The elimination of iodine-labelled fibrinogen was followed in 3 groups of dogs after: 1. thromboplastin infusion, 2. simultaneous infusions of thromboplastin and epsilon aminocaproic acid (EACA), and 3. simultaneous infusions of thromboplastin and Trasylol. Platelet count, fibrinogen concentration, radioactivity in plasma and in fibrinogen as well as hematocrit were determined. Thromboplastin caused changes of the same type as those previously obtained with thrombin, indicating the development of a fibrinolytic process, secondary to intravascular coagulation. The secondary changes were effectively blocked by pretreatment with EACA and Trasylol. The incidence of and mortality in thromboembolism suggest some anticoagulant effect of Trasylol. The antifibrinolytic activity of Trasylol is much stronger than the anticoagulant one. EACA too, seems to give some protection against thromboplastin-induced coagulation.


Steam methane reformers are used in industry to convert natural gas and steam into hydrogen, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. In order to operate a reformer efficiently and safely its behaviour needs to be understood. A numerical model has been developed in Python to replicate the reformer behaviour. The model considers reaction kinetics, pressure drop heat transfer and diffusion limitations within the catalysts. Data from industrial reformers will be used to regress model parameters. Carbon can form on the catalyst surface at some operating conditions which can cause the catalyst to be less active and the whole reformer to run less efficiently. This process is known as coking. If the carbon is concentrated in one location in the reformer tubes a hot spot can develop which can be a safety concern. While some carbon can be removed with steam, the catalysts need to be replaced once there is too much carbon build-up. Carbon formation is predicted in the Python model using both thermodynamic and kinetic methods. The impact of catalyst deactivation will be replicated in the model to demonstrate the effect on reformer performance.


In the AC permanent magnet synchronous linear motor (PMSLM) vector control system, closed-loop feedback is required for the speed and position the mover. The accuracy of the mover's position has a great influence on the closed-loop control performance, so the position identification algorithm which is economical and reliable is needed. Thus, it has become a hot spot in the field of PMLSM and its control. This article studies how to improve the starting performance through a square wave start strategy. This strategy can meet the needs of the mover position estimation through PMSLM field-oriented vector control system in the condition of using discrete low-resolution Hall signal to obtain a continuous high-resolution position.


Background: Teacher Training has needed new possibilities to make teaching practice more flexible and less boring. Therefore, using school-centred training is essential, so there is a need to investigate in loco the profile and needs of teachers. Objective: Identify the professional profile, the teaching know-how, the difficulties and needs in the teaching processes to cultivate communities of practice with teachers in a municipality placed in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul State. Design: This is a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory research using the content analysis technique for data processing. Setting and Participants: Four school contexts of Basic Education were investigated, with 63 teachers coming from two municipal schools and two state schools in a municipality on the West Frontier of Rio Grande do Sul State participated in the study. They were intentionally selected. Data collection and analysis: A structured questionnaire with questions related to the teachers' profiles was used for data collection, as well as open questions related to their pedagogical practice. Results: It was found that there is a high percentage of teachers working in more than one school, a factor that must be considered. We highlight the reflection and autonomy in pedagogical practice and the need for training actions regarding the diversity of methodologies to assertively address the different gaps in students. Conclusions: It is considered important to identify the profile and emerging needs of teachers in order to facilitate the organisation of Communities of Practice that aim for school-centred teacher education.


The present work aims to reveal the microstructural evolution and mechanical behavior of a commercial Al-0.6% Mg-0.4% Si alloys subjected to severe plastic deformation. The plastic deformation is applied using high pressure torsion (HPT) which was conducted under a pressure of 6.0 GPa. Before HPT, the discs are solution-treated at 813 K for 2h and then shortly (5min) aged at 473 K and 523 K. The discs in solid-treated and aged conditions are strained to a maximum of 20 turns. Microstructural and mechanical properties evolution of the discs in these three conditions was reported using electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD), microhardness and microtensile tests. A significant grain refinement was obtained after only 1 turn to achieve an average grain size of about 250 nm after 20 complete revolutions with an increase of hardness up to a saturation value at equivalent strains above ~100. The fraction of high-angle grain boundaries increases with increasing strain. A correlation between the evolution of hardness and grain size seems to obey the conventional Hall-Petch relation for relatively large grain sizes but deviates significantly below 500 nm. This deviation was explained and is consistent with an earlier suggestion that a breakdown may occur if there is an easy movement of the extrinsic dislocations in the non-equilibrium grain boundaries introduced by HPT processing. Tensile test results, conducted at the temperature of 813 K with an initial strain rate of 1.0 × 10-3 s−1


Rapeseed oil is a kind of promising substitute of fossil lubricants,but it contains a lot of double bonds,which result in poor oxidation stability for rapeseed oil,so it difficult to meet the requirements of modern lubricants.In this paper,using solvent-free method,and with strong acid cation exchange resin as the catalyst to synthesis the epoxidized rapeseed oil,and the condition of epoxidation was optimized by orthogonal experiment.The results showed that:epoxy oil has a low iodine value and a high viscosity index,after adding certain amount of additives,the time of its induction is more than 80 h,the freezing point is -28 ℃.


"The roots of plants are the least known, least understood and least appreciated part of the plant."—Weaver and Bruner (125).


In this paper, we investigate the mutual information maximization for a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system with simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT), where perfect channel state information (CSI) is known at the transmitter. We formulate an optimization problem under the constraints of transmit power and harvested energy. Different from previous work, we assume the input signals to be taken from finite-alphabet inputs instead of Gaussian signals. The formulated problem is NP-hard, so a global optimal solution can not be found with polynomial time complexity. However, by exploiting the structure of the problem, this optimization problem can be transformed into a semidefinite programming (SDP) problem, and then a near optimal algorithm based on semidefinite relaxation (SDR) technique is developed. Simulation results show the efficacy of the proposed algorithm.


Health surveillance is a compulsory component in the work of all health professionals, and is aimed at ensuring that the results of surveillance actions are a model inspiring all those engaged in this activity. This is the reason why it is necessary to provide Revista Cubana de Hematología, Inmunología y Hemoterapia 2011;27(2):260-266 http://scielo.sld.cu 261 them with timely, valid information enabling the taking of the most appropriate decisions with a view to resolving the many events that may affect the health of our population. It is with this purpose that the Management of Cienfuegos Provincial Blood Bank publishes a quarterly newsletter mainly intended for the institutions making up the provincial network of blood banks, health authorities from the various management levels, blood product manufacturing centers, and the State Drug Control Center, to ensure that the information obtained from the conduct of surveillance activities is disseminated, thus enabling the adoption of more effective, timely and dynamic prevention and control actions at the various levels.


Questions are increasingly being asked about the response of standard protection schemes used for protecting embedded synchronous generators during abnormal operating conditions. Loss of grid and pole slipping are two such abnormal operating conditions, both of which can cause potentially damaging shaft torques and disturbances to the power supply system. This paper discusses a standard generator protection scheme and highlights the operating conditions where standard schemes may not operate as expected. It then presents new protection techniques which have been developed and compares these to the standard schemes.


Species living in distinct habitats often experience unique ecological selective pressures, which can drive phenotypic divergence. However, how ecophenotypic patterns are affected by allometric trends and trait integration levels is less well understood. Here we evaluate the role of allometry in shaping body size and shape diversity in Pristurus geckos utilizing differing habitats. We found that patterns of body shape allometry and integration were distinct in species with different habitat preferences, with ground-dwelling Pristurus displaying the most divergent allometric trend and the strongest integration. There was also strong concordance between static allometry across individuals and evolutionary allometry among species, revealing that body shape differences among individuals were predictive of evolutionary changes across the phylogeny at macroevolutionary scales. This suggested that phenotypic evolution occurred along allometric lines of least resistance, with allometric trajectories imposing a strong influence on the magnitude and direction of size and shape changes across the phylogeny. When viewed in phylomorphospace, the largest rock-dwelling species were most similar in body shape to the smallest ground-dwelling species, and vice versa. Thus, in Pristurus, phenotypic evolution along the differing habitat-based allometric trajectories resulted in similar body shapes at differing body sizes in distinct ecological habitats.


Aim: Morphing and digital tools in image-editing softwares can be useful to elicit profile facial aestethics and smiles preferences in orthodontic patients. We want to determine general aesthetic preference and to find out whether it was affected by sex, age, personal profile and smile, precedent therapies. Materials and methods: Reviewed english literature on PubMed Database (Keywords: morphing, videoimaging, facial aestethics) we selected 30 patients (15-45Y; 15M; 15F) at early stage of therapy at our dental offices. Using Viewbox Software we digitized a series of 4 distinct distortions from initial lateral cephalograms and photos translated into soft-tissue changes of nasal tip and 1/3 lower of the face.Photoshop software edited different smiles from frontal photos. We asked to value their and other patients distorted photos. Results: χ² test and Goodman-Kruskal index(λ) were used to measure the association of patients' preferences according to sex, age, facial profile and smile. Both sexes deemed positively orthognathic profiles whereas prognathic and retrognathic profiles were the least preferred. Gummy smile, diastema,crowdings,were considered unattractive. Age and own patient profile don't seem to have significative influence on choices. Conclusions: Patients have high expectations on orthodontic treatment. Explaining its limits and viewing possible results prevents disappointments. Self-perception and opinions on attractive facial traits should be never neglected by orthodontists.


P. A. Sorokin's reference to the problematics of music both in the context of social/sociocultural phenomena, and the theory of social and cultural dynamics has been analyzed. It has been shown that in the later works of the sociologist there is a change of conceptual priorities: the conception of «sociocultural phenomenon» is introduced (instead of the conception «social phenomenon», which was used in earlier works by the sociologist); the conceptions "significance, values and norms» are introduced instead of the conception «mental experience». The author suggests the thesis that in his writings P. A. Sorokin (considering music as a symbol, «the bearer of meaningful interaction») anticipated the emergence of a whole trend in science semantic theory of music. The features of ideational, idealistic and perceptible types of music, as well as the specifics of their fluctuation have been shown. The author reveals the meaning of P. A. Sorokin's idea about the existence of three types of music, linking these types with the main variations of the correlation of the beauty and the artistry in the work of art. Refs 8.


ions to a minimum, in spite of its largely theoretical content Includes useful problems and exercises at the end of each Page 6/7 Read Book Asymptotic Statistics chapter Offers strategies for more complex models when using robust statistical procedures Self-contained and rounded in approach, this book is invaluable for both applied statisticians and theoretical researchers; for graduate students in mathematical statistics; and for anyone interested in the influence of this methodology. Our book Asymptotic Techniquesfor Use in Statistics was originally planned as an account of asymptotic statistical theory, but by the time we had completed the mathematical preliminaries it seemed best to publish these separately. The present book, although largely self-contained, takes up the original theme and gives a systematic account of some recent developments in asymptotic parametric inference from a likelihood-based perspective. Chapters 1-4 are relatively elementary and provide first a review of key concepts such as likelihood, sufficiency, conditionality, ancillarity, exponential families and transformation models. Then first-order asymptotic theory is set out, followed by a discussion of the need for higher-order theory. This is then developed in some generality in Chapters 5-8. A final chapter deals briefly with some more specialized issues. The discussion emphasizes concepts and techniques rather than precise mathematical verifications with full attention to regularity conditions and, especially in the less technical chapters, draws quite heavily on illustrative examples. Each chapter ends with outline further results and exercises and with bibliographic notes. Many parts of the field discussed in this book are undergoing rapid further development, and in those parts the book therefore in some respects has more the flavour of a progress report than an exposition of a largely completed theory. This book is an introduction to the field of asymptotic statistics. The treatment is both practical and mathematically rigorous. In addition to most of the standard topics of an asymptotics course, including likelihood inference, M-estimation, the theory of asymptotic efficiency, U-statistics, and rank procedures, the book also presents recent research topics such as semiparametric models, the bootstrap, and empirical processes and their applications. The topics are organized from the central idea of approximation by limit experiments, which gives the book one of its unifying themes. This entails mainly the local approximation of the classical i.i.d. set up with smooth parameters by location experiments involving a single, normally distributed observation. Thus, even the standard subjects of asymptotic statistics are presented in a novel way. Suitable as a graduate or Master s level statistics text, this book will also give researchers an overview of the latest research in asymptotic statistics. A broad view of exact statistical inference and the development of asymptotic statistical inference. Probability and stochastic processes; Limit theorems for some statistics; Asymptotic theory of estimation; Linear parametric inference; Martingale approach to inference; Inference in nonlinear regression; Von mises functionals; Empirical characteristic function and its applications. Copyright: 7327cb012fd18f94249d6fe7cead08d2 Copyright : ceremoniatsu.ibero.mx Page 7/7


The invention discloses a small cuttlefish hook. The small cuttlefish hook comprises a fish hook and a small cuttlefish-shaped fish bait comprising green luminous pearls, a silicon rubber wire, a goose feather and a gold wire, wherein the gold wire is mingled in the goose feather; the goose feather and the gold wire mingled in the goose feather are arranged on a hook handle of the fish hook to form a small cuttlefish body; one end of the silicon rubber wire extends into the rear part of the small cuttlefish body to form a small cuttlefish tail; black and white stripes are arranged on the silicon rubber wire; and the two green luminous pearls are fixed to the small cuttlefish body to form small cuttlefish eyes. According to the small cuttlefish hook, the eyes formed by the two green luminous pearls are adopted and can emit dim green light at the bottom of water, so that fishes can be attracted under the action of phototaxis; the elliptic body formed by the soft goose feather and the gold wire mingled in the goose feather can satisfactorily guarantee balance; and especially the tail formed by the black-white silicon rubber wire is very showy, very elegant and very large in attraction force on the fishes.


Stress-induced functional changes in the light pinealocytes and signs of stress-limiting effect of oxytocin were revealed in white non-linear rats. The data obtained suggests involvement of oxytocinergic systems in the stress modulation of pinealocytes.


Refractory IDA and chronic occult bleeding from GI tract could happen due to BRBNS. Clinicians should keep in mind to detect the underlying diseases from GI tract by endoscopy. Precision diagnosis and appropriate intervention could booster to upgrade the quality of life for patients.


First rule of sustainable ecological planning is to maintain continuously the balance between available amount and demand of ecological resources. A water resource, which is one of the most important ecological resources, is one of the resources that must be protected with priority since it is one of the most initial conditions of continuity of life. Upon this perspective, EU countries are developing various water policies and calling attention to the effects of insensibly usage of water on the ecology. Among EU countries, Finland is a very rich country in terms of water resources. According to water quality charts, Finland is at the top of the list among 122 countries within the scope of UN World Water Evaluation Report of World Water development reports issued in 2003. Additionally, it is one of the richest of 147 countries evaluated according to the water poverty index which was conducted by World Water Council and British Center for Ecology and Hydrology. Finland has developed many policies for sustainable use of this ecological value of its, and has made progress on many aspects from resource preservation to wastewater reclamation. Purpose of this study is to reveal AB hydro politic approaches and to examine water policies of Finland which conducts integrated water management. This study subject has been presented verbally at the International Conference on Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2015.


The utility model discloses an antitheft tightening ring for an urban public bike. The antitheft tightening ring comprises a tightening ring, an eccentric handle, a screw hinged to the eccentric handle and a regulating nut, wherein one end of the tail of the regulating nut is inwards sunken to form a hole with a diameter greater than a thread diameter; when the screw is arranged in the regulating nut, a pressing nut is concealed in the hole in the tail of the regulating nut to press the regulating nut; the pressing nut is a triangular pressing nut which can be disassembled only by a special tool. According to the antitheft tightening ring, the concealed triangular pressing nut is used for pressing the regulating nut, so that the regulating nut of the tightening ring is prevented from being easily disassembled, and the probability that the tightening ring is lost and stolen is reduced.


Cervical tuberculosis lymphadenitis (CTL), classically known as scrofula, presents as a progressive unilateral neck swelling over weeks to months. In the United States, extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB), principally lymphadenitis, comprises approximately 10% of tuberculosis cases, and unlike pulmonary tuberculosis, has not been declining in prevalence.1 It is most prevalent among foreign-born individuals from Southeast Asia and India, and occurs most frequently in the cervical region.2 Despite the close proximity of cervical lymph nodes to exiting nerve roots, clinical radiculopathies are rare. This is particularly interesting considering the infection causes mass effect in the posterior cervical triangle, crowding an area traversed by many nerves arising from the cervical region.3 It is possible that subtle radicular symptoms are more common but unrecognized, and that our case represents a more dramatic example along a spectrum of disease.


NCSS can import from a wide variety of spreadsheets, databases, and statistical systems. When you import a file, the entire dataset is replaced with the imported data, so make sure that your data are saved before performing this operation. You will be prompted to save your data before performing the import if your data have not yet been saved. If you are importing from a database file like Access with more than one table non-empty table, you will be asked to select one table to import. If you are importing from a spreadsheet program like Excel with more than one non-empty sheet, you will be asked to select one or more sheets to import.


A strategy has been developed for optimizing the design of runners in injection molds with multiple identical cavities. This approach is based on mathematically rigorous derivations using the power-law viscosity model under conditions where the pressure drop in runners is not significantly influenced by temperature variation. The design rule to minimize runner volume for specified injection pressure and rate is simple: The diameter of any runner downstream from a junction is determined by dividing the diameter of the upstream runner by the cube root of the number of downstream branches at the junction. This rule has been extended to noncircular runners using the hydraulic radius approximation and the requirement of equal velocities in the circular and noncircular runners. Minimum volume cross-sectional shapes have been determined for U-shaped and trapezoidal shaped runners. For circular runners a method for estimating the pressure drop for nonisothermal flow quantifies the deviation from the pressure drop for isothermal flow at the melt temperature. As runner size decreases, the trend is for viscous heating to dominate over cooling and for the estimated nonisothermal pressure drop to be lower than the isothermal pressure drop.


Abstract: Previous studies have shown that 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) can potently inhibit glutamatergic transmission in rat cerebellum through the activation of multiple 5‐HT receptors. The aim of this study was to subclassify the 5‐HT2 receptor mediating inhibition of the cyclic GMP response elicited by N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate in adult rat cerebellar slices. Seven receptor antagonists, endowed with relative selectivities for the 5‐HT2A, 5‐HT2B, and 5‐HT2C subtypes, differentially affected the inhibition by (±)‐1‐(2,5‐dimethoxy‐4‐iodophenyl)‐2‐aminopropane of the cyclic GMP response, suggesting that the receptor involved belongs to the 5‐HT2C subtype.


This paper presents our approach to data mining that allows the coupling of parallel applications with a scripting language resulting in an efficient and flexible toolbox. Parallel algorithms which are scalable both in data size and number of processors are a key issue to be able to solve the ever increasing problems in data mining. On the other hand, data mining applications should be flexible to allow interactive data exploration. By using a toolbox written in a scripting language we are able to steer parallel applications in a flexible way, thus fulfilling the needs of a data miner for fast interactive data analysis. The chosen approach is discussed and first results are presented.


Windows are composed of thin and light substance,and they are the weakest part in retaining structures.Not only windows have transferring heat quantity because of difference in temperature,but also they transfer heat quantity by air permeating and sun radiation through glass.It states separately energy saving measures and effect,and it gives rational suggestions of promoting saving property of windows.


The paper highlights some critical observations made in the course of investigations on surge performance of a transformer winding by analogue modelling. The studies cover winding responses to both full and chopped standard lightning impulses where time-to-chop was varied over a wide range to find the maximum stresses across winding discs. Three specific zones along the winding were selected for studies. These were the line-end and earth-end sections each spanning about 6% of the entire winding length, while the midwinding disc was chosen to represent the midwinding section. Two types of faults were simulated: series faults both permanent and voltage-dependent; and parallel faults through resistance with preset faulting levels. Winding responses to faults under impressed impulses were observed and scanned using both neutral-current (Hagenguth) and tank-current methods of fault detection. Important observations are corroborated by oscillograms of winding responses. The results suggest and confirm appropriate methods of fault detection on fault occurrence in the specified sections along the winding. >


The double perovskite Y2NiMnO6 displays ferromagnetic transition at T-c approximate to 81 K. The ferromagnetic order at low temperature is confirmed by the saturation value of magnetization (Ms) and also validated by the refined ordered magnetic moment values extracted from neutron powder diffraction data at 10 K. This way, the dominant Mn4+ and Ni2+ cationic ordering is confirmed. The cation-ordered P2(1)/n nuclear structure is revealed by neutron powder diffraction studies at 300 and 10 K. Analysis of the frequency-dependent dielectric constant and equivalent circuit analysis of impedance data take into account the bulk contribution to the total dielectric constant. This reveals an anomaly which coincides with the ferromagnetic transition temperature (T-c). Pyrocurrent measurements register a current flow with onset near T-c and a peak at 57 K that shifts with temperature ramp rate. The extrinsic nature of the observed pyrocurrent is established by employing a special protocol measurement. It is realized that the origin is due to reorientation of electric dipoles created by the free charge carriers and not by spontaneous electric polarization at variance with recently reported magnetism-driven ferroelectricity in this material.


Comparative calculations of earthen railway bed have been performed and regularities of the influence of loading onto change of strains have been determined.


The pathogenesis of inflammatory complication after chest trauma and pulmonary injury is incompletely understood. Injury can trigger a systemic inflammatory response, which leads to pre-activation of neutrophils in blood. The aim of this study was to determine the specific expression profiles of neutrophil receptors in relation to the systemic inflammatory response after chest trauma. Blood samples from fifty patients with isolated thoracic injury were analysed for changes in the neutrophil phenotype within 3, 6 and 24 hours after injury. Study patients was assessed for any inflammatory complications during the first 24 hours. L-Selectin expression remained decreased until 24 hrs while CXCR1, CXCR2 and C5aR levels gradually increased. Expression of FcγRII and expression of the active form were lower in trauma patients, no patients developed ARDS. Thoracic trauma leads to activation of the circulating neutrophils which is transient accompanied by mobilization of young neutrophils into the circulation which leads to systemic inflammatory reactions which need a second stimulus to cause inflammatory complications like ARDS.


In this chapter we will present the results of the impact of radiation on electronics and opto-electronics for two of the LHC experiments during Run 1 and Run 2. ATLAS results are presented in Section 6.1; CMS in Section 6.2. In Section 6.3 we will present a comparison between the two experiments, highlighting operational guidelines and proposing solutions to build the electronics and opto-electronics of the future LHC experiments.


CaxBa1-xNb2O6 (CBN) ceramics with tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) structures are very attractive from academic and technological fronts due to their outstanding ferroelectric properties. Hence, CBN ceramics were prepared by high temperature solid state reaction technique in this work. The phase formation, microstructure and dielectric properties of the prepared samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and impedance analyzer, respectively. The X-ray analysis confirms the partially filled tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) structure. The scanning electron micrographs provide information related to the morphology and grain size distribution of the samples. The dielectric and ferroelectric properties of CaxBa1-xNb2O6 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4) ceramics were also measured, and they have been found to be strongly processing-dependent. The frequency dependence of the dielectric constant (e) of the samples have been discussed. Detailed analysis of the structural and dielectric properties suggests that these samples have undergone a phase transition well above the room temperature. DC resistivity studies on the samples are marked by a response of positive temperature coefficient of resistivity (PTCR) in all the compositions.CaxBa1-xNb2O6 (CBN) ceramics with tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) structures are very attractive from academic and technological fronts due to their outstanding ferroelectric properties. Hence, CBN ceramics were prepared by high temperature solid state reaction technique in this work. The phase formation, microstructure and dielectric properties of the prepared samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and impedance analyzer, respectively. The X-ray analysis confirms the partially filled tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) structure. The scanning electron micrographs provide information related to the morphology and grain size distribution of the samples. The dielectric and ferroelectric properties of CaxBa1-xNb2O6 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4) ceramics were also measured, and they have been found to be strongly processing-dependent. The frequency dependence of the dielectric constant (e) of the samples have been discussed. Detailed analysis of the structur...


Abstract The effect of zinc addition to pressurized water reactor (PWR) primary water on primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) susceptibility of mill-annealed Alloy 600 (UNS N06600, 600MA...


Objective:To evaluate the value of transrectal and transvaginal ultrasound in the diagnosis of female urethral diseases.Methods:The ultrasound images of the sixty-one patients with female urethral diseases were retrospectively analyzed, all of the patients were proved by operation and clinical treatment.Results:A total of 61 cases with urethritis, except for 3 cases were made incorrect diagnosis,the rest were made correct diagnosis with 7 cases of tumid type and 31 cases of calcic type. A total of 11 cases bladder outlet obstruction,except for 1 case were made incorrect diagnosis ,all of the rest and 3 cases of urethral cyst, 3 cases of abscess around urethra, 1 case of urethrovaginal fistula and 2 cases of urethral space-occupying mass were made correct diagnosis.Conclusion:Ultrasound is helpful in determining not only the shape, the size, but also the location, the nature and the degree of urethral lesion. It is suggested that ultrasonography should be chosen firstly to examine the female urethral diseases, and it is a reliable method in evaluating the result of treatment.


Conclusion Single or repeated injections of prolactin do not cause significant changes in serum cholesterol, lipid phosphorus and lipoprotein pattern of normal and depan-creatized dogs.


Technological advances have always had an impact on the development of new audio-visual aesthetics. Recently, exploiting the spatial capabilities of immersive sound technology in the form of Dolby ...


STROCENS have been implicated in the E growth and maintenance of a proportion of human mammary cancers. In slightly less than half the patients with this cancer, removal of the ovaries and/or adrenals is followed by a complete or partial regression of the tumor and its metastases. Androgens and estrogens have been used therapeutically and either one may produce tumor regression in a small proportion of cases. However, in more than half the patients the tumor appears to be completely unaffected by any hormone manipulations. In addition, any relief provided by hormone therapy is only temporary, usually of short duration, but it may last up to several years. Thus it is evident that human mammary cancer exhibits a variety of sensitivities to estrogen and androgen. This phenomenon, "hormone dependency," is receiving considerable attention at the present time. Many of the investigations have been concerned with the effectiveness of certain ablative procedures (oophorectomy, adrenalectomy, and hypophysectomy) in bringing about temporary regression of tumor growth in a proportion of breast cancers (e.g., Cade,' Pyrah,S Ray and Pearson 10). Attempts to select patients likely to respond favorably to endocrine ablation has resulted in numerous studies of urinary hormone excretion and subsequent responsiveness to endocrine treatment (Strong,'* Loraine8). The estrogen stimulation test, cortisone suppression test, and growth hormone stimulation test have all been used to some extent to assess hormone dependency (Jessiman7). As yet these investigations have not overcome the marked individuality and unpredictability in behavior of breast cancers in vivo so that the usefulness of 00phorectomy, adrenalectomy, or hypophysectomy in a given patient is uncertain until after the operation. Consequently about half of the patients undergo ablative procedures without benefit. The mode of action of estrogen and androgen in patients with tumors showing hormone dependence is unknown. A direct action of estrogens upon the tumor tissue appears likely although in addition they may serve to stimulate the production of prolactin (Hadfield'). Segaloff 11 reported that 17amethyl-86 androsten-3p, 17p-dio1, which possesses androgenic properties and tumor-retarding activity, has no effect on urinary gonadotropin excretion and hence it is possible that androgens have a direct action on the tumors as well as suppressing endogenous estrogen secretion by reducing pituitary gonadotropin output. These considerations suggest that i t would be worthwhile examining the tumor tissue for a further understanding of "hormone dependency." The following studies provide evidence that estrogens and androgens have direct effects on mammary tumor in vitro. During the course of these investigations, Hollander, Jonas, and Smith6 published their findings in relation to the estradiol-sensitive isocitric dehydrogenase in a proportion of human breast cancer specimens. This work will be discussed in relation to the results reported here.


Along with the Java technique increasingly extensive usage,the difficulty of the software development is more and more big and the development efficiency of the software has to keep up with its demand, thus the design pattern in the Java procedure development also seems to be more to aggravate to want.Aiming at the design pattern in the Java procedure development, some basic design patterns and some typical models that adopt the design pattern are introduced in this paper.


This paper presents the energy method to evaluate fracture behavior of enamel-cement-bracket system based on cement thickness. Finite element (FE) model of enamel-cement-bracket was constructed by using ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL). Three different thickness were used in this study, 0.05, 0.2, and 0.271 mm which assigned as thin, medium and thick for both enamel-cement and cement bracket interface cracks. Virtual crack closure technique (VCCT) was implemented as a simulation method to calculated energy release rate (ERR). Simulation results were obtained for each thickness are discussed by using Griffith's energy balance approach. ERR for thin thickness are found to be the lowest compared to medium and thick. Peak value of ERR also showed a significant different between medium and thick thickness. Therefore, weakest bonding occurred at low cement thickness because less load required to produce enough energy to detach the bracket. For medium and thick thickness, both increased rapidly in energy value at about the mid-point of the enamel-cement interface. This behavior occurred because of the increasing in mechanical and surface energy when the cracks are increasing. However, result for thick thickness are higher at mid-point compared to thin thickness. In conclusion, fracture behavior of enamel cracking process for medium most likely the safest to avoid enamel fracture and withstand bracket debonding.


This article introduces the Floyd-shortest-path algorithm using the site selection principles,combined with the six substances required for asphalt mixing ratio of the total material,the location of the establishment of a simple mathematical model.Explained by an example of the model building process,and its solution by MATLAB software.


Most of the existing unsupervised cross-domain person re-identification (re-ID) methods utilize pseudo-labels estimation to cast the unsupervised problem into a supervised problem, whose performance is limited by the quality of pseudo-labels. To address the problem, we propose a noisy pseudo-label processing (NPLP) approach to suppress the pseudo-labels noise and improve the performance of the person re-ID model. Specifically, we first summarize two types of pseudo-label noise that lead to the collapse of the re-ID model, as defined as mixed noise and fragmented noise. Secondly, we propose a different method which is composed of Startup Stage and Correcting Stage for pseudo-labels estimation to relieve these two types of noise respectively. The Startup Stage aims to decrease the ratio of the fragmented noise by increasing the recall of the clustering results. At the Correcting Stage, we evaluate the quality of the pseudo-labels and correct those low-quality pseudo-labels to suppress the mixed noise and generate more reliable pseudo-labels for the re-ID model to learn. At last, we build a feature learning strategy for unsupervised re-ID task and learn from the denoised pseudo-labels iteratively. Extensive evaluations on three large-scale benchmarks show that the NPLP is competitive with most state-of-the-art unsupervised re-ID methods.


Abstract This work proposed a composite soil reinforcement method to support the vegetation growth and improve slope stability using geocell structures and wheat straws. Twelve physical models were developed for assessing rainfall intensities, slope steepness and geocell sizes on the soil erosion. The results showed that: (1) the geocell reinforced slopes maintained a good integrity, but the bare slope showed horizontal cracks; (2) the soil erosion was less than 40 g and more than 4000 g under the 50 mm/h and 100 mm/h rainfall intensities; the largest slope displacement was 2.5 mm and 7.5 mm, respectively; (3) the steep slopes showed a largest soil erosion of 5000 g and largest displacement of 8 cm, compared to 4500 g and 5.5 cm for gentle slopes; soil water contents were 40% and 30% for the steep and gentle slopes; (4) the measured soil erosion under the 100 mm/h rainfall was 4000 g and 5000 g for the small and large geocell reinforced slopes; the displacement of small geocell reinforced slopes were typically 1–2.5 cm smaller than large geocell reinforced slopes. It is concluded that the small geocell reinforced slope at a small inclination and low rainfall intensity has the best stability.


Modern space-based telescopes operating in the terahertz (THz) spectral range require highly reflecting and cryogenically cooled optics ensuring extremely low noise. The idea of using high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7-δ as a telescope's mirror coating for providing low dissipation and high reflectivity of the surface for the subTHz frequency band has been explored. We are presenting here some results of measurements of the reflection losses in YBa2Cu3O7-δ at cryogenic and room temperatures (4.2–300 K) in the frequency band 0.166–0.23 THz. High-accuracy measurements of the absolute value of reflectivity have been performed with the help of the resonance technique. The measured reflection losses in the given frequency band were below 1%. For the same frequency range, these values are well above the reflection losses in normal metals such as copper or aluminum, which are normally used to cover mirrors of telescopes. We, therefore, conclude that the use of high-Tc superconductors YBa2Cu3O7-δ as a highly reflecting coating for the THz telescope's mirror is not advisable.


Myotis planiceps is an insectivorous species with a distinctive flat-headed morphology among Myotis species. Its distribution is restricted to the northeastern Mexico highlands, and uses trees of Yucca carnerosana to roost. The particular ecological and morphological characteristics of this species make it a likely resource-use specialist. We evaluated the morphological specialization of M. planiceps as compared with thirteen American congeners belonging to different dietary categories, using a geometric morphometric protocol and multivariate statistical analyses. We estimated morphological differences across dietary categories, including M. planiceps as a separate group, and evaluated the effect of cranial size and diet on variations in cranial morphology. We found a significant differentiation of this species in all the cranial shape characters, with soft insectivores as the dietary group closest to M. planiceps. Additionally, diet explained similar percentages of shape variance in cranial and mandibular characters, and the highest interaction between diet and cranial size was recorded in the braincase. In general, the smallest sizes and thinner skulls were observed in soft insectivores. Our findings do not support a significant relationship between skull shape characters, described by the first principal component, and hardness of food items, but we found a significant association with the mandible shape. No phylogenetic structure was observed in the residual variance of these models. We found trends of change in cranial morphology associated with specialized habitats, the mandibular characters being more contrasting in the fishing bat M. vivesi, and the braincase morphology being more contrasting in M. planiceps, a species that lives in restricted habitats and probably feeds on soft insects.


This paper analyzes the target,principle and concrete forms of the practical teaching of the course,Ideological and Moral Accomplishment and Law Foundation.


Introduction: Because of not applying analgesics in mastectomy candidates and the complications of analgesic therapy in these patients on the one hand and increased pain intensity in patients who undergo mastectomy following radiotherapy on the other hand, the present study aimed to evaluate foot reflexology massage on pain and the need for opioids in breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy after


The kinetics and mechanism of electropolymerization of m-aminophenol (mAP) has been investigated in acetonitrile (AN) and methanol (MeOH) media. The rate of polymerization is found to be proportional to mAP (current)0.5 at moderate current densities; at higher current densities, the rate of polymerization is independent of current density. A suitable mechanism has been proposed and the rate equation is derived to explain the observed factors. Rotating disc voltametry revealed that at low current densities, the rate of polymerization is charge controlled, while at high current densities it is diffusion controlled. The physicochemical characteristics of AN make it a better solvent than MeOH.


Objective To analyse the financial costs from sports injuries among inpatients and emergency department (ED) patients aged 5–18 with a focus on Medicaid patients. Methods Fixed-effects linear regression was used to assess the association of patient factors with cost of injury from sports. Florida Agency for Health Care Administration data from 2010 to 2014 were used, which included all inpatient and ED patients aged 5–18 years who had a sports injury. Results Over 5 years, sports injuries in Florida youth cost $24 million for inpatient care and $87 million for ED care. Youth averaged $6039 for an inpatient visit and $439 for an ED visit in costs from sports injuries. Sports injuries for Medicaid-insured youth cost $10.8 million for inpatient visits and $44.2 million for ED visits. Conclusion Older athletes and males consistently have higher healthcare costs from sports. Baseball, basketball, bike riding, American football, roller-skating/skateboarding and soccer are sports with high costs for both ED patients and inpatients and would benefit from prevention programmes. Injuries from non-contact sport participants are few but can have high costs. These athletes could benefit from prevention programmes as well.


Errors in this learning process also occur in tertiary education. Some lecturers sometimes only focus on providing material with the aim of pursuing material achievement, so they don't think about how students understand it. This should not happen again in education, especially higher education, where students have been able to develop their own knowledge given. At the tertiary level, students must be able to develop what is in them. Students should be able to obtain information, solve problems that occur in learning. Based on the results of data analysis that have been obtained previously, there is a difference between the use of the lecture method with the discussion learning model and personal investigation on students of the Economic Education Study Program and the English Education Study Program, the Teacher Training and Education Faculty, Batanghari University in the Learning Evaluation course. This means that the application of new teaching methods can certainly have an impact and change even without eliminating the meaning of the learning itself. Thus, the application of the learning model is not only to attract students' interest and attention to the provision of lecture material, but to familiarize themselves so that they want to develop themselves in receiving information so that in the end it will improve their learning outcomes. This is because students are the final level in a learning process which is expected not only to have good character and personality, but also to have insight and knowledge globally as well.


Objective To discuss correlation between HPV16 E6 and p53Arg72Pro polymorphisms, it provided academic evidence for the mechanism of cervical cancer.Methods pcDNA 3.1/myc-His (-) A-HPV16 E6 was transfected into p53 codon 72 genotype cell lines, Arg homozygous (SK-BR-3) and Pro homozygous (MIA PaCa-2). Immunocytochemistry was used to detected the expression of protein of p53、p21、Bax、Ki67 proteins in these cells which were transfected by HPV16 E6.Results After being transfected, the expression of p53、Bax、Ki-67 were effected in those cells, expect for p21 protein.Conclusion After the eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.1/myc-His (-) A-HPV16 E6 was transfected into the Arg homozygous and Pro homozygous cells, the p53Arg and p53Pro proteins were all degraded by HPV16 E6. And the ability of proliferation and apoptosis of the cells were depressed to a different degree.


By the use of oil, the present authors have determined the coefficients of discharge, C, of the piston valves with a single hole, and have obtained an experimental formula, where C is represented as a function of hole diameter, d (mm), and of opening ratio of the hole, m. The results are represented as follows : C=0.681+0.0136d+0.059m, (P2>P2c and C=0.681+0.0136d+0.059m-0.035 (P2c-P2), (P2<P2c) where P2c=1+0.35m (P1-1), and P1 and P2 are the absolute pressure at the inlet and outlet of the valve, respectively.


On November 2, 2020, after almost sixty years of restriction, the City of Palo Alto opened the gates of its Foothills Park to nonresidents. Prior to the lifting of the residency restriction, it was a crime for nonresidents of Palo Alto to enter this 1,400-acre park, a crime that carried possible jail time. Although the reason for this rule was initially rooted in local financial squabbles, the rule itself had racist consequences that were felt for decades after its passage. Thus, the history of Foothills Park's residency restriction serves as a useful example of the insidious ways that past racist policies and practices can persist to the present day, largely invisible and thus easily dismissed by policymakers and the public alike. Examining the evolution of Palo Alto's Foothills Park through a historical lens, and within the context of the 1960s and '70s environmentalist movement, reveals the clear imprint of environmental racism and white privilege. Given the widespread economic disparity that shaped residential patterns in the San Francisco Bay Area, the park's residents-only rule effectively excluded people of color, the poor, and the working class. Though racially restrictive covenants may no longer be legally enforced today, relatively few people of color can afford to live in Palo Alto. Thus, despite the passage of many years, and despite repeal of Foothills Park's residents-only restriction, the community's historical residential patterns have perpetuated ongoing inequalities.


ABSTRACT: Since 1976, several researchers have adopted the municipal unit to represent the Cerrado Region in a map. But, the group of municipalities that characterize that Region has changed on the time and the area of Cerrado has reduced to zero in many counties. This fact makes necessary to think on the criterias to choose the statistical unities to represent that Region. This work has aimed to define a set of counties by using the criterion adopted by the Geophysics Laboratory of Embrapa Cerrados and made two suggestions: in the sense that the researchers use the micro-Regions as statistical units, because it is perennial; and that the group of counties that represents the Cerrado Region, to be re-defined more often.


##Introduction Cyclic neutropenia is an autosomal-dominant haematological disorder. It is characterised by a periodic depression of peripheral blood neutrophils at 21-day intervals. Patients have a decreased ability to fight infection and commonly experience fever, ulceration, skin infections and lymphadenopathy. ##Case report A 17-year-old patient was referred by her consultant haematologist for periodontal assessment due to painful oral tissues and loose teeth. Clinical and radiographic examination revealed advanced periodontal destruction. A course of cause-related, non-surgical periodontal treatment, followed by an orthodontic and reconstructive phase, was carried out to arrest disease progression and stabilise her dentition. This case was followed up intermittently for over 34 years. ##Discussion The oral manifestations of cyclic neutropenia include oral ulcerations, angular cheilitis, periodontal destruction and early tooth loss. Early identification and regular follow-up should be employed for this patient cohort. Restorative procedures should be meticulously planned and executed to facilitate plaque control. ##Conclusion This case report illustrates the challenges of long-term management of severe periodontitis in a young individual who suffers from cyclic neutropenia. Delivery of dental and periodontal care was complicated by long travel distances, periods of non-attendance and financial issues. Early interventions to improve periodontal health and align the teeth proved successful, and this case report illustrates the benefit of planning periodontal care on a case-by-case basis. Regular supportive oral care is essential.


Agency theory suggests that conflict interests between managers and owners cause management shirking and associated agency costs. An audit is a monitoring mechanism that provides an independent check on accounting information and reduces agency costs (Jensen and Meckling, 1976). Therefore, given severe owner-manager agency problems, higher audit quality should be associated with lower client company owner-manager agency costs. The purpose of this study is to empirically test this relation. In China, owner-manager agency problems are severe given extremely low or no management ownership. Moreover, there is a lack of variations in management holdings across Chinese public companies. Such an environment allows us to examine the role of audits in reducing owner-manager agency costs. Using a sample of Chinese listed companies, we find that observations with higher quality audits show lower owner-manager agency costs. Such a result suggests that in an emerging market, higher quality audits more effectively reduce agency costs.


It was Hume's concept of knowledge that marked Masaryk's philosophy more than influential Kant. Masaryk devoted Hume his inaugural lecture The Probability Calculus and Hume's Scepticism at Prague University in 1882. He tried to face his scepticism concerning causation and induction by a formula P = n:(n+1) or P = (n+1):(n+2) where P means the increasing probability that an event that had happened n times in the past will happen again. Hume stresses that there is an essential difference between probability and certainty, and we have no logical reason to presuppose that the past experience (however massive) is legitimate for expectation that the future will resemble to the past. Only our belief, not knowledge, leads us to that. Although Masaryk did not accept Hume's scepticism, he had deep understanding for his way of thinking. Reflection of Hume's influence on Masaryk in Czech philosophy is unsatisfactory, which is stated in this article.


This study assessed whether the use of digital image filters influences the detection of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) bone changes on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Two radiologists evaluated the TMJ images of CBCT scans to verify the presence of osteophytes, erosions, pseudocysts, bone sclerosis and flattening, using the software XoranCAT; each image of the TMJ was assessed with and without the use of the following filters: Angio Sharpen 3x3 and Angio Sharpen 5x5. Kruskal-Wallis' test was used to assess whether the application of filters influenced the scores assigned to the degenerative bone changes in the condyle. Flattening was present in 15 cases (51.72%), followed by osteophytes in six cases (20.69%), sclerosis in three cases (10.34%), and erosion in three cases (10.34%), with pseudocyst found in two cases (6.90%). No statistically significant difference was found in the scores (P = 0.786) regarding the original images and those treated with both filters. Digital image filters used in our study did not influence the diagnosis of degenerative bone changes in the TMJ on CBCT images. Research, Society and Development, v. 10, n. 4, e44010414296, 2021 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v10i4.14296 2


Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L., Urticaceae) is a ubiquitous herb grown in large part of the world mainly in temperate and tropical wasteland areas used as medicinal herb, fabric dye, textiles, food. The present study aims for investigation of Urtica dioica (nettle leaf) on the basis of morphoanatomical and histochemical characterization on samples collected from Uttarakhand. The collected plant samples showed marked variation in morphological characters. The ridges and furrows were more prominent in sample A as compare to sample B and C. Medullary rays in sample B and C were more distinct and consist of about 23-30 rows of cells as compare with sample A. Raphid shaped calcium oxalate crystals were observed in all the samples. These studies revealed that present studies were significant for the characterization and identification of plants and altitudinal effects on distribution of phyto-constituents on various plant parts.


The physical spin program at high $p_T$ region and energies $s^{1/2}_{NN} \sim 10 GeV$ is discussed. It's shown that cumulative processes, color transparency problem and polarization phenomenons directly connect with properties new form of the nuclear matter as Color Quark Condensate(CQC). Studies of CQC one of the most important physical problem and can be realized using polarized ion beams at JINR nuclotron-M (and in future at NICA). The calculations of spin resonance strengthes in the linear approximation for p, d, t and $^3He$ beams in the JINR nuclotron are presented. The methods to preserve the degree of polarization during crossing the spin resonances are examined. The method of matching the direction of polarization vector during the beam injection in to the ring of the nuclotron is given. These methods of spin resonance crossing can be used to accelerate polarized beams in the other cyclic accelerators.


The invention concerns lipids suitable for the transport of biologically active substances or molecules in cells. A preferred lipid is L-lysine-bis-(O,O'-cis-9-octadecenoyl- beta -hydroxyethyl) amide dihydrochloride or one of its optical isomers. In addition, the invention concerns complexes of such lipids with polyanions such as DNA and RNA, and ternary complexes of the lipids described with polyanions and polycations. Finally, the invention concerns liposome formulations made from biologically active substances and the lipids described, as well as methods of transporting polyanions, polycations or biologically active substances through biological membranes by means of these lipids.


The magnetic flux pinning force in Tl 2 Ba 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O x high- T c superconductor ( T c =120 K) were measured as functions of temperature and magnetic field by using a torque magnetometry. The magnetic torque curves exhibit a large rotational hysteresis accompanied with a delayed angle for the rotation of applied magnetic fields. The number density of fluxoids and the pinning force acting on the fluxoids were estimated using a combined model with the Bean model and the Silcox-Rollins model for low and high magnetic field regions, respectively. The pinning force depends on the temperature as (1- t 2 ) 15/2 , where t is a normalized temperature by 80 K. Above 80 K, the pinning force is too small to be observed, and it indicates that the fluxoids may become into a flux flow state.


In this study, the internationalism strategies and policies of Turkish higher education institutions and their reflections has been compared with the way in which the higher education institutions practise in the United Kingdom. This study has been conducted with regard to the foreign students enrolled on the Turkish programmes, the position of the universities at the international rankings (Times Higher Education Rankings) and the number of the international academic staff in Turkish universities. The results showed that although Turkish universities and Turkish Council of Higher Education have not completed their process of making a compatible internationalism policy, especially the internationalism strategies of the foundation universities have been more successful and these universities have showed much better results in the rankings by means of their successful internationalism strategies and policies. Nevertheless, it is not necessarily true that the internationalism strategies in the non-profit universities are very healthy due to the fact that the state universities showed great success in recruiting more international students.


The Cascaded H-bridge topology is ideal for implementing large-scale converters for photovoltaic (PV) applications. The improved quality of output voltage waveforms, high efficiency due to transformer-less connection and ability to employ multiple Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithms are just some advantages. The main disadvantage is the required overrating to facilitate converter operation at times of unequal PV generation. Unequal generation occurs due to shading, temperature inhomogeneity and faulty cells. Capacitor voltage balancing under such conditions typically requires an increase in the number of series connected cells to inject zero sequence voltage. However, leakage current and safety requirements often dictate a need for isolation between PV arrays and the cascaded converter. Therefore, this paper proposes a converter topology that avoids the cost of extra series connected cells by making additional use of the DC-DC converters that provide isolation. H-bridge capacitor sizes are also shown to be reduced. Simulation results are presented that confirm correct operation of the proposed approach.


It is crucial to optimize the Naive Bayes technique because its level of accuracy still has flaws. In order to achieve a higher level of accuracy, optimization employs the right and best techniques for text grouping, particularly for hotel review classification. In order to increase the precision of sentiment analysis, this study compares the use of a dataset with 6 features and a dataset with 18 features in order to determine the impact on the classification accuracy of Naive Bayes with Chi-square. This is demonstrated when the Naive Bayesian algorithm is applied to a dataset with 18 features, which results in accuracy values of f-measure = 0.83 and ROC = 0.922 as opposed to 6 features, which have f-measure = 0.746 and ROC = 0.839. The Chi Square feature selection technique has the effect of improving the Nave Bayes algorithm's classification accuracy of Indonesian hotel review texts. Based on the f-measure and ROC values, which are f-measure = 0.831 and ROC = 0.92 for a dataset with 18 features, the accuracy value will be high if the Naive Bayes algorithm is combined with Chi Square feature selection. According to the results of this study, the accuracy value can be increased in both the 6-feature dataset and the 18-feature dataset by using the Naive Bayes algorithm in conjunction with Chi Square.


Map of political Islam in Indonesia is always colored by the government political map. From the pre-independence era, the post-independence (old order), the new order and the reform era. Islamic education is still in a position that is generally not in favor of the empowerment of the people. Education is a tool for which the government used it to escort people and people to the desired political objectives, theoretically it is not wrong if the government wants the product graduate of educational institutions contribute to development. But at the same time the government should also give freedom to the world of education to determine its direction with permanent gets assistance, support, and facilitation from the government.


Deriving from observations on roots, naturally infected by Armillaria spp., a description of inoculation techniques using rhizomorph sections is presented.


In this document, we investigate the use of Distance Mapping ideas and what they enable for system logs. In the field of telecommunication networks, log files are used for service quality assurance, and are coming from various devices, back end systems, and general usage of the network. Typically, these log files are not allowed to be monetized or shared with third parties, thanks to legal restrictions on privacy issues. While there are some existing early solutions to this, such as Differential Privacy or Homomorphic Encryption, we propose here to look at Distance Mapping to transform the raw data (the system log files) into highly usable but anonymized data. The resulting data can be used directly by Machine Learning algorithms, visualization algorithms, or be considered for re-embedding. While this approach transforms the data format significantly and limits its usage only for distance-based data mining and machine learning tools, it is an elegant and computationally feasible methodology for such applications.


Objective To evaluate the value of Procalcitonin( PCT) in identifying the species of pathogens in postcraniotomy intracranial infection. Methods Retrospective analysis was performed on 103 cases of post-craniotomy intracranial infections in the neurosurgery department of our hospital in recent 5 years. Based on the etiological diagnosis and clinical criteria for diagnosis of intracranial infection,these cases were divided into gram-negative bacteria group,gram-positive bacteria group and non bacteria groups,and the correlation between each group of pathogens and PCT level were analyzed. Results The PCT level of patients with post-craniotomy intracranial infection was the highest in Gram negative bacteria group,followed by gram positive bacteria group,and lowest in non bacteria group,but there was no statistically significant difference in CRP levels between the three groups. Conclusion The pathogen species in post-Craniotomy intracranial infection has some correlation with PCT levels; monitoring PCT levels may be of clinical value for determining the species of pathogens in post-craniotomy intracranial infection.


The structured singular value problem, which is a basic problem in robustness analysis and design of multivariable controllers, can be formulated as an optimization problem over the manifold of unitary matrices with a given structure. We show how geometric optimization methods, such as the steepest ascent method and the conjugate gradient method for optimization on a Riemannian manifold, lead to algorithms giving a guaranteed nontrivial lower bound for the structured singular value.


It is shown that the polarization state of light emitted from an aperture-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) tip may be significantly altered on reflection from a metal surface in close proximity (5 nm) to the tip, while remaining unchanged at distances of several microns. Proximity to dielectric surfaces produces no discernible change. This effect is discussed and explained theoretically. We demonstrate that optical image contrast of metal samples may be enhanced by using this effect. The mechanism of the enhancement is based on selectively detecting the light emitted from the SNOM aperture and filtering out the light emitted through the sidewalls of the probe. It is also shown that images of a metal grating pattern on glass show strong polarization contrast, which may be understood in terms of simple dipole–image dipole schemes and transmission-line concepts.


A novel open-path Fourier-transform infrared (OP-FTIR) spectrometer has been designed and constructed. The spectrometer differs from conventional OP-FTIR spectrometers in that it uses a low-resolution interferometer and a deuterated λ-alanine-doped triglycine sulfate detector. The system also incorporates separate transmitting and receiving telescopes, the mirrors of which are fabricated from spin-cast epoxy resin, and a lateral transfer hollow retroreflector. The use of these components allows for a lighter, more rugged and robust system that can easily be employed for remote sensing/continuous monitoring for both outdoor (fence line or traditional) and indoor environments. Advantages over contemporary instruments were found in weight, cost, and utility. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Field Analyt Chem Technol 3: 131–138, 1999


At present,the security of the identity based proactive threshold signature schemes was almost proved in the random oracle model,and the threshold values of these schemes were almost changeless.Aiming at this two problems,a proactive threshold signature scheme was presented by using the hardness of the computational DiffieHellman problem with no trusty center and changeable threshold value,based on the modification of Paterson'proposed identity based signature scheme.The scheme's correctness was exactly proved in terms of bilinear pairing technique and its security was analyzed and proved in detail in the assumption of the computational Diffie-Hellman problem.


Biospecimen Sharing Programs (BSPs) have been organized by NASA Ames Research Center since the 1960's with the goal of maximizing utilization and scientific return from rare, complex and costly spaceflight experiments. BSPs involve acquiring otherwise unused biological specimens from primary space research experiments for distribution to secondary experiments. Here we describe a collaboration leveraging Ames' expertise in biospecimen sharing to magnify the scientific impact of research informing astronaut health funded by the NASA Human Research Program (HRP) Human Health Countermeasures (HHC) Element. The concept expands biospecimen sharing to oneoff ground-based studies utilizing analogue space platforms (e.g., Hindlimb Unloading (HLU), Artificial Gravity) for rodent experiments, thereby significantly broadening the range of research opportunities with translational relevance for protecting human health in space and on Earth. In this presentation, we will report on biospecimens currently being acquired from HHC Award Head-Down Tilt as a Model for Intracranial and Intraocular Pressures, and Retinal Changes during Spaceflight, and their availability. The BSP add-on to the project described herein has already yielded for HHC-funded investigators more than 4,700 additional tissues that would otherwise have been discarded as waste, with additional tissues available for analysis. Young (3-mo old) male and female rats and Older (9-mo old) male rats are being exposed to HLU for either 7, 14, 28, or 90 days. Additional groups are exposed to 90 days of unloading followed by either 7, 14, 28 days or 90 days of recovery (normal loading). Comparisons are made with non-suspended controls. Unused tissues are: Skin, Lungs, Thymus, Adrenals, Kidneys, Spleen, Hindlimb Muscles (Soleus, Extensor Digitorum Longus, Tibialis Anterior, Plantaris & Gastrocnemius), Fat Pads, Reproductive Organs, and Intestines. Tissues are harvested, weighed, preserved then archived (with metadata) using a sample tracking system (CryoTrack). Preservation techniques include snapfreezing and RNALater/snap-freezing. Specimens were weighed at the time of dissection, and organ mass:body mass ratios analyzed to determine unloading effects across conditions and durations. The results corroborate previously reported effects of short-term exposure to microgravity or unloading exposure on various organs, and provide new insights into adaptation to long-duration unloading relevant to sustained spaceflight exposures on ISS.


The research carried out in this thesis was to investigate the effects of incorporating nanomodlfiers into amine cured epoxy resin, with a second phase of thermoplastic. The morphology and properties of the epoxy with various percentages of thermoplastic with reactive endgroups were assessed. As the percentage of thermoplastic was increased the morphology changed from spherical particulate, to co-continuous and finally phase inverted. The Young's modulus and 0.2% proof stress of the material were unaffected by the addition of the thermoplastic. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and fracture properties increased with increasing thermoplastic content. Several methods of dispersion for the nanotubes were tested using different types of multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Sonicating non-functionalised Thomas Swan nanotubes into the epoxy gave the best dispersion. The dispersions were assessed using a greyscale analysis, and a quadrat analysis of transmission electron micrograph collages. Both methods gave comparable results. The addition of nanotubes to the blend was found to have no effect on the tensile or fracture properties of the polymer. The addition of nanosilica to the blends was found to give an increase in Young's modulus but had no effect on the UTS, 0.2% proof stress or fracture properties. Plane strain compression tests were used to investigate why this epoxy was not toughened by the addition of nanosilica. These revealed that an epoxy which will toughen with the addition of nanosilica shows strain softening and significant shear band formation while the epoxy used throughout this thesis does not. Finally the thermoplastic was used with different endgroups. Changing the endgroup from one reactive group to another had no effect on morphology, but resulted in a slight decrease in fracture properties. The unreactive endgroup had a significant effect on the morphology and resulted in general in an increase in fracture properties and a decrease in UTS.


Nowadays, the key to design a reliable communication system is to acquire channel characteristics and improve channel capacity. In the transmission of high-speed data, the unshielded transmission channel used in power line communication has interference factors such as noise, attenuation, reflection, radiation, and time-varying. A three-wire MIMO-PLC channel transfer function priori model has been established based on the theory of MTL in this paper, which is necessary for band pre-selection, power setting, and dynamic range design in a high-speed MIMO-PLC set to improve the unshielded transmission channel capacity with the effect of noise, attenuation, reaction, radiation, and time-varying factors. The simulation results with the model parameters of geometric sizes, material, surrounding medium, and lengths of the power line network agree well with the measurement ones in the frequency band of 1–200 MHz. The research results of this paper have guiding significance for the band pre-selection, power setting, and dynamic range design of broadband MIMO-PLC.


This study was conducted to analyze the correlation between the satisfaction of club activity and mental health in undergraduate
students. Voluntary participation, and confidentiality were explained to each of the subjects who were students in
B universities located in Chungnam Province who agreed to participate in this study. The data was collected from 220
undergraduate students by structural questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0. The results show that the average
score for the satisfaction of club activity in undergraduate students was 2.77 out of 4, and the average score for the
mental health in undergraduate students was 3.08 out of 5. There was significant differences in the satisfaction of club
activity among the grade (F=3.090, p=.030), the major (F=3.013, p=.021) and the pocket money (F=3.531, p=.009), and
in the mental health among health status (F=8.015, p<.001). And there was a positive correlation between the satisfaction
of club activity and mental health (r=.282, p=.002). Therefore, it is necessary to identify the factors that improved satisfaction
of club activity in college students in order to improve their mental health.


of appointments, culminating with the post of abbess of Malling in Kent, suggests that Cromwell, too, may not initially have envisaged the Dissolution as the total annihilation of English monasticism. Again the picture is one of complexity and fragmentation. In the last two chapters, Erler concentrates on religious texts and the monastic and former monastic communities that produced and circulated them. In the fifth chapter she looks at "refugee Reformation" and the experiences of those intellectuals and religious who started leaving the country from 1534 onwards. If sixteenth-century Catholicism was an international movement, then exiles and their works were often the "conduits" of its ideas. Erler also examines the exile community in the Low Countries and the personal links and shared texts that bound that community together. In the final chapter, she addresses Richard Whitford's last work, which, remarkably, was written after his monastery at Syon had been dissolved. Erler locates the work both within the context of Whitford's own life and output and that of monastic texts more generally. Whitford's vocation as a religious writer seemingly survived the Dissolution just as his community lived on in private houses and, later, in exile. Erler's book is many things: a valuable evocation of Tudor London; a painstaking reconstruction of religious communities before, during, and after the Dissolution; a penetrating analysis of some of the key texts from this period; and a careful history of the manuscript and printed sources involved. It is not a direct contribution to any single historical debate, yet it has important implications for many ongoing conversations about the role of vernacular religious culture, the condition of pre-Reformation monasticism, the workings of religious communities, and the experience of religious change. A work of meticulous scholarship, Reading and Writing during the Dissolution will be a rich source of both detail and insight for many.


The invention discloses an intelligent television voice response system which comprises a user identity characteristic identification module, a voice command identification module and an intelligent response module, and further discloses an intelligent television voice response method, wherein the method comprises the following steps: firstly, obtaining user identity characteristics; secondly, carrying out voice identification, and obtaining a command according with the user identity characteristics according to the user identity characteristics; and thirdly, carrying out matching of a knowledge base according to the command so as to obtain the response information of the user, and feeding back the response information. According to the intelligent television voice response system and method, the identity characteristic of the user can be identified, and the thought of the user can be understood according to context simultaneously so as to accurately give out feedback response for the voice input of the user; and therefore, the accuracy of intelligent television voice response is increased, minute and complicated steps of repeated selection are eliminated for the user, the time is saved, the use satisfaction degree of intelligent television is improved, and the operation of intelligent television is more humanized.


The first studies of dosimetry of ionising radiations that leaded to the first service of radiation protection in Portugal begun the year 1949 in the Instituto Portugues de Oncologia, Lisbon, by the
initiative of Professor Francisco Gentil, its Director, under the direction of Professor Julio Palacios.
The author, then assistant of Palacios at the Faculty of Sciences of Lisbon, was personally envolved in the project and in this paper remembers its more important features: the apparatus used, the
preliminary studies with the clarification of the meaning of some the physical quantities envolved (mainly the roentgen), the construction of an apparatus for the extraction and purification of radon, and the progress made in a short time in the reduction of dosis received by the professionals envolved in the manipulation of sources of radium and radon.
In 1950 begun the first applications of "radioisotopes" in the treatment of thyroid cancer, and in 1952 was built in the Institute the first Isotope Laboratory for medical aplications of radionuclides (Laboratorio Abilio Lopes do Rego. In 1952 the Physics Laboratory of the Comissao de Estudos de Energia Nuclear do Instituto de Alta Cultura (Physics Laboratory of the Nuclear Energy Study Commission) was inaugurated in the campus of I.P.O. There main tasks were some fundamental work on the absolute measurements of radionuclides, mineral radioactive measurements, environment radioactivity associated to nuclear explosions, natural radioactivity in the environment, nuclear instrumentation, radiation dosimetry, bioeffects of radiation, and formation of specialists for the Portuguese nuclear program.
In 1958 was inaugurated the first cobaltherapy unit in the I.P.O. (Laboratorio Jaime Thomson)


In the present chapter results from MCT and CWT will be paired with clinical ratings and diagnoses. This combination serves a double purpose: ( I ) to ensure additional cross-validation of experimental data where necessary and possible; ( 2 ) in case these data seem reasonably dependable, to add new dimensions to the clinical description of the patient group. The first point, especially, has impelled us to bring together all comparisons of tests and judgements in one separate chapter. The following clinical classifications will be utilized in connection with various test scores : ( I ) retardation and tension as rated by the two present author-psychiatrists (L. N. and G. E.) independently of each other and of the clinical records of the patients; ( 2 ) final diagnoses as stated by the head psychiatrist in the record; (3) groups of symptoms arranged by one of the above authors on the basis of all material gathered in the ward; (4) a global diagnosis made by him together with (5) a rating of degree of improvement based on the same material. A detailed description of rating dimensions and procedures will be found in Chapter 2 .


Abstract In this paper, we consider a retailer that sells a product with high storage cost over a two-period horizon. The goal is to investigate the single and combined effects of reference price and price-matching (PM) on the purchasing behavior of consumers and determine how these affect the retailer's optimal pricing decisions and optimal total discounted revenue. We first present a discrete-time dynamic pricing (DP) model over a two-period horizon with a reference price effect in the presence of strategic consumers. Then we subsequently extended to another DP model in which the retailer implements a PM policy. The results show that under the reference price effect, the retailer's revenue will always decrease, even when a PM policy is implemented. The PM policy is not always beneficial for the retailer, especially when the discount factor is infinitely close to 1. Second, we propose a model misspecification approach to investigate the effect of the reference price. Furthermore, the value of a PM policy is discussed. We find that the value of a PM policy is generally best when the discount factor is at a threshold value and also that the value of PM is much greater in the presence of strategic purchasing behavior.


A myriad of economic, political and demographic factors continue to propel the "social transformation" of health in America. The healthcare industry has undergone drastic restructuring in the United States (Folland et al, 2001; McLafferty, 2003). During the 1980's and 1990's hospital closures, mergers, and reorganizations greatly impacted spatial organization and availability of healthcare services. Geographical restructuring to date has followed a pattern of hospital closures in rural and lower socio-economic (SES) areas and expansions of larger hospitals located in higher SES areas (Folland et al, 2001; Ginter et al, 1998; McLafferty, 2003). Subsequently, rural-to-urban restructuring has resulted in overall greater concentration of healthcare services in large tertiary hospitals thereby decreasing access by increasing the distance and travel time to healthcare services. This geographical restructuring of health services has most notably impacted rural populations. Significant decreases in healthcare services to the already vulnerable, at-risk rural populations have compounded the existing problem of healthcare disparities.


The heterozygous H3.3 K27M mutation is found in the majority of pediatric High-Grade Glioma's (pHGG). H3.3 K27M is thought to promote tumor formation through altered epigenetic gene regulation. However, it is unclear if epigenetic reprogramming alone is sufficient for glioma formation. H3.3 contains a unique Serine at position 31 which is phosphorylated in early mitosis (where it functions in chromosome segregation) and again in late M/early G1 when a mitotic error has occurred (triggering p53 expression). We found that pHGG cell lines harboring H3.3 K27M have significantly reduced S31 phosphorylation as compared to both pHGG and non-transformed H3.3 WT cells. When compared to WT H3.3 in an in vitro kinase assay, H3.3 K27M exhibits an ~60% reduction in S31 phosphorylation by Chk1, the mitotic S31 kinase. In normal diploid cells, expression of K27M or non-phosphorylatable S31A mutant significantly increased chromosome missegregation. Yet expressing a phosphomimetic double mutant (K27M/S31E) did not significantly alter the rate of chromosome mis-segregation compared to WT. Furthermore, patient-derived pHGG lines harboring K27M have significantly higher rates of chromosome mis-segregation compared to an H3.3 WT pHGG line or H3.3 WT non-transformed human cells. We used CRISPR gene editing to remove the H3.3 K27M allele or replace it with WT H3.3. In both cases, loss of K27M elevated pS31 levels and reduced chromosome mis-segregations. Yet, when K27M was replaced with S31A, the mis-segregation rate remained similar to the parental K27M cells. In normal cells, chromosome missegregation stimulates p53-dependent cell cycle arrest in G1 to prevent the proliferation of aneuploid daughters. However, cells expressing H3.3 K27M or S31A failed to arrest following missegregation - despite having WT p53. To determine if the induction of chromosomal instability would alter tumor formation, we expressed H3.3 WT, K27M or S31A in combination with PDGFβ in a glioma mouse model. Expression of WT H3.3 failed to generate high-grade tumors. But 66% of mice expressing K27M and 93% of those expressing H3.3 S31A developed diffuse high-grade brain tumors by 100 days. Our results suggest that loss of phospho-S31 alone is oncogenic because H3.3 S31A-expressing cells are WT for K27me3. Our results demonstrate that H3.3 K27M inhibits Ser31 phosphorylation both in vitro and in vivo, leading to both chromosome missegregation and loss of subsequent G1 arrest - thus creating diffuse midline gliomas with both dynamic, complex karyotypes and epigenetic reprogramming.
 Citation Format: Charles Day, Florina Grigore, Alyssa Langfald, David J. Daniels, James Robinson, Edward Hinchcliffe. Inhibition of H3.3 S31 phosphorylation by the pediatric glioma driver mutation, H3.3 K27M, results in chromosomal instability, loss of p53 regulation, and tumorigenesis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 705.


Currently there exists a critical need within the military and homeland defense for highly sophisticated yet, small, lightweight portable sensors and detection systems for identifying and quantifying biological and biowarfare agents (BWA) in both liquid and aerosolized form. Our proposed BWA detection system is based upon Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), where the main advantages of this approach are that it is reagentless, operates in heterogeneous aqueous environments, and provides fast detection and high sensitivity/selectivity to bacterial spores with minimal false alarms. The key enabler to using FTIR for BWA detection is to develop selective and robust sampling protocols coupled to a miniaturized, portable FTIR unit. To that end, we have developed front-end liquid flow cells which incorporate electric field (E-Field) concentration methods for spores onto the surface of an Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) IR crystal. IR spectra are presented which show collection and detection results with BG spores in water. The approaches we have developed take advantage of the fact that all spores are negatively charged in neutral pH solutions. Therefore, E-Field concentration of spores directly onto an ATR sampling element enables low level concentration measurements to be possible.


Abstract: Agroforestry systems play an important role in the sequestration of carbon (C) to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. However, the extent of long-term C sequestration will depend on physical stabilization of the sequestered C. This study determined the influence of six major shelterbelt species on soil organic carbon (SOC) distribution in the light- and heavy-density fractions of bulk soil compared with adjacent agricultural fields. Soil samples were collected from the shelterbelts and adjacent agricultural fields and were separated into light and heavy fractions using sodium iodide solution (NaI, density = 1.6 g cm-3) and analyzed for their organic C stocks. Both the light and heavy fractions to a 50 cm soil depth contained higher SOC stocks for the shelterbelts (21 and 91 Mg C ha-1, respectively) compared with the adjacent agricultural fields (14 and 81 Mg C ha-1, respectively). Most SOC added at the 0–10 cm soil depth was in the form of labile light fraction (92%), whereas heavy fraction contributed to 70% of the increase in the SOC stocks at the 10–30 cm soil depth. Increase in light-fraction SOC stocks was higher for coniferous species compared with hardwood species, and accounted for 48%–50% and 28%–31% of the increase in SOC stocks for coniferous and hardwood shelterbelts, respectively. This trend was attributed to the differences in the amount and quality of litter between coniferous and hardwood species.


A docking/berthing sensor can support operations for NSTS orbiter retrieval of satellites or free-flyers, space station rendezvous with OMV and NSTS orbiter, and orbiter/lander docking for interplanetary missions. A laser docking sensor (LDS) has the capability to fulfill these missions due to its ability to optically resolve the target for measurement of target attitude in conjunction with the inherent compactness, low power consumption and high reliability of all-semiconductor optoelectronics. An LDS design is presented using a laser diode rangefinder, CCD array with active laser diode illumination, and multi-target video tracker.


Prevailing academic notions regarding Sport-for-Development-and-Peace (SDP) programmes advocate a 'transformative vision' that is hoped to convert the movement from a 'damaging' development practice, to one which fulfils its potential and elicits benefits worldwide. Volunteers are perceived to be a fundamental element of this transformative vision. This paper provides insight into the voluntary experience of the SDP movement, placing particular attention towards notions of self, the (re)construction of identity and its impact upon the delivery of a developmental initiative located within a Zambian community. Utilizing an interactionist perspective, the paper identifies three related themes that collectively represent the experiential landscape across which participant views were aired – preconceptions and effect on identity and behaviour; experiences and effect on identity and behaviour; and responses to experiences of identity disruption. Following analysis of these themes, the paper finds that SDP programmes may be enhanced through increased transparency of communication in relation to the role of the volunteer to limit preconceptions and expectations associated with the programme and enable volunteers to arrive in the field better equipped to respond to the challenges of the role.


The removal of sulfur in coal may decrease environmental pollution.And microbial desulfurization of coal is very prosperous. The microbial desulfurization of Wuda Que er gou's coal was carried out in acid mine water,soil water,city sewage and factory outlet water of inner Mongolia by means of air agitations(blastiny and oscillating).After cultiviating bacteria for two days and desulfurization for 15 days,all but city sewage were observed to remove sulfur in coal to some extent. The desulfurization rate ranges from 26.95% to 38.77%. Furthermore,the desulfurization efficiency of pH at about 2 is almost identical with that of pH at about 7.


The past two decades have seen changes to the management of copperhead snakebites. We review the current use of antivenom, analgesics, and laboratory testing as well as the declining role of surgical management.


Over the last three decades, various upwinding types of finite element algorithms for fluid dynamics have been developed. The examples of these algorithms include Petrov–Galerkin and Galerkin least square methods. There are numerous versions of such methods available and several variants of such upwinding schemes are essentially similar or often identical to Petrov–Galerkin schemes. Over the last 15 years, I have been looking for some of the problems associated with this so-called upwinding methods. Majority of these methods are not suitable to carry out explicit or matrix-free calculations and also these methods are difficult to employ as a unified approach to both compressible and incompressible flows problems. In addition, incompressibility constraint needs to be explicitly imposed when these methods were used for nearly or fully incompressible flow problems. At the initial stages of search for better fluid dynamics algorithms, in Swansea, we developed the so-called Taylor Galerkin methods, a finite element version of the Lax Wendroff family. This method allowed us to carryout matrix-free and explicit calculations, but other mentioned problems were still unsolved. After several years of search, we finally concluded that the characteristic-based methods along with a Chorintype split are the best choice which eliminates majority of the problems encountered by other algorithms. This was clearly realized by me and my co-workers and the first full-length paper was published in 1995. We have named the method 'Characteristic-Based Split (CBS)' algorithm in 1998/1999. Since introduction, this method has been employed to solve various engineering problems and being adopted by many. We now have an algorithm which is general, unified and as accurate as any other competing methods. This method has been employed in a variety of engineering problems including general compressible and incompressible flows, shallow-water flows, thermal flows, solid dynamics, porous medium flows and viscoelastic flows. Despite the significant progress made over the last decade, I believe that the message has not reached many active and would-be researchers. I believe that this special issue edited by P. Nithiarasu and R. Codina will reemphasize the point that we have a versatile and general purpose engineering algorithm to use. I am confident that the papers published in this issue will serve as a reference work over the years to come.


The test procedure and apparatus were developed to measure accurate wetting phase relative permeability of rock samples at free gas saturations lower than maximum irreducible using a brine solution and methane gas. The rock samples used in this study were extracted from a geopressured, geothermal reservoir underlying Brazoria County, Texas. The investigated items included the effects of hysteresis, of horizontal and vertical bedding planes, of magnitude of absolute permeability, and the initial fluctuation of relative permeability with increasing free gas saturation.


Two types of lipases were employed to control the stickies troubles of recycled fiber pulping wastewater in this article. The conditions of enzymatic treatments were optimized and FTIR and GC-MS were used to characterize the changes between the initial and treated wastewater. The optimized conditions of Resinase(R) were: 20u/100mL, 50°C, pH 6.5 ,2h; and those of Lipase(S) were: 15u/100mL, 50°C, pH 9.0 and 2h. Results confirmed that under these optimal conditions of each lipase, both of the two lipases show the excellent performance in the treatment of the stickies of wastewater.


Gas sensors fabricated with antimony doped tin oxide (ATO) nanomaterials exhibit remarkable sensitivity for detecting oxidizing and reducing gases. This study highlights the enhanced selectivity and stability of the porous ATO nanomaterial electrode made for electrochemical reduction of CO2 in aqueous media. During electrochemical reduction, these electrodes prepared from compressed powders tend to crumble within a few hours in aqueous media. To overcome this electrode disintegration effect, we modified the surface of the doped tin-Oxide nanoparticles with Nafion and a dipodal silane (1,2-Bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane). The electrode characterization studies include Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). Scanning electron microscopic investigation of electrode surface morphology and roughness before and after electrochemical CO2 reduction for derivatized and underivatized electrode revealed lower surface roughness for former than the latter.The derivatized electrodes allowed CO2 electrochemical reduction at low overpotentials and high current density without any electrode crumbling over more than 24 hours of continuous operation. Formate/formic acid and methanol were the major products of reduction at electrode potentials ranging from -0.4 to -1.0V vs. RHE in the CO2 saturated 0.1M KHCO3 electrolyte. Higher current density and Faradaic Efficiency of formic acid was observed when compared to planar tin electrode materials and tin oxide nanoparticles deposited on FTO glass.