Batch sorption experiments were carried out for the removal of metylene blue from its aqueous solution using H3PO4 activated Acacia arabica carbon (AAC). The prepared activated carbon was characterized and was found as an effective adsorbent material. The operating variables studied were initial metylene blue concentration, AAC concentration and solution pH. AAC activated carbon posses a maximum sorption capacity for the range of initial dye concentrations studied (60~100 mg L-1). The sorption kinetics were analyzed using reversible first order kinetics, second order, reversible first order, pseudo-first order, and pseudo-second order model. The sorption data tend to fit very well in pseudo-second order model for the entire sorption time. The average pseudo-second order rate constant, KII and regression coefficient value were determined to be 0.0174 mg g-1 min-1 and 0.9977. The biosorption process also fit well to reversible I order kinetics with a regression coefficient of 0.9878.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the implementation of the UR Agreement on Agriculture in terms of commitment of major area and agricultural trade performance and to explain some issues of the current WTO’s Doha negotiation on agriculture with a prospect of the DDA negotiations.One of the great achievements of the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations was to bring agricultural sector of individual countries to the mainstream of GATT disciplines. Although the evaluation on the performance of the new trading rules under WTO seems differ between exporting and importing countries of agricultural products, the experience of implementing the URAA has revealed several weakness and shortcomings in agricultural reforms. Therefore agricultural sector will remain as an important negotiation area in the WTO DDA round. The ongoing DDA negotiations on agriculture will likely result in further reductions of trade-distorting domestic subsidies and termination of export subsidies as well as substantial reduction of tariffs and expansion of the market access.

From 1997 to 2007, in order to fight for its so-called “international room,”Taiwan continuously endeavored to try and squeeze into the Word Health Organization (Hereinafter referred to as the “WHO”). However, the outcome has always been disappointing for Taiwan due to the diplomatic endeavor of the People’s Republic of China. In 2007, the fight especially attracted the world’s attention because Taiwan bid for membership to the WHO instead of observer status for which it had previously been bidding. In fact, Taiwan’s request for WHO membership had a big impression on the world and the reason why Taiwan has had a great interest in the WHO is not to engage in meaningful participation within the WHO, as propagandized by Taiwanese authorities, but to eventually acquire recognition as an independent state.1 Although Taiwan has failed to achieve its goals for 11 years, accession to membership of the WHO has been, and still will be, a political goal pursued by Taiwanese authorities. The question is whether this goal can be backed from a legal perspective. It is submitted that the answer is“ No.”

Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is economically important pest of various crops causing damage through direct feeding and transmitting tospoviruses. In a previous study differential responses of the thrips to various geometrical patterns of yellow sticky card were found. Therefore, in this study, we compared the behavioral responses of the thrips to visual and olfactory cues in cylindrical black box and Y-tube olfactometer, respectively. Multiple or pair wise choice tests were carried out among/between six geometrical patterns of yellow color paper and artificial flowers. The thrips preferred circular shape to other geometrical patterns in multiple choice test. In pair wise choice test between three geometrical patterns, i.e., circular, rectangle, and modified circular, and artificial strawberry flowers, the thrips showed preference to the yellow artificial flower than any other cues. The thrips resided on the yellow artificial flower almost 4 times more than other patterns. In Y-tube olfactometer test, higher number of the thrips chose the arm with p-anisaldehyde and artificial flower compared to the arm with only the artificial flower. Higher number of the thrips also chose the arm containing both visual and real flower odor as compared to arm with the only real flower odor. The potentials and application of these results in the development of attraction traps for the thrips management have been discussed.

Spectral line profiles of filaments/prominences to be observed by the Fast Imaging Solar Spectrograph (FISS) are studied. The main spectral lines of interests are Hα Ca II 8542, and Ca II K. FISS has a high spectral resolving power of 2 x 105, and supports simultaneous dual-band recording. This instrument will be installed at the 1.6m New Solar Telescope (NST) of Big Bear Solar Observatory, which has a high spatial resolution of 0.065" at 500nm. Adopting the cloud model of radiative transfer and using the model parameters inferred from pre-existing observations, we have simulated a set of spectral profiles of the lines that are emitted by a filament on the disk or a prominence at the limb. Taking into account the parameters of the instrument, we have estimated the photon count to be recorded by the CCD cameras, the signal-to-noise ratios, and so on. We have also found that FISS is suitable for the study of multi-velocity threads in filaments if the spectral profiles of Ca II lines are recorded together with Hα lines

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was a main substance as an endothelial cell specific mitogen. This acts sometimes as an antiapoptotic factor. It plays an important role in the embryo development as well as implantation process. This review introducesthe function and distribution of the VEGF and its receptors related to the development of mammal embryos.

This study was performed to investigate the effect of VEGF on in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes. The base medium for IVM, TCM-199 was supplemented with 0.6 mM cysteine, 0.91 mM pyruvate, 10 ng/ml epidermal growth factor, kenamycin, insulin and 10% (V/V) porcine follicular fluid (pFF) as a Group A; Group B was consists of Group A plus 5 ng/ml VEGF; Group C was consists of replacement of pFF by 10% PVA and Group D: was consists of Group C plus 5 ng/ml VEGF. 1. The maturation rate was significantly higher (p<0.05) in control and VEGF+pFF group than other two groups (, respectively). 2. Addition of VEGF without pFF showed a negative effect on oocytes maturation and about 58.26% oocytes were reached to M-II stage. 3. In the parthenogenetic development, the cleavage rate was significantly higher (p<0.05) in control and VEGF+pFF group (, respectively) than other groups (, respectively). 4. The blastocyst formation rate was significantly higher (p<0.05) in VEGF+pFF group () compared to control and other groups. 5. There was no significant difference in cell numbers (inner cell mass or trophectoderm) among these groups.

기울어진 자전축을 갖는 회전계에서, 일정한 각속도로 회전하는 동서풍이 있는 경우에 대해서 로스비하우어비츠 파동의 섹터모드(적도에 대한 반구 비대칭의 첫 번째 모드)와 균형을 이루는 지위고도장을 해석적으로 유도하였다. 균형장은 발산방정식으로부터 시간변화를 제거하고 라플라시안 연산자를 역산함으로써 구하였다. 역산은 비선형항의 계산과 포이슨 방정식의 해를 구하는 두 단계의 연산과정으로 이루어져 있다. 두 번째 단계에서, 구면조화함수로 표현되는 강제력의 항은 구면조화함수의 선형관계를 이용하였고, 그 이외의 항은 구면조화함수를 적분함으로써 구하였다. 균형장은 여섯 개의 동서파수 성분으로 표현됨이 드러났다. 본 연구에서 구한 균형장은 적도에 대하여 비대칭의 구조를 가지기 때문에, 대칭의 구조만을 가지는 것에 비하여 미분방정식의 수치해의 검종법으로서의 활용도가 높다. 일정한 각속도를 갖는 배경 동서풍이 지구의 자전각속도와 같거나 1/2에 해당하는 경우에는, 일부 동서파수 성분이 제거되는 것으로 나타났다. 이론적으로 구한 균형장은 정교한 수치모델을 통하여 구한 균형장과 거의 정확하게 같은 것으로 밝혀져, 이론적 해의 타당성이 입증되었다. 마지막으로, 로스비하우어비츠 파동의 섹터모드와 균형을 이루는 지위고도장의 안정성을 장기간시간적분을 통하여 살펴보았다.

The application of membrane bioreactors for the depuration of wastewater coming from the washing of mineral oil storage tanks is described. Microfiltration hollow-fibre membranes were used in the submerged configuration. Filtration tests were carried out with a biomass concentration of about 15 g/L in order to assess the critical flux of the hollow fibre membrane used. Then particular care was taken in carrying out the performance runs in the sub-critical flux region. The reactor performance was very high, with removal efficiencies ranging between 93% and 97% also when the concentration of hydrocarbon was very high. Some kinetic parameters for the COD and the hydrocarbon removal were estimated.

Insulin-like growth factor II (IGF2) and H19 genes are mutually imprinted genes which may be responsible for abnormalities in the cloned fetuses and offspring. This study was performed to identify putative differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of porcine H19 locus and to explore its genomic imprinting in in vitro fertilized (IVF) and somatic cell nuclear transferred (SCNT) embryos. Based on mice genomic data, we identified DMRs on H19 and found porcine H19 DMRs that included three CTCF binding sites. Methylation patterns in IVF and SCNT embryos at the 2-, 4-, 8～16-cells and blastocyst stages were analyzed by BS (Bisulfite Sequencing)-PCR. The CpGs in CTCF1 was significantly unmethylated in the 2-cell stage IVF embryos. However, the 4- (29.1%) and 8～16-cell (68.2%) and blastocyst (48.2%) stages showed higher methylation levels (p<0.01). On the other hand, SCNT embryos were unmethylayted (0～2%) at all stages of development. The CpGs in CTCF2 showed almost unmethylation levels at the 2-, 4- and 8～16-cell and blastocyst stages of development in both IVF (0～14.1%) and SCNT (0～6.4%) embryos. At all stages of development, CTCF3 was unmethylated in IVF (0～17.3%) and SCNT (0～1.2%) embryos except at the blastocyst stage (54.5%) of IVF embryos. In conclusion, porcine SCNT embryos showed an aberrant methylation pattern comprised to IVF embryos. Therefore, we suggest that the aberrant methylation pattern of H19 loci may be a reason for increased abnormal fetus after embryo transfer of porcine SCNT embryos.

'Directions of APEC Future Policy for JCT in Education' aims at identifYing trends of APEC policy for ICT in education, its related issues, and makes recommendations for future policies. The results of this research are expected to provide a benchmark for educational ICT policy making in APEC economies with reference to policy trends produced by this project. They also provide insights and hindsight on ICT educational policymaking to all parties concerned. APEC economies should find the results beneficial in terms of new policymaking and enhancement of present policies. The recommended policy areas should be translated to generate businesses suited for industries related to ICT and education. As to the methodology, from eleven APEC economies the sample is reduced to eight due to complications in communications and documentation. Information needed was obtained through the internet. The project leader organized and distributed the collected data online to other members of the project (PR. China & Thailand) for analysis. The technique of content analysis was applied and trends on APEC educational JCT policy were identified. Findings from the data analysis were tabulated and are attached as appendices in the APEC white paper.