An in-depth look at the fascinating sculptural works of one of the twentieth century's most innovative artists. Joseph Beuys (1921-86), - the German sculptor, teacher, activist and performance artist, became one of the most influential figures in modern and contemporary art. His charismatic presence, extraordinary life, and unconventional artistic style gained him international fame and notoriety during the 1960s, '70s, and '80s. Beuys's innovative influence is particularly felt in the field of sculpture, whose definition he expanded to encompass performance art, activism and site-specific environments. His use of unconventional materials including fat, felt, honey, blood and living trees reflected both the mythologising of his personal history and his growing political commitment. This beautifully illustrated book investigates Beuys's sculpture, arguably the most fundamental aspect of his artistic work, as well as his extraordinary influence. Featured objects include a selection of Beuys's remarkable vitrines, cousins of standard museum presentations, featuring both hand-made and found objects blackboards on which he jused in delivering lectures and performances; room-sized environments; and many other objects that served as physical documentation of Beuys's performances. With a comprehensive chronology of Beuys's activities both as an artist and activist, this book is essential for those interested in the life, work, and legacy of one of twentieth century art's most intriguing figures.


In light of Justice Antonin Scalia's having dissented from the U.S. Supreme Court's support for sexual minority rights in a series of cases decided under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, this paper, drawing upon rhetorical theory, considers Scalia's rhetoric of sexual orientation. In his dissents in Romer v. Evans, Lawrence v. Texas, United States v. Windsor, and Obergefell v. Hodges, Scalia performed and constructed various rhetorical personae, or roles, including the first, second, and third personae, that produced rhetorical hypocrisy grounded in a heteronormative ideology. The first persona, or speaker of the dissents, that Scalia performed was that of a neutral justice. The second persona, or the audience implied in the dissents, that Scalia constructed would receive appeals to tradition and majoritarian rule favorably and, ignoring the possibility of change in tradition and likewise ignoring minority rights, be susceptible to the alleged political threat of sexual minorities. The third persona, or the marginalized party in the dissents, that Scalia constructed consisted of the sexual minority as a criminal or other individual not thought highly of, such as a person with a drug addiction, a polygamist, or a prostitute. Although Scalia's performance of a neutral justice was skillful, his construction of the second and third personae undermined his performance of the first persona. Essentially, a justice who claimed neutrality was appealing to an implied audience that ignored minority rights and irrationally feared a small minority group. Meanwhile, the justice constructed sexual minorities as criminals or other poorly regarded individuals.


A procedure has been developed for the accurate measurement of film and substrate optical parameters from the multiple sample single-wavelength ellipsometric data. The dimensional reduction of the unknowns from newly formulated ellipsometric functions, the root selection and the thickness-dependent integer deduction enhance the rapidity of finding solutions and the convergence from a wide range of initial guesses while avoiding undesirable solutions. An error analysis carried out shows that the procedure is very resistant to the propagation of angular errors and allows the estimation of optimum film thickness ranges under which the parameters can be accurately found. The standard SiO 2 /Si structure is particularly studied using the procedure that is further illustrated with the experimental data on Ni/BK7-glass structures. The SiO 2 film refractive index and thickness are thus shown to be accurately determined when sought along with the substrate optical constants. Moreover, the film and substrate real indexes are not altered in the presence of an interface layer between the film and the substrate while its existence is indicated by a systematic lowering of the Si substrate extinction coefficient. The procedure can be efficiently used in the continuous real-time optical characterization of films growing on substrates.


Rainfall variability remains a major challenge to sustainable grazing management in northern Australia with perennial grasses the key to the stability of the resources that maintain a sustainable grazing industry. This paper describes the dynamics of five perennial grasses – Bothriochloa ewartiana (Domin) C.E. Hubb., Chrysopogon fallax S.T. Blake, Aristida spp., Panicum effusum R. Br. and Heteropogon contortus (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult. in relation to three grazing strategies – moderate stocking at long-term carrying capacity, heavy stocking and rotational wet season spelling. The research was conducted in permanent quadrats on the predominant land type in an extensive grazing study in an Aristida-Bothriochloa pasture in north Australia between 1998 and 2010. Summer rainfall was above average for two periods – 1998 – 2001 and 2008 – 2010 with drought and below-average rainfall from 2002 to 2007. Low rainfall affected the dynamics of all grasses by reducing survival and basal area through its effect on plant size; this impact was most noticeable for the shorter-lived Aristida spp., P. effusum and H. contortus. The impact of grazing was greatest on the long-lived B. ewartiana and C. fallax; this effect was accentuated by the 2002–07 drought. Heavy grazing during this period further reduced the survival and size of B. ewartiana in comparison with the moderate stocking and rotational spell treatments. In contrast, the survival of C. fallax was reduced in the moderate stocking and rotational spelling treatment during drought, relative to that under heavy grazing. The density of B. ewartiana declined even under moderate grazing and despite two sequences of above-average rainfall because seedling recruitment failed to offset mature plant death. Results from this study emphasised the importance of maintaining the existing populations of key long-lived species such as B. ewartiana through good management. These results also supported the overall findings from the grazing study indicating that stocking at the long-term carrying capacity is sustainable in managing for climate variability.


Objective: The delta neutrophil index (DNI) is the fraction of circulating immature granulocytes provided by a routine, complete blood cell analyzer, which has been reported as a useful prognostic marker of sepsis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of the DNI in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients who had undergone emergent surgery for an acute abdomen.
Methods: A total of 694 patients for acute abdominal pain who undergone emergent abdominal surgery from May 2015 to September 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Perioperative clinical characteristics including hospital stay, postoperative complications, and the 30-day mortality were investigated.
Results: In the analysis of the patients who underwent an operation for acute peritonitis, the DNI was a good predictor for predicting the 30-day mortality rate (Area under the curve [AUC] 0.826) and was not inferior to other laboratory values, including the activated partial thromboplastin time (AUC 0.729), C-reactive protein (AUC 0.727), albumin (AUC 0.834), prothrombin time (AUC 0.816), and creatinine (AUC 0.837) that are associated with sepsis. The patients with a high DNI (≥0.9%) displayed a higher incidence of bacteremia and sepsis, longer hospital stay, and higher postoperative complication and 30-day mortality rate.  Among the patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis, the DNI was a useful marker for differentiating appendiceal perforation.
Conclusion: The DNI was a useful marker for predicting the prognosis in patients who needed emergent abdominal surgery.


Micromobility management is a key issue for the deployment of broadband mobile communication services. The packet loss during handover and the handover latency need to be minimized to maintain the high quality of these services. We have previously proposed a mobility management scheme that addresses this issue in wide-area mobile networks that employed hierarchical multiple mobility management routers (Mobility Anchor Points or MAPs). Our scheme directs a Mobile Terminal (MT) to a suitable MAP to fully minimize packet loss during handover, and handover latency of the MTs. In our previous work, we confirmed the effectiveness of our scheme using a simple tree network. Actual networks however, always have densely meshed topologies to provide some redundancy for the elimination of single points of failure. In such networks, it is difficult to deduce the relationships between the MAPs, and this makes it difficult for our scheme to select a suitable MAP for an MT, because the selection is performed using both the MT's smoothed speed and the relationships existing between the MAPs located above the Access Router (AR), to which the MT is connected. In this paper, we propose a method to overcome this problem, by autonomously adjusting the selection criteria that are individually configured for use at a particular AR, and we evaluate this method using simulation experiments. The results show that our mobility management scheme works well in densely meshed networks using the proposed additional method.


Aim/Purpose: The present qualitative study examined the perceptions of Iranian Ph.D. candidates toward the responsibilities and activities that supervisors should take during the dissertation writing.

Background: Writing the dissertation is the main concern for Ph.D. candidates. In the view of doctorate students, supervisors are the main contributors to establishing a well-prepared dissertation.

Methodology: To this end, 15 Ph.D. candidates who either graduated recently or were about to have their viva sessions participated in the study. The data were collected through phone interviews as well as narrative inquiry. The current study adopted the mentorship model as its theoretical framework. The framework is well suited because the supervisors as mentors and persons that are more competent transfer their experience and knowledge to the supervisees as less competent students. The multiple case study has been applied as the design of the current study. Geared toward the objectives of the qualitative study, the data analysis process embraced Braun and Clarke's (2006) thematic analysis approach.

Contribution: The study has a number of theoretical and practical implications for both supervisors of Ph.D. students as well as teacher educators.

Findings: The authors presented and discussed their perceived themes, and they consented to the following four major themes: practicality, professionalism, emotional engagement, and career traits.

Recommendations for Practitioners: To ease the burden of writing a Ph.D. dissertation and to soothe the stress of Ph.D. candidates' experience, supervisors should take the responsibility for their task of supervision by providing moment-by-moment care and guidance to their students.

Recommendation for Researchers: The researchers utilized the two instruments of telephone interviews and narrations to collect data. It is suggested that other sources of data collection like observations and focus group interviews be included to gain further conceptions of the attendants. The researchers interviewed the dissertation writer in various majors; however, the topic was not questioned. It is recommended to evaluate the extent of the supervisor's interest in the topic on the success rate of the project.

Impact on Society: The present study revealed that students have different and varying needs and expectations of their supervisors. To meet these needs, supervisors should ask their students to submit a weekly report of their work as well as possible problems and questions.

Future Research: The findings were based on the Ph.D. candidates' perspectives; it is recommended that future research include the voices of the supervisors, too, particularly the supervisors of the same supervisees.


Introduction The college library plays an important role in the overall development of students. Undergraduate students often visit the library to consult previous question papers and syllabi, to borrow books and other material, and to use other services. With the application of information technology and the advent of Web-based services, contents are now available to students on their desktop. Various consortia provide access to digital contents any time and in any place. Students want to see traditional services transformed into digital information services. College libraries provide information that can help lead students to graduate, post graduate, and research studies (Jefferson and Smith-Burnet, 1978). De Jager (2002) found that use of the library improved student exam results. The main objective of the college library is to provide conceptual information and provide information to students for preparing assignments. Teaching relies more on lectures than on textbooks. The basic function of the college library is to provide the study material to its users in short possible time to serve the information requirements of the students and teachers. In this digital age, most of the college libraries have started computerization of in-house activities. Many Integrated Library Management software (ILMS) LIBSYS, SLIM ++, LIBERTY, Trodoon, LIBMAN, and open source software such as NewGenlib, Koha, Weblis, ABCD, Evergreen are also available in public domain to automate the library operations. INFLIBNET (Information Library Network) playing tremendous role in the development of libraries in India, INFLIBNET developed SOUL library automation software to university and college libraries at affordable price. Unquestionably the reputation and status of any college library depends on the quality information services provided to clients but it is rather difficult to ignore the advances in the field of ICT and libraries must adapt the new mode of information services. About St. Stephen's College In India about 42 central universities, 272 state universities, 130 deemed universities and 85 private universities with 6014 colleges under section 2(f), 12(B) of UGC Act 1956 are catering the educational needs of the people of India (http://www.ugc.ac.in). St. Stephen's College is one of the premier institutions in India established by Cambridge mission to Delhi, Cambridge Brotherhood arrived in Delhi in 1877 to reinforce the teaching strength of school run by S.P.G mission. The College was housed in Shish Mahal in Katra Khushal Rai in Kinari Bazar from 1881 to 1890. In 1891 into own beautiful building designed by Col (later Sir) Swinton Jacob, Chief engineer of Jaipur State and in 1941 shifted to its present site in the University Enclave. College has 13 departments and presently 88 faculty members who are teaching 1400 students in the college. St. Stephen's College Library St. Stephen's College has well established library housed in separate wing having approximately 98000 books, 3000 online journals and a separate archival section which holds records pertaining to the history of the college. Having built over many years and in more spacious time when books were cheaper and grants went further the college library is a resource unmatched by any other under graduate institution in Delhi. It has also moved with the time, and is fully automated. Separate video library section with various documentaries makes it unique from other undergraduate libraries. In the digital section, students can access to information through an online library. Web Enabled Library and Information Services Due to emergence of web based information and communication technologies (ICT) and globalization of networks and exponential rise of new information and the use of traditional tools in information management have been reduced and automation of information services of library and information centre have become imperative. …


Remote sensing data from the Terra Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and geospatial data were used to estimate grass yield and livestock carrying capacity in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Golog, Qinghai, China. The MODIS-derived normalized difference vegetation index (MODIS-NDVI) data were correlated with the aboveground green biomass (AGGB) data from the aboveground harvest method. Regional regression model between the MODIS-NDVI and the common logarithm (LOG10) of the AGGB was significant (r2 = 0.51, P < 0.001), it was, therefore, used to calculate the maximum carrying capacity in sheep-unit year per hectare. The maximum livestock carrying capacity was then adjusted to the theoretical livestock carrying capacity by the reduction factors (slope, distance to water, and soil erosion). Results indicated that the grassland conditions became worse, with lower aboveground palatable grass yield, plant height, and cover compared with the results obtained in 1981. At the same time, although the actual livestock numbers decreased, they still exceeded the proper theoretical livestock carrying capacity, and overgrazing rates ranged from 27.27% in Darlag County to 293.99% in Baima County. Integrating remote sensing and geographical information system technologies, the spatial and temporal conditions of the alpine grassland, trend, and projected stocking rates could be forecasted for decision making.


This paper discusses Odera Oruka's philosophical work from the perspective of its emphasis on the 'practical' impetus that Oruka himself underlined. In different ways, his various projects - his sage philosophy, his philosophy of liberty, his environmental philosophy and, perhaps most importantly, his critiques of African (and implicitly Kenyan) social and political realities - can be seen as manifestations of his commitment to the practical relevance and social significance of knowledge, and his conviction about the potentially liberating force of philosophical critique. Here, I try to provide an overall sketch of this agenda, seeking to initiate more thorough and detailed discussion for the future. As a main reference point for discussion, I look at how the term 'humanism' has been used (and can be used) to describe Oruka's work, in contrast to the invocation of this term by some nationalist political ideologies, in particular Moi's so-called ' nyayo philosophy'. Oruka's work could be more explicitly appreciated and explored, I argue, for the ways in which he observed and actively criticized instances of inhumanity and 'false humanism' in post-colonial Africa. Key Words Odera Oruka, humanism, liberty, freedom, ideology


This paper deals with feasibility of fault current limiter (FCL) by using Bi-2223 high temperature superconducting (HTS) wire. The FCL using HTS wire has some advantages of stability, flexibility of structure and cost compared with existing superconducting FCLs using bulk or thin film. Even if the FCL using HTS wire has zero resistance in normal state, it needs to be wound as a bifilar winding for non inductance. In this paper, four types of FCL module with bifilar winding were suggested, manufactured and experimented with short circuit tests in 77 K. The FCL modules have different fault current limiting characteristic and stability respectively. These types of module are solenoid, pancake, solenoid impregnated with epoxy resin and pancake impregnated with epoxy resin. The FCL module was applied by controllable AC bias during fault duration, 0.1 s, from 0.5 V to 22 V. A process of fault occurrence in this test is very similar to a fault occurrence in real system. In results of tests, the pancake type was more effective to limit a fault current than the solenoid type. Also modules impregnated with epoxy resin showed more efficient current limiting characteristics than nonimpregnated modules. The solenoid type has better characteristic of stability. The feasibility of the FCL by using HTS wire was verified by this paper


Extracellular application of tetraethylammonium (TEA) has been shown to elicit a prolonged synaptic potentiation in the CA1 region of the hippocampus that is unaffected by NMDA receptor antagonists, but is blocked by antagonists to voltage-dependent calcium channels (Aniksztejn and Ben-Ari, 1991; Huang and Malenka, 1993). In the present study the relation between TEA-induced potentiation and NMDA receptor- dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) was investigated in the CA1 region of the hippocampal slice using extracellular recordings and picrotoxin to block GABAA-mediated inhibition. Consistent with the finding of Huang and Malenka (1993), NMDA receptor-dependent LTP partially occluded the TEA-induced potentiation. However, this occlusion was abolished when the NMDA receptor antagonist D(-)-2-amino- 5-phosphonopentanoic acid (D-AP5) was present during the application of TEA, indicating one component of TEA-induced potentiation that is induced via NMDA receptor channels and another component that is distinct from NMDA receptor-dependent LTP. In the presence of antagonists to voltage-dependent calcium channels (nifedipine or nifedipine/flunarazine) application of TEA induced a potentiation that was largely occluded by NMDA receptor-dependent LTP. In common with NMDA receptor-dependent LTP, the TEA-induced potentiation, elicited in the presence of antagonists to voltage-dependent calcium channels, was associated with a symmetrical increase of the field EPSP. On the other hand, the TEA-induced potentiation elicited in the presence of D-AP5 produced an increase of the field EPSP that did not include the early part of the initial slope.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The article, based on 43 narrative interviews with Swedish physicians and molecular biologists, discusses family timing and family management as crucial factors in temporary international mobility of highly skilled professionals. In the narratives, the family often created a kind of inertia and complication for a prolonged period of working abroad. The interviewees' dreams and wishes had to be negotiated with a partner pursuing his/her own career, as well as the rest of the family, and there were also a lot of logistics and practicalities to take care of. However, mobility was also regarded as an amazing opportunity for the whole family to be together and to learn about new cultural and social contexts. In several narratives, the temporary and thus "parenthetic" living abroad influenced the otherwise cherished ideals of dual careers, equal gender contract and a respectful parenthood.


This study investigated retrofitting measures for improving the seismic performance of existing multi-column bridge bents. Experimental tests were conducted on 1/4.5-scale footing and column assemblages which incorporated details that were selected to represent deficiencies present in older bridges. Various retrofit measures for the bents were evaluated. The specimens were subjected to increasing levels of cycled inelastic lateral displacements under constant axial load. Specimen performance was evaluated on the basis of load capacity, displacement ductility, strength degradation and hysteretic behavior. Tests on the as-built specimens resulted in severe cracking in the footings due to insufficient joint shear strength in the column/footing connections. However, due to structural redundancy, the bents continued to resist lateral loads until eventual bent failure occurred as a result of flexural hinge degradation in the columns. Measures developed previously for retrofitting single-column bent bridges were found to be effective in improving the performance of the footings and columns. When all substructure elements were retrofitted, a ductile bent response was obtained. Retrofitting only some of the substructure elements resulted in incremental improvements in performance according to the number of elements retrofitted. While extensive damage occurred in the unretrofitted elements, the damaged regions continued to transfer forces during testing, enabling a stable bent response until failure occurred within one or more of the retrofitted elements. The addition of a stiff link beam just above the footings was found to be effective in preventing damage in the footings during testing, and a reasonably ductile bent response was achieved. Because the link beam retrofit may not require retrofitting of the footings, this strategy may be a very cost-effective approach for retrofitting multi-column bents.


Abstract Since the end of the Cold War, the quest to spread democracy has become the rallying call of many Western donor agencies. Reflecting this new agenda, new program priorities prevailed that placed greater emphasis on civil society development, civic engagement and gender empowerment. Contrary to expectations, however, many of these programs have often adversely affected existing social movements. Most scholars attempting to explain these unintended outcomes have focused on the impact of NGO professionalization. Examining the Palestinian women's movement, this article addresses the inadequacy of this explanation and focuses on the political dimension of this discussion by illustrating how Western donors' lack of understanding of the Palestinian women's movement and its "embeddedness" in the broader political context served to weaken and undermine this movement. The influx of Western donor assistance in the post-Madrid, post-Oslo era, along with the greater emphasis on Western promoted gender empowerment, undermined the cohesiveness of the women's movement by exacerbating existing political polarization (that went beyond Islamist and secular divisions) and disempowering many grassroots activists. Effectively, many of these activists were transformed from active political participants involved in their organizations to the recipients of skills and services in need of awareness raising. Findings in this article also speak to current regional developments, especially in light of the current Arab uprisings and the promise of greater Western involvement to empower women in the region.


Rendering computer animation frames is a very time consuming job. Using parallel computing on clusters and so-called render farms is a common solution to this problem. However, there also exists a significant obstacle in sending large gigabytes computer animation files across the Internet. In this report, we describe how Grid computing can be used for computer animation rendering. We propose a framework for Grid rendering services, describe its implementation, and present the results and statistics. We also propose an efficient lossless compression algorithm devised for transferring gigabytes of 3D scene representation files in RenderMan® and mental images® data formats. We illustrate how the algorithm works within a developed framework for Grid rendering services, and present the results and statistics. This compression algorithm has been filed for patent in Singapore. i ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library


The cultural politics of global trade is a new and unexplored terrain because the public domain of culture has long been associated with national sovereignty. States everywhere have invested heavily in national identity. But in an age of globalization, culture and sovereignty have become more complex propositions, subject to global pressures and national constraints. This paper argues three main points. First, new information technologies increasingly destabilize traditional private sector models for disseminating culture. At the same time, international legal rules have become more restrictive with respect to investment and national treatment, two areas at the heart of cultural policy. Second, Doha has significant implications for the future of the cultural commons. Ongoing negotiations around TRIPS, TRIMS, GATS and dispute settlement will impose new restrictions on public authorities who wish to appropriate culture for a variety of public and private ends. Finally, there is a growing backlash against the WTO's trade agenda for broadening and deepening disciplines in these areas. These issues have become highly politicized and fractious, and are bound to vex future rounds as the global south, led by Brazil, India and China flexes its diplomatic muscle.


Increasing traffic volumes and a deteriorating transportation infrastructure have stimulated the development of new systems and methods to accelerate the construction of highway bridges. Precast concrete bridge components offer a potential alternative to conventional reinforced, cast-in-place concrete components. The use of precast components has the potential to minimize traffic disruptions, improve work zone safety, reduce environmental impacts, improve constructability, increase quality, and lower life-cycle costs. This study compared two precast concrete bridge pier systems for rapid construction of bridges in seismic regions. One was a reinforced concrete system, in which mild steel deformed bars connect the precast concrete components. The other was a hybrid system, which uses a combination of unbonded post-tensioning and mild steel deformed bars to make the connections. A parametric study was conducted using nonlinear finite element models to investigate the global response and likelihood of damage for various configurations of the two systems subjected to a design level earthquake. A practical method was developed to estimate the maximum seismic displacement of a frame from the cracked section properties of the columns and the base-shear strength ratio. The results of the parametric study suggest that the systems have the potential for good seismic performance. Further analytical and experimental research is needed to investigate the constructability and seismic performance of the connection details.


Introduction We sought to evaluate the effects of diabetes disease management through a diabetes pay-for-performance (P4P) program in Taiwan on risks of incident cancer and mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods We conducted a longitudinal observational cohort study using 3 population-based databases in Taiwan. Using propensity score matching, we compared patients with type 2 diabetes who enrolled in a P4P program with a similar group of patients who did not enroll in the in P4P program (non-P4P). Primary end points of interest were risks of incident cancer and all-cause, cancer-specific, and diabetes-related mortality. Total person-years and incidence and mortality rates per 1,000 person-years were calculated. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models and competing risk regression were used in the analysis. Results Overall, our findings indicated that the diabetes P4P program was not significantly associated with lower risks of cancer incidence, but it was associated with lower risks of all-cause mortality (adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio [aSHR], 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55–0.63), cancer-specific mortality (aSHR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.73–1.00), and diabetes-related mortality (aSHR, 0.54: 95% CI, 0.49–0.60). Metformin, thiazolidinediones, and α glucosidase inhibitors were associated with lower risks of cancer incidence and cancer-specific mortality. Conclusion Our findings provide evidence of the potential benefit of diabetes P4P programs in reducing risks of all-cause mortality and competing causes of death attributable to cancer-specific and diabetes-related mortality among type 2 diabetes patients.


The study focused on policy initiatives for stakeholders' partnership in funding technical vocational education in the North Central Zone of Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design using a structured questionnaire to collect data from a population of 450 respondents. The questionnaire were validated and utilized to collect data for the study. Kudder-Richardson (K-R21) formula was used in determining the internal consistency of the instrument. The reliability of the questionnaire items revealed coefficience of 0.82. It was found out that there was significant difference in the mean rating of the respondents in one out of eleven items at 0.05 level of significance. It was recommended that Government should support stakeholders (cooperatives, industries, enterprises, business groups, occupational organizations and community members) participation in funding technical vocational education and training programmes in the North Central Zone of Nigeria as a matter of policy. Keywords:  Policy, Technical Vocational Education, Stakeholder, Partnership, Funding


INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Total penile reconstruction (TPC) is challenging, with surgical goals including an acceptable cosmetic and functional phallus, with restoration of sufficient penile length for social integration. This video highlights the complete process of TPC utilizing the radial artery free forearm flap (RAFFF). METHODS: RAFFF phalloplasty creates a cosmetically acceptable phallus with tactile and orgasmic sensation, incorporated neo-urethra enabling urinary and/or ejaculatory drainage, whilst ensuring length and rigidity to enable penetrative sexual intercourse. RAFFF stages include: 1) Phallus formation with neourethra and microvascular transfer to the recipient site; 2) Glans sculpture utilising the modified Norfolk technique; 3) Penile implant insertion. Each stage is performed at 3-monthly-intervals; complications being dealt with during the following stage, reducing overall procedure numbers. 1) Forearm flap is raised preserving neurovascular components, with a medial component to form the neo-urethra. The lateral phallic part wrapped around the urethra in a 'tube within a tube' fashion. Recipient site is prepared with complete disassembly of the penis. The phallus is transposed to the recipient area and spatulated urethral anastomosis performed. Vascular, neural and urethral microsurgical anastomoses are performed. The donor forearm is covered with a full-thickness buttock skin-graft. 2) A neo-glans is fashioned using a circumferential incision; full thickness skin is lifted and rolled to form a pseudo coronal ridge, with a full thickness graft inserted into the proximal defect. The abdominal skin incision (graft site), offers convenient access for reservoir placement. 3) Penile implant is performed through a peno-scrotal incision. A vascular graft distal cap is applied to the tip of the cylinder, minimizing distal erosion risk. RESULTS: For cases shown in this video, the post operative course was uneventful. CONCLUSIONS: RAFFF yields reliable cosmetic and functional results. Patients must be warned, however, that the process requires several staged procedures that the complication rates are significant. Source of Funding: none


There are many ways in which the paths of two waves through turbulence can become separated, thereby leading to anisoplanatic effects. Among these are a parallel path separation, an angular separation, one caused by a time delay, and one that is due to differential refraction at two wavelengths. All these effects can be treated in the same manner. Gegenbauer polynomials are used to obtain an approximation for the Strehl ratio for these anisoplanatic effects, yielding a greater range of applicability than the Maréchal approximation.


ABSTRACT SPS1 encodes a sporulation-specific protein with homology to the Ste20/p21-activated kinase family. Deletion of SPS1 impinges on the formation of the spore wall, which surrounds each of the haploid nuclei generated by the meiotic divisions. Here, we demonstrate that the new internal membranes that surround the meiotic nuclei appear normal in the absence of Sps1p. Analyses of spore wall layers by immunohistochemistry suggest that the inner layers are not efficiently deposited. The defect in spore wall morphogenesis is most likely a consequence of mislocalization of enzymes required for the synthesis of the spore wall layers as both Chs3p, the major chitin synthase in yeast, and Gsc2/Fks2p, a glucan synthase transcriptionally upregulated during sporulation, fail to reach the prospore membrane in the sps1 mutant. Furthermore, localization of Chs3p to the prospore membrane is not dependent on Shc1p, a sporulation-specific homolog of Chs4p, which is required for recruitment of Chs3p to the bud neck in vegetative cells. Sps1p colocalized with Chs3p to peripheral and internal punctate structures and prospore membranes. We propose that Sps1p promotes sporulation, in part, by regulating the intracellular movement of proteins required for spore wall formation.


Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is a zinc-finger transcription factor that plays an important role in differentiation and pathogenesis. KLF4 has been suggested to act as an oncogene or tumor suppressor in different tumor types. However, the role of KLF4 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that forced expression of Klf4 in murine HCC cell lines reduced anchorage-independent growth in soft agar as well as cell migration and invasion activities in vitro. Ectopic Klf4 expression impaired subcutaneous tumor growth and lung colonization in vivo. By contrast, Klf4 knockdown enhanced HCC cell migration. Interestingly, ectopic expression of Klf4 changed the morphology of murine HCC cells to a more epithelial phenotype. Associated with this, we found that expression of Slug, a critical epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related transcription factor, was significantly down-regulated in Klf4-expressing cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and luciferase reporter assays showed that Klf4 is able to bind and repress the activity of the Slug promoter. Furthermore, ectopic Slug expression partially reverts the Klf4-mediated phenotypes. Consistent with a role as a tumor suppressor in HCC, analysis of the public microarray databases from Oncomine revealed reduced KLF4 expression in human HCC tissues in comparison with normal liver tissues in 3 out of 4 data sets. By quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), we found reduced KLF4 mRNA in 50% of HCC tissues. Importantly, an inverse correlation between the expression of KLF4 and SLUG was found in HCC tissues. Our data suggest that KLF4 acts as a tumor suppressor in HCC cells, in part by suppressing SLUG transcription.


Insulin regulates blood glucose levels by stimulating glucose uptake into cells. Pende et al. studied S6 kinase 1 (S6K1)-deficient mice and uncovered a role for S6K1 in glucose homeostasis. s6k1-/- mice exhibited a normal time course of induced insulin secretion; however, the amount of insulin released per cell was decreased, leading to decreased concentrations of circulating insulin. After glucose injection, S6K1-deficient mice were unable to clear the glucose dose quickly; however, this was not a result of insulin resistance, because S6K1-deficient mice treated with insulin were able to clear the injected glucose at a normal rate. Although pancreases from s6k1-/- mice were of normal mass and size, the number of insulin-producing β-cells was decreased, suggesting that decreased insulin secretion resulted from having fewer β-cells. S6K1 deficiency, however, did not directly mediate insulin insufficiency, because previous reports have suggested that treatment of islet cells with an S6K1-specific inhibitor has no effect on insulin secretion. Although other organs and cell types in S6K1-deficient mice were of normal size, β-cells were approximately 75% normal size. Thus, the data indicate that hyperglycemia in s6k1-/- mice is most likely due to reduced β-cell size and number. Pende, M., Kozma, S.C., Jaquet, M., Oorschot, V., Burcelin, R., Le Marchand-Brustel, Y., Klumperman, J., Thorens, B., and Thomas, G. (2000) Hypoinsulinaemia, glucose intolerance and diminished β-cell size in S6K1-deficient mice. Nature 408: 994-997. [Online Journal]


In 2017 a new biography, Behind the Legend - The Many Worlds of Charles Todd, by Denis Cryle, was published. The biography seeks to provide a more complete understanding of Charles Todd beyond the single achievement for which he became most famous the building of the Overland Telegraph Line linking Darwin and Adelaide in 1872. The biography lives up to its promise and sets out in considerable detail the contribution that Todd made in many fields during his long lifetime and period of public service. Those fields include astronomy, meteorology, telegraphy, telecommunications more generally, public administration, and contribution to the processes of federal coordination and cooperation. Todds fame and legacy have been heavily bound up with the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line. As Cryle notes, he was dubbed Telegraph Todd by the media of the day.

It is the stated purpose of Cryles biography to do justice to Todd across the full range of his achievements. I think that Cryle succeeds admirably. He has written an engaging book that is thoroughly researched and referenced. It will appeal both to historians and to the general reader without expertise in any of the scientific or technical fields inhabited by Todd.


Rickettsiae comprise a group of microorganisms that phylogenetically occupy a position between bacteria and viruses. They are obligate intracellular gram-negative coccobacillary forms that multiply within eukaryotic cells. A general characteristic of rickettsiae is that mammals and arthropods are natural hosts. Scrub typhus is zoonotic rickettsiosis transmitted to humans through the bite of thrombiculid mites. Orientia tsutsugamushi is the causative agent for scrub typhus and humans are accidental hosts and become infected when they are bitten by chiggers infected with the agent. The agent multiply at the inoculation site with the formation of a papule that ulcerates and becomes necrotic, evolving into an eschar, with regional lymphadenopathy that progress to generalized lymphadenopathy within a few days. Scrub typhus may be diagnosed in the laboratory by isolation of the organism; serology and molecular diagnosis (PCR). Tetracycline and Chloramphenicol are proven therapy for the rickettsial diseases. The disease can be prevented by the use of personal protective measures including repellents, people entering an exposed area should wear closed in footwear such as boots with socks, and long trousers. Keywords : Rickettsiae, Scrub typhus


BACKGROUND
Wear of the underside of modular tibial inserts (backside wear) in total knee replacements has been reported by several authors. Although, for some implant designs, this phenomenon seems to contribute to osteolysis, the actual volume of material lost through wear of the backside surface has not been quantified. This study describes the results of computerized measurements of tibial inserts of one design known to be associated with a high prevalence of backside wear in situ.

METHODS
A series of retrieved total knee components of one design were examined. The duration of implantation of the retrieved components ranged from thirty-six to 146 months. Laser surface profilometry and computer-aided design software were used to develop individual three-dimensional models of each worn, retrieved tibial insert to compare with scanned unused inserts. Volumetric subtraction of both models revealed the material lost because of backside wear.

RESULTS
Worn and unworn areas on the backside surface were easily identified by stereomicroscopy and laser profilometry. The computer reconstructions showed that, in all retrievals, all unworn surfaces on the nonarticulating surface lay in one plane. The average volume (and standard deviation) of the material lost because of backside wear was 925 +/- 637 mm(3) (range, 197 to 2720 mm(3)). On the basis of the time in situ for each implant, the average volumetric wear rate was 138 +/- 95 mm(3)/yr.

CONCLUSIONS
The predicted volume of material removed because of backside wear is substantial and may be sufficient to induce osteolysis. Our results suggest that peg-like protrusions are not generated by the extrusion of polyethylene into screw-holes within the base-plate but by abrasion of the underside of the bearing insert, leaving the protruding pegs as the only remnants of the original surface.


Background
As of 2015, more than 2.7 million US military Veterans have served in support of the Global War on Terror. The negative sequelae associated with deployment stressors and related traumas are well-documented. Although data on mental health issues are routinely collected from service members returning from deployment, these data have not been made publicly available, leaving researchers and clinicians to rely on convenience samples, outdated studies and small sample sizes.

Methods
Population-based data of US Marines returning from deployment between 2004 and 2013 were analyzed, using the Post-Deployment Health Assessment.

Results
Rates of Marines returning from Iraq who screened positive for depression ranged from 19.31 to 30.02%; suicidal ideation ranged from 0 to 1.44%. Marines screening positive for PTSD ranged from 3.00 to 12.41%; combat exposure ranged from 15.58 to 55.12%. Depression was indicated for between 12.54 and 30.04% of Marines returning from Afghanistan, while suicidal ideation ranged from 0 to 5.33%. PTSD percentages ranged from 6.64 to 18.18%; combat exposure ranged between 42.92 and 75%.

Conclusion
Our results support the heterogeneity of experiences and mental health sequelae of service members returning from deployments. Outcomes for Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans fluctuate with changes in OPTEMPO across theaters over time.


Debates over the legitimacy and legality of prostitution have characterized human trafficking discourse for the last two decades. This article identifies the extent to which competing perspectives concerning the legitimacy of prostitution have influenced anti-trafficking policy in Australia and the United States and argues that each nation-state's approach to domestic sex work has influenced trafficking legislation. The legal status of prostitution in each country and feminist influences on prostitution law reform have had a significant impact on the nature of the legislation adopted.


The objectives of the research are to find some aspects of naturalism in Maggie: A
Girl of the Streets, to prove and to give information to the readers about how far this
novel fulfils the requirements of the naturalism genre. Structuralism approach is used to
answer the problems of this research.
This research is a descriptive-qualitative study. The subject of this research is a
novel entitled Maggie: A Girl of the Streets written by Stephen Crane. The data were
some phrases, clauses, sentences, and discourses related to the characteristics of
naturalism genre. The key instrument of this research was the researcher herself with the
concepts that there must be some reasons why this novel is categorized as naturalistic
novel which were drawn from the theory by Donald Pizer as illustrated in the framework
of thinking. The researcher collected the data using read-write technique. The data
analysis was conducted through six steps: identifying the data, reading and rereading the
whole data, coding and categorizing the data, sorting the data, making the interrelation
between the description of the data and the theory, finally making an interpretation
based on the researcher's comprehension about the theory. To obtain trustworthiness,
the researcher used triangulation technique.
There are two results of the research. The first result is answering the question
about the aspects of naturalism which is classified into four aspects; determinism,
pessimism, detachment of the story (objectivity), and unpredictable ending.
Determinism aspect is divided in two parts; the external and internal forces. The external
force is presented by the family condition and the environment (circumstance) and the
internal force is presented by passion and instinct. Furthermore, there are four parts
which represent pessimism aspect of naturalism namely having lost of hopes; lost hopes
for jobs, lost hopes for love, lost hopes for security, and lost hopes for a better future.
Meanwhile there are two pairs classified as the data for detachment of the story
(objectivity) namely telling the story as close as possible to reality and creating
nameless characters. The unpredictable ending in the end of the story leads the readers
in one direction at the beginning and in the middle ultimately drifting towards a
completely unexpected course. The second result is answering the question about how
far Maggie: A Girl of the Streets can fulfil the requirements of the naturalistic genre. It
is answered by juxtaposing the theory from Donald Pizer with other theories of
naturalism; Charles Child Walcutt and Emile Zola. Those theories are gathered and
classified in order to show that Maggie: A Girl of the Streets fulfills the requirements of
the naturalistic genre and it is proved to be a naturalistic novel.


Deepika Bahri, in her essay, "Marginally Off-Center: Postcolonialism in the Teaching Machine," asserts "[…] postcolonial academics are engaged not merely in the analysis and teaching of difference but in its production as well" (Bahri 279). However, postcolonial discourse's professed aim of "resistance and erosion of Eurocentric and imperialist modalities" becomes problematic in the classroom because neither educational institutions nor academics themselves are value neutral. (Bahri 279). To borrow from Henry Giroux, educational institutions are "deeply implicated in forms of inclusion and exclusion that yield particular moral truths and values" (qtd. in Bahri 279). Chandra Mohanty offers a solidarity model of transnational feminism as the expression of a pedagogy that insists on the centrality of the experiences and strategies of communities of women around the world. Her model aspires to "[…] allow students to see the complexities, singularities, and interconnections between communities of women such that power, privilege, agency, and dissent can be made visible and engaged with" (Mohanty 523). She argues that differences between people are never just "differences": "in knowing differences and particulars we can better see connections and commonalities because no border or boundary is ever complete or rigidly determining" (Mohanty 505). The object is to understand how "[…] specifying difference allows us to theorize universal concerns more fully" (Mohanty 505). Far from erasing difference, the feminist solidarity model uses its historical basis to find areas of connection between women in diverse communities that can be translated into political activism. Using the perspective of a "cross cultural lens" enables an antiglobalization position that focuses both on substantive issues of exploitation and sites of resistance and struggle. In light of the fact that questions of race, sex, gender and identity are most intensely debated in institutions of higher education, my thesis will explore the value and limitations of college syllabi in postcolonial and women's studies as instruments of a transnational feminist pedagogy.


Patterned ground on chalkland at Hare Park, Cambridgeshire, includes patterns associated with a periglacial climate (stripes, nets), but also a type of pattern distinctly differing from these. These patterns are seen in the Fort field, to the east of the Hare Park ridge, which extends northwards across the Chalk escarpment and from the Anglian till plateau to the south. Three valleys are present in the Fort field, draining to the NE. Stripes and nets are associated with the two older valleys, and are associated with incision of streams of the Chalk escarpment. The other patterns, developed on the surface of the Moulton Head, consist of depressed rings and arcs forming wide and low ditches. These are shown to be filled with sandy sediment. They result from Chalk solution associated with pools formed by groundwater released from a perched aquifer in the Chalk. The pools pre-dated the head, with the depth of depression reflecting the degree of subsequent subsidence, and the patterns are related to the presence of sand bodies older than the head. The Fort field patterns are related to the superficial deposits immediately to the west by analysis of boreholes and local geological records. The Moulton Head interdigitates with clays interpreted as being of proglacial origin, as are the Head Gravels of Hare Park. The proglacial origin is related to the Fenland mid-Wolstonian Tottenhill glaciation at c. 160 ka. The relation of the Palaeolithic archaeology of Hare Park to the deposits is considered and compared with records of palaeoliths in proglacial sediments in southern Fenland.


This paper describes a multi-modal person verification system using speech and frontal face images. We consider two different speaker verification algorithms, a text-independent method using a second-order statistical measure and a text-dependent method based on hidden Markov modelling, as well as a face verification technique using a robust form of corellation. Fusion of the different recognition modules is performed by a Support Vector Machine classifier. Experimental results obtained on the audio-visual database XM2VTS for individual modalities and their combinations show that multimodal systems yield better performances than individual modules for all cases.


Over the past three decades, the market share of farm debt owed to commercial banks has declined sharply. One of the potential reasons for the loss in market share is related to the legal lending limits on the maximum that banks can loan to individual borrowers;The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to develop a simple theoretical market model that incorporates and investigates the effect of legal lending limits on the availability of credit to agricultural borrowers; and (2) to provide empirical evidence of this phenomenon;In the development of the theoretical model, an excess loan demand equation is formed, in which the effects of lending limits and such factors as average farm size and prices paid and received by the farm sector are investigated. To empirically test the effects of these variables on excess loan demand, a statistical model is developed which modifies the theoretical model by employing agricultural banks' responses to a survey undertaken by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago concerning lending limits. The question posed to the banks asked: "Compared to five years ago (end of 1974 compared to end of 1979), is the number of actual or potential farm customers in your area whose credit needs exceed your bank's individual legal lending limit higher, lower, or unchanged?";Bank survey response is then used as a 0, 1 dependent variable (0 if the response is less, or no change in the number of farm customers, and 1 if the response is more farm customers) and is regressed on a bank's eligible capital account, average farm size in the area serviced by a rural bank, market value of agricultural products sold in the area serviced by a rural bank, agricultural production expenses in the area serviced by a rural bank, utilization of capacity of farmland in the area serviced by a rural bank, and a dummy variable for bank type to see if differences exist between unit and branch banks;The results show that eligible capital account and the dummy variable for bank type are highly significant in explaining bank survey response. The agricultural-production-expenses variable is also found to be significantly related to bank survey response, but none of the other variables reflecting farm credit requirements are found to be significant.


Importance The incidence of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) in adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients (age range, 15-39 years) in the United States is increasing at a greater rate than in younger or older persons. Their optimal treatment has been increasingly debated as pediatric regimens have become more widely used in the age group. This review compares the basic features of pediatric and adult chemotherapy regimens for ALL and LBL, recognizes and describes the challenges of the pediatric regimen, and suggests strategies to facilitate its adoption for AYAs with ALL and LBL. Observations All but 2 of 25 published comparisons of outcomes with pediatric and adult regimens for ALL and LBL in AYAs and 1 meta-analysis favor the pediatric regimen. After more than a half-century of clinical trials of the pediatric regimens, including at least 160 phase 3 trials in the United States, the pediatric regimens have become far more complex than most adult regimens. Asparaginase, a critical component of the pediatric regimens, is more difficult to administer to AYAs (and older patients) but nonetheless has a favorable benefit to toxicity ratio for AYAs. A dramatic reduction in outcome of ALL and LBL during the AYA years (the "survival cliff") is coincident with similar reductions in proportions of AYAs referred to academic centers and enrolled on clinical trials (the "accrual cliff" and "referral cliff"). Conclusions and Relevance The accumulating data increasingly support treating AYAs with ALL and LBL with a pediatric-inspired regimen or an approved institutional or national clinical trial tailored for this patient group. A need to develop clinical trials specifically for AYAs and to encourage their participation is paramount, with a goal to improve both the quantity and quality of survival.


High energy-intensive industries, including steel, chemicals, cement, and aluminium, contribute to about 75% of the industrial emissions of Carbon dioxide globally and expelling large amounts of unrecovered waste heat into the atmosphere. Yet there has been a challenge of studies that are conducted on recovering waste heat in the aluminium industry especially in cast-house facilities due to technical difficulties such as energy fluctuations in mass flow rate and temperature. In this study, waste heat to power system is designed to generate power and freshwater in a cast-house facility with 18 furnaces by evaluating three methods in which the temporal waste heat from holding furnaces can be damped and exploited. These methods are: (1) implementing a temporal air injection, (2) an optimization method for furnaces operation time shift, and (3) integrating sensible thermal heat storage. Organic Rankine Cycle is used for the waste heat to power conversion. The appropriate thermal energy storage design and a thermodynamic model of an Organic Rankine Cycle are investigated using a temporal flue gas data that is collected onsite from three furnaces. Reverse Osmosis technology is used to produce water using the generated electricity. Results show that sensible heat thermal energy storage is the most suitable technology for damping the waste heat. By utilizing waste heat from 18 re-melting furnaces, a net power output of 323 kW can be produced to operate a Reverse Osmosis plant supplying 2419 m of fresh water daily, saving up to 2000 metric tons of Carbon dioxide emissions annually. This study gives a comprehensive approach in dealing with temporal waste heat in aluminium furnaces for smooth cogeneration.


This study attempts to construe the discourse devices recognized in the article of Jakarta Post opinion column entitle ―Polycarpus out on Parole: Resolve Munir's Case‖ on December 05th, 2014 using meta-function strategy proposed by Martin and White (2005). The researcher found that the opinion text displays meta-function devices in different ways by using appraisal, ideation, conjunction, identification and periodicity to express their opinion with the related issue. The biggest parts used in appraisal are affect-attitude, judgment-attitude, and appreciation-attitude, force-graduation and focus-graduation. Besides using mono-gloss, the writers of the article also use hetero-gloss by projection, modality and concession or counter-expectancy. In the aspect of ideation, the researcher found that there are four kinds of figures, respectively, 'doing, saying, sensing, and being. In terms of conjunction, it has been found that the writers of article use external and internal conjunction. To keep track of what is being talked about to the readers, the writers of article using ideation strategies by presenting, presuming, possessive, comparative, and text. At last, in terms of periodicity, the writers use themes, marked themes, and new in order to make the readers easier to grasp the meanings and the plot in the article. Keywords: Jakarta Post opinion article; meta-function system; appraisal; conjuction; ideation; periodicity.


Elie Wiesel 's Souls on Fire, released in 1972, is a personal retelling of the lives and legends of the early Hasidic masters of Eastern Europe. The novel begins with the movement's founder, the Baal Shem, and chronicles the rise and development of the movement through the teachings and lives of those who followed him. Although these lives are filled with fantasy, paradox, and contradiction, Wiesel's account has one constant message: in the suffering of exile, every Jew can speak for God. When Souls on Fire was released, Victor Malka asked Elie Wiesel, "What is, for you, the greatest Hasidic saying?" and Wiesel replied, "There is much to choose from. Without doubt, one that I find beautiful and like very much is the saying of this master: 'I have always sought to discover what man is, and finally I have understood. He is the language of God"' (Malka 37). And this is the message that Wiesel explores in Souls on Fire as he presents the words of Hasidic masters who taught that, despite God's absence, every Jew can give meaning to existence and provide comfort in suffering through word and deed. Stated more simply, Wiesel's Hasidism teaches that through speech and action, man can become the language of God. For this paper, I would like to explore in Souls on Fire how it is that man is the language of God. And in exploring this question, I would also like to illustrate the resonances between this aspect of Jewish theology and deconstruction, by drawing from Derrida's "Edmond Jabés and The Question of the Book." For, the correspondence between these two illustrates that in the absence of God and all that He symbolizes, writing can be a form of prayer that can begin to redeem both man and God.


Purpose: To quantify the cellular response in myocardial infarction by using iron oxide particles cell labeling and MR imaging techniques. Method and Materials:Iron oxide particles can produce signal attenuation in MRI and were used to label either macrophages or mesenchymal stem cells. Macrophages were labeled via an intravenous administration of iron oxide particles whereas mesenchymal stem cells were labeled in vitro and then transplanted into the animal bone marrow. In the macrophage study varied doses (1.1–14.5 μg Fe/g body weight) were applied. After surgically inducing a myocardial infarction in the C57 mouse the labeled cells would mobilize to the infarction site attempting to repair the damaged tissue. To monitor the cellular response T2*‐weighted MRI was used to acquire short‐axis cardiac images at 3 7 14 and 21 days post‐infarction. Signal intensity normalized to the maximum signal from the ventricular blood was used to quantify labeled cells at infarction sites. Results: Cellular response during myocardial infarction was temporally and noninvasively monitored. In the macrophage study linear regression of normalized signal intensity at each time point revealed a linear relationship between the normalized signal intensity and iron oxide dose at 7 days (r2=0.92) and 14 days (r2=0.98) post‐infarction. An optimum dose as well as imaging time window for monitoring inflammatory cell response was also obtained. Either labeled macrophages or mesenchymal stem cells were evidenced at the infarction site in histology. Conclusions: A linear signal‐dose relationship at 7 and 14 days post‐infarction suggests that the number of labeled cells at the infarction site can be interpreted from the MR signal within this time window. This linear relationship may further apply to quantify labeled mesenchymal stem cells. Therefore the cell labeling and MR imaging technique have a potential to quantify cellular response in pathological processes as well as during cell therapy.


The Turkana Depression of northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia contains voluminous plume-related basalts that mark the onset of the Paleogene–recent East African Rift System (EARS) at ca. 45 Ma. Thus, the Turkana Depression is crucial to understanding the inception of intracontinental rifting. However, the precise chronology of early rift-basin formation in Turkana is poorly constrained. We present apatite fission-track and (U-Th-Sm)/He thermochronology data from basement rocks from the margins of the north-south–trending Lokichar Basin that constrain the onset of rift-related cooling. Thermal history modeling of these data documents pronounced Eocene to Miocene denudational cooling of the basin-bounding Lokichar fault footwall. These results, along with ∼7 km of Paleogene to middle Miocene syn-rift strata preserved in the Lokichar fault hanging wall, suggest that formation of the Lokichar Basin began as early as ca. 45–40 Ma. Preexisting lithospheric heterogeneities inherited from earlier Mesozoic rifting and Eocene plume magmatism likely facilitated the broadly concurrent nucleation of strain in the Turkana Depression, up to ∼15 m.y. earlier than EARS initiation elsewhere. Late Paleogene extension in the Lokichar Basin and other parts of Turkana significantly predate the Miocene creation of pronounced plume-related topography in East Africa, suggesting that other mechanism(s), such as far-field stresses or mantle basal drag, likely played a critical role during EARS inception.


Compared to the great progress of large-scale vision transformers (ViTs) in recent years, large-scale models based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are still in an early state. This work presents a new large-scale CNN-based foundation model, termed InternImage, which can obtain the gain from increasing parameters and training data like ViTs. Different from the recent CNNs that focus on large dense kernels, InternImage takes deformable convolution as the core operator, so that our model not only has the large effective receptive field required for downstream tasks such as detection and segmentation, but also has the adaptive spatial aggregation conditioned by input and task information. As a result, the proposed InternImage reduces the strict inductive bias of traditional CNNs and makes it possible to learn stronger and more robust patterns with large-scale parameters from massive data like ViTs. The effectiveness of our model is proven on challenging benchmarks including ImageNet, COCO, andADE20K. It is worth mentioning that InternImage-H achieved a new record 65.4 mAP on COCO test-dev and 62.9 mIoU on ADE20K, outperforming current leading CNNs and ViTs.


Abstract Whether Affirmative Action is a proper way to accomplish social justice in terms of fairness has been an ongoing debate in the United States. Late philosopher Ronald Dworkin was a vocal supporter of Category 4 Affirmative Action, in which preferential treatments for minorities is justified. Dworkin emphasized a forward-looking approach as a means to achieve social justice and overall fairness. In his view, it is not sufficient for black applicants to enjoy preferential treatment now just because in the past their ancestors suffered due to slavery. Rather, a successful argument for affirmative action programs must include a forward-looking justification. To be specific, this policy promises a better educational environment in terms of diversity and promotes a less racially conscious society for all citizens. Additionally, Dworkin often cited the study entitled The Shape of the River to substantiate his claim that special treatment for minorities could amend social injustice and produce fairer outcomes. This article attempts to evaluate this Dworkinian theory on both the principle and practical levels. It concluded that while a neutral or non-interventional policy is insufficient to achieve racial equality, interventions in terms of special treatments and soft quotas are not yet shown to be fair in practice.


ArchaeologyAbout 13,000 years ago, a sharp, 1300-year-long cold and dry spell called the Younger Dryas reversed the warming that had followed the last ice age. According to a once-popular hypothesis, the Younger Dryas created an environmental crisis that forced the Natufians, hunter-gatherers who roamed the largely treeless steppes of the eastern Mediterranean region, to begin domesticating plants and animals to ensure that they had enough to eat, thus spurring the world's first experiments with agriculture. Back in 1989, when archaeologists convened the world's leading Natufian experts for a meeting, the Younger Dryas model was well on its way to becoming a leading paradigm for agricultural origins. But when the Natufian mavens got back together for a meeting in Paris last fall, opinions had shifted. In talks and recent journal articles, many researchers rejected the idea that the Younger Dryas forced Near Eastern hunter-gatherers to become farmers—or that the Natufians themselves were precocious farmers, as some had suggested.


The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Play Practice (PP) instruction on the performance of table tennis skills. Fifty-six college students in four intact classes were taught by two instructors using PP and Skill-focused Instruction (SI). A nonequivalent control/comparison group experimental design with pre and post measures was used. Three separate ANOVAs with a repeated measure (time effect) were conducted to examine the effects of PP and SI for each of the three dependent variables: (a) forehand drive accuracy, (b) forehand attack, and (c) serve. Results demonstrated that both PP and SI conditions were effective in improving participants' skills in forehand drive, forehand attack, and serving from pre- to posttest. However, PP was more effective in improving participants' skills in forehand attack and serving from pre to post as compared with SI.


Several algorithms build on the perfect phylogeny model to infer evolutionary trees. This problem is particularly hard when evolutionary trees are inferred from the fraction of genomes that have mutations in different positions, across different samples. Existing algorithms might do extensive searches over the space of possible trees. At the center of these algorithms is a projection problem that assigns a fitness cost to phylogenetic trees. In order to perform a wide search over the space of the trees, it is critical to solve this projection problem fast. In this paper, we use Moreau's decomposition for proximal operators, and a tree reduction scheme, to develop a new algorithm to compute this projection. Our algorithm terminates with an exact solution in a finite number of steps, and is extremely fast. In particular, it can search over all evolutionary trees with fewer than 11 nodes, a size relevant for several biological problems (more than 2 billion trees) in about 2 hours.


Despite the high proportion and growing number of people with comorbidity/multimorbidity, clinical trials often exclude this group, leading to a limited evidence base to guide policy and practice for these individuals [1–5]. This evidence gap can potentially be addressed by secondary analysis of studies that were not originally designed to specifically examine comorbidity/multimorbidity, but have collected information from participants on co-occurring conditions. For example, secondary data analysis from randomized controlled trials may shed light on whether there is a differential impact of interventions on people with comorbidity/multimorbidity. Furthermore, data regarding comorbidity/multimorbidity can often be obtained from registration networks or administrative data sets. Journal of Comorbidity 2015;5(1):120–121


The regulation of postwar international aviation markets suggests that existing approaches to international institutions cannot adequately account for important elements of international institution building. In particular, scholars have neglected how domestic politics shapes the incentives of national governments to create and maintain international institutions and the impact of domestic politics on the scope and functions of international institutions. Drawing on positive theories of regulation and the literature on property rights, I argue that national politicians use international institutions to increase the wealth available for domestic redistribution. In short, national politicians create and maintain international institutions to maximize domestic political support. I present a domestic political model that explains how, when, and why national politicians create international institutions. The model is applied to the creation of institutions governing international aviation markets in the late 1940s and the reformulation of these institutions over the past two decades.


One of the most difficult things about learning to be a professional is developing the confidence to practice effectively alongside other professionals. Our aim in this workshop is to present a case study of a 'safe learning space' for students learning to take up professional roles in the law.

The first half of the session will be devoted to an exposition of the background to the highly innovative simulated Magistrates Court, including visual material such as excerpts from the simulated courts, "streamed" training material on studentcentral, etc.

This will be presented in terms of:

• outlining the collaboration which led to the simulated court initiative
• arguments for the collaboration from an educational perspective
• preparations for the event and those involved, including external participants such as the Crown Prosecution Service, Sussex Police Authority, Her Majesty's Court Service; the benefits and problems for police students; the benefits and problems for law students.
• feedback from participants, including external professional participants
• opportunities for extending collaborative professional learning opportunities as the simulated courts mature , for example in the fields of journalism, social work, probation, and so on

The second half of the session will be an extended opportunity for questions and open discussion.


These abstracts are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License. Go to http://iovs.arvojournals.org/ to access the versions of record. Purpose: Retinal degeneration often results in the loss of photoreceptors, which leads to permanent vision loss. Generating transplantable photoreceptors using human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to replace lost or dysfunctional photoreceptors holds a promise to treat a variety of retinal degenerative diseases. Developing effective methods to produce retinal cells including photoreceptors using available cGMP-manufactured human iPSC lines is a critical step for advancing cell replacement therapy to clinical application. This study aims to make transplantable photoreceptors using a cGMP-manufactured iPSC line. The generated retinal cells were tested for their differentiation capability and integration in a host mouse retina. Methods: An iPSC line derived in cGMP-compliant conditions was obtained and used to generate retinal cells via a modified version of our previous directed differentiation protocol (Lamba et al 2006). The cells were characterized via QPCR and immunocytochemistry (ICC) at 6 weeks and 3 months after differentiation. GFP labeled retinal cells were injected into the subretinal space of 4-6 week old recipient mice. The eyes were collected at 2 months post transplantation for analysis by ICC. Results: iPSCs, generated from CD34+ cord blood cells in a cGMP facility at Lonza Bioscience, were obtained from Dr. Zeng's lab. They were induced to optic field stage for 1 week using small molecules to inhibit Wnt, BMP and TGFβ signaling pathways along with IGF-1 in culture medium. The cells were then expanded to generate neuro-retina and RPE. Neuro-retinal progenitor cells were manually isolated from RPE and expanded further to a relatively pure population of retinal neurons including differentiated photoreceptors by 3 months of culture based on expression of PAX6, OTX2, TUJ-1, CRX and AIPL1. The cells were then analyzed for their ability to integrate into the ONL layer of host retina in IL2rg null humanized mice. We observed robust integration of photoreceptors with typical mature photoreceptor morphology and presence of Otx2, Recoverin, and Rhodopsin markers in the integrated cells. Conclusions: This study provides strong evidence that transplantable photoreceptors can be generated from a cGMP-manufactured human iPS cell line which could then be fast-tracked to the clinic. Purpose: Clinical trial data suggests that treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) inhibitors may accelerate RPE atrophy. It is therefore imperative that a novel solution be found to repair/replace …


CD133 is a pentaspan membrane protein found on pseudopodia, microvilli and other plasma protrusions irrespective of cell type in both humans and mice. CD 133 has been classified as a marker of primitive haemopoietic and neural stem cells. At the molecular level it interacts with cholesterol and is located within lipid micro domains known as lipid rafts. Using cellular and molecular techniques we investigated the functional role CD 133 plays in stem cell biology. Prior to commencing the functional experiments, we determined that MUTZ-2, Caco-2 and primary CD34+ cells provided the best characteristics to investigate CD133 function. We established growth conditions, patterns and CD 133 expression for all 3 cell types and concluded that Caco-2 was the preferential cell line based on CD133 expression and cell stability.

A number of approaches were used to knock down CD133 usmg a variety of RNAi oligonucleotides. Plasmid vectors were used in an attempt to produce a permanent CD 133
knockout Caco-2 cell line. However, after successfully inserting the plasmid, the cell line failed to proliferate. Ultimately, a 73% CD 133 phenotypic knockdown was achieved using RNAi technology from Santa Cruz, with 50% CD133 re-expression within 5 days, confirmation by both PCR and flow cytometry. Knockdown of CD 133 in Caco-2 cells.
resulted in no change in proliferation or adhesive properties to plastic, however a slight increase in cell cycle activity was observed.

Gene profiling of CD 133 knocked down Caco-2 and control cells was carried out using microarray technology. This was also applied to cells incubated with monoclonal antibodies against epitopes of CD133, as these are often used as a means of cell isolation for CD133 functional studies. A variety of genes were up and down regulated in both groups when compared to the control cells. CD 133 knockdown caused an up-regulation of genes associated with cell migration, motility, cell cycle, Wnt and tyrosine kinase pathway inhibitors and lipid transport across the membrane and down-regulated cell adhesion genes and apoptotic related genes.

Caco-2 cells incubated with monoclonal antibodies against CD 133 showed up regulation in genes associated with cell cycle, migration and DNA replication and down regulation of genes associated with regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis. This result is significant due to the extensive use ofCD133 antibodies in functional CD133 and CD133+ cell population studies.

Confocal studies showed partial co-localisation between the lipid rafts and CD133, removal of the lipid rafts using the drug Beta Methyl Cyclodextrine caused loss of CD 133. However, lipid raft expression remained relatively constant on CD133 knockdown cells. Examining the distribution of CD 133 on Caco-2 cells adhered to fibronectin compared to glass via confocal analysis, showed there is no direct involvement of CD133 with anchorage type cell adhesion. However, considering the confocal analysis showing the association of CD 133 within lipid rafts and the results of microarray, this would imply a more indirect role of CD 133 within the processes of cell adhesion.

This study has revealed that that CD133 plays a suppressive role in stem cell biology and play a regulatory role in maintaining quiescence, keeping the early stem and progenitor
cells in a non proliferating, non motile state. A number of studies in recent years have attempted to determine the function of CD133 which still remains relatively elusive.
However, this study has contributed to a greater understanding of CD133 function and identified key areas for further investigation.


Virtualize mission-critical Microsoft applications How do you safely deploy Tier 1 apps in virtual environments? In this in-depth guide, VMware insiders Charles A. Windom, Hemant Gaidhani, and Alex Fontana show you how. Focusing on Microsoft applications, they guide you step by step through a Proof of Concept for virtualizing Windows Server, Active Directory, Internet Information Services, Exchange Server, SQL Server, SharePoint Server, and Remote Desktop Servicesall on the VMware vSphere 4 platform. You'll find out what to consider for each application before you virtualize it, and learn how to perform VM backup using VMware Data Recovery, Windows patch management using VMware Update Manager, application performance monitoring using VMware Appspeed, and more. Topics include: A Thorough Overview of VMware vSphere 4 Infrastructure Services Application Services Management Services (part of VMware vCenter Server) Virtualizing Windows Server 2008 Choose virtual hardware and learn how to add sufficient CPU and memory Run Microsoft Windows Server 2008 as a guest inside the vSphere environment Protect your applications and data and deliver high availability using Failover Clustering and Windows Network Load Balancing Virtualizing Other Microsoft Applications Active Directory Internet Information Services 7.0 Exchange Server 2007 and 2010 SQL Server 2005 and 2008 SharePoint Server 2007 Remote Desktop Services 2008 R2


This paper reports a preliminary investigation into the economic efficacy of two spatial frameworks—English Core Cities and the Northern Way—recently promoted by national policy makers. We ask whether they are consistent with contemporary economic process in the UK space economy through analyses of commercial multi-city law firms. The latter are treated as an "indicator sector" to define the contemporary UK space economy as practised by law firms. Within this new space of flows, the location strategies of the law firms do confirm the salience of the Northern Way (as trans-Pennine corridor) and Core Cities as part of a larger UK metropolitan space of flows. Conflating the two spatial frameworks leads us to identify hints of a rebalancing of London within a metropolitan UK space. A Manchester polycentric mega-city region is found to be the likely candidate for this role. This finding in no way impinges on London's dominant global role, and we conclude that perhaps mutuality between London and provincial cities is beginning to replace past negative dependency relations.


Previous studies that analyzed multiple imputation using survey data did not take into account the survey sampling design. The objective of the current study is to analyze the impact of survey sampling design missing data imputation, using multivariate multiple imputation method. The results of the current study show that multiple imputation methods result in lower standard errors for regression analysis than the regression using only complete observation. Furthermore, the standard errors for all regression coefficients are found to be higher for multiple imputation with taking into account the survey sampling design than without taking into account the survey sampling design. Hence, sampling based estimation leads to more realistic standard errors.


Objective African American women are increasingly being diagnosed with advanced and type II histology endometrial cancers. Outcomes have been observed to be worse in African American women, but whether or not race itself is a factor is unclear. We sought to evaluate the rates of diagnosis and outcomes on a stage-by-stage basis with respect to race using a large national cancer registry database. Methods The National Cancer Data Base was searched for patients with surgically staged non-metastatic endometrial cancer between 2004 and 2015. Women were excluded if surgical stage/histology was unknown, there was no follow-up, or no information on subsequent treatment. Pairwise comparison was used to determine temporal trends and Cox hazards tests with Bonferroni correction were used to determine overall survival. Results A total of 286 920 women were diagnosed with endometrial cancer and met the criteria for analysis. Median follow-up was 51 months (IQR 25.7–85.3). In multivariable models, in women with stage I disease, African American women had a higher risk of death than Caucasian women (HR 1.262, 95% CI 1.191 to 1.338, p<0.001) and Asian/Pacific Islander women had a lower risk of death than Caucasian women (HR 0.742, 95% CI 0.689 to 0.801, p<0.001). This held for African American women with stage II type I and type II disease (HR 1.26, 95% CI 1.109 to 1.444, p<0.001 and HR 1.235, 95% CI 1.098 to 1.388, p<0.001) but not for Asian/Pacific Islander women. African American women with stage IIIA–B disease also had a higher risk of death for type I and type II disease versus Caucasian women (HR 1.221, 95% CI 1.045 to 1.422, p=0.010 and HR 1.295, 95% CI 1.155 to 1.452, p<0.001). Asian/Pacific Islander women had a lower risk of death than Caucasian women with type I disease (HR 0.783, 95% CI 0.638 to 0.960, p=0.019) and type II disease (HR 0.790, 95% CI 0.624 to 0.999, p=0.05). African American women with stage IIIC1–2 had a higher risk of death with type I disease (HR 1.343, 95% CI 1.207 to 1.494, p<0.001) and type II disease (HR 1.141, 95% CI 1.055 to 1.233, p=0.001) whereas there was no significant difference between Caucasian women and Asian/Pacific Islander women. Conclusion Race appears to play an independent role in survival from endometrial cancer in the USA, with African American women having worse survival on a stage-for-stage basis compared with Caucasian women.


This first issue of the second volume of the novel International Journal on Magnetic Particle Imaging (IJMPI) mainly focuses on two topics, magnetic nanoparticle spectroscopy and magnetic imaging methodology. A high potential of improvement of magnetic particle imaging (MPI) with respect to its sensitivity is seen in the optimization of tailored nanoparticles. However, even commercial particle systems available today are not fully understood. Therefore, spectroscopic approaches to characterize the particles are in the center of interest of many research groups. The second focus of this issue is on imaging methodology. This splits up into instrumentation, where efficient coil concepts for focus-field based measurements are demonstrated, and reconstruction mathematics, where sparse sensing concepts are applied to MPI image calculation.


Introduction: Intramedullary nailing (IMN) of high tibia fracture has some mechanical and biological advantages over the other form of fixation. However, valgus, apex anterior malalignment and anterior displacement of proximal fragment commonly occur after isolated IMN fixation of proximal high tibia fracture. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of using 3.5-mm locking compression plate (LCP) with unicortical screws combined with IMN fixation to maintain the difficult reduction and prevent any displacement after classic nail insertion. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed between 2010 and 2012, thirty-three open or closed tibia fractures involving the high proximal tibia metaphysis were operated using combined 3.5 mm LCP unicortical plate with the classic reamed intramedullary nailing technique. The clinical and radiological results of the study were collected on the basis of the time to union, nonunion, malunion, degree of angulations at the fracture site, and infection. Follow-up ranged from 24 to 36 months (mean 28 months). Results: The union rate was 100% on radiographs at 3.38 months postoperatively. No complications such as malunion, delayed union, implant failure, prominent valgus, anterior angulation malalignment, or postoperative deep infection


We focus on a two-receiver multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO), broadcast channel (BC), and interference channel (IC) with an arbitrary number of antennas at each node. We assume an imperfect knowledge of local channel state information at the transmitters, whose error decays with the signal-to-noise-ratio. With such configuration, we characterize the achievable degrees-of-freedom (DoF) regions in both BC and IC, by proposing a rate-splitting (RS) approach, which divides each receiver's message into a common part and a private part. Compared with the RS scheme designed for the symmetric MIMO case, the novelties of the proposed block lie in: 1) delivering additional non-ZF-precoded private symbols to the receiver with the greater number of antennas and 2) a space-time implementation. These features provide more flexibilities in balancing the common-message-decodabilities at the two receivers, and fully exploit asymmetric antenna arrays. Besides, in IC, we modify the power allocation designed for the asymmetric BC based on the signal space, where the two transmitted signals interfere with each other. We also derive an outer-bound for the DoF regions and show that the proposed achievable DoF regions are optimal under some antenna configurations and channel state information at the transmitter side qualities.


Agam District finished the repetition of Filariasis treatment for 2 years, so Agam must be conducting the Re-TAS. Re-TAS was conducted on elementary school students grade 1 and 2 in the district of Agam. Survey design using the school cluster. The number of schools selected were 40 schools. Selection of the sample schools were calculated using sample survey builder (SSB). All students grades 1 and 2 in selected schools were examined using Brugia Rapid test to assess the presence of specific antibodies against Brugia malayi and B. timori worms. The  number of students who registered as many as 1,999 children, while being examined by RDT as many as 1,717. A total of 282 students were absent during the examination or refused to be examined.Test results showed that 3 positive, 1694 negative, 20 invalid and 3 samples were excluded. The number of samples taken into account to assess the transmission of filariasis as many as 1,697, which is only positive and negative samples. The survey found that the minimum sample was adequate and the number of positive children under the cut off point, so Agam passed TAS 1.


The development of this methods project, and the articles in the special section, started from a simple shared observation: the concepts for studying global environmental agreement-making did not fit with what we—researchers in this area of study—have observed in practice. This observation raised two critical questions: first, what constitutes a site of global environmental agreement making, and second, which actors and forms of power shape the negotiation dynamics and final agreed text? Reconsidering what constitutes a negotiating site in global environmental politics emerged from research into the practices of intergovernmental assessment production and adoption within the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Although these assessment-making bodies are typically not considered or studied as sites of global environmental agreement-making, when you gain access and observe the production of intergovernmental text, it becomes possible to compare and connect these sites—and the knowledge they produce—with the negotiations they are designed to inform. Exploring these intergovernmental scientific processes as negotiation sites enables us to empirically investigate the processes through which actors seek to uphold or contest the knowledge and authority that underpins global environmental action. Second, which actors are identified as significant and what constitutes their power remain bounded by an accepted convention that agreement-making happens between state actors. While scholarship on NGO participation, among other work, has already challenged this convention, our conceptualizations of power continue to overlook the effects of the participation of marginalized groups, such as Indigenous Peoples, in global environmental negotiations. To adequately study the multiple sites of agreement-making and identify the influence of all actors invested in its products, we need new conceptual and methodological apparatus. The articles in this special section begin the process of designing and testing this new apparatus, with the aim of challenging who, what and how we explore the processes of negotiating the collective response to environmental degradation.


In this paper, we examine the convergence rate of a wide range of regularized methods for learning in games. To that end, we propose a unified algorithmic template that we call "follow the generalized leader" (FTGL), and which includes as special cases the canonical "follow the regularized leader" algorithm, its optimistic variants, extra-gradient schemes, and many others. The proposed framework is also sufficiently flexible to account for several different feedback models – from full information to bandit feedback. In this general setting, we show that FTGL algorithms converge locally to strict Nash equilibria at a rate which does not depend on the level of uncertainty faced by the players, but only on the geometry of the regularizer near the equilibrium. In particular, we show that algorithms based on entropic regularization – like the exponential weights algorithm – enjoy a linear convergence rate, while Euclidean projection methods converge to equilibrium in a finite number of iterations, even with bandit feedback.


The movement of hazardous materials and wastes over the nation's highways by commercial motor carriers presents a challenge for the purchaser of transportation services. During the next decade the volume of hazardous materials and wastes is expected to increase dramatically. Along with this increase in the shipments of these hazardous materials and wastes comes the responsibility of selecting a motor carrier to transport these materials. The selection of the 'right' motor carrier to transport a generator's hazardous materials and/or waste is a decision that, in today's regulatory environment, can't be left to chance. The legal ramifications and potential liability are such today. that a company should be very selective in deciding who to allow to transport these hazardous commodities. Shippers of hazardous materials must come to the realization that they are responsible for the shipment, long after the truck leaves their plant gates. This paper explains the need for the selection of quality motor carriers to transport hazardous materials and wastes, and, utilizing the U.S. Department of Energy's Motor Carrier Evaluation Program (MCEP) as a case study, discusses factors that should be considered by all shippers of hazardous materials and/or wastes.


The fracture behaviors of high-strength 7050 and 7075 aluminum alloys (AA7050 and AA7075) were investigated using small size, V-notched tear specimens. In accordance with ASTM B871-01 standard test method, the thickness and notch angle were selected as 6.35 mm and 60°, respectively. All tear specimens (also called Kahn specimens) were machined in L-T orientation and the mechanical tests were conducted at RT. To evaluate crack propagation route during failure process, interrupted tear tests were also conducted on AA7075. The subsized cylindrical tension test specimens were machined in L direction of the bulk materials to study the elastic-plastic behavior of the alloys in accordance with ASTM B 557M-98 standard test method. The microstructures of T73651 and T6 heat-treated alloys were examined using optical microscopy and SEM. The precipitate characterization of heat-treated specimens was performed using Clemex image analysis software. The rupture mechanisms were also studied by examination of specimen fracture surfaces using SEM. According to the results, the amount, size and distribution of intermetallic particles have been identified as the important factors on failure of the examined alloys. Both examined alloys show the same damage initiation mechanism; however, the failure mechanism is different to some extent. Depending on the stress condition, two major failure micromechanisms, i.e., "internal necking mechanism" and "void sheet mechanism," are prevailing for both alloys. The results of mechanical tests and determination of tear strength to 0.2% tensile yield strength ratio made it possible to evaluate specimens' notch toughness. The comparison of specimens' resistance to stable crack propagation and subsequent fracture in the presence of crack-like stress concentrator was provided using tear test data.