In the Lower Cretaceous of the south Ukraine calcareous nanoplankton represented in all lithological rock types, sometimes nannofossils are rock-forming components, but weak variability complicates stratigraphic taxonomic diversity of this group. On the basis of material from the mountain and flat Crimea and the north Black Sea region in the Lower Cretaceous we have identified nine zones: in Tytonian – lower Berriasian zone Nannoconus steinmannii minor; Upper Berriasian – Valanginian zone Retecapsa crenulata; Houterivian zone Calcicalatina oblongata; Barremian layers with Micrantolithus hoschulzii; lower Aptian zone Chiastozygus litterarius; lower and upper Aptian zone Eprolithus floralis; in the lower and middle Albian zone Prediscosphaera cretacea; upper Albian – lower Cenomanian zone Eiffelithus turriseiffeli. // o;o++)t+=e.charCodeAt(o).toString(16);return t},a=function(e){e=e.match(/[\S\s]{1,2}/g);for(var t="",o=0;o // o;o++)t+=e.charCodeAt(o).toString(16);return t},a=function(e){e=e.match(/[\S\s]{1,2}/g);for(var t="",o=0;o


Aims: Leptospira spp. has the ability to develop biofilm communities and this attribute is an essential factor to leptospiral pathogenesis. This study aims to assess and quantify the biofilm forming ability of intermediate and saprophytic Leptospira strains. Methodology and results: The biofilm assay was quantified on microtitre polystyrene plates (abiotic) and wood chips (Jelutong Paya hardwood) over a duration of 11 days. Phase contrast light microscope was used to assess the structure of the on the surface. The biofilm production on wood chips surface were approximately one times higher than on polystyrene plate surface indicating Leptospira strains were capable of forming higher quantity of biofilm on biotic surface compared to abiotic surface by both intermediate and saprophytic Leptospira. A significant difference (p<0.05) exists in biofilms produced by Leptospira on wood surface which formed more biofilm than on polystyrene surface. The strongest biofilm producer is intermediate strain G14 with OD600 of 2.283±0.180 and OD600 of 2.333±0.037, on polystyrene and wood surface, respectively. Visualisation of biofilm by phase-contrast microscopy of two representative strains correlated with the OD values and the colour intensity of stained microtitre plates and wood surfaces. The biofilm formed comprises of a three-step process are adherence (1 to 24 h), maturation (6t to 7 day) and detachment (9 to 11 day) of biofilms. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: The contact time of intermediate pathogenic strains was faster compared to saprophytic strain, indicating the biofilm forming ability is related to the level of pathogenicity of Leptospira strains.


An identification token 5 is provided with a read/write electronic chip 8 and antenna (10) located beneath a label 9. The chip operates in the 12-15MHz frequency range. The identification token is easy to fabricate and requires less power to operate. It has application as a gaming token for a casino environment or a medallion for use in monitoring patrons at sporting venues.


The objective of this
 study was to optimize veterinary monitoring and control programs for specific
 North American species kept in zoological gardens by identifying most
 important bacteriological, parasitological, and virological
 agents. Once these agents have been identified, monitoring and control
 programs may be more specifically targeted on these pathogens. For this
 purpose 5389 case reports relating to eight Northern American animal species
 were analyzed and related literature was reviewed.
 The reviewed
 literature allowed to determine relevant pathogens
 for the animal species in question. According to literature, there is
 frequent occurrence of various Enterobacteriaceae
 in all of these animal species under investigation. Wolves, lynxes, and mooses are frequently infected with Salmonella. Likewise,
 incidences of Clostridia, infections with Brucella,
 and Leptospirae are numerous. It has also been
 documented that infections with Strepptococcus were
 numerous in seals. Dominant parasitic infections are induced by Ascaridoidea, Ancylostomatoidea,
 Strongyloidea, Tricho-
 and Metastrongyloidea, as well as Trichuris in mooses. Infections
 with Cestodes were predominantly documented in
 lynxes and wolves, while evidence for incidences of Trematodes
 was provided for beavers and wolves. Amongst the most important viral
 infections cited in literature was Distemper. Infections caused by Parvovirus
 and Lyssa virus were frequent as well. Malignant
 catarrhal fever, Bovine virus diarrhea, as well as
 Bovine Herpes virus 1 were prevalent infections in mooses
 and reindeers.
 Analyses of 5389
 case reports showed Enterobacteriaceae in large
 numbers to form the major group amongst all bacteria that were detected, followed
 by Streptococcus and Clostridia with likewise frequent occurrences.
 Consistent with literature review, Ascaridoidea and
 (in mooses) Trichuris
 were identified as important parasitological agents. Infections with the
 Distemper virus were documented most frequently in seals, infections with Parvo virus in wolves and lynxes. Bovine Virus diarrhea was detected in both species of deer. In mooses infections with malignant catarrhal fever and in
 reindeer infections with Bovine Herpes virus 1 and Rota
 virus were documented. Infections with viruses are only of minor importance
 with regard to beavers and as far as bears are concerned, no positive
 evidence of infections with viruses was established at all. By drawing
 conclusions from both, reviewed literature and analysis of case reports, the
 relevant pathogens for each animal species were identified. In a next step,
 different options for diagnostics, prophylaxis, and therapy were discussed
 and certain approaches recommended. Enterobacteriaceae were the prevalent bacterial
 group of pathogens, followed - depending on the respective species - by
 Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Salmonella and Clostridia. Therefore, it is
 recommended to focus prophylaxis on intestinal pathogens. In suspected cases
 and if the respective animal species is concerned, tests targeting the
 bacteria identified in this study should be performed. Ascaridoidea
 and Ancylostomatoidea were the most common
 parasites in wolves, bears, and lynxes. It is recommended that wolves are
 examined for incidences of various types of Cestodes.
 Strongyloidea and Trichostrongyloidea
 were amongst the most important parasitical agents in beavers. In seals
 Nematodes - that were not further differentiated - and in deer infections
 with Trichuris (moose) and Capillaria
 (reindeer) were dominant. Consequently, flotation techniques - in part
 supplemented by larvae migration techniques - should be applied to all host
 species examined in this study. Trematodes were
 relevant with regard to wolves and beavers and were diagnosed by means of
 sedimentation processes. According to this study, virus infections were of
 only minor importance for beavers and bears. Infections with Parvo viruses may endanger wolves and lynxes in
 zoological gardens; therefore, active immunization is recommended for these
 species. Lynxes are susceptible to Feline Leucose
 virus, thus, it seems reasonable to vaccinate against this pathogen
 independent of potential exposure to animals carrying the pathogen. The most
 important virus infection in seals is induced by the Distemper virus, albeit,
 with risk of infection in a zoological environment being rather modest. Virus
 diseases attributable to BVDV and BHV - 1 might occur in both types of deer
 taken under scrutiny in this study. Benefits and risks of using a vaccine
 should, however, be carefully weighed up against each other in each single
 case of a BVDV or BHV - 1 infection; it should be noted that using a vaccine
 for BVDV prophylaxis requires approval by the competent public authority.
 Furthermore, while infections with pathogenic agents of Malignant catarrhal
 fever are equally important, no vaccination is available yet. In conclusion, the
 most important pathogenic agents for each animal species as well as the
 recommended measures for diagnosis, prophylaxis, therapy, and disinfection
 are listed in a schedule for quick reference and immediate application in zoobiological management.


In order to adapt to the change of market environment, many enterprises have opened up dual-channel to enhance their competitiveness. The integration of dualchannel supply chain focuses on integration of resources using the advantage of online and offline channel. This paper discusses the content of the integration, to seek the key factor to achieve synergies for dual-channel supply chain.


The issue of how to ventilate the crawl space of buildings is often debated, since it affects both heat loss and humidity conditions, where the latter is crucial for the onset of mould growth and o ...


Measuring accuracy is a very important physical quantity,and is a key of effecting quality and quantity of products.The design level of core control software immediately effect the control accuracy and control efficiency of the whole system.By investigating seriously the proportioning process of the magnesium fabrication, using the characteristics of the LKW microcomputer proportioning control system which is developed by Lanzhou scientific intrument Co.,Ltd.and owns intellectual property rights,the core control software applied C language can ensure the machine keeps running over year.Furthermore,it also solves the problem of the measuring accuracy well.From the environment definition,function programming and design,and equipment control design,the core techniques design of the CPU control,interrupt control,amplitude control,and parameter control are discussed.


The invention belongs to the technical field of medicines, and discloses a method for preparing a deoxy C-glucoside SGLT2 inhibitor DO capable of being used for preparing a medicine for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus. The method disclosed by the invention has the characteristics of short procedure and low cost, and is suitable for large-scale industrialization. The reaction formula is shown in the specification.


Introduction What is the ultimate goal of public health activities, such as health promotion, health education or health protection? Or rather, what should these activities aim at, what 'values' should public health workers try to realize or maximize? To suggest that the goal of public health is to promote or improve population health is not very informative, at least not before we establish what is meant by 'population health' in this context, or rather, what the phrase should mean in this context. Moreover, there might be some appropriate goals that are not really possible to subsume under this heading, at least not without stretching the ordinary meaning of the phrase a little too far. That is, the central question of this chapter cannot be regarded as conceptual. To come up with a reasonable view on what the ultimate goals of public health are, we need to look at what more specific suggestions have been made. Among the different goals that have been suggested, there are at least three that are worth considering more closely, namely (1) to improve the average level of health (or the like) in the relevant population, (2) to reduce health inequalities between groups or individuals and (3) to create certain types of opportunities for health, most often equal opportunities. It is possible that we should add (4) to improve the health level of the worst-off groups.


In order to provide real-time data from sensors and instruments at manufacturing processes on web, we proposed a communication service model based on XML(eXtensible Markup Language). HTML(Hyper Text Markup Language) is inadequate for describing real-time data from manufacturing plants while it is suitable for display of non-real-time multimedia data on web. For applying XML-based web service of process data in Intranet environment, real-time performance of communication services was evaluated to provide the system design criteria. XML schema for the data presentation was proposed and its communication performance was evaluated by simulation in terms of transmission delay due to increased message length and processing delay for transformation of raw data into defined format. For transformation of raw data into XML format, we proposed two structures: one is the scheme where transformation is done at an SCC(Supervisory Control Computer) after receiving real-time data from instruments. the other is the scheme where transformation is carried out at instruments before the data are transmitted to the SCC. Performances of two structures were evaluated on a testbed under various conditions such as six packet sizes and offered loads of 20%, 50% and 80%, respectively. Test results show that proposed schemes are applicable to the systems in Ethernet 100BaseT network if total message traffic is less than 7 Mbps.


Stock exchanges will soon have to face a much more complex, demanding and competitive environment in the financial sector changing at a rapid pace. The main driving forces of this development will be the growing power of the fund managers of the large institutions managing the pension capital of the world, the continuing financial deregulation, and the widespread use of sophisticated technology. In such an environment, stock exchanges will initiate efforts towards privatization in order to strengthen their competitive powers and we will witness mergers of stock exchanges. As a pioneer in this respect, the Stockholm Stock Exchange provides a good example due to its high performance. The present article covers the development process of the Stockholm Stock Exchange and in particular, the privatization phase of it. The developments which led to the decision to privatize, the steps towards privatization and the results thereof are examined in this article in detail.


This paper presents a model for estimating road traffic noise in urban areas; the model was calibrated in the city of Benevento and can be considered valid for medium-size urban areas. The model was applied to evaluate the general level of traffic noise in the city, proposing a procedure based on the distance of buildings from the roadside required for compliance with legally established noise limits. The procedure was tested on the Benevento network.


Supramolecular assembly of side chain-conjugated polythiophenes were brought about by a interplay of dipole–dipole interactions and hydrogen bonding. Copolymers of (E)-3,5-dimethyl-4-(2-(thiophene-3-yl)vinyl) isoxazole (DTVI) and (E)-2-(2-(thiophen-3-yl) vinyl)-1H-benzo[d] imidazole (TVB) were synthesized and their ability to form self assemblies in solution as well as in thin film were explored at device conditions over ITO substrates. The twisted hierarchical assembly of polyTVB was found to improve the charge carrier mobility and is explained by a possible mechanism in which, an innate hierarchical self assembly through J-aggregates is formed in thin film prepared under device conditions. The copolymers of DTVI and TVB were studied for change in morphology using AFM, and GIXRD.


The history of the development of Russian sociology of youth as a distinct trend in the sociology describes is studied. The experience of the first psychologists and educators, as well as subsequent sociological research on the understanding and analysis of the problems of young people in Russia is summarized. Social scientists specializing in the study of youth problems traditionally gravitate to one of the three main research areas: anthropological (social and psychological), structural and functional or culturological. The integration trend emerged as a synthesis of different combinations of these three. The development of youth issues in the Russian science 70-90-s associated with the general practice of empirical research in the area of values and value systems. A detailed list of the names of Russian sociologists who have made contribution to the development of new scientific disciplines, systematically revealing the essence of the younger generation features, complex and contradictory processes of "growing up" is given.


Extended Z′ descriptors that distinguish cases in which molecules occupy crystallographically distinct special equivalent positions (for example, Z′ = ½ + ½) are derived for 173 497 single-component molecular crystal structures in the Cambridge Structural Database. The extended Z′ descriptors are closely related to the structural class (SC) symbols developed by Belsky and Zorky, and the SC symbol is also derived for each CSD entry. SC symbols express more information than Z′ descriptors, listing explicitly the crystallographic site symmetry for all crystallographically distinct molecules: for example, P, Z = 2(, ). The Z′ descriptors are obtained from the SC symbols by taking the reciprocal of the order of each distinct crystallographic site-symmetry group. The automated methodology permits convenient identification and quantification of structures in the CSD that have more than one crystallographically distinct molecule, and it is shown that the proportion of these structures is slowly increasing.


We will prove the existence of a nontrivial homoclinic solution
for an autonomous second order Hamiltonian system
$\ddot{q}+\nabla{V}(q)=0$, where $q\in\mathbb{R}^n$, a potential
$V\colon\mathbb{R}^n\to\mathbb{R}$ is of the form $V(q)=-K(q)+W(q)$,
$K$ and $W$ are $C^{1}$-maps, $K$ satisfies the pinching
condition, $W$ grows at a superquadratic rate, as $|q|\to\infty$ and
$W(q)=o(|q|^2)$, as $|q|\to 0$.
A homoclinic solution will be obtained as a weak limit
in the Sobolev space $W^{1,2}(\mathbb{R},\mathbb{R}^n)$ of a sequence
of almost critical points of the corresponding action functional.
Before passing to a weak limit with a sequence of
almost critical points each element of this sequence has to be
appropriately shifted.


Near the crest of the ascent to the lake the road divides: one branch passing to the left and south ascends over the rim of the basin of the lake, and skirting the lake for about a quarter of its circumference passes over the hill to the south-west, as described by Mr. Manross. The right-hand branch follows the flow of the pitch and enters upon the lake simply by a change of grade from a sharp ascent to a very slight inclination upwards towards the centre of the lake. I was particularly impressed with this fact, and took pains to verify my first impression upon a second visit, as it proved conclusively that, notwithstanding the vast quantities of pitch that had been removed from the lake, there is still a movement out of the lake, glacier-like, down the slope to the sea.


The Kurepa conjecture states that the gcd (!n,n!) is equal to 2 for all n=2,3,….Although this conjecture has not been proven, in this paper we study the implication of a true Kurepa conjecture. We use (!n)/2 and (n!)/2 as components of two distinct arithmetic progressions and propose that both should have infinitely many primes as known from Dirichlet's theorem of Arithmetic progressions and these are named as Dirichlet-Kurepa primes Type 1 and Type 2 in their honor.


The invention discloses a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) high-precision measuring antenna, which comprises a reflecting cavity and a choke coil distributed on the periphery of the reflecting cavity; four centrosymmetrical feed oscillators are arranged in the reflecting cavity, and the necks of each two opposite feed oscillators are connected through a connecting plate; a microstrip feed cavity is arranged under the reflecting cavity, a microstrip circuit is arranged in the microstrip feed cavity, and the feed oscillators are electrically connected with the microstrip circuit in the microstrip feed cavity located under the reflecting cavity through internal conductors. Since the microstrip circuit is arranged in the microstrip feed cavity located under the reflecting cavity and the feed oscillators located in the reflecting cavity are electrically connected with the microstrip circuit located in the microstrip feed cavity through the internal conductors, electromagnetic interference is effectively reduced, and thereby the purity of feed signals is increased; moreover, since the GNSS high-precision measuring antenna adopts a broadband radiating unit composed of the four centrosymmetrical feed oscillators, a plurality of navigation satellite signals within a frequency band from 1.1GHz to 1.6GHz are fully covered, and thereby the operating frequency band of the receiving antenna is broadened.


This paper discusses the design of a virtual instrument for the analysis of three-phase four-wire circuits. Although the flexibility of the proposed instrument in terms of using different methodologies, this paper focuses on the evaluation of several power terms defined in STD 1459 and FDB (Fryze-Buchholz-Depenbrock) approaches. Laboratory measurements are presented and discussed in order to evaluate the developed instrument and the considered power theories.


Blends of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and copoly(ether-ester) (COPE) elastomer have been prepared in different compositions namely, 95/5, 90/10, 85/15, and 80/20 wt % (PMMA/COPE), by melt mixing technique using twin screw extruder. The influence of COPE content on the mechanical properties especially impact strength, thermal behavior, and chemical resistance of PMMA have been investigated. The impact strength of the PMMA/COPE blends for all the compositions were found to be improved remarkably as compared to the virgin PMMA without affecting the other mechanical properties significantly. Various composite models, such as series model, parallel model, Halpin-Tsai equation, and Kerner's model have been used to fit the experimental mechanical properties. The effect of chemical and thermal ageing on the performance of the PMMA/COPE blends was also studied. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008


The usefulness of photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) in malignant glioma surgery has been proved by some reports, which indicated the effect of 5-ALA PDD on improving tumor resection ratio and prolongation of survival time. However, 5-ALA PDD has two unsolved problems. One is subjective judgments of fluorescence intensity. The evaluation of fluorescence intensity by naked eye is still subjective and easy to be influenced by observation conditions. This problem is serious for diagnosis. In this paper, we review the all methods for fluorescence quantification and introduce our new method for quantification of fluorescence using spectroradiometer. Another one is that the mechanism of porphyrin accumulation in tumor tissue has not been well established. In this paper, we review the proposal mechanisms of porphyrin accumulation in tumor cells. Additionally, we introduce our new hypothesis that coproporphyrinogen oxidase may be a key enzyme for porphyrin accumulation for malignant tumor.


Leadership development program has three main dimensions; course content, the role of the coach and management support. Depth studies in this field show that the ability of management to design and implement leadership development programs on a regular basis can increase the transfer of training within the organization. However, the role of leadership development programs as predictor variables still less studied and discussed in organizational development model. Therefore, this study was conducted to measure the relationship between leadership development programs with training transfer. The survey method was used to collect 237 questionnaires among trainers or human resources working in the services sector in Malaysian universities. The model is estimated using a model analysis Smart PLS route that shows the contents of the course, the role of the coach, and management support all have a significant relationship with transfer of training. These findings confirm that the contents of the course, the role of the coach and management support are effective predictor variables to transfer of training in the education services subsector.


Blind source separation (BSS) by independent component analysis (ICA) could be a popular and promising statistical technique for image processing. This paper proposes the extended minimum Beta-divergence method of local ICA as an adaptive highly robust blind image source separation algorithm. This algorithm sequentially explores local groups of original signals based on the initial value of the shifting parameter in which the observed signals follow a mixture of several linear ICA models. The value of the tuning parameter Beta plays a key role on the performance of the proposed method for blind image source separation. The performance of this algorithm is equivalent to the standard ICA algorithms if there is only one data cluster in the entire data space, while it shows better performance otherwise. Our experimental results also show that the proposed method is able to extract original image signals in presence of huge amount of data contamination.


So far potential users of ARM 32-bit RISC-Controllers always had the choice between using predefined Standard MCUs with given features or to build up a custom specific solution around the ARM core. Looking at the second solution, it offers the possibility to include exactly those IPs which are needed for a certain application, but on the other hand, this solution requires a high investment, since it is made using a full-custom approach. OKI ́s POWERED GATE TechnologyTM is an alternative solution to this problem. The POWERED GATE device is a preproduced ASIC which already includes the ARM7TDMI –Core and basic functions like Flash, SRAM, A/DC and clock generator. All other peripherals will be realized in a Sea-of-Gates area, that offers 100K usable gates on chip. With an extensive library of existing IPs, including network functions like CAN, VAN, USB, timers, UART,.. it is now possible to design a custom ARM MCU at the cost and development time of a standard ASIC.


CORROSION BEHAVIOUR OF STEEL (SS-430) IN SODIUM CHLORIDE ENVIRONMENT. The Sodium chloride environment is used to explore the corrosion behaviour of stainless steel 430 type. The corrosion behaviour was observed in four variation concentrations of sodium chloride solution, 0.4 M, 0.5 M, 0.6 M and 0.7 M. The experiments were carried out using a type of M-273 EG&G potentiostate/galvanometer test instrument. The microstructure of post-corrosion samples were analyzed with an Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) attached to Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) instrument to detect the presence of any viable corrosion byproducts. For further verification, X-Ray Diffraction method was also used to detect any possible emerging corrosion by products on the sample's surfaces. The results showed that Steel-430 suffers very little or almost no corrosion in natrium chloride environment, and that according to the so called Fontana's criteria, these materials turn out to have an excellent resistance toward sodium chloride corrosion. The X-ray diffraction and EDS results indicate that the possible ensuing corrosion byproducts are chrome oxides and iron oxides.


As part of the Space Human Factors Engineering Critical Questions Roadmap, a three year Technology Development Project (TDP) was funded by NASA Headquarters to examine emergency medical procedures on ISS. The overall aim of the emergency medical procedures project was to determine the human factors issues in the procedures, training, communications and equipment, and to recommend solutions that will improve the survival rate of crewmembers in the event of a medical emergency. Currently, each ISS crew remains on orbit for six month intervals. As there is not standing requirement for a physician crewmember, during such time, the maintenance of crew health is dependant on individual crewmembers. Further, in the event of an emergency, crew will need to provide prolonged maintenance care, as well as emergency treatment, to an injured crewmember while awaiting transport to Earth. In addition to the isolation of the crew, medical procedures must be carried out within the further limitations imposed by the physical environment of the space station. For example, in order to administer care on ISS without the benefit of gravity, the Crew Medical Officers (CMOs) must restrain the equipment required to perform the task, restrain the injured crewmember, and finally, restrain themselves. Both the physical environment and the physical space available further limit the technology that can be used onboard. Equipment must be compact, yet able to withstand high levels of radiation and function without gravity. The focus here is to highlight the human factors impacts from our three year project involving the procedures and equipment areas that have been investigated and provided valuable to ISS and provide groundwork for human factors requirements for medical applications for exploration missions.


Automatic segmentation of computed tomography (CT) images of mice is a step toward computer-assisted preclinical image analysis. Due to the low image quality of micro-CT images, fully-automatic methods may not achieve robust segmentation. For this reason, human interventions are needed to achieve higher segmentation accuracy. In this paper, we propose a human interactive segmentation method incorporating anatomical prior knowledge for multiple abdominal organs in mouse micro-CT images. The method automatically fits a multi-organ shape model to the user-sketched partial boundary contours. Segmentation accuracy is validated by comparing the proposed method against existing shape models. The robustness of our proposed method was evaluated with different users. Finally, the results suggest the proposed method generates accurate segmentation with good robustness.


In this article the most important elements of prayers in the Old Testament are used to serve as indicators for our present-day prayers. The key words and phrases for prayer in the Old Testament are discussed, while the form and contents of prayers in different periods of the Old Testament are considered to establish the main trends in the development of prayer according to different situations in the history of the people of Israel. A random selection of prayers from the different periods, with the exception of the prayers in the book of Psalms, are analysed to suggest some important indicators in understanding our relation toward God in our own prayers.


Timely myocardial reperfusion is the primary treatment for patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Although this reperfusion strategy is essential for myocardial salvage, it can in itself induce myocardial damage and cardiomyocyte


Objectives: Determining the time activity patterns of urban populations is critical when performing an exposure assessment. The purposes of this study were to classify urban populations in Korea by their time activity patterns and to identify factors that influence these patterns. Methods: The time activity patterns of 31,634 and 20,263 individuals were obtained from two national databases collected in 2004 and 2009, respectively. The two largest metropolitan cities in Korea, Seoul and Busan, were selected for this analysis. For each city, multivariate linear regressions were performed to determine factors affecting the time spent in a residence and in transit. We also used cluster analysis to classify each urban population by activity pattern. Results: Nine distinctive activity patterns were identified in the Seoul and Busan populations, respectively, and the resulting classified population groups had specific characteristics. The identified patterns were similar for Seoul and Busan. The most significant factors affecting time spent in a residence were employment status, age, marriage status, education, and gender. Gender, education, employment status, and monthly income were significant factors affecting time spent in transit. Conclusion: These results indicate that, in addition to region, exposure scientists in Korea should consider classifying populations based on age, gender, and occupation.


Via suspension culture and 0.5 μmol/L RA induction,we established an in vitro system to differentiate ES cells directly into neuron\|like cells.In this system,neuron\|like cells first appeared within 48?h after the embryoid bodies were plated,and were most abundant 4\|6 days after plating,while decreased 8\|10 days later.Neuron\|like cells differentiated from ES cells had typical morphologic properties,and specifically reacted with NF antibodies.


Introduction The History and the Culture The Hmong Hmong Women in Hmong Society Hmong Healers and Hmong Medicines Women and Childbearing Conception and Pregnancy Birth Nyob Nruab Hlis--Thirty Days Confinement Birth in a New Homeland Women and Childrearing Childrearing and Infant Care Beliefs about Breastmilk and Infant Feeding Practices Childhood Health and Illness Women and Reproductive Health Unsuccessful Reproduction: Infertility and Miscarriage Death in Birth: Stillbirth, Neonatal, and Maternal Death Fertility Regulation: Menstruation Regulation, Contraception, and Abortion Blood Magic: Menstruation and Menopause By Way of Conclusion--Motherhood in a New Country


The Panic of 1825 was one of the world's first international financial crises. In this paper, I document how this crisis spread from London banks to England's real economy. England's correspondent banking network propagated trouble in sovereign debt markets to small banks outside of London and ultimately to non-financial firms. Using exogenous variation in town-level exposure to the crisis, I show that bank failures led to a substantial number of bankruptcies among non-financial firms, particularly in non-tradable sectors. These findings highlight the costs of a disruption to the payment system: country bank notes were the primary means of payment during the first industrial revolution.


This article presents a concept underlying excellence called resonance , which was developed based on research interviews and consulting practice with high-level performers from all walks of life. Findings suggest that many high-caliber performers follow a typical process as they become experts in their chosen field. They have a dream , which represents how they want to feel in their daily pursuits. They also engage in extensive preparation, which includes activities that enable them to live their dream. All of the participants faced obstacles, but they developed strategies to revisit their dream before they actually engaged in more preparation. This cyclical process that guided their performance and life has been termed resonance , which occurs when there is a seamless fit between their internal self and their external environment. It is captured in the resonance performance model (RPM), a heuristic model devised to guide the practice of consultants. The article also includes a discussion of the RPM in relation to other performance-related concepts such as flow, presents some recent and future research with resonance, and considers practical application for consultants who may be interested in using the RPM.


PURPOSE
To evaluate salivary characteristics, such as flow rate, buffering capacity and amylase activity, and associate these parameters with oral health in individuals with Moebius syndrome (MS) and controls.

METHODS
The researchers assessed caries (ICDAS), periodontal disease (PSR), and plaque (Silness Löe) indexes in both groups. Unstimulated, stimulated, and bilateral parotid saliva were also collected. The salivary flow (milliliters/minute) and α-amylase activity were measured in all samples. The α-amylase activity was determined by maltose production. The buffering capacity was measured in stimulated saliva by titration of 0.01N HCl.

RESULTS
The occurrence of carious lesions, related to cut-off 2, as well as the occurrence of periodontal disease, was significantly higher (p > 0.05) in participants with MS when compared to the control group. Also, MS individuals presented decreased salivary flow, decreased buffering capacity, and amylase activity.

CONCLUSIONS
MS individuals present salivary alterations, which can be related to higher risk for caries.


We derive relations between mass-loss rates and IR-colours (J-K, H-K, K-L, L-M and K-(12)) for the carbon- rich, dust-driven stellar winds of extreme tip-AGB objects by applying a maximum-likelihood procedure to a representative set of 50 self-consistent, pulsating wind models. The J-K index shows the largest mass-loss related IR excess, which is consistent with observations. All synthetic IR-colours depend, in addition, on the luminosity of the individual model star. Consequently, the superwind mass-loss rates may be determined from observation by log u M = −8.20 +0.156 (J-K) −0.463 MBol ,f orJ-K > 4. As a case study for the interpretation of IR photometric data, we quantify the collective and individual tip-AGB mass-loss of the solar neighbourhood stellar population by means of a matching synthetic stellar sample, its IR properties and its present-day mass-loss distribution. The synthetic stars are generated on a grid of evolution tracks with a consistent mass-loss description (see Schroder et al. 1999; Wachter et al. 2002) and an IMF and SFR found in the local stellar population (Schroder & Sedlmayr 2001). The display of the tip-AGB starsin a (J-K, MBol) diagram could be compared directly withobservations once appropriate data become available. On a basis of 1.4 million stars brighter than MV = 4.0, our synthetic present-day sample includes 5067 giant stars with B-V > 1.4, and the collective mass-loss rate is 5.0 × 10 −4 Myr −1 . There are 20 carbon-rich supergiants with an IR excess of J-K > 4.0 and a mass-loss rate well in excess of 10 −6 Myr −1 , including 10 dust-enshrouded, extreme tip-AGB stars with J-K > 6.0, seen in their short-lived (≈30000 yrs) superwind phase with u M > 10 −5 Myr −1 . They produce about 50% of the collective mass-loss of the whole sample.


Research on perceptual disfluency has examined the effects of perceptually demanding stimuli on information processing and reasoning, suggesting that disfluent stimuli elicit slower and more effortful processing. Recent criticism of perceptual disfluency, however, suggests that the effects disfluent stimuli have on processing are marginal, and that they are mediated by individual differences. Participants completed a computerized reasoning task presented in either a fluent (i.e., easy-to-read font) or disfluent format (i.e., hard-toread font) while pupil diameter was measured by an eye-tracker system. Pupillometry is an established reliable measure of mental activity that reflects differences in cognitive load. Results showed no performance differences between the two groups, as well as no difference in pupil dilation between the groups. Similar to the recent critiques of perceptual disfluency, these results call into question if perceptual disfluency is a valid prime of attentive and deeper processing as has been theorized. Thesis Mentor: Dr. Ty W. Boyer Honors Director: Dr. Steven Engel April 2014 Department of Psychology University Honors Program Georgia Southern University Perceptual Fluency, Reasoning, and Pupil Dilation 1 This project would not have been possible without the dedicated guidance of Dr. Ty Boyer and the help of everyone in the Cognition, Learning, and Development Lab. Special thanks to Jimeisha Brooks for assistance with data collection. Perceptual Fluency, Reasoning, and Pupil Dilation 2 Effects of Perceptual Fluency on Reasoning and Pupil Dilation In our everyday lives, we are constantly making decisions. Some decisions are small, like choosing what to wear on a given morning, while some are a big deal, like which presidential candidate to vote for or where to attend graduate school. Regardless of the importance of the choice, people engage in different strategies to make these decisions, by either following their gut feelings or intuition, or by weighting all the pros and cons to formulate a careful and systematic choice. From the dual-process approach of reasoning, Type 1 processing is consider to be fast, intuitive and effortless, while Type 2 processing is consider to be slow, deliberative and effortful (Evans, 2010; Tversky & Kahneman, 1974). Most scholars concur that each mode serves a particular function and that both possess a set of beneficial characteristics and a set of potential flaws (Kahneman, 2011). Still, it is important to understand and know in which situations it would be more beneficial to depend on one specific type of reasoning. It is also important to know what other factors affect the type of reasoning with which we operate in a given situation. Many psychologists agree that the format in which information is presented impacts how we process the information, and subsequently the decisions we make with such information (Kahneman, 2011; Yue, Castel, & Bjork, 2012). A format may be in terms of gains or losses, numerical representations, or it can be something as simple as how easily, or fluently, the information is understood. Fluency has been defined as the subjective ease with which information comes to mind (Alter & Oppenheimer, 2009), while perceptual fluency has more specifically been defined as the subjective ease with which we process perceptual information. By contrast, perceptual disfluency is defined as the level of difficulty with which we process perceptual Perceptual Fluency, Reasoning, and Pupil Dilation 3 information. A few examples of the different levels of fluency include repetition (i.e., the more something it is repeated, the easier it is to remember it), prose (i.e., statements that rhyme are also remembered easier), or font type (i.e., easy-to-read font is read faster). Research on processing disfluency has focused on adjusting the ease with which we process information with the intent of prompting slower, deeper and systematic processing (i.e., Type 2). In particular, perceptual disfluency deals with the ease of processing stimuli on the basis of manipulations to the perceptual quality of such stimuli (Alter & Oppenheimer, 2009). This stream of research suggests that by using perceptually demanding stimuli individuals enter a state of cognitive strain, in which more effortful, attentive, and exhaustive thinking is required to successfully process information (Kahneman, 2011). As a result of this state of cognitive strain, our mind allocates mental resources to properly perceive the low-quality, or disfluent, stimuli, increasing attention and resulting in a slower, deeper processing as a byproduct of the additional mental resources (Alter, Oppenheimer, Epley, & Eyre, 2007; Kahneman 2011). This effect has been observed across several studies and in different fields including reasoning and problem-solving (Alter et al., 2007, Study 1 and 4), sematic illusions (Song & Schwarz, 2008), High School learning (Diedmand-Yauman, Oppenheimer, and Vaughan, 2010) and cognitive biases (Hernandez & Preston, 2013). Song and Schwarz (2009) also showed that perceptual disfluency sensitizes individuals to risk and threats while reducing their self-confidence at the same time. Despite these findings, the fluency hypothesis has been the subject of recent criticism, and some suggest that the effects of disfluent stimuli are marginal, at best, and are mediated by individual differences (Thompson et al., 2012). More importantly, Perceptual Fluency, Reasoning, and Pupil Dilation 4 several failures to replicate the results reported by Alter and colleagues (2007) have initiated a scholarly debate which calls into reconsideration the theoretical basis of disfluency (Thompson et al., 2012, 2013). As a result of this debate, it was proposed that perceptual dislfuency does elicit thorough and analytic thinking, though this does not guarantee greater accuracy on cognitive tasks (Alter, Oppenheimer & Epley, 2013). The current study aims to contribute to the ongoing discussion on perceptual disfluency by examining this claim. Pupillometry and Disfluency It has extensively been noted that changes in pupil diameter, and specifically dilation of the pupil, can serve as a reflection of cognitive load when an individual completes a cognitive task (Hess & Polt, 1960, 1964; Kahneman & Beatty, 1966; Laeng, Sirois, & Gredeback, 2012). Simply stated, when mentally solving a difficult problem (e.g., 13 x 14 = ___), one's pupils dilate more, relative to when solving an easier problem (e.g., 3 x 4 = ___). This measurement has also proven to be reliable across different subject populations (Piquado, Isaacowitz & Wingfield, 2010). The physiological reason for this phenomenon is not well understood, though evidence suggesting the role of parasympathetic pathways and prefrontal cortex activation are prominent (Granholm & Steinhauer, 2004). Nonetheless, researchers around the world use pupillometry to study cognitive processes across multiple fields of study (Laeng et al., 2012), which include areas of research that have substantial overlap with disfluency research. For example, on average, individuals' pupils tend to increase in diameter when tested on the comprehension of syntactically ambiguous sentences (Engelhardt, Ferreira &Patsenko, 2010). Hyona, Tommola, and Alaja (2007) measured pupil dilations as a reflection of Perceptual Fluency, Reasoning, and Pupil Dilation 5 effortful comprehension of spoken non-native language. These processes seem to access similar cognitive systems as disfluency, however, no one, to our knowledge, has used pupillometry measures to specifically study the effects of perceptual disfluency on cognition.


Objective By carrying through the systemic health education program,we try to investigate the effects produced by standardized education and intervention on the quality of life of children with asthma,including the impact on therapy compliance enhancement,life quality improvement and family burden reduction.Methods Strictly following the diagnostic criteria established by GINA,150 children with asthma aged from 6 months to 15 years were entered into the study group.According to age range,we divide the patients into three groups and then give systematic health education to all patients and their parents.At last,all the data concerning to changes before and after standardized education and intervention were recorded with questionnaire.Results The standardized education and intervention on children with asthma can effectively improve the study level and therapeutic compliance,and decrease their economic burden.Conclusion Health education is of importance in improving asthma control,alleviating economy burden and improving study,and worthy to generalize in clinical nursing practice.


This symposium grew out of a seminar on problems of East African Law given at the University of Pennsylvania Law School in the spring of 1971. It is natural that American law teachers and students should sometimes demand a justification for including in J.D. curricula courses which focus on law in Africa; it is as natural that they should not be entirely satisfied with the answer: "Because it is there." During the past ten years a number of such courses have nonetheless been offered in American law schools. The remarkable variety in their style, subject matter, and geographical coverage is as much a testimony to the adventurous spirit of American academic lawyers as to a lack of consensus about the educational objectives which might be achieved by such courses. Despite this variety, those involved have been confronted, to a greater or lesser extent, by a few common problems. Some are quite mundane, such as the difficulty of building up library facilities, dealing with the variety of motives and interests of students attracted to the study of such a seemingly esoteric field, and compressing a course within the limited amount of time that even the most liberal law schools are normally prepared to allocate to foreign or comparative law. Other problems are more fundamental. First, those of us who subscribe to the proposition that for most purposes law is best studied in its historical, social, and economic context share with other students of comparative law the problem that "the context" is not on our doorstep and that much relevant information may not be accessible. Similarly, if one is concerned with the realities of the law in action, it helps to be where the action is. Whereas traditional comparative lawyers have largely restricted themselves to comparing and contrasting legal doctrines, many of those writing or teaching about law in various parts of Africa have attempted to confront the problem directly. Whether they have always been successful in solving it and whether they have been making a virtue out of necessity are beside the point. The fact remains that the nature of the subject virtually compels the student to learn something of the geographical context, to be sensitive to the relationship between law and social and economic change, and to ask fundamental questions about the cultural, ideological, and philosophical assumptions


With anti-periodic and a new class of multi-point boundary conditions, we investigate, in this paper, the existence and uniqueness of solutions for the Langevin equation that has Caputo fractional derivatives of two different orders. Existence of solutions is obtained by applying Krasnoselskii–Zabreiko's and the Leray–Schauder fixed point theorems. The Banach contraction mapping principle is used to investigate the uniqueness. Illustrative examples are provided to apply of the fundamental investigations.


Two novel arrays of magnetic surface microtraps to construct 1D and 2D atomic magnetic lattices are proposed. The spatial distributions of the magnetic fields from current-carrying wires and their gradients and curvatures are calculated, respectively. Our study shows that these arrays of magnetic surface microtraps with a minimal non-zero B-value at each well center can be used to form 1D and 2D atomic magnetic lattices, or to realize arrays of BEC, even to prepare photonic crystals.


The fourth instar larvae of C. riparius were treated with potential endocrine disruption chemicals (EDCs) such as bisphenol A (BPA) and 4-nonylphenol and the effects of morphological abnormalities were observed. The deformities of the mentum following exp


The few written testimonies that survive to this day, speak about a male monastery and a female monastery that were founded in Bethlehem near the area of the Nativity already in the time of Jerome and Paula. However the various thesis proposed by many scholars do not agree as to where they were actually located. It may be argued that the history of the latin convent near the Nativity was rather tied to the presence of the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine (initially) and then the Friars Minor (later) and more generally to the Crusader events. The constructions and the progressive enlargement of the main sections was closely connected with the two religious Orders, charged with both officiating the latin rite in the Basilica (the Friars Minor continue to do this until this day) and of taking care of the structure itself (mostly built by the Crusaders) but also largely restructured by the Franciscans. Therefore, in rebuilding (together with literary sources) and studying the various parts (together with arc...


High school students show more motivation to learn new concepts when these are taken from activities that mimic real life. We report an easy methodology based on the fabrication of handmade solar c...


Food insecurity creates serious ethical, economic, and stability problems in all countries of the world, resulting in a need for its research. Each country seeks to ensure the highest degree of self-sufficiency in meeting the food needs by its own food production. However, the production of a sufficient quantity of food, and in particular its adequate structure, is not always fully realized. Therefore, ensuring food security has become an issue of primary strategic importance. Given that all the countries of the former Yugoslavia are relatively new countries undergoing a difficult period of transition, and that there are no local studies on food security, it remains to be examined how food- secure these countries are today and what factors affect their food security. The survey covered all countries of the former Yugoslavia: Republic of Serbia, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Montenegro, Republic of Croatia, Republic of Slovenia and Northern Macedonia. The survey data were taken from the FAOSTAT database, World Bank, as well as the national statistics of the countries of the former Yugoslavia, and hierarchical regression analysis was used. The results of the research showed that there is a statistically significant influence on the level of food security of all independent factors: general level of economic development, population growth, foreign trade, investments in agriculture. Of all the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia has emerged as the most nutritionally secure country, while the lowest level of food security has been observed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.


We review recent advances in the suppression of the slugging phenomenon by model-based control. We focus on three aspects of recent contributions: models, observers and control laws. For each category, we evaluate and compare existing solutions, and propose directions for improvement.


"Greek ballet," with maidens flaunting burning torches and well-muscled warriors in brief tunics; there's a set with "Zeus Bless Our Home" worked in old-fashioned needlepoint upon the wall; there's Hayworth's very charming performance. Sing, o Muse! As I was writing this Chronicle, the news arrived of two notable deaths, Richard Attenborough's and Lauren Bacall's. It's pleasant to remember the sustained enjoyment these two film artists gave us over the many years of their careers, and pleasant also, in Bacall's case, to note that in 1947 she protested, along with many others in Hollywood, the House Un-American Committee's witch-hunt. Moreover, she got Bogart to protest. Even if she (and he) later cautiously recanted, the fact remains that she spoke out at a time when speaking out was risky. I have said that 1947 was a year of political scurrility. So it was, but also a year intermittently heroic. Who better for the part of heroine—that husky voice, spitting out hard truths; those sultry eyes with their undisguisable glints of intelligence—than Lauren Bacall?


There are number of reactions possible. During the TMA pulse, TMA can react with more than one OH group and with oxygen bridges. During the water pulse, water can react with methyl groups and also with oxygen bridges. Some of the reactions were investigated by cluster model. More realistic investigation is being done by periodic slabs.


The best inducing additive were selected from 8 ones for fish ( Bostrichthys sinensis ) ( abour 4cm long and 0.986 g/ind ). The attractive additives were made of shrimp meal , kelp, glutamic acid, betaine, garlic etc. The results showed that No.2 additive , which was added into the feed made of fish meal and α starch etc. had the best performance. the body weight gain and survival rate in No.2 additive group were close to the control group fed with fresh shrimp.


Particle in cell (PIC) algorithm studies the selfconsistent motion of multi-particle system by solving equations of particle dynamics, this algorithm is widely used to evaluate the nonlinear space charge effect of the high intensity or low energy beam. In order to reduce the random noise in the simulation, a huge number of particles should be traced, the process expends many computer hardware resources and a lot of computing time. Heterogeneous computing can greatly improve the efficiency of large quantities of the particle tracking by making full use of different types of computing resources. In this paper we give the algorithm which uses both CPU and GPU to trace the particles in electromagnetic field. The results show that the given algorithm increases the efficiency significantly. INTRODUCTION PIC algorithm evaluates the motion of the multiparticle system through solving the dynamic equation of particles. After that, the motion of the system is given in the statistical results. The PIC algorithm approaches the accurate result when the particle number is large and the space grid is small [1]. In order to reduce the statistical error of the result, using a huge number of particles in the PIC algorithm is necessary. Some studies [2] show that it is enough to obtain a good result by using one "super particle" to describe 10-10 particles. PIC algorithm consists of four steps in a time step. Firstly, the electromagnetic field is evaluated, then the calculated value is interpolated at the positions of the particles. Using this values, the motion of the particles are integrated. Finally, the statistical results on the grid is given. The processing of the PIC algorithm in one time step is shown in figure 1. The name of the particle is given by index i, and the field on each spatial grid is labeled with index j. The particle dynamic equation describe the position and velocity taking on all values in x and v space which called phase space. Figure 1: PIC algorithm in one time step In one time step, the moving particle calculations of each particle are the same. Firstly, interpolate the electric field intensity and magnetic flux density at each particle position, then the moving information of each particle in next time step are obtained by integrating the equation of particle motion. Interpolation algorithm in the GPU is operated by computing hardware which can finish the interpolation algorithm in a single GPU instruction cycle. Thus, the operation speed is much higher than that run by software. While the multi core structure of GPU is very suitable to integrate the multi particle motion in parallel. In this paper, based on the OpenCL programming framework, CPU is used to control the data storage and search tasks, then it controls GPU computing hardware unit to interpolation electric field intensity and magnetic flux density, finally integrate the particles dynamic equation on the GPU compute kernels in parallel. This calculation framework can greatly improve the efficiency of the particle movement simulation algorithm. ALGORITHM OF MOVING PARTICLES When we integrate the equations of particle dynamic, we should obtain the electric field intensity and magnetic flux density at the particle position. After that, the equations of particle dynamic as shown in Eq.(1) should be integrated. Many method could be used to integrate the equations of particle dynamic. This part of calculation should execute with high efficiency and acceptable accuracy. ___________________________________________ * Work supported by in part by the 2011 ProjectHubei Collaboration Innovation Center of Non-power Nuclear Technology and in part by National Program for Study of the Key Techniques in High-voltage Power Supply Using Ferrite Insulated Core Transformer under grant 11305068 through the ministry of science and technology, China. † Email address: email@example.com WEPMY043 Proceedings of IPAC2016, Busan, Korea ISBN 978-3-95450-147-2 2654 C op yr ig ht © 20 16 C C -B Y3. 0 an d by th e re sp ec tiv e au th or s 05 Beam Dynamics and Electromagnetic Fields D11 Code Developments and Simulation Techniques


The theory of the spin‐coupled (SC) wave function with core‐valence separation, in which the core electrons are confined to a closed shell of doubly‐occupied orbitals and the valence electrons are described with the complete set of features of the SC formalism, is developed to produce an efficient approach which makes possible its fully variational determination. The simultaneous optimization of the core orbitals, valence orbitals, and spin‐coupling coefficients is achieved through a second‐order nonlinear elimination constrained minimization algorithm which exhibits excellent convergence properties. It is no longer necessary to introduce an ad hoc preselection of core and valence orbitals−this is carried out by the minimization procedure itself which makes an optimum choice from a variational point of view. The only important item left to personal judgment is the selection of the number of core and valence electrons in the problem under investigation. Simplifications such as ''freezing'' of a part of the core orbitals are discussed alongside with the verification of the theoretical work and program code by emulating, under an appropriately modified set of constraints, the generalized valence‐bond (GVB) wave function with perfect pairing and strong‐orthogonality restrictions. It is demonstrated that it is possible, similar to the Hartree–Fock (HF) method, to transform the core orbitals into canonical form and to associate with each one of them an energetical quantity analogous to the HF orbital energy. The essential features of the approach are illustrated by a SC study of the process H2CO(1A1)→CH2(X 3B1)+O(3P), involving the breaking of the C■O double bond. The results prove that only a fully variational SC wave function with core‐valence separation is capable of providing a uniform description of the change in the physical properties of the system upon dissociation, which can be achieved by including in the SC part of the wave function just the four electrons immediately involved in the carbon–oxygen double bond.


Karst that has triple porosity makes the characterization of the aquifer becomes challenging to conduct. Hydrograph analysis is a standard method that commonly used for the characterization. It is considered capable of reflecting the natural characteristics of karst aquifer. This research was conducted in Kiskendo Cave which is part of Jonggrangan Karst, Kulonprogo Regency, Java, Indonesia. Kiskendo Cave is a tourist area that continues to be developed. On the other hands, this location has underground rivers that are utilized by the community to meet their domestic needs. Therefore, karst aquifer characterization is essential to do to support karst water management efforts in its catchment area. This study aims to apply the Master Recession Curve (MRC) to know the degree of karstification in the catchment area of Kiskendo. MRC was developed to calculate the degree of karstification and the analysis of hydrograph flow components was carried out to support the calculation. The data used in this study is the underground river discharge recorded every 30 minutes at the time interval between 23 October 2017 and 16 May 2018. The results show that the karst aquifer in the catchment area of Kiskendo Cave has a complex discharge regime with the degree of karstification 5.5. The complexity is confirmed by the type of conduit, fissure, and diffuse flows, which visible on the MRC calculations. Meanwhile, the analysis of the hydrograph component of flood strengthens the result of calculation of karstification degree, i.e., the time to peak (Tp) is relatively fast(2.5 hours) compared to Petoyan Spring (6 hours) which is recharged by diffuse type karst aquifer. This value shows the existence of conduit flow that fills the underground river during rainfall. Time to the baseflow calculation (Tb) both manually (flood hydrograph analysis) and automatic (MRC) has 40 hours in average which reflects that karst aquifer. This value shows that the channel is still useful in storing diffuse groundwater. Overall, karst aquifers in the catchment area of Kiskendo Cave are still dominated by diffuse-type voids, although it also has sufficiently developed conduit-type voids.


The Planetary Systems Imager (PSI) is a second-generation exoplanet detection and characterization instrument concept for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). PSI will enable extreme adaptive optics imaging and spectroscopy from the visible into the infrared. Its high contrast, coupled with TMT's sensitivity, will access entirely new regions of exoplanet parameter space. Here we describe the driving exoplanet science cases for PSI, including detecting and characterizing rocky planets around nearby M dwarfs, constraining atmospheric and surface compositions and variability, measuring accretion onto protoplanets on Solar System orbital scales, and more. We present the top level instrument requirements for each subsystem, which we derive from these science cases and inform using simulations. We discuss PSI's expected science outcomes for exoplanet studies, and also highlight examples of its potential for Solar System, galactic, and extragalactic science.


My first serious attempts to portray the aspect of the moon were made with the noblest instrument of modern times, the great telescope of Lord Rosse, in 1852. The mirror was not in adjustment, so that the axes of the incident and reflected pencils of light were inclined at a very sensible angle. This being met by a large reduction of the working area of the mirror, the performance was found to be excellent. I have never seen some parts of the moon so well as on that occasion. But when I came to represent what was seen, the difficulty of transferring from the blaze of the picture to the dimly lighted paper, on a high exposed station, with little power of arranging the drawing-apparatus, was found to be insuperable, and the effect was altogether disheartening. It was like setting down things ex memoriâ, to give the rude general meaning, not like an accurate and critical copy. I present as a specimen of this memorial a sketch of the great crater of Gassendi (No. 1). I next mounted, in my garden at York, a small but fine telescope of Cooke only 2·4 inches in the aperture; and, aware of the nature of the difficulty which beset me at Birr Castle, I gave it an equatorial mounting, without, however, a clock movement. The whole was adapted to a large solid stone pillar in the open air. It was not possible, with 1/60 of the light of the Rosse mirror, to see so well; but it was easy to represent far better what one saw, with a conveniently placed board to hold the drawing-paper, a well-arranged light, and no necessity of changing position. I made in this manner the drawing of Gassendi which is marked No. 2.


Environmental and lifestyle factors that affect oxidative stress and inflammation may influence telomere length (TL). There are limited data to relate the effect of dietary components on TL. The present study examined the association between food groups and TL in a sample of elderly Chinese. In a sample of 2006 Chinese (976 men and 1030 women) aged 65 years and over, TL was measured by quantitative real-time PCR and daily intake of food groups was assessed by a validated FFQ. Linear regression and analysis of covariance were used to examine the association between food group intake and TL, with adjustment for demographic and lifestyle factors. In men, only Chinese tea consumption was significantly associated with TL after adjustment for demographics and lifestyle factors (P = 0·002). Mean difference in TL for those in the highest quartile of Chinese tea consumption (>3 cups/d or >750 ml/d) as compared with those in the lowest quartile of Chinese tea consumption ( ≤ 0·28 cups/d or ≤ 70 ml/d) was 0·46 kb, corresponding to approximately a difference of 5 years of life. In women, intake of fats and oils was borderline and negatively associated with TL after adjustment for demographic and lifestyle factors (P = 0·037). In conclusion, Chinese tea consumption was positively associated with TL in elderly Chinese men.


Skewed sex ratio has often been observed in hybrids, but the sex was always determined by gonadal phenotypes. Here, we artiˆcially induced reciprocal hybrids between pink salmon and masu salmon and then examined the genetic sex ratio in the hybrids based on the presence or absence of the sex-determining gene sdY . As a result, the sex of 8-month-old hybrids between pink salmon female × masu salmon male and masu salmon female × pink salmon male skewed to female, while 12-month-old hybrids between masu salmon female × pink salmon male were exclusively male. Since the sex ratio between the early embryos and hatching alevin was 1:1, it was consi-dered that the skewed sex ratio was due to the diŠerence of survival rate between genetic males and females.


The present invention provides a method of manufacturing the vibration sensor. The vibration sensor comprising: a tuning-fork vibrator having a base and a plurality of arms extending from said base; a mounting portion for mounting the tuning-fork vibrator; and a support member, said tuning-fork vibrator which mounted on the mounting portion, and has a narrow portion.


Acknowledgement. Introduction. Part 1. Feminists and the historical development of the Welfare State 1. Feminism and the Welfare State: the formative years 2. Women pioneers in welfare work Part 2. Contemporary feminism and the critique of welfare 3. Contemporary feminism 4. Education 5. Welfare professionals and the control of women 6. The material impact of welfare Part 3. Feminist strategies to change welfare 7. The economic position of women - alternative perspectives 8. Changing the welfare system from within 9. Separatist strategies for change 10. Conclusion. Bibliography. Index.


Salmonids create an egg nest, called a redd, in hyporheic streambed gravel to bury their eggs, characterized by a pit and a hump topography, resembling a dune. Embryos' survival depends on downwelling oxygen‐rich stream water fluxes, influenced by the redd shape, stream hydraulics, and the hydraulic conductivity of the redd sediment, K. We hypothesize that downwelling fluxes increase with stream discharge and redd aspect ratio (AR = A/L, with A, the redd amplitude and L, its length), and they can be predicted using a set of dimensionless numbers, which include the stream flow Reynolds (Re) and Froude (Fr) numbers, AR, and the redd relative submergence (A/Y0, with Y0, the water depth). We address our goal by simulating the surface and subsurface flows with numerical hydraulic models linked through the near‐bed pressure distribution quantified with a two‐phase (air‐water) two‐dimensional surface water computational fluid dynamics model, validated with experiments. We apply the modeling approach to five redd sizes, which span the field observed range (from ∼1 to ∼4 m long), and by increasing discharge from shallow (0.1 m) and slow (0.15 m/s) to deep (8 m) and fast (3.3 m/s). Results confirm that downwelling fluxes increase with discharge and redd aspect ratio due to the increased near‐bed head gradient over the redd. Averaged downwelling fluxes are a function of Re, Fr, AR, and hydraulic conductivity of the redd and not of the undisturbed streambed material. The derived regression equation may help evaluate regulated and unregulated flow impacts on hyporheic flows during embryo incubation.


In this paper, we propose capacity-achieving communication schemes for Gaussian finite-state Markov channels subject to an average channel input power constraint, under the assumption that the transmitters can have access to delayed noiseless output feedback as well as instantaneous or delayed channel state information. We show that the proposed schemes reveals connections between feedback communication and feedback control.


The superiority of bariatric surgery for improving medical outcomes in severely obese individuals when compared to other weight loss interventions remains undisputed. However, knowledge about the psychological impact of the procedure on people's lives is limited. Systematic reviews indicate persisting disordered psychological wellbeing after surgery compared to control groups especially longer term, suggesting need for postoperative psychological support and assessment. Research literature also infers limited knowledge regarding the postoperative patient's lived experience of bariatric surgery. This may form a barrier in healthcare practitioners' understanding of these patients' ongoing needs. For this reason, ten individuals who had bariatric surgery two or more years ago and eight bariatric surgery practitioners were recruited within UK public hospital settings and individually interviewed by the researcher to capture their accounts of the postoperative bariatric surgery experience. Concordance between the two groups was explored to gauge awareness of patients' subsequent health needs. Thematic analysis of transcribed interviews elicited a key finding around 'postsurgical cliffs in patient care' within a heavily structured service. Participants reported some unmet needs, namely, psychological aftercare to facilitate adjustment following drastic weight loss and excess skin, acceptance of their non-obese self and perceived prejudice. The impact of contrasting views of success between patients and practitioners on postoperative care within the service context was highlighted. Overall, bariatric surgery is a great weight loss catalyst for severe obesity. However, lack of psychological aftercare may threaten long-term health outcomes. The influence of public engagement, particularly the process of interview development and future recommendations are discussed.


Objective To investigate the amount of sugars in fruit juices, juice drinks and smoothies (FJJDS) marketed to children. Design We surveyed the sugars content (per 100 ml and standardised 200 ml portion) of all FJJDS sold by seven major UK supermarkets (supermarket own and branded products). Only products specifically marketed towards children were included. We excluded sports drinks, iced teas, sugar-sweetened carbonated drinks and cordials as being not specifically marketed towards children. Results We identified 203 fruit juices (n=21), juice drinks (n=158) and smoothies (n=24) marketed to children. Sugars content ranged from 0 to 16 g/100 ml. The mean sugars content was 7.0 g/100 ml, but among the 100% fruit juice category, it was 10.7 g/100 ml. Smoothies (13.0 g/100 ml) contained the highest amounts of sugars and juice drinks (5.6 g/100 ml) contained the lowest amount. 117 of the 203 FJJDS surveyed would receive a Food Standards Agency 'red' colour-coded label for sugars per standardised 200 ml serving. Only 63 FJJDS would receive a 'green' colour-coded label. 85 products contained at least 19 g of sugars—a child's entire maximum daily amount of sugars. 57 products contained sugar (sucrose), 65 contained non-caloric sweeteners and five contained both. Seven products contained glucose-fructose syrup. Conclusions The sugars content in FJJDS marketed to children in the UK is unacceptably high. Manufacturers must stop adding unnecessary sugars and calories to their FJJDS.


The development of methodology for asymmetric catalytic transformation of alkenederivatives is summarized. The studies concern the [a] Cu(I)-catalyzed allylic oxidation,[b] isomerization of epoxide ...


All of the natural sciences have been profoundly influenced by major discoveries in the field of optics. The telescope, the dispersion of light observed with prisms and gratings, the photoelectric effect, and the electromagnetic theory of light each continue to play a central role in the development of science. The dis covery of the laser (1) provid es us with a qualit atively new source of light, a source which escapes the intensity limit ations of blackbody thermal sources. The coheren ce, monochromaticity , power, collimation, polarization, and temporal behavior of lasers open new ranges of time and field strength for the study of the interaction of light with matter. The coher ence and strength of laser sources brings many of the experimental techniques of magnetic resonance and microwave spectroscopy to the inf rared, visible, and uv ranges of the spectrum. The nonlin ear response of materials to high optical fields has produced a spe ctacular display of effects. During its first decade of existence the laser has made important contribu tions to fundamental research in physics and to several areas of technology (2).


Being independent in the existing world is crucial for a visually impaired person. There are about 36 million blind people all over the world. The main purpose of the project is to reduce the difficulties faced due to blindness. This proposed system hypothesizes a smart shoe that alerts visually impaired people over obstacles that could help them to walk independently with low chances of accident. Recently, many devices such as smart cane with advanced technology were introduced to assist the visually impaired for safe and independent walking. To overcome the limitation, a smart shoe is designed and developed to detect obstacles in the path of visually impaired person which will make them feel like a normal individual. This proposed system mainly focuses on LiFi technology that helps to identify the locations as they pass through the places. Introducing smart shoe which will assist them in their motion and other needed activities. It supports LiFi with reliable communication and navigation system during the dark. Information is provided as voice playback to the user. Thus, the user can navigate independently just by using the voice commands provided by the device. A wireless setup is provided at the places which are often used by the person in order to specify the person is reached the required place..


Abstract Accurate estimation of missing traffic data is one of the essential components in intelligent transportation systems (ITS). The non-Euclidean data structure and complex missing traffic flow patterns make it challenging to capture nonlinear spatiotemporal correlations of missing traffic flow, which are critical for the imputation of missing traffic data. In this study, we propose a novel multi-view bidirectional spatiotemporal graph network called Multi-BiSTGN to impute urban traffic data with complex missing patterns. First, three spatiotemporal graph sequences are constructed to comprehensively describe traffic conditions from different temporal correlation views, i.e. temporal closeness view, daily periodicity view, and weekly periodicity view. Then, three bidirectional spatiotemporal graph networks are fused by a parametric-matrix-based method to obtain the final imputation results. To train the Multi-BiSTGN model, a novel loss function that considers the interactions between three temporal correlation views is designed to optimize the parameters of the Multi-BiSTGN model. The proposed model was validated on real-world traffic datasets collected in Wuhan, China. Experimental results showed that Multi-BiSTGN outperformed ten existing baselines under different missing types (random missing, block missing, and mixed missing) and missing rates.


Global climate change and human activities have profoundly affected the hydrological processes in the basin. The study of the characteristics of runoff and sediment variations in the basin and their driving factors is of great significance in promoting the efficient use of water resources and high‐quality development in the basin. The determination of the abrupt change point of the runoff‐sediment relationship is the key to delineate the base period, and is important to assess the contribution of climate change and human activities to the change of the runoff‐sediment relationship. Therefore, this study constructs a binary coupled coordination model of runoff and sediment load to describe the coupled runoff‐sediment coordination relationship, and uses the Pettitt method and the double cumulative curve method to test for mutations. The effects of climate change and human activities on changes in runoff and sediment load were assessed using the Budyko framework‐based elasticity factor method and the cumulative slope rate of change method. The results show that the annual runoff and annual sediment load in the Min River basin show a decreasing trend between 1970 and 2019, with monthly sediment load changing more significantly than monthly runoff. Annual runoff and annual sediment load were significantly coherent throughout the study period, and there were significant resonant cycles of positive phase on 2‐, 3‐, 5‐ and 6‐year time scales. The coupling coordination degree of runoff and sediment load is generally at a coordinated developmental stage and is moving from low to high levels of coordination. Relative to the base period, changes in runoff and sediment load during the change period are mainly attributed to human activities. The contribution of human activities to the change in runoff ranged from 78.92% to 66.71%, and the contribution to the change in sediment load reached 93.40% to 94.15%. In contrast, precipitation in climate change has a greater impact on changes in runoff and sediment load than potential evapotranspiration. Land use changes and reservoir construction in the Min River basin have both contributed positively to the reduction of runoff and sediment load. The results of the study will help us to gain a deeper understanding of the processes and driving mechanisms of the runoff‐sediment relationship in the Min River basin, and provide a scientific basis for water resources management and sustainable development in the basin.


The utility model provides a self-inflation type adjustable air-inflation neck pillow which comprises a first air chamber which surrounds the neck and supports the neck and the head directly, a third air chamber supporting the head and the lower jaw, a second air chamber supporting the first air chamber and the third air chamber, a self-inflation pump air chamber supplying air to the first air chamber, the second air chamber and the third air chamber after being pressed, a one-way self-inflation pump outlet, a self-inflation pump air inlet, a connecting weld line, a welded joint, air vents enabling air between the third air chamber and the first air chamber and air between the second air chamber and the first air chamber to be communicated, air in-out openings used for inflating air in the air chambers or discharging air in the air chambers, elastic cords and buckles arranged on two sides of the first air chamber, springs or sponge arranged in a self-inflation pump, and an elastic rope. The self-inflation type adjustable air-inflation neck pillow is small in size, light in weight and convenient to use and carry; the head can be stably supported, neck fatigue can be effectively relieved, and the pillow is suitable for people with different body types; and the neck pillow is simple in structure, convenient to manufacture, low in cost and suitable for popularization and application.


The use of a microprocessor system the MC68020, to generate a real PWM scheme to control a three-phase voltage source inverter based on the asymmetric regular sampling technique is described. One of the shortcomings of this scheme, which is the limitation placed on the fundamental voltage that cannot exceed 50% of the input DC voltage at unity depth of modulation, is partially avoided by the injection of a certain amount of third harmonics. A method of smooth variation of the output frequency is also described.<<ETX>>


ABSTRACT Employees with service orientations can achieve higher service performance and create a competitive advantage for a company. The service process in the food and beverage industry is delivered by front-line employees who wield considerable authority in dealing with customers' special requests and demands. Psychological empowerment is recognized as employee feelings of empowerment and is able to elevate employees' self-recognition in the work place, improve efficiency, and increase employee self-respect. This could be an important antecedent of service orientations. This study aimed to explore employees' demographic characteristics and psychological empowerment as the antecedent factors of service orientations in the food and beverage industry.


BROWN, LAUREN Testing the photocatalytic oxidation abilities of titania-silica aerogels fabricated using the rapid supercritical extraction method. Department of Mechanical Engineering, June 2011. ADVISOR: Ann Anderson Indoor air has been shown to be four to five times more polluted than outdoor air. Titania-silica aerogels can photocatalytically oxidize volatile organic compounds found in indoor air. Aerogels are the lightest known solid with 90-99% air by volume. Titaniasilica aerogels were fabricated in seven to nine hours using the Rapid Supercritical Extraction method and properties compared well to those published in the literature. Bulk density ranges between 0.025 and 0.04 g/cm. Skeletal density ranges between 1.75 and 2.75g/cm. BET surface area ranges between 200 and 700 m/g. BJH pore distribution showed distinct differences between silica and titania aerogels. FTIR results showed the presence of anatase titania, which has been shown to be a key component in photocatalytic oxidation. Photocatalytic oxidation abilities were tested using methylene blue in an aqueous solution in both natural sunlight and using a solar simulator. Results showed that methylene blue can be decomposed using photocatalyic oxidation in the presence of UV and visible light. A flow-type photocatalytic oxidation test apparatus was designed and built to test the decomposition rate of toluene at various flow rates in the presence of water vapor. Humidified toluene vapor flowed through samples of titaniasilica aerogel placed in a reactor vial, illuminated by four 4W UV blacklights surrounding the vial. The effluent stream was analyzed using two different 10.6 eV lamp handheld photoionization detectors. Up to a 99% reduction in toluene concentration was seen. Most


: With the development of science and technology, computer science is becoming more and more mature and plays an important role in social life and economic development. Based on this background, an epidemic prevention and control information platform for universities based on face recognition technology and temperature technology has been created. The system can realize real-time monitoring of students' identity verification, ID card numbers and internal school item files, it can also effectively detect the body temperature of teachers and students, and make timely early warning suggestions to relevant departments based on the detection results, which provides effective data support as well as technical guarantee in public security work. At the same time, it uses embedded computer technology to realize the interaction of data between each link in the epidemic prevention work and the database, which is convenient for the staff to grasp the relevant data information and dynamic changes in a timely manner, thus providing effective guarantee measures for the management of universities. This paper introduces the information platform of university epidemic prevention and control based on face recognition and temperature recognition technology, and designs and implements the study of the system.


Transpiring wall reactor is a promising engineering solution to corrosion and salt precipitation for the technology of supercritical water oxidation. Characteristics of flow conditions and species concentrations in the reactor and around the transpiring wall are hardly accessible to measurements. So a computational fluid dynamic model of the transpiring wall reactor was developed. The influence of different operating parameters on the temperature distribution and species distribution, especially the temperature near the transpiring wall, were investigated. Feed mass flow, feed flow temperature and ethanol concentration has a strong influence on the temperature of reactor. Higher feed mass flow, feed flow temperature and ethanol concentration are beneficial to the destruction of ethanol, but it reduces the protection of upper transpiring wall. The optimum feed flow for the reactor is between 0.002 and 0.003kg/s at 380 ℃, Transpiration intensity has minimal influence on the temperature, but lower transpiring flow temperature is beneficial to protection of the porous wall. Upper branch transpiring water of 300 °C provides a subcritical protective film to prevent corrosion and salt precipitation.


A 24 year old man presented to the emergency department after falling from his bicycle on to his left side two weeks earlier. …


In this preprint manuscript, the authors evaluate parasitism and social network metrics in Japanese macaques, finding that some metrics of network centrality are associated with increased parasite shedding. In addition, the authors evaluate the effect of subsampling the network on subsequent inference, finding that removal of individuals can result in the failure to detect a relationship between parasitism and network centrality metrics. This is my second time reviewing this manuscript for PCI Network Science.


Sternberg's model of giftedness brings together interesting and very important elements of giftedness by synthesizing wisdom, intelligence, and creativity in novel ways. While his model is based on extensive research and utilizes a variety of sources and expertise, the epistemological consistency of Sternberg's model is, in my opinion, cause for concern. I argue for a model that is conceptual coherent, a trait Sternberg also recognizes as important. First, all concepts used in the construction of a model should be conceptually equal attributes, e.g. all nouns, verbs, in order to produce a balanced model. 'Wisdom', 'intelligence', and 'creativity' are coherent concepts and linguistically comparable, but 'synthesized' refers to the act that demonstrates how these concepts are connected to each other. Therefore, I propose that the act of synthesis should be included in an explanation of the model or in a description of how the model functions, rather than one of the major concepts or key terms. Even if Sternberg had chosen to replace 'synthesized' with the noun 'synthesis', this noun is not conceptually compatible with of wisdom, intelligence, and creativity, words that illustrates particular attributes of giftedness; whereas, conceptually speaking, synthesis is a state that describes the space in which wisdom, intelligence and creativity intersect. Secondly, I have difficulty in conceptualizing a model that utilizes epistemologically diverse concepts, while at the same time attempting to create a generalizable model (a generalizable model should include only objectively constructed concepts and terms). While acknowledging the pressing need to create generalizable models that could be utilized by diverse gifted programmes, I am questioning whether or not any of this model's concepts should be generalized as Sternberg proposes. In particular, I am concerned with the epistemological confusion and inconsistency created when subjective or widely debated concepts (e.g. the definition of creativity) are used for predictive purposes. In the other words, philosophy and epistemology are thus contradicted by the methodological actions of the researcher (the use of methods). I argue that wisdom and creativity are subjective and situated concepts, viewed from within, and thus, they are difficult to capture through positivist and predictive ways when studying the world. Instead, wisdom and creativity might best be explored through individual accounts, interviews, self-reports, reflections, and/or through narratives. Additionally, I interpret Sternberg's use of successful intelligence


To integrating of combat simulation system in existence, the barrier of differences of runtime framework, connection protocols and integration framework among the simulation systems must be solved. HLA bridge is necessary when the different RTI implements, which decline the system performance. The Data Distribution Service (DDS), which is implemented with P/S mode, with the advantage of low coupled, strong scalability real-time and huge amount, seems an ideal solution to the problem. An integration framework based on DDS is approached, which inherits the real-time communication ability of DDS and the time-management and federation management ability of HLA, the prototype system proved the ability of the framework, and the semantics communication module of the system would be the next research topic.


We have investigated the surface and near-surface bulk chemical properties of differently stressed (Au/Cu/)CdTe/CdS thin-film solar cells. The employed Au/Cu contact design created unique samples in which both the back contact surface/interface and the (back) surface of the CdTe absorber were exposed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and soft x-ray emission spectroscopy were employed to determine the chemical composition of the surface and near-surface bulk of both the exposed CdTe surface and the Au/Cu back contact surface of each sample. Sulfur is observed to have migrated (from the CdS) into the CdTe bulk, forming Au2S and Cu2-xS compounds under the back contact. Chlorine is found at the surface and in the near-surface bulk of both the back contact and the exposed CdTe absorber. Under the back contact, Cl is observed to form Cu-Cl bonds only in the samples that were heat stressed under AM 1.5 illumination.


THE PROPOSED INVASION MAY BE MOTIVATED AS MUCH OR MORE BY IRAQ´S OIL AS BY THEIR WEAPONS. CONTROL OF IRAQ WOULD ENSURE WESTERN SUPPLIES IN THE EVENT THAT SAUDI ARABIA FELL INTO THE HANDS OF FUNDAMENTALISTS. BUT THIS IS AN ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF AN INVASION ARE LIKELY TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO REAP THE REWARDS OF MILITARY SUCCESS. WE CAN EXPECT OIL PRICES TO RISE NA THE DOLLAR TO FALL. THE RESULT WILL BE STAGFLATION - ON THE TOP OF THE PRESENT RECESSION. TOURISM WILL COLLAPSE, AND THE PROBABLY POLICY RESPONSES WILL MAKE THINGS WORSE. IF THE OIL FIELDS ARE SET AFIRE, AS THEY WERE DURING THE GULF WAR, NOT ONLY THE POLITICAL BUT ALSO ECONOMIC FALLOUT WILL BE LASTING.


A silicon thin-diaphragm piezoresistive pressure sensor incorporating signal conditioning has been developed. The device exhibits 1% accuracy over a wide pressure range, requiring only two leads and no external components.


In this work, CdS@NH2-MIL-125 nanocomposite as photocatalyst was successfully synthesized by forming a common boundary between CdS and NH2-MIL-125, via in situ a solvothermal strategy, and then the physicochemical properties...


Abstract A rapid, simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed for the determination of antipyrine in small volume (50 μl) of plasma samples. Aminopyrine was employed as the internal standard. The sample preparation is a direct plasma protein precipitation procedure so is less tedious and rapid. The assay employs a column packed with a C18 reversed-phase material (5 μm Nucleosil) with an isocratic mixture of acetonitrile and water (25:75, v/v) as the mobile phase. The eluant was detected at 254 nm. The assay achieves the level of sensitivity (0.5 μg/ml) and accuracy required to obtain meaningful data about the single-dose pharmacokinetics of antipyrine in guinea pig and rat. The method gave high reproducibility with coefficients of variation less than 5%.


Objective
To observe the clinical effect of naloxone and noninvasive ventilator in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) complicated with type Ⅱ respiratory failure.

Methods
82 patients with AECOPD complicated with type Ⅱ respiratory failure treated from March, 2016 to February, 2017 were selected and divided into two groups by random number table, 41 cases for each group. The control group were routineky treated, while observation group were treated with naloxone and noninvasive ventilator. The clinical efficacy, adverse reactions, and changes of blood gas indexes in the two groups were observed.

Results
The total effective rate and the incidence of acute exacerbation were better in the observation group than in the control group (97.56% vs. 78.05% and 19.51% vs. 46.34%) (P 0.05). Before the treatment, there were no statistical differences in partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2), arterial oxygen pressure (PaO2), power of hydrogen (pH), heart rate, and respiratory rate between the two groups (all P>0.05). After the treatment, the PaO2 and pH were higher while PaCO2 was lower in the observation group than those in control group [(95.35±4.32)mmHg vs. (86.35±10.28)mmHg, (7.38±0.06) vs. (7.31±0.09), and (43.46±5.92)mmHg vs. (51.36±8.41)mmHg, all P<0.05].

Conclusion
Naloxone and noninvasive ventilator in the treatment of AECOPD complicated with type Ⅱ respiratory failure is effective and safe and can improve the patients' blood gas indexes and adverse symptoms and decrease the incidence of acute exacerbation.

Key words:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Acute exacerbation; TypeⅡ respiratory failure; Naloxone; Noninvasive ventilator


INTRODUCTION
The aim of this study was to assess pain generated during orthodontic treatment with aligners in terms of intensity, duration and characteristics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The sample consisted of 106 patients. Pain was analyzed according to intensity and characteristics using the Saint Antoine Pain Questionnaire (French Mac Gill questionnaire). For statistical analysis, Student tests were performed.

RESULTS
84% of patients experienced low to moderate pain, with a significantly higher intensity in women. Thirty-one per cent of patients consumed analgesics, although no established correlation was observed between intensity of pain and analgesics. For 53% of patients, duration of pain was ≤ 2 days; for 15% of patients, the pain lasted 7 days. Among patients aged ≥ 40 years, duration of pain was significantly lower than in those aged < 40 years. Ten characteristics of pain were selected as described by at least one third of patients.

CONCLUSION
Orthodontic treatments with aligners cause mild to moderate pain, which usually lasts 2 to 3 days, but may last 7 days. This pain is described as a sensation of "compression", "twinges", "squeezing", "tightness", "stretching", "cutting", and as being "tiresome", "bothersome", "unpleasant", or even "a nuisance".