The issues of actuator fault reconstruction, sensor fault reconstruction, and state estimation are considered in this article for Markovian jump systems, using a novel adaptive observer approach. First, by utilizing coordinate transformation technology, the original plant is decoupled into two subplants. The actuator faults and sensor faults are separated in different subplants. Then, two novel observers are proposed, respectively. With the two proposed adaptive observers, state estimation, sensor faults, and actuator faults reconstruction can be achieved. Finally, a numerical example is employed to verify the effectiveness of the theoretical results and to make comparisons with some existing fault reconstruction schemes.


Through the description of a hunting activity, Faulkner revealed the fact that the retreat of American forests and the disappearance of taintless and incorruptible forest residents were all caused by the coming of American whites and felt very sorry for it. He reflected on the civilization of American whites and fiercely criticized its destructiveness and evilness. He hoped to find a reasonable way of development for human civilization.


pressure of medical liability, and variability in histopathological diagnosis, the accurate diagnosis of melanoma in situ is critical for appropriate management. Given that dermoscopy has been shown to reduce the number of biopsies by improving the benign to malignant ratio,13 it further emphasizes the importance of the study by Lallas et al1 in establishing optimal criteria for early equivocal lesions. The individuals who will benefit most from improved diagnostic accuracy are those with multiple nevi and a personal or family history of melanoma. It is not feasible from a patient or practical perspective to excise every nevus, so accurate noninvasive diagnostic tools are needed. The recent Special Report by Thomas and Puig14 discusses the benefits and challenges of dermoscopy for early detection of melanoma in high-risk individuals. Of note is the role that digital dermoscopy plays in continued surveillance: "comparisons of good quality [accurate and reproducible] images provide additional opportunities to make an accurate diagnosis of an initially featureless melanoma."14 Yet, even with the established benefits, dermoscopy uptake and utility still faces challenges. This is in part due to a perceived complexity of dermoscopic criteria inhibiting a willingness of clinicians to become qualified and experienced with routine dermoscopy.14 Therefore, studies similar to that by Lallas et al1 are needed to refine and simplify dermoscopic criteria and promote its clinical utility for early melanoma detection. While the debate of overdiagnosis will continue, the anxiety around underdiagnosis remains from both a medicolegal and a human point of view. The integration of dermoscopy (and total-body photography15) within screening programs, particularly for high-risk individuals, is the optimal method to detect and monitor for melanoma in situ. However, dermoscopy is just one, albeit essential, weapon in the battle against melanoma, and we foresee that a holistic approach incorporating current risk assessment tools, genetic profiling, totalbody photography, and sequential dermoscopy imaging will play a crucial role in early melanoma detection and management.2 The tools for achieving the goal of Lallas et al1 of detecting noninvasive melanoma are available; it is just a matter of putting them into our daily practice.


MRS. B., a nulliparous woman of 53 years, complained of difficulty in passing her urine for about 12 months. She had no other symptoms and her periods were normal and regular up to the time she was admitted to hospital. Three days before I saw her she developed acute retention of urine for which she was catheterized by her doctor, and on admission she had retention with overflow. Her general condition was good, her bladder could be felt rising almost to the umbilicus and her blood-urea was 50 mg. per cent. On vaginal examination there was a large mass which filled the pelvis and the cervix could not be felt. This seemed, therefore, to be another case of a retroverted uterus containing a fundal fibroid with lengthening of the urethra. After evacuation of the bladder a hard tumour could be felt rising from the pelvis halfway to the umbilicus. On vaginal examination the mass, which tightly filled the pelvis, was found to be lying inside the vagina. It was adherent to the vaginal wall, but over most of the area the adhesions could be separated quite easily. However, in the region of the posterior fornix no plane of cleavage could be found and separation was not possible. Anteriorly it was not possible to reach the upper end of the tumour and no cervix could be felt, possibly because, being fully dilated, the fingers naturally slipped inside it. In spite of its size, there seemed to be no reason to suppose that this was not an extruded submucous fibroid which had, at some time, become adherent to the vaginal vault and, by its subsequent enlargement, forced the uterus out of the pelvis and caused urinary obstruction by lengthening of the urethra. Under anaesthesia it was not found possible further to separate the adhesions of the tumour to the posterior fornix. Owing to lack of space there was little control of the finger-tips and there seemed to be a great possibility of damaging the rectum. The abdomen was, therefore, opened and the tumour could then be seen filling the pelvis entirely with the body of the uterus perched on top of it. There were dense adhesions of the bowel and omentum to the mass and, in addition, what appeared to be another tumour overlying the pubis. At first glance, then, the appearance was one of malignancy, but after separation of the adhesions the second tumour resolved itself into a grossly hypertrophied bladder, and there seemed to be more hope of a successful outcome. The anatomical attachments of the uterus were easily divided, but the main tumour remained as rigidly fixed as ever. It was quite impossible to pass the fingers down into the pouch of Douglas because there was no room and, in any case, the tumour was held by its adhesions to the vagina, and these could not be reached from inside the abdomen. All that could be done from below had been done, so that a way had to be found to attack the fixation from above. This was finally achieved by incising the lower segment of the uterus (and possibly part of the vagina) which was stretched out over the tumour, just as in a Caesarean section. It was then possible to pass the fingers, more easily than had been expected, round the fibroid to the upper part of the adherent area. No real plane of cleavage could be felt, but separation was possible whilst the fingers could be kept near the tumour and away from the rectum. Once the fibroid was detached it could be easily lifted out of the pelvis. Convalescence was uneventful and Mrs. B. was home by the 10th day. Six months later she is completely well, but has a rather short vagina. The microscopical report was that the tumour was a simple fibroid and that there was no malignancy, even in the area of dense attachment.


Purpose. In December 2016, the updated INTOSAI standards for government auditing were enacted that provided a methodological basis for conducting various forms of public audit, in particular, public compliance auditing. The use of ISSAIs is aimed at maintaining high-quality control measures to ensure the public administration system accountability and transparency. The aim of the research is to consider the current state and prospects of introducing the public compliance auditing into the practice of the Supreme Audit Institution in Ukraine. Design/ methodology/approach. The methodological basis of the study was to conduct the best practices comparative analysis in public auditing and to implement the desktop study of theoretical scientific researches, open analytical data produced by governmental and non-governmental bodies. Findings. The analysis of the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine's reports proved that the control activities contained the compliance auditing elements. In this context, a proper legal framework for carrying out compliance auditing is not yet established and the appropriate methodological developments are not available. The author believes that implementing the ISSAI standards for the public compliance auditing may be accelerated due to the step-by-step implementation of the activities proposed. Practical implications. The specific recommendations on implementing the compliance auditing in accordance with the ISSAI standards requirements are important to regulators. Originality/value. The study can be the basis for further research in the field of the public compliance auditing theory and methodology, and the results may be useful for practitioners.


The object of this study is the survival of the principles that govern the onus probandi and the way they do it in classical and post-classical Roman law and in Spanish law; in particular, the inquisitorial principle in Visigothic law (Edict of Euric, Breviary of Alaric and Lex Visigothorum) and the principle of free production of evidence, from a structural point of view, in the medieval Valencian source: els Furs.

Keywords: Roman law; onus probandi; furs; Inquisitorial principle; unfettered evaluation of evidence; Visigothic law.


which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Abstract Defatted bovine liver (DBL) is a potential source of protein and minerals. Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO 2) and a traditional organic solvent method were used to remove lipid from bovine liver, and the quality characteristics of a control bovine liver (CBL), bovine liver defat-ted by SC-CO 2 (DBLSC-CO 2) at different pressures, and bovine liver defatted by organic solvent (DBL-OS) were compared. The DBLSC-CO 2 samples had significantly higher (p<0.05) protein, amino acid, carbohydrate, and fiber contents than CBL and DBL-OS. There was a higher yield of lipid from CBL when using SC-CO 2 than the organic solvent method. SDS-PAGE analysis demonstrated that the CBL and DBLSC-CO 2 had protein bands of a similar intensity and area, whereas DBL-OS appeared extremely poor bands or no bands due to the degradation of proteins, particularly in the 50 to 75 kDa and 20 to 25 kDa molecular weight ranges. In addition, DBLSC-CO 2 was shown to have superior functional properties in terms of total soluble content, water and oil absorption, and foaming and emulsification properties. Therefore, SC-CO 2 treatment offers a nutritionally and environmentally friendly approach for the removal of lipid from high protein food sources. In addition, SC-CO 2 may be a better substitute of traditional organic solvent extraction for producing more stable and high quality foods with high-protein, fat-free, and low calorie contents.


The multi cultural aspect of the human beings provides diversity and uniqueness. However, the same issue which provides color for the human lives is scorned off as many find it offensive if they find people who are not similar to them. History, Geography, culture and society makes us non-identical human beings and it provides us a unique identity. The unique identity makes people to like those who look like themselves and makes them to hate others who do not look like or identify with their values and norms. If hating others stop with just a feeling, it would have been fine; however, killing people in the name of hate cannot be acceptable by any civilized society. Hate crimes was there since time immemorial, for which examples can be cited from Bible or Quran or Hindu Texts. "From the Romans' persecution of Christians and the Nazis' "final solution" for the Jews to the "ethnic cleansing" in Bosnia and genocide in Rwanda, hate crimes have shaped and sometimes defined world history. " (Hamm, 1996, p. 1-2, cited in BJA, 1997, p. ix)Earlier, the proliferation of hate crimes was tied to geography of the place, but now due to the advent of modern technologies such as internet, their proliferation has defied boundaries. Cyber hate or hate in the cyberspace dates back to a decade. Initially hate was spread in emails and chat rooms. But now social networking websites is being used as the medium to spread hate. Social networking websites like Orkut, Facebook and Myspace was originally intended to allow people to "socialize with known or unknown individuals for the purpose of research, entertainment, establishment of friendships or relationships due to feelings of loneliness, and sexual gratification" (Fraim, 2006, para 1). But these sites are now misused to the greatest possible extent.The use of these sites has surged in the recent past. Sinrod (2009) cites a research of Nielsen Online:The time that Americans spend on social networking sites is up a staggering 83% from just one year ago. Facebook has become the dominant social networking site, with total user minutes on the site at 13,872,640 for April 2009, up 699% from 1,735,698 comparable minutes in April 2008. Twitter is coming on like gangbusters, with total user minutes increasing a phenomenal 3,712% from 7,865 in April 2008 to 299,836 in April 2009. Meanwhile, while total user minutes for Myspace comes in at a hefty 4,973,919 for April 2009, this is down 31% from 7,254,645 in April 2008, perhaps because of the surge in use of sites like Facebook and Twitter (Para 2, 3, and 4).The research by Neilson online is only the tip of the iceberg as it has unearthed only the usage of these sites by Americans. World over the usage of social networking sites have increased in the recent past and so the case of hate in these sites. Apart from being used as a medium to spread hate, these social networking websites have gone to the next level. They are now used recruit members for hate groups and militants (Reuters, 2009). According to Websense, a vendor, "Racism, hate, and militancy sites have tripled in number over the past year on the Web and within corners of social-networking sites like Facebook, YouTube, Google and Yahoo" (Messmer, 2009, para 1).According to a recent (June 19, 2009) report of Simon Wiesenthal Center titled "Facebook, YouTube +: How Social Media Outlets Impact Digital Terrorism and Hate," there is a surge of 25 per cent compared to the past year on the growth of "problematic" social networking groups on the Internet. "The report was based on "over 10,000 problematic web sites, social networking groups, portals, blogs, chat rooms, videos and hate games on the Internet which promote racial violence, anti-semitism, homophobia, hate music and terrorism." (Reuters, para 3). According to the report "Sites such as Facebook and YouTube have both seen a huge proliferation of extremist use with the greatest increase coming from overseas, particularly Europe and the Middle East" (Simon Wiesenthal Center, 2009, para 5). …


A compact pulsed eddy current testing probe is being developed for the online dilation measurement of test specimens, examined in the high-temperature environment of material testing reactors. The probe has to be canned with metallic clad to protect it from the corrosive sodium-potassium
 coolant medium present in the material testing reactor. Electromagnetic modelling of the probe was carried out to compute the distribution of time-dependent eddy current density in the vicinity of the probe. It is understood that the slope of the pulsed eddy current signals in the specific
 time zone where the lift-off point of intersection occurs show a good correlation to the distance between the face of the probe and the test specimen. This paper discusses the experimental study of employing different measurement methodologies at room temperature with the canned pulsed eddy
 current probe to evaluate its feasibility for dilation measurement. It is observed that a phenomenon of a divergence of signals, akin to the lift-off point of intersection, occurs just after the transient part of the pulsed eddy current signals. Slope analysis of these diverging pulsed eddy
 current signals was carried out for characterisation of the probe in the air medium as well as the metallic medium present in the gap between the probe face and the test specimen.


Ocean currents are primarily generated by horizontal variations of surface wind stress, which are related to the near-surface wind field, A goal of biological and physical ocean sciences has been the accurate determination of the surface wind field. A wind-measuring scheme must not only be accurate in regards to the quality of each measurement but also must resolve the rich space and time spectra of wind motions. For many oceanographic applications, the desired accuracy would be 1 ds for the east-west and north-south wind components (or 1.5 rnh and 4 degrees for speed and direction), l-day resolution, and 25-km horizontal scale.


The effect of thermal deformation of optical pick-up due to laser diode (LD) and LD driving IC on the optical performance of digital versatile disk (DVD) optical system was analyzed using the finite element analysis with initial surface residual stress conditions, and results were compared with the measured results with holographic interferometry. Ray tracing was performed using the deformed configuration of optical system.


The Department of Energy (DOE) has shutdown many production reactors; the Department has begun a major effort to also shutdown a wide variety of other nuclear facilities. Because so many facilities are being closed, it is necessary to place many of them into a safe- storage status, i.e., deactivation, before conducting decommissioning- for perhaps as long as 20 years. The challenge is to achieve this safe-storage condition in a cost-effective manner while remaining in compliance with applicable regulations. The DOE Office of Environmental Management, Office of Transition and Management, commissioned a lessons-learned study of commercial experience with safe storage and decommissioning. Although the majority of the commercial experience has been with reactors, many of the lessons learned presented in this document can provide insight into transitioning challenges that Will be faced by the DOE weapons complex.


The development of antidepressants started from isonicazide,a monoamine oxidase inhibitor fifty years ago,but it was substituted by other kinds of drugs gradually because of its serious side effects.Then the tricyclic and tetracyclics were developed.The discovery of a new class of antidepressants affecting serotonin uptake opened up a new period for the drug research.Fluoxetine,the representative drug has been one of the ten blockbuster drugs in the world because of its safety and efficacy.The structure activity relationship of the five kinds of antidepressants developed in recent years are reviewed in the paper.


In this study, an OJIP-test of two marine diatom species, Thalassiosira pseudonana (single-celled species) and Skeletonema marinoi-dohrnii complex (chain-forming species), were exposed to EC10 and EC50 levels of diuron and tributyltin (TBT) for 72 h. Increased tendency of relative fluorescence intensity (Ft/Fo value) at 300 μs and J step (2 ms) and a significantly (P < 0.05) increased Mo value (initial slope of fluorescence curve) were observed during 72 of diuron exposure in both species, whereas TBT did not increase those. These results strongly suggest that diuron efficiently blocked photosystem II-catalyzed photosynthetic electron transport at the secondary electron acceptor QB, which is original biological activity of diuron in diatoms. However, some parameters (e.g., φPo and φEo, Fv/Fo and PIABS,) were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased by TBT treatment. Although the mechanism responsible for the decrease is not clear, relatively severe reductions in levels of Fv/Fo (an indicator of water-splitting activity) by TBT treatment than diuron treatment suggest that TBT inhibits photosynthetic function via inhibition of photosynthetic oxygen evolving systems, a different mechanism than that of diuron. Moreover, present study suggested that PIABS derived from OJIP-test is a high sensitive biological marker for detecting the toxic effect of pollutants which inhibit photosynthetic function.


This article describes how intelligent transportation system (ITS) technologies are finally going "mainstream" after nearly two decades. IntelliDriveSM vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications will provide detailed data that can help prevent collisions. The eyes of the ITS community – in both the public and the private sectors – remain firmly fixed on the big prize, self-controlling "autonomous" vehicles that respond to environmental and vehicle cues, and embedded signals, to avoid crashes, save lives and optimize travel. Another great goal is the ability of ITS to track vehicle movements to manage traffic volume and impose congestion pricing. These two costly and even controversial outcomes have been long-time goals of the ITS Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration initiative, last year revised and relaunched as IntelliDrive, a service mark of the U.S. Department of Transportation. But in the meantime, a host of "meat-and-potatoes," functional applications of ITS technology to vehicles and traffic already are transforming how commuters get to work and how traffic is managed throughout American road networks at all levels of government. And ongoing active research into these relatively low-cost, practical applications of ITS technology means that improvements will continue to flow, and refine how ITS will improve road system utilization.


Abstract Equipment in the process industry is often subject to decay and requires maintenance, repair and eventual replacement. The challenge of competition and the accompanying regulatory regime requires that actions be integrated and cost effective. Ansell and colleagues in 2001 explored an approach to the assessment of asset life of maintained equipment in the process industry using a semiparametric approach. Using stochastic dynamic programming techniques an approach to find the optimal strategy was also developed by Ansell and colleagues. The approach was illustrated using data from the water industry. A major aspect in the development of optimal strategy for repair and replacement is the cost of these activities. Often the costs can only be ascertained roughly in terms of hours expended on the activity. Detailed costings are rarely available. The discount factor will depend on the interest rate in place. Generally a conservatively high level has been taken but with current low rates one needs to explore the sensitivity of solution to the discount factor. Also there is a need to explore the sensitivity of the solution to changes in the costs of the maintenance activities involved. In this paper we explore the stability of the results to changes in the relative costs. It is seen that two costs seem to be more important than the others; hence the accounting effort appears to be best directed towards these costs. One concern that arises from these results is the impact of the maintenance events. In past modelling the impact of maintenance has been assumed to have a fixed effect. This was derived from study of data. It is felt that this assumption may be too simple and so a differing model is explored to examine this issue.


The class of insecticides known collectively as the nitromethylene heterocycles (NMHs) were discovered in the late 1970's. The NMHs are a group of compounds that are particularly active against certain insects, exhibit low toxicity to vertebrates and are non-persistent in the environment. Their site of action is on the cholinergic synapse where they act as agonists at the post-synaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

Research into developing these types of compounds has led to a wide range of analogues being synthesised, resulting in a wide variety of activities. Analogues of 2- (nitromethylene)piperidine with small group substituents at the 3-position (e.g. halogens or small alkyl groups), in general, were found to have increased levels of activity.
The work reported in this thesis is the synthesis of some novel 3-substituted-2- (nitromethylene)piperidines.

Initially a series of 3-substituted-2-piperidones was synthesised via the catalytic decomposition of 3-diazo-2-piperidone. Rhodium(II) acetate and methyl trioxorhenium were found to be particularly efficient catalysts. The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of electron deficient olefins to 3-diazo-2-piperidone resulted in a range of 3-substituted pyrazolines being formed. Nitrogen could be eliminated from these pyrazolines to give spirocyclopropanes.

3-Alkoxy-2-(nitromethylene)piperidines were synthesised by the nitromethylenation of 3-alkoxy-2-piperidones. However the nitromethylenation of the 3-spirocyclopropyl derivatives was not successful due to steric effects.

To overcome the problems of steric hindrance, 3-diazo-2-(nitromethylene)piperidine was synthesised via a six step synthesis from 2-piperidone. This was the first compound to be synthesised which contains a 3-diazo-l-nitropropene group. Although this diazo compound acted as a 1,3-dipole with electron deficient olefins to give the corresponding pyrazolines, the rhodium catalysed decomposition was found to form 3-oxo-2-(nitromethylene)piperidine as the major product even in the presence of other carbenoid trapping agents. Further investigation into this reaction has led to a proposed mechanism which is outlined in the thesis.


Ramon Llull, a thirteenth century Catalan philosopher and theologican developed a rhetorical and theological system based on the divine attributes of God as recognized and taught by Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. In an age characterized by religious intolerance, he developed an art of persuasion to convert Muslims and Jews to Christianity. The spiritual rhetoric of conversion of Ramon Llull (1232-1316) offered a unique intercultural synthesis of Arabic and Christian, Classical and Scholastic views of moralizing and speaking about God. Ramon Llull was a thirteenth century Catalan philosopher, theologian, rhetorician and missionary who sought to develop an art of disputation and persuasion that would convert the Muslims. Jews, Tartars and others to Christianity. In an age of great intolerance and brutality, he proposed a system of conversion-based persuasion consisting of: 1) the study and use of the language and styles of Islam and other Oriental languages; 2) the common ground principles of Judaism, Christianity and Islam about the nature of God (the Dignitaries); 3) an exemplarist theory of signs of semblanca (resemblance); 4) an ars combinatoria (combinatory art) of Absolute principles. Relative principles, questions, virtues and vices that served as a system for invention, truth and memory; 5) a popular rhetoric featuring genres ranging from sermons and hagiography to spiritual quests and mystical allegories. Since Ramon Llull wrote over 250 works in Catalan, Latin and Arabic, this analysis is based mainly on his Rethorica nova (1301 Catalan; 1303 Latin), Libre de contemplacio en Deu (Book of Contemplation, 1273-4), Blanquerna (1283), Libre del gentil e dels tres savis (Book of the Gentile and the Three Wise Men, 1274-6?}, Ars demonstrativa (1283), Logica nova (1303) and Ars brevis (1308).'


French vowels /i/ and /y/ were noticed to be less subject to variation on F1/F2 plan compared to the other French vowels [7,11]. Quantal Theory of Speech predicts that these two vowels are focal and thus characterized by the proximity of two of their formants (respectively F2/F3 for /y/ and F3/F4 for /i/). Higher formants values F3 and F4 as well as their amplitude are investigated in this study in order to show that French /i/ and /y/ have more compact F3/F4 and F2/F3 as compared to seven other languages. We also suggest that these higher formants allow better understanding for the variation of these vowels. We underline the importance of F3 measurements to characterize the variations of these vowels, notably due to their difference in rounding.


A laboratory study was conducted to investigate the performance of RBC-Settling tank system on wastewater treatment in comparison with conventional RBC. The same synthetic wastewater was fed parallel into four stage laboratory scale cascade-connected RBC-Settling tank and conventional RBC reactors at a fixed rotational speed and hydraulic loading. At three different organic loading rates of 6.14, 13.44 and 23.31 g SCOD/m2/day, the results of the systems are presented in terms of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), organic and suspended solids (SS) loading and removal. Disk Biomass Index (DBI), Sludge Biomass Index (SBI) and Fractional Biomass Volatile Solids Destruction (FBVSD) were used to compare the disk active biomass and sludge stability of the RBC-Settling tank system with those of the conventional RBC. Removal efficiency of suspended solids, ammonia nitrogen and total Kjeldahl nitrogen was found to be much higher in the RBC-Settling tank system than the conventional RBC but organic removal in terms of SCOD removed g/m2/day of both reactors was not much different. Much better sludge stabilization was observed in the RBC-Settling tank system. The RBC-Settling tank system showed good performance on the suspended solids, NH3-N and TKN removal, and sludge stabilization as well as organic removal, which indicates that this is an effective and economical system for treating domestic wastewater in small and isolated communities.


PURPOSE
To compare the degree of carotid artery stenosis in angiography and CT angiography with the degree of stenosis measured in an intact eversion endarterectomy specimen.

METHODS
Preoperative angiograms (intraarterial DSA, 512 x 512 matrix) and CT-angiograms (24 sec spiral scan, slice thickness 2 mm, pitch 1.5) were taken in 12 patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis. Evaluation of the degree of stenosis was performed according to the NASCET ("distal" degree) and ECST ("local" degree) methods. These data were compared with measurements of the surgical specimens.

RESULTS
The median "local" degree of stenosis in angiograms was 81.5% (range: 70-99%), in CT angiograms 83% (59-94%) and in specimens 85.5% (65-96%). The "distal" degree of stenosis was 79% (50-99%) in angiograms, 85.5% (55-99%) in CT angiograms and 81% (52-95%) in specimens. CT angiography slightly overestimated the degree of stenosis compared with the specimen, whereas angiography slightly underestimated the true degree of stenosis. However, these differences were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION
CT angiography is able to predict the degree of internal carotid stenosis when compared with an intact surgical specimen. It is as accurate as the "gold standard" of invasive angiography.


Service mathematics plays a central role in Munster Technological University (MTU) where the majority of programmes contain at least one mathematics or statistics module. The widely acknowledged issue of low engagement continues to be a barrier to learning for many non-mathematics undergraduates and often results in low achievement which may impact progression. One of the main goals of the SPIRIT Maths project at MTU is to gain insights into learners' perceptions and dispositions towards mathematics and use that acumen to inform the development of digital learning tools and future interventions. This paper presents some of the findings of a student survey that focused on students' expectations of and the realities of experiencing mathematics at university, and their views on remote delivery and approaches to learning. The survey results show that many incoming students overestimate the difficulties of studying mathematics at university. The data also highlight how a significant proportion of respondents spend an inadequate amount of time on independent learning. We then consider the aspects of mathematics that learners find most discouraging, and what students report could help them to better engage with and learn mathematics. We also explore students' preferences for digital learning resources ranging from videos of worked solutions to an online bank of practice questions with feedback.


The present invention, LCD, namely to methods for use and use of liquid crystal displays. The method of invention, LCD is at least partially used as a replacement for other raw materials. In general, LCD is heat treated at a temperature in the range of 900-1700 ° C..


The utility model provides a B pillar structure of an automobile, which belongs to the technical field of automobile bodywork. By adopting the B pillar structure of the automobile, the problems that the traditional B pillar of the automobile has even energy absorption and is easy to cause extrusion damage to all parts of a human body are solved. The B pillar structure of the automobile comprises an outer plate and an inner plate which are respectively made of a metal material, wherein the inner plate is fixedly arranged at the inner side of the outer plate, and a reinforcement vertically arranged is also connected between the outer plate and the inner plate; and the mechanical strength of the reinforcement, which corresponds to the position above the H point position of the automobile, is higher than that of the reinforcement, which corresponds to the position below the H point position of the automobile. In the B pillar structure of the automobile, the reinforcement vertically arranged is connected between the outer plate and the inner plate, so that the mechanical strength of the position below the H point position of the automobile, which corresponds to the hip position of the human body, is weakened, and the mechanical strength of the position above the H point, which corresponds to the chest and the abdomen of the human body, is reinforced, and thereby, the safety of the main parts, the chest and the abdomen of the human body can be ensured.


This paper describes the design process and hydraulic stability tests corresponding to the Western Breakwater in the outer Port at Punta Langosteira (A Coruña, Spain). This breakwater is the second phase of the 1.35 km-long secondary breakwater; the first phase was the single-layer Cubipod armored Southern Breakwater. The Western Breakwater is protected with a single-layer 25and 30-tonne Cubipod armor in the trunk and a double-layer 45-tonne Cubipod armor in roundhead. The design was validated withsmall-scale 3D tests of the two alignments of trunk and the roundhead. 1,360 15and 25-tonne Cubipod units are being re-used from the Southern and Northern breakwaters, completed in 2012 and 2013, respectively. 6,670 new 25-, 30and 45-tonne Cubipods were manufactured using 25 vertical formworks and 87 bases, in a 24 hour/day work cycle and 3.5 units/day/formwork with a 6-hour demolding time; 1,100 m3/day of concrete was consumed and Cubipods were piled up to five levels. The construction of the Western Breakwater started in April 2015; armor is being completed before the winter season and a crown-wall is planned to be built during the summer of 2016.


Recent expansion of utility-scale wind farms has lead to increased concern and interest in studying the interaction of wind farm and the power system network. A suitable equivalent/aggregated model eliminates the need to develop the full detailed model of the wind farm which makes the analysis fast and reliable. Within a wind farm, the wind turbines are interconnected by an electrical network also known as collector system. While aggregating the wind farm, aggregated model of collector system also plays an important role. This paper presents an effective apparent power loss based equivalent model for wind farm collector system while considering the reactive power limits of each wind turbine and wake effect in the wind farm. The proposed approach compares the total apparent losses in pad mount transformer, trunk lines and feeder lines of the detailed and equivalent models. Based on this comparison, values of parameters in equivalent model have been calculated. Test system of HornsRev offshore wind farm has been simulated in PSS/E software and it is found that the equivalent model obtained with the proposed method has the highest accuracy over other methods suggested in the literature.


An article on urinary incontinence consists of two parts, the first presents the epidemiology and risk factors. In the second part the authors will focus to discuss the types of urinary incontinence and broadly describes the methods of diagnosis. The authors deal with the role of physiotherapy and treatments. Urinary incontinence can occur in everyone regardless of gender and age. The degree of its severity increases with age and is in most women's ailment. Urinary incontinence is most often multifactorial. Because of the different types of urinary incontinence precise and reliable early diagnosis is essential, which gives a greater chance of success of conservative treatment. Only the early prevention can protect women against this unpleasant ailment. For primary prevention, we can prevent the occurrence of disorder by rapid and effective treatment of infection, avoidance of heavy physical labor, reduc-tion substance abuse and early treatment of menopausal symptoms, and the use of physiotherapy. There are many physiotherapeutic methods that are very effective but requiring patience and discipline from the patient ( Piel. Zdr. Publ. 2012, 2, 2, 145–152 ).


The erythrocyte‐antibody rosetting antiglobulin test was used to determine differences in the expression of various Rh antigens on homozygous and heterozygous Rh positive red blood cells. The rosetting antiglobulin test was able to detect the relative difference in expression of C, c, E and e on homo‐ and heterozygous red blood cells. Based on these findings, the test was used and found suitable for determining the genotypes of various D positive red blood cells.


Globalization and the new ICTs have changed the way we make meaning, therefore impacting the teaching of languages. Based on the theoretical references of the pedagogy of multiliteracies and digital literacies, this article presents a project implemented with a class of senior technical high school in chemistry in which students had to use their knowledge from both the technical course and the English classes in order to create multimodal infographics. The result shows the creative and critical use of different semiotic resources in the design of the texts.


Considering the experiments of success and failure during developing LNG projects at home and abroad and in connection with the actual situation of electric market in Guangxi,analysis has been carried out about developing LNG combined circulating electric power generation engineering respectively according to fuel price,choice of main equipments,annual operation hours,operation noise and sales.etc,so that developing LNG project in Guangxi may be well studied.


We develop a numerical algorithm for the solution of the Sturm-Liouville differential equation governing the stationary radial oscillations of nonrotating compact stars. Our algorithm is based on the Numerov's method that turns the Sturm-Liouville differential equation in an eigenvalue problem. In our development, we provide a strategy to correctly deal with the star boundaries and the interfaces between layers with different mechanical properties. Assuming that the fluctuations obey the same equation of state of the background, we analyze various different stellar models and we precisely determine hundreds of eigenfrequencies and of eigenmodes. If the equation of state does not present an interface discontinuity, the fundamental radial eigenmode becomes unstable exactly at the critical central energy density corresponding to the largest gravitational mass. However, in the presence of an interface discontinuity, there exist stable configurations with a central density exceeding the critical one and with a smaller gravitational mass.


Diseases are a major obstacle in shrimp farming because they can cause relatively high mortality and decrease the quality of the aquaculture environment. One dangerous shrimp disease is caused by Vibrio bacteria. Today, people are turning to biological control methods by utilizing lactic acid bacteria that live as microflora in the digestive tract of aquaculture animals. This study aimed to analyze the potential of lactic acid bacteria isolates from the gut of vannamei shrimp as probiotic candidates and to analyze selected lactic acid bacteria isolates that were effective in increasing the immune response and survival of vannamei shrimp infected with Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria. Four BAL isolates were isolated, designated as 8A, 11B, F1, and G2. BAL isolates showed antibacterial activity against Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria with an inhibition zone of up to 11.5 mm, capable of living at acidic to alkaline pH (1.5-7.2), bile salts (3000 ppm) and negative catalase. The characterization of several tests such as gram-positive, inhibition test and sugar fermentation test and comparison of LAB characterization showed that LAB isolates (G2) from the intestine of vannamei shrimp were classified as Pediococcus acidilactici. The application of probiotics, namely LAB (G2) to vannamei shrimp through feed can stimulate the vaname shrimp immune system after being challenged with V. parahaemolyticus, as indicated by an increase in the number of hemocytes (THC), phagocytosis activity, and suppressing the population of V. parahaemolyticus in vannamei shrimp.


.......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................. v List of Tables ................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... x List of Appendices ........................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1: The problem and Its Scope Introduction .............................................................................................................1 Purpose of the Study ...............................................................................................2 Hypothesis ...............................................................................................................3 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................3 Limitations ..............................................................................................................3 Definitions of Terms ...............................................................................................4 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature Introduction .............................................................................................................7 Creatine ...................................................................................................................8 Creatine supplementation ..........................................................................10


AbstractThere is no existing applicable law that regulates compounds of emerging concern (CECs), so they remain a global concern because they are easily taken up by organisms. Because of the curren...


This article examines Empress Dowager Cixi's life history up until her ascension to power in 1875. The focus of the study is on the reign of Emperor Tongzhi (1862-1874) because Cixi successfully launched a coup known as Xinyou 1861 until she was known as the Chinese empress who ruled 'behind the curtains' during the reign of Emperor Tongzhi. This research into the subject utilises the qualitative method by scrutinising the polemic on Cixi's role in the history of modern China. This is due to divided perception among historians that she was theiron lady behind the throne during her reign. The findings of this research reveals that Cixi was merely a victim of political circumstances arising from the internal collapse of the Qing Dynasty which was out of her control. This research concludes that during the early days of her administration, Cixi had the resolve and determination to propel China towards modernisation based on the Western administrative model. Unfortunately, the empress had to postpone all efforts to modernise China in order to maintain and preserve her position from her political rivals.


Introduction The aim of this study is to compare first- and second-trimester Down syndrome biochemical screening markers in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) and normal pregnancies. Material and methods This observational case-control study was conducted at Health Sciences University Zeynep Kamil Maternity and Children's Health Training and Research Hospital and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Erciyes University Medical Faculty during 2016–2017. The study included 165 patients, and consisted of 62 women who had been diagnosed with ICP (the ICP-diagnosed group) and 103 healthy pregnant women (the control group). First-trimester free β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG), pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and second-trimester total β-hCG, estriol (E3), α-fetoprotein (AFP), and inhibin A levels were compared between the two groups. Results The mean patient age was 28.67 ±5.96 years, with no significant difference between the groups (p > 0.05). Average PAPP-A levels were significantly lower in the ICP-diagnosed group (p < 0.001). When the cut-off value for PAPP-A was taken as ≤ 0.93 multiple of median (MoM), the sensitivity and specificity values for ICP were 73.8% and 56.3%, respectively (95% CI, AUC ± SE: 0.663 ±0.042). Conclusions The decrease in PAPP-A MoM value indicates an increase in the risk of developing ICP, while changes in other markers were not sufficient to predict ICP.


The article examines some topical issues of the theory and practice of state responsibility for internationally illegal acts, which is of great importance in the doctrine of modern international law. Doctrinal approaches to defining the concept of internationally illegal action of the state are analyzed. The importance of codification and further development of international law in the field of responsibility of states for internationally wrongful acts is noted. It is noted that due to the systematization of doctrine and judicial practice in 2001 it was possible to substantiate the latest doctrinal definition of responsibility in international law for international illegal actions of the state, which found its implementation and enshrined in the Articles of UN Resolution56/83 of 12 December 2001. The Articles on the Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts stipulate that every State that has committed an internationally wrongful act is liable for it. The Articles define the elements of internationally illegal actions of the state. It is noted that an internationally wrongful act of a state occurs when any conduct constituting an act or omission is a) appropriated to a state under international law; and(b) constitutes a violation of that State's international legal obligation.

Thus, the illegal behavior of the state can be both active and in action of the state. An important role in the preparation of the Articles belongs to the Commission on International Law. The scientific views of the members of the UN International Law Commission on international legal activities of states are analyzed. Thus, the modern doctrine of the state's responsibility in international law for international illegal acts is based on the recognition of the state's illegal behavior inviolation of the international legal obligations of this state under international law. Therefore, the issues of international legal responsibility of states for internationally wrongful acts need to be enshrined in the Universal International Convention on the Liability of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts, which will contribute to the progressive development of the law of international responsibility.

Key words: international law, state, responsibility, international wrongful act, doctrine.


Microaneurysms in increasing numbers have been shown to be an important early measure of progression of diabetic retinopathy. The main features that warrant classifying a diabetic retinopathy level in the higher levels of moderate and severe non‐proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) are increasing signs of retinal ischaemia. Lesions associated with increasing retinal ischaemia include: retinal haemorrhages; intraretinal microvascular abnormality (IRMA); and venous beading. Increasing numbers of haemorrhages, particularly when the pattern of haemorrhages includes an increasing number of blot haemorrhages, denotes increasing retinal ischaemia and progression of DR. Blot haemorrhages are usually in a deeper retinal layer than more superficial dot haemorrhages and flame haemorrhages. In the UK Screening Classification, pre‐proliferative DR is defined by any of: venous beading; venous reduplication; IRMA; or multiple deep, round or blot haemorrhages. Intraretinal microvascular abnormalities are derived from remodelling of the retinal capillaries and small collateral vessels in areas of microvascular occlusion.


The gain of Pr/sup 3+/-doped ZBLAN fibre amplifiers is hindered by a poor quantum efficiency due mainly to a high rate of multiphonon decay. Sulphide-based glasses ameliorate this problem through a higher radiative rate and lower nonradiative rate. In this letter, Pr/sup 3+/-doped Ga:La:S glass has been evaluated spectroscopically in bulk and fibre form for its quantum-efficiency at 1.3 microns. Measurements reveal that absorption bands are broadened and the effective separation between the /sup 1/G/sub 4/ and /sup 3/F/sub 4/ level is reduced compared to ZBLAN glass. Judd-Ofelt analysis and the theory of multiphonon-decay now predict efficiencies of 80%, while 58% is measured. Oxide impurities are shown to play a key role in quenching of the radiative emission.<<ETX>>


Thank you for reading gideon a boy who hates learning in school. As you may know, people have look numerous times for their favorite books like this gideon a boy who hates learning in school, but end up in harmful downloads. Rather than enjoying a good book with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they are facing with some infectious virus inside their computer. gideon a boy who hates learning in school is available in our digital library an online access to it is set as public so you can download it instantly. Our digital library hosts in multiple countries, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of our books like this one. Merely said, the gideon a boy who hates learning in school is universally compatible with any devices to read.


The incidence of myasthenia gravis (MG) is around 15–20/100,000. It can present as respiratory failure known as a myasthenic crisis in old age individuals. This can be precipitated by some underlying processes such as sepsis. As most patients with cor pulmonale are associated with type 2 respiratory failure and some degree of muscle fatigue, in this scenario, the other causes of neuromuscular weakness such as MG can be missed. We report the case of an 80-year-old male known case of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cor pulmonale, and sepsis who presented with generalized weakness and respiratory failure as the first symptom of MG. As there is limited literature available on MG in cor pulmonale, we aimed to report this study.


Instead of a single die per chip (package) multiple dies stacked vertically (3D) and placed on an interposer (2.5D), is emerging as the building block for the future in both mobile and high-performance applications. We identify that bandwidth, energy per bit, and the ability to support a large amount of memory, are the key requirements of the inter-die Network on Chip (NoC). We propose to use an interposer with optical interconnections exploiting AWGR (Arrayed Waveguide Grating Router) wavelength routing to realize a 16x16 photonic NoC with a bisection bandwidth of 16 Tb/s. We propose a baseline network, which consumes 2.81 pJ/bit assuming 100% utilization. We show that the power is dominated by the electro-optical interface of the transmitter, which can be reduced by a more aggressive design that improves the energy per bit to 0.437 pJ/bit at 100% utilization. The networks exhibit very low latency as they are based on an optical crossbar topology and are scalable to multiple chips to support 1 TB of memory or more to meet the requirements of Exascale computing.


This paper outlines the development of a large-area sensing skin for damage detection in concrete structures. The developed sensing skin consists of a thin layer of electrically conductive copper paint that is applied to the surface of the concrete. Cracking of the concrete substrate results in the rupture of the sensing skin, decreasing its electrical conductivity locally. The decrease in conductivity is detected with electrical impedance tomography (EIT) imaging. In previous works, electrically based sensing skins have provided only qualitative information on the damage on the substrate surface. In this paper, we study whether quantitative imaging of the damage is possible. We utilize application-specific models and computational methods in the image reconstruction, including a total variation (TV) prior model for the damage and an approximate correction of the modeling errors caused by the inhomogeneity of the painted sensing skin. The developed damage detection method is tested experimentally by applying the sensing skin to polymeric substrates and a reinforced concrete beam under four-point bending. In all test cases, the EIT-based sensing skin provides quantitative information on cracks and/or other damages on the substrate surface: featuring a very low conductivity in the damage locations, and a reliable indication of the lengths and shapes of the cracks. The results strongly support the applicability of the painted EIT-based sensing skin for damage detection in reinforced concrete elements and other substrates.


The total focusing method (TFM) attracts much interest because of high image resolution and large dynamic range. However, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of TFM is relatively low due to single-element emission. Especially in highly attenuating materials, the signal amplitude may be reduced with depth to a level lower than the electronic noise introduced by the signal acquisition system. Golay-coded excitation was introduced to overcome this problem, however, the double-excitations reduce the time resolution and may lead to negative decoding performance due to the relative change of scanning positions. In this work, the AB code conversion factor was used to realize the TFM imaging based on Golay-coded single-excitation which has a good performance as traditional Golay-coded excitation. A series of simulations and experiments were conducted to compare performance of TFM using un-coded excitation, Golay-coded excitation and modified Golay-coded excitation. TFM using modified Golay-coded excitation could overcome the disadvantages of double-excitation, and has approximately the same SNR gain as TFM using traditional one.


An increasing number of universities around the globe are rewarding faculty who place their work in top management journals. Drawing on the insights from top journal editors and leading scholars in the field, this book is a treasure trove of tips for publishing in the best management journals.

The topics covered include the mysteries of the review process, getting your methodology right, publishing across disciplinary boundaries, the rise of open access journals, publishing ethics, making use of peer review, targeting special issues, sustaining a publications career, and making sense of journal rankings.

Drawing on the considerable experience of its authors, and offering candid insights that are often held as secrets among senior faculty, this book takes the reader behind the scenes of the journal review process, making it a must-read for those seeking to advance their career.


When analyzing the issue of how litigation can be harmonious,we should know the three bases of litigation harmony:moral foundation,interest foundation and procedural foundation.The litigation harmony is determined by humanitarian moral order,interest structure avoiding zero-sum game and due process and the due process.


Abstract 3064 Relapse of AML after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) has a very poor prognosis. Salvage re-induction chemotherapy leads to clinical remissions in a substantial number of patients, but these remissions tend to be of short duration. In contrast, donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI) have the potential to effect long-lasting remissions, but the interval of several weeks to months that is required to develop a DLI-induced anti-leukemia response may prevent efficient control of a highly proliferative leukemia. In addition, a high tumor burden may suppress the immune response. In contrast, the combination of efficient cytoreduction by chemotherapy with DLI administered in rapid succession under circumstances favoring the development of an early and profound immune response might have the potential to eradicate otherwise resistant leukemia cells. We therefore adopted an institutional therapeutic strategy for relapsed myeloid leukemia post-allogeneic SCT based on administration of DLI at the anticipated end of the neutropenic phase after salvage re-induction chemotherapy. At this time point, the high prevalence of a pro-inflammatory milieu should favor the induction of the immune response, and an expected state of lymphopenia should promote the expansion of infused T cells by homeostatic proliferation. If 3 weeks after DLI no graft versus host disease (GvHD) was observed, the potential anti-leukemia immune response was further amplified by treatment with interferon- α (IFN- α) until GvHD occurred. Between January 2000 and December 2009 44 patients with relapsed myeloid malignancy after alloSCT were treated at our hospital. Pre-transplant diagnoses were AML n=40, CMML n=1 and MDS n=3. Median time from SCT to relapse was 187 days. Median follow-up after relapse was 3.1 years. 5 patients had a smouldering relapse ( Of 39 patients with overt relapse, 7 patients (18%) did not receive re-induction therapy due to poor performance status (n=5) or patient choice (n=2). 32 patients received remission-induction therapy consisting of gemtuzumab ozogamycin (n=9), cytosine arabinoside-containing chemotherapy (n=17), or both (n=6). Following this treatment, 7 of 32 patients had rapidly progressive disease during induction therapy (n=6) or died due to toxicity (n=1) and did not receive DLI. The remaining 25 patients received DLI at a dose of 5.0×10 ^6 CD3+ cells/kg for related and 2.5×10 ^6 CD3+ cells/kg for unrelated donors 3 weeks after the start of remission-induction therapy. In 16 of these patients DLI was boosted with IFN- α 3.0×10 ^6 IE once daily. This strategy resulted in acute GvHD in 17 of 25 patients (n=8 grade 1–2, n=9 grade 3–4). At 6 weeks after DLI, 16 patients had reached CR, 5 patients had failed to reach CR (2 with GvHD) and 4 suffered treatment-related mortality (3 with GvHD). Of the 16 patients in CR, 4 had no signs of GvHD and developed a second relapse during the follow-up period. Only 3 of 12 patients in CR with signs of acute GvHD at 6 weeks after DLI developed a second relapse. In total, 9 of 17 patients (53%) with acute GvHD after DLI had long term survival versus none without acute GvHD. During follow-up, 8 patients developed chronic GvHD (n=4 limited, n=4 extensive). Finally, 5 patients with an early detected smouldering relapse received DLI, which was boosted with IFN- α in 2 patients, without salvage re-induction therapy. All 5 patients developed GvHD (n=2 grade 1–2, n=3 grade 3–4) and 3 patients achieved a CR of whom 1 patient died from GvHD. Our results indicate that treatment of relapsed AML after alloSCT with salvage re-induction therapy followed by DLI at the end of the neutropenic phase during minimal residual disease, with additional boosting of the immune response with IFN- α, can result in long-term disease-free survival. Disclosures: Off Label Use: Interferon: DLI-boosting.


Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Football semeiosis Chapter 3: The origins of football Chapter 4: Herald the ambassador Chapter 5: More than a club Chapter 6: Social status and religion Chapter 7: Nationalizing football Chapter 8: Conclusion 9 Selected Bibliography 10 Index 11 About the Author


SUMMARY

Two unusual cases of complete double functional urethra, one in a male and the other in a female, with a single bladder (and a single penis in the male case) are presented. No cases exactly like these could be found in the literature. The treatment and aetiology are discussed and the past literature is reviewed.


This report describes an adaptation of the Stroop Effect for measuring psychopathology. The Stroop Effect has been adapted to provide a quantitative measure of concerns relating to food and shape in patients undergoing treatment for anorexia nervosa and bulimia. The measure takes advantage of the disrupting effect of psychopathology on color naming of food and shape words. In comparison to agematched controls, anorexic and bulimic patients had significantly retarded colornaming of food words. There was a trend, which only reached significance with the bulimic subjects, for the color-naming of shape words to be similarly retarded. The potential utility of this adaptation of the Stroop Effect is discussed.


C trial data and evidence collected over the past 60 years demonstrate that 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) plays a pivotal role in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Treatment protocols have evolved during this period and necessitate that 6-MP is administered to children at doses related to their body size. However, only a single 50-mg-strength tablet is presently marketed worldwide. As a consequence, crushing tablets and extemporaneously compounding liquid formulations are common approaches to administering 6-MP to children unable to take tablets. This unlicensed use potentially exposes children to medication errors and the consequential higher risk of adverse reactions or inadequate efficacy. The seriousness of childhood ALL, the proven role of 6-MP in the treatment of this disease, and the problems associated with correct dosing using 6-MP tablet formulations mandate that a child-friendly and appropriately formulated oral liquid formulation of 6-MP is made available at the earliest opportunity. This need has been highlighted by the European Medicines Agency Paediatric Working Party. This report documents for the first time the pharmacokinetic characteristics of a liquid 6-MP formulation. The comparative bioavailability of a novel oral 6-MP suspension and the presently marketed tablet formulation were assessed in fasted, healthy adult volunteers. The use of healthy adult volunteers to assess the bioavailability of medicinal products intended for children is regarded as an acceptable method by pharmaceutical regulatory agencies. The study, a single-dose, randomized, crossover design, was conducted in Pretoria, South Africa (SA). Approval for the study was obtained from a local ethics committee and the SA Medicines Control Council. The sample size for the study was based on a power calculation. According to previous reports, the pharmacokinetics (PK) of 6-MP exhibit high within-subject variability (>30% coefficient of variation [CV]). It was assumed that the within-subject CV for 6-MP was no more than 38% for AUC and for Cmax and the expected ratio to be between 0.95 and 1.05. Thus, the study would have at least 80% (α = 0.05) power to show bioequivalence with 90% confidence intervals set between 80% and 125% for both PK parameters if 60 participants were studied. Of the 97 individuals screened, 60 were randomized into the study. Volunteers were included if they were aged between 18 and 50 years. In addition, all volunteers needed the following: (1) a body mass index between 18 and 29 kg/m; (2) nonsmoking or smoked <10 cigarettes per day; (3) normal medical history and normal findings on physical examination, including blood pressure (≥100/60; ≤140/90) and resting heart rate 50 to 90 beats per minute, with a normal 12-lead electrocardiogram recording; and (4) normal hematology and clinical chemistry


It discloses a pin having isolation, chip package and a manufacturing method of isolation or isolation pads of the chip carrier. In one embodiment, the chip package including a chip, the chip package seal, pads or pins and disposed in a first side of the package arranged at a second side of the package or the isolated pin isolation pads, pins or isolation isolation pads electrically isolated from the chip, wherein the chip comprises a sensor configured to measure the magnetic field generated in the outside of the package.


The authors report on a series of 210 chorion villus sampling diagnoses made with a needle by the transabdominal route. The rate of fetal loss was 4·2 per cent. Placental localization was important: fetal losses were 8 per cent when the placenta was strictly posterior (transamniotic route), whereas it was only 1·6 per cent when it was not posterior. Moreover, all fetal losses occurred (apart from one at 12·5 weeks of amenorrhea) before the 12th week of amenorrhea. The authors suggest that choriocentesis by the transabdominal route should not be performed before the 12th week of amenorrhea, and that the amniotic membrane should not be disturbed before the 13th week of amenorrhea.


Effect of soy protein hydrolysate,whey protein hydrolysate and potato protein hydrolysate on the oxidation stability of soybean oil-in-water emulsion was investigated. Lipid oxidation was estimated using 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances(TBARS) as indicator. Partition of these hydrolysates was determinded by centrifugation. Also,Molecular weight distribution of these hydrolysates was determined. It was indicated that these protein hydrolystes were able to retard the lipid oxidation of emulsions. A portion of protein hydrolysates was partitioning in the interace of emulsion.Both physical and chemical action of the hydrolysates distributing in the interface of emulsion played an important role in inhibiting lipid oxidation.


A 73-year-old asymptomatic man had an enlarging solitany pulmonary nodule (Fig. 1A). CT showed a 2-cm mass in might lower lobe with central calcification and slightly irregular margins (Fig. 1 B). A CT-guided percutaneous needle biopsy of the lesion with 19-gauge Greene and 22-gauge coaxial needles yielded acellulan, homogeneous, eosinophilic matenial (Fig. 1 C). A Congo ned stain showed characteristic apple-green bimefningence under polarized light. The final pathologic diagnosis was nodular pulmonary amyloidosis. Amyloidosis is characterized by abnormal deposition of material consisting of light chain proteins of a monoclonal immunoglobulin [1-3]. Amyloidosis limited to the respiratory tract is uncommon. Pulmonary amyloidosis occurs in three histopathologic types: (1) focal deposits in the tracheobronchial tree, (2) diffuse parenchymal opacities, and (3) single or multiple pulmonary nodules [2-4]. Nodular pulmonary amyloidosis is usually found incidentally on chest nadiognaphs in asymptomatic, olden adults. However, cases of airway obstruction, respiratory distress, bnonchiectasis, hemoptysis, and bronchovenous fistula formation have been reported, presumably due to the adventitious location of the amyloid nodules [2, 4, 5]. The nodules are usually 1-4 cm in size, and they may enlarge, calcify, ossify, or cavitate [3, 4]. The deposits originate in the muscular walls of small blood vessels, and as they enlarge, they spread into the interstitial tissues [1]. Atthe margins can be found plasma cells, lymphocytes, and sometimes foreign body giant cells that may contain ingested amyloid material [1 , 3]. It is thoughtthatthe plasma cells elaborate the amyloid material locally [1]. Amyloid nodules have no distinctive radiographic chamactemistics. The diagnosis of pulmonary amyloidosis relies on biopsy. Tmansthonacic fine-needle aspiration should provide adequate diagnostic material [4, 5]. The tracheobmonchial and diffuse panenchymal types are associated with a much worse prognosis than is the nodular form [3]. Theme is no specific therapy.


Mannesmann piercing of ingots, which were made of aluminum alloy by casting, was done using plugs of different shape: entire plug, plug with cavity and hollow plug. Plugs had same diameter of calibrating segment. Piercing was carried out at 400 °C ofbillets. Influence of plugs' shape on variation of hollow shells' diameter, wall thickness and density along their length was estimated. Hollow shells were cut into 15 equal rings to measure density using hydrostatic (Archimedean) weighing. Experimental operations were simulated using FEM computer software. Casting was simulated using ProCAST, piercing — using QForm. Variation of hollow shells' diameter, wall thickness and density along their length was estimated after simulation had been done. Experimental and simulation data were compared to check FEM simulation accuracy. Difference between experiment and simulation for density was not more than 2 %, for hollow shells' dimensions — 20 %. Conducted investigation allowed estimation of how plug's shape affects hollow shells' dimensions accuracy and density. It was established that hollow plug or plug with cavity, in terms of dimensions accuracy and density variation, are preferable for piercing. Each of plugs being used, provides manufacturing of hollow shells with maximum density for all volume except close to hollow shell's edges domains, where density is 1 % less than maximum value.


Fluid antenna system (FAS) facilitating a position-switchable antenna, enables a mobile receiver to exploit the deep fade opportunity of its interference for multiple access. Slow fluid antenna multiple access (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$s$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-FAMA) is such an emerging proposal that lets multiple users share the same time-frequency channel while each user adopts a fluid antenna to resolve the interference. Previous performance analysis is limited to the case when noise is neglected. In this letter, we remove this limitation and derive new closed-form expressions for the outage probability of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$s$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-FAMA by using Gauss-Laguerre and Gauss-Hermite Quadratures. The analysis reveals the impact of noise on the outage probability for different numbers of users and ports in <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$s$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-FAMA networks.


This master's thesis first introduces the theoretical basis of achieving basic cartographic literacy: the notion of map, the influence of map use on the perception of space, cartographic literacy and the factors that influence its success. The emphasis is placed on the constituents of cartographic literacy: perspective, scale, orientation, markers, and relief. For each of the constituents, an overview of scientific findings has been made, with the findings of Piaget and Catling, who studied children's perception of space and how the space is depicted on paper, represented in more detail.
The basis of this thesis is the analysis of maps drawn by children from grades 1-4 (ages 6-10) of a 9-year primary school, displaying the school and its immediate surroundings. The results, i.e. cartographic literacy and spatial perception improve with age. While there are considerable differences between the first-year students when it comes to the notion of maps and space representation, the children included in this research typically did not assume the perspective of others, did not draw from a ground-view perspective and only used few markers when drawing buildings. A huge leap in space representation and the use of markers occurs between the first and second grades, which is also when the legend appears. When it comes to the placing of elements, the greatest progress has been observed between the second and third grades. The greatest progress in the use of markers and the knowledge of map features has been observed between the third and fourth grades. Children have the most difficulties with distances and sizes.
Cartographic literacy is part of general literacy. The knowledge of its development enables a better understanding of the reasons for the difficulties an individual can have at a certain stage. This brings new challenges: what should be done and how certain constituents of cartographic literacy should be presented and made familiar to an individual in order to ensure his or her progress. Since maps contain a large number of elements, achieving cartographic literacy is a demanding mental activity and therefore a long-lasting process.


This paper provides an overview of business entities in the United States. We analyze current trends in the ownership structures of U.S. firms, diversity and inclusion, mergers and acquisitions, minority shareholder rights protections, and review the literature related to corporate ownership and financial performance. With the shift in the U.S. from defined benefit pension plans to defined contribution plans and a desire for increased corporate governance, we observe a significant increase in the financial assets under management by large institutional investors. It is believed these large institutional investors can have a significant impact on the governance, decision-making, and performance of the U.S. publicly traded firms. We observe an increasing trend in foreign indirect investment in the U.S. from countries in Europe, Asia and the Pacific Rim, North and South America, the Middle East, and Africa. Additionally, increased compensation of publicly traded firms' top executives is shown, which has resulted in an increased disparity between the compensation of top management teams and the firms' hourly employees. Lastly, we expect the suggested bias against women and other minorities, as evidenced here, will be lessened in the future and should result in improved financial performance for firms


Terahertz (THz) interface physics as a new interdiscipline between the THz technique and condensed matter physics has undergone rapid development in recent years. In particular, the development of advanced materials, such as graphene, transitional metal dichalcogenides, topological insulators, ferromagnetic metals, and metamaterials, has revolutionized the interface field and further promoted the development of THz functional devices based on interface physics. Moreover, playing at the interface of these advanced materials could unveil a wealth of fascinating physical effects such as charge transfer, proximity effect, inverse spin-Hall effect, and Rashba effect with THz technology by engineering the charge, spin, orbit, valley, and lattice degrees of freedom. In this review, we start with a discussion of the basic theory of THz interface physics, including interface formation with advanced materials, THz wave reflection and transmission at the interface, and band alignment and charge dynamics at the interface. Then we move to recent progress in advanced materials from THz wave propagation to THz wave generation at the interface. In THz wave propagation, we focus on THz wave impedance-matching, Goos–Hänchen and Imbert–Fedorov shifts in THz region, interfacial modulation and interfacial sensing based on THz waves. In THz wave generation, we summarize ongoing coherent THz wave generation from van der Waals interfaces, multiferroic interfaces, and magnetic interfaces. The fascinating THz interface physics of advanced materials is promising and promotes novel THz functional devices for manipulating propagation and generation of THz waves at interfaces.


Majority of the natural forests in UMR are mature and over-mature.Acturate estimation of the Biomass in the old-growth forests will help quatify actual carbon sequestration and carbon sink size.The allometric equations of the relationship between above-ground biomass(AGB)of various tree organs and diameter at breast height(DBH)and tree height,which are constructed on the 4 consecutive forest resource inventory data of 27 permanent plots,was used to explore the dynamics of the above-ground biomass density(AGBD)and its temporal and spatial variation of sub-alpine old-growth forest in UMR.The results showed:(1)the net increase in AGBD was(27.311±15.580)Mg·hm-2 while the mean annual growth rate and the mean annual mortality rate were(1.930±1.091)Mg·hm-2·a-1 and(2.271±1.424)Mg·hm-2·a-1 during 1988-2002,respectively.(2)the AGB depended largely on the growth and mortality rate of the remaining trees of different DBH classes and recruitment rate from one DBH class to another as well.The largest increment component of AGB came from DBH class at 20 cm to 40 cm,whereas the minimum increment component of AGB was above 80 cm.The net negative increment of AGB occurred at DBH ranging from 40-60cm to 60-80cm.(3)There were temporal and spatial variations of AGB in the alpine old-growth forests as AGB changed over time for the same sampling plot and AGB varied with location or sites for the same period.The variations not only reflected in numerical value but also in positive or negative biomass increment.


Objective: To study the effect of the clinical treatment for Sjo¨gren's syndrome with Combining Chinese and Western Medicine.Methods:Western medicine methods were included: improving immune function therapy,hormone therapy,therapy to symptoms.Chinese medicine treatment were included: nourishing yin to retain the body fluid and clearing heat and moistening dryness.Results: Three-year follow-up,the patients' symptoms were markedly relieved after treatment.Conclusion: Sjo¨gren's syndrome treated by Combining Chinese and Western Medicine,the immunity of the patient is improved,the symptoms of mucosa and conjunctiva induced by the destroyed exocrine gland are relieved,and the disease progression is prevented.


Nearby M-dwarfs are best suited for searches of low mass companions. VLBI phase-referencing observations with sensitive telescopes are able to detect radio star flux-densities of tenths of mJy as well as to position the star on the sky with submilliarcsecond precision. We have initiated a long-term observational program, using EVN telescopes in combination with NASA DSN dishes, to revisit the kinematics of nearby, single M dwarfs. The precision of the astrometry allows us to search for possible companions with masses down to 1 Jupiter mass. In this contribution we report preliminary results of the first observation epochs, in which we could detect some of the radio stars included in our program.


Five novel derivatives were synthesized with 3-alkylthio-4-amino-1,2,4-triazole as bioisosteres of the ester group of arecoline,and their structures were characterized by IR,1HNMR,MS spectra and elementary analysis.The in vitro vascular relaxing activity of target compounds was screened.The compounds 3a~3e had similar degree of vasodilatation activities compared to that of arecoline.


This paper discribes the TKDDI system which participated in NTCIR10-RITE2. We propose a method for recognizing textual entailment by not using only word alignment, but also using syntactic dependency structure alignment. Entailment can then be recognized by the overlap of the dependency structures. Our system achieved a macro f1 of 63.83 on JA-BC, 49.08 on JA-ExamBC and 74.00 on JAUnitTest.


Objective To explore the same and different growth character of preterm and term infants.Methods Ninety-six preterm infants and 94 term infants were chosen.Their weights and lengths were measured regularly.Four periods,including 1-3 months old,3-6 months old,6-9 months old,and 9-12 months old,were divided.And the growth velocity and relative velocity of preterm infants and those of term infants in different periods were compared.SPSS 15.0 software was used to analyze the data.Results 1.In 3-6 months old,growth velocity of weight and length of preterm infants were significantly faster than those of term infants.Length growth velocity of preterm infants was notably faster than that of term infants in 6-9 months old.2.In 1-3 months old and 3-6 months old,relative velocity of weight gain and length gain of preterm infants were significantly faster than those of term infants.Relative velocity of length gain of preterm infants was notably faster than that of term infants in 6-9 months old.3.Growth velocity of weight and length for both preterm and term infants decreased with the increase of their age.Conclusions Infancy is the key period when preterm catch-up growth.Appropriate method is beneficial to intervene physical growth of preterm reasonably.


The burrowing and feeding activity of earthworms have the beneficial effect on the soil properties. It is reported that earthworm cast forms a stable aggregate with large size and it increases the water holding capacity, water permeability. Earthworm casts have higher available nutrients and microbial activity than surrounding soils and have a higher rate of decomposition of organic matter. In addition, it is reported that bacterial composition is different between the intestine of large earthworm and surrounding soils. However, the influence of earthworms on the interactions among organic matter minerals microorganisms in soil is still unclear. In this study, we conducted the breeding experiment of earthworm to show the effects of earthworm on; (1) the soil aggregation and soil organic matter content, (2) soil enzyme activity and microbial community. Metaphire hilgendorfi was collected and kept in a rearing container with soil and litter for 2 weeks. After breeding, control soil and earthworm cast were sampled for microscopic observation, measurement of pH, EC, total nitrogen, organic carbon, β-glucosidase and protease activity, and evaluation of microbial diversity using biology eco-plate.


This paper presents a novel approach for the multi-oriented text line extraction from historical handwritten Arabic documents. Because of the multi-orientation of lines and their dispersion in the page, we use an image paving algorithm that can progressively and locally determine the lines. The paving algorithm is initialized with a small window and then its size is corrected by extension until enough lines and connected components were found. We use the Snake for line extraction. Once the paving is established, the orientation is determined using the Wigner-Ville distribution on the histogram projection profile. This local orientation is then enlarged to limit the orientation in the neighborhood. Afterwards, the text lines are extracted locally in each zone basing on the follow-up of the baselines and the proximity of connected components. Finally, the connected components that overlap and touch in adjacent lines are separated. The morphology analysis of the terminal letters of Arabic words is here considered. The proposed approach has been experimented on 100 documents reaching an separation accuracy of about 98.6%.


The precise target identification is significant for commanding decisions and enemy identification. The micro-Doppler effect (MDE) can reflect the subtle movement characteristics of the target, which provides a new way for the target detection and recognition. However, the current research is mainly on the micro-motion feature extraction and classification of the targets, which is not capable for identifying the targets of the same type. This also reduced the application of the MDE. In fact, by accurately estimating the micro-motion parameters and combining sufficient prior knowledge, the target can be accurately identified. Further, the MDE detected by laser in infrared band has higher sensitivity and resolution than microwave detection, especially for the MDE generated by weak vibrations. Thus, in this paper, the photocurrent model of the laser detected MDE echo signal is established. The all-fiber coherent laser detection system for target micro-motion is designed. The detection sensitivity of and resolution requirements of the multicomponent micro-Doppler features are analyzed. Based on the time varying auto-regression (TVAR) model, the precise parameter estimation method for micro-motions are proposed, which provides the basis for target identification. The validity of the theoretical analysis and estimation method is verified through simulation. This research is helpful for extending the application of MDE from classification to precise identification in the future.


The decline of human gastric cancer BGC-823 cells' proliferation and the responsiveness to epidermal growth factor, following down regulation of c-erbB-2 expression by the antisense recombinant vector, was observed . The induction of cell proliferation, c-myc gene expression and expression of EGF receptor gene by EGF were also inhibited obviously, while the expression of the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor (p21) was significantly enhanced. The analysis of the activation mechanism of p21 transcription revealed that STAT1 bound specifically with the promoter of p21 gene then accelerated transcription of the gene.


A method for encoding formulas in rst-order logic with equality into some equational logics and their associated propositional logics is presented. This yields some new strategies for theorem-proving in rst-order logic with equality. We outline the techniques and give a simple illustration of their use.


This paper reports the covalent functionalization of graphene oxide (GO) by a pre-synthesized metal-organic framework (MOF): NH2-MIL-101(Fe) via ultrasonication of the two components. The formation of Fe-O covalent bonding in NH2-MIL-101(Fe)-GO nanohybrid is clearly evidenced, and the covalent bonding still remains after electrochemical reduction. The morphology and structure of the nanohybrid are characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Electrode based on electrochemically reduced NH2-MIL-101(Fe)-GO shows ultra-stable and high-sensitive performance in simultaneous electrochemical sensing of three purine metabolic derivatives (uric acid, xanthine and hypoxanthine); in particular, no signal fading is seen even after 120 times runs. The covalent bonding within the nanohybrid is obviously the key to maintain such a stability.


We present a case of a 50 year-old-male patient with past history of tissue aortic valve replacement presented at the emergency department with chest pain and acute onset superior vena cava syndrome. After physical examination and CT aortic angiogram a giant ascending aortic aneurysm complicated with aorta to superior vena cava fistula was identified. The patient underwent emergent surgery consisting of aortic root replacement with mechanical valveconduit and total arch replacement under hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass. The patient had an uneventful postoperative recovery and was discharged at postoperative day 8. Postoperative CT aortic angiogram showed an excellent surgical result.


Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is carried out for pure aluminum under stepwise loading condition. This simulation aims to understand the experimental results on impact fracture toughness of aluminum alloys under short pulse loading.  The model used in this simulation is featured by  an atomistic model with single atom and the [111], [110], and [112] directions, a center-cracked plate model by the atomistic model with 17,402 number of atoms, and the periodic boundary condition in z-axis to postulate the plane strain condition. The obtained results are some dislocations emitted from crack tip, a void nucleation and growth taking place ahead of the crack tip. This micro void was initiated from a dislocation core when the load was kept being constant. This micro void never coalesced with the main crack as the distance between the micro void and the main crack was too far atomically and the micro void growth was stabilized. Energy balance investigation shows kinetic energy of the system was very small and almost constant during the process.   The potential energy increased as the external load increased and then became constant when the load became constant. Significant fluctuation of energy was observed during dislocation emission. Some amount of barrier energy must be released for the dislocation emission. The qualitative understanding can be provided by this molecular dynamic simulation.


In this paper, a design method of power simulation system for radio fuze is provided. The system consists of PCI bus, A/D and D/A card, software, magnifying and protecting circuit. It is highly precise when simulating the battery noise. It can simulate noise to the level of mV mixed with 36V DC and has the auto protect outputting function. It makes the complete simulation of battery performance possible in the radio fuze test. Patent No:00130547.6.


3. Jesus' final week a. (Sun) welcomed into Jerusalem b. (Mon) clears the Temple of sin & false worship c. (Tue & Wed) teaches at the Temple re: the Kingdom of God & His authority d. (Thu) He instructs followers how to remain faithful to Him & to be His Kingdom community when He's gone. e. (Fri) Jesus is arrested, tried, convicted, executed by crucifixion, and buried in a tomb. f. (Sat) Jesus' followers rest & worship on the Sabbath, mourning Jesus' death.


Being a kind of state where environmental right is infringed,environmental damage however is not coveredby infringement of environment right. As for the judicial relief to environmental damage,private law relief is weak andenvironmental public interest litigation lacks a foundation. This lack of actionable nature is the root cause of the dilemmain judicial relief to environmental damage. There have long existed both positive and negative views about the actionablenature of the environmental right. It's time to put the interests of obligees first and shift people's mindset.


Unfortunately, it is in general impossible to transform (4) into a nonlinear convolution equation of the form (6) z = v*g(z), with some Lebesgue-measure v on IR such that the theory of O. Diekmann and H. G. Kaper [4], [5], [6] concerning existence, non-existence, and uniqueness of Solutions of (6) could be applied. However, s the case c = 0 will be permitted in the following, some of their results will be contained s special cases in the present theory.


ABSTRACT Pigs have been used as a good research model for xenotransplantation. Several groups have generated porcine-induced pluripotent stem cells (piPSCs) from differentiated somatic cells. Transgenic pigs with the alpha1,3-galactosyltransferase gene-knockout (GalT-KO) could successfully govern hyper acute rejection of organ transplants into primates. Thus, GalT-KO piPSCs could be a powerful cell resource for agricultural and biomedical applications. This study was performed to generate iPSCs from GalT-KO pigs and characterize their properties. We successfully generated a GalT-KO iPSC from a genetically modified pig using double alpha1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout alterations. Similar to mouse embryonic stem cells, the GalT-KO piPSCs were positive for classical pluripotency markers: POU5F1, NANOG, SOX2 and SSEA1, and were negative for: SSEA3, TRA-1-60 and TRA-1-81. Furthermore, these cells could form an embryoid body that differentiated into three germ layers in vitro, and were highly proliferative under leukemia inhibitory factor culture conditions. However, the methylation status in DMR2 of the Meg3 gene was higher in GalT-KO piPSCs than in porcine ear fibroblast. In conclusion, GalT-KO piPSCs could be successfully generated by six human factors without expression of Gal-epitopes. Although aberrant methylation observed in GalT-KO piPSCs, this cell line maintained pluripotency and had differentiation properties into all three germ layers. Therefore, GalT-KO piPSCs might be a good cell source for biomedical application and basic research.


We explore approximate categoricity in the context of distortion systems, introduced in our previous paper, which are a mild generalization of perturbation systems, introduced by Ben Yaacov. We extend Ben Yaacov's Ryll-Nardzewski style characterization of separably approximately categorical theories from the context of perturbation systems to that of distortion systems. We also make progress towards an analog of Morley's theorem for inseparable approximate categoricity, showing that if there is some uncountable cardinal $\kappa$ such that every model of size $\kappa$ is 'approximately saturated,' in the appropriate sense, then the same is true for all uncountable cardinalities. Finally we present some examples of these phenomena and highlight an apparent interaction between ordinary separable categoricity and inseparable approximate categoricity.


Chemical milling technique was adopted for the processing of Ni-based single crystal castings. The chemical milling rate and the variation pattern of different concentrations of nitric acid( HNO3),hydrochloric acid( HCl),and hydrofluoric acid( HF) were determined by single variable method.Moreover,a scanning electron microscope was performed to investigate the effect of chemical milling with different concentrations of HNO3,HCl,and HF on the surface uniformity of Nibased single crystal castings. Results indicated that the optimal concentration of various acids used for chemical milling of Ni-based single crystal castings was 120 mL /L HNO3,150 mL/L HCl,and 185 mL /L HF; and the optimal chemical milling temperature was 30 ℃. Resultant Ni-based single crystal castings after chemical milling exhibited desired surface uniformity and milling depth,while the chemical milling process was stable and readily controllable.


Green bonds are being increasingly used in the implementation of ecotechnoparks projects in Russia. Green bonds allow the use of the infrastructure mortgage mechanisms in the financing of ekotechnoparks projects' creation and development which is particularly relevant in the need for sustainable development of the Arctic zone belonging to the Russian Federation.


Computational fluid dynamics were widely used to analyze the hydrodynamic behavior of the mixed-flow pump, and reliability and accuracy were validated by comparing the results with the experimental data. In this study, complicated cavitation phenomena has been implemented by the RPE model. As a result, it has been


The electronic conductivity of the electroactive polymer polypyrrole−dodecyl benzene sulfonate (PPy−DBS) has been characterized as function of the redox level. The polymer was synthesized with different isomers of the dopant anions:  the common mixed DBS tenside and three well-defined synthetic dodecyl isomers (with the benzene group at positions 1, 2 and 6). The conductivity was measured both by van der Pauw measurements on PPy−DBS in the oxidized, dry state as function of temperature, and by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy as function of potential in 0.1 M NaCl aqueous electrolyte. These investigations demonstrate that even minor differences in the dopant anion can cause significant changes in the physical properties of the electroactive polymer. The highest conductivities (σ25 = 39 Scm-1) are obtained by the (6D)BS isomer, perhaps because the branching leads to denser packing and therefore smaller hopping distances. This was supported by X-ray measurements. Synthesis at lower temperatures genera...


John Ferrara's Playful Design is about showing user experience (UX) designers the potential for using games in their work. The book opens with a word of caution, however, a concern that the trend of gamification circa 2008‐2009 had muddied the waters of reception for a book entirely about game design and UX design. The inclination for brands across the globe to entice with rewards cards, point systems, advert‐games on their websites, and other gamified customer retention programs worried Ferrara that there would no longer be an audience interested in a more refined approach to UX and game design. However, Ferrara's background as a UX designer serves his central thesis well: people play games for the sake of the experience. Any goals external to the game that the designer may have had (advocating for a particular political party, solving world hunger, etc.) are secondary to the enjoyment of playing the game itself. He encourages UX designers to "reconceive applications first and foremost as true games that are enjoyed for their game‐ness, but that also happen to have effects in the real world" (10).


This chapter critically analyzes the traditional methods of international dispute settlement. It begins with a general overview of the public/private international law dichotomy, and of the general elements and purposes of international dispute settlement. This brief background provides the context for the consideration of the applicability of these mechanisms of international dispute settlement to disputes relating to outer space. The classical means of international dispute settlement examined in the chapter are negotiation; consultations; inquiry & fact-finding; mediation & good offices; conciliation; arbitration; claims commissions; and judicial settlement. In each case, a brief overview of the process is critiqued in the light of its experiences on the international plane. Each of these processes is then assessed as to their applicability to disputes arising from activities in outer space.Keywords: claims commissions; international dispute settlement; judicial settlement; private international law dichotomy; public international law dichotomy; space law