The Secretary of Health and Human Services' Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children (SACHDNC) is a federally appointed committee whose responsibility is "to advise the Secretary regarding the most appropriate application of universal newborn screening tests, technologies, policies, guidelines and standards for effectively reducing morbidity and mortality in newborns and children having, or at risk for, heritable disorders."[1] In this issue of Genetics in Medicine, SACHDNC has set forth recommendations that provide national guidance on state policies regarding the storage and use of residual dried blood spots (DBS) after newborn screening (NBS).[2] They have based their recommendations on over a year of investigation and deliberation (started in February 2009) involving international and national experts in NBS, public health and law, and members of the lay public. Although they should be commended for their efforts in bringing this contentious discussion onto the national stage, it comes too late for some states.

Those not familiar with the issue of residual NBS blood spots might ask—Why does SACHDNC feel compelled to set forth recommendations now? In some states, DBS have been stored and used for decades[3] for quality improvement purposes (e.g., calibration of equipment) and for epidemiologic and environmental studies unrelated to NBS.[4-6] In addition, a federally funded consortium of regional genetic services networks previously published guidelines on the use and storage of these residual blood spots in 1996.[7]

Two factors loom large in these recommendations: genetic technology and lawsuits filed against states in 2009. With the completion of the human genome project and the popularity of genome-wide association studies, the research value of residual DBS has skyrocketed. In fact, this year, researchers successfully amplified DNA and conducted genome-wide gene expression profiles using DBS.[8] Researchers have also successfully extracted and amplified RNA from stored unfrozen samples almost a decade old.[9]

Although SACHDNC hints gently at the lawsuits with their reference to "heightened public awareness" and "concerns in some consumer communities regarding both the potential uses of residual specimens and patient (newborn and family) privacy," this language does not do full justice to the acrimonious nature of the disputes. The first lawsuit came from families in Minnesota who alleged that storage and use of DBS violated the state's Genetic Privacy Act.[9] The court dismissed the case, ruling that the state's Genetic Privacy Act was not applicable to the NBS program. In a subsequent appeal, the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed the original court's ruling,[11] and the case is going to the Minnesota Supreme Court. The second lawsuit was filed against the Texas State Department of Health by families who claimed storage and use of NBS for undisclosed research purposes violated their constitutional protection from unlawful search and seizure.[12] This case was settled. However, the terms of the settlement required the state to destroy more than 5 million residual DBS—a move that stunned many in the NBS community.[13,14]

It is neither surprising nor unreasonable that members of the public have voiced concerns about appropriate privacy safeguards and DBS. What is surprising is the bitter and contentious atmosphere surrounding these lawsuits, much of it stemming from antigovernment rhetoric that brands storage and use of DBS as "Big Brother in one of its worst incarnations"[15] and accuses the government of building a DNA biobank for eugenic purposes.[16] Unfortunately, the rhetoric has only escalated amid the recent national debate about healthcare reform with claims that the government will ultimately use DBS to ration healthcare.[16] These claims are unfounded and, in some cases, represent a coopting of these issues for broader political agendas. It has not helped that the state of Texas is currently embroiled in a lawsuit over failure to disclose that it provided 800 anonymous DBS specimens to the US Armed Forces Laboratory to assist creation of a forensics database.[17] The reality is that these specimens were used to determine population-level variation in DNA among different ethnic groups. Unfortunately, perception often trumps reality, and this incident has fueled public mistrust of NBS and DBS beyond the boundaries of the state of Texas.

Clearly, much of the publicized backlash is not simply about protection of privacy but rather protection of privacy from perceived government intrusion. This is hardly surprising given that polls last year revealed public trust in government was at its lowest in 45 years, while anger and frustration at the government was at its highest in the past decade.[18] So although SACHDNC is correct that with the storage and use of DBS the "privacy and confidentiality (of individuals) should be ensured," the challenge for state public health departments that run NBS programs is that they must do so in a politically charged antigovernment climate.

This is not to say that scientific policy should be ruled by the politics of the day or bend at the will of a few, loud voices. Research suggests that most parents support research with these newborn screening samples.[19,20] The goal should not be to persuade the minority that opposes such research: It is unlikely that even the best of efforts by public health officials will change the opinion of those who strongly oppose the storage and use of DBS. Rather, the goal should be to address their concerns in a respectful and meaningful way, so as to prevent the spread of fear and misinformation to the majority. In pediatrics, we have witnessed a similar phenomenon with vaccine refusal that provides valuable lessons.[21]

In short, the challenge for state NBS programs is not just to develop explicit and transparent policies regarding the storage and use of NBS DBS—although that is a necessary first step. The real challenge lies in getting the public to believe in these processes and the value of the DBS. SACHDNC does acknowledge the problem of "an unclear message to the public about the purpose of storage and use of residual NBS blood specimens."[2] Although they highlight the value of the DBS throughout the recommendations—describing them as "valuable resources for the public good" and asking policymakers to "consider the value of the specimens as a promising resource for research"—specific examples in which DBS specimens have generated important public health and medical insights[4] are not provided. Although the value of the DBS specimens may be a foregone conclusion to those of us who work in public health and scientific research, that is unlikely to be the case for the general public. Given that the collections of DBS are a public resource provided by the public, it is our responsibility to showcase existing studies to explicitly demonstrate research using DBS is valuable and provides an important public good.

To some extent, this controversy is emblematic of a larger problem of public awareness about NBS, which SACHDNC also acknowledges in its report. Much of the public has little understanding or awareness of the NBS program, which identifies individual newborns with inherited conditions, so that they may receive early, effective treatment.[22] SACHDNC recognizes the danger that the public may conflate the clinical NBS program with the storage and use of residual NBS blood spots for research—"minimal public awareness of NBS … has engendered public concern about the storage of residual NBS specimens even for standard NBS program uses." In fact, it has already happened. Privacy advocates have gone on record referring to NBS as "The New Eugenics"[23]—a preposterous claim that may encourage some parents to refuse this potentially lifesaving testing for their newborns. It is critical that all educational efforts ensure that the NBS program and storage and use of residual DBS for research of DBS are distinct in the public's mind.

The response to these threats to NBS and DBS should not be to "tighten the screw" on public engagement about the use and storage of residual DBS. On the contrary, states should allow parents a choice in whether their child's blood spot is used for research that is not directly related to quality improvements of the existing tests with NBS programs. Research suggests that denying parents an opportunity to provide their permission—whether through opt-in or opt-out mechanisms, written or verbal—is likely to damage public support[20] causing programs to lose both the battle and the war. Michigan provides an example of a state that has successfully embarked on a consent program for storage of both past and future DBS.[24]

Discussions about the storage and use of DBS have focused heavily on legal (e.g., who owns the DBS) and ethical research issues. For example, SACHDNC explicitly notes that "there are no documented cases of harm resulting from the use of residual NBS specimens." However, this misses the point. The real challenge with the storage and use of residual NBS is neither an ethical nor a legal one—it is a public policy one. These samples were taken as part of a mandatory public health screening program. Failure to allow parents a voice in whether those samples are used for other purposes fuels the antigovernment ire. Some worry that establishing consent/dissent processes for storage and use of DBS will hamper enrollment. Paradoxically, it is likely that allowing parents the opportunity to say "no" may actually get them to say "yes." Those not convinced should ask Andrea Beleno, one of the plaintiffs, in the Texas lawsuit, who said "And if they'd asked me if I would consent for this blood to be used for specific medical research … I would have probably said yes."[15]


Health Education for college students is an important part of higher education and is the urgent demand for fostering talents in all-round way including the morality,intelligence,physical health and art.Nowadays the rapid development of network technology provides a very good platform and convenient condition for conducting network-based health education.Nevertheless,the actual state of carrying out health education by means of internet in colleges is unsatisfactory.Aiming at the necessity and feasibility of enforcing health education among college students by utilizing campus networks,the content and problems in network health education are analyzed and the countermeasures and suggestions of implementing health education among colleges and universities are advanced.


This report provides information in response to a Request for Proposals (July 2007), and in fulfilment of a contract between the Australian Council for Educational Research, Limited, and the Ministry of Education, New Zealand. Note that the views expressed in the report are those of the authors and not necessarily those held officially by the New Zealand Ministry of Education, nor by the Australian Council for Educational Research.


The present study aimed to investigate the key genes and microRNAs (miRNA/miRs) associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) progression. The gene expression profile of GSE20680 and GSE12288, and the miRNA expression profile of GSE28858 were downloaded from the gene expression omnibus database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in GSE20680 and GSE12288, and the differentially expressed miRNAs in GSE28858 were screened using the limma package in R software. Common DEGs between GSE20680 and GSE12288 were selected. Functions and pathways of DEGs and miRNAs were enriched using the DAVID tool from the GO and KEGG databases. The regulatory network of miRNA and selected CAD-associated DEGs was constructed. A total of 270 DEGs (167 upregulated and 103 downregulated) based on the GSE20680 dataset, and 2,268 DEGs (534 upregulated and 1,734 downregulated) based on the GSE12288 dataset, were screened. For the differentially expressed miRNAs, 214 were identified (102 upregulated and 112 downregulated) in CAD samples and were screened. Interferon regulatory factor 2 (IRF2) and cell death-inducing DFFA-like effector b (CIDEB), which are regulated by signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 and myc-associated factor X, were identified as common DEGs for CAD. miR-455-5p, miR-455-3p and miR-1257, which are involved in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)protein assembly pathway and peptide antigen assembly with MHC class I protein complex pathway, may regulate various miRNAs and target genes, including pro-opiomelancortin (POMC), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), interleukin 10 (IL10), activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) and calreticulin (CALR). The current study identified IRF2 and CIDEB as crucial genes, and miRNA-455-5p, miRNA-455-3p and miR-1257 along with their target genes POMC, TLR4 and CALR, as miRNAs involved in CAD progression. Thus, the present study may provide a basis for future research into the progression mechanism of CAD.


Recent advances in airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology allow us to rapid measure the topographical information over large areas. LiDAR remote sensed data has been widely used in many applications, e.g. forest management, urban planning, disaster predictions, etc. However, extracting useful information from LiDAR data remains challenging, especially in the urban remote sensing, where many objects have the same elevation and are connected, such as road and parking lots, trees and buildings. In this work, we present a new method to extract geometric and textural information from LiDAR data by using attribute filters with partial reconstruction. The proposed method can separate the connected objects and better model the geometric and textural information than traditional connected filters (e.g. attribute filters). Experimental results on LiDAR data from the 2013 IEEE GRSS Data Fusion Contest demonstrate effectiveness of the proposed method. Compared to the methods using original LiDAR data or attribute profiles computed by traditional attribute filters, with the proposed method, overall classification accuracies were improved by 35% and 12%, respectively.


In 2011, staff from the undergraduate libraries at the College of William & Mary came together to evaluate circulation policies related to borrowing periods and billing. In an attempt to better align the policies across each unit, and with the intention of creating a more consistent user experience, new policies were proposed and implemented in the fall of 2012. These changes were found to dramatically decrease staff time necessary for billing, while improving user satisfaction with the borrowing policies. Significantly fewer books went into billing, suggesting no adverse effects on collection maintenance.


TH-1 satellite's administer sends RPC to the users as the main assist data so as to hide the sensor's technique parameters. This paper introduces the methods of stereo positioning based on the RPC model, and analyses the key problem of the obvious systematic error, and then through adding an affine transformation in image space to compensate the systematic error. Experiment is made through two TH-1 satellite three-line images based on RPC model. The test result shows that few ground control points can improve the positioning precision of bias compensated RPC model greatly, and demonstrates the correctness and effectiveness of the RPC model.


The Salar de Atacama, located in Northern Chile, is a wide salt flat that is characterized by several salt lakes, which are locally called lagunas. The Laguna de la Piedra is one of the salt lake systems that is located in the northernmost sector of the Salar de Atacama. The present paper examines some physicochemical properties of the Laguna de la Piedra as well as the microbial diversity of the evaporite deposits. Under extreme desiccation and ambient UV flux, the evaporite deposits can create favorable endolithic microniches for the development of microorganisms. In the Laguna de la Piedra these deposits host a variety of halophilic microorganisms, which were investigated by using an optical and environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) as well as molecular diversity studies based on the small subunit ribosomal (SSU) rRNA of Bacteria, Archaea and Eucarya. We detected a single phylotype of halophilic archaea and a oxytrichid ciliate. Within the bacteria, a variety of Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Alpha-, Beta- and Deltaproteobacteria, as well as members of the candidate division TM6, were identified.


Ethylene carbonate (EC) is a widely used solvent in lithium-ion battery electrolytes. It is now generally agreed that the electrochemical reduction of EC plays an important role in the formation of an effective solid electrolyte interface layer on the carbon anode in these batteries. However, neither the composition of this layer nor the reaction pathways involved in its formation have been clearly established. Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory reported reflectance infrared spectra obtained from a glassy carbon electrode surface after EC/tetrahydrofuran electrolyte reduction. Unlike any other spectrum found in the literature, the new spectrum shows a strong absorption peak at 838 cm–1. This feature was clearly shown not to be from the monoethylcarbonate lithium salt, a frequently proposed product of EC reduction in lithium-ion cells. Ethylene oxide, which has strong absorbance in the same region, is suggested as a possible, but not exclusive, reduction product. The suggested reaction pathway is an electrochemicalchemical sequence, i.e., electrochemical reduction of water to form hydroxide, and hydroxide addition to form ethylene oxide and lithium bicarbonate. From: Electrochem. and Solid-State Lett., 4, A82 (2001)


Problem of layout of specialized data warehouse (DW) is considered. DW is created for information and analytical support of Center for Monitoring and Forecasting of Emergency Situations Main Directorate of EMERCOM of Russia in Krasnoyarsk region. The main tasks are defined, the problems of data integration for monitoring of emergencies are identified. Requirements and composition of data warehouse are formed. Structure that combines historical data and current information system for monitoring and forecasting of emergency situations is proposed.


According to the climate data from 1955 to 2011 obtained from 18 meteorological stations in Anhui province,the indexes of the precipitations,average temperatures in winters,summers,and the annual average values since the recent 56 years in Anhui Province are calculated and analyzed herein with the R /S analysis methods,and then the distribution of the main climate factors within that region is analyzed with the GIS spatial analysis method. The result shows that the Hurst phenomena are there in the climate changes of Anhui Province in the recent 56 years,furthermore,the spatial differences are there among the precipitations and temperatures; i. e. on the whole,more precipitations are there in the southern region with higher temperature and strong sustainability,while less precipitations are there in the mid-northern region with lower temperature and weak sustainability.


This work presents a new approach to whole-body control for balancing and posture stabilization of humanoid robots utilizing an optimization of contact forces in combination with Model Predictive Control. To perform tasks that require multiple contacts, like manipulation or crawling, the controller allows the robot to use a subset of its end effectors to apply a desired wrench to the environment. The remaining end effectors are used for balancing while taking into account the wrenches originating from the manipulation. Due to the prediction the controller is able to react to changes in the control inputs in advance. This approach is evaluated in simulation with the humanoid robot TORO.


A brief review of the management policies concerning the rare ungulates of the Kruger National Park is given. Management practices have been applied since the inception of the area as a game sanctuary. Modern trends in game management are discussed, such as the policies underlying water provision, population reductions, reintroductions of species, etc. Details of the life history of eland, roan antelope, sable antelope and tsessebe are given with comments on their management.


Radio frequency blackout indicates the communication interruption between signal monitoring sites and re-entry vehicles; it is a serious threat to the safety of astronauts and the space exploration missions. In this study, a surface catalytic model coupled with a thermochemical non-equilibrium computational fluid dynamic model is developed to study the catalytic wall effect on the plasma sheath of a hypersonic re-entry vehicle. The mechanism of the surface catalytic effect on the plasma sheath of a re-entry capsule is revealed by a comparative study. The flow-field characteristics simulated under conditions of the full-catalytic and non-catalytic walls are compared and discussed for the hypersonic atmospheric re-entry capsule at different altitudes. The chemical and physical mechanisms behind the surface catalytic effect of the re-entry capsule are analyzed. The experimental data of Radio Attenuation Measurement-C-II are used to validate the numerical model established in the present study. It is found that the numerical results simulated with the fully catalytic wall are more consistent with the experimental data. Near the capsule wall, the mole fractions of the species N, O, N+, and O+ decrease as the catalytic recombination coefficient increases. Because of the surface catalytic effect, the communication black is mitigated due to the reduction of the electron number density in the wake zone of the capsule.


Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by oxidative and nitrosative stress, leukocyte infiltration, and up‐regulation of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM‐1) expression in the colon. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the pineal secretory product melatonin in rats subjected to experimental colitis. Colitis was induced in rats by intracolonic instillation of dinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (DNBS). Rats experienced bloody diarrhea and a significant loss of body weight. Four days after DNBS administration, the colon damage was characterized by areas of mucosal necrosis. Neutrophil infiltration (indicated by myeloperoxidase [MPO] activity in the mucosa) was associated with up‐regulation of ICAM‐1, expression of P‐selectin, and high levels of malondialdehyde (MDA). Immunohistochemistry for nitrotyrosine and poly (ADP‐ribose) synthetase (PARS) showed an intense staining in the inflamed colon. Staining of colon tissue sections obtained from DNBS‐treated rats with an anti‐cycloxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) antibody showed a diffuse staining of the inflamed tissue. Furthermore, expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was found mainly in the macrophages of the inflamed colons from DNBS‐treated rats. Treatment with melatonin (15 mg/kg daily, intraperitoneally) significantly reduced the appearance of diarrhea and the loss of body weight. This was associated with a remarkable amelioration of the disruption of the colonic architecture, as well as a significant reduction of colonic MPO activity and MDA levels. Melatonin also reduced the appearance of nitrotyrosine and PARS immunoreactivity in the colon, as well as reducing the up‐regulation of ICAM‐1 and the expression of P‐selectin. The intensity and degree of the stainings for COX‐2 and iNOS were markedly reduced in tissue sections obtained from melatonin‐treated rats. The results of the this study suggest that the administration of melatonin might be beneficial for the treatment of IBD.


The prevalence and clinical significance of extrahepatic autoimmune diseases (EHAIDs) have not been evaluated in a large cohort of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).


The need for modelling techniques to allow blocking of tasks prior to admission to the computer system in queueing network models is described. A detailed algorithm which presents a technique to enforce blocking by priority of class for an arbitrary number of blocking constraints is presented. The resultant solution is exact and produces an analysis by class of admission queueing delays.


Using the Zermelo Principle, we establish a common fixed point theorem for two progressive mappings on a partially ordered set. This result yields the Browder–Göhde–Kirk fixed point theorem for nonexpansive mappings.


Breast cancer is one of the usually diagnosed cancers and the second leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. The incidence of breast cancer is approximately 10.4%, and it is the most common cancer in women, showing annual 1–2% increases, and causes high morbidity and mortality.[1,2] About 30% of the patients with early-stage breast cancer have recurrent disease. The prognosis of breast cancer depends on various biological and molecular


According to the characteristics of Webmail,this paper proposes a new attack method based on DNS Cache Poisoning,and presents an attacking framework.Experimental results show that it can attack Live Mail successfully,so it can testify the potential risk of DNS Cache Poisoning.Three methods are given to defense the attack.


Abstract : The first section of the report reviews the literature on technique and experimentation in eye movement research as it affects training device development. In the second section the current program of the Human Factors Laboratory is described. This includes the preliminary experimentation on visual guidance techniques and the refinement of the electro-oculographic method of recording eye position. (Author)


Analysis tools in pavement management systems are critical to assist transportation agencies in developing the most adequate maintenance and rehabilitation program. A key aspect in the treatment selection process is to evaluate the effectiveness of maintenance and rehabilitation alternative treatments. Treatment effectiveness is related to the time of the application and should be measured in the short term and long term. Short-term treatment effectiveness measures include condition improvement and reduction of the deterioration rate, while long-term treatment effectiveness is related to its ability to extend the pavement remaining life. In this paper, a hybrid modeling approach is presented to integrate expert knowledge with pavement performance data for quantifying short-term and long-term treatment effectiveness. Optimal times to apply asphalt treatments were obtained as a result of the hybrid modeling approach. The Texas Department of Transportation (DOT) has successfully incorporated these results to enhance its pavement management information system, which is used as a tool to assist Texas DOT decision makers to formulate maintenance and rehabilitation programs.


ion An idea or concept conveyed through movement and removed from its original context. accent A strong movement or gesture. aesthetic criteria Standards applied in making judgments about the artistic merit of a work. alignment The relationship of the skeleton to the line of gravity and base of support. axial movement Movement anchored to one spot by a body part. Only the available space in any direction is used while the initial body contact is being maintained. Movement is organized around the axis of the body and is not designed for travel from one location to another. Also known as nonlocomotor movement. Examples include stretching, bending, turning in place, gesturing. balance A state of equilibrium referring to the balance of weight or the spatial arrange ment of bodies. Designs may be balanced on both sides of center (symmetri cal) or balanced off center (asymmetrical). ballet A classical Western dance form that originated in the Renaissance courts of Europe. By the time of Louis XIV (mid-1600s), steps and body positions underwent codification. body image An acceptance of one's body as it is in a positive way, with recognition of the possibilities of its capabilities and limitations. canon A passage, movement sequence, or piece of music in which the parts are done in succession, overlapping one another. choreography The creation and composition of dances by arranging or inventing steps, ("dance writing") movements, and patterns of movements. contrast To set side by side to emphasize differences. In dance two contrasting move ments might differ in energy; space (size, direction, level); design (symmetri cal/asymmetrical, open/close); timing (fast/slow, even/uneven); or two or more different themes or patterns.


This deliverable will explore the initial literature study and research directions for WP2 of the ADVANTAGE project. This WP considers smart grid operation in both neighbourhood communities as well as industrial areas. The first research area considers how communications over powerlines may be used to support smart grid operation in neighbourhood areas. To complement this, the second topic will investigate how emerging device-to-device protocols among wireless devices can support the smart grid. The final topic will study the interaction of signal processing algorithms with the communications network to enable smart grid operation. Contractual Delivery Date: March 31, 2015 (M15) Actual Delivery Date: March 31, 2015 Authors: Led by Jesús Alonso-Zárate (WP2 Leader) Charalampos Kalalas (Early Stage Researcher) Deep Shrestha (Early Stage Researcher) Mehdi Zeinali (Early Stage Researcher) John Thompson (Project Co-ordinator)


Purpose:To study the therapeutic effectiveness of superselective embolization of renal artery in the treatment of renal carcinoma before radical nephrectomy. Methods:From 1994 to 2000, 73 cases of renal cell carcinoma were randomized into two groups. The experimental group (30 cases) were treated by superselective embolization of renal artery before radical nephrectomy, and the control group (43 cases) were treated with radical nephrectomy alone. Results:There were significant differences between these two groups in surgical time and transfusion blood volume, and there were no significant difference in 1 year, 3 year and 5 year survival rate between these two groups. Conclusions:Superselective embolization of renal artery before radical nephrectomy would reduce operation time and transfusion blood volume, but would not improve the patient survival.


The totalitarian Soviet system destroyed democratic political culture and paralysed the society's ability to evolve independently. This was a much greater success than the attempt to destroy national culture. According to Western analysts, the democratic development has not proceeded as quickly and successfully in post-Soviet countries as desired exactly because the legacy of totalitarianism is still profoundly influencing their political culture and paralyses their ability to create a new system.2 The unexpected results of democratic reforms have caused many disappointments in both direct participants as well as Western observers. The further the reforms in political institutions advance, the clearer it becomes that real democracy depends on the development of political culture.


Contrary to deterministic and essentialist approaches, this article seeks to analyse the technology/security nexus in terms of contexts and dynamics. After positing a definitional framework for which technology is understood as an "apparatus" (dispositif) producing an environment and shaping individual and social behaviour, it examines the elements of context having induced a phenomenal technologization of security. This context is characterised by several phenomena sharing the common feature of generating uncertainties. The resort to emerging security technologies unfolds in the framework of a liberal governance in which the state cooperates with companies, international organizations, the European Union etc. For all these actors, technology appears as the most scientific solution for anticipating dangers and future threats. This in turn raises crucial ethical, legal, philosophical, sociological and political problems that need to be examined in the light of the transformation of human relations induced by technology.


In this paper, we describe and analyse two two-step iterative methods for finding multiple zeros of non-linear equations. We prove that the methods have fourth-order convergence. The methods calculate the multiple zeros with high accuracy. These are the first two-step multiple zero finding methods. The numerical tests show their better performance in the case of algebraic as well as non-algebraic equations


A 48-year-old woman receiving hemodialysis via arterial-venous fistula presented with right gluteal region pain and fever. Initially, antibiotics were prescribed but her fever did not subside. Computed tomography (CT) pelvic images displayed low attenuation lesions on the right pyriformis muscle (Fig. 1, panel A) and psoas muscle (Fig. 1, panel B). Muscle abscess was suspected. The surgeon and radiologist suggested a CT-guided percutaneous drainage for pyriformis muscle and antibiotics. The drainage yielded a large amount of pus fluid. Three days later, the patient's lower back pain and fever had not subsided. A second pelvic CT was done, which disclosed an enlarged lesion on the iliopsoas muscle (Fig. 2). Subsequently, exploratory retroperitoneum open drainage was performed for the abscess on the iliopsoas muscle. Cultures from the pus and blood showed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. After a month of therapy with vancomycin and drainage, follow-up CT showed complete remission.

Fig 1.

Computed tomography scan reveals (A) a low-attenuation lesion on the right iliopsoas muscle (white arrow) and (B) a low-attenuation lesion on the right pyriformis muscle (black arrow).

Fig 2.

Computed tomography scan demonstrates the enlarged lesion on the right iliopsoas muscle (arrow).

A single-muscle abscess in a uremic patient has been reported,1,2 which may arise through contiguous spread from adjacent structures or by the hematogenous route from a distant site. In our case, a uremic patient presented pyriformis and psoas muscle abscesses simultaneously. However, it is difficult to determine whether these two muscle abscesses occurred at the same time or developed one after the other. Neither could we determine the micro-organic cause of the muscle abscess. To our knowledge, this is the first case in which a uremic patient has presented multiple muscle abscesses.


Besides texture features,remote sensing images process abundant structured edge features.The main problem here is how to efficiently capture the information contained in these features to facilitate image retrieval effectively.Based on the multi-scale geometric analysis function of Contourlet,a kind of retrieval technique has been addressed,which uses the information of edge direction extracted from the multiple scale sub-bands of Contourlet through decomposing the original image.Against the limitation that Contourlet transformation responds differently to diverse directional features,an orthogonal compensation method has been put forward to revise the flaw.Subsequently,Fourier operator has been applied to realize rotation-invariant image retrieval technique.Finally,retrieval experiments have been performed on remote sensing target images to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.


The Democratic alternative to the Republican bill would have the National Science Foundation support more of the same high-quality research it now funds. Its spending levels are much more generous than in the GOP bill and extend for 5 years rather than 1 year.


Molecular layer of organo europium (Eu) complex was hybridized with the surface of halide perovskite (MAPbI3) nanocrystals to control charge transport between photoexcited perovskites and metal electrode. A thin hybridized nanocrystalline film was found to cause an efficient photomultiplication reaction based on hole accumulation at photoexcited perovskite nanoparticles and charge-tunneling across the Eu complex molecules under application of low external bias (-0.5V). A photodetecting device based on the Eu complex and perovskite absorber demonstrated photo-induced current generation at extremely high quantum conversion efficiency of 290,000% for weak monochromatic light (<1 mW cm-2) yielding power responsivity value up to 1289 A W-1. High sensitivity of photodetection was enabled by using nano-sized particles (<5 nm) of perovskite having high surface area in contact with the Eu complex while sensitivity was reduced by use of thick and large particle perovskite layers.


As the editor notes in the 'Introduction', there is no single pattern of change characterizing the century. The debate has considerably revised conventional wisdom on the nature of the Mughal state and has also questioned the reified notions of 'tradition' and 'modernity' that had been assumed in most studies of India's colonial encounter. An interesting range of essays have been selected by the editor which impart a new dimension to the ongoing debate on the eighteenth century and effectively demonstrate how scholars have reacted to Edward Said's 'Orientalism' thesis and have challenged his use of 'Orient' and 'Europe' as monolithic categories. Such a compilation will be immensely helpful to students, scholars and the general reader.


The dynamical development of a gravitationally unstable, initially uniform, collision-free medium has been studied by means of fully self-consistent three-dimensional numerical experiments. The system is encouraged to form just one blob by means of a small density bump, and its collapse is followed until a steady state has been reached. That blob may be interpreted as a galaxy, complete with halo. The galaxies that form have flat rotation curves. Particles with initial speeds in excess of the velocity (V0) in that flat rotation curve remain unaffected by the collapse; those with speeds less than V0 join the collapse and have their speeds increased to V0. A quasi-virial argument yields correct estimates for V0. 47 references.


Objective: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) collection in children recovering from status asthmaticus (SA) in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU); and to investigate whether 8-isoprostane (8-Iso) could be detected in the EBC of these children and to compare its concentration with that in the EBC collected from healthy children. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Multidisciplinary PICU in a teaching hospital. Patients: Sixteen consecutive patients (7–18 yrs of age) with SA and 16 age- and sex-matched controls. Interventions: The Wood clinical asthma score and the pulmonary index were used to assess the clinical severity of patients with SA upon admission to the PICU. EBC samples were collected within 24 hrs of admission to the PICU and were analyzed for the concentration of 8-Iso. Measurements and Main Results: Data are presented as mean ± sd values. There were no differences in age (12 ± 3.3 yrs vs.12 ± 2 yrs, p > .05) or sex (n = 10 males and n = 6 females in each group), between SA patients and controls. All patients with SA and the controls completed the EBC collection without complications. There was no statistically significant difference in the pulmonary index (3.2 ± 2.7 vs. 3.1 ± 2.8, p 0.9) post collection of EBC compared with the baseline values. There was a statistically significant correlation between Wood score and pulmonary index at the time of admission to the PICU in children with SA (r2 = .7, p < .01). The concentration of 8-Iso was significantly higher in the EBC of children with SA compared with controls (14.3 ± 1.8 pg/mL vs. 5.2 ± 0.7 pg/mL, p < .001). The correlation between the concentration 8-Iso and either the pulmonary index or Wood score at the time admission to the PICU was not statistically significant. Conclusions: EBC collection is well tolerated by children aged 7–18 yrs who are recovering from SA in a PICU. 8-Iso is elevated in the EBC from children with SA and may provide insight into the biochemical changes of oxidative stress in children in this clinical setting.


In this paper, we present some results of power analyses, and weight estimation on electric propulsion systems for Personal Air Vehicles(PAV) applications. When hybrid electric propulsion is adopted, its power performance using fuel cells and batteries is inferior to that of internal combustion engines for 1,000 kg PAV. However, hybrid electric propulsion systems may replace IC engines when energy density and power density is over 0.75 kW?hr/kg and 2.5 kW/kg, respectively.


Power delivery network (PDN) analysis and thermal analysis are computationally expensive tasks that are essential for successful integrated circuit (IC) design. Algorithmically, both these analyses have similar computational structure and complexity as they involve the solution to a partial differential equation of the same form. This article converts these analyses into image-to-image and sequence-to-sequence translation tasks, which allows leveraging a class of machine learning models with an encoder-decoder–based generative (EDGe) architecture to address the time-intensive nature of these tasks. For PDN analysis, we propose two networks: (i) IREDGe: a full-chip static and dynamic IR drop predictor and (ii) EMEDGe: electromigration (EM) hotspot classifier based on input power, power grid distribution, and power pad distribution patterns. For thermal analysis, we propose ThermEDGe, a full-chip static and dynamic temperature estimator based on input power distribution patterns for thermal analysis. These networks are transferable across designs synthesized within the same technology and packing solution. The networks predict on-chip IR drop, EM hotspot locations, and temperature in milliseconds with negligibly small errors against commercial tools requiring several hours.


Integrating cover crops into crop rotation could provide options for herbicide-resistant weed control in farming systems. To evaluate the potential effectiveness of spring-planted cover crop oats (Avena sativa L.) on weed suppression, productivity, and feed quality of annual forage crops as sole crops and intercrops in order to determine the best agroecological technique, two-year experiments were laid out under arid conditions in the Akmolinsk region in northern Kazakhstan. Three annual forage crops, namely, (Piper) Stapf.-Sudan grass (Sorghum sudanense) (control), common millet (Panicum miliaceum L.), and Japanese millet (Echinochloa frumentacea L.), and three annual intercropping systems, i.e., 50% pea (Pisum sativum L.) + 50% barley (Hordeum vulgare L.); 40% pea (Pisum sativum L.) + 30% (Piper) Stapf.-Sudan grass (Sorghum Sudanense) + 30% barley (Hordeum vulgare L.); and 50% pea (Pisum sativum L.) + 50% (Piper) Stapf.-sudan grass (Sorghum Sudanense), as well as the six mentioned treatments with the sole crops and intercrops plus cover crop oats (Avena sativa L.) were used. Japanese millet is a promising newly introduced crop in northern Kazakhstan. It was revealed that the cover crop significantly reduced weed density in the forage sole crops and their intercrops. In all cases, integrating the cover crop with annual forage crops showed higher quality and productivity than non-covered treatments. A highly productive annual crop grown with and without cover intercrop was Sudan grass. The highest yield among the three intercropping systems was recorded with the intercrop constituting 40% pea + 30% Sudan grass + 30% barley. The crude protein content was higher in biomass from sole crops and intercrops constituting cover crops. The overall view was that the use of oats as a cover crop on sole annual forage crops and their intercrops including methods that could be integrated with chemical and non-chemical methods in the field could be a valuable way to reduce weed pressure and improve quality and productivity during the vegetation period.


The paper presents optical spectroscopy of ten objects associated with extragalactic radiosources, using the University of Hawaii 2.2-m telescope. Redshifts are measured for four radiogalaxies (B20217+36A+B, 3C73, 0648+19A, and 0648+19B) and for a galaxy which is probably associated with a double radiosource with highly unusual properties (0951+37); existing redshifts are confirmed for two radiogalaxies (4C39.04 and 4C40.08); and a tentative redshift of z = 2.87 measured for the quasar 3C82.


While serving as the chief of the Agriculture and Trade Committee of the Beijin-based government during the Republic of China (1912-1949), Zhang Jian attached great importance to modernizing the traditional agriculture and took the initiative in leading the Chinese agriculture onto a new stage of reform in the modern history. He integrated this reform with the modernization of industry, and on this basis set forth the idea of increasing the industrial yield by deriving more and better raw materials from the agriculture". In the course of implementing the idea he took substantial measures such as promoting the agriculture in close association with the industry, upgrading the commercialization of agricultural products, increasing the productivity by improving the existing strains or importing the high-quality ones, modernizing and commercializing the farming. Besides, he also, through the laws and regulations concerned, legalized the measures so that they could be inherited and developed by succeeding governments, non-governmental organizations, and individuals in their reform of the traditional agriculture. His effort brought about a new look to and heralded the general trend of the modernization of agriculture during the Republic of China.


Cities must have prerequisite elements that attract people to appreciate their context. Usually, historic cities have the advantage over newly established urban centres because of their archaeological vestiges and collective memories of the past could still be projected as valuable public commodities. The primary concern of this paper is to highlight culture as a significant attribute in the development of urban form, and as a product of the collective and individual experience of the various social groups. It is culture that triggered the emergence of the socio-economic, technological and political structure of colonialism, which shaped the various social groups, which in turn shaped their built environment. By investigating the built forms of the colonial city of George Town through urban morphology and building typology, the objective is to unveil the characteristic patterns, the ambience and image portrayed, and finally the prevailing architectural styles within each particular historic setting. These will then be compared at various junctures to the existing context of the city in order to identify elements that have contributed in preserving a stable and a


Due to the recent needs for the expansion of renewable energy as sources of electrical energy, wind energy conversion is receiving widely used concept. The aim of this paper is to propose a control method for a doubly-fed induction generator used in wind energy conversion systems. The d-q model of the wound rotor induction machine, in rotor reference frame, is presented. The system is modeled and simulated in the Matlab Simulink environment. In order to control the power flowing between the stator of (DFlG) and the grid, a control law is synthesized using PI conventional combined with fuzzy controllers. These later are designed to tune along with the conventional PI-controllers for the control of active and reactive power of a wind-turbine operating under the wind speed change. Simulation results are obtained with the driving torque taking account of applied wind conditions. It is found that the PI parameters of this controller do not affect the desired power. The generated power is optimized whereas the reference power was tracked and the power-factor of operation was nearest to the unity. One shows that the machine parameters variations affect the system operation and their taking account contribute to improve the generated power. The obtained results were validated with other researchers using other strategies.


This paper addresses the problem of interferometric phase noise reduction in synthetic aperture radar interferometry. A new phase noise model in the complex domain is introduced and validated by using both simulated and real interferograms. This noise model is also derived in the complex wavelet domain, where a novel noise reduction algorithm, which is not based on a windowing process and without the necessity of phase unwrapping, is addressed. The use of the wavelet transform allows to maintain the spatial resolution in the filtered phase image and prevents to filter low coherence areas. By using both, simulated as well as real interferometric phase images, the performance of this algorithm, in terms of noise reduction, spatial resolution maintenance, and computational efficiency, is reported and compared with other conventional filtering approaches.


Objective:To observation the clinic effect of Chinese and west medicine cooperation treating diabetic nephropathy.Method:The 68 diabetic nephropathy renal failure patients diagnosed as deficiency of yin and yang were divided into 2 groups randomly.The control group was treated with west medicine to control blood sugar and blood pressure,while the treated group plus zhixiaobaoshenning herbs granule basic on the former,to analysis the two groups effective after three months,including Chinese medicine symptoms,renal function and blood lipid etc.Results:The total effective rate of the treated group is 74.67%,there is the significant difference compare with the control group which is 61.76%,(P0.01),and the treated group is better than control group at improving symptoms,blood lipid and renal function(P0.01或P0.05).Conclusion:the treatment cooperating Chinese medicine and west medicine has outstanding advantages for diabetic nephropathy especially for improving the clinic effect of DN.


Purpose
This paper aims to uncover the influence of copyright holder/digital media policies on digital piracy behavior using the brand hegemony rejection (BHR) theory.

Design/methodology/approach
Content analysis of in-depth personal interview data from active digital pirates is analyzed using BHR theory.

Findings
BHR is found useful in understanding pirating motivations, which vary greatly across time and across digital mediums. Piracy is often motivated by profit enhancing policies of big media copyright holders, which are deemed unfair and not customer-oriented, but such motivations are greatly reduced when copyright holders offer attractive legal means to obtain digital content. Pirates generally do not feel sympathy for large media companies, but some pirates feel guilt that their actions may hurt digital content creators.

Research limitations/implications
The relatively small sample of pirates is primarily from Norway and hence may not be representative of other media markets.

Practical implications
A large portion of digital piracy can potentially be eliminated if copyright holders are customer focused and offer desired content with a format and price that are deemed fair. The technical skills of pirates are high, and they can resort to piracy whenever they feel rights holders are not customer-oriented.

Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first application of BHR theory to the digital piracy arena, and it is found to provide useful insights in explaining the rise and fall of piracy. This application of the BHR theory also suggests it might be usefully applied to the study of other ethically questionable consumer activities.


The city centre as a location for mission has been largely neglected. It demands, alongside the inner-city and rural ministry, to be recognised as having its own special needs, problems and opportunities. A brief historical survey traces the way the city centre has moved from being the heartbeat of the city to decline until, in recent years, in the postmodern city, seen a remarkable revitalisation. This poses a challenge to the churches for mission and ministry. The often but not always withering traditional congregation has to take account of the recent changes. There are also new forms of church that reflect the social patterns. Being in the city centre should also clearly inform the worship of the church. Importantly, being at the hub of modern urban life, the city centre is the place where public theology should actively come into contact with various social, civic and economic structures.


. In 2023 Panja and Prasad discussed the images of polynomials with zero constant term and Waring type problems on upper triangular ma- trix algebras over an algebraically closed field. In the present paper we shall obtain a result on the image of polynomials with zero constant term on upper triangular matrix algebras over an algebraically closed field. By combining Panja and Prasad's result with our result, we can give a complete description of the images of polynomials with zero constant term on upper triangular matrix algebras over an algebraically closed field. This is an important variation of the old and famous Lvov-Kaplansky conjecture. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. 16S50, 15A54.


Soil CO2 efflux data from automated chambers provide an important constraint for ecosystem and soil respiration. Usually, half-hourly time series of several replicated chambers have to be aggregated to plot-level while gaps in the time series have to be accommodated. Gaps cause jumps and other problems in aggregation of replicated measurement in each half-hour, therefore, lookup tables and machine learning approaches are used to fill gaps beforehand.

Here, we present an alternative fully Bayesian approach for the combined gap-filling and aggregation based on Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation (INLA). This method integrates all information from every measurement across replicates and across time and therefore efficiently estimates the correlation structure among all observations. It provides the full marginal posterior distribution of the aggregated time series at the plot level across the time span of the time series. We compare several aggregation approaches using four years of data from 16 automatic chambers at the eddy-covariance site in Majadas de Tietar in Spain (ES-LM1, ES-LMa).

This approach is applicable for other replicated time series as well. We further explore its usage for analysing time-varying effects across treatments and habitats and its usage for gap-filling net ecosystem exchange (NEE) data based on the full correlation structure in a data-cube of time and environmental conditions.


In this article, a new method known as the Chebyshev wavelet collocation method is presented for the solution of second-order linear ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The method is based on the approximation of the truncated Chebyshev wavelet series. By using the  Chebyshev collocation points, an algebraic equation system has been obtained and  solved. Hence the implicit forms of the approximate solution of second-order linear ordinary differential equations have been obtained. This p resent method has been applied to the  Bessel differential equation of order zero and the Lane–Emden equation. These calculations demonstrate that the accuracy of the Chebyshev wavelet collocation method is quite high even in the case of a small number of grid points. The present method is a very reliable, simple, fast, computationally efficient, flexible, and convenient alternative method.


The Global Tuberculosis Epidemic: Scale, Dynamics, and Prospects for Control The Epidemiology of Tuberculosis Pathogenesis of Tuberculosis: New Insights Diagnosis of Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis Treatment of Tuberculosis Tuberculosis/HIV Coinfection: Epidemiology, Clinical Aspects, and Programmatic Interventions Achieving Higher Case Detection and Cure Rates: National Programs and Beyond Antituberculosis Drug Resistance in the World: The Latest Information Programmatic Control of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Programmatic Management of HIV-Associated Tuberculosis WHO's Stop TB Strategy: Progress and Prospects New Drugs for Tuberculosis The Future of Tuberculosis Vaccinology


Data fusion addresses the problem of consolidating data from disparate information providers into a single unified interface. The different data sources often provide conflicting information for the same data item. Recently, several automated data fusion models have been proposed to resolve conflicts and identify correct data. Although quite effective, these data fusion models do not achieve a close-to-perfect accuracy. We present the demonstration of a system that leverages users as first-class citizens to confirm data conflicts and rapidly improve the effectiveness of fusion. This demonstration is built on solutions proposed in our previous work [1]. To utilize the user judiciously, our system presents claims in an order that is the most beneficial to effectiveness of fusion across data items. We describe ranking algorithms that are built on concepts from information theory and decision theory, and do not need access to ground truth. We describe the user input framework and demonstrate how conflict resolution can be expedited with minimal feedback from the user. We show that: (a) the framework can be easily adopted to existing data fusion models without any internal changes to the models, and (b) the framework can integrate both perfect and imperfect feedback from users.


The global literature widely uses Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), Lafay Index (LFI), Export Diversification (EDI), Hirschman (HI), and Major Export Category (MEC) to analyze international trade flows, though agricultural trade, specifically agri-food commodities consisting of food and feed commodities, is neglected in empirical works. Furthermore, the determinants of Revealed Comparative Advantages and the Lafay Index have received little attention, with little focus on the relationships between food insecurity as measured by the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and the aforementioned factors, including the RCA and LFI indices as explanatory variables with other macroeconomic variables. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the competitiveness of Namibia's agri-food products, the factors that influence it, and their implication for food security. This study attempts to answer which factors affect agri-food comparative advantage, which agri-food commodities have a comparative advantage and disadvantage, and what the implications are to food security. The study employed regression analysis, the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, and various indices. Revealed Comparative Advantage and Lafay Index indicated a mixed result during the study period. Export Diversification and Hirschman indices indicated a less concentrated trade structure throughout the study period. The results of the market structure of the international agri-food market estimated by the Major Export Category revealed that Namibia was unduly dependent on agri-food commodities incorporated in this study. The regression result showed a significant negative influence of labor and land productivity on the aggregated RCA and LFI for agri-food commodities. Land productivity and GDP per capita impact the degree of food insecurity in Namibia. The study concludes that Namibia was not dependent on international trade of agri-food commodities and had little bearing on food security. These analyses enlighten policymakers about the competitiveness of the agri-food business and its implications for food security through evidence-based policy development.


Web-based college English learning has become one of the best ways among college students.College English learning differs entirely from traditional English learning.It mainly focuses on the features of web English learning involving its openness,interaction,autonomy and interest.As web English learning is new to us,we feel it urgent to find some effective solutions to the new problems in web-based English learning.


Certain eyes are at a higher risk of complication during cataract surgery. Operations on such 'high-risk' eyes are also more likely to yield a poor visual outcome (defined as best corrected vision less than 6/60 after surgery). 1 Learning to recognise when eyes are at greater risk, and acting accordingly, will help you to avoid complications. Even so, before the operation takes place, it is good practice to explain to such patients that a poor outcome is a possibility. This makes these patients' expectations more realistic and improves postoperative compliance and follow-up. In most cases, patients who are blind with complicated cataract will be happy with even a modest improvement of their vision. It is also important to have available all the equipment you may need to manage a possible complication, for example a vitrectomy machine in the case of capsular rupture and vitreous loss. Depending on where you are in the world, certain 'high-risk' eyes will be more common: for example, pseudoexfoliation in Somalia and India, onchocerciasis in Sudan, and angle-closure glaucoma in Asia. You will get to know your local problems as you perform more operations.


In this paper, we study the kink–antikink interaction in the ϕ6 system. This system has soliton-like solutions which fall into two categories with opposite topological charges. We consider the interaction of a kink solution with an antikink at different incident energies (velocities) and observe the outcome. In general, the collision is inelastic. There are two critical velocities v1 and v2 in the system, between which there are enormous number of narrow scattering windows. We study the fractal-like structure of the windows. Below v1 the pair are absorbed into each other. Above v1 the pair get separated after the inelastic interaction. Finally, we obtain the internal modes of the kink in this system and address its relevance to the interaction behavior.


The market for electrical energy storage (ES) solutions has been mostly limited to relatively small applications of battery uninterruptible power supply systems (UPS's) and very large site-specific systems such as pumped hydro storage, two completely different types of ES with separate markets. Flow batteries (FBs) are promising to change that by providing a technology that can potentially span this entire range of applications. Flow batteries have demonstrated providing ES from sub-second local power reliability to hourslong load shaping and price arbitrage functions at the large commercial end-user-scale (500 kW, 520 kWh). Several pilot plants have been built at this scale and early results are positive. In addition, pilot utility-scale systems (12 megawatt, 120 megawatt-hour) are being constructed. The scale and variety of these pilots reflects high confidence in this technology by developers. This paper details technical principles of 2 competing flow battery technologies available in the immediate future, compares their market-readiness, and analyzes economics and market potential for this technology to compete with UPSs as well as play into new commercial load management markets.


Abstract : Objectives of this project were (1) to determine the effects of blasts on filtration devices and typical gas cleaning systems in the 3- and 1-psi overpressure range, (2) to measure dust dislodged from AEC filters and dry plates by blast and reentrained in reverse-flow air, (3) to determine the pressure attenuation and dust-recovery characteristics of typical wire-mesh viscous filters and dry Fiberglas filters, (4) to determine the natural damping effect of duct work and stacks, and (5) to compare field and laboratory data to determine if present and future laboratory tests can be extrapolated to predict field conditions. Test results showed no damage to AEC filters and only minor damage to Fiberglas filters. Total reentrainment ranged from 73 per cent of total AEC filter loading (4.0-psig area) to 53 per cent (1.9-psig area). Dry plates lost 95 per cent of their original dust holding. Prefilters recovered approximately 30 per cent of the dust dislodged from AEC filters. Wire-mesh afterfilters reduced dust loss from 53 to 4.5 per cent. Field tests appear to agree with laboratory studies and indicate that future tests can be performed successfully in laboratory shock tubes.


Problem. The change of the sizes of the processed samples (aluminum alloys) after oxidation in alkaline-silicate electrolyte at the anode-cathode mode is studied in the work. The two-layer structure of aluminum alloys after MAO processing is shown. The change in the size of the parts is determined by the phase composition of the coating. Goal. The goal is study of the changes in the size of the processed samples (aluminum alloys) after oxidation in alkaline-silicate electrolyte at the anode-cathode mode. The change of the sizes of the processed samples (aluminum alloys) after oxidation in alkaline-silicate electrolyte at the anode-cathode mode is studied in the work. Methodology. X-ray structural analysis (Dron - 3) in radiation Кα-Cu, microhardness measurement (PMT-3) with the load of 100 gr., measurement of coating thickness (vortex thickness gauge BT - 10NTs).  Results. It is shown that in the case of predominant α- Al2O3 formation the δ / B ratio is 1.28, in the case of γ-Al2O3 formation, the δ / B ratio is 1.55 and in the case of mullite formation (3Al2O3 • 2SiO2) - 2.23. The calculation showed that the level of change in the size of the sample after MАO significantly depends on the phase composition of the coating. Experimental testing on different alloys and different electrolytes confirmed the different degree of change in size depending on the phase composition of the coating, which is determined by the modes of MAO and the composition of the electrolyte. Thus, the experimental value for alloy D16 subjected to MАO in different modes varies from 1.0 to 2.0; for B96 metal - 1.15-2.76; for AMg6 metal - 1.46-2.55. The results presented above relate to the total thickness of the formed coating. Given the two-layer structure of the coating and the fact that the thickness of the loose layer to be removed is 15 - 50% of the total thickness, the change in the size of the part after the final finishing of the friction surface should be insignificant. It has been experimentally established that from alloys D16, B96, AMg6 at optimal modes of MAO (thickness of wear-resistant coating 100 - 150 μm) the increase in the size of the part to the side is 5 - 10 μm. As for cast alloys (for example, Al9), the structure of the coating which contains a significant amount of mullite, the increase in the size of the part of such alloy after MАO and refining, more (compared to deformed alloys) and is 20 - 30 microns Al2O3. Originality. The calculation and research showed that the level of change in the size of the sample after MDO significantly depends on the phase composition of the coating itself. Considering the two-layer structure of the coating and the fact that the thickness of the loose layer to be removed is 15 - 50% of the total thickness, the change in the dimensions of the part after the final proofing of the surface should be insignificant. Practical value. Changes in the dimensions of the part must be taken into account when processing parts with small tolerances or eliminated by additional finishing by partially removing the main wear-resistant layer.


Trichoptera (caddisflies) are an order of small insects that are closely related to the Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). Trichoptera and Lepidoptera together comprise the superorder Amphiesmenoptera. Lepidoptera may have evolved from Trichoptera, or they may have their most recent common ancestor in the superorder Amphiesmenoptera, which includes extinct insects that are neither clearly trichopteran or lepidopteran. The main differences between Trichoptera and Lepidoptera are that Trichoptera have hairy wings while Lepidoptera have scaley wings and that caddisfly larvae are generally aquatic and lepidopteran caterpillars are generally terrestrial. Another commonly held distinction has been that the M4 vein in the fore wings is present in Trichoptera but absent in Lepidoptera. In 1973, however, the M4 vein was found to be present in one lepidopteran group—The family Agathiphagidae. The discovery of the agathiphagids in 1952 has added some confusion to the basal phylogeny of the Lepidoptera. There are two competing theories for the basal phylogeny of the Lepidoptera. Kristensen's theory is that the order of Lepidopteran evolution is Micropterigidae + (Agathiphagidae + (Heterobathmiidae + (Eriocraniidae + Coelolepida))). The alternative theory is Shields', which is Agathiphagidae + (Micropterigidae + (Heterobathmiidae + (Eriocraniidae + (Coelolepida))). With this project, I aimed to improve our understanding of the relationship between Trichoptera and Lepidoptera and to analyze the importance of the line drawn between these orders. 1 Common, I. F. B. 1973. A new family of Dacnonypha (Lepidoptera) based on three new species from Southern Australia, with a note on the Agathiphagidae. J. Aust. ent. Soc. 12: 11-23. 2 Kristensen, N. P. 1999. Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies. Volume 1:Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Walter de Gruyter: New York.


A soybean oil extraction expert system (ES), SOYEX, was developed to assist plant supervisors, technicians, and engineers in finding remedies for excessively high residual flake fats during soybean oil extraction processes (Deer, 1988). This diagnostic, knowledge-based system was developed using the expertise of a recently retired technical director of a major soybean oil extraction company. The knowledge engineer was a graduate research assistant in the Department of Agricultural Engineering, Purdue University. SOYEX has been used in one commercial extraction plant since the summer of 1988, and is now operational in four extraction plants. This ES is extensively used to train new managers and to recommend solutions to problems that occur especially during evenings and weekends when human expertise is not readily available.


Media is a tool used to convey messages from a source to the message's recipient. WhatsApp is an application that provides simple message and calls exchange services. Tahfidz Al-Quran is a person whocano memorize verses of the Quran from Al-fathihFatiha-nas. In memorizing the Quran during a pandemic, of course, you need media tools; WhatsApp can be used as a medium in depositing the memorization of the Quran with several existing features. Here the researcher conducted a study at the Islamic Boarding School Arabi Darul Yamani, Sasak Domain Pasisie; this study aims to determine the use of WhatsApp by tahfidz coaches in depositing memorization activities of students. The techniques used by researchers to collect data and in a format using observatioofion tIslamicic boarofnIslamiclsinterviewserview with tahfidz program supervisors and several students. The subjects of this study are tahfidz and santri or student coaches. The result of the short study is that teachers create Whats p groups that join students and the DZ teachers, a technique used by students to send videos into groups and photos when depositing Quran memorization. This is the easiest According According to students and te; theaters, this is the easiest thing to use.


The bit hydraulics optimization process is improved when drilling fluid rheological properties, historically considered input variables, instead become key goals of the optimization effort. This serves to decouple constraints that previously could unwittingly skew the results. Described in this paper are the benefits, requirements, and difficulties of determining the best Herschel-Bulkley parameters while simultaneously satisfying pre-defined optimization criteria and boundary conditions. Hydraulic window concepts are used to illustrate the overall process and companion software. Case histories are included that demonstrate improvements in hydraulic efficiency by optimizing fluid rheological properties. On a practical level, bit hydraulics optimization seeks to find a flow rate that maximizes a selected fluid-power criterion while considering a host of real or given physical limits and constraints. Jet-bit nozzles (or total flow area) are then sized to match a desired pump pressure. Common constraints including drilling margin, hole cleaning, and barite-sag requirements, pump horsepower, and others create two well-known, distinctive hydraulic windows bounded by flow rates and pressure limitations. Trial-and-error and special software convergence techniques are required to determine optimum rheological properties because of the combined effects of temperature and pressure profiles and other complex downhole conditions. Introduction The underlying objective of bit hydraulics optimization is to promote high drilling rates by delivering the necessary hydraulic energy beneath the bit to clean the mud-rock interface, rapidly remove cuttings around the bit face, and create crossflow to minimize cuttings regrinding. Powerful mud pumps, quality bit designs, and fit-for-purpose jet-nozzle configurations contribute significantly in this regard. Optimization occurs when the total available system energy is proportioned to maximize available hydraulic energy at the bit. Theoretical relationships that maximize bit hydraulic horsepower, impact force, and jet velocity were first published by Kendall and Goins. They stressed the need to consider "all necessary restrictions on operating conditions", provided procedures for maximizing the different criteria, and presented a graphical method for determining flow rates and sizing nozzles. Subsequent publications on this subject have presented worthy variations on the original theme. Other publications are notable because of their emphasis on field implementation. For example, the innovative optimization approach published by Scott takes advantage of field measurements, a technique later popularized by a handy optimization slide rule. Also, practical guidelines such as those from Randall have proven particularly valuable for placing key issues and parameters in proper perspective. Critical characteristics of many of today's wells, on the other hand, have made it advantageous and even necessary to rely on computer technology to execute the bit hydraulics optimization process. Swanson, et al. are among those that have advocated this approach, especially when considering a large number of parameters. Reduction in the number of parameters can simplify computer algorithms and increase chances of converging on a solution, particularly when multiple, narrow boundary conditions are involved. However, unnecessary predefinition of key independent variables can lead to less-than-optimal results. Drilling fluid rheological properties are among the important parameters that invariably are fixed input values. These properties, however, affect so many aspects of the hydraulics system that there can be great value in making them a more active part of the hydraulics planning process. Flexibility clearly is limited during drilling, but this does not diminish the impact of rheological properties on overall goals. This paper presents the application of a hydraulics program where optimization goals include Herschel-Bulkley rheological parameters as would be measured at the surface with a standard field viscometer. The overall process, illustrated using familiar hydraulic windows concepts, involves complex relationships for variable downhole properties and conditions along the lines of those provided by the modernized version of API RP-13D. Case studies based on field applications are included to demonstrate improvement opportunities and sensitivity to various conditions and parameters. Optimization Mechanics Practically speaking, the bit hydraulics optimization process for most drilling engineers has been distilled to finding the best combination of flow rate and jet-nozzle sizes (or total flow area) that achieve drilling goals while satisfying actual or assumed boundary conditions. More options clearly are available during planning stages, but fewer uncertainties exist while drilling is in progress. In either case, the AADE-07-NTCE-35 Bit Hydraulics Optimization with Variable Rheological Properties Mario Zamora and Sanjit Roy, M-I SWACO 2 M. Zamora and S. Roy AADE-07-NTCE-35 optimization process suffers when boundary conditions are too restrictive, sometimes resulting in compromises on many of today's most critical wells. Graphic "windows" have long been effective as tools to visualize, analyze, and optimize the process. Two well-known hydraulics windows are used in this paper to visually demonstrate relationships among various parameters and boundary conditions. They also revisit basic concepts to help counteract an apparent loss of understanding and appreciation of bit hydraulics optimization in recent years. The first window illustrates relationships among annular pressure losses, drilling margin, and critical flow-rate limitations based on well conditions and pump capabilities. The second is the classic graphic used primarily to determine the flow requirements to maximize a selected optimization criterion at the bit. The two windows are inescapably linked by the flow-rate range, which depends on mud rheology. Annular Hydraulics Window. The Annular Hydraulics Window shown in Fig. 1a is a useful tool to help define and illustrate requirements for maintaining a non-obstructed, gauge, quality wellbore without mud losses or other stability issues. Within the context of this paper, its primary goal is to establish the flow-rate range based on different rheological properties that can be shared with the Bit Hydraulics Optimization Window (Fig. 1b) discussed in the next section. The Annular Hydraulics Window is a plot of equivalent circulating density at the casing shoe ECD versus flow rate Q). For some, it is convenient to use ∆ECD as the dependent variable, but this is a matter of choice. Pressure and flow-rate limits which form the perimeter of the centerpiece rectangular "window" are surprisingly interrelated by way of the drilling fluid rheology. Drilling margin is represented by upper and lower limits defined by the fracture gradient at the casing shoe FG and the equivalent static density ESD. ESD, the static downhole mud weight adjusted for temperature and pressure, incorporates pore pressure and wellbore stability issues. The left and right window borders define the available flow rate range. The left edge is the minimum flow rate Qmin which depends primarily on rig pump limits and holecleaning/barite-sag requirements. The right boundary is the maximum flow rate Qmax defined by the lowest value determined from the onset of turbulence, maximum pump output, consumption of pump pressure as parasitic losses, and the intersection of the ECD-with-cuttings curve with the FG boundary. The latter is the case for the example illustrated in Fig. 1a. For very narrow drilling margins, like those encountered in many deepwater and HTHP wells, the flowrate range is squeezed such that the wells cannot be safely drilled without modifying mud properties or controlled drilling as a last resort. The notable dependency of this window on rheology provides the opportunity for finding the best properties to satisfy the multitude of boundary conditions. Pre-defining mud rheological parameters as input values (by plan or by ignoring the possibility of field adjustments) could unnecessarily restrict the optimization process. Bit Hydraulics Optimization Window. The Bit Hydraulics Optimization graph in Fig. 1b also is constructed around a rectangular "window" defined by pressure and flowrate limits. In this case, system pressures P is the dependent variable and the data are plotted on log-log coordinates. Detailed descriptions and use of this window are available elsewhere. The brief discussion provided here highlights the impact of mud rheology on the overall optimization process. Pump pressure Pp so indicated as the upper boundary of the window is a critical element of the optimization process. Relationships presented below require that Pp be constant, independent of flow rate. Minimum and maximum flow rates carried over from the Annular Hydraulics Window are shown as left and right vertical edges of the rectangle. Log coordinates are used so that two key power curves can be constructed as straight lines. The first is the available pump hydraulic horsepower HHPp defined by 1 ) ( 1714   Q HHPp Pp ... (1) If the HHPp line cuts across the window (usually near the upper, right-hand corner), Eq. 1 must be checked so that the combination of Pp and Q does not exceed the maximum hydraulic horsepower of the pump. The second power curve represents system pressure losses excluding the bit. It is generally accepted that the so-called parasitic pressure loss Px is proportional to Q , where the exponent s varies from about 1.3 to 1.9 depending on the turbulent flow characteristics of the drilling fluid and drill string geometry. The exponent s can be determined empirically from measured field data, modeled, or a default value. The most commonly used default values for the turbulent flow behavior index s are 1.86 and 1.75, derived from


We prove new explicit inapproximability results for the Vertex Cover Problem on the Power Law Graphs and some functional generalizations of that class of graphs. Our results depend on special bounded degree amplifier constructions for those classes of graphs and could be also of independent interest.


The successful operation of mobile robots requires them to adapt rapidly to environmental changes. To develop an adaptive decision-making tool for mobile robots, we propose a novel algorithm that combines meta-reinforcement learning (meta-RL) with model predictive control (MPC). Our method employs an off-policy meta-RL algorithm as a baseline to train a policy using transition samples generated by MPC when the robot detects certain events that can be effectively handled by MPC, with its explicit use of robot dynamics. The key idea of our method is to switch between the meta-learned policy and the MPC controller in a randomized and event-triggered fashion to make up for suboptimal MPC actions caused by the limited prediction horizon. During meta-testing, the MPC module is deactivated to significantly reduce computation time in motion control. We further propose an online adaptation scheme that enables the robot to infer and adapt to a new task within a single trajectory. The performance of our method has been demonstrated through simulations using a nonlinear car-like vehicle model with $(i)$ synthetic movements of obstacles, and $(ii)$ real-world pedestrian motion data. The simulation results indicate that our method outperforms other algorithms in terms of learning efficiency and navigation quality.


Microstructures and properties of 1.4003 ferritic stainless steel welded joints are investigated by room-temperature tensile test,impact test,Vickers hardness test and metallographic analyse.The results show that the joints by means of MAG has good tensile strength which is higher than base metal and good bend properties.HAZ on 1.4003 side has bad impact properties which will be sharply reduced with the temperature dropped.Near Fusion line the hardness has fluctuation.Hardness of overheating area is not decreased significantly.The microstructure of the welded seam is mainly austenitic organization consisting of duplex ferrite and austenitic.HAZ overheating area has unity coarsening ferritic grain,which caused toughness decline.The Organization of base metal is ferrite.


Our hypothesis is that es ape analysis an estimate lifetime information for dynami ally allo ated obje ts. We then use this information to pretenure those obje ts that have long lifetimes. This te hnique avoids the ost in urred by a generational opying olle tor for opying long-lived obje ts from the nursery into an older generation. This approa h is ompletely new { all past work on pretenuring has involved proling; our approa h instead employs stati analysis.


Considers polysorbate 60, nitrate and nitrite salts, diethylpyrocarbonate, and chick-edema factor. From the "State-of-the-Art Symposium for Chemical Educators: Chemistry of the Food Cycle".


Background: Meat is a highly nutritious food and a major component of the basic food basket. Consumers select foods not only for taste and satisfaction, but also for their effects on human nutrition and health. In addition there is very little knowledge about the quality of meat produced in the Colombian systems and their fatty acid content which undoubtedly affect human health. Objetive: To determine the content and composition of fatty acids in meat from steers managed in different Colombian systems. Methods: Meat (Longissimus dorsi) samples were obtained from Zebu cattle from four production systems inthe Colombian tropics: Two silvopastoral arrangements (Cotove Research Center, National University of Colombia and Montenegro, Quindio), improved pastures (Montenegro, Quindio) and a traditional grazing system (Monteria, Cordoba). Fat was extracted from 64 meat samples in the laboratory of Analytical Chemistry of the National University of Colombia, and a quantitative analysis of fatty acids was performed by gas chromatography in the laboratory of Instrumental Analysis of the National University of Colombia in Medellin. The results were evaluated following a complete randomized design and means were separated by the Duncan test. Results: There were significant differences in the content of myristic and palmitic acids between meat from the traditional and improved pasture system, with both acids being higher in the traditional system. There were also differences in the content of linoleic and linolenic acid, being lower in the Cotove silvopastoral system. There were significant differences in the content of unsaturated acids, with the meat from silvopastoral system Quindio and the improved pastures showing the highest fatty acid saturated: polyunsaturated ratio (0.19). In the linoleic: α-linolenic ratio there were no differences. Conclusions: Although the composition and the fatty acid content in beef varied between systems evaluated, the main components of such systems fat were palmitic acid and oleic acid (30.73 and 35.62 g/100 g fatty acid).


Clinical description Akathisia is a state of motor restlessness commonly seen after the administration of antipsychotic drugs. It is characterized by a subjective feeling of tension and inability to tolerate inactivity which gives rise to restless movement. When mild this is seen as continuous shuffling or tapping movement of the feet while sitting, and persistent shifting of weight and rocking of the trunk while standing. In more severe cases the person is unable to sit, stand or lie still, and paces or runs incessantly in extreme distress. The latter was referred to by earlier writers as 'paradoxical behavioural reactions' and 'turbulent reactions' (Sarwer-Foner 1961). Historically the psychopathology of akathisia has been a matter of debate (Marsden et al. 1975, Van Putten 1975). It was first described in 1903 by Hastovec, who felt the disorder was hysterical in nature. Bing (1939) described akathisia as a psychosis, 'characterised by a morbid fear of sitting down', but later thought it might be a way of overcoming the muscular rigidity of Parkinson's disease. Oppenheim (1911) considered akathisia to be a neurosis, 'usually a form of phobia', and Wilson (1940) designated it a hysterical phenomenon although he described the syndrome in association with Parkinson's disease. Akathisia was often seen in postencephalitic Parkinson's disease and when arising as an early symptom was frequently diagnosed as being hysterical. Its association with postencephalitic and drug-induced parkinsonism led people to consider it a disorder of the extrapyramidial system. The subjective experience of akathisia is closely akin to anxiety, which can cause it to be mistaken for an exacerbation of the original mental illness. Hodge (1959) observed that akathisia 'May appear like an anxiety state in which real anxiety can be neither recognized nor verbalized'. Raskin (1972) said that some patients were unable to distinguish between anxiety and the restlessness of akathisia and he advised clinicians to watch for symptoms such as uneasiness, hyperactivity, pacing and vague complaints about medication. He felt it was frequently responsible for apparent deterioration in patients after starting antipsychotic medication. Van Putten (1975) cited akathisia as a common cause for discontinuing neuroleptic medication, particularly as it is poorly tolerated by paranoid schizophrenics whose worries of bodily interference are seemingly confirmed. Kalinowsky (1958) said akathisia could be 'more difficult to endure than any of the symptoms for which the patient was originally treated'. Van Putten (1975) described varying presentations of akathisia associated with strong feelings of fright, terror, anger, rage and vague somatic complaints. In one case the restlessness of akathisia was experienced as sexual torment, the patient describing 'cravings' which she had never known before and could not satisfy. Kumar (1979) described the difficulty psychotic or mentally retarded individuals may suffer in verbalizing their subjective experience of akathisia which may present as aggressive or uncontrollable behaviour disturbance.


Digital communication has lot of significance in human life now a days and it is important for communication to be made secret. Today, many applications are internet based and people are relying on social networking sites like facebook,twitter etc. The information is distributed through insecure channels and needs to be protected from unauthorised access and use. Cryptography and steganography are two popular methods used for data protection. The cryptography distorts the data and steganography hides the existence of data. Alone approach of any of these techniques may cause some vulnerabilities.But, cryptography combined with steganography has high standards of securing information. This paper focuses on combination of cryptography and steganography to provide high security for the communication through insecure channels.


Understanding the dissemination of medically important microbiota is a significant public health necessity. Although modern bacteriology has advanced with improved culturing technology, several environmental bacteria occur in the "viable but nonculturable" state. By using next-generation sequencing (NGS) to comprehensively analyze the intestinal microbiota of migratory birds, research on microbial communities traveling over long distances has entered a new era and provides new insights that are valuable for the analysis of medical care, livestock industry, agriculture, and human health risks. The use of comprehensive analysis by NGS of not only intestinal microbiota but also diet biological communities may help elucidate the relationship between microbiological communities and the diet and succession of intestinal microbiota, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria, during migration and breeding. Here, we have described the current state and the future implications of studying intestinal microbiota associated with migratory birds.


As we need to add varactors at the edge of resonators while design varactor tuned filters, so the electromagnetic field will be changed greatly as the control voltage changed, it's extremely disadvantaged to semi-elliptic function filters as they have special demand on coupling, so we haven't see any report on voltage controlled semi-elliptic function filters. Through the additional weak couple between the input line and the output line, there will appear two transmission zeros from the normal band-pass filters, and thus achieved a novel type of semi-elliptic function filters; on the other hand, from change the couple structure of the traditional semi-elliptic function filters, we can also achieve varactor tuned semi-elliptic function filters, and thus find a new way for the design of varactor tuned semi-elliptic filters.


This article provides insights into what is possible when a bilingual teacher education program provides support for teachers who want to discuss lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) topics in their classrooms. This study is set in Southern Arizona, a bilingual, multicultural community in predominantly Mexican American classrooms. I challenge the research and professional development in teacher education on diversity, multicultural and bilingual education to be inclusive of LGBTQ issues as critical and central to conversations on social justice education. This piece focuses on what a new teacher, with the support of a graduate program, did to mitigate homophobia in her classroom. Creating more inclusive bilingual teacher education programs is important because this work holds the possibility of creating allies who decrease the burden felt by queer people—students, teachers, families—in schools.


A heterogeneous multicore processor has several cores that share the same instruction set architecture but run at different speeds and power consumption rates, offering both energy efficient cores and high-performance cores to applications. We show how to exploit such processors to make significant energy reduction to serve large interactive workloads such as web search by carefully scheduling requests. Scheduling is a challenging task. Intuitively, we want to run short requests on slow cores for energy efficiency and long requests on fast cores for timely responses. However, there are two key challenges: (1) request service demands are unknown; and (2) the most appropriate core to run a request may be busy. We propose an online algorithm, Fast-Preempt-Slow (FPS), which improves response quality subject to deadline and total power constraints. We conduct a simulation study using measured workload from a large commercial web search engine as well as using a variety of synthetic workloads to assess the benefits of FPS. Our results show significant benefits, achievable under a wide variety of conditions: The throughput of a heterogeneous processor is 60% higher than that of the corresponding homogeneous processor with the same power budget; equivalently, to support a large workload as in web search, FPS on the heterogeneous processors reduces the number of servers by approximately 40%.


In the case of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Irani suggests that the Vatican's involvement is guided by commitment to Palestinian self-determination, its wish to serve as a mediator, and its overriding desire to protect the interests of the local Christian community and preserve a Christian presence in the Holy Land. His analysis largely supports these hypotheses. The chapter on Jerusalem offers an interesting overview of the evolving nature of the Vatican's approach to this vexing problem. It has progressed from a position of championing the supremacy of Catholic rights and privileges in Jerusalem to one of arguing for international supervision of the holy sites, regardless of what the city's national sovereignty might turn out to be. The chapter on Lebanon is especially good and fills a large gap in the scholarship on the Lebanese war. The Vatican's initiatives in Lebanon have been based on the assumption that the integrity of a pluricommunitarian Lebanon is imperative in order to save the Catholic communities there. As Irani explains, however, this policy has brought the Holy See into conflict with hardline Maronite groups, which at times have been quite harsh in their condemnation of the Vatican's position. Irani's theses are well defended. His source material and the thoroughness of his research are impeccable. Irani clearly writes from a Catholic perspective (he is employed by the Catholic Near East Welfare Association), and his tone is sometimes defensive when discussing Vatican-Jewish and Vatican-Israeli relations. Nevertheless, he does not hesitate to point out that the Vatican "has a long way to go in order to form solid bonds" with Muslims and Jews (p. 159). He also correctly, though fleetingly, observes that papal diplomacy has been effective only on religious issues. Indeed, this reviewer's impression is that the Vatican's initiatives, energetic as they were, generally had little effect on political developments. As the evolution in its policy toward Jerusalem reveals, the Holy See's positions have been more reactive than formative. Irani's book would have been more useful to a wider audience had he expounded on this point, even to the extent of taking a few pages to ponder the theoretical implications for all transnational actors in the international system. Let us hope that he is given the opportunity to do this in a revised edition of his book. Much has happened in the Middle East since 1984, and it would be instructive to see Irani's analysis of papal policy toward the Intifada (including the influence on Vatican policy of the actions of U.S. bishops who produced an important statement on the Middle East in 1989). It also would be worth exploring whether the Vatican and other translational actors will have greater influence in the post-Cold War era and whether the increasingly independent Russian Orthodox Church might begin to reassert its ancient claims to influence in the Middle East in a way that challenges the Vatican's position.


The patient, a young married woman of 27 years, was seen by me in consultation with Dr. J. Park Dougall, on Nov. 1, 1907. Her previous history is as follows: On December 7, 1906, she had a miscarriage at the seventh month of pregnancy, the fetus being dead. On October 21, 1907, Dr. Dougall was called to find another miscarriage threatening; fetal movement was apparent until the 26th. On the 27th. hemorrhage occurred, with loss of amniotic fluid, and labor pains coming on, she was delivered of a dead fetus extremely ecchymosed. The placenta and membrane came away naturally within an hour. The lochia were normal up to the 30th, with temperature 99. On that date the patient had a rigor, followed by a temperature of 102 and suppression of lochia. Curettement was done thoroughly at once, and the uterine cavity was swabbed out with carbol and iodin, frequent douches


The similarity of Coleman's theory (see abstr. A66860 of 1971) to a special case of a class of theories presented by Papapetrou (1954) is discussed.