analysis method is used regression with panel data (pooled data). The regression model is used the Common Effect Model. The research sample was used by banking companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) for the 2016-2020 period. The results showed that receivables supported as a intervening variable in the capital structure affect stock returns. Keywords: DER, receivables, stock return, moderatingABSTRAKPenelitian ini menguji peran piutang sebagai variabel mediasi dalam struktur modal  mempengaruhi return saham. Besarnya piutang diukur menggunakan logaritma natural piutang, struktur modal diukur menggunakan debt equity ratio (DER) dan return saham diukur menggunakan return saham tahunan.  Metoda analisis digunakan regresi dengan data panel (pooled data). Model regresi digunakan Common Effect Model. Sampel penelitian digunakan perusahaan perbankan yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia (BEI) periode 2016-2020. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa piutang terdukung sebagai variabel mediasi dalam struktur modal mempengaruhi return saham. Kata Kunci: DER, piutang, return saham, pemoderasi


Disclosed is a test device of a test optical disc. The test optical disc is used for storing test picture information. The test picture information includes at least one single-tone test picture. The test device comprises a storage unit, a picture formation unit, a detection unit, and a comparison prompt unit. The storage unit is used for pre-storing at least one single tone. The picture formation unit is used for receiving video signals generated from the test picture information in the test optical disc played by a CD-ROM driver, and forming a picture to be tested according to the video signals. The detection unit is used for detecting the picture to be tested in real time. The comparison prompt unit is connected with the storage unit. When at least one single tone is of multiple single tones, the comparison prompt unit judges whether the tone of the detected picture to be tested is consistent to the multiple single tones stored in the storage unit or not; if the tone of the picture to be tested is inconsistent to the stored multiple single tones, the comparison prompt unit sends a message prompting that the CD-ROM driver fails to read the disc. The invention further provides the test optical disc and a test method.


This paper puts forward a new transaction identification algorithm (TIFRO) in web mining, which is based on forward reference object. Firstly, TIFRO uses the maximal forward reference algorithm (MFR) to get the forward reference path, and then join a final object of the forward reference path to transaction set. Secondly, TIFRO starts a new transaction by judging the reference length (RL) in case of RL is longer than the maximal reference length(TMAX). So TIFRO can find the object set but not the path set of MFR. Thirdly, TIFRO uses SPADE algorithm to discovery frequency patterns. Finally, we compare TIFRO with MFR in performance.


The relatively frequent appearance of glosses in the Amarna letters provides a good hunting ground for lexicographical studies. In general glosses are the scribe's brief remarks to indicate the correct understanding of an expression («translation gloss») and the correct reading of a logogram («pronunciation gloss») in the text he is writing. In frequently copied texts, various information and other hints about the choice of variants are often inserted as glosses. Translation glosses and pronunciation glosses are usually introduced by a wedge. Hence this wedge — called Glossenkeil — corresponds to an equal sign or a colon or brackets. In a number of cases the Glossenkeil indicates that a following word or expression or name is of foreign origin, much like the use of italics or underlined characters today. The present essay discusses various uses of glosses which are introduced by a Glossenkeil. The data are taken from the Byblos letters EA 68-95; 101-135; 362 and the Rib-Hadda letters sent from Beirut EA 136-138. These letters form the largest single corpus in the Amarna letters. The Akkadian of the Amarna letters written from cities in southern Syria-Palestine, including Byblos, exhibits some features of the native language of the scribes, which would be a Northwest Semitic language. The phenomenon is often discussed under the heading of Canaanism, both in grammar and lexicon. My observations in this essay are concerned mainly with the scribe's usage of glosses as part of his general use of a language not his own.


Over the last three decades orthognathic surgery has become a routine procedure for the correction of facial deformity. The most commonly used method of planning is to cut up profile photographs magnified to the same size as the standardized lateral skull radiograph. These are then superimposed over the cephalographs. The various portions of soft tissue and underlying bone are moved around to produce the most acceptable result. Unfortunately, radiographic and photographic registration and superimposition are inaccurate. The prediction of the postoperative appearance is limited to two dimensions. To address these problems a truly 3D modality of planning is required. Using a stereo photogrammetry machine, we are able to capture the 3D geometry of the soft tissue air boundary – that is a three dimensional shape of the face itself. The acquisition of 3D images of the underlying skeletal hard tissue is made using a CT scanner. We present the process we have developed which allows the registration of these 2 sets of 3D geometry. The registration itself is performed semi automatically using a ICP based software.


In this paper we consider practical approach for identification of types of functional faults caused by shorts in conductive layers of IC layout and estimation of probability of occurrence of identified faults.


Abstract Single crystals of KCl were bombarded with monoenergetic beams of protons (1.5 MeV and 2.3 MeV) and alphas (2.3 MeV). Fluences varied from 1012 to 1014 cm−2. Combining the results of a photomicrographic procedure with values of crystal optical density, profiles yielding F centers/cm3 versus depth were obtained. It is observed that F-center concentration does not follow dE/dx. Profile shapes and magnitudes are accounted for in terms of the established concept of an ion infratrack, characterized by high energy density and dose rate, surrounded by a region of low energy density. The latter is assumed to have an F-center production efficiency characteristic of electron beam irradiation. The infratrack is found to have a significantly higher efficiency and to dominate F-center production. Analysis of data indicates that infratrack efficiency versus velocity may be independent of the identity of the incident particle, and leads to predictions regarding anticipated F-center production by heavy ions.


The subject of this research is the images of game and gamers. In the space of literary work, they are arrayed in metaphorical and often demonic raiment, receiving moral-ethical interpretation in one or another way. The problem of game and gamer in criticism was regarded by Y. Mann ("On the Concept of Game as a Literary Image"), V. V. Vinogradov ("Style of the Queen of Spades"), E. Dobin ("Ace and Queen", A. Pushkin's "The Queen of Spades"), R. Caillois ("Games and People"), British writer and researcher of online games R, Bartle, American scientist Nick Yee, and many others. However, juxtaposition of literature sources on the topic to the research in the field of computer games is conducted for the first time. The scientific novelty consists in the comprehensive examination of the psychological game of the gamer based on the material of Russian literature (A. S. Pushkin "The Queen of Spades", V. V. Nabokov The Luzhin Defense") , as well as the modern computer games practice, in which psychological type of the gamer found its realization and development in accordance with genre diversity. Even the Russian classical literature depict game as an autonomous space that encompasses the gamer, and often has devastating effect on their personality. The author also observes an important characterological trait of the gamer: the conceptual, "literal" perception of the world, which is based on the reception of visual images of the world against verbal. Therefore, the Russian literature alongside the research practice of modern videogames from different angles approach examination of the images of "game and gamer", cognize the factors and consequences of the problems that emerge in this object field, as well as seek for their solution. The data acquired in the course of the conducted comparative analysis is mutually enriching.


This paper describes a procedure for calculating the free vibration of thin piezoelectric laminate circular cylinder of hexagonal symmetry for free boundary condition. The vibration is assumed to be governed by the Poisson-Kirchoff theory of flexure, omitting the effects of transverse shear deformation. The frequency equation has been obtained. MIRAMARE TRIESTE September 1993 Permanent address: Institute Cybernetics, Mathematics and Physics (ICIMAF) Acoustic Group, Calle D No. 353 e/t 15 y 17, Vedado, Havana, Cuba.


Abstract Solvents play an incredibly important role in large scale chemical reactions. Switchable polarity solvents may prove to be a class of solvent that offers energy and material efficiencies greater than existing solvents. This paper examines such solvents and their potential in a variety of chemical reactions.


Fretting is the term used to describe the condition when contacting surfaces subjected to oscillatory movements in relation to each other experience surface damage. When this condition is kept over time, with cyclic loading, it can lead to fretting fatigue. This master thesis consists of a literature study that concerns basis knowledge regarding fatigue and fracture mechanics, as well as a more in-depth study on fretting fatigue. The study contains information on the mechanisms and processes of fretting and presents how testing can be performed, the important factors in finite element analyses and some numerical methods that can be used to predict fretting fatigue failure. The information from the literature study is used to conduct a finite element analysis on a dovetail geometry. This geometry is frequently used in turbine blades, where fretting fatigue is a known challenge. These analyses aimed to investigate the stress distribution and stick/slip behaviour in the contact area. The analysis shows a stress concentration at the end of the contact area, which is where the crack is most likely to occur. The results regarding the frictional shear along the contact surface show a stick zone that corresponds to the theory. Physical tests on a dovetail geometry have been carried out on a new test rig built at NTNU. Two different batches of Al6082 have been tested. The results are promising, but some improvements to the test rig are necessary. Some of the specimens failed due to plain fatigue instead of fretting. As a result of this testing, some improvements have been proposed. The theory of critical distance (TCD) has been combined with Sines criterion as an attempt to predict fretting failure. The predictions correspond well with the results from the physical testing.


We report on the first iron based amorphous alloy formed by the process of solid state reaction. Amorphous iron zirconium was observed to result from thermal anneals of layered crystalline elemental constituents. Starting material was electron beam evaporated with about 50 monolayers of each constituent per layer, which results in an average composition of Fe61Zr39 and a compositional wavelength of 22 nm. Thermal anneals at 623 K were performed in vacuum, and x‐ray diffraction was used to determine the structure. A calculated metastable free energy diagram shows the reaction is driven by a large thermodynamic driving force (several kcal/mole).


Essence of probation, usable in some West European countries, is discussed in the article. Author analyses the requirements and conditions of probation and principles of its organization.


The Skipper is a special type of charge-coupled device (CCD) that allows pixel measurements with sub-electron noise levels due to its non-destructive readout operation. Over the last decade, these sensors have been used as particle detectors on a variety of experiments, such as the direct detection of galactic dark matter and neutrino experiments. Skipper CCD achieves low-noise by reading multiple times, and sequentially, the pixel charge packet, which translates to longer readout times. This becomes a limiting factor for those applications that require sub-electron detection and faster readout speeds. A novel analysis method for reducing the total pixel readout time is presented in this work. The method relies on analyzing the time-domain properties of the video signal including the clock feedthroughs and their shapes to optimize the clock transitions that define the pixel. The analysis technique is experimentally demonstrated using a standard scientific detector and also with a Skipper CCD with single photon sensitivity. In both cases the sensors are operated and readout using the Low Threshold Acquisition (LTA) controller with an updated firmware for faster clock sequencing. A good compromise between noise performance and total readout time was achieved. This will allows the use of the Skipper CCD and/or the LTA for astronomy, quantum imaging, and other applications that require faster readout times than previous uses of the sensor and the controller.


In mulddatabase management systems, schema integration or view generation is a process that derives a global view from the local schemas of component database systems. In order to achieve an integrated object-oriented view, the needs of a framework for classifying global equivalences and operations for extracting overlapping information based on the framework pose on to us nantrally. Major contributions of this paper are [1] a global framework for classifying equivalences among component schemas in terms of a canonical object~oriented model; [2] effective virtualizarion of anributes and classes and [3] a set of multidurubase operators that can be used to form global view from equivalent constructs.


The growth of equipments incorporating nonlinear elements in the power system imposes to adopt efficient measures for limiting the current and voltage waveforms distortion. The paper deals with the determination of the values for the summation coefficient for the 5, 7, 11, and 13 harmonic orders.


Zero waste management is a holistic concept that recognizes waste both as a resource and a measure of the inefficiency of our modern society. While the traditional waste management system considers waste an 'end-of-life' product consumption, zero waste challenges this notion by recognizing that waste transforms resources in the intermediate stage of the resource consumption process. In this context, the most critical aspect of creating a zero-waste city is shifting from a linear economic model to a circular economy. According to a recent study, only 9 percent of the global economy is circular (reused or recycled into products). The other 91 percent follows a linear model of making and taking waste. This study investigates the role of effective e-waste management as a crucial part of a circular economy. Accordingly, this study offers insights into the role of the circular economy by presenting a successful implementation of the circular economy.


Nowadays Corporate Governance is one of the most interesting and controversial matters of research and study. Undoubtedly, the economic developments of the last decade have made the need for detailed analysis about the processes of Governance and its impact on corporate choices even more fascinating and relevant. This should be done through an interdisciplinary approach, because in fact, the term Governance cannot and must not be exclusively linked to economic and company aspects only. Indeed, the present economic conditions demonstrate the large correlation between social, economic and political factors. Because of this interconnectedness, the importance of the Italian Credit Institutions is highlighted because of their active and decisive part in private and corporate choices. Over the centuries, Italian Savings Banks in particular have been a clear example of such interdependence amongst the public and the private. They were first simple Charity Institutions and then they evolved to play an increasingly important role amongst the Credit Institutions. Their quickness in spreading across the Italian territory and their need to take care of their own clients' several necessities, induced the Banking Foundations to adopt a precise and rigorous Governance structure which we intend to analyse in this work. It is necessary, therefore, for a complete comprehension, to address the issues concerning the Credit and Savings Institutions' regularity, current nature and goals. Here, it is also relevant to mention perhaps the most controversial issue about the Banking Foundations, that is, their dual public and private goals and, consequently, the different interests which follow.In conclusion, through this work, we want to give a framework in order to comprehend the Italian Institution of Savings Banks, and particularly, their metamorphosis into Foundations of Banking origin, their role and their particular importance for enterprises development.


Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of legal blindness and central vision loss in the 50 above age group among both developed and developing countries. In India, the prevalence of early late ARMD is similar to that observed in


Deep learning is revolutionizing countless scientific and engineering fields. In particular, SC20 Gordon Bell award represented a breakthrough in molecular simulation, i.e., 100-million-atom simulation with quantum-mechanical accuracy on the Summit supercomputer at ORNL, using deep potential molecular dynamics (MD). Moving forward, while these simulations were performed only in gentle equilibrium conditions, far-from-equilibrium MD simulation involving light-induced electronic excited states finds numerous scientific and engineering applications. However, it remains a challenge to perform such far-from-equilibrium simulations at larger spatiotemporal scales, where growing number of unphysical predictions of interatomic force prohibits simulations involving larger numbers of atoms for longer times. In this paper, we propose a physically-based inductive bias, maximally-preserved Maxwell-Boltzmann (MPMB), to overcome this fidelity-scaling problem. Along with hybrid divide-and-conquer parallelization and single-node level optimization using multithreading and data parallel SIMD, the resulting Ex-NNQMD (extreme-scale neural network quantum molecular dynamics) algorithm has achieved unprecedented scales of far-from-equilibrium simulations: 1) 5.1-billion atom system with a parallel efficiency of 0.94, and 2) a sustained performance of 6.4 nanoseconds/day for 10-million atom system both on 262,144 cores of the Theta supercomputer at Argonne Leadership Computing Facility. Extended fidelity scaling and efficient parallelization have allowed us for the first time to study light-induced ferroelectric switching under extreme electronic excitation at experimentally relevant spatiotemporal scales with accuracy.


Application of the Navier-Stokes equations for 3D viscous turbulent flow on steady grids with standard k-omega turbulent model. For a symmetrical three dimensional flow we use the transformation of the equations to the cylindric system. The principal used tools are as follows: - non-reflecting boundary conditions at the inlet and outlet - combination of static pressure and total state values for inlet and outlet boundary conditions - modification of the Riemann's solver by preferred vector of velocity for boundary conditions on a moving wall - state values normed by using critical terms at the inlet. The finite volume method with explicit time marching was used. For higher accuracy in space we used Van Leer or Van Albada scheme. The classical Riemann problem is modified for physically relevant boundary conditions with the aim to keep conservation laws. The left hand and right initial condition in the Riemann problem is replaced by the suitable one-sided boundary condition. This results in the acceleration of the numerical method itself. Described method can be used for flow simulation in symmetrical channels of arbitrary apparatuses. The application was tested for the bladeless fluid machines. The principle of the application is based on the transmission of the fluid kinetic energy to an axis-symmetrical rotor by a boundary layer on its surface. Both active and passive cases were solved: active swirl flow in a gap between rotor and stator turns the rotor on (turbine mode) or, on the contrary, the rotating surface of a rotor forces gas into movement (energy losses occurance). Developed method was succesfully verified by measuring in wind tunnel. In addition, the presented method can succesfully solve some problems of high-speed aerodynamics which solved by commercial code gave not real results on the boundary defined as standard pressure outlet, symmetry etc.


Introduction: We have previously reported short-term efficacy of six courses of R-DA-EPOCH in patients with aggressive B cell lymphomas carrying concomitant MYC and BCL-2 and/or BCL-6 rearrangement (DHL/THL) or gene increase copy number (ICN) (Tucci et al. Blood S1: 4154, 2017). Further experience with the same program has been described in the meantime in patients with aggressive lymphoma and c-MYC rearrangement, either as single hit or DHL/THL (Dunleavy et al. Lancet Haematol, 2018). We report here long-term results in a larger unselected series of DHL/THL with the aim to confirm our preliminary results and to define the role of consolidation with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) after R-DA-EPOCH remission induction.
 Methods: The study includes patients consecutively seen in four Italian centres. From January 2014, fit patients aged less than 80 years, with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), lymphoma with intermediate features between DLBCL and Burkitt (BCLU) or high grade lymphoma (HGBCL) histology, diagnosed as DHL or THL by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), were treated with R-DA-EPOCH and central nervous system prophylaxis. Patients with MYC -ICN (three or more extra signals in more than 30% of nuclei, Schieppati et al. Haematologica, 2019) plus BCL-2 and/or BCL-6 gene rearrangement or ICN were also included. Pre-treatment with one cycle of R-CHOP was allowed in patients in need of urgent treatment, pending the results of FISH analysis. Consolidation with ASCT was planned in three of the four centres for stage II-IV patients aged less than 71 who reached at least a partial remission (PR) after six R-DA-EPOCH courses. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to define cell of origin (COO) according to Hans' algorithm, double expressor cases (MYC and BCL-2 protein >40% and 50% respectively) and Ki67 expression.
 Results: Sixty-three patients were treated (51 DLBCL, 5 BCLU, 7 HGBCL, including 16 with histologic transformation from an indolent lymphoma). Their median age was 63 years (range 23-79) and 43 (68%) were males. Fifty-four (86%) had Ann-Arbor stage III/IV, 18 (28%) B symptoms and 41 (65%) high-intermediate/high risk score according to International Prognostic Index (IPI), with extranodal disease in 79% of patients, mainly in bone and gastrointestinal tract. According to FISH analysis, 34 cases were DHL, 10 THL and 19 c-MYC-ICN. According to IHC, 81% were of germinal center origin, 73% were double expressors and median Ki-67 was 91% (range 35-100%). Patients received a median of six courses of R-DA-EPOCH (range 1-6). Twelve patients were pre-treated with one R-CHOP course and 24 patients (17 in complete remission, 6 in PR and 1 with disease progression) received transplant consolidation (allogeneic SCT in one PR patient), according to the policy of the centre and eligibility criteria. In the entire cohort, the overall response rate was 81%, including 68% complete responses (CR) and 3y-PFS and OS were 67% and 69% respectively. Two patients died of infectious complications during chemotherapy. Of the 10 chemo-refractory patients, all have died of lymphoma. Median length of follow-up was 32 months. At univariate analysis, IPI > 3 and THL were significantly associated with a worse outcome while cMYC-ICN and ASCT with a better OS. At multivariate analysis, only ASCT remained significantly associated with better survival (HR 0.146, IC 95% 0.032-0.667, p 0.013). Focusing on patients who achieved CR with R-DA-EPOCH, all 17 patients who underwent transplantation (100%) are alive (after a median of 27 months from transplant), versus 19 out of 24 patients (79%) who did not. Only one patient relapsed after ASCT and is alive after receiving CAR-T cells. 3y-OS and PFS of patients in CR after induction therapy who received or not ASCT consolidation were 100% vs 76% and 94% vs 72% respectively (Fig.1). Clinical characteristics of the two subgroups were similar except for median age that was lower in the former one (59 vs 69 years).
 Conclusions: These results confirm the favourable outcome of patients with MYC and BCL-2 and/or BCL-6 rearrangements or gene ICN with R-DA-EPOCH therapy. The role of consolidative ASCT and its usefulness seems encouraging, but remains to be proven by prospective randomized studies. The poor outcome of chemo-refractory patients represents an unmet need and greater expansion of CAR-T cell programs could improve these results in the near future.

 Tucci: Amgen: Consultancy. Carlo-Stella:Boehringer Ingelheim and Sanofi: Consultancy; Servier, Novartis, Genenta Science srl, ADC Therapeutics, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Karyopharm, Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Janssen Oncology, AstraZeneca: Honoraria; ADC Therapeutics and Rhizen Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding. Corradini:Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other; BMS: Other; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kite: Consultancy, Honoraria; KiowaKirin: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel and accommodations paid by for; F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sanofi: Consultancy, Honoraria; Servier: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel and accommodations paid by for; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel and accommodations paid by for; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel and accommodations paid by for; Incyte: Consultancy; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel and accommodations paid by for. Rossi:Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Other: Advisory board; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Alexion: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi: Honoraria; Jazz: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Astellas: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Honoraria.


After explaining what a dynamic response is, and how it is described, methods that have been suggested for the determination of the dynamic response of systems from normal operating data are reviewed. All are found to employ arbitrary constraint conditions which (i) are difficult to support as physically significant, (ii) are unsuitable for generalisation, (iii) cannot be tested for compatibility, and (iv) require the derivation of functions which cannot yet be adequately estimated from experimental records. Objections (i), (iii) and (iv) above make these methods suspect. Objections (i), (ii) and (iii) have been removed in this investigation by the adoption of 'least-squares' constraints, similar to, but more widely applicable than, those used by Wiener (1949) for the synthesis of filter and prediction operators. Since mathematicians, and others, are currently attempting to remove objection (iv) (which has occurred as a difficulty of many recent investigations) this has been considered as a subsidiary, and temporary,difficulty only. Least squares methods are developed for the selection of optimum linear, time-invariant, descriptions of n-port system dynamics. Examples are included demonstrating the application of these methods, and showing that linear dependence of input variables (such as occur in linear passive closed loop systems) present special difficulties. These difficulties are studied in detail, and methods of resolving them are suggested. A final chapter is devoted to a study of finite memory systems. The methods there developed are not subject to objection (iv) above. These methods, like those of the previous chapters, reveal that mathematical solutions of little or no value may result if the mathematical results are extremely sensitive to small changes (errors) in observed and estimated quantities. In such cases it is found that the data (not the method) are at fault. Such data are unsuitable for deriving the required information, and must be supplemented by the introduction of test disturbances before a realistic description of the dynamics can be obtained.


This study aimed at examining the differences in degree of sources of enjoyment, participation levels, and the sport commitment based on the age, the difference in degree of participation levels based on sources of enjoyment, the difference in degree of the sport commitment based on sources of enjoyment and participation levels, and the effect of sources of enjoyment and participation levels on the sport commitment for the basketball club members. The subject of this study were 530 members of 53 basketball clubs who were residing in Seoul and Gyeong-gi in 2010 and 473 self reported questionnaires were used for final analysis. The following are the findings: Basketball club members` sport commitment (including the cognitive commitment and the behavioral commitment) was positively influenced by all variables of sources of enjoyment and the level of participation. The most effective variables on the sport commitment was the team atmosphere of sources of enjoyment. The cognitive commitment was positively influenced by the team atmosphere, the winning & competition, the practice & its benefits, and the family supporting of sources of enjoyment and the frquency and the time of participation. The most effective variable on the cognitive commitment was the team atmosphere of sources of enjoyment. The behavioral commitment was positively influenced by the perceptions of competence, the team atmosphere, the winning & competition, and the practice & its benefits of sources of enjoyment and all variables of the level of participation. The most effective variable on the behavioral commitment was the frequency of participation.


A case of right unilateral exophthalmos secondary to metastatic carcinoma of the prostate, in a 68 years old negro patient in which the ocular manifestation lasted 9 months is reported The extrinsic movements of the eye were limited. Pupils reacted slightly to light and accommodation. There was no ocular convergence. The vision of the right eye was blurred and there was mild color vision. The prostate was found to be petrous by touch specially in the right portion. The laboratory findings pointed to a prostatic carcinoma. Bone X-rays were strongly suggestive of metastatic tumour. The histological examination of the orbital tumour showed prostatic tumour cells.


The utility model discloses a cold-rolling silicon steel sheet workpiece bluing device of a continuous annealing bluing furnace, belonging to the field of thermal processing technology and comprising a bluing box, a carrier roll, a material frame, a workpiece, a radiation pipe and a steam pipe, wherein the bluing box is of a square box body and provided with openings at two ends; the carrier roll is horizontally and rotatably supported on the two side walls of the bluing box; the material frame is placed on the carrier roll; the workpiece is placed in the material frame in a single-layer manner; the radiation pipe is positioned below the workpiece and transversely fixed on the two sides of the bluing box; the steam pipe is positioned above the workpiece and transversely fixed on the two sides of the bluing box; and a steam inlet arranged at one end of the steam pipe is externally provided with a steam source. Due to the adoption of the technical scheme, for the single-layer workpieces stacked on the carrier roll for continuous advancing, the bluing temperature control consistency is good, the bluing medium spraying is uniform, and the bluing operation is safe and reliable.


This paper studies how the mortgage loans are funded by the credit institutions in Spain by the issue of mortgage bonds and mortgage-backed securities, which have some important particularities in their structure and security when compared with the German and the Anglo-Saxon models.


The notion of the informational measure of symmetry is introduced according to: HsymG=-i=1kPGilnPGi, where PGi is the probability of appearance of the symmetry operation Gi within the given 2D pattern. HsymG is interpreted as an averaged uncertainty in the presence of symmetry elements from the group G in the given pattern. The informational measure of symmetry of the "ideal" pattern built of identical equilateral triangles is established as HsymD3=1.792. The informational measure of symmetry of the random, completely disordered pattern is zero, Hsym=0. Informational measure of symmetry is calculated for the patterns generated by the P3 Penrose tessellation. Informational measure of symmetry does not correlate neither with the Voronoi entropy of the studied patterns nor with the continuous measure of symmetry of the patterns.


Large wildfires in forests of southern European countries such as Portugal, Spain, Greece, France and Italy are one key ecological disturbance of the Mediterranean environment. Optical data have been largely used for burned area mapping and literature provides an extensive reference for the typical spectral signal of burns and the methodologies applied to extract burn perimeters. However, optical remote sensing techniques have the major limitation of a reduced frequency of clear images due to cloud cover; moreover, for the specific application of burned area mapping, unburned targets such as shadows, can be spectrally confused and misclassified as burns. For this reason radar images could be integrated as an additional source of information. We developed an approach for mapping burned areas in Mediterranean regions based on Landsat TM/ETM+ data and vegetation indices that provided satisfactory results. However, we are currently working for further improving our approach by exploiting the synergy between optical and radar data. In this paper we present the first results of the analysis of the SAR backscatter over burned areas for future integration into the formal framework previously developed. Although results are preliminary, they encourage us to test the approach over different regions of the Mediterranean environment to evaluate its robustness.


As device size is going under the sub-60 nanometer scale, lithography is facing its resolution limit. To solve this resolution limit it has been suggested that one critical device layer could be made from multi photo/etch process, which needs tighter overlay and critical dimension (CD) controls than normal single exposure process. For CD control in this multi photo/etch process, the problem is that we do not know which pattern is made from which photo/etch process after final process. This makes it impossible to measure the specific process pattern's CD independently. In this case the conventional CD measuring method, which measures multi CDs in FOV(Field Of View) of SEM(Scanning Electronic Microscope) and control their average and distribution, couldn't know the average difference between both patterns because the variance from simply measured multi CD is just sum of each variance and their cross terms not including the average difference. In this paper it is pointed out the statistical problem of classical multi CD measurement in the indistinguishable multi-process pattern and a compensative method is suggested with a new statistical formula.


Noise control must be carried out as to reduce the noise level to the level specified according to the standard for a particular environment, for example a train station. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of noise intensity with work stress levels to employees at PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero), to measure noise intensity at Madiun Station and Yogyakarta, and to analyze work stress levels. experienced by employees. The results show that the noise value has exceeded the threshold value (NAV) determined by Kep-51 / MEN / 1999 and OSHA Standards, which is 85 dBA at 8 hours / day working hours which is in the range of 86.21 - 96.35 dBA , this noise level was received by 34 employees or 54.9%, while employees who were not exposed to noise under NAV were 26 people or 45.1%. The results also showed that the noise intensity at Yogyakarta Station was higher than at Madiun Station.


It will affect understanding about engineering drawing that the view collocation is improper,and can not satisfy the basic request that the national drawing standard have regulated'seeing drawing conveniently and drawing simply'.The writer analyses the differences about the basis view and the direction view.considering the irrationality of the direction view collocation:no easy to identify the main view,no easy to identify the rest view, no easy to draw simply.The rational view collocation should consider to identify the view easily,and should consider the basic request of'seeing drawing conveniently and drawing simply'also.It is squashed to combine the basis view with the direction view when you express the part.On the same drawing,there is basic view as well as direction view


Traditional Canny edge detection algorithm is sensitive to noise, hence it may lose the weak edge information after noise removal and show poor adaptability of fixed parameters like threshold values. In view of these problems, this paper reports on the modification of canny edge detection algorithm using s-membership function. Adaptability of threshold values are achieved through S-membership function and is given as input to default Canny algorithm. The grayscale images have been analyzed for default Canny and modified Canny algorithm. To understand the performance of these algorithms it is essential to evaluate various statistical metrics. The proposed work states that the detailed statistical results and the images obtained reveal the superior performance of the modified Canny algorithm over the default Canny edge detection algorithm. Further the images obtained from modified Canny algorithm shows the marked edges with efficient image edge extraction and provide accurate information for image measurement.


The issue of dominated hubs in the U.S. airline industry has gained exceptional exposure in academic journals, new periodicals, and even the U.S. Congress. While this attention has focused on the public policy implications of reduced competition at these airports, insufficient consideration has been given to the management question of how other airlines can compete successfully at airports dominated by one airline. This paper addresses the competitive challenge of operating at dominated hubs by using historical airline operating data from the third quarter 1987, as collected by the U.S. Government. The data sources used permit collection of route specific data broken down by the operating carrier. Since all airlines find they are a challenger in other airlines' hubs, this effort contributes to management knowledge by identifying a set of challenger strategies or tactics that have been demonstrated to be related in a significant and positive way to challenger performance in markets from another airline's hub. Some highlights of the empirical analysis are that competing carriers can find routes from a dominated hub where the leader does not operate direct service. The routes that minimize competition with other carriers produce superior challenger performance. Providing frequent service and achieving high market shares are key strategies on routes from dominated hubs. Flying to a challenger's own hub and slot restricted airports is associated with routes that have strong performance.


We discuss observational constrains coming from supernovae imposed on the behaviour of the Randall–Sundrum models. We test the models using the Perlmutter SNIa data as well as the new Knop and Tonry/Barris samples. The data indicates that, under the assumption that we admit zero pressure dust matter on the brane, the cosmological constant is still needed to explain current observations. We estimate the model parameters using the best-fitting procedure and the likelihood method. The observations from supernovae give a large value of the density parameter for brane matter Ωλ,0≃0.01 as the best fit. For high redshifts z>1.2, the difference between the brane model and the ΛCDM (Perlmutter) model becomes detectable observationally. From the maximum likelihood method we obtained the favored value of Ωλ,0=0.004±0.016 for Ωk,0=0 and Ωm,0=0.3. This gives the limit Ωλ,0<0.02 at 1σ level. While the model with brane effects is preferred by the supernovae type Ia data, the model without brane fluid is still statistically admissible. We also discuss how fit depends on restrictions of the sample, especially with respect to redshift criteria. We also pointed out the property of sensitive dependence of results with respect to the choice of ℳ parameter. For comparison the limit on brane effects which comes from CMB anisotropies and BBN is also obtained. The uncertainty in the location of the first peak gives a stronger limit Ωλ,0<1.0×10-12, whereas from BBN we obtain that Ωλ,0<1.0×10-27. However, both very strict limits are obtained with the assumption that brane effects do not change the physics in the pre-recombination era, while the SNIa limit is model independent. We demonstrate that the fit to supernovae data can also be obtained if we admit the phantom matter p=-(4/3)ϱ on the brane, where this matter mimics the influence of the cosmological constant. We show that phantom matter enlarges the age of the universe on the brane which is demanded in cosmology. Finally, we propose to check for dark radiation and brane tension by the application of the angular diameter of galaxies minimum value test.


The great concern related to Global Warming has forced society to develop several initiatives that focus on pro- posing solutions. Among these initiatives, the Kyoto Protocol is the most effective. This document portrays three mechanisms for approaching Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. The most important is called the Clean De- velopment Mechanism (CDM), which proposes to reduce the generation of such rejects by implementing clean technologies in developing countries, contributing to sustainable development and generating credits that can be commercialized with developed countries. In Brazil, the approval of CDM projects is due to Interministerial Commission on Global Climate Change (ICGCC), a public institution at the federal level which deliberates on the elegibility of these projects. This study aims at analyzing the mecanisms and procedures utilized by ICGCC in terms of sustainability of such iniatives and proposing criteria tied to a point system. Thus, projects will have more transparency, objectivity and provide a greater contribution to sustainable development. In this sense, we used Brazilian CDM projects related to Fuel Substitution as an object for critical analysis. Keywords: Clean Development Mechanism; Interministerial Commission on Global Climate Change; Annex III; Environmental Management; Sustainable Development


The isolation,inoculation and bluestain of species fungi inner gallery of bark beetle and in and out the body Dendroctonus armandi were studied in Qingling Mountain.The results showed that there were 11 genera,13 species fungi in gallery of bark beetle and in and out the body of Dendroctonus armandi,and 5 species fungi such as Alternaria humicola?Fusarium oxysporum?Leptographium qinlingensis?Trichoderma virid?Verticillium sp.can induce sapwood tissue discolored in Pinus armandi,but just only Leptographium qinlingensis can induce sapwood tissue bluestain,it was similar to the natural damaged host tree by bark beetles and pathogenic bluestain fungi,and it can be developed in the xylem and phloem of health host tree.


During the study period, 62 species belonging to three taxa namely diatoms, dinoflagellates, and blue green algae were recorded. Of these three, diatoms were found to be the dominant group with 47 species; dinoflagellates formed next dominant group with 9 species and blue greens came last in the order with 6 species in all the stations. Population density of phytoplankton ranged between 2,350 and 32, 405 Cells/l were identified in Pichavaram mangrove region. Phytoplankton community was analyzed by Univariate and Multivariate statistical techniques. Results of CCA analysis suggested that the environmental parameters such as temperature, salinity, and a few nutrients are the key variables in determining the abundance and diversity of phytoplankton community.


To overcome the inherent limitation of the best-effort Internet, differentiated services (DiffServ) for different applications are being embodied by the IETF DiffServ workgroup. The imminent deployment of DiffServ networks will benefit a lot if continuous media applications at the end-systems are aware of their service model. In this paper, we propose a content-based packet video forwarding mechanism where the QoS interaction between video applications and DiffServ network is taken into account. The interaction is performed through a dynamic mapping between the relative priority score (RPS) of each video packet and the differentiated forwarding mechanism. The relative priority is designed to reflect its loss propagation effect for each packet and calculated by merging the relative importance of its component media. Then, the forwarding mechanism provides service differentiation based on the relative QoS requirement of each packet. To verify the efficiency of the proposed strategy, the end-to-end performance is evaluated through packet video transmission over a simulated DiffServ network. The results show that the proposed interaction framework can explore the DiffServ gain efficiently, resulting in enhanced end-to-end video quality.


Introduction:
 Coronary artery calcium (CAC) strongly predicts incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) beyond traditional risk factors. CAC volume and density can be determined separately. CAC volume is positively associated with CVD risk, whereas CAC density is inversely associated with CVD risk.

 Hypothesis:
 We assessed the hypothesis that traditional CVD risk factors would associate differently with CAC volume than with CAC density.

 Methods:
 Baseline measurements from 6814 community-dwelling participants free of known CVD were collected for the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis between 2000 and 2002. The 3398 CAC-positive participants were included in these analyses. Multivariable linear regression models were used to evaluate independent risk factors for CAC volume and CAC density separately.

 Results and Conclusions:
 Standardized beta coefficients for risk factors significantly associated with increased CAC volume in the multivariable linear regression model included age (β=0.34), male gender (β=0.48), diabetes (β=0.38), current smoking (β=0.27), hypertension medication use (β=0.18), family history of MI (β=0.21), body mass index (β=0.17), total cholesterol (β=0.06), and reduced walking pace (β=0.12). Compared to the non-Hispanic white (NHW) reference group, Chinese (β=-0.62), African-American (β=-0.48), and Hispanic (β=-0.47) race/ethnicities had decreased CAC volume. Risk factors positively associated with increased CAC density in the multivariable linear regression model included HDL (β=0.03), and Chinese (β=0.39), African-American (β=0.16), and Hispanic (β=0.18) race/ethnicities in comparison with NHW. Diabetes (β=-0.10) and body mass index (β=-0.08) were both inversely associated with CAC density. In conclusion, CVD risk factors predicted both increased CAC volume and decreased CAC density, suggesting they could increase atherosclerotic risk both by increasing CAC volume and decreasing CAC density. Ethnic groups other than NHW had lower risk CAC plaques, with lower volume and greater density.


Customization has always been considered a source of value addition to the customer. However, too often firms could not pull this lever due to operational limitations or the law of scale economies. Now, in the Internet age, unparalleled opportunities to customize through customer communication, product or service design and pricing open up.


— The heritage of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) is not easily explained. There is a real temptation to blackbox the technology in itself. The History of Technology division is exploring ways to keep the box open and translate the workings of the technology and the explanations of the scientists. A study of the process of emergence, spread, impact and perhaps closure of the technology Flow Injection Analysis has been undertaken. It a story of multiplicity and it takes many twists and turns and includes a lot of difficult science. We decided to find a way to bring this story into the high-school classroom. The FIA technology is explained by letting the students explore and use a specific FIA machine in a virtual lab. We also wanted to introduce the findings in our historical exploration of FIA. This is done by telling the student several different narratives relating to FIA or other historical technoscience developments. The students work through one or more scenarios and make decisions and debate. Our theory was, that they would use some of the apparatus they have gained from the narratives in the decision making process. In this talk I will revise the outcomes of this process.


Feelings of isolation unite all cases: "parents feel there is no friend or relative able or trustworthy enough to care for the children". The extremely low birthrates of these societies combined with their materialistic pressures appear to set the scene for this tragic isolation and the increased fragility of the family.


Further validation of an analytic method to calculate the influence of changes in Reynolds number, machine size and roughness on the performance of axial and radial turbocompressors is presented. The correlation uses a dissipation coefficient as a basis for scaling the losses with changes in relative roughness and Reynolds number. The original correlation from Dietmann and Casey [6] is based on experimental data and theoretical models. Evaluations of five numerically calculated compressor stages at different flow coefficients are presented to support the trends of the correlation. It is shown that the sensitivity of the compressor performance to Reynolds and roughness effects is highest for low flow coefficient radial stages and steadily decreases as the design flow coefficient of the stage and the hydraulic diameter of the flow channels increases.


The energy versus momentum dispersion of empty electronic states in Cu(001) has been measured with $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{k}}$-resolved inverse photoemission. Four different final bands are identified. Theoretical calculations employing the one-step model of inverse photoemission prove that two of the four emission branches are due to bulk direct transitions while the remaining two are due to surface states of the Shockley and Tamm kinds, respectively.


•This article has been double-blind peer reviewedUrinalysis is an important screening and diagnostic tool, but health professionals must know how to perform the test and interpret results correctly for it to be beneficialAbstractNursing Times; Online issue 2, 1-3.Analysing an individual's urine can


The absorption spectrum of a protein, namely horse heart myoglobin, was measured by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy of up to 2.75 THz. High-power THz radiation from a tunable cw gas-vapour laser was used to perform two-dimensional imaging. Clear images of the protein film were obtained by monitoring it at the absorption peak frequency. Experimental results show that a spectral image of biological samples can be obtained by employing THz radiation in real time.


Objective We aimed to investigate the effects of prediabetes and its phenotypes of impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and elevated glycated hemoglobin A1c (EHbA1c) on chronic kidney disease (CKD) occurrence, and define the cut-off point of each glycemic index that significantly increases the risk of CKD. Research design and methods In this prospective cohort study, 6446 non-diabetic subjects aged 40 years and over were followed over a period of 3 years to track the new onset of CKD. Cox regression was used to assess the association of prediabetes and its phenotypes with CKD. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to define the cut-off point of each glycemic index that significantly increases the occurrence of CKD. Population attributable risk percent was calculated to estimate the contribution of prediabetes to CKD. Results Compared to subjects with normal glucose tolerance, patients with prediabetes significantly increased the risk of development of CKD (HR=2.33 (1.19–4.55)). Specifically, this increased risk of CKD development was observed in patients with IFG, IGT and EHbA1c. The cut-off points shown to significantly increase the risk of CKD are fasting plasma glucose of 5.63 mmol/L, 2-hour plasma glucose of 6.80 mmol/L and HbA1c of 5.6%. The contribution of prediabetes to CKD occurrence in the study population was 60.6%. Conclusions This result suggests that the stricter criteria might be needed to define normal plasma glucose level in China that would not be predisposed to diabetic complications, particularly CKD.


Abstract The best studied modern tidal environments are tidal flats, tidal inlets and deltas, and subtidal shelf sand banks (including tidal sand ridges and fields of large-scale dunes). At present, much sediment is being deposited in large, tide-dominated river deltas, which remain little investigated and understood. The best criteria for recognition of ancient tidal sediments are: 1) tidal bundles and evidence for other neap-spring rhythms; 2) flaser, wavy and lenticular bedding, particularly where present in 3) fining-upward cycles with supporting evidence for deposition on prograding tidal flats; and 4) crossbedding with evidence for current reversals, such as opposed cross-strata, regularly spaced reactivation surfaces, and mud drapes. A distinction should be made between morphological elements, such as tidal flats, clearly formed by tidal action, and environmental systems, such as estuaries, composed of a large number of morphological elements, only some of which are tidal.


Much effort has been expended to develop and improve indoor positioning. Many wireless sensor technologies have been used for indoor positioning systems; however WiFi has been the most widely employed sensor system as an alternative to Global Positioning System (GPS). Many commercial indoor positioning services such as those developed for and available on Apple and Android systems are hardly satisfying users' demand, primarily because of their inaccurate positioning. The Saskatchewan Enhanced Positioning System (SaskEPS) has been developed to provide reliable indoor positioning as a complement to GPS. SaskEPS successfully produces very reliable 2.5-Dimensional positioning (X-Y and floor) information at randomly selected fixed locations across an extensive indoor environment at the University of Saskatchewan. SaskEPS produces GPS-like positioning accuracy (sub 10 metre error) during testing; however there are several additional limitations that reduce the ability of non-GPS systems to provide accurate and reliable positioning indoors as compared to GPS. SaskEPS and other trilateration-based WiFi-based Positioning Systems can improve their positioning abilities with techniques commonly used in GPS-based positioning systems; therefore, SaskEPS has integrated a map-matching technique (Post-positioning correction) with its trilateration-based algorithm (Pre-positioning determination). In this paper we explore some limitations for WiFi-based indoor positioning with an explicit examination of SaskEPS in a complex multi-building environment. As well, some add-on localization functionalities are tested for reducing positioning errors and increasing reliability of SaskEPS.


Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of Etofenamate Gel Phonophoresis on primary knee osteoarthritis. Methods:63 patients with primary knee osteoarthritis were randomly divided into the treatment group(33 cases) and the control group(30 cases),the former treated with Etofenamate Gel Phonophoresis therapy,while the latter with Etofenamate Gel. Before and after treatment,scored with a visual analog scale. Results:The treatment group were improved significantly compared with the control group,and there was no significant difference between the two groups(P 0.05). Conclusion:The effect of Etofenamate Gel Phonophoresis is better than the external application while treating knee osteoarthritis.


Special geological structure in Sichuan basin increases complex degree of the oil and gas well pre-drilling engineering and brings potential risks for oil and gas well pre-drilling engineering. In order to reduce risk of pre-drilling project, the risk factors related to geological disaster, underground hit-prevention, pre-drilling technology standard and artificial factors are analyzed. Aiming at these factors, some countermeasures on risk assessment, hit-prevention scanning, education and training, improving industry standards are proposed.


AIM:To evaluate long-term complications and survival in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) referred to a Danish transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) centre.METHODS:Twenty-one consecutive patients from 1997-2008 were retrospectively included [15 women and 6 men,median age 40 years (range 17-66 years)].Eighteen Danish patients came from the 1.8 million catchment population of Aarhus University Hospital and three patients were referred from Scandinavian hospitals.Management consisted of tests for underlying haematological,endocrinological,or hypercoagulative disorders parallel to initiation of specific treatment of BCS.RESULTS:BCS was mainly caused by thrombophilic (33%) or myeloproliferative (19%) disorders.Fortythree percents had symptoms for less than one week with ascites as the most prevalent finding.Fourteen (67%) were treated with TIPS and 7 (33%) were manageable with treatment of the underlying condition and diuretics.The median follow-up time for the TIPS-treated patients was 50 mo (range 15-117 mo),and none required subsequent liver transplantation.Ascites control was achieved in all TIPS patients with a marked reduction in the dose of diuretics.A total of 14 TIPS revisions were needed,mostly of uncovered stents.Two died during follow-up:One non-TIPS patient worsened after 6 mo and died in relation to transplantation,and one TIPS patient died 4 years after the TIPS-procedure,unrelated to BCS.CONCLUSION:In our BCS cohort TIPS-treated patients have near-complete survival,reduced need for diuretics and compared to historical data a reduced need for liver transplantation.


This experiment was conducted to compare the effects of multi-strain probiotic inclusion levels on performance, intestinal morphology, gut microflora and hematological changes in Salmonella typhimurium (ST) infected broiler chickens. A total of 120 day old Ross 308 broiler chickens were distributed into 20 floor pens and reared for 10 days under 5 experimental treatments including a corn-soy basal diet with no probiotic (Control), or 0.5 g (0.05%), 1 g (0.1%), 1.5 g (0.15%) and 2 g (0.2%) probiotic/kg diet. Chickens were infected orally with ST at second day of experiment. Broilers under 0.15% of probiotic had higher body weight gain compared to other treatments. Probiotic supplementation, except at 0.05%, significantly improved feed conversion ratio. The use of 0.1 and 0.15% of probiotic reduced the population of Salmonella in ileum. The lowest heterophil:lymphocyte ratio was observed in 0.15% of probiotic, although 0.1 and 0.2% of probiotic significantly reduced this ratio compared to control group. Adding 0.15% of probiotic to the basal diet increased (P


The article outlines the work of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Con ditions against the author's perceived background of informa tion needs in a changing Europe. After a short description of the Foundation's role in the Community, there is a detailed examination of its information strategy for the complex Euro pean multilingual and multicultural markets. Measures of audience identification and selection, resource allocation and sharing, dissemination and, to some extent, assessment of the value and effectiveness of its information programmes, are discussed.


Output voltage control of nonlinear DC‐to‐DC power converters is handicapped by the non‐minimum phase character exhibited by these systems. The problem has been usually solved with indirect control strategies that work through the input current. In this article, we report a robust control methodology that uses Galerkin‐based sliding manifolds, which use full state reference profiles and an estimate of the disturbed load parameter. The sliding surface incorporates a first‐order Galerkin approximation of the input current that provides robustness to piecewise constant load perturbations by dynamic compensation: it allows on‐line accommodation to the action of the load estimator. This results in high‐accuracy tracking of periodic references at the output resistance of boost and buck‐boost converters. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Abstract : Northrop's newest fighter aircraft, the F-20 Tigershark, is based on the successful aerodynamic design and size of the F-5 Tiger II aircraft. It has a single engine providing 80 percent more thrust than that of the twin-engine Tiger II, digital avionics, and a newly designed AN/APG-67 (V) X-band radar. This coherent pulse-doppler radar provides both look-up and look-down target detection and tracking. Successful operation of this radar necessitated an antenna/radome system which provides low RMS side-lobe levels to minimize false alarm rate in the look-down mode, and high antenna gain/low radome loss to maximize radar range. These system requirements prompted a redesign of the F-5 'Shark Shape' nose section which had been aerodynamically configured to improve the post-stall handling qualities of the Tiger II aircraft. The design change included (1) provisions for a larger radar antenna, (2) a clean radome, i.e., no pitot-static probe, air lines or heater wires, and (3) a blunted radome shape, designed to preserve aerodynamic handling qualities and provide the required electrical characteristics.


The invention relates to a wave-power device. The wave-power device comprises a floating platform, and a swing mechanism and a power generation mechanism both arranged on the floating platform, wherein the swing mechanism swings relatively to the floating platform when the floating platform fluctuates along with waves and drives the power generation mechanism to generate power; the swing mechanism comprises a seesaw water tank and a pendulum bob, the power generation mechanism comprises a first power generation system driven by the seesaw water tank and a second power generation system driven by the pendulum bob, and the first power generation system and the second power generation system can be hydraulic power generation systems or geared power generation system. The swing mechanism and the power generation mechanism on the floating platform can be formed only by the seesaw water tank and the first power generation system, or only by the pendulum bob and the second power generation system. In the wave-power device, the swing mechanism and the power generation mechanism are all arranged on the floating platform, and therefore, the wave-power device is simple in mechanical structure, convenient to maintain, reliable to operate, high in power generation efficiency and low in construction cost; a power generation system can be established in any place with waves only by positioning the floating platform by virtue of an anchor chain.


This study was conducted to determine the effect of mathematical transformation on near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) calibrations for the prediction of chemical composition and fermentation parameters in corn silage. Corn silage samples (n


The aim of this work was to develop and validate an analytical method for the quantification of tioconazole in polymeric nanocapsule suspensions by high performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. The analysis was performed with a mobile phase composed of methanol:water (80:20) and 0.18% ammonium hydroxide; RP-18 column and UV detection at 219 nm. The method proved to be linear in the concentration range of 5-50 µg mL-1 (r = 0.9999), specific, precise (repeatability RSD = 1.42%, intermediate precision RSD = 1.17%), accurate (98 - 102%) and robust (RSD < 2.0%). In conclusion, a simple and rapid method was validated proving suitable for quantification of tioconazole in polymeric nanocapsules.


The African Special Project, 1960–1963, was launched in June 1960 at the General Assembly of IUCN in Warsaw, in co-operation with UNESCO, FAO (the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization), and CCTA (Commission for Technical Co-operation in Africa south of the Sahara), and with the governments of countries in tropical Africa. The object of ASP is to inform public opinion in Africa through African leaders upon the need for nature conservation based on ecological knowledge. Special attention is being given to the larger mammals which are endangered in many areas.


Evaluating a learning health system (LHS) encourages continuous system improvement and collaboration within the healthcare system. Although LHS is a widely accepted concept, there is little knowledge about evaluating an LHS. To explore the outputs and outcomes of an LHS model, we evaluated the COVID‐19 Evidence Support Team (CEST) in Saskatchewan, Canada, an initiative to rapidly review scientific evidence about COVID‐19 for decision‐making. By evaluating this program during its formation, we explored how and to what extent the CEST initiative was used by stakeholders. An additional study aim was to understand how CEST could be applied as a functional LHS and the value of similar knowledge‐to‐action cycles.


The main issues covered include the following: Euro-ISDN; user requirements; the changing economic climate; closer cooperation with manufacturers, suppliers and telecommunication operators; and how are users making a difference. >


The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of cold stress at flowering stage on plant structure, yield and chemical composition of seeds of 15 soybean cultivars. The study was conducted in 2019–2020, using the complete randomization method, in three replications. Fifteen soybean cultivars belonging to three maturity groups: early (EC), middle-early (MC) and late (LC) cultivars were included. Weekly cold stress (17/13 °C day/night) was applied at plant flowering stage. In the control treatment, plants were kept under natural conditions (24/17 °C day/night). Our research showed that cold stress negatively influenced the elements of plant structure: height, number of nodes, stem dry mass, number and weight of pods, number and weight of seeds per plant, as well as yield of soybean seeds, reducing it on average by 24%, as compared to the control treatment. The highest yield decrease was found in LC cultivars (31.2%), while a smaller and similar one in EC and MC cultivars (by 19.7 and 20.1%, respectively). Significant varietal differences were found for plant biometric traits and seed yield. EC cultivars had the lowest set first pod, as well as the lowest number of nodes, number of pods and seeds, pod and seed weight per plant, and seed yield. MC cultivars had the highest set first pod, and the smallest stem DM and seed yield average by 29.2% higher compared to EC cultivars. LC cultivars had the highest stem DM, number of pods and seeds, and pod and seed weight per plant compared to the other cultivar groups, and yield by 22.8% higher compared to EC cultivars. The experimental factors significantly affected crude protein, crude fat, and crude ash content, while they did not differentiate water-soluble carbohydrate and crude fiber content. Cold stress at the flowering stage caused a significant increase in protein content (by 4.1% on average) and ash content (by 3.8%) and a decrease in fat concentration (by 6.9%) in soybean seeds. Differences in nutrient content among cultivars were a genetic trait not related to cultivar maturity.