AIMS AND METHOD To identify the experiences of patients pursuing a personal injury claim,
we carried out a retrospective questionnaire survey. RESULTS Sixty-one patients from a regional traumatic stress clinic took part. Most
were satisfied with the conduct of legal, medical and psychiatric personnel.
Thirty-two (53%) reported that the legal proceedings had had an adverse effect
on their health/well-being, and about a third reported an adverse effect on
domestic relationships. Twenty-four patients (40%) were dissatisfied with the
provision of information. More information about the whole legal process would
have been welcomed by means of an information leaflet ( n =57, 93%), a
helpline ( n =48, 79%), or a videotape ( n =42, 68%). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Although seeking redress may contribute to the patient's adjustment,
this survey demonstrates that it is not a step to be taken without
consideration. As part of their therapeutic management, mental health
professionals should consider the implications of such a step with their
patients.


It is known, that in framework of the Einstein's GR there is a number of difficulties. In particular, we point out the problem of description of various cosmological models and the impossibility of construction the Morris–Thorne wormhole (MTW). It is also known that within GR the Robertson–Walker Universe either possesses the initial singularity, or contains a "exotic" matter (physical vacuum or quintessence) or has initial event horizon [1]. Moreover, the anisotropic models (Bianchi I) in the framework of GR can be nonsingular only for the Kasner vacuum solution (c = 1)


mire Davis's courage, boldness and enthusiasm-qualities without which real problems can never be solved. The sneering onlookers, congenitally incapable of pioneer work, are intellectual pygmies compared with Davis. It happens that in this case I disagree with Davis and I must tell why. A small body of problematic texts whose linguistic identity remains to be determined, cannot be interpreted subjectively in accordance with ad hoc rules of ortho-


The paper describes briefly some small sewage treatment plants. No attempt Ls made to cover all types of plant available; a few particular installation are discussed. These range in size from one designed for a population of 350 to one for a population equivalent of 2,000.


The article is devoted to modern problems of education of preschool children. The authors describe the educational environment, its psychological safety and parental attitudes, which play an important role in the development of preschool children. Stages and features of development of preschool children, signs of psychological crises in children are analyzed. Special attention is paid to the orientation of the child's upbringing in the family and defines such important conditions for the psychological safety of preschoolers as friendship, trust, attention and respect, psychological support, concern for the safety of each member of the team and a humanistic approach to the upbringing of the child's personality. Based on the above, recommendations for the education of a modern preschool child are formulated.


In this modern age, we Americans like the convenience of disposable cans and bottles, but feel guilty about adding them to the earth's trash piles. "Empties" or, as theoreticians of debris term them, "post-consumer solid waste" are a universal dilemma today. "Bottle bills" have become law in several states, and votes on the disposal of waste containers are pending in others. The problem of what to do with the container after the contents have been used seems typically latter twentieth century, but rubbish was not, of course, invented by the modern world. It is an essential part of the human condition. Used containers and trash in general are problems of great antiquity; in fact, the discipline of archaeology might in one sense be defined as the collection and study of ancient rubbish. Ancient "empties" make up a sizable portion of the material that must be handled by the archaeologist.


Abstract Computer‐controlled systems are commonplace in the modern world and many of them are used for controlling safety‐related functions. Such applications of software‐based systems create a number of ethical and legal problems in the event of failure giving rise to dangerous situations. The issue of the competence of the practitioner involved in writing software for safety‐related applications is discussed from a legal perspective at a time when the software industry is concerned to ensure that an appropriate level of professional competence is achieved by the practitioners involved. The existing case law relating to professional negligence is examined and, by using examples such as that of the London Ambulance service incident parallels are drawn with the emergent profession of software engineer.


This paper introduces the control target of heat-consumption of building, calculation method of heat-consumption index and the design for construction of reference for envelope of demonstration project of GEF energy efficiency in buildings in Tianjin Area.


To estimate the order of importance of factors affecting the stability and maturation of compost, cow feces and maize stalks were co-composted at different aeration rates "AR" (22, 44 and 66 L kg-1 DM . min-1) of C/N ratios (16, 19, 22), and moisture contents "MC" (60 %, 65 %, 70 %). A composting process was monitored by physical and chemical methods. The thermophilic phase with all treatments was long enough to meet sanitation requirements. The emitted carbon dioxide and the losses total organic carbon and total extractable carbon increased with increasing aeration rate, there was a significant difference between the treatments with low and high aeration rate, but no significant differences between those two treatments and the moderate aeration rate. The total nitrogen contents of all treatments decreased during the thermophilic phase, while it was increased after that for all treatments except T8. The compost with the highest initial C/N ratio was significantly different from the other treatments and had the highest values of humic substances, degree of humification and humification rate. The compost with the lowest initial C/N ratio was significantly different from the other treatments and had the lowest germination index (57-67%). Aeration rate was the main factor influencing compost stability, while the C/N ratio mainly contributed to compost maturity, and the moisture content had an insignificant effect on the compost quality. The recommended parameters for composting are an aeration rate of 0.44 L kg-1 DM. min-1 and a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 19 with moisture content of 60-70%.


An improved analysis for the bipolar linear transconductor, assuming a finite value for the transistor current-gain β, is presented. A new expression for the normalized input-voltage as a function of the normalized output-current is obtained. A Fourier-series model is presented for this current-voltage relationship. Closed-form expressions are also derived for the harmonic and intermodulation components resulting from exciting the bipolar linear transconductor by a multisinusoidal input voltage. These expressions can be used to predict the limiting values of the input voltage amplitudes for a prescribed tolerable distortion percentage.


In this paper authors provide the further elaboration in a quantitative spatial analysis of the Russian regions in the context of the green economy concept. Two quantitative factors characterizing the population welfare are considered: the total wage fund and the regional public financial fund from own revenues per capita. As key environmental indicators, the authors chose eco-intensity indicators for regional economic systems. Our estimates show substantial heterogeneity of the Russian sub-federal units on socio-environmental characteristics. It is shown that the population of many regions not only lives under high anthropogenic pressure (overall and per capita), but they are also not provided with additional resources "collective welfare" at the expense of own budget revenues, despite the disadvantageous environmental conditions. It was noted that "carbon regulation", directed at development a low-carbon economy, should not be based on quantitative indicators, which is the same for the whole country. Due to the heterogeneity it will require fine-tuning, taking into account regional specificity of the relationships between factors of well-being and anthropogenic pressures. The aim to decline of carbon-intensity in local economies in different regions of the country will require different timelines, and the relevant "road maps" need to be taken into account. In public policy to reduce carbon emissions, special attention should be paid to the differentiation of transaction costs for managing, protecting and restoring forest ecosystems. In state policy on carbon reduction issues, one of the focuses of special attention should be on differentiating the transaction costs of managing, protecting and restoring forest ecosystems.


Dear Sir The linear and quasi-linear oxides of carbon, carbon monoxide, CO, carbon dioxide, CO 2, and carbon suboxide, C3O2, are stable gaseous compounds at room temperature and pressure due to their molecular closed shell electronic ground state, X ~ Σ(g). In contrast, linear carbonyl carbene, C2O, and ethenedione, C 2O2, have an open shell electronic ground state, X 3Σ–(g), and are believed to be stable, though very reactive molecules. Carbonyl carbene has been characterised theoretically 2 nd experimentally via optical spectroscopy 3,4 and ethenedione has been studied theoretically via b initio molecular orbital calculations. The structure of neutral OCCO is (quasi-)linear (i.e. non-cyclic), O=C=C=O, which when excited can fragment into CO + CO and C 2O + O. Regardless of the precursor, m/z 28 CO+• is always the base peak in artifactfree metastable ion (MI), collision-induced dissociation (CID) and neutralisation–reionisation (NR) mass spectra of C2O2. The presence of neutral C 2O2 as a stable intermediate, possessing a lifetime (about 1 μs) of the order of the transit time between the neutralisation collision cell and the reionisation collision cell in neutralisation–reionisation (NR) mass spectrometry, has been suggested in a recent study. 8 On the basis of the observation of NR peaks corresponding to C 2, C2O and CO2 it was proposed that viable neutral C 2O2[X ~ , a ~ , A ~ , ...] (ground and/or excited state) was produced in the neutralisation of C 2O2 ion by Xe collision gas, only to then undergo completely dissociative reionisation by O 2 collision gas, yielding no detectable recovery signal at m/z 56, C2O2. It was stated, 8 that the above interpretations must remain inconclusive with regard to the stability of the neutral C 2O2 molecule. The production of transient C 2O2 by electron transfer to the C2O2 ion was considered unproven, not least because the dissociation behaviour of C 2O2 is unknown. Correlation rules can be used to predict the direct unimolecular dissociation products and these will be discussed later. In contrast, Sulzle et al. had discounted the possible generation of stable neutral C 2O2 during the neutralisation step in an NRMS study of C 2O2 ion generated from squaric acid. On the basis of the calculated difference in geometry between the trans-bent C 2O2[X 2Πu(2Bu)] ion and the linear C2O2[X 3Σg–] neutral, it was proposed that all C2O2 ions should undergo neutralisation to a dissociative (i.e. Σg) state of the neutral C 2O2 molecule (presumably the C2O2[b 1Σg+] state) leading to a barrier-free dissociation into CO[ X 1Σ+(g)] + CO[X 1Σ+(g)]. The presence of peaks in their NR spectra assigned to C 2 and C2O, otherwise structure indicative fragments, were dismissed as having other explanations for their possible geneses. 9


Abstract Amorphous famed silica was used to enhance the fluorescence signal of a mixture of polynuclear aromatic (PMA) compounds separated by paper chromatography. Benzo[a]pyrene-r-7, t-8, 9, 10-tetrahydrotetrol (BPT) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) were well resolved by paper chromatography using a 50% (v/v) mixture of acetonitrile and 5 mM pH 7.0 phosphate buffer as the chromatographic solvent. A 200–400% enhancement of the fluorescence intensity was observed when fumed silica was applied to the chromatographic paper prior to separation. the results demonstrate that paper chromatography using fumed silica treated paper offers a simple, cost-effective method to improve sensitivity for fluorescence detection of PNA components in environmental samples relative to untreated paper.


The invention discloses a method for producing a biocarbon-based slow-release nitrogen fertilizer, which is characterized by comprising the following steps: thermal cracking or gasifying corn straw, or apple tree waste branch, trunk and wood chip to obtain the biocarbon; mixing the biocarbon and an ammonium nitrate solution, or urea and the ammonium nitrate solution, fully stirring and drying, or adding a binder with 1-3% of total amount and sending to a granulation system for granulation, then drying to obtain the biocarbon-based slow-release nitrogen fertilizer product. The fertilizer has the advantages of simple and easy preparation technology, and low cost. The biocarbon-based slow-release nitrogen fertilizer contains 10-12% of nitrogen, the biocarbon carrier material is stable in soil, and is a good soil amendment and a carbon sequestration agent, soil is applied for improving soil fertilization, the nitrogen element of the nitrogenous fertilizer loaded by the biocarbon has slow-release effect, so that the loss of the nitrogen element can be reduced, the nitrogenous fertilizer utilization rate can be enhanced; the biocarbon can retain in soil for long-term to play the effects of carbon sequestration and carbon emission reduction, the biocarbon is helpful for alleviating climate warming, and biocarbon-based slow-release nitrogen fertilizer is a green fertilizer.


The pig manure mixed with wood chips and formed compost by means of fermentation. We found that the protease activity, organic matter content and ammonium nitrogen concentration were higher in the early stage of composting. Meanwhile, the urease activity was highest in the high temperature period. The carbon to nitrogen ratio of the compost decreased continuously with fermentation. The dynamic change in the composition of bacterial overtime in the compost of a 180 kg piles were explored using microbial diversity analysis. The results showed that the microbial species increased with the compost fermentation. At the early stage of composting, the phyla of Firmicutes and Actinomycetes were dominant. The microbes in the high temperature period were mainly composed of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria while the proportion of Bacteroides was increased during the cooling period. In the compost of maturity stage, the proportion of Chloroflexi increased, becoming dominant species with other microorganisms including Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroides, Chloroflexi but not Actinomycetes. Bacteria involved in lignocellulose degradation, such as those of the Thermobifida, Cellvibrio, Mycobacterium, Streptomyces and Rhodococcus, were concentrated in the maturity stages of composting. Through correlation analysis, the environmental factors including organic matter, ammonium nitrogen and temperature were consistent with the succession of microbial including Rhodocyclaceae, Anaerolineaceae, Thiopseudomonas, Sinibacillus and Tepidimicrobium. The change of urease activity and carbon to nitrogen ratio corresponded to microbial communities, mainly containing Anaerolineaceae, Rhodocyclaceae, Luteimoas, Bacillaceae, Corynebacterium, Bacillus, Anaerococcus, Lactobacillus, Ignatzschineria, and Bacillaceae.


Online compliance and financial settlement engine was launched in 2000. TradeCard incorporated a number of partners into its service network: financial institutions, credit insurance, inspection and logistics companies. TradeCard quickly grasped market share in footwear and textile industries. TradeCard mainly serves buyers in the US and suppliers in Asia, but is expanding in Europe and transactions are supported worldwide. During the years 2000-2005 TradeCard's business has been growing exponentially. TradeCard platform connects buyers, sellers, and service providers in an online environment, where they can manage the whole documentary process of international trade transaction quickly, visibly, and cost-effectively. In other words, TradeCard is changing the international trade practices. Traditionally companies use banks' services—letter of credit or open account—but TradeCard solution is replacing these services. Although TradeCard is more a substitutor than a complementor to banks' international trade departments, some banks are now trying to use Web-based solutions to gain their customers back. In other words, for survival and growth the banks are adopting e-commerce solutions to letter of credit and open account transactions in order to stay in the financing business. Accordingly, how TradeCard retains its edge in the provision of a financial supply chain solution while expanding the reach of new markets beciomes an important question to tackle. This case is a study of the TradeCard system, electronic solution development in international trade, and the relationship between TradeCard and banks.


Genesys Membrane Products S.L. (GMP) laboratory has demonstrated a broad experience in the development of membranes autopsies, which have been more than 900 during the last decade [1]. Although most of these autopsies correspond to reversed osmosis (RO) membranes, during last years a relevant increase on ultrafiltration (UF) autopsies requirements has been observed. The study of a membrane surface during an autopsy, involves different analytical techniques that will provide the needed information for a final diagnostic. In this work the author intends to show the utility of these autopsies in the diagnosis of UF membranes failures. Besides, data from the autopsies developed in GMP laboratory will demonstrate the usefulness of these techniques for the study of hollow fiber membranes surface. Based on these studies, different UF configurations and compositions are reviewed and some examples and statistics about UF fibers fouling are also included.


S OF THESES IN SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY FOR WIDCH DOCTORATES WERE AWARDED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD IN 1998 F. S. J. ABEL, Structure and History in Kisar. (BLLD 48-8060) The focus of the present thesis is a study of the Oirata of southern Kisar, in eastern Indonesia, who provide a demonstration of the structural historicity of sodocosmic constructions, in which the historical manipUlations of symbols aim at a total construction ~d reproduction of the life and maintenance of society. In this historical ethnography, I set out to describe the Oirata 'flow of history' from the hills of Manheri and Mauhara into the 'old houses', le ina le ara, of the present. The architectural enactment of sodo-cosmic categories indicates the immersion of people into genealogical history, la 'it ara, the genealogical 'tree of the past', without which there is neither humanity nor society. Being the most deeply embedded layer of belonging, genealogy is not only history as heritage but also as pragmatic politics. Editors' note: The research theses in social and cultural anthropology listed here are those for which doctorates were awarded by the University of Oxford in 1998. The text of each abstract is as supplied by the author. Those wishing to consult a particular thesis should apply to the Bodleian Library of the University or the British Library Lending Division (BLLD), which should be able to supply microfilmed copies or reprints on request. BLLD reference numbers have been provided below where available. Oxford Research in Social and Cultural Anthropology 183 From the 'old houses', I move to the social and moral 'structures of belonging' that embody history as continuity and transformation. More than in houses or in physical spaces, transformations take place within people's biographies and genealogies. The most important structure of historical transformations is marriage. The Oirata regard marriage as the realm of ritual, symbolic, and political transformations, in which cosmic principles frame human practice; by creating what I call a 'stranger mechanism', the Oirata operate structural re-enactments of the mythical journeys of the past. Nevertheless, every marriage is always a new path which consummates all powers of repetition. Effectively, the Oirata defy structural prescriptions and assign unspoken primacy to historical contextuality. M. BALZANI, Changing Traditions and Rituals of Legitimation: Studies in Kinship from Jodhpur, Rajasthan. (BLLD 49-10159) This thesis, based on fieldwork carried out in Jodhpur between 1988 and 1990, deals with kingship and its relation to authority, legitimation, and power as understood in contemporary Rajasthan. These issues are approached through various instances of 'the invention of tradition' and through a multidisciplinary perspective. Work by historians, ethnohistorians, religious studies specialists and political economists, as well as anthropologists, inform the ethnography which provides the descriptive material of the thesis. Data for the thesis came from archival records, written histories, interviews, and ethnographic observations. Unlike some recent texts which have documented the continued function of royalty in South Asia at the levels of village and household, this thesis considers the position of 'kings' and their courts in modem Rajasthan. Each chapter is in the form of a case-study which takes a ritual act of the Maharajas (matarnpursi, royal funeral; darbar, pilgrimage, ritual ploughing), locates it in historical context, and tries to suggest its contemporary significance. The first two chapters deal with aspects of death rituals as they pertain to Rajput royalty. The third describes the darbar, where the Maharaja enacts his role as central pivot of the state and source of all authority in relation to the elements that go to make up his domain. The final two chapters examine a well-publicised pilgrimage and a private ploughing ritual undertaken by H. H. Jodhpur as responses to recurrent drought. Chapter Four deals with communalism and the nature of a shrine, associated with Muslims, untouchables, and women. Where Chapter One considers the manner in which a ritual performed by the rulers of Jodhpur has altered almost beyond recognition in recent decades, the last chapter examines a ritual which, although archaic, has, from the perspective of the Jodhpur royal household, been invented only in the last few years. 184 Oxford Research in Social and Cultural Anthropology P. BERGIN, Maori Migration and Cultural Identity: The Australian Experience. (BLLD 48-5525) Since the 1970s there has been a significant migration of New Zealand Maori people to Australia. The scope of this thesis, for which fieldwork was undertaken between 1994 and 1996, is to investigate the shaping and management of Maori cultural identity in Australia. Fieldwork was conducted mainly in metropolitan Sydney and New South Wales, focusing principally on those people of Maori descent who have chosen to express Maori cultural identity in the context of Maori communal activities. The importance of the whanau ( extended family) is revealed in the chain of cultural identity and belonging; the whanau's importance is manifest in the metaphorical use of the whanau concept by a variety of Australian Maori groups. The processual aspect of Maori identity is apparent in patterns of Maori language use, the activities of cultural groups, and at the tangihanga (mourning rituals). Death is a paramount occasion for Australian Maori to express solidarity, and may influence attitudes with regard to the value of Maori language and custom~. The tangihanga may also heighten a sense of iwi (tribal) rather than pan-Maori identity. The issue of whether to bury a deceased migrant in Australia or New Zealand raises important questions as to where the Maori migrant belongs. Transitionallinks with New Zealand remain important. Maori cultural identity has also been shaped by ascriptions, both negative and positive, which Australians have applied to Maori. The situational identity of Maori in Australia is revealed by Maori shearers and musicians. A feature of Maori identity in Australia is the growing sense of identification with the interests of indigenous Australians. Maori have sought to respect Aboriginal affinity with their lands, but Maori-Abonginal relationships are not unproblematic. Some people of Maori descent do not wish to participate in Maon cultural or communal activities or even identify as Maori. Sporting involvement, for example, reveals the multiple contexts of belonging for Maori in Australia. F. W. GRIFFITHS, Ethnoeconomics and Native Amazonian Livelihood: Culture and Economy among the Nipode-Uitoto of the Middle Caqueta Basin in Colombia. (BLLD 49-10165) By examining a series of formal oral texts about horticulture, the discussion reveals that the Uitoto hold a dualistic cosmology, in which life is seen as a ceaseless struggle to repel de-humanising and pathogenic forces in the cosmos. It is argued that the Uitoto see their gardening activities as a continuous affirmation of their humanity, and as the practice of cleansing internal human space through the expulsion of harmful elements to the 'outside': the peripheral space beyond the house Oxford Research in Social and Cultural Anthropology 185 and settlement. Within this schema of concentric dualism, subsistence activities are conceived of as a continual process of selecting useful elements from the 'outside' which are then purified into life-giving for incorporation into the physical body and social corpus on the 'inside'. As well as fostering social peace within the human community, garden work strives to maintain cordial relations with parental divinities and related garden ~pirits, who sustain and protect humanity from negative forces in the cosmos. In the same way, regular labour effort in narcotics processing, and the production of garden surpluses for ceremonial exchange, has as its fundamental logic the strengthening of the support of divinities and ancestors who ensure continued social reproduction. Overall, Uitoto models of livelihood feature a pervasive logic of reciprocal nurture, care, and helping between humans, and between humans and spiritual beings. Alongside the key cultural rationale of reciprocity, Uitoto theories of work and well-being focus on cyclical bodily processes. The primacy of a bodily idiom reveals cultural models of a 'corporeal economy' and a 'healing economy', which may find correlates in Amerindian models of livelihood and social reproduction throughout the ethnographic region. Examination of native perspectives on commerce shows that the Uitoto construct a dualistic model of their mixed livelihood which they use to organise their work strategies in the short and long term. As well as a secure source of food, native people value subsistence gardening as a specific practice which not only expresses, but also guarantees their Amerindian personhood: for the Uitoto, their livelihood practice is an essential part of their ethnic identity. L. M. HOECKLIN, Motherhood in the Fatherland: Toward Understanding a 'Mother Centre' in Southern Germany. (BLLD 48-522) High unemployment, negative job growth, high labour costs, tight fiscal policy, and high social transfers, combined with an ageing population, below-replacement birth-rate, and a decline in the extended family are structural conditions facing Germany in the 1990s. The roles of the state, the family, the labour market, and other institutions are being renegotiated to deal with these important changes. Internationally, Germany is also attempting to redefine its role and identity in a changed political context. This study explores changing social constructions of 'motherhood' in one area of Germany within the context of the nation's perceived current economic, demographic, and social 'crisis'. I consider the discourses and symbolism with which motherhood is currently being elabor


Higher education is being influenced by mobile technology use for education purposes. This paper draws opinions from Zimbabwean lecturers on how self-directed learning (SDL) affects m-learning. The study takes a qualitative approach, in which 30 lecturers were interviewed. Semi-structured email interviews were conducted as lecturers were not available for face-to-face interviews. Thematic analysis was applied to the data collected and NVivo (Version 12 Pro software) was used for coding the data This paper explains what SDL is, the link with m-learning and what affects SDL. The paper also discusses how students can be prepared for SDL, which subsequently prepares students for m-learning. Consequently, this will allay concerns by lecturers that students are not ready for m-learning because students are not self-directed. This paper sheds light on how students who are not self-directed learners can be assisted to become more self-directed and better prepared for m-learning. Limitations of this paper are that this study was limited to only 30 lecturers.


Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveying is an important exploration tool because it can map conductivity variations over large areas at a fraction of the cost of ground survey methods. Using rapid but approximate techniques, large volumes of data may be processed to show the variation of conductivity with depth beneath the survey. These approximate methods work well in regions with horizontal layering, but in certain circumstances they can imply the presence of false conductors in the vicinity of 2D and 3D structures. By comparing the AEM response of several 2.5D models, each of which contains a lateral conductivity contrast, we show that artefacts associated with conductivity contrasts can imply the presence of a false conductor when flight direction is towards the area of greater conductivity. When flight direction was away from the area of greater conductivity artefacts associated with the lateral conductivity contrast implied a false resistor. These artefacts were of sufficiently high magnitude that they masked the response of a genuine conductor (1.0 Ω.m) at a depth of 50 m. We show that multiple-component data sets utilising the inherent directional dependence qualities of AEM prospecting systems can be used to minimise interpretational errors in the presence of lateral conductivity contrasts.


Objective: To compare the efficiency between nested PCR with type-specific primers and PCR-RFLP method and improved multiplex-PCR method in HBV genotyping and subgenotyping.Methods: The nested PCR with PCR-RFLP method and the improved multiplex-PCR method were used to identify HBV genotypes and subgenotypes of 100 sera of patients with HBV infection from three hospitals in Dali.Results: The discrepancy between the nested PCR with PCR-RFLP method and the improved multiplex-PCR method was 50%(27/54).Of 100 sera from patients with HBV infection determined by the nested PCR with PCR-RFLP,the proportion of genotype B,C,and B+C were 41%(41/100),25%(25/100)and 34%(34/100);subgenotype Bj,Ba,Cs and Ce were 7.3%(3/41),92.7%(38/41),84%(21/25) and 12%(3/25)respectively.Only one of genotype C was unidentified 4%(1/25).By the improved multiplex-PCR,genotype B,C,and B+C were 33.3%(18/54),13%(7/54) and 9.3%(5/54);subgenotypeBa and Cs were 11%(2/18) and 28.5%(2/7).The detections rate of PCR-RFLP were 100% in genotype and 98.5% in subgenotype,which were significantly higher than that of multiplex-PCR 55.6% and 16%(P0.05).Conclusion: The nested PCR with PCR-RFLP is more reliable and simple to identify HBV genotypes and subgenotypes.


The recent debate about costs of low-carbon electricity has tended to be based on a rather crude 'cost of a generating unit divided by number of units produced' approach. Advocates of renewables in particular talk about 'grid parity' when discussing the costs of generation. However, the potentially vast costs associated with managing the inherent intermittency of some renewables, notably wind and solar, are not at present fully reflected either in the stated costs of these energy sources nor in the quoted 'subsidies' they are receiving. It is becoming increasingly clear that the full costs – both economic and environmental – of all sources of electricity, most notably variable sources such as renewables like wind and solar, should include not only the direct costs referred to above but also indirect costs caused by, for example, the intermittency of the output. These costs are potentially very large and include the need for grid strengthening (grid-level system costs); the effect on the economics of other generators, leading to higher prices (or threats to security of supply, in itself a huge potential cost to consumers); and the greenhouse gas emissions caused by the need to vary the output of dispatchable fossil-fuelled power plants, thereby reducing their thermal efficiency. A rational approach to allocating financial resources to deliver maximum supply security and emission reduction would involve ascribing all costs and environmental effects, direct and indirect, to the source which has ultimately given rise to them. Instead of discussing 'grid parity', the relevant measure should be 'system level parity', including all of these costs which, however they are allocated, will have to be met by consumers and/or taxpayers. This would lead to a very different discussion re the way of achieving economic, security of supply and environmental goals – for example, reappraising the extent to which, in practice, variable renewables can be described as 'low carbon'.


The Prospect of Cities is a set of essays written by John Friedman, many of which were originally given as lectures at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in October and November 1999. They address a series of recurring themes drawn from the more than 50 years that the author has been "student, teacher and practitioner in planning". The author could have also included that he has been one of the significant contributors to both the theory of planning and urban studies more generally. The opening chapter begins with an arresting claim, that the city is dead and that it vanished sometime during the 20th century, to be replaced by an "urban agglomeration without clear boundaries". Further the diversity of the urban form has become more acknowledged in both theory and practice. The present discourse of the "urban" is seen to be dominated by an economic discourse—a single master narrative of intense competition. Friedman's own work on world cities has been influential in shaping this agenda and it is positive to see a more critical stance in his latest writing. Chapter 1 explores the increasing dominance of the urban in the late 20th and early 21st century and reviews the debates surrounding the emergence of world or global cities. In such analyses it is important for Friedman to draw attention to the possibilities for alternative urban pathways for what are often seen as those on the periphery and as such seen to be relatively helpless in the face of contemporary globalising processes. This theme is further developed in Chapter 2 when two models of urban development are compared. The pro-market model which stresses the increasing incorporation of people and countries into a single market and the city-region model providing greater autonomy to the city-region as a collective actor able to create a more collaborative, grounded and sustainable path for development. Chapter 3 moves to the significant area of citizenship and migration and the way this is reshaping trans-national urbanisation. One of the significant changes that is occurring is the growth of trans-national communities and spaces with people being "at home" in two or more places simultaneously. Greater trans-national movement also creates tensions and challenges to both the host society and to the migrant groups as both struggle with the changing nature of their composition and location. Clearly in the 21st century social, political and cultural contacts are globalising alongside economic relations. This leads to an interesting essay on the nature of citizenship and the need to move beyond Marshall's work that Friedman sees as statist and increasingly less relevant to a world where the


Complex mechanical system with numerous design variables and constraints is difficult or impossible to obtain results by adopting traditional methods.Various decomposition-based methods applied in various engineering fields are analyzed,whose advantages and disadvantages are commented.Through illustrations,research on possibility and validity of utilizing decomposition-based multilevel method in design of complex mechanical system is conducted.Furthermore,solving methods for the key problems in this field is discussed.


Heat kernel expansions at finite temperature of massless QCD and chiral quark models generate effective actions relevant for both low and high temperature QCD. The key relevance of the Polyakov Loop to maintain the large and non‐perturbative gauge invariance at finite temperature is stressed.


In uterine cervical cancer, the outcome of treatment has been evaluated by survival or response rate for anticancer drugs. Recently, evaluating subjective quality of life (QOL) has become one of the most important parameter of evaluating patient outcome. The purpose of this study is to make scales for evaluating subjective QOL common to patients with uterine cervical cancer and to examine the scales from a viewpoint of reliability and validity. The 124 items were collected for QOL questionnaire, and finally 28 items including femininity and sexual life domain were selected by gynecologic oncologists, gynecologic care nurses, sociologist and statistician. One hundred and seventy-six patients with cervical cancer were available for this study. Cronbach's α demonstrated good internal consistency, with the coefficient α equal to 0.85. Construct validity was assessed by correlating the CES-D self-recording type depression scale (Radloff, 1977) with this QOL score using Spearman's rank coefficient. The correlation between this QOL questionnaire and the CES-D self-recording type depression scale was r=.-657 (p<0.01). Four items were deleted because of deviation of answering "yes" (more than 90%) in two by simple tabulation, and poor item-total correlation in two. Then, total of 24 items were used for factor analysis. The number of the factors whose peculiar values were 1.0 or more is 5, and the versatility of QOL was suggested. We should add new items and perform test by the revised QOL questionnaire to improve this QOL questionnaire.


Fiber reinforced titanium matrix composite is considered as a superior material for advanced lightweight aerospace application. Fiber/matrix interfacial reaction has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the composites. The SCS-6 SiC fiber reinforced Ti-6Al-4V matrix composite was prepared by foil-fiber-foil (FFF) method at ONERA, France. Stripe samples were cut from the as-consolidated composites and sealed in silicon carbide tube. One group of the samples were annealed for 58h at 550℃, 700℃, 850℃ and 1000℃, the other group were annealed at 1000℃ for 43h, 58h, 80h, 100h, respectively. The interface investigation indicated that the connection between SiC fiber and the matrix is favorite in the composite. And the interface width for as-consolidated composite is only about 0.8μm. The interface width increase with the prolong of annealing time and the increase of annealing temperature. But the increment for the latter is not as high as the former one, which means the annealing time may be the prior factor to influence the interface reaction. The interface width for the composite annealed at 1000℃ for 100h is about 20μm. Interface composition of the composite detected by EDX is as follows: Ti 87.58 wt %, V 4.91 wt %, AI 4.06wt%, Si 3.45 wt %.


Full integration of building energy modelling into the design and retrofit process has long been a goal of building scientists and practitioners. However, significant barriers still exist. Among them are the lack of available: (1) configurable technology stacks for performing both small- and large-scale analyses, (2) different classes of algorithms compatible with common design workflows, and (3) analysis tools for effectively visualizing large-scale simulation results. This article discusses the OpenStudio® Analysis Framework: a scalable analysis framework for building energy modelling that was developed to overcome the three barriers listed above. The framework is open-source and scalable to facilitate wider adoption and has a clearly defined application programming interface upon which other applications can be built. It runs on high-performance computing systems, within cloud infrastructure, and on laptops, and uses a common workflow to enable different classes of algorithms. Lessons learned from previous development efforts are also discussed.


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For stocks of a listed company subject to a takeover offer, a premium must be paid by the bidder to induce acceptance of the offer. For partial takeovers, this premium can be modelled as a put option. While the takeover is current, temporary support for the stock may materialize, possibly resulting in increased prices. The price of options or warrants over the target stock can be used as a means of estimating the ex-takeover stock price, the takeover premium and any extra support that temporarily may be in the observed market price. This leads to an evaluation of the probable success of the takeover.


Meghnad Desai fittingly described the twentieth-century India as 'a tale of two Gandhi dynasties' – Mahatma Gandhi and Indira Gandhi. The confluence of two Gandhi(s) – former, ideologically and latter, socio-historically – provides an opportunity to read Rajesh Khanna's star text with an altogether distinct theoretical approach. In this article, the author attempts to read Rajesh Khanna (1942–2012), the popular and veteran Indian actor, against the politico-historical backdrop of Indira Gandhi's leftward leanings and to reveal the possibility of the Gandhian (former) paradigm for reform and national reconciliation within the iconography and the form of his films. More specifically, the article examines Mahatma Gandhi's framework of an alternate modernity and masculinity embedded within Rajesh Khanna's on-screen persona. Khadi, one of the major tropes for Mahatma to critique the western models of modernity, masculinity and progress, finds a focused attention vis-à-vis the iconography of Rajesh Khanna's star text. Rajesh Khanna's foray into electoral politics in early 1990s, echoing the Gandhian connotations of his stardom, will also be the subject of a brief discussion in this article.


Floral biodiversity, a green gift of nature to mankind, besides providing rich biological resources for food, energy and fibre etc., offer manifold benefit to the human society. Among the major benefits is the utilization of plant resource as curative agents. The natural drugs obtained from the plants have been in use since ancient times and have helped in developing chemical blue prints for a number of related synthetic drugs. Current trends all over the world have shown that for one reason or the other, people are not only willingly making use of natural medicines especially, those of plant origin, but are also actively seeking non-conventional remedies.


Leif Dixon. Practical Predestinarians in England, c. 1590-1640. Farnham, Surrey and Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2014. viii + 380. pp. $149.95. Review by ANDREW J. MARTIN, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY. Careful readers will benefit tremendously from Leif Dixon's thorough study of late Elizabethan and early Stuart predestinarian pastoral theology. Contrary to many previous treatments of the subject that either assumed or argued for the anxiety inducing potential of predestinarian theology, Dixon compellingly demonstrates that the doctrine of predestination was a source of tremendous comfort in the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Along the way, he seeks to answer two key questions. First, why was the doctrine of predestination such a source of comfort? Second, how did predestinarian ministers understand and communicate this message of comfort (3)? The pursuit of these questions leads Dixon to the conclusion that as Protestantism became a matter of settled national identity the doctrine of predestination "was forced to change form" and increasingly became a "means of guiding believers", of "strengthening their faith", and of "helping them to interpret--and change--the world in a meaningful way" (7). Methodologically, the book is oriented less to the reception of predestinarian theology among the religious public and more to the manner in which predestination was preached (8). As a result, Dixon focuses on printed sermons and manuals of practical divinity. After the introduction and an opening chapter surveying the development of predestinarian theology in early modern Protestantism, chapters 2 through 5 are organized around individual pastors and theologians, including William Perkins, Richard Greenham, Richard Rogers, Thomas Wilson, and Robert Sanderson. The final two chapters widen the lens in order to survey predestinarian sermons from 1603-1625 (chapter 6) and funeral sermons (chapter 7). Throughout the book, Dixon sets forth his historiographical sensibilities clearly and carefully. He is generally sympathetic with Nicholas Tyacke's thesis that the "Calvinist consensus" that emerged under Elizabeth and James was challenged by the "rise of Arminianism" under Charles I (4), and also with Patrick Collinson's narrative of a powerful and well-integrated puritan influence at the center of early modern English life upset by the changing tide of the Caroline regime (5). He accepts Peter Lake's definition of puritanism as "an activistic style of piety" (5, 13-14), and also follows Lake and John Morrill in seeing it as an identity forged through a "cultural process" (13). The book's dual emphasis on the cultural significance of theological ideas and the importance of cultural context in shaping the development and practice of theology is especially refreshing (4). The chapters on the individual pastors are arguably the strongest, and one reason for this is that Dixon frequently pauses to compare and contrast the thought of each subsequent thinker with those previously considered. The result is a narrative that builds gradually and progressively adds categories of analysis, thus allowing for the easy digestion of what would otherwise be a dizzying array of ideas. Impatient readers could skip ahead to the useful spectrum summarizing Dixon's understanding of the relationships between each figure (225-6), but to fully appreciate the nuance and care of the broader argument it is necessary to pay careful attention to the material that both precedes and follows this helpful summary. Dixon makes several interesting claims in relation to the individuals he considers. His treatment of William Perkins shows that he developed his pastoral theology in response to a series of "inherited cultural anxieties about valid sources of authority" (63). Whereas W. B. Patterson has recently argued that Perkins was not so much a puritan as an apologist for the established church, Dixon insightfully points out that the question is less one of whether Perkins supported the Church of England and more one of "the degree to which he supported it, and the conditions which he placed upon that support" (78). …


This article examines the situations in which hardship takes place and offers a substantiated analysis about the desirability or necessity of certain remedies under domestic laws, model hardship clauses and international legal instruments. The authors submit that the duty to renegotiate as well as the remedies of contract adaptation and/or termination by a court or arbitral tribunal, although present in several legal systems, are neither necessary nor desirable under current trade practice and dispute resolution methods. The authors take the view that the traditional remedies, e.g. exemption of damages, duty to mitigate loss and/or avoidance of contract by a party's declaration, may serve, more adequately, the interests of contracting parties in hardship scenarios.


In all fields of geochemical and environmental sample analysis, reference materials play an increasingly important role. Although the provider of an analytical result must document the measurement process used to establish traceability links, most publications do not contain data of reference materials. Therefore, the focus of this paper is to clarify the role and use of reference materials and certified reference materials, to discuss the importance of reference materials for geoanalytical work and to present the GeoReM database for reference materials of geological and environmental interests. The GeoReM database contains published analytical data, compiled data and metadata for 1880 geochemical and environmental reference materials including 156 Chinese reference materials, provides geoanalysts with details of those samples of particular relevance to applications. Preferred values and their uncertainties are also provided in this database. Although most of the GeoReM preferred values are not ISO compliant, they have a high level of confidence and are therefore useful for calibration purposes and quality control. The importance of future input of Chinese reference materials published in Chinese scientific journals is pointed out.


Roofing sheets of buildings have been observed to fail under extreme wind conditions as in a wind storm. This paper presents the analysis of wind loads and pressure capacities (based on results of static test on different steel roofing sheet systems used in Malaysia using AS 1562.1-1992 available as the limit state wind pressure capacities in technical brochures. The values are compared with design wind pressures for critical and interior regions of the roof for different wind zones and different conditions of importance factor, terrain/ height, pressure coefficient and local pressure factor. The suitability of different roofing sheet systems for different wind zones is assessed. It was concluded that the subtle square fluted profile is more economical compared to other profiles with same thickness.


Objective To observe the effect of preoperative radiotherapy on tumor nest infiltrating lymphocyte(TIL) subsets.Methods From January 1999 to October 2007,107 patients with rectal cancer were enrolled into the trial.They were treated by preoperative radiotherapy,30 Gy/10 fractions/12 days.Two weeks later,the patients were operated on.The effect of preoperative radiotherapy on the number of CD3,CD4,and CD8 were analyzed retrospectively,and they were studied before and after radiotherapy.Results Tumor nest CD3 increased significantly after radiotherapy,while CD8 decreased significantly,CD4/CD8 increased significantly after radiotherapy.CD3 correlated significantly with recent local response.Conclusions Tumor nest CD3 and CD4/CD8 increase significantly in rectal cancer after preoperative radiotherapy,and CD3 correlates significantly with recent local response.


Review : John Gray, Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia. London: Allen Lane, 2007. Every major political disaster spawns (...)


AbstractA 2D video disdrometer (2DVD) probe was used to gather detailed drop measurements over a 770-min rain event. Accumulated totals of the rainfall and of the number of drops for each square centimeter showed persistent, significant correlated structures across the approximately 11 cm × 11 cm grid of the 2DVD. This is surprising because larger-scale studies suggest that the values in each square centimeter should be highly correlated with very little variation. Nevertheless, this correlation remains strikingly similar to what is observed at a coarser resolution, suggesting that it somehow scales with spatial resolution. However, because the correlation functions are not power laws, the origin of this scaling must be due to a factor other than fractal geometry. Analysis reveals that this occurs because of a filtering effect such that as the domain size (or resolution of a remote sensor) becomes finer, it is only the smaller wavelengths that contribute most to the variance so that the correlation functi...


The sub-micron e-CL-20 with average particle size of 721.9nm was prepared by gas anti-solvent(GAS) technique.Some of the technical conditions affecting the particle size and modes of crystallization of CL-20 were studied.Small scale gap test and impact sensitivity of sub-micron CL-20 and its raw material were tested.Optimized parameters of preparing the sub-micron e-CL-20 are obtained: average pressure increase velocity 4.0MPa/min,solution concentration 8.0g/100mL,system temperature 50℃ and system pressure 10.5MPa.It can be found that its gap thickness is decreased 58.6% and its characteristic droop height is higher 84.1% than that of its raw materials.


In the course of producing material pulp, water-content (or the density of material pulp) is a very important process parameter. There are many elements which affect the water-content of material pulp, therefore it is very difficult to build precise mathematical module. In the meantime, the control system is nonlinear and retarded. For such control systems, the classical control system and modern control system is always hard to be applied, but fuzzy control can usually gain good results. This paper briefly illustrates the basic composing frame graph of the fuzzy control system of the automatic measuring and controlling apparatus on water-content in material pulp. We design the fuzzy controller of the automatic measuring and controlling apparatus on water-content in material pulp from these aspects: from the fuzzification of the sendout values, the rules of fuzzy reasoning, the adjustment of fuzzy control rules through the principle of double-factor self-organized fuzzy control, and the précising of the input values, and etc., and give the program frame graph of the fuzzy control algorithm. The successful application of the Intelligence Measuring and Controlling Apparatus on water-content proves that the design of the fuzzy controller is reasonable.


Income inequality is considerably high and still growing, which may cause a significant loss of India's human development and economic performance in the post-pandemic period. Thus, using cointegrating models viz; FMOLS, DOLS, CCR, and ARDL models, we scrutinize short-run as well as long-run impact of natural disaster, economic development, technological innovation, and human capital on income inequality in India. Results show that the natural disasters and economic development worsen income inequality in both short- and long-run. Further, India's human capital also aggravates income inequality in the short run. In contrast, India's technological innovation and human capital in the long run improve income distribution significantly. Finally, the policy suggestions are mentioned in the conclusion section. Our results are consistent and robust with alternative modelling.


This article addresses intercultural tolerance, the need to measure that construct, and the development of a new diagnostic inventory, the Intercultural Tolerance Scale. Issues discussed include background, development, and preliminary test reliabilities and validities.


We report on a 50-year-old woman (photo-type II) with a painless, skin-coloured, ulcero-nodular tumour (8 mm in diameter) on the right lower eyelid (Fig. 1). She was unable to give any information about the duration of the tumour. The suspected diagnosis of BCC was histologically con® rmed. As the patient refused to undergo micrographic surgical treatment, we decided to try imiquimod, applied over 7 days once daily. One year after the end of treatment she presented an inconspicuous, histologically con® rmed, tumour-free scar (Fig. 2).


BACKGROUND
Nowadays, the researchers have focused their interest on the developmentof the novelanti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents. Literature survey reveals that many imidazo-thiadiazole molecules were used as key intermediates for development of novel drugs. The synthesized imidazo-thiadiazole derivatives were tested for in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory study. The present research paper will give an idea to readers about diseases caused due to free radicals.

OBJECTIVE
To develop novel antioxidant and anti-inflammatory drugs Methods: Imidazo-thiadiazole derivatives 5a-fweresynthesized by cyclo-condensation reactions in two steps. First, the synthesis of 2-amino-thiadiazole derivatives from substituted aromatic carboxylic acids and thiosemicarbazide by usingPOCl3as a solvent as well as catalyst. In next step, imidazo-thiadiazoles were prepared from 2-amino-thiadiazole derivatives with appropriate α-haloketones in presence of Polyethylene glycol-300 (PEG-300) as a green solvent. These imidazo-thiadiazole derivatives were prepared by using novel method. The synthesized compounds were in vitro tested for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatoryactivity.

RESULTS
In vitro evaluation reportshowed that nearly all molecules possess potential antioxidant activity against 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Nitric oxide (NO), Superoxide radical (SOR) and Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2)radical scavenging activity. Most of imidazo-thiadiazole derivatives have shown significant anti-inflammatory activity as compared withdiclofenac sodium asa reference standard.

CONCLUSION
Our efforts to develop potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents having a preeminent activity in the search to find novel therapies for treating inflammation and oxidation. Imidazo-thiadiazoles 5a, 5e as well as 5f showed potential anti-inflammatory activity. All tested imidazo-thiadiazole derivatives (5a-f) were showed potential antioxidant activity against one more radical scavenging species as compared to ascorbic acid as reference standard. Thus, imidazo-thiadiazole derivatives constitute an interesting template for design and development new antioxidant as well as anti-inflammatory agents.


With reform of shandong welfare system and price raising of basic daily necessities, the national basic living cost has a bigger rise. So personal income tax exemption should have a rise, too. Meanwhile China should establish the code system of taxpayers and introduce the blue declaration system.


Objective To observe the efficacy and complications of different type of stents in the treatment of symptomatic middle cerebral artery(MCA)stenosis.Methods The clinical data of 64 patients with MCA M1 stenosis treated with different type of stents were analyzed retrospectively.All the patients with MCA stenosis70%,ineffective after medical therapy and repeated attack of transient ischemia or with ischemic stroke.One of the patients complicated severe stenosis on the cavernous segment of the ipsilateral internal carotid artery,1 patient complicated severe stenosis on the contralateral vertebral artery (V4 segment).The patients were divided into Wingspan(n=25),Coroflex Blue(n=21)and Firebird (n=18)groups according to the different kind of stents implanted.The patients were followed up with TCD,DSA,and telephone inquiry after the procedure.Results ①The success rate of stent placement for MCA in 64 patients was 96.9%(62/64).The success rates in the Wingspan,Coroflex Blue and Firebird groups were 96.0%(24/25),95.2%(20/21)and 100%,respectively.There were no significant differences,②Within 30 days after procedure,2 patients had cerebral infarction,and one of them was caused by the occlusion of the cavernous segment of ipsilateral internal carotid artery,and another was caused by occlusion of perforating branches of MCA in the Wingspan group;1 patient had frequent ventricular presystolic contractions,and another had intracerebral hemorrhage in the Coroflex Blue group;1 had subarachnoid hemorrhage in the Firebird group.③The TCD examination at 6 to 12 months after procedure showed that 9(14.5%) patients had MCA restenosis.The restenosis rate in the Wingspan group was 16.7%(4/24)and in the Coroflex Blue group was 15.0%(3/20),and in the Firebird group was 11.1%(2/18).The restenosis rate of the self-expanding stents was slightly higher,but there was no significant difference.Nineteen patients received DSA angiographic follow-up study,1 patient had severe MCA stenosis,1 had moderate stenosis and 4 had no stenosis in the Wingspan group;1 patients had severe stenosis,1 had moderate stenosis and 6 had no stenosis in the Coroflex Blue group;I patient had moderate stenosis 15 months after stenting,and 4 had no stenosis in the Firebird group.Conclusion All the 3 kinds of stents are safe and effective for treatment of MCA stenosis.The restenosis after procedure must be concerned.The long-term efficacy remains to be further observed.


Enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection caused host immune responses and resulted in severe pathogenicity. In this study, a preliminary anti-EV71 activity of 58 Taiwanese folk medicinal plants and further investigations of the anti-EV71 activity and immunomodulatory effect of Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (Maxim.) Trautv (ABT) were performed. Of the 58 plant extracts, 37 extracts exhibited anti-EV71 activity and strong activity was demonstrated by six extracts with average 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) below 80 μg/ml. The ABT (one of the most effective plants) acetone extract exhibited relatively high antiEV71 activity with 26.11 μg/ml of average IC50, 3.6% of that of the positive control (ribavirin, 734.52 μg/ml). The anti-EV71 modes of the ABT extract included viral infection prevention, viral inactivation and anti-viral replication. Acidic pH treatments slightly decreased anti-EV71 activity of the extract. The ABT extract significantly increased the interlukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-1β and decreased the IL-8 levels in the EV71-infected cells. In summary, a high rate of the screened plants exhibited anti-EV71 activity and the greatest activity was demonstrated by ABT. High amounts of IL-6 induction in the infected-cells had high correlation with the anti-viral replication of the ABT extract.


T H E S I S SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF Mottot o f $ I | t I o f i i o p ( ) p IN ZOOLOGY


PURPOSE
We compared the subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) measured on the images obtained by two spectral-domain optical coherence tomographic (SD-OCT) instruments and one swept-source OCT (SS-OCT) instrument.

METHODS
A cross-sectional, prospective noninterventional study was done in which SFCT was measured in the images obtained by two SD-OCT instruments; Heidelberg Spectralis-OCT (Spectralis-SD-OCT) and Topcon 3D OCT-1000 Mark II (Topcon-SD-OCT). Images also were obtained with SS-OCT Atlantis DRI OCT-1 (DRI-SS-OCT). After manual segmentation, the measurements were made using the calipers embedded in each instrument. The intrarater, interrater, and intermachine agreements were assessed.

RESULTS
We studied 35 subjects. The intrarater correlation coefficient (95% confidence interval) was 0.994 (0.988-0.994) for Spectralis-SD-OCT, 0.996 (0.993-0.998) for Topcon-SD-OCT, and 0.997 (0.991-0.998) for DRI-SS-OCT (P < 0.001). The interrater correlation coefficient was 0.995 (0.991-0.998) for Spectralis-SD-OCT, 0.995 (0.990-0.998) for Topcon-SD-OCT, and 0.996 (0.992-0.998) for DRI-SS-OCT (P < 0.001). The average SFCT was 273.2 μm with Spectralis-SD-OCT, 269.1 μm with the Topcon-SD-OCT, and 280.5 μm with DRI-SS-OCT. The intermachine correlation coefficient was 0.982 (0.964-0.991) for Spectralis-SD-OCT versus Topcon-SD-OCT, 0.907 (0.815-0.953) for Topcon-SD-OCT versus DRI-SS-OCT, and 0.911 (0.832-0.954) for DRI-SS-OCT versus Spectralis-SD-OCT (P < 0.001). The SFCT measured with DRI-SS-OCT was significantly thicker than that with Topcon-SD-OCT, with a mean difference of 11.41 ± 30.27 μm (P = 0.032).

CONCLUSIONS
In normal adult eyes, there was good reproducibility and repeatability of SFCT measurements obtained by the SD-OCT and SS-OCT instruments. However, the choroid measured with DRI-SS-OCT was thicker than that measured with both SD-OCT instruments, and, thus, the choroidal thickness should not be compared between the SD-OCT and SS-OCT instruments. (www.umin.ac.jp/ctr number, UMIN000011259.).


In the wire EDM using a thin wire electrode, the reduction of wire vibration is important to achieve a high-precision machining, since the large amplitude of wire vibration leads to large kerf width, low shape accuracy, rough machined surface, low cutting speed and high risk of wire breakage. In this study, the movements of thin wire electrode during the process were directly observed by using a high-speed video camera in order to clarify the wire movement in fine wire EDM. The effects of machining conditions on the wire movement in the direction perpendicular to the machining direction were experimentally investigated. The results showed that the wire vibration amplitude in fine fire EDM increased with the wire running speed and flow rate of jet flushing but decreased with the wire tension. Also, the wire vibration during the process includes various frequency vibrations with 1st order string vibration. Furthermore, the wire vibration frequency increased not only with the wire tension but also the discharge pulse frequency.


This paper proposes a simulation analysis method of anti-electromagnetic interference based on field-circuit co-simulation for a case. Without considering the degradation of electronic products, the interdisciplinary equation, margin equation and measurement equation are established based on the margin reliability principle and the uncertainty principle, which are used to conduct a belief reliability assessment of anti- electromagnetic interference before products are put into use. Based on the evaluation results, optimization and improvement measures are proposed to improve products' reliability. The application of belief reliability theory and method in electromagnetic simulation analysis is realized, and it is of great significance to the improvement of existing electromagnetic simulation analysis methods. Finally, the paper summarizes the full text and looks forward to the follow-up work.


Ethyl acetoacetate ethylene glycol ketal (Fructon) was synthesized by reaction of ethyl acetoacetate and ethylene glycol using ammonium ferric sulfate as a catalyst. The optimum reation conditions were established through orthogonal test.


The experiment was conducted to optimize the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium requirement of Cymbidium hybrid "Show Girl Cook's Bridge" grown in the polyhouse. The treatments consisted of spraying of four combinations of N:P:K (5:5:5, 10:5:5, 15:5:5 and 20:5:5) each at three concentrations (0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3%) and a control (distilled water). The results shows that application of 10 N : 5 P: 5 K at 0.1 % concentration as foliar spray at fortnightly intervals produced maximum length (51.96 cm) and number of leaves (6.69). While number of shoot increased to a maximum of 3.00 in 20N: 5 P:5 K at 0.2 concentration, number of pseudo bulb/clump was maximum (6.00) in 20 N: 5 P: 5 K at 0.3% concentration. Spraying 20 N: 5 P: 5 K at 0.3% concentration resulted in early flowering having two numbers of spike / pseudobulb with a length of 45.00 cm and 5.50 numbers of flower/ spike.


Deposition of Li-MgO catalyst on commonly used supports (containing SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , SiC, ZrO 2 ,

HfO 2 , etc.) causes a drastic reduction in the catalytic activity/selectivity for the oxidative methane coupling reaction and also in both the

total and strong surface basicity. The decrease in the catalytic activity/selectivity and basicity is attributed to strong chemical interactions between the

catalyst and support which occur during the high temperature (750°C) calcination/pretreatment of the catalyst. The chemical interactions result in

catalytically less active binary and ternary metal oxides containing Li and/or Mg, thus deactivating the Li-MgO catalyst by consuming its active

components.


book SWISS SOCIETY OF NEONATOLOGY 2 3 Technical difficulties in management of neonatal diabetes mellitus in the preterm infant Dr Douggl G N Bailey, Dr Tiziana Gozzi Department of Neonatology/Intensive Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St. Gallen Department of Diabetology, Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St. Gallen To date little data has been published on treatment of neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) in premature infants, whether transient neonatal diabetes mellitus (TNDM) or monogenic permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus (PNDM). Initial treatment usually consists of continuous insulin application. If a genetic mutation is detected in genes responsible for potassium channels (e.g. KCNJ11 and ABCC8) treatment may be switched to oral sulfonylurea, overlapping with continuous insulin application. Particularly the technical management of NDM in the preterm infant is heavily underrepresented in current literature. We present the case of a female preterm infant born at 36 3/7 weeks gestational age with severe symmetrical IUGR and a birth weight of 1600g (P<1). On day six she developed clinical late onset sepsis and was treated with amoxicillin/clavulanate and gentamycin, blood cultures came back positive for staph. epidermidis. Initial presentation of hyperglycemia was assumed to be associated with the sepsis, therefore requiring i.v. insulin. Subsequently we observed persistent hyperglycemia, leading us to suspect NDM. Insulin infusion was therefore reintroduced before switching to continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) on day 17. Basal rate was adjusted for blood glucose levels, meal boluses were not administered. Genetic testing for mutations in KCNJ11, ABCC8 and INS genes was carried out at Exeter Molecular Genetics Laboratory, no mutation was found. Insulin requirement was continuously reduced and CSII was discontinued on day of life 33. When switching from i.v. insulin to CSII we encountered various technical difficulties in administering an accurate dose of Novorapid® preventing hypoglycemia. Firstly, Insulin U100 had to be diluted to U10 in order to maintain appropriate flow rate in the catheter. Secondly, all subcutaneous devices readily available are decidedly oversized when used on an infant weighing under 2000g. Thirdly, localization of sufficient subcutaneous fatty tissue in a severely IUGR infant posed an additional problem, inducing stress for the infant and its parents. Finally, flow rate on the Medtronic Minimed 640G pump could not be switched to U10 concentration, the displayed dose had to be calculated separately and dilution and stability of the insulin was critical. Conclusions When treating severely IUGR and/or premature infants with CSII modifications according to patient size and weight are required. Cortical response to sensory stimuli in newborns after birth – the NociCop trial Kasser Severin 1, Hartley Caroline 2, Rickenbacher Hanna 1, Klarer Noemi 1, Depoorter Anoinette 3, Datta Alexandre 3, Huhn Evelyn 4, Green Gabrielle 2, Slater Rebeccah 2, Wellmann Sven 1 1 Division of Neonatology, University of Basel Children's Hospital (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland 2 Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom 3 Division of Neuropediatrics & Developmental Medicine, University Children's Hospital (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland 4 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland Aims and objectives The process of vaginal birth prepares the fetus for the extra-uterine environment and, in comparison to infants delivered by planned caesarean section (PCS), confers respiratory, cardiovascular and homeostatic advantages to the newborn. The effect of delivery mode and birth stress on nociception is largely unknown. The objective of this study was to examine noxious-evoked brain activity a few hours after birth in infants born by vaginal delivery (VD) as compared to PCS. Materials and Methods A prospective, single-centre study was performed at the University Hospital of Basel after approval by the local CEC (EKNZ 2015-079). Parents of infants who expected to deliver their infants at term age by VD (n=92) or PCS (n=48) were approached. Due to various predefined exclusion criteria such as infections, assisted VD, contractions or rupture of membranes prior to PCD, transfer to the NICU or incomplete data, finally a total of 41 infants were included, VD n=22, PCS n=19. Noxious stimulation was induced 3 to 5 hours after birth by a punctate mechanical stimulus to the right dorsal hand (semiautomatic pinprick device, 32 mN, 50 stimuli repetitions each patient) and evoked potentials were recorded in addition to facial expression of the baby. The vasopressin surrogate marker copeptin was measured in arterial cord blood at birth. Analyses of EEG signals were performed as previously published by our group. Results The average gestational age at the time of the study was 39 ± 0.91 weeks (mean ± SD). The magnitude of the evoked nociceptive-specific brain activity was significantly higher in infants born by PCS 25 ± 1.3 μV (median ± SD) as compared to VD (18 ± 1.2, p<0.01). The evoked magnitude was positively correlated with arterial cord blood pH (p=0.038) and negatively correlated with copeptin (p=0.015). In a linear regression model with evoked magnitude as dependent variable and delivery mode, sex and parity as independent variables, boys had significantly higher nociceptive sensitivity than girls also after adjustment for gestational age at delivery. Conclusion Birth experience shapes nociceptive sensitivity in newborn infants in a stress and sex-dependent fashion. Association of axonal injury and preeclampSIA Katrina Evers 1, Andrew Atkinson 2, Marc Pfister 2, Christian Barro 3, Urs Fisch 3, Olav Lapaire 4, Jens Kuhle 3, Sven Wellmann 1 1 Division of Neonatology, University of Basel Children's Hospital (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland 2 Division of Pediatric Pharmacology and Pharmacometrics, University of Basel Children's Hospital (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland 3 Division of Neurology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland 4 Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland Aims and objectives Preeclampsia (PE) is a main reason of preterm birth and is characterized by maternal hypertension, proteinuria and neurologic symptoms. Neuronal damage is the morphological substrate of acute or persisting neurological disability. Neurofilaments (Nf) are specific scaffolding proteins of neurons and their quantification in serum serves as biomarker for axonal injury e.g. in neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this study was to determine serum Nf concentrations in pregnant women with and without preeclampsia. Materials and methods A prospective, single-centre study was performed at the University Hospital of Basel enrolling high risk pregnant women for preeclampsia. Nf light chain (NfL) was measured using a newly established single molecular assay (Simoa) in serum samples collected during serial visits from 25 weeks gestational age (GA) until shortly after birth in addition to the two PE prediction markers soluble VEGF receptor-1 (sFLT1) and placental growth factor (PlGF). Multivariate logistic models were performed with NfL or PE as dependent variable regressed on baseline covariates. Linear mixed effects models with random intercept and slopes were calculated to address the serial visits. Results In total 250 pregnant women were enrolled of which 17 were excluded due to missing blood samples. 81 out of the remaining 233 developed PE (34.8%). NfL serum concentrations were significantly higher in women with PE (mean [95% CI] 47.0 pg/nl (33.2-60.9) as compared to controls 22.9 pg/nl (20.7-25.3), with 3.4 fold higher levels at 25-28 weeks GA (visit 1), 2.9 at 29-32 (visit 2), 1.6 at 33-36 (visit 3) and 1.5 at 37-40 (visit 4). After adjusting for covariates NfL was an independent predictor for PE at visits 1, 2 and 3, sFLT1 at visit 1 and 4 and PlGF at visit 2 and 3. Conclusions In pregnant women who develop preeclampsia the axonal injury serum marker NfL is significantly increased. The underlying mechanisms are unknown. A possible explanation is that the preeclampsia underlying endothelial dysfunction causes blood-brain-barrier disruption and concomitant neuronal damage. In summary, NfL may be an early marker to predict the occurrence of preeclampsia. The impact of maternal grave's disease for the newborn – a case presentation Eva Wehrli 1, Mara Hesse 1, Maren Tomaske 1, Daniel Konrad 2 1 Neonatologie, Stadtspital Triemli, Zürich 2 Endokrinologie, Kinderspital Zürich Objectives Neonatal Graves' disease (GD) develops in about 1-5% of infants born to mothers with GD. It is caused by transplacentar passage of maternal TSH receptor antibodies (TSHR-Ab) and can lead to prematurity or symptoms of hyperthyroidism in the newborn. We present the case of a premature infant born to a mother with GD. Background Neonatal GD is caused by the transplacentar passage of maternal stimulatory TSHR-Ab binding to and stimulating the TSH-receptor of the baby leading to hyperthyroidism. On the other hand, blocking TSHR-Ab may cause hypothyroidism, which may also result from the transplacentar transfer of thyreostatic drugs. According to The European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology Consensus Guideline (ESPEC) TSHR-Ab, FT4, T3 and TSH in the umbilical cord should be measured. If TSHRAb are positive, the measurement should be repeated on day 4 and within 7-10 days. If the thyroid function is normal and the child is asymptomatic, no further investigation is necessary. Otherwise, an individual treatment needs to be discussed. Generally, prognosis of neonatal GD is good as it often resolves spontaneously within 3-12 weeks when maternal antibodies have decreased. Case Description A premature boy (33 4/7 weeks GA, bw 2580g) was born to a mother with GD. Previously, the mother was treated with total thyroidectomy at 28


Three studies are described in which choice reac tion time (RT) was related to such psychometric ability measures as verbal comprehension, nu merical reasoning, hidden figures, and progressive matrices tests. Although fairly consistent negative correlations were found between these tests and choice RT when high school samples were used, differences from study to study highlight the need to develop more reliable measures for cognitive laboratory procedures and to study these in popu lations that are more broadly representative of hu man cognitive power.


The genetic history of wheat is the story of the world's temperate staple food. Arcahaeologically, charred grains are the common way wheat is preserved. Study of burnt spelt wheat from the British Iron Age shows DNA is present, and begins to shows the wheat's character.


A two-dimensional flow model has been developed to investigate the resin impregnation for the unidirectional fabrics with small gaps and small fiber bundles. The effect of various ratios of gap size to bundle width (h/D) on the micro-flow interaction is analyzed. The liquid flow within the fiber bundles is modeled by the Brinkman's equation and the liquid motion in the gap is a simplified creeping flow. Results show that the liquid fronts in the gap move faster than that within the bundle and it is the potential for void entrapment within the bundle. The possibility for void entrapment can be reduced by using a low ratio of h/D or a high bundle permeability. The pressure interaction is trivial for a small gap. Contrarily, the small bundle has a strong influence on the pressure distribution. A boundary layer is significant near the permeable interface. The thickness of the boundary layer increases with large gap size and low bundle permeability. Thus, Brinkman's equation must be applied for the unidirectional fabric having both a high ratio of h/D and a low bundle permeability.


The concept of the right XST-rings was introduced by Garcia and MarinW in 1999. In this paper, the authors show that two complete additive categories determined by two subrings of ring R which are right XST-rings are isomorphic. Through describing the relationship between the g-dense right ideal and the dense right ideal of End(yiM) for a generator AM over a unital ring A, the authors obtain that all the complete additive categories over the intermediate matrix rings lying FMr(A) and FCr(A) are isomorphic. Moreover, it is extend the Morita-Like equivalence chain for intermediate matrix rings[2], and improve the main results obtained by Garcia and marin[1]


Videos and commercials produced for large audiences can elicit mixed opinions. We wondered whether this diversity is also reflected in the way individuals watch the videos. To answer this question, we presented 65 commercials with high production value to 25 individuals while recording their eye movements, and asked them to provide preference ratings for each video. We find that gaze positions for the most popular videos are highly correlated. To explain the correlations of eye movements, we model them as "interactions" between individuals. A thermodynamic analysis of these interactions shows that they approach a "critical" point such that any stronger interaction would put all viewers into lock-step and any weaker interaction would fully randomise patterns. At this critical point, groups with similar collective behaviour in viewing patterns emerge while maintaining diversity between groups. Our results suggest that popularity of videos is already evident in the way we look at them, and that we maintain diversity in viewing behaviour even as distinct patterns of groups emerge. Our results can be used to predict popularity of videos and commercials at the population level from the collective behaviour of the eye movements of a few viewers. It is often said that our preferences and biases influence the way we see the world. This is literally true when viewing static images, where prior preferences influence our gaze, and inversely, our point of gaze can affect our subsequent judgments of what we see [1, 2]. Thus, it is conceivable that our differing preexisting preferences are only reinforced by a biased view of the world, even during such simple behaviours as looking at images. On the other hand, viewers seem to have a remarkably similar way of looking at dynamic visual stimuli. Well-produced movies, in particular, effectively synchronize eye-movement trajectories across viewers [3, 4]. Perhaps more importantly, movies elicit quite similar brain responses across viewers [5], especially when the audience is engaged and attentive [6, 7]. Interestingly, this similarity of brain responses can predict various preferences of large audiences [8]. Perhaps then, well-produced video material also synchronises judgments, and so we asked whether similarity of eye movements is predictive of collective preference ratings. To answer this question, we selected videos with high production value that have been viewed by large audiences. We used commercials aired during the 2014 Super Bowl championship game of the National Football League (American football), watched by over one hundred million people [9] and for which population-level preferences ratings are readily available. The quantitative analysis of these data is based on homophily and inter-subject correlation (ISC). In sociology, the study of homophily has gained considerable attention by showing that


The intercalate compound ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}{(\mathrm{C}\mathrm{O}}_{2}{)}_{x}$ has been synthesized by hot isostatically pressing ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ under 170 MPa of ${\mathrm{CO}}_{2}$ and 350 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. Neutron powder diffraction studies conducted on ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}{(\mathrm{C}\mathrm{O}}_{2}{)}_{x}$ between room temperature and 5 K have been analyzed using Rietveld techniques and reveal a structural transition between a high-temperature (\ensuremath{\gtrsim}250 K) face-centered cubic phase [$\mathrm{Fm}3\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}m,$ $a=14.224(2)\AA{}$ (293 K)] and a low-temperature (\ensuremath{\lesssim}150 K) monoclinic phase [${P2}_{1}/n,$ $a=9.7438(9)\AA{},$ $b=9.7473(9)\AA{},$ $c=14.6121(11)\AA{},$ $\ensuremath{\beta}=90.390(6)\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ (5 K)]. The ${\mathrm{CO}}_{2}$ molecules occupy the octahedral interstices between the ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ molecules and are oriented along the body diagonal of the high-temperature phase. In the low-temperature phase they are tilted slightly away from the c axis so as to place the oxygen atoms adjacent to the center of a pentagonal face on the ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ molecules.


Only 20% of the 871 passenger injuries occurring between 1992 and 2001 on U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) inspected passenger vessels were caused by vessel casualties. The vast majority of the injuries (80%) did not result from a vessel casualty. This is just one of many findings in a review, reported on in this article, that was conducted by the USCG's Compliance Analysis Division. The study examined the 871 injuries occurring between Jan. 1, 1992 to July 1, 2001 on U.S. flagged, USCG inspected passenger vessels operated under the regulations found in 46 CFR Subchapter T.


Microscopic analysis of cells using an inverted microscope is a daily routine procedure in every cell culture laboratory. Visual examination of cultures is crucial e.g. to assess the degree of confluence of the cell layer and confirm the absence of contaminants. Furthermore a lot of cell culture based assays performed in plate formats are analyzed using manual or automated microscopic techniques. Besides instrumentation, the choice of the consumable strongly influences the microscopic results: e.g. meniscus formation of the liquid results in optical interference disturbing the phase contrast effect. Cells can hardly be focused with sufficient contrast, thus making it difficult to use this technique in smaller formats like 96-well plates. Moreover interfering shadows may limit the area of observation and a poor surface planarity may result in increased refocusing. The precise design with enhanced planarity and the minimized meniscus formation in Eppendorf Cell Culture Consumables result in a uniform illumination, a minimum of refocusing and an excellent phase contrast, thus facilitating a quick and precise microscopic analysis of cells.


In this paper, we explore non-traditional, serendipitous uses of an automatic speech recognition (ASR) application called Live Transcribe. Through these, we are able to identify interaction use cases for developing further technology to enhance the communication capabilities of deaf and hard of hearing people.


Humanitarian demining is a matter of high interest, but metal contamination and magnetic soils reduce the sensitivity of metal detectors. The soil contamination also increases the numbers of false alarms which, in some areas, account for as much as 99.9 % of all alarms. The decrease of false alarms is therefore attractive. Our solution is capable to be adapted and utilized with current professional metal detectors. Essentially it consists of several modules with modular structure, where the master module is always necessary in all applications and the navigation module has to be connected in cases where position estimation is required. Searching part of the detector is able to work in continuous wave mode with variable excitation signal and the possibility to utilize more carrier frequencies. Furthermore, the modular structure can use different search heads available on the market as well as heads developed for special purposes. The modular metal and mine detector described is capable to detect not only unexploded ordnance and explosive remnants of wars, but also pipes and wires in walls and floors indoor which is useful property during not only buildings reconstructions.


Reverend Sir, Having the sole privilege for diving on all the coasts in the Baltic belonging to his Swedish Majesty, no opportunity has been wanting to make sufficient trials with the diving bell air barrels in several depths, according to the ingenious improvement of that worthy gentleman Dr. Edmund Halley, made in the year 1716, but with some small additions.


The heat of hydration evolution of three cement pastes and one cement paste with superplasticizer having varying water to cement ratio have been studied by means of isothermal calorimetry during the first 7 days of the hydration process and by means of solution calorimetry for up to 120 days. The results of early heat of hydration values obtained by both methods are comparable. The heat evolution of cement paste (expressed in Joules per gram of portland cement) is increasing with increasing water to cement ratio. The superplasticizer is acting as retarder in forst days of hydration, but after 7 days the influence of superplasticizer is negligible.


Abstract This paper examines the utility of Nature-Assisted Therapy and its processes in conjunction with students who have been identified as having special needs. In addition, it weighs both the pros and cons of applying this method with various populations. Finally, it weighs the value of this approach within the educational setting and identifies common strategies that have been adopted. Abstract This paper examines the utility of Nature-Assisted Therapy and its processes in conjunction with students who have been identified as having special needs. In addition, it weighs both the pros and cons of applying this method with various populations. Finally, it weighs the value of this approach within the educational setting and identifies common strategies that have been adopted.


Cold storage has been recommended to preserve onion bulbs, but producers always have doubts about its quality, during this period and when they are exposed to environmental conditions. We evaluated the onion bulbs quality, cv. Superex, packed in plastic fiber bags, during storage under 10-12°C (68% RH) during 91 days. After 1; 16; 31; 61 and 91 days, samples were transferred to environmental conditions (22°C, 59% RH). Onion bulbs were evaluated for fresh mass, appearance and occurrence of rot, internal color, lightness, color or hue angle and chromaticity, alliinase activity, soluble solids and titratable acidity content. Bulbs under environmental condition lost more fresh mass than those stored under refrigeration and maintained acceptable quality for 38 days. Only bulbs stored during 91 days presented bad appearance when transferred to environmental conditions. Bulbs showed tendency of internal yellowing, without significant changes in soluble solids and titratable acidity. During the cold storage period, the pungency increased from "pungent" to "hot pungent" and remained stable during ambiental conditions.


For automotive glazing, polycarbonate offers unique creativity options for styling and design, significant weight reduction, and advantages in passenger safety and security. New coating systems for polycarbonate provide resistance to more than 10 years of outdoor exposure, which is one of the most important quality criteria for polycarbonate windows. Additionally, glass-like abrasion performance is secured with plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technology. These coating technologies as well as predictive weathering models will be presented. Options for automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as defrosters, integrated panoramic roof systems, highly curved backlights, ambient lighting, and innovative door modules will also be reviewed.


Dear Editor, The multicenter survey conducted by Michael and colleagues suggested that the selection criteria employed to perform transesophageal echocardiogram did not increase the chance of identifying left atrial (LA) thrombi in a patient cohort with primarily nondilated left atria and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF).1 I have a few concerns regarding this survey. First, the majority of the hospitals did not use the well-quantified selection criteria to determine the patients at risk for stroke. Only one hospital employed CHADS2 scoring system. This is a very well-validated system derived from a study validated subsequently by a larger study involving 11,526 patients.2,3 This system assigns 1 point for cardiac failure (c), history of hypertension (h), age greater than 75 years (a) and diabetes (d) and 2 points for a history of stroke/TIA (s). Using the CHADS2 score, the adjusted annual stroke rate increases from 1.9% to 18.2% for patients with score 0 to 6. Second, if they did not use CHADS2 scoring at least the hospitals should have used the guidelines from American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, and European Society of Cardiology for evaluating the high risk patients for stroke with AF.4 Studies have documented that the rate of stroke ranges from 0.5% to 2% with ablation, similar to other procedures available to treat AF.5 Therefore, we cannot ignore the usage of proper validated selection criteria to evaluate the risk of stroke for identifying the LA thrombi.


: Recent studies demonstrated the efficacy of calibrating rainfall-runoff models using continuous measurements of water level in rivers. The water-level based calibration, that implements an inversed rating curve function in conventional rainfall-runoff models and incorporates a small number of regionalized discharge indices in the calibration (hereafter referred to as IRC_reg method), has important implications for extending rainfall-runoff modelling to basins with no discharge observations. However, the method is applicable only to basins equipped with water level sensors if we rely on ground-based observations. In this work, we demonstrate the efficacy of using remotely sensed water level data collected by an altimetry satellite, Jason 2, to calibrate a rainfall-runoff model. The altimeter-based calibration is applied to five study catchments in Australia, resulting in Nash Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) values of 0.31-0.66 (excluding one outlier), which are comparable with NSE values of 0.66-0.87 (daily observations) and 0.22-0.62 (10-day observations) for ground-based calibration. The altimetry-satellite-based calibration performance is highly correlated with river width. Previous studies recommended that the cross-sections of rivers along the satellite tracks should be wider than 350 meters to enable Jason 2 to estimate accurate water levels (Dumont et al., 2009; Markert et al., 2019). However, all rivers in this study are narrow rivers with widths ranging from 7 meters to 85 meters, which influence the accuracy of altimetry-based water level measurements and the subsequent calibration performances. Also, the 10-day temporal frequency of the Jason 2 is expected to affect the calibration performance.


In this article, we give an overview of different approaches to learning, and explain what is meant by a reflective approach to continuing professional development (CPD). We then suggest ways in which a reflective approach can be used to maximise the benefit and enjoyment of learning opportunities.


Full-length chloride intracellular channel protein 1 (CLIC1) is a member of the family of proteins related to bovine chloride intracellular channel p64. Mutations in the SEDL gene cause spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda (SEDT), a rare X-linked chondrodysplasia. The link between the intracellular chloride channels and SEDL is an important step toward understanding their functional interplay. In the present study, CLIC1 protein was subcloned into the pGEX-KG vector and overexpressed in XL-1 blue cells. We developed a large-scale expression system composed of glutathione S-transferase (GST) fused with a 240-amino-acid CLIC1 protein in Escherichia coli. The soluble CLIC1 protein was successfully purified to homogeneity, and its purity, identity, activity and conformation were determined using SDS-PAGE, MALDI-MS, biophotometer and circular dichroism spectroscopic studies. The binding of both CLIC1 and SEDL proteins in vitro was detected by BIAcore biosensor and fluorescence measurements.


The vertex displacement of high-rise building under maximum annual wind pressure is calculated. Utilizing finite element software-ANSYS the maximum displacement of structural vertex under mean wind load and the variance of displacement response under dynamic wind load are respectively calculated. In addition, further calculation of failure probability and reliability index of structure are made.


One of the most visited natural attractions is tourism with natural scenery in the form of clouds that can be seen in a place that is higher than the clouds. This tour is better known as the Land Above the Clouds, which is precisely located in Lolai Village, Kapalapitu District, North Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi Province. According to the Tana Toraja Regency Culture and Tourism Service (Disbudpar), tourism development in Tana Toraja Regency is still constrained by infrastructure and supporting facilities. Tourism infrastructure is natural and man-made resources that are absolutely needed by tourists traveling in tourist destinations, such as roads, electricity, water, telecommunications, terminals, bridges and so on. In the development of NDA-L tourism infrastructure, the North Toraja district government is more dominant because they can take multiple benefits from this development, such as increasing the flow of information, economic traffic flow, the flow of human mobility between regions and so on which of course can increase business opportunities and work. With the better condition of roads and infrastructure at the NDA-L tourist sites, it is not surprising that there are increasing tourist visits. Especially on holidays or holidays. The number of visitors can be up to 20 thousand visitors per day. Of course this will be very beneficial in terms of the economy and tourism development. Especially for economic improvement through the tourism industry, there are many benefits that can be taken if the existing economic industry can develop optimally.