Due to continuous and rapid advances in mobile hardware and wireless technology, devices such as smartphones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) are becoming a truly mobile alternative to bulky and heavy notebooks, allowing the users to access, search and explore remote data while on the road. Application fields that benefit from increased staff mobility are business consultants, mechanical engineers, and doctors in hospitals, for instance. However, a drawback that impedes this development is that the form factor of mobile devices requires a small-sized screen. Hence, given a large data set, only a fraction of it can be displayed. To identify important data the users are typically forced to linearly navigate the off-screen space via scrolling. For large information spaces, this is tedious, error-prone, and particularly slow. In contrast, the concept of zoomable user interfaces (ZUIs) has been found to improve the user performance for a variety of retrieval and exploration scenarios. While ZUIs have been investigated mainly in desktop environments, the objective of this work is to analyze the usability potentials of zooming and panning in a mobile context given the constraints of a small screen and pen-input. Based on a comprehensive review of related work, the reported research is structured in two parts. First, we focus on the development of mobile starfield displays. Starfield displays are complex retrieval interfaces that encode and compress abstract data in a zoomable scatterplot visualization. To better adapt the interface to the requirements of a small screen, we merged the starfield approach with semantic zooming, providing a consistent and fluent transition from overview to detail information inside the scatterplot. While the participants in an informal study gave positive feedback regarding this type of data access, they also showed difficulties in orienting themselves in the information space. We further investigated this issue by implementing a zoomable overview+detail starfield display. Thus, while navigating the detail view, the users could keep track of their current position and scale via an additional overview window. In a controlled experiment with 24 participants, we compared the usability of this approach with a detail-only starfield and found that the separate overview window was not able to improve user satisfaction. Moreover, due to the smaller size of the detail view and the time needed for visual switching, it worsened task-completion times. This result led us to implement a rectangular fisheye view for starfield displays. The interface has the advantage that it displays both detail and context in a single view without requiring visual switching between separate windows. Another usability evaluation with 24 participants was conducted to compare the focus+context solution with an improved detail-only ZUI. While task-completion times were similar between the interfaces, the fisheye was strongly preferred by the users. This result may encourage interface designers to employ distortion strategies when displaying


Laboratorium voor Genetica, Universiteit Gent, B-9000 Gent, Belgium SAM-S (EC 18.104.22.168) catalyzes the biosynthesis of SAM (Adomet) from Met and ATE'. Adomet is a universal methyl group donor in severa1 transmethylation reactions and is involved in the regulation of the biosynthesis of Met and other Asp-derived amino acids. In plants, Adomet also func- tions as a precursor in the biosynthesis of the phytohormone ethylene and serves after decarboxylation as a propylamine group donor in the biosynthesis of polyamines (Goodwin and Mercer, 1983). SAM-S genomic and cDNA clones have been isolated and characterized from a variety of species, including


This paper presents arguments for a re-analysis of the b-prefix in Gulf Arabic dialects. Similar to several other dialects, Gulf Arabic possesses a b-prefix that is inserted before the p-stem (prefix form) of the verb. However, the Gulf Arabic b-prefix differs substantially from the one encountered in other Arabic dialects. According to most previous studies, the Gulf Arabic b-prefix encodes future tense or intentive mood or a combination of these. Based on a thorough survey of the use of this particle in modern speech, I suggest that it is used in Gulf Arabic today as a generalized marker of the irrealis mood rather than being limited to function as a future/intentive marker. Futurity is one - but not the only or necessarily the most important one - of its connotations. Meanwhile, another marker, rāḥ, emerges as an obvious future marker in some parts of the dialectal area. (Less)


It is shown that the fraction p of ones in the Mn positions of M distinct binary n-tuples satisfies a given inequality. This inequality, which simplifies the derivation of the distance property of the Justesen codes, is proved using an elegant information-theoretic argument due to Kriz.


Is evidence that the MBP1 protein could potentially serve as a drug target for the next generation of antifungal agents. Cases of fungal infections, such as oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) continue to be problematic, especially in neonatal intensive care units (Dotis, et al., 2010). Recent studies of ICU and cancer patients consistently find C. albicans to be the predominant yeast species isolated (Figure 2) (Shoham, et al., 2009 & Lalla, et al., 2010). There is evidence that MBP1 plays a role in the filamentous growth of C. albicans and is similar in sequence to the S. cerevisiae gene (Herman, et al., in progress). Genotype of Yeast Strains Used in Study


The linear stability theory is used to investigate analytically the effects of vibration on convection in a homogenous porous layer heated from below. The gravitational field consists of a constant part and a sinusoidally varying part, which is tantamount to a vertically oscillating porous layer subjected to constant gravity. The linear stability results are presented for the specific case of low amplitude vibration for which it is shown that increasing the frequency of vibration stabilizes the convection.Copyright © 2004 by ASME


Objective To study the prophylactic effect of traditional Chinese medicine bupleurum polyclonum(BP) on hepatic fibrosis in rats.Methods Experimental model of hepatic fibrosis was induced by carbon tetrachloride(CCL_4) and supplementary high-lipid and low-protein diet and alcohol-containing beverage.Serum and liver biochemical markers and collagen content were tested to evaluate the prophylactic effect of bupleurum polyclonum on hepatic fibrosis.Results Pretreatment with BP could decrease the activities of ALT and AST in serum,reduce the MDA content,increase the SOD activity,prevente the increase of HyP in liver tissue in CCL_4-induced chronic liver injury model rats.Histomorphological studies showed that the degeneration and necrosis were decreased in prophylactic group.Conclusion BP could prevent the genesis and development of hepatic fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats.


This paper focuses on automatic compensation algorithm for the automatic compensation of the material flow system hardware and software structure,the application of automatic compensation in the Laiwu Steel 3200 M3blast furnace control system indicates that the system designed reasonably,and ensures the uniform distribution of raw materials to the blast furnace.


This article describes an intelligent electronic tourist guide system which is composed of microcontroller AT89S52, radio frequency chips nRF24L01 and audio decoder chip ATJ2051. The hardware and software used in the system were characterized. A proto-type has been built to overcome many of the limitations of the traditional information and navigation tools available to visitors. The system has shown a good performance in anti-interference, especially in handy operation and playing stability. In this article we present an evaluation of the proto-type, focusing on the quality and flexibility of the visitor's experience when using the system.


In the present work, the Nafion/Pt interface is simulated utilising molecular model systems in DFT calculations. Results indicate the formation of intermediate structures (represented as R-SO3PtnH and R-SO2PtnOH), which can contribute to the stabilisation of the membrane/catalyst interface in fuel cells. The systems exhibit energy density (E/n) and bond lengths dependent on the size of the platinum clusters.


The re se a rc h p rogram was in itia ted to le a rn w hether d iazomethane ring expansion m ight prove a reasonable m ethod of arriv ing at p e rh y d roazulenes that a re re la ted to some sesqu iterpenes. In the course of the investigation, which involved 4 -m eth y l-c is 3 a ,4 ,7 ,7a-tetrahydrophthalan as a m odel, it was con cluded that a m ethyl group can have powerful d irective effects; possibly m ore e lec tron ic in nature than s te r ic . Also, the choice of an oxygen heterocyclic system as a model fo r the carbocyclic system s resu lted in an analysis of the long range d irective effects of oxygen. Additional studies using a sulfur h e te ro  atom confirm ed the long range h e te ro -in te rac tio n s. As p a rt of the study using oxygenated sy stem s, the sex a t t r actant of the bark beetle, Dendroctonus b re v icom is, w as p rep a red by an unambiguous syn thesis . The in itia l question of the p rog ram , that of investigating the use of di azomethane rin g expansion, was answ ered and evidence shows that the d e sired product is that obtained in g re a te r quantity. O verall y ie lds, however, appear to be prohibitive in using th is as a synthetic route . The poor ring expansion may re su lt from e lec tron ic and /o r s te r ic effects.


Atomic layer deposition of cobalt silicide (CoSi2) thin films on H-terminated Si(111) surfaces, using the cobalt-based precursor tertiarybutylallylcobalttricarbonyl (tBu-AllylCo(CO)3) and trisilane, is investigated by in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to uncover the film growth mechanisms. The strong reactivity of tBu-AllylCo(CO)3 with H-terminated silicon surfaces and inertness with silicon oxide surfaces, as previously determined by IR spectroscopy [Chem. Mater. 2012, 24, 1025], opens the door for selective deposition. Deposition of CoSi2 is observed after a brief nucleation period (∼3 cycles), during which the stabilization of the cobalt precursor takes place, as evidenced by a shift of the stretch frequency of the carbonyl groups bonded to the Co center from 2010 to 1980 cm–1. This shift is evidence for completion of the catalytic reaction and leads to a surface termination and configuration that is favorable for subsequent ligand...


The paper examines the current popularity of cross-gender brand extensions, based on its theoretical foundations in branding and gender differences in information processing strategies. We argue that consumers experience a situation of gender-salience in the case of cross-gender brand extensions, resulting in gender-differential responses towards the practice.


Surface pasting is a composition method that applies B spline surfaces called features to any number of other B spline surfaces called base surfaces in order to add details on the base surfaces The locations as well as the size of the features are determined by transformations of feature domains By modifying the domain layout of pasted surfaces we can manipulate the appearances of features interac tively in a Domain Space User Interface However this domain user interface is inadequate because the user cannot interact with the three dimensional model di rectly In this thesis I propose a World Space User Interface that attempts to map three dimensional user actions to two dimensional domain operations and aims at providing a more intuitive and e cient modeling interface for surface pasting


SUMMARY The design, control, and actuation of legged robots that walk is well established, but there remain unsolved problems for legged robots that run. In this work, dynamic principles are used to develop a set of heuristics for controlling bipedal running and acceleration. These heuristics are then converted into control laws for two very different bipedal systems: one with a high-inertia torso and prismatic knees and one with a low-inertia torso, articulated knees, and mechanical coupling between the knee and ankle joints. These control laws are implemented in simulation to achieve stable steady-state running, accelerating, and decelerating. Stable steady-state running is also achieved in a planar experimental system with a semiconstrained torso.


Abstract : The structure of the atmospheric entrainment zone, an interfacial layer betweeen the convective boundary layer and the stable air aloft, is studied using data obtained during Boundary Layer Experiment 1983 in Oklahoma. Coincident high resolution aircraft and lidar observations provided a unique picture of the daytime continental entrainment zone. Fast-response Lyman alpha hygrometer output voltages from the aircraft are calibrated to yield meteorological units of humidity. Humidity values indicative of surface layer air are observed at all levels within rising thermals, and the corresponding top-hat humidity cross sections suggest little lateral entrainment. Two approaches are taken to describe the humidity structure of the entrainment zone. The first uses the linear mixing character of specific humidity. This yields vertical profiles of the proportion of surface layer air that are described well by the cumulative distribution function of asymmetrical double exponential functions. The second approach models frequency distributions of three types of air in the entrainment zone: unmixed free atmosphere (dry); unmixed surface layer air (moist); and a mixture of these two. These results can be useful in cloud models and for future studies of the boundary layer.


Kalawa (Epinephelus spp.) caught on board FORV Sagar Sampada was frozen in the absolutely fresh condition as well as after keeping for 5 and 10h at ambient temperature. Evaluation of changes in the quality of these samples during storage at -20°C indicated appreciable difference between the fresh frozen and delayed frozen fish during the initial stages of storage. Fresh frozen and 5h delayed froze fish samples had a shelf-life of more than 62 weeks, whereas the 10h delayed frozen fish had a shelf-life of about 48 weeks.


Solar flat-plate collector is an important component in solar-thermal system, and its optimization is critical for the efficiency of energy utilization. In this paper, a comparative study on the thermal performance of solar flat-plate collector was carried out by numerical simulation under the conditions of different thicknesses and materials of absorber plate. The results show that the increase of absorber plate thickness contributes to restraining convection loss. The collector efficiency levels off when the absorber plate thickness reaches a certain value. In considering thermal performance and production cost, aluminum is an optimal material for absorber plate.


Plutonium is one of the most dangerous materials on earth. Ten pounds are enough to make a crude nuclear weapon; one-thirty thousandth of an ounce will cause cancer if inhaled. Plutoniums lethality is measured in millennia, not decades or days. Its most prevalent form has a half-life of 24,000 years. With plutonium, the odds are against humankind. If nation states continue the costly production and use of plutonium, they risk weapons proliferation, environmental devastation and human health damage. These odds should banish plutonium as too dangerous to continue being produced. Building on the international nonprolifer ation regime and current practices in the nuclear industry, a more comprehensive and specific regime must be constructed to manage plutonium and speed its elimination. All forms of plutonium can be made into weapons, although some mixes of isotopes are less desirable to weapons designers. The release of plutonium into the environment poses health and environmental risks. These risks might be more tolerable if plutonium held unques tionable economic value in the foreseeable future. But no proven technology exists to generate electricity from plutonium at econom ically competitive costs. Countries determined to remain on the commercial nuclear path need not use plutonium; fuels made of low-enriched uranium suffice. Unlike plutonium or highly enriched uranium, these fuels are not


In mice irradiated with 50, 250, 450, or 650 r 24 hr prior to a single infection with 200 T. spiralis larvae, no interference in the development of acquired immunity was noted 14 days postinfection. However, interference with the maintenance of immunity was noted at 20 and 28 days in those exposed to 450 ana 650 r. In general, mice showing a normal immune response showed a pattern of weight loss and later gain associated with the stress of intestinal inflammation, When similar doses of irradiation were given to previously immunized mice 24 hr prior to a challenge infection, there was no interference with the maintenance of acquired immunity by 7 days postchallenge. However, after high doses (450 and 650 r), interference with immunity was evidert at 14 days. Recovery of immunity was evident within an additional 2 weeks. Interference with acquired immunity was demonstrated in immunized mice at 7-day necropsy when the schedule of irradiation (450 r) was altered so that the 7-day necropsy was equivalent to the 14-day period in the previous experiment. It is suggested that radiation interferes with 1 or more phases of the intestinal inflammatory response. Irradiation effect on acquired immunity appears to be anmore » indirect one brought about by damage to the hematopoietic system, which is thereby unable to supply the large numbers of cellular elements needed to initiate and maintain an effective inflammatory response. (P.C.H.)« less


Between 1824 and 1828, the aged William Godwin, who thirty years before had written the speculative but highly successful Enquiry concerning political justice, published a four volume study of the English Republic, the History of the commonwealth of England. Godwin's publisher, Henry Colburn, paid an advance of five hundred pounds for what was originally conceived of as a work in two volumes, and he no doubt did so because he expected that the book would appeal to a public that showed a great deal of interest in the civil war period. One reason for this interest was that historical studies of the seventeenth century, and commentaries upon them in the reviews, played a significant role in contemporary political argument.


Although accelerated runoff of rain-water and consequent speeded-up erosion resulting from man's removal of the natural cover of vegetation and disruption of the normal porosity of the soil with plows and domestic animals alter the ground-surface more than any other physical agency, save perhaps the light of the sun, the fundamental processes involved with these artificially-induced changes of natural soil-conditions have not been recognized or studied in any systematic manner until within the past fifteen years. More than all other physical agencies with which man has any causative association, accelerated erosion is responsible for soil-impoverishment and eventual soil-destruction. Fully 75 per cent of the crop-producing and grazing areas of the United States is eloping enough to set in motion, moderately or violently, these wasteful processes of accelerated soil-removal and excessive runoff. That 36 million acres of formerly cultivated land have been essentially ruined by erosion and that an additional area of about 125 million acres, still largely in cultivation, have lost all or most of the topsoil, with another 100 million acres of crop-land heading in this direction, should be sufficient evidence that the problem is one of profound economic importance. Especially must this be considered true since the wastage is now proceeding faster than ever, owing to the fact that considerable time was requires to strip off the more absorptive surface-layer from millions of acres, and to the further fact that the subsoil is generally more erosive than the soil. The cost runs into hundreds of millions of dollars annually, in the way of direct depreciation and essential destruction of fields and pastures, the silting of reservoirs, stream-channels and ditches, damage to highway and railway fills and embankments, choking of culverts, covering of valuable valley-lands with relatively unproductive erosional debris, and pollution of former clear-water streams with excessive loads of silt and day washed out of the hills.


If conservation depends on people, then community partnerships are the lynchpin to conservation success. The contribution of local knowledge, intellectual capital and volunteer labour not only saves project managers invaluable time and money, it fosters ownership and longevity into conservation initiatives well beyond their projected timeframe. Island communities are socially and culturally diverse and driven by a range of motivations. Hence, if we are to deliver conservation programs at scale, we need to better understand and embed these drivers into program design. We present four contemporary case studies on major populated islands in Australia where community collaborations are building the collective impact needed to underpin conservation success. They contain key learnings about community involvement, to help guide managers with future island planning and avoid some pitfalls.


Objective:To observe the clinical safety in treatment of non-ST elevation myocardial infarction with aspirin and clopidogrel,and to take an extraction of the main nursing points. Methods:76 patients with acute NSTEMI were treated with aspirin and clopidogrel as well as anti-anginal drugs. and accepted stricty nursing. Results:Clinical symptoms and ischemic ST segment depression were improved,and had a small influence on index of blood clotting(P0.05),that was APTT prolongs from(35±4.1)seconds to (38±5.2) seconds. Conclusion:Therapy of Platelet Antagonists would be more effective and safety to seconds. Because of its bleeding side effects we should enhance the nursing.


The potency of 8−phenyltheophylline as an antagonist at A, adenosine receptors in guinea‐pig atria and at A2 adenosine receptors in the guinea‐pig aorta has been investigated. 8‐Phenyltheophylfine was an apparently competitive antagonist of the negative chronotropic effect of adenosine, 2‐chloroadenosine, L‐ N6 ‐phenyl‐isopropyl adenosine (L‐PIA) and 5′‐ N‐ethylcarboxamide adenosine (NECA) on atria and of the relaxant effect of adenosine, 2−chloroadenosine and NECA on the aorta. The pA2 values for 8−phenyltheophylline ranged from 6.4 to 6.6 and were not significantly different, irrespective of the agonist or tissue used. These results indicate that 8−phenyltheophylline is a relatively potent antagonist at adenosine receptors but does not exhibit selectivity for either of the putative sub‐types in isolated tissues.


In order to explore the correlation between the surface radioactive anomaly and the underground oil reservoir, radioactive log data have been colleced from 310 wells in 9 oil reservoirs which respectively belong to 4 types of trap and supplementary surface radioactive measurement have been done in 5 oil reservoirs. The data confirm that the anomalies are continuous from an oil reservir to the surface; above the same reservoir, the radioactive anomaiy will reduce as the distance between the measurement point and the oil reservoir increase; in the oil field with multiple reservoirs or multiple layers, the high value anomaly on the boundary of esch layer is individual. The whole morphologies of the anomalies of different types of reservir are quite similar, but their anomaly value is related to their oil trap conditions.All of these give direct evidence for the vertical migration of radioactive materials in the ground. On the basis of previous work and the author's study, some new conceptions have been advanced that the main material source of radioactive anomaly in the oil field is the source rock in the oil basin and that the overlying strata pressure, the static water pressure, the geothermal and the gas buoyancy cause micro-cycle of fluid transportation in the oil basin, A comprehensive model of radioactive anomaly has been set up on the basis of the conceptions discussed above.


The unusual performance of likelihood methods for genetic linkage models with unknown phase is examined. The maximum likelihood method for recombination frequency yields estimates of .5 for many possible sets of data. The likelihood ratio test for homogeneity of linkage among several groups is often too conservative. The magnitudes of the differences between nominal and real probability levels of this test are computed for various combinations of number of groups and sample size. An example from forest genetics is discussed.


The behavior of linear macromolecules with some flexibility is considered. A ''trumbell'' model is used which consists of three beads connected by two rigid rods and a hinge with a restoring force proportional to the angle of bending at the middle bead. This model, which has four curvilinear nonorthogonal configurational coordinates, seems to be the most complex that can be solved completely at present. The relaxation spectrum λi is found for different values of the relative bending force constant Z=e/kT by numerical integration of Kirkwood's diffusion equation using Hassager's collocation method. The viscoelastic behavior is calculated by extending Hassager's procedure. The results show two main contributions: (i) a slow relaxation λ1 which is nearly pure rotation and which tends to the rigid‐rod limit as Z increases, (ii) a fast mixed bend‐rotation relaxation λ2 proportional to Z. A pure‐bending mode of relaxation also exists, but it does not contribute to the viscoelastic behavior of the model.


Punctodora exochopora n. sp., collected from the Canadian shore of Lake Ontario in the vicinity of Bath, Ontario, differs from the type, P. ratzeburgensis, in having the excretory duct projecting f...


The impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection on the survival of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐related end‐stage liver disease (ESLD) is unknown. Because HIV infection is no longer considered an absolute contraindication for liver transplantation in some countries, it has become a priority to address this topic. The objective of this study was to compare the survival of HIV‐infected and HIV‐uninfected patients with decompensated cirrhosis due to HCV. In a retrospective cohort study, the survival of 1,037 HCV monoinfected and 180 HCV/HIV‐coinfected patients with cirrhosis after the first hepatic decompensation was analyzed. Of the group, 386 (37%) HCV‐monoinfected and 100 (56%) HCV/HIV‐coinfected subjects died during the follow‐up. The median survival time of HIV‐infected and HIV‐uninfected patients was 16 and 48 months, respectively (P < .001). The relative risk (95% CI) of death for HIV‐infected patients was 2.26 (1.51‐3.38). Other independent predictors of survival were age older than 63 years (2.25 [1.53‐3.31]); Child‐Turcotte‐Pugh class B versus class A (1.95 [1.41–2.68]) and class C versus class A (2.78 [1.66–4.70]); hepatitis D virus infection (1.56 [1.12–4.77]); model for end‐stage liver disease score, (1.05 [1.01‐1‐11]); more than one simultaneous decompensation (1.23 [1.12–3.33]); and the type of the first hepatic decompensation, with a poorer prognosis associated with encephalopathy compared with portal hypertensive gastrointestinal bleeding (2.03 [1.26–3.10]). In conclusion, HIV coinfection reduces considerably the survival of patients with HCV‐related ESLD independently of other markers of poor prognosis. This fact must be taken into account to establish the adequate timing of liver transplantation in HIV‐coinfected subjects. (HEPATOLOGY 2005.)


This study discusses the application of the material requirements planning (MRP) method in the planning of raw materials in a furniture company. The purpose of this research is to know the planning of raw materials for furniture products in UD. AA, determine the most suitable inventory model to be applied to material inventory planning and analyze the role of the MRP system in raw material procurement planning. The forecasting method used is the quantitative method of time series analysis, determining the master production schedule, calculating lot sizing (LFL, EOQ, POQ methods). From determining the Master Production Schedule, it is found that the cabinet production plan for the next three months is 4 units per period or week, and based on the calculation of Material Requirement Planning (MRP) it can be seen what components are needed for the manufacture of cabinets, how many and when each component is required. Therefore it is obtained that the total raw material requirement for wood for the next three months is 11.34 m³.


Abstract : A uranium alloy is described, giving data on mechanical behavior and how it is affected by certain variations in alloy content and thermal history. The range in property values thus presented was considerable. The work described is associated with possible applications of depleted uranium for structural purposes.


In supervised multi-task learning, the choice of auxiliary tasks is usually decided manually. This immediately raises the issue of how to choose suitable tasks, which in turn requires the need to measure the similarity between tasks. In this paper, we propose a task-similarity metric that depends solely on the task labels, not on the machine learning models. We show that auxiliary tasks may be synthetically generated from the main tasks with any desired similarity. Labels for these virtual tasks are also generated. Finally, we show that learning these virtual tasks along with the main task leads to real performance gains.


(Received 3 June 2002; revised manuscript received 31 October 2002; published 6 January 2003)Experimental observations on the electron cloud have been collected at the CERN ProtonSynchrotron machine throughout the last two years. At the same time, an intense campaign ofsimulations has been carried out to understand the observed electron cloud buildup and the relatedinstability. In this paper, the results of the numerical simulations are presented and discussed.


This thesis deals with questions of how state-society interactions of two different states, a weak state – Papua New Guinea – and a strong state – Japan – have influenced responses to their respective internal and external challenges, particularly those caused by the anarchic and economic competitive nature of the post-Cold War international environment, globalisation and fragmentation. It is also a study of state endeavours for the survival of these two states. The investigation was founded on the view that traditional state explanations of international relations do not satisfactorily account for the complexity of how state-society interactions in these two countries influence their internal and external efforts towards their state survival. The thesis is also innovative in that there have been almost no studies that have researched the two countries, side by side. Section One of the thesis provides a theoretical framework and explanatory tools – a theoretical framework in international relations through examining globalisation and fragmentation. In exploring the bases for the survival of the state, this thesis investigates the link between domestic political conditions and foreign policy responses by employing the explanatory tools of the state-in-society analysis and foreign policy behaviour analysis. By so doing, the studies presented in this thesis enable the capture of the dynamics of intensified state-society interactions in two different states, and show how these influence the survival of the state. In particular, it considers the difference between a weak state and a strong state. A weak state is limited in its state strength in terms of compliance, government legitimacy and participation and ability to create social cohesion. On the other hand, a state that can maximise its state strength is a strong state. It is argued that both kinds of states have different abilities when responding and adapting to the challenges of globalisation. study the a weak


An algorithm is presented for minimizing the sum of the lengths of the blocks of coding produced by an assembler or compiler when (1) the length of each computer instruction is assumed to be either " long" or "shor t" (" long," if the memory location addressed is more than a predetermined distance from the current location ; "short ," otherwise), and (2) there are blocks of instructions whose beginnings (origins) are separated by prespecified amounts. For example, some computers permit either 8-bit addressing (interpreted relative to the location counter) or full t6-bit addressing of all of memory. When assembling or compiling two or more blocks of instructions which have many mutual references in such a computer, there is no simple iterative procedure for keeping as many of the addresses short as possible. This paper demonstrates that a wide class of problems of this type can be formulated as covering problems solvable by means of elementary arthmetic operations on the column vectors of a ternary matrix.


Hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) play a major role in defining the structure and properties of many substances, as well as phenomena and processes. Traditional H-bonds are ubiquitous in nature and have received considerable attention, yet the demonstration of weak H-bonds, as occur between a highly polarized C-H group and an electron-rich oxygen atom, have proven elusive. Herein, we detail linear and non-linear IR spectroscopy experiments that reveal the presence of H-bonds between the chloroform C-H group and an amide carbonyl oxygen, in solution at room temperature. Evidence is provided for an amide solvation shell featuring two clearly distinguishable chloroform arrangements that undergo chemical exchange with a time scale of ~2 ps. Furthermore, the enthalpy of breaking the hydrogen bond is found to be 6-20 kJ/mol.  Ab-initio computations support our findings of two distinct solvation shells formed by three chloroform molecules, where one thermally undergoes hydrogen bond making and breaking. Our experiments also illustrate extension of the phenomenon to other carbonyl-containing molecules.


A single chip, video CD decoder is described which has been optimized for low cost consumer video CD players complying with the current version (2.0) of the video-CD standard. A summary of decoder features is given with particular emphasis on the decoder features provided for support of video CD play control lists and "trick modes".


In Sanshou development there obviously appeared the Phenomenon that theory falls behind tech- nique. Besides, as a sort of battling oppositional events, its teaching materials and the quantity and quality of its theoretical study were backward, compared with other groups of event. By looking up a large amount of literatures and by video statistics, starting with the attack and defense characteristics, the tactical actions in Sanshou were divided into 7 forms. By Practical statistics of competitions and by observation the characteristics of the application of tactical actions in Sanshou and their effects were analyzed. Their internal rules were revealed so that the competitive Sanshou training could be developed Pertinently and scientifically and its scientific basis would be Provided for reference.


Serial sections, prepared from 0.5 to 30 days post-hatch (dph) larval and juvenile Thunnus orientalis (Temminck & Schlegel 1844), were stained with haematoxylin and eosin and examined by light microscopy for immune organ development. The early kidney was present at 0.5 dph, undifferentiated stem cells began to appear at 2 dph, and by 7 dph occasional small lymphocytes were present. The thymus was first obvious at 5 dph, located above the fourth branchial arch, small lymphocytes appeared at 7 dph, and by 15 dph an outer thymocytic zone and an inner epithelioid zone were visible. The progenitor spleen was present at 2 dph, located close to the gut, and by 12 dph it consisted of a mass of sinusoids filled with red blood cells, and remained mainly erythroid throughout the period studied. These results suggest that development of immune organs in this species is precocious relative to other marine teleosts.


ABSTRACT In this article, daily fields of sea surface temperature (SST) and sea level anomaly (SLA) of the Western Mediterranean Sea obtained in 2011–2013 are being co-analysed. The study is aimed at assessing potentials of the fields of SLA for manifestation of mesoscale eddies in the region of interest. First, the SST imagery was inspected visually and locations of mesoscale eddies noticed in the images were detected. After that, closed contours were extracted in the fields of SLA and their locations were compared with locations of eddies directly seen in the SST images. Such a comparison showed that among anticyclonic eddies found in SST, about 56.3% had corresponding closed contours of SLA; the percentage was increasing with increasing eddy diameter. For cyclonic eddies, supposedly due to their smaller spatial and time scales, such percentage was only about 20.2%. During the warm season, when the mixed layer is particularly shallow and the turbulence is closer to the two-dimensional model, the correspondence between eddies seen in SST and closed contours of SLA was higher than during the cold period.


The submonolayer deposition of Pd on Cu(001) at room temperature (<50 °C) has been studied by low energy alkali ion scattering and low‐energy electron diffraction (LEED). The Cu(001)c(2×2)–Pd and Cu(001)p(2×2)‐p4g–Pd LEED patterns were observed at Pd coverage of 0.5 and 1.0 monolayers, respectively. The results of the azimuthal scans at grazing incidence showed evidence of surface alloying by the substitution of Cu with Pd atoms in the first layer even at very low coverages. This evidence was confirmed by observing Pd–Pd double scattering peak along the [100] azimuthal direction using 2 keV K+ ions. The structure of the Cu(001)c(2×2)–Pd surface alloy has also been probed by measuring the intensity of Li+ ion scattering as a function of the incidence angle along the mixed Cu and Pd rows. The results showed that the Pd atoms were coplanar with the Cu atoms in the topmost layer.


Although mentoring provides numerous benefits to individuals in organizations, there can be negative aspects in formal mentoring relationships. Drawing on previous research on mentoring and personality traits, we theoretically examine the antecedents and consequences of proteges' negative experiences in formal mentoring, such as distancing and manipulative behaviors exhibited by their formal mentors. This paper identifies two personality traits - machiavellianism and equity sensitivity ? as the dispositional antecedents of negative mentoring and explains how each may be related to distancing and manipulative behaviors exhibited by formal mentors toward their proteges. We suggest that the characteristics of the formal mentoring program can moderate the relationship between such personality traits and negative behaviors. Then, we propose some propositions reflecting the effects of negative behaviors on proteges' attitudes. This conceptual paper extends mentoring research by comprehensively considering the negative side of mentoring.


Following an earlier revision of the genus Hantzschia (Bacillariophyta) in the Maritime Antarctic Region, several at present unidentified or poorly known taxa of this aerophilic genus have been investigated using both light and scanning electron microscopy. Based on the morphological analysis of the observations, three new species are currently described: Hantzschia australabundans sp. nov., H. zidarovae sp. nov. and H. zikmundiana sp. nov. The new species differ from comparable taxa in valve outline, structure of the internal proximal raphe endings and structure of the striae and areolae. Additional observations are presented on Hantzschia amphioxys and its forma muelleri, H. abundans and H. incognita, based on observations of Antarctic populations from the South Shetland Islands, Vega Island and James Ross Island. Brief notes on the ecology of all reported species are added.


The gelatinization pretreatment of starch were used to improve the performance of of renewable starch-based wood adhesive in this study.Compared with starch-based wood adhesive without gelatinization pretreatment of starch,the bonding strength of starch-based wood adhesive with gelatinization pretreatment of starch increased by 20.9% and 45.8% in dry-state and wet-state,respectively.Result of freeze-thaw stability measurement indicated that the gelatinization pretreatment of starch could effectively improve the frost resistance of starch-based wood adhesive.The results of dynamic time sweep experiments and XRD analysis demonstrated that the gelatinization pretreatment of starch could weaken intermolecular hydrogen bonds of starch,and enhance the grafted reaction of starch and VAc monomer.The grafted parameters was also remarkably increased by the gelatinization pretreatment of starch,such as G increased by 43.5% and GE increased by 38.8%.Therefore,the gelatinization pretreatment of starch enhanced structural stability and bonding capacity of renewable starch-based wood adhesive.


The changes of immune function induced by cartilage polysaccharide in mouse sarcoma S180 were observed in the ascites mouse model,in which the mice used in the experiment were divided randomly into 3 groups.i.e.blank group,model group and treatment group and saline or cartilage polysaccharide was injected intraperitoneally.Changes in the counts of neutrophils,T lymphocyte subpopulations and activity of macrophages in peripheral blood were observed in the experiment.It was found that cartilage polysaccharide injected could increase the count of neutrophils.CD3 cells and CD4 cells in peripheral blood as well as the ratio of CD4/CD8 cells.In addition,the phagocytic activity of macrophages to engulf neutral red dye and chicken erythrocytes was promoted after injection with cartilage polysaccharide.From these observation,it is evident that cartilage polysaccharide can improve the immune function in mouse sarcoma S180-bearing mice,thus inhibiting growth of tumors.


Abstract : This article deals with the present stage of development of power plants found on seagoing transports and likely trends in the development of different types of main power plant in the immediate future. The article is based on materials drawn from a study of the characteristics of modern power plants currently in use in Soviet and foreign maritime fleets and trends in the development of various types of power plant. (Author)


SUMMARY The invention relates to a novel composition of thermosetting resins, phenoplast type used as binders in materials. The preparation of this resin is carried out, without formaldehyde, from phenolic compounds and macromolecular hardener carrying aldehyde functions. Polymers bearing aldehyde groups are obtained by polymerization and telomerization or acrolein by oxidation of polyols.


Purpose: The study assessed the effects of a 12-session empowering program to promote health quality of life, decision making self-efficacy, self-care competency, and reasonable medical care utilization among low income women households in one rural area. Methods: A quasi-experimental, one-group pre-posttest design was employed. A total of 28 women enrolled as medicaid recipients in the Public Health Center of W city agreed to participate. The empowering program consisted of 12 sessions addressing health education for self-care of disease, medication management, and counseling for psycho-social support. The intervention was delivered by five nurses and one social worker. Women completed a structured questionnaire measuring the study variables with demographic characteristic before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed by PAWS Statistics 17 utilizing descriptive statistics and paired t-test. Results: After the intervention, significant increases were evident in participant health quality of life (t=-5.83, p


Interactions between the thalamus and cerebral cortex are crucial for relaying sensory signals, and their impediment is associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the pathogenesis of these disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, remains unsolved due to the lack of invitromodels that mimic pathophysiological events of the human brain. Brain organoids, three-dimensional cell aggregates differentiated from pluripotent stem cells, have been shown to partly mimic the structure, function, and development of some brain regions invitro. Here we report invitro thalamocortical and corticothalamic interactions by generating assembloids, a 3D assembly of organoids, from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). We differentiated hiPSCs to both thalamic organoids and cortical organoids, each of which expressed brain region-specific markers. We then generated assembloids by fusing the thalamic and cortical organoids. Labeling the organoids with fluorescent proteins visualized reciprocal projections in the assembloids. In addition, rabies viral tracing demonstrated transsynaptic labeling between two organoids, suggesting the formation of synaptic connections in the assembloids. The invitromodels of neural circuits between the thalamus and cortex will help us understand neuropsychiatric disorders.


In this paper, a numerical analysis of the oscillation equation with a derivative of a fractional variable Riemann–Liouville order in the dissipative term, which is responsible for viscous friction, is carried out. Using the theory of finite-difference schemes, an explicit finite-difference scheme (Euler's method) was constructed on a uniform computational grid. For the first time, the issues of approximation, stability and convergence of the proposed explicit finite-difference scheme are considered. To compare the results, the Adams–Bashford–Moulton scheme was constructed as an experimental method. The theoretical results were confirmed using test examples, the computational accuracy of the method was evaluated, which is consistent with the theoretical one, and the simulation results were visualized. Using the example of a fractional Duffing oscillator, waveforms and phase trajectories, as well as its amplitude–frequency characteristics, were constructed using a finite-difference scheme. To identify chaotic regimes, the spectra of maximum Lyapunov exponents and Poincaré points were constructed. It is shown that an explicit finite-difference scheme can be acceptable under the condition of a step of the computational grid.


The new PEI-ano Silica hybrid films prepared from CS sol process have a stable chemical bonding and uniform distribution of nano silica. The decrease property of dielectric constant with CS content, and tangent loss consistent of given frequency and temperature was explained in terms of the chain movement of polymer through chemical bonging and size effect of nano silica. PEI-CS sol hybrid film with such stable chemical and dielectric properties is expected to be used as high functional coating application in ET, IT and electric power products.


Please cite this paper as: Lykke J, Paidas M, Damm P, Triche E, Kuczynski E, Langhoff‐Roos J. Preterm delivery and risk of subsequent cardiovascular morbidity and type‐II diabetes in the mother. BJOG 2010;117:274–281.


Nopachtus coagmentatus was recognized by Ameghino in 1888. Holotype comes from Brochero Formation (Montehermosan - Chapadmalalan [early Pliocene - late Pliocene]), near to Villa Cura Brochero (Cordoba). First find of this species for the Catamarca Province is reported. Remains found are described, its provenance detailed and the corresponding stratigraphic log is presented. The mentioned material, came from Salicas Formation, cropping out in the paraje Suri Yaco, consists of 14 osteoderms of the dorsal region of the carapace attributed to N. coagmentatus , 12 complete and 2 fragmented corresponding to the media and posterodorsal region of the carapace. These osteoderms present a central figure surrounded by two row of peripheral figures, and figures that would correspond to a third row, always incomplete. The first row has between 10 and 12 figures and the second between 19 and 22; the figures are pentagonal or, mainly, hexagonal. In turn, all specimens known today for this genus, that included two species, is revised. Until this communication, only two reliable records, and several doubtful were recognized for N. coagmentatus ; while for N. cabrerai Zamorano, Scillato-Yane, Gonzalez Ruiz & Zurita only the holotype was given to known.


We propose on-chip high resistance using MOSFET array. We adopt the potentiostat method as an electrochemical sensing to measure ultra low current being aware of biosensing and implant sensing. The sensor circuit includes a high resistance array which is configured by connecting unit resistors in series and parallel. We verify the DC characteristics, the area, and the temperature characteristics of the resistor array by the SPICE simulation, then demonstrate the promising result compared with the conventional Poly resistance.


We report here 92 species of liverworts from the "Biotopo Universitario para la Conservacion del Quetzal", in the highlands of central Guatemala. Due to rapid habitat destruction in surrounding areas, this study - the first ever of the hepatic flora of a Guatemalan cloud forest- is an important baseline for future efforts to monitor environmental changes in this richly diverse ecosystem. With these additions the hepatic flora of Guatemala increases to 264 species.


In The Color Purple, there are three different "trees" closely related to the stages of Celie's growth, that is, the "death tree" at the stage of Celie's oppression, the "life tree" at the stage of Celie's initiation into freedom and "the community tree" at the stage of Celie's maturity. With the different images of "trees" in Celie's mind, her growth is also a process for her to know the excellent traditional culture in addition to her protest against the patriarchal society.


Insurgency is currently the most prevalent type of war. However, success in irregular warfare cannot be quantified and measured with absolute certainty. This paper will examine how insurgencies end and how a government can achieve the optimum scenario, military victory. An insurgency could end in three possible ways: a (military) victory for the insurgents or the regime, a peace deal, or a stalemate. However, war constantly evolves; therefore, the above three scenarios can manifest at any time during the course of an insurgency. Therefore, the state should use a balanced mix of reforms and repression. A state must implement a situation-dependent policy that includes good governance and outside support, that ensures the welfare and security of the population, buttressed by an adequate narrative.


1. A method of manufacturing a vacuum insulating window glass (VIG), including its edge sealing, wherein: providing an apparatus comprising first and second substantially parallel spaced apart glass substrates, one or more edge portions of the first and second substrates to be sealed, and a glass frit, disposed at least partly between the first and second glass substrates for sealing one or more edge portions to be sealed; ! preheating device is performed substantially entirely, at least to one intermediate temperature, each intermediate temperature in the preliminary heating is below the melting point of the first and second substrates and below a melting point of the frit; ! provide local infrared (IR) radiation of near-IR wavelength near-infrared range approximately 1.1-1.4 microns for a device near the edge portions subject to compaction in order to provide local temperature of about 350-500 ° C for in order to at least partially melt the glass frit, the localized near-infrared radiation to provide a device so that at least some field devices that are not neighbors to the edge portions to be sealed, maintained at a temperature (s) below the melting point of the frit; and! cooled apparatus and solidifying the frit provides the manufacture of a vacuum insulating window glass (VIG). ! 2. The method of claim 1 wherein is further provided


Light field (LF) cameras, which can record real-word scenes from multiple viewpoints in a single shot, are widely used in 3D reconstruction, re-focusing, and virtual reality etc. However, the inherent trade-off between spatial resolution and angular resolution of LF images hinders their applications for scenarios requiring high resolutions. In this paper, we propose a novel intra-inter view interaction network for LF image super-resolution, termed as LF-IINet, to exploit the correlations among all views and simultaneously preserve the parallax structure of LF views. The proposed LF-IINet consists of two parallel branches. Specifically, the top branch extracts global inter-view information, and the bottom branch first independently maps each view to deep representations and then models the correlations among all intra-view features via proposed multi-view context block (MCB). The two branches interact with each other by proposed inter-assist-intra feature updating module (IntraFUM, where the intra feature are updated with the assistance of the inter feature) and intra-assist-inter feature updating module (InterFUM, where the inter feature are updated with the assistance of the intra feature). In this way, our LF-IINet incorporates rich angular and spatial information for LF image super-resolution. Extensive comparison with state-of-the-art methods demonstrates that our method achieves superior performance visually and quantitatively. Furthermore, quantitative results also show that our method is effective for LF images with either small or large disparities. Our code is shared in https://github.com/GaoshengLiu/LF-IINet.


National Conference and Exhibition on Chromatography has been held for fifteen times successfully since 1977. It was referred as "the largest, the professional and the highest" conference in Chinese separation and analytical science fields. To enhance the co-operation and exchange between Chinese chromatographic experts with the international colleagues, to master the trends and speed up the development of Chinese separation science, the organization committee decided to change the symposium to an international one-Dalian International symposium on chromatography.


Most known algal toxins act on ion channels either directly or indirectly, resulting in a change in intracellular ion concentrations when administered to targeted cells. The present project developed the working conditions for the use of fluorescent dyes in monitoring changes in membrane potential, intracellular calcium, and intracellular sodium levels in mammalian cell lines. Using these conditions, we were able to demonstrate specific changes in fluorescent signals in response to several purified toxins. We were also able to generate algal extracts which, when administered to the developed fluorimetric assays, were able to elicit different pattern of changes in membrane potential, intracellular calcium, and intracellular sodium levels. The differential pattern of responses induced by the different algal toxins in the three fluorimetric assays serve as a proof of concept for the use of multiplex fluorimetric assays in the laboratory monitoring of algal toxins.


In this letter, we propose a two-hop orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing with index modulation (OFDM-IM) system, which is assisted by multiple relays and employs multi-carrier relay selection to enhance the system reliability. In particular, two commonly used multi-carrier relay selection schemes are considered, i.e., bulk and per-subcarrier relay selections, and the decode-and-forward relaying is adopted as the forwarding protocol for the proposed system. The analysis of average outage probability of the proposed system is given in closed form and substantiated by numerical results generated by Monte Carlo simulations. By the analytical and numerical results provided, we can observe that the full diversity (equal to the number of relays) can be achieved by applying both bulk and per-subcarrier relay selections in two-hop OFDM-IM systems.


Amino acid and fatty acid composition of Thai Fairy shrimp ( Branchinella thailandensis ) culturing by water discharge fish pond added Chlorella . The experimental design was Completely Randomized Design (CRD). There were 5 treatments with 3 replications each. These five treatments were 5 days Chlorella addition before harvest (AC5), 10 days addition before harvest (AC10) and before and after 5 days addition before harvest (B5AC5) compared to the control groups, culture of Fairy shrimp by only Chlorella (CH) and fish pond (FP) water 15 days. The results showed that Thai Fairy shrimp fed by FP (control)  with the highest amino acid and essential amino acid of 779.10 and 541.09 mg g -1 dry weight respectively, more significantly the statistics ( p 0.05). In conclusion, therefore it is possible to used water discharge fish pond culturing Thai Fairy shrimp replacement Chlorella Keywords: amino acid, fatty acid, Thai Fairy shrimp, water discharge fish pond, chlorella


Abstract In the following article we show the meaning of entrepreneurship and self employment for the German economy after the reunification. We flashlight the German founding boom since 2003, as new labour market policy instruments have been developed and financed. On the basis of three regional investigations we compared the new self‐employed according to: social and vocational‐biographical development, motivation and nature of business founded, founding qualifications and qualification strategies.


The unimpeded growth of greenhouse gas emissions is raising the earth's temperature. The consequences include melting glaciers, more precipitation, more and more extreme weather events, and shifting seasons. The accelerating pace of climate change, combined with global population and income growth, threatens food security everywhere. Agriculture is extremely vulnerable to climate change. Higher temperatures eventually reduce yields of desirable crops while encouraging weed and pest proliferation. Changes in precipitation patterns increase the likelihood of short-run crop failures and long-run production declines. Although there will be gains in some crops in some regions of the world, the overall impacts of climate change on agriculture are expected to be negative, threatening global food security. This paper provides an insight into the different climate change-related challenges that the agricultural sector will face and explores opportunities for emission reductions and adaptation. Agriculture has not figured very prominently in the climate discussion so far. This paper clearly indicates that the sector deserves more attention when it comes to both climate change threats and opportunities. Understanding interrelations and interactions in the agricultural sector and considering its implications for development cooperation is crucial for adequate development responses.


Background: People working as supermarket cashier are at a risk of suffering musculoskeletal disorders. Those cashiers experienced occupational diseases as a result of working in a forced position, such as sitting for long periods of time. Moreover, a high prevalence of Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders has been reported among them. Objective: This literature review aims to describe previous studies and its findings among the supermarket cashiers to explore and discover the prevalence of MSDs among them and to understand other aspects related to the role of a supermarket cashier. Methods: Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Web of Science databases were searched to explore MSDs among supermarket cashiers. Results and conclusion: The prevalence of symptoms varies among different body regions such as the spine, upper limbs, and lower limbs. However, the spinal and upper limb regions are more susceptible to have such disorders. Moreover, some of these symptoms may develop or exaggerate due to psychosocial factors. The supermarket cashier job has several risk factors that may be related to ergonomic workstations, a person's characteristics, and some related to the nature of work, which involves repetitive movements. Finally, future studies on supermarket cashiers should recruit more males than females, because previous studies focused on females only.


caused by our rather general approach to describe changes in the OH* emission layer based on our model simulations and SABER observations, which we later connect with the impact of the collisional quenching process on the vertical shifts between density-weighted layer heights. Indeed, some of the reported features, in particular the reported daytime OH* features, are rather disconnected from our analysis on the collisional quenching process and may possibly distract the reader from the actual scope of this study.


Abstract The university administrator, preacher and poet Zachary Boyd (1585–1653) relied heavily on epithets and similes borrowed from Josuah Sylvester's poetry when composing his scriptural versifications Zion's Flowers(c. 1640?). The composition of Boyd's adaptation of Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzars Fierie Furnace, provides an unusually lucid example of the reading and imitation practices of a mid-seventeenth-century Scottish Presbyterian in the years preceding civil war. This article begins by re-considering a manuscript transcription of Fierie Furnaceheld at the British Library previously described as an anonymous playtext from the early 1610s, then establishes the nature of Boyd's reliance on Sylvester by analyzing holograph manuscripts held at Glasgow University Library, a sermon Boyd wrote on the same theme, and the copy of Sylvester's Devine Weekes, and Workes that Boyd probably used.


The ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) is widely used to sample a probability density function (pdf) generated by a stochastic model conditioned by noisy data. This pdf can be either a joint posterior that describes the evolution of the state of the system in time, conditioned on all the data up to the present, or a particular marginal of this posterior. We show that the EnKF collapses in the same way and under even broader conditions as a particle filter when it samples the joint posterior. However, this does not imply that EnKF collapses when it samples the marginal posterior. We we show that a localized and inflated EnKF can efficiently sample this marginal, and argue that the marginal posterior is often the more useful pdf in geophysics. This explains the wide applicability of EnKF in this field. We further investigate the typical tuning of EnKF, in which one attempts to match the mean square error (MSE) to the marginal posterior variance, and show that sampling error may be huge, even if the MSE is moderate.


1 INTRODUCTION Time has recently become a more central focus in management research and practice. Time to market has become a critical issue in many industries, with ever shortening new product development times. New terms are being coined in organizational research like industry " clockspeed " which innovation occurs, and " high velocity " (Eisenhardt & Bourgeois, 1988), referring to the need to make decisions in less time. In the popular press, references are littered across the pages referring to " Internet time " and " doing business the dot-com way. " Time horizons for " dot-coms " and other high-tech organizations are contracted in the face of competitive pressures. The recognition of the impact of time pressure and speed on organizational life is not new, as noted by W. R. Greg (1877) on " Life at High Pressure " (p. 263): " Beyond doubt, the most salient characteristic of life in this latter portion of the 19 th century is its SPEED – what we call its hurry, the rate at which we move, the high-pressure at which we work – and the question to be considered is, first, whether this rapid rate is in itself a good; and, next, whether it is worth the price we pay for it – a price reckoned up, and not very easy to ascertain. " However, little direct attention to time in organizational research occurred until relatively recently. Recognizing the importance of time and timing to organizations, over a decade ago, researchers began calling for greater attention to temporal variables in organizational research Despite increased focus on time in several areas of organizational research, relatively little direct attention to time has occurred in the area of organizational culture (notable made clear the connection between time and organizational culture when he commented that " there is probably no more important 2 category for cultural analysis than the study of how time is conceived and used in a group or organization " (p. 114). Time has often been an implicit element in models and descriptions of organizational culture, but is rarely the focus of cultural analysis at the organizational level. Despite the potentially potent impact time can have on organizational behavior, and the increasing awareness of the importance of time in organizational behavior research, surprisingly little direct attention has been paid to temporal elements of organizational culture. In this chapter we examine how organizational …


During the last 10 years, INTEGRAL made a unique contribution to the study of accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars (AMXPs), discovering three of the 14 sources now known of this class. Besides increasing the number of known AMXPs, INTEGRAL also carried out observations of these objects above 20 keV, substantially advancing our understanding of their behaviour. We present here a review of all the AMXPs observed with INTEGRAL and discuss the physical interpretation of their behaviour in the X-ray domain. We focus in particular on the lightcurve profile during outburst, as well as the timing, spectral, and thermonuclear type-I X-ray bursts properties.


Objective:To establish an analytical method for determination of seven phenolic pollutants in water by ultra performance liquid chromatography(UPLC)with photodiode array detection(PDA).Methods:The water samples were extracted and condensed with solid-phase extraction by OasisHLB cartridges,and separation was carried out with ACQUITY UPLC BEH C8(50 mm×2.1 mm×1.7 μm)column.The gradient mobile phase consisted of methanol and 0.1% acetic acid aqueous solution at a flow rate of 0.25 ml/min.Detection was performed with a PDA detector,and detection wavelengths were 275 nm and 303 nm.Quantification was calculated by an external standard method.Results:The linear correlation coefficients of 7 chemicals in the range of 0.05 μg/ml~5.0 μg/ml were all over 0.999.The limits of quantification were between 15.0 μg/L~25.0 μg/L,and the recoveries ranged from 86.9% to 104.1%.Relative standard deviations(RSDs) were all less than 5%.Conclusion:This method is sensitive,efficient,accurate and suitable for the determination of the seven phenolic pollutants in water.


In order to study interventions that influence the severity of symptoms and serum asparaginase activity following asparaginase-induced hypersensitivity reactions, we developed a murine model of asparaginase allergy that recapitulates key features of clinical hypersensitivity to native E. coli asparaginase. BALB/c mice received 10 μg ip doses of E. coli asparaginase formulated with aluminum hydroxide adjuvant on day 0 and 14 of treatment in order to sensitize mice to asparaginase. Asparaginase allergies were induced in sensitized mice by challenging with a 100 μg iv dose of E. coli asparaginase on day 24 of treatment. The severity of hypersensitivity was reflected by the decrease in rectal temperature following the asparaginase challenge. Pre-challenge plasma samples were collected for anti-asparaginase antibody levels before inducing asparaginase allergies, and post-challenge samples were collected at the end of the experiment for measuring anti-asparaginase antibody levels, asparaginase activity, and mouse mast cell protease 1 (mMCP-1) levels. Sensitized mice developed high levels of anti-asparaginase IgG antibodies (P = 1.1 x 10 -7 ) and had immediate hypersensitivity reactions (P = 3.3 x 10 -10 ) to asparaginase upon challenge compared to non-sensitized mice. Furthermore, sensitized mice had profoundly lower plasma asparaginase activity (P = 4.2 x 10 -13 ) and elevated levels of mouse mast cell protease 1 (mMCP-1, P = 6.1 x 10 -3 ) after the asparaginase challenge compared to non-sensitized mice. We investigated the influence of pretreatment with the H1 receptor antagonist triprolidine, the H2 receptor antagonist cimetidine, the PAF receptor antagonist CV-6209, or dexamethasone on the severity of asparaginase-induced allergies. Our studies showed that the combination of triprolidine and CV-6209 was best for mitigating asparaginase-induced hypersensitivity symptoms (i.e., temperature drop) compared to non-pretreated, sensitized mice (P = 1.2 x 10 -5 ). However, pretreatment with oral dexamethasone (4 mg/L in drinking water starting 7 days before asparaginase sensitization) was the only agent capable of mitigating the severity of the hypersensitivity symptoms (P = 0.03) and also partially restoring asparaginase activity (P = 8.3 x 10 -4 ) compared to sensitized mice. Dose adjustment strategies were investigated for rescuing asparaginase activity in sensitized mice without requiring pretreatment with dexamethasone, and a 5-fold greater dose of asparaginase was required to restore enzyme activity to a similar concentration as in non-sensitized mice. In the absence of pretreatment, we found that the severity of asparaginase-induced reactions increased in a dose-dependent manner and that mMCP-1 levels correlated to the severity of the reactions (R 2 = 0.577, P = 3.0 x 10 -16 ). Our results suggest a role of histamine and PAF in asparaginase-induced allergies and demonstrate possible strategies for mitigating the severity of asparaginase-induced reactions and maintaining targeted concentrations of asparaginase. Furthermore, our results indicate that mast cell-derived proteases released during allergic reactions to asparaginase may be a useful marker of hypersensitivity, as elevated levels of mMCP-1 were detected in all sensitized mice and correlated with the severity of the reaction. Disclosures Evans: St. Jude: In accordance with institutional policy (St. Jude), I and/or my spouse have in the past received a portion of the income St. Jude receives from licensing patent rights related to TPMT polymorphisms as clinical diagnostics. Patents & Royalties. Relling: St. Jude: In accordance with institutional policy (St. Jude), I and/or my spouse have in the past received a portion of the income St. Jude receives from licensing patent rights related to TPMT polymorphisms as clinical diagnostics. Patents & Royalties.


1945), many gaps are left in our knowledge about the fate of Austrian Jewry and about those "righteous ones" who did swim against the tide to aid their fellow men. After reading this book one is still left asking two questions: why were there so few "righteous ones," and why were there as many a& there were? When all is said, however, it should be pointed out that Dr. Weinzierl's book is a welcome addition to the growing literature on Austria under the heel of Nazism. It is to be regretted that the publishers failed to include an index in the book.


The authors describe two complementary data management techniques-family case summaries and computer generated matrices-and their contribution to the analytic goals of a study offamily response to childhood chronic illness. Family case summaries enabled the investigators to reduce a large qualitative data set in a way that preserved thefamilyfocus of the research. The use of a database management software system contributed to the efficient display and manipulation of thematically coded data in a way thatfostered constant comparison of the data and analytic insights. The importance of using the two techniques in a way that supports the overall purpose and methodological underpinnings of a given study is emphasized.


Mechanical properties of bone tissue result from its hierarchical structure. At the scale of several micrometers, the relevant structure is the bone fibril. Bone fibril is mainly composed of collagen, mineral, and water. Exact composition and arrangement of these constituents are hardly available through nowadays experimental techniques. In this paper, the influence of the subfibrillar organization on the effective elastic properties of the fibril using a multiscale homogenization approach was studied. The model uses energetic equivalences between the relevant scales to estimate the effective elastic properties of the fibril. The axial modulus of the fibril was computed considering different scenarios at the subfibrillar scale. Composition and arrangement of the fibrillar nanoconstituents were varied to test different modeling hypotheses. Special focus was set on the mineral content and the shape of the mineral platelets. Mineral content turned out to be the only relevant parameter in highly mineralized f...


The poly‐proline type II extended left‐handed helical structure is well represented in proteins. In an effort to determine the helix's role in nucleic acid recognition and binding, a survey of 258 nucleic acid‐binding protein structures from the Protein Data Bank was conducted. Results indicate that left‐handed helices are commonly found at the nucleic acid interfacial regions. Three examples are used to illustrate the utility of this structural element as a recognition motif. The third K homology domain of NOVA‐2, the Epstein‐Barr nuclear antigen‐1, and the Drosophila paired protein homeodomain all contain left‐handed helices involved in nucleic acid interactions. In each structure, these helices were previously unidentified as left‐handed helices by secondary structure algorithms but, rather, were identified as either having small amounts of hydrogen bond patterns to the rest of the protein or as being "unstructured." Proposed mechanisms for nucleic acid interactions by the extended left‐handed helix include both nonspecific and specific recognition. The observed interactions indicate that this secondary structure utilizes an increase in protein backbone exposure for nucleic acid recognition. Both main‐chain and side‐chain atoms are involved in specific and nonspecific hydrogen bonding to nucleobases or sugar‐phosphates, respectively. Our results emphasize the need to classify the left‐handed helix as a viable nucleic acid recognition and binding motif, similar to previously identified motifs such as the helix‐turn‐helix, zinc fingers, leucine zippers, and others. Proteins 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Reducing the environmental impact of a device arising from unexpected failures should be an environmental goal. However, this problem can be difficult to tackle, especially due to the limitations of the traditional eco-design methods, which are more used to reduce the baseline impacts. This study proposes a novel method to overcome this limitation, working at the intersection of conceptual design, robust design, and eco-assessment. Based on the inquiry-based approach, the method consists of 52 questions, systematically organised on 4 hierarchical levels dedicated to the formulation of the initial environmental problem, the definition of the design goal, and the strategy and the selection of the methods, tools, and solutions to be applied. The method was applied in two real case studies about an adsorption air dryer and a medium-voltage circuit breaker by providing different solutions, where the most promising one was able to avoid the environmental impact variations up to 2% of the total impacts of the device. The method could be a starting point to build a design theory that is dedicated to this sector, still largely unexplored, while this vocation towards conceptual design is an appeal for a contamination of the more routine fields of robust and eco-design on the educational, application, and research levels.


The geographic coordinates of each correspondence point on UAV's(Unmanned aerial vehicles) image pairs are determined by the photogrammetric models of stereo image pairs and data of the DGPS/IMU(Differential GPS/Inertial measurement unit) after the correspondence points are correctly matched.The mosaic image is re-sampled and demonstrated with geographic coordinates instead of pixel coordinates.The experiments results show that the process of mosaic image can be directly adopted without projection correction with the situation of flat area.In wavy terrain,a set of UAV's image is separated into several patches to mosaic UAV's images because the projection error is big and results in error propagation impacts on estimation of geographic coordinate of a mosaic image.The accuracy and precision of geo-location of a mosaic image can be achieved as same as the image with scale of 1:25 000.


Tunisian phosphate is a sedimentary rock and is the second major expense in producing phosphoric acid which is used mainly in fertilizer field. Phosphate is a mesoporous solid and has very large specific surface areas which often lead to greater activity due to increased dispersion of the active sites. The reaction between phosphate rocks and acids is essentially a surface reaction. Within the framework of valorization of Tunisian natural phosphate which is a carbonate fluorapatite or francolite and to establish the relations between the reactivity of phosphate rock and their physicochemical properties.Two Tunisian's deposits of phosphate were selected. Several techniques were used such as the SEM, physisorption for textural study, X-ray diffraction technique and Infra Red Spectroscopy for the mineralogical study. From the textural study, we note that the two samples of phosphate have a mesoporous texture and all phosphate rocks contain many impurities. From the mineralogical study we note that the two main constituents of sedimentary phosphate rocks are apatite and calcium carbonate. The results obtained show a slight difference in physico-chemical properties between the two types of sedimentary phosphates and the dependence between the chemical reactivity and the structure of these phosphates.


Subclavian vascular injuries are notorious for their difficult surgical exposure. Proximal and distal control of the vessel may require a combination of supraclavicular or infraclavicular incision, clavicular transection, median sternotomy, or thoracotomy. Such an extensive dissection is associated with significant morbidity, whereas delay or loss of control can result in rapid exsanguination and death. In this context, endovascular maneuvers may offer an appealing alternative approach to these technically challenging injuries. We describe the management of two complex traumatic false aneurysms of the proximal subclavian artery using a combination of open and endovascular techniques.


Through molecular design ideas in tribochemistry,a new Nitrogen-containing lubricating material without phosphorus/sulphur was prepared.Its structure was characterized by element analysis,FTIR and 13C-NMR specotroscopy,its thermal stability and compatibility with the base stock of liquid paraffin were inspected by TG test and oil solubility test.Then its friction and wear performances in liquid paraffin were investigated by means of four-ball tester,ring-block test machine,universal tribometer and scanning electron microscope.Results indicated that the additive had good thermal stability and oil solubility to the base stock,could obviously enhance the load-carrying capability,reduce the long-time wear scar diameter,diminish the friction coefficient and efficiently improve the tribological properties of the base stock.


In this paper, we propose an effective and easily deployable approach to detect the presence of stealthy sensor attacks in industrial control systems, where (legacy) control devices critically rely on accurate (and usually non-encrypted) sensor readings. Specifically, we focus on stealthy attacks that crash a sensor and then immediately impersonate that sensor by sending out fake readings. We consider attackers who aim to stay hidden in the system for a prolonged period. To detect such attacks, our approach relies on continuous injection of "micro distortion" to the original sensor's readings. In particular, the injected distortion should be kept strictly within a small magnitude (e.g., 0.5 % of the possible operating value range), to ensure it does not affect the normal functioning of the ICS. Our approach uses a pre-shared secret sequence between a sensor and the defender to generate the micro-distortions. One key challenge is that the micro-distortions injected are often much lower than the sensor's actual readings, hence can be easily overwhelmed by the latter. To overcome this, we leverage the observation that sensor readings in many ICS (and power grid in particular) often change gradually in a significant fraction of time (i.e., with small difference between consecutive time slots). We devise a simple yet effective algorithm that can detect stealthy attackers in a highly accurate and fast (i.e., using less than 100 samples) manner. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our defense using real-world sensor reading traces from two different smart grid systems.


The demand for renewal of the methodology of Qur'anic interpretation is a modern phenomenon. The Qur'an as the main source of Islamic teachings is fixed and does not change, but on the other hand, the dynamics of the times require the Qur'an to answer new problems. This is what then encourages the experts to review how to present the guidance of the Qur'an in the current context. Among these various updates are those related to the techniques of presenting interpretations (asalib al-tafsir). This paper specifically examines and compares the two most popular techniques of Quranic interpretations, namely ushlub tahlili and ushlub maudhu'i. Regarding these two techniques, some experts consider that the second is more relevant to the demands of nowadays than the first. However, this paper analytically concludes that these two techniques cannot be compared to negate each other because each has advantages and disadvantages. In fact, this two ushlub are still in use, with various adjustments, so that they are considered relevant in the midst of the times.


The present invention relates to a dolly epin-dione derivatives for use in an organic electroluminescent layer material (Epindolidione Derivatives), methods for their preparation, and organic light emitting diode (OLED) comprising the same. More specifically, write The present invention relates to an OLED including a new epin turn-dione derivatives as the host (host) includes a dopant composition for an organic light-emitting diode light-emitting layer containing Alq3 or rubrene to (dopant), of the present invention epin rotate dione derivative compounds and manufacturing process is simple and low cost in liquid form, the physical properties do not have a degradation or light-emitting characteristics decrease, because excellent in optical properties, can be useful in an OLED device as the host of the light emitting layer and is also applicable to a flexible display.


This technical report not only aims to clarify the indoor and outdoor neuroscience experiments contemplated by the project, but also reports on their methods and metrics. It reflects the work primarily performed in task "T5.3 - Development of behavioural paradigms and neuropsychometrics protocol", being the result of a comprehensive interdisciplinary discussion. Moreover, it was also designed considering the portfolio of variables to be used in "WP4 - Spatial analysis of urban health". Each protocol of the five defined experiments is described according to their objectives, relevant behavioural task or paradigm, specific methods (including self-reported questionnaires, physiological sensors and neurotechnologies) and metrics (quantitative or qualitative). Despite being a vivid document, it is expected to be the foundation for our next empirical steps of studying how particular features of the urban environment and individual biological inequalities relate to cognitive and emotional processing.


The Tree of Jesse, a depiction of Christ's genealogy based on the prophecy of Isaiah (11, 1-2) and on the Gospel of Matthew (1, 1-17), was one of the subjects of the mosaic decoration of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, accomplished in 1169. The work has been entirely destroyed, but it is attested in the counter-facade by Late Medieval and Modern sources. On the basis of this evidence, this paper suggests a reflection both on the iconographic model of the biblical theme, probably of Western origin, and its hypothetical formal features, most likely in line with the Byzantine style of the mosaics which are still visible in the basilica. A tentative reconstruction drawing of the biblical theme completes the analysis.


Corporate bankruptcies and poor management strategi es have increased the financial distress situation of the companies due to the non-compliance with the corpor ate governance practices. The purpose of the presen t study is to investigate the impact of corporate gov ernance practices on the financial distress status of the companies by using a sample of 42 financial distres sed and a matched sample of healthy companies. Using the data for the period of 2006 to 2010 from manufactur ing sector of Pakistan, the results of this study reveal that CEO duality and outside block-holders as well as liquidity and firm size have significant impact on financial distress position of firms. The present study shows that the financially distressed firms have lower c hances of independent board. Financially distressed firms hav e larger boards as compared to the financially heal thy firms. The presence of CEO duality impacts signific antly the financial distress situation of the firms and may leads towards bankruptcy. The study has important i mplications for the investors, financial analysts, and policy makers.


Summary Christian Wilhelm Blomstrand, Professor of Chemistry and Mineralogy at Lund University from 1862 to 1895, was one of the important chemists of the second half of the nineteenth century. His theoretical ideas and experimental accomplishments contributed to advances in several branches of chemistry. Living in Sweden during a transitional period between the older and newer chemistry and being a scientific as well as a political conservative, Blomstrand sought to reconcile Berzelius's dualistic theory with the unitary and type theories. He was opposed to Kekule's dogma of constant valency, and he strove to establish a sound and complete theory of variable valency. This article briefly outlines Blomstrand's life and considers his best known book, Die Chemie der Jetztzeit (1869), as well as his work on mineralogy, inorganic chemistry (the earth acid elements, heteropoly acids, platinum complexes), and his theoretical views on valency, diazo compounds, and metal-ammines. His so-called 'chain theory', as ...


A lot of research has been done on the development of Microneedles (MNs) to be used as medical devices with an aim to have painless transdermal drug and improved vaccine delivery. Unlike conventional intramuscular or subcutaneous application, MN-based vaccine application delivers vaccine directly into skin and this is known to be immunologically more relevant vaccination site than underlying tissue. Various fabrication methods have been used for microneedle fabrication such as LIGA, 2 Photon Polymerization (2PP), etc. followed by subsequent Micromolding. However, despite the number of advantages of these fabrication methods, the use of microneedles is limited till date due to lesser throughput. This paper focuses on methods used for the fabrication of microneedle and also explains the proposed method for polymer microneedle fabrication using Micromolding process. Proposed method for polymer microneedle fabrication includes preparing a master structure of microneedle array, then with the help of micromold made of suitable material; final microneedle array can be made of biocompatible, thermally curable material. The microneedle array will meet the structural requirements for painless drug delivery having small invasive surface area and will withstand the force required to pierce into the skin without tip breaking.


This paper expounds the necessity of running courses on golf in colleges from the perspective of golf culture,and analyzes its practical significance.Golf class helps to enhance the students' personal quality,charisma,and communication skills in business.A potential consumer group is also established in this way.


Introduction  A large increase in syphilis prevalence was noted in the Czech Republic during the last decade. It was associated with prostitution in cities and especially in areas bordering more economically developed countries. Foreigners account for more than 50% of this increase. Absence of legislative regulations contributes to this situation.


Six landing sites that show evidence for processes involving water have been selected from a possible 185 for the Mars Exploration Rovers. These sites are being imaged by orbiting spacecraft and evaluated for science potential and safety before selection of two in May 2002. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.


It is the important task to enhance college students innovative quality for higher education.It is imperative to innovate pharmacy student teaching mode for practically boosting their overall quality and innovative ability.With two-year effort of practicing,the author makes a success of the establishment of innovative experiment developing mode which aims at training college students innovative abilities consisting of research proceeding determining,enforcing,evaluating results and resolving methods existing in the course of practicing.The practicing results show that new mode improve the pharmacy students innovative qualities greatly in their study and practice.


A striking feature of contraction band necrosis in reperfused Infarcts is that dead myocytes are not scattered, but connected to each other to form one or several compact areas of necrosis, suggesting some kind of cell-to-cell interaction during ischemia-reperfusion. This study Investigated whether and how hypercontracture (HC) of a myocyte may induce HC of adjacent cells. ElectrornechanJcally coupled pairs of freshly isolated adult rat myocytes, rep-resenting 2 ± 0.5% of rods, were used. One cell of each pair (CELL1) was mlcropunctured (MP) at 37°C to disrupt the sarcolemma, and changes in morphology in this cell and in its couple (CELL2) were video-recorded at x 400, digitized, and analyzed every 1 sec for 30 sec. In control HEPES buffer, MP induced immediate and simultaneous HC in side-to-slde connected pairs; cell length 30 sec after MP (CL30, % of basal value) was28±4and29±4% In CELL1 and CELL2, respectively. In end-to-end connected pairs HC of the CELL2 started when HC of the CELL1 had reached the intercalated disk, and was complete in both cells (CL30 - 28 ± 2 and 26 ± 1 respectively). When MP was performed In Ca2 + free bufler HC cfid not occur In neither CELL1 or CELL2 (CL30 was 93 ± 2%, and 98 ± 1% respectively). In cells with rigor contracture secondary to metabolic Inhibition with NaCN 2 mM, a condition associated to a decreased gap juntional conductance, MP of CELL1 dki not result in HC but in development of subsarcolemmal Webs, which represented 9 ± 2% of the cell image area 90 protein of of the role of gap junctions in In [ Interactions between cells via growth factors and gap junctions are implicated In the altered behavior of smooth muscle cells in atherosclerosis, but how these two mechanisms of intercellular communication are linked is unknown. Here we have investigated the expression of the gap-junctional proteins connexins43 and 40 by cultured human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMC) in the presence of (i) basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), (II) platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB), and (iii) thrombin. Methods: Confluent quiescent HASMC were treated with bFGF (5 ng/ml), PDGF-BB (20 ng/ml), or thrombin (5 NIH U/ml). At periods of 0,4, 8, 24, and 48 hours post-treatment, the cells were examined by confocal microscopy for assessment of morphology and Immunodetectable connexln43 and connexin40. Cells incubated In growth factor-free media were used as controls. Connexin40 mRNA expression was also determined by Northern blotting. Results: The pattern of connexlr>43 protein expression differed markedly between each experimental group. PDGF-BB stimulated rapid upregulation of connexin43, which then declined Thrombin had the reverse effect connexin43 levels initially declining and then rising sharply. bFGF exerted little effect com- pared to the control group, in which a decline of connexin43 levels was apparent by 8 hours. A consistent correlation was observed between cell morphology and the level of connexln43 expression. Under conditions In which the cells became flattened with branches and delicate processes, connexin43 labelling was maximal. By contrast under conditions which led to the cells becoming slender and thickened, losing their branches and processes, connexin43 la- belling was low. ConnexirvtO was undetectable by immunocytochemistry and Northern blotting in all groups. These findings demonstrate differential effects of growth factors on gap junction expression between smooth muscle cells. These effects are closely linked to changes in cell morphology, and involve expression of connexin43 and not connexln40. Three types of adhesion molecule (AM), endothellaHeukocyte adhesion motecule- 1 (ELAM-1), vascular cell adhesion motecule-1 (VCAM-1), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), are known to be expressed on the surface of cytokine activated endothelial cells of arteriosclerotic lesion. In this study, we Investigated the relationships between plasma soluble AM concentrations and clinical coronary endothelial dysfunction. Methods: Blood sampling was performed at the ostium of left coronary artery and coronary sinus In 41 patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD). Serum concentration of soluble ELAM-1, VCAM-1, and ICAM-1 were measured by ELISA, and transcoronary AM gradient (AAM; [CS] - [AoD was calculated. The endothelial function of coronary artery was assessed by acetyteholine (Ach) Infusion method. We considered that endothefial dysfunction was present when coronary vasoconstriction, a marker of impaired of endothelium- dependent vasodilatation, occurred by Ach infusion. We have shown that cytokines induce expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAM) on human coronary smooth muscle cells (SMC). This study investigates the effects of activation of adenylate cyclase on cytokine induced CAM expression on human coronary SMC. Human coronary arteries were obtained by heart transplantation. CAM expression was measured photomet- rically by a cell ELISA. mRNA levels were detected by rtPCR followed by electrophoresis on potyacrytarrrtde gels. TNFo(10ng/ml, 15h)and 11-10 (10ng/ml, 15 h) induced a potent stimulation of ICAM-1 andVCAM-1 (n-6-10). Incubation of the cells with acaprost (CICA; 100 nM), a stable proatacyclin mimetic, significantly inhibited TNFa and IM0 induced CAM expression (p < 0.05 vs COM; n - 6-7). Similar results were obtained with forskolin (FORS, 10 jtM), a receptor-independent activator of the adenylate cyclase (p < 0.05, n - 8-10). Dideoxyforskotin, however was ineffective (n - 3-4). The inhibition of TNFa induced CAM expression by cteaprost and forskolin was also detected on mRNA level. These results demonstrate a modulation of cytokine-induced CAM expression on human coronary SMC by activation of adenylate cyclase. Oxidized fatty acid activates vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCMA-1) gene transcription. VCAM-1 has been postulated to play a key rote in monocyte adhesion during the eariy stage of atherosclerosis. We previously reported that serum soluble VCAM-1 correlated with the level of VCAM-1 mRNA in human atherosclerotic aorta. On the other hand, it has been reported that apo E «4 alleiB rwBaied an Increased risk for myocardial Infarction (Ml). Theparpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the level of soluble VCAM-1 and apo E genotypes in survivors from Ml. Methods: DNA was extracted from 135 healthy control and 215 survivors from Ml (age 58 ± 8 years). Total cholesterol (TC), trlglycertde (TG), and LDL cholesterol were measured by standard method. Apo E polymorphism is a three variant (s2, s3, e4). Apo E genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction following polyacrylamlde gel electrophoresis after Hha I digestion. Level of soluble VCAM-1 was also quantified by ELISA. Results: The frequencies of the e2, c3, and «4 altetes of the apo E genotype were 0.022, 0.838, and 0.08 In healthy control, respectively, and 0.023, 0.837, and 0.14 in Ml survivors, respectively. Apo E e4 group (n = 21) In Ml survivors carrying «4/2, «4/3 and e4/4 genotypes displayed higher values of TC, TG, and LDL cholesterol. Levels of soluble VCAM-1 in healthy control carrying apo E s3/3 was 578 ± 161 mg/dl. Levels of soluble VCAM-1 in Ml survivors carrying apo E «4/3 and e4/4 genotypes (735 ± 30 ng/dl, 965 ± 138 no/dl) were higher than that in Ml survivors carrying apo E «3/3 genotype (686 ± 230 ng/dl) (p < 0.05). In conclusion, a degenerate fatty acid activating the VCAM-1 transcription appeared to be increased in Ml carrying s4 allete. (n was stronger in men without CHD at baseline (RR 3.65, 95%-C11.03-12.9). These results indicate that lp(a) is an independent risk factor for CHD mortality In this elderly cohort. Genetic factors may determine CHD also at older age. between run CV 6%) by a single operator blinded to the clinical data. followed for all cardiac events. Non parametric statistical tests were used for all analyses. Results. 197 patients (70% male, 27% hypertension, 15% diabetic, 34% cardiac Troponin T positive) were studied and followed for a median of 964 days (lower quartile 854 days, upper quartile 1300 days). Lp(a) (0-98). quartile, p - 0.011, Relative Cl 1.062.02).