As the atmospheric CO2 concentration rises, more CO2 will dissolve in the oceans. The consequences of the resulting drop in pH for marine biodiversity remain unclear. This especially applies to bacteria, as their pH tolerance is broad in relation to the predicted acidification range. At the community level however, even slight changes in pH might favour distinct bacterial groups, leading to a compositional shift. So far, studies looking at effects of ocean acidification on microbial communities mainly featured large-scale mesocosms. Here, complex factors come into play like induced phytoplankton blooms. To look only at the direct pH effects on microbial diversity, we conducted small-scale laboratory acidification experiments. We sampled water at Helgoland Roads long-term sampling station, North Sea, and accounted for seasonality by repeating the experiment four times (spring, summer, autumn, winter). Different dilution procedures selected for certain bacterial growth strategies. We studied alpha- and beta-diversity obtaining community patterns with the molecular fingerprinting method automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA). Although variation between replicates was considerable, distinct patterns were observed for the pH treatments. Subsequent multivariate analyses revealed significant shifts for certain dilution procedure and season combinations. This suggests that already relatively small changes in pH affect the bacterial community.


As springtime dawns in Moominvalley and the first northern crocus opens, Moominpappa and Snorkmaiden, glamourised by the prospects of movie stars and gambling, insist the whole family take a trip down to the Riviera. Reluctantly Moomin and Moominmamma agree to go along, and the Moomins set off on a grand adventure, complete with butlers, luxury shops, indoor swimming pools, and duels at dawn. With their innocent curiosity about everything, the Moomins prove the perfect foil for the cynical, world-weary residents of the Riviera. Moomin on the Riviera is a classic Moomin story reworked in full colour. A delight for the whole family!


Given the increasing consumer demand for ready-to-eat products in recent years, the use of nano technology has been considered to improve the quality and increase the shelf life of fresh cuttings of fruit and vegetables. In this research, the effects of polypropylene contents of Nanoclay nanocomposites prepared by Bespar Aitec Company dishes, on quantitative and qualitative post-harvest indices of arils of pomegranate cultivars "Rabab-Neyriz" and "Milas-Neyriz" after 30 days Storage at 5 °C were investigated. For this purpose, soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), phenol, ascorbic acid, antioxidant activity, total anthocyanin, flavor index, and sensory evaluation (panel test) were evaluated at a time interval of 6 days. Based on the results, the studied cultivars showed significant differences in qualitative characteristics, especially anthocyanins. In both cultivars, total phenol content, ascorbic acid, anthocyanin and antioxidant capacity gradually decreased over time. Although there was no significant difference between the Nano and control samples for flavor index, other traits showed significant differences. In both cultivars, Nano- packaged arils showed higher phenol, ascorbic acid, anthocyanin and antioxidant contents compared to the control samples. Nano-packaged arils of Rabab cultivar showed a better marketability. These results indicated that Nano- packaging is a promising approach in maintaining quality and increasing shelf life and marketability of pomegranate arils during 30 days storage.


Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) occur when there is over-production of myeloid cells stemming from hematopoietic stem cells with constitutive activation of JAK/STAT signaling, with JAK2V617F being the most commonly occurring somatic driver mutation. Chronic inflammation is a hallmark feature of MPNs and it is now evident that inflammation is not only a symptom of MPN but can also provoke development and precipitate progression of disease. Herein we have considered major MPN driver mutation independent host, lifestyle, and environmental factors in the pathogenesis of MPN based upon epidemiological and experimental data. In addition to the traditional risk factors such as advanced age, there is evidence to indicate that inflammatory stimuli such as smoking can promote and drive MPN clone emergence and expansion. Diet induced inflammation could also play a role in MPN clonal expansion. Recognition of factors associated with MPN development support lifestyle modifications as an emerging therapeutic tool to restrain inflammation and diminish MPN progression.


Types of learning with a strong emphasis on the responsibility of the learner (such as discovery learning) are gaining popularity over traditional forms of (expository) instruction. Discovery learning distinguishes itself by the central role of learning processes such as hypothesis generation (induction), experiment design, and data interpretation. Expository instruction pays more attention to directly 'exposing' definitions and equations to learners. In the current study, students worked with either a simulation (discovery learning) or a hypertext learning environment (expository instruction) with the same domain content. Each of the environments contained a large number of assignments. The study followed a pre-test, post-test design. To measure the knowledge acquired a definitional knowledge test, an intuitive knowledge test (where both correctness and speed of answering are aspects that are measured) and a test in which relations needed to be explained were administered. It was predicted that the hypertext group would outperform the simulation group on the definitional knowledge test and it was expected that the simulation group would perform better on the intuitive knowledge test. Results showed that both the interaction with the simulation and with the hypertext resulted in substantial learning gains. It was found that the hypertext group performed better on the definitional knowledge test. On the intuitive knowledge test the hypertext scored better than the simulation group on the correctness of the items but not on the time needed to answer items. On the explanation test there was no difference between the two groups. An analysis of interaction processes as recorded in the logfiles indicates that the differences between both environments in their actual usage were less distinctive than expected. In the simulation group many students followed the assignments given and did not engage in self-guided discovery. Since the assignments were rather directive, this resulted in 'discovery behaviour' that focused on generating outcomes; outcomes that were also, and more directly presented in the hypertext environment. For research and practice, this implies that simulations are to be considered only when clear benefits of discovery are expected, and only with complex domains, sufficient learning time and freedom for students in the assignments to engage in discovery.


We present what we believe to be the first experimental demonstration of a novel coherent lensless imaging technique: holography with extended reference by autocorrelation linear differential operator. Upon taking derivatives of the field autocorrelation this technique allows the direct reconstruction of an object complex-valued transmissivity from a measurement of its Fraunhofer diffraction pattern. We show reconstruction examples using a parallelogram, a thin slit, and a triangle as extended references.


As part of an extensive education reform programme, Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) is currently introducing a Dual Language Policy (DLP) in which English, maths and science are to be taught fully through the medium of English while other subjects are taught through Arabic with the goal of producing biliterate school graduates. The DLP has already been implemented in Grades 1-6 and it is hoped that it will be migrated into secondary schools by 2015.

The success of any major educational policy innovation is dependent on professional support at many levels, including that of teachers. For this reason it is important to explore teachers' perspectives of the policy and how the policy might be in alignment or conflict with their professional identities. This study has adopted a discursive understanding of identity and a post structural theoretical framework. Using semi-structured interviews, observations and documentary analysis, this study sought firstly to explore the primary discourses which shape Emirati female secondary school maths teachers' professional identities. It then identified their perspectives on the DLP before exploring how their identities explained these perspectives.

The research found that the importance of childhood experiences in education, gendered roles, Islam, professional roles, relationships with students and their perspectives of society's view of them as secondary maths teachers were key aspects of participants' professional identities. It also found that teachers had fragmented identities resulting in mixed perspectives on the DLP. In some regard, this resulted in positivity towards the policy although simultaneously they felt their identities were threatened by it, causing them to view its implementation with caution. These threats were clustered around three main areas relating to pedagogic beliefs, their work ethic and linguistic and nationalistic discourses.

A significant finding of this study was that the participants held differing views regarding the principles behind the DLP. Some teachers had accepted the policy ideologically, having adopted a position which assumed the neutrality of English, while others expressed strong views against the encroachment of English in education and society more generally. Nevertheless, there was agreement across the participants that while English was necessary in 21st century Abu Dhabi, it must remain a second language. While this is the stated intention of the DLP, teachers expressed limited awareness of how Arabic is being protected and promoted by ADEC, causing further animosity towards the policy.

By adopting a post structural position, this research demonstrates the complexity of the situation as teachers find themselves caught in the intersection of multiple, and often conflicting, discourses. It shows that contrary to the prevailing belief, teachers are neither powerless nor passive but are exercising their power, at the micro level, through acts of negotiation, resistance and subversion. By drawing attention to these teachers' discursive positionings, 'framing discourses', such as those related to patriarchy, Islam and linguistic imperialism, are highlighted. These are shown to both shut down and open up possibilities of being (Keddie, 2011), emphasizing the limited space these subjects have to manoeuvre in.

By exploring the construct of teacher identities in the Emirati context and relating it to the practical aspect of policy implementation, this study aims to highlight its relevance to education reform and contribute to a gap in the field. It is hoped that through this, teacher identity will become a more significant part of the educational discourse in this region, disrupting the continued epistemic privilege of Western-informed views of education.


The human lumbar spine has been the subject of biomechanical study for many decades owing to the numerous medical cases resulting in the development of various corrective surgical procedures and medical devices intended to relieve patient discomfort. Spinal biomechanics is a broad field containing but not limited to the in vitro study of cadaveric tissue utilizing testing platforms used to apply motionor load-profiles to tissue in the investigation of the various kinetic or kinematic responses, respectively. The particular arena field of this research concerns the field of robotics as it applies to testing platforms and how they are applied to lumbar spine biomechanical testing. The in vivo spine is subject to six degrees of freedom (DOF) of motion as a consequence of the applied loads of surrounding musculature which apply component loads in 6 DOF. However current in vitro standard protocols apply isolated loads primarily in the anatomical planes. Although the primary goal of in vitro testing may not be the simulation of in vivo circumstances, the accurate recreation of the in vivo loading environment would reveal much regarding the passive biomechanics of the spine. To accomplish such a goal, it would be ideal to utilize a platform capable of providing 6 DOF of controlled mobility as well as capable of apply controlled load in those 6 DOF. The Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory has developed such a system. The system's load-control capabilities were validated by simulating two standard biomechanical protocols, the pure moment and the ideal follower load on 6 L4-L5 single motion segment units. The robotic performance of the system was evaluated by measuring the tracking errors during testing, or the difference between experimental forces being applied and the forces commanded by the custom motion programs executed during protocol simulation. The biomechanical data that was recorded and compared to the literature for validation was rotational range of motion in the sagittal plane and anatomical point translation. Translation data proved to be difficult to compare effectively to the literature due to the sparseness of comparable numbers. There was also interest in the platform's ability to control protocols. To test this hypothesis, three different biomechanical protocols were simulated and there biomechanical results were compared: pure moment, ideal follower load, and trunk weight. The system provided stable, good load-control in during combined motions involving all 6 DOF. The tracking errors observed were low compared to other published robotic biomechanical platforms. The mean combined flexion-extension rotational range of motion in the sagittal plane for the pure moment protocol, the ideal follower load, and the trunk weight protocols were 8.2°(±2.5°), 7.6°(±2.9°), and 7.4°(±2.8°), respectively. There were statistically significant differences in the absolute translational data across the protocols but when comparing relative changes due to flexion and extension only, there are no significant differences across protocols. In conclusion to this research the platform developed and validated in the current study adequately provides the capabilities of 6 DOF coordinated motion and 5 DOF coordinated load-control. It is sufficient to simulate the standard spine biomechanical test protocols of pure moment and ideal follower load on single segments. It is also a good tool for comparing the effects of particular protocols on the passive biomechanics of human cadaveric tissue. To the author's knowledge, this is the first publication of a fully robotic system adequately controlling a non-zero dynamic force vector while a bending protocol was being applied to a human spinal segment. This research is limited to the sagittal plane and single lumbar spine motion segment units.


Finding the optimal structure to enhance light trapping in thin film silicon solar cells has attracted much attention in the previous decades. However, because of problems in integrating theory and experiment, there are only few comprehensive contributions that provide guidelines for the optimal design of such structures. In this work, a realistic thin film solar cell with almost conformal layers based on a one-dimensional metallic grating back-reflector is investigated through experiment and theory. The external quantum efficiency of the cell is obtained with the aid of both theory and experiment for different angles of incidence and in both polarizations to validate the computational method and to show the impact of guided mode excitation. Different substrate shapes that are compatible with solar cell fabrication are then considered and the effect of geometrical parameters on the short circuit current density of the device is investigated. Calculations show that among the investigated shapes, trinagular gratings with a very sharp slope in one side, so called sawtooth gratings, are the most promising one-dimensional grating for light trapping. Furthermore, the role of material property is discussed specifically in the back-reflector by simulating aluminum and silver backreflectors. It is shown that the blue response of the solar cells is similar almost regardless of the back-reflector material but their red response is viable to change due to variation in resonant properties of the structure.


This study describes a simple method for measuring the distance between the occiput and atlas when a distraction-dislocation injury is suspected in a child. Measurements were made at five evenly spaced locations along the atlantooccipital joint on cross table lateral skull radiographs in 100 normal children. These data were compared with similar measurements in eight patients with proved atlantooccipital dislocation. The mean normal measurement fell between 1.96-2.63 mm for all five points. For boys or girls aged 1-15 years, the normal distance should not exceed 5 mm at any point in the joint. The likelihood that any normal child will have a measurement ~4.5 mm at any point is between 0.4-5.85% (expected false-positive rate).


Police evidentiary interviews with suspects provide a source of institutional language data in which the contributions of participants may be critical to their future, in the context of a subsequent court case. An analysis of the interactional strategies of police interview participants demonstrates that the contributions of the suspect are highly constrained in a number of ways, including allowable turn types and the management of topic initiations. If assumptions about 'preferred responses' based on ordinary conversation are used to interpret non-response in this particular institutional setting, then these interactionally restricted contributions, which will be presented as evidence, may be susceptible to adverse inference in a way that is unlikely to be addressed by the judicial system. This paper concludes that discourse analysis can present a case against the erosion of the defendant's rights, in particular the right to silence.


A critique of Canadian policyMORE THAN THREE YEARS AFTER the onset of Asia's financial crisis, several of the region's economies have been showing signs of recovery. As interest rates continue to decline and exchange rates in the region show signs of strength, many analysts argue that the region is poised to resume its journey towards economic growth and development. Because of improvements in the regional economy, some believe that the worst is over and that standards of living and social conditions in Asia will continue their long march upward.The complete story, however, is less sanguine. In some countries, industrial capacity continues to decline and private investment is far from pre-crisis levels. These persistent challenges promise even more unemployment and continued social difficulties. When coupled with the likelihood of continued economic hardship in some economies through 2000 and 2001, the popular argument that Asia's economic and political troubles are over seems less convincing as the declining social security/welfare situation is not likely to see consistent improvement.(1) Even if the least afflicted economies manage to post strong growth through the remainder of 2000, their situation will remain precarious, and economic stability will not be assured. Consequently, they will be less able to provide their citizens with the sorts of opportunities for economic advancement that were available prior to the crisis.(2) The absolute number of people living either on or below the poverty line will remain large, and the human welfare challenges posed by the crisis will persist. As a result, Canadian policy-makers will have to remain vigilant and continue to monitor the situation in Asia closely.The purpose of this article, however, is to go beyond the income-related effects of the crisis and draw attention to some of its more specific implications on human security concerns in three Southeast Asian countries - Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Using data uncovered during fieldwork - through interviews/consultations with personnel from government, academe, and non-governmental/activist groups, as well as a review of primary and secondary data most readily available in these countries - the article provides a critique of how the Canadian policy establishment conceptualizes and articulates human security in the 1995 foreign policy statement, Canada in the World.The decision to focus on Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam was driven by two key considerations. First, the violence and remarkable political transformations that took place in Indonesia and, to a lesser degree, in Thailand and South Korea has meant that other countries affected by the crisis have received relatively less attention and analysis either from academe or from the international media. Second, each of these countries is experiencing social, economic, and political transformations that began before the onset of the crisis. By focusing on these three countries, it is possible to examine how an exogenous/systemic shock (the crisis) affected domestic/endogenous processes of social and governmental change and the implications of this interaction on human security concerns.The article makes two arguments. First, Asia's financial crisis had a considerable impact in countries already undergoing transitional processes. On their own, these internal transformations posed serious human security challenges to citizens in each country, and the onset of the crisis exacerbated their effects. In some cases, key institutions faltered and human security was compromised in ways that go beyond the income-related effects of the crisis. Second, the observations and conclusions drawn from the fieldwork, in most cases, present a direct challenge to how Canadian policy-makers conceptualize human security. Based on the data uncovered during the course of research, the argument is that Canada should rethink its understanding of human security if its efforts are to be effective over the longer term. …


A well-established literature base identifies a portion of students enrolled in post-secondary General Chemistry as at-risk of failing the course based on incoming metrics. Learning about the experiences and factors that lead to this higher failure rate is essential toward improving retention in this course. This study examines the relationship between study habits and academic performance for at-risk students in General Chemistry. Students who were in the bottom quartile of SAT math scores were identified as at-risk students. The study habits of General Chemistry students, both those identified as at-risk and those not identified were measured by text message inquiries. The text message asked ''Have you studied for General Chemistry I in the past 48 hours? If so, how did you study?" twice a week throughout a semester. Student responses to the messages were used to calculate the frequency of studying throughout the term. The results from a multiple regression analysis showed that high frequency of studying could mitigate the difference between at-risk and non-at-risk students on final exam scores. Additionally, the quality of studying for six at-risk students was analyzed by student interviews in concert with their text message responses. The results indicated that the quality of studying is not necessarily linked to frequency of studying and both quality and frequency can play a role in at-risk students' academic performance. The results presented offer a path for at-risk students to succeed in General Chemistry and the methodology presented offers a potential avenue for evaluating future efforts to improve student success.


Using a unique new dataset linking administrative data on investment performance and financial knowledge, we examine whether investors who are more financially knowledgeable earn more on their retirement plan investments, compared to their less sophisticated counterparts. We find that risk-adjusted annual expected returns are 130 basis points higher for the most financially knowledgeable employees, and those scoring higher on our Financial Knowledge Index have slightly more volatile portfolios while they do no better diversifying their portfolios than their peers. Overall, financial knowledge does appear to help people invest more profitably; this may provide a rationale for efforts to enhance financial knowledge in the population at large.


This paper reports results from a mixed-methods study about how college students engage with news when questions of credibility and "fake news" abound in the U.S. Findings are based on 5,844 online survey responses, one open-ended survey question (N=1,252), and 37 follow-up telephone interviews with students enrolled at 11 U.S. colleges and universities. More than two-thirds of respondents had received news from at least five pathways to news during the previous week; often their news came from discussions with peers, posts on social media platforms, online newspaper sites, discussions with professors, or news feeds. The classroom was an influential incubator for news habits; discussions of news provided relevant connections to curricular content as well as guidance for navigating a complex and crowded online media landscape. Respondents majoring in the arts and humanities, social sciences, and business administration were far more likely to get news from their professors than were students in computer science or engineering. The interplay between unmediated and mediated pathways to news underscored the value of the socialness of news; discussions with peers, parents, and professors helped students identify which stories they might follow and trust. Opportunities and strategies are identified for preparing students to gather and evaluate credible news sources, first as students and then as lifelong learners, based on the assumption that instructors discussing news in class can demonstrate intentionally, or unintentionally, that familiarity with news is a social practice and a form of civic engagement.


In this paper, we propose a novel multi-view learning method for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) diagnosis, using neuroimaging and genetics data. Generally, there are several major challenges associated with traditional classification methods on multi-source imaging and genetics data. First, the correlation between the extracted imaging features and class labels is generally complex, which often makes the traditional linear models ineffective. Second, medical data may be collected from different sources (i.e., multiple modalities of neuroimaging data, clinical scores or genetics measurements), therefore, how to effectively exploit the complementarity among multiple views is of great importance. In this paper, we propose a Multi-Layer Multi-View Classification (ML-MVC) approach, which regards the multi-view input as the first layer, and constructs a latent representation to explore the complex correlation between the features and class labels. This captures the high-order complementarity among different views, as we exploit the underlying information with a low-rank tensor regularization. Intrinsically, our formulation elegantly explores the nonlinear correlation together with complementarity among different views, and thus improves the accuracy of classification. Finally, the minimization problem is solved by the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM). Experimental results on Alzheimers Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) data sets validate the effectiveness of our proposed method.


The characteristics of the data traffic generated by the use of micro-browser-enabled PCS phones to gain access to the Web is of particular interest to cellular network operators. Questions such as the frequency and length of browser sessions, and the specific characteristic of the traffic generated, need to be answer by researchers. These answers are valuable in network capacity planning as more subscribers use their cellular phones to interact with the Web.
In this paper, we analyse network traces generated by a Mobile Browser application. We observe daily and weekly cycles and, some evidence of self-similarity in the network traffic produced by the application. We show that the activity factor for data generated by this application is lower than voice activity factor. This fact is significant for the design of wireless networks because it is possible to multiplex a large number of data sources onto existing channels with the appropriate protocols. We also compare and contrast the Mobile Browser traffic characteristics with results for WWW traffic published in the literature.


This study explores the strategic pricing behaviors across retail chains for produce products. We adopt a Panel-VAR model to identify the driving factors of retail price variation and find that retail price history, competition, product cost are among the key drivers of retail price change. Forecast Error Variance Decomposition (FEVD) is used to quantify the relative impact of driving factors to retail price changes and show how they affect prices differently across retail chains. We also find that higher responsiveness to competition may indicate superior management ability in price setting that associates with better profitability in practice.


OBJECTIVE
To study the efficacy of electrolyzed oxidizing water (EOW) and hydrocolloid occlusive dressings in the acceleration of epithelialization in excised burn-wounds in rats.

METHODS
Each of the anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats (n=28) was subjected to a third-degree burn that covered approximately 10% of the total body surface area. Rats were assigned into four groups: Group I (no irrigation), Group II (irrigation with physiologic saline), Group III (irrigation with EOW) and Group IV (hydrocolloid occlusive dressing after EOW irrigation). Wounds were observed macroscopically until complete epithelialization was present, then the epithelialized wounds were examined microscopically.

RESULTS
Healing of the burn wounds was the fastest in Group IV treated with hydrocolloid occlusive dressing together with EOW. Although extensive regenerative epidermis was seen in each Group, the proliferations of lymphocytes and macrophages associated with dense collagen deposition were more extensive in Group II, III and IV than in Group I. These findings were particularly evident in Group III and IV.

CONCLUSIONS
Wound Healing may be accelerated by applying a hydrocolloid occlusive dressing on burn surfaces after they are cleaned with EOW.


The diffusiophoretic and electrophoretic motions of two colloidal spheres in the solution of a symmetrically charged electrolyte are analyzed using a method of reflections. The particles are oriented arbitrarily with respect to the electrolyte gradient or the electric field, and they are allowed to differ in radius and in zeta potential. The thickness of the electric double layers surrounding the particles is assumed to be small relative to the radius of each particle and to the gap width between the particles, but the effect of polarization of the mobile ions in the diffuse layer is taken into account. A slip velocity of fluid and normal fluxes of solute ions at the outer edge of the thin double layer are used as the boundary conditions for the fluid phase outside the double layers. The method of reflections is based on an analysis of the electrochemical potential and fluid velocity disturbances produced by a single dielectric sphere placed in an arbitrarily varying electrolyte gradient or electric field. The solution for two-sphere interactions is obtained in expansion form correct to O(r(12)(-7)), where r(12) is the distance between the particle centers. Our analytical results are found to be in good agreement with the available numerical solutions obtained using a boundary collocation method. On the basis of a model of statistical mechanics, the results of two-sphere interactions are used to analytically determine the first-order effect of the volume fraction of particles of each type on the mean diffusiophoretic and eletrophoretic velocities in a bounded suspension. For a suspension of identical spheres, the mean diffusiophoretic velocity can be decreased or increased as the volume fraction of the particles is increased, while the mean electrophoretic velocity is reduced with the increase in the particle concentration. Generally speaking, the particle interaction effects can be quite significant in typical situations. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.


Isolates of Cercospora sojina, causal agent of frogeye leaf spot of soybean (Glycine max), were collected across Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia and were evaluated for quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicide resistance. Collection of these isolates from these 14 states occurred between 2010 and 2017. QoI fungicide-resistant C. sojina isolates were detected in all 14 states surveyed and represent a total of 240 counties or parishes. In 2017, these 240 counties and parishes represented approximately 13% of the harvested soybean hectares in the United States. In light of this widespread occurrence of QoI fungicide-resistant C. sojina isolates, management of frogeye leaf spot should focus on integrated management practices such as planting resistant soybean cultivars, rotating with nonhost crops, and tilling to speed up decomposition of infested soybean residue. When foliar fungicide application is warranted, fungicide products that contain active ingredients from chemistry classes other than the QoI class should be applied for frogeye leaf spot management.


Day 115 Saturday 10th November 2001 6.38am It's all an act. I am hopelessly unhappy, dejected and broken. I smile when I am at my lowest, I laugh when I see no humour, I help others when I need help myself. I am alone. If I were to show any sign, even for a moment, of what I'm going through, I would have to read the details in some tabloid the following day. Everything I do is only a phone call away from a friendly journalist with an open cheque book. I don't know where I have found the strength to maintain this facade and never break down in anyone's presence. The final volume of Jeffrey Archer's prison diaries, A Prison Diary Volume III: Heaven, covers the period of his transfer from Wayland to his eventual release on parole in July 2003. It includes a shocking account of the traumatic time he spent in the notorious Lincoln jail and the events that led to his incarceration there - it also throws light on a system that is close to breaking point. Told with humour, compassion and honesty, it closes with a thought-provoking manifesto that should be applauded by the Establishment and prison population alike.


: Replacing platinum as an oxygen reduction catalyst is an important scientific and technological challenge. Herein we report a simple synthesis of a complex carbon with very good oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity at pH 13. Pyrolysis of magnesium nitrilotriacetate yields a carbon with hierarchical micro/meso/macro porosity, resulting from in situ templating by spontaneously forming MgO nanoparticles and from etching by pyrolysis gases. The mesopores are lined with highly graphitic shells. The high ORR activity is attributed to a good balance between high specific surface area and mass transport through the hierarchical porosity, and to improved electronic conductivity through the graphitic shells. This novel carbon has a high surface area (1320 m 2 g ¢ 1 ), and high nitrogen content for a single precursor synthesis ( ~ 6%). Importantly, its synthesis is both cheap and easily scalable.


Nano-crystalline metals (NCs) exhibit radiation-tolerance due to the sink of grain boundaries (GBs) for radiation-induced defects such as self-interstitial atoms (SIAs) and vacancies (Vs). However, the relevant mechanisms for the radiation damage accumulation and GB structural relaxation under high radiation field in NCs are still not well understood due to the lack of self-consistent across-scale techniques for simulating radiation-induced microstructures evolution. In this article, by combining coarse-grained and atomistic simulations, we proposed a coupling method to investigate the evolution of the microstructure and SIA/V-GB interaction under cumulative irradiation in NC iron. The SIA overloaded effect was revealed in iron GBs at a high radiation dose rate and/or low temperature. Two types of GB structural response were observed to cumulative irradiation. With the SIA accumulated at the GB, the new GB phase formed and then a critical concentration of the SIA at the GB transited to the small quantity of the V during the GB structural recovery, accompanied by the local GB motion. Consequently, the GB's role for Vs nearby alternated between the trapping and annihilation center with radiation dose. Alternatively, GB developed to a ch in aX iv :2 02 00 1. 00 04 6v 1 disordered structure after trapping abundant SIAs. The GB response pattern to cumulative irradiation that is related to the SIA formation energy at the GB or the GB thermal stability is well manifested in the cumulative distribution function of the defects formation energy and its energy level density. The present work reveals the dynamic healing picture for radiation damage near the GB under cumulative irradiation.


This study examined effects of 12 weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on eating behaviour, food cravings, and weekly energy intake and expenditure in inactive men. Eleven healthy men (mean ± SD: age, 26 ± 5 years; body mass index, 24.6 ± 3.8 kg·m-2; maximum oxygen uptake, 43.1 ± 7.4 mL·kg-1·min-1) completed the 12-week supervised exercise programme. Body composition, health markers (e.g., blood pressure), eating behaviour, food cravings, and weekly energy intake and expenditure were assessed before and after the exercise intervention. There were no intervention effects on weekly free-living energy intake (p = 0.326, d = -0.12) and expenditure (p = 0.799, d = 0.04) or uncontrolled eating and emotional eating scores (p > 0.05). However, there was a trend with a medium effect size (p = 0.058, d = 0.68) for cognitive restraint to be greater after the exercise intervention. Total food cravings (p = 0.009, d = -1.19) and specific cravings of high-fat foods (p = 0.023, d = -0.90), fast-food fats (p = 0.009, d = -0.71), and carbohydrates/starches (p = 0.009, d = -0.56) decreased from baseline to 12 weeks. Moreover, there was a trend with a large effect size for cravings of sweets (p = 0.052, d = -0.86) to be lower after the exercise intervention. In summary, 12 weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise reduced food cravings and increased cognitive restraint, but these changes were not accompanied by changes in other eating behaviours or weekly energy intake and expenditure. The results indicate the importance of exercising for health improvements even when reductions in body mass are modest.


Fine particulate matters (PM_(2.5)) have been identified as one of the major air pollutants in urban areas, which are responsible for the deterioration of the atmospheric air quality as well as adverse effects on public health. In this study, the mass concentration, water-soluble ionic component, trace metal component, carbon component and modeling the contribution source for PM_(2.5) was characterized for Chiayi City, which has high population density and surrounded by agricultural area. The lowest PM_(2.5) mass concentrations were registered in the summer (9-22 μg m^(-3)), while for the spring, autumn, and winter were well above the healthy level suggested by World Health Organization (WHO). For all seasons, the dominants were the sulfate (SO_4^(2-)), nitrate (NO_3^-) and followed closely by ammonium (NH_4^+). Those secondary aerosols were transformed from SO_2 and NO_2 into particulate NO_3^- and SO_4^(2-) during spring, autumn and winter. Lower carbon mass concentrations were observed for summer (2.03-2.49 μg m^(-3)) corresponding to the highest carbon content in PM_(2.5) mass concentrations in terms of percentages (average 18.1%). Using the Chemical Mass Balance receptor model, the secondary nitrate (NO_3^-), primary traffic source, secondary sulfate (SO_4^(2-)), re-suspending soil particle, and petrochemical industry were identified as the major sources of PM_(2.5) in Chiayi City. Consequently, the PM_(2.5) contributions were complicated in a small but various seasons and geological distributing area. The air quality control strategies were thus seasonal and periodical dependent.


Context. Aliasing artifacts are a present problem in both the game industryand the movie industry. With the GCN (Graphics Core Next) architectureused on both new generation of consoles; Xbox One and Playstation 4, aunified Anti-Aliasing solution can be constructed with high performance,temporal stable edges and satisfying visual fidelity.Objective. This thesis aims to implement several prototypes which willbe utilizing GCN architecture to solve aliasing artifacts such as temporalstability.Method. By doing performance measurements, a survey and an experimenton the constructed prototypes and current state of the art solutionsthis thesis will create both a benchmark between given state of the art solutionsfor the industry and at the same time evaluate the new solutions givenin this thesis.Result. With having potential of being the fastest Anti-Aliasing solutionin the field it does not only bring high performance, but also very temporalstable edges and satisfying visual quality.Conclusion. If not used as a standalone solution, the prototype can be decoupledfrom GCN specific features and be a very suitable complement forMulti Sample Anti-Aliasing which can not handle alpha clipped edges.


In chick embryos, skeletal muscle formation is initiated in selected epithelial somite progenitor cells, which, upon receiving external molecular cues, translocate into the nascent muscle where they differentiate into multinucleated myofibres. Here, two highly regulated mechanisms involving complex gene networks and choreographed cellular movements ensure the correct formation of the future musculature. The first involves a crucial myogenic cell-fate choice on whether to remain in a proliferative state or to begin differentiation. While this choice is known to involve both WNT and NOTCH pathways, the exact mechanisms and relationships between these pathways remains unknown. During the course of my doctoral studies, I uncovered at the heart of this response a signalling module encompassing NOTCH, GSK-3β,SNAI1 and WNT. This module transduces the activation of NOTCH into i) an inhibition of GSK-3β activity by non-transcriptional NOTCH signalling; ii) a SNAI1-induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) leading to iii) the recruitment of membranal β-catenin to trigger WNT/β-catenin signalling and myogenesis independently of WNT ligand. While these results intimately associate the initiation of myogenesis to a change in cell adhesion, they may have wider implications, as they may reveal a general principle for coupling cell-fate changes to EMT in many developmental and pathological processes. The second process that is crucial for the correct formation of skeletal muscle, which I focused on extensively during my studies, is the fusion of myoblasts into multinucleated fibres. This event, which can occur up to tens of thousand of times within each muscle fibre, ensures not only the correct growth of muscle but also the proper functioning of repair mechanisms in adult muscles. During my PhD, I focused on investigating how early myoblasts initiate fusion and with which cellular partners. Here, I show that a complex fusion interaction takes place in the trunk, where primary myotome cells from the medial somite border rarely fuse to one another, but readily do so with other border cells. Conversely, resident muscle progenitors actively fuse with one another, but do so poorly with the primary myotome. I have also characterised fusion events in limb muscles, demonstrating key differences in the progression of this event. These studies revealed important physical interactions while suggesting complex molecular networks are in play. Based on this knowledge, by performing functional studies on potential novel fusion genes. I have gained further insight into the fusion process.


This paper argues that the canonical assignment model, which is widely used in the study of wage determination, provides natural links to the standardized tools of inequality analysis, such as the Lorenz curve and the Gini coefficient. I show that an intuitive formula for the Gini coefficient of earnings can be derived using a standard assignment model. Such a model is useful in understanding the potential sources of earnings inequality, since it formulates the Gini coefficient as a function of the dispersion of worker skills, the distribution of firm productivities, and the strength of complementarities in production between capital and labor. The Gini coefficient increases with the dispersion of skills, the dispersion of productivities, and the labor share.


The Constitution of 1996 sets out the government's responsibility to provide the public with the opportunity to be involved in government decisions that affect their lives (R Kasrils, Former Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry, 2001)
Participation is a guiding principle of South Africa's post-apartheid water sector reforms. Yet studies indicate that substantive and effective participation has been difficult to achieve. In an effort to develop sustainable and creative dialogue with consumers, the University of KwaZulu-Natal in partnership with eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) piloted the establishment of community-based focus groups in 3 different types of communities. The goals of the project were to build trust, generate social capital and widen the store of available methods for enhancing dialogue between service providers and consumers. This paper details the methods used. This pilot formed part of a larger strategy to develop and refine a methodology to be used in a municipality-wide research and engagement strategy involving a diverse selection of wards. At the time of publication, research in 6 wards and one similar study with people with disabilities were complete.


The Treasures of Westminster Abbey celebrates an iconic building and its rich artistic heritage. The Abbey, one of Britain's greatest medieval buildings and among the best-known churches in the world, has a history stretching back over a thousand years. Founded as a Benedictine monastery in the mid-tenth century and with the shrine of its principal royal founder, St Edward the Confessor, at its heart, it is also the coronation church where monarchs have been crowned amid great splendour since 1066. The present church, begun by Henry III in 1245, was planned with that in mind and is a treasure house of architectural and artistic achievement on which each succeeding century has left its mark. Seventeen out of the thirty-nine sovereigns crowned in Westminster Abbey also lie buried within its walls. Their medieval and Renaissance tombs, though among the most important in Europe, form only a small part of the extraordinary collection of gravestones, memorials and monumental sculpture for which the Abbey has long been famous and which is comprehensively surveyed in this lavishly illustrated book. Many of the most significant individuals in British history are remembered here: royalty and aristocracy, clergy and politicians, writers, scientists and musicians. Ranging from the thirteenth-century shrine of St Edward and the Renaissance splendour of Henry VII's Lady Chapel, to the literary memorials of Poets' Corner and the statues of Twentieth Century Martyrs on the Abbey's west front, The Treasures of Westminster Abbey describes the stained glass, furniture, sculpture, textiles, wall paintings and many other historic artifacts found within this remarkable church.


Background: Encrustation of urinary catheters is a frequent problem in patients with long-term indwelling catheters colonised with urease-positive bacteria such as Proteus mirabilis. Catheter blockage may follow catheter encrustation, potentially leading to systemic infection. Prevention of encrustation is difficult and avoidance of recurrence often unsuccessful. One possible preventative strategy is to use a catheter with an antimicrobial surface and development and assessment of such a surface was the aim of this research.

Methods: Initial experiments assessed the antimicrobial activity of silicone impregnated with plant-derived antimicrobials and triclosan using agar diffusion. The longevity of activity of each antimicrobial silicone was examined over a period of 11 weeks following soaking individual pieces of antimicrobial silicone in an artificial urine solution before using agar diffusion to test remaining antimicrobial activity. Live/Dead staining of bacteria colonising the surface of each antimicrobial silicone was employed to determine the bactericidal properties of each antimicrobial silicone. Selected antimicrobial silicones were subsequently evaluated for their ability to prevent catheter encrustation in an in vitro bladder model.

Results: Results showed that antimicrobial activity was obtained using 1% triclosan-impregnated silicone and that this antimicrobial activity was long-lasting (up to 11 weeks). Use of a dip coat silicone formulation, containing 0.2% triclosan, proved effective at delaying catheter encrustation with P. mirabilis metabolites in vitro. In 8 out of 13 independent experiments using dip-coated catheters, no catheter blockage occurred over 7 days, whilst all control catheters blocked during this period. Only on one occasion was delayed encrustation not evident with the treated catheters.

Conclusions: In summary, a dip-coat silicone containing triclosan proved effective in preventing in vitro catheter encrustation caused by P. mirabilis infection. Further studies with triclosan silicone dip coat formulation are warranted, including those that investigate potential host cell toxicity and long-term benefits following its application to indwelling urinary catheters in clinical settings.


New Mexico follows a policy of 'antidegradation' with respect to the existing quality of a stream, but its standards specifically exclude return flows from irrigated agriculture from being regulated 'point sources' of discharge. Risk assessment has become a powerful tool in the development of regulations for hazardous substances in the work place, in drinking water, and in ambient air. In setting the initial water quality standards for toxic substances for aquatic life, New Mexico used a risk assessment approach. It appears that EPA is willing to allow the states time to add new toxic standards if they will do three things: identify those toxics that are known to be present in state-streams at potentially harmful levels; provide a time-table for this process and for the subsequent setting of standards; and demonstrate that certain criteria are not needed. If other western states are like New Mexico, the process of establishing new, numerical stream standards for toxics is still in its early stages. State agencies and water quality commissions and boards will have little other choice than to use the criteria that EPA has developed for toxics.


Some blame the cost of clinical legal education for high law school tuition. They argue that, regardless of the educational and employment benefits to students, clinical legal education, and law clinics in particular, are too expensive to expand or require for all students in a time of decreasing law school enrollments and revenues. This Article is an empirical examination of these claims. Reviewing tuition, curricular and enrollment data from all law schools, this Article demonstrates that 84% of law schools already have the capacity to provide a clinical experience to every student without adding courses or faculty, although only 18% presently require or guarantee that training. It finds there is no effect on the tuition and fees students pay from requiring or guaranteeing every student a clinical experience and no difference in tuition between schools that already have sufficient capacity to provide a clinical experience to each student and those that do not. In addition, there is no tuition growth associated with the increased availability of experiential or law clinic courses for students or the increased participation of students in law clinics, in spite of the higher costs many associate with clinics. These findings demonstrate that clinical courses have not cost, and need not cost, students more in tuition. The Article concludes that providing a clinical experience to every student is more a question of a school's will to provide that educational experience than of cost.


Virtual surgery planning systems have demonstrated great potential to help surgeons achieve a better functional and aesthetic outcome for the patient, and at the same time reduce time in the operating room resulting in considerable cost savings. However, the two-dimensional tools employed in these systems today, such as a mouse and a conventional graphical display, are difficult to use for interaction with three-dimensional anatomical images. Therefore surgeons often outsource virtual planning which increases cost and lead time to surgery. Haptics relates to the sense of touch and haptic technology encompasses algorithms, software, and hardware designed to engage the sense of touch. To demonstrate how haptic technology in combination with stereo visualization can make cranio-maxillofacial surgery planning more efficient and easier to use, we describe our haptics-assisted surgery planning (HASP) system. HASP supports in-house virtual planning of reconstructions in complex trauma cases, and reconstructions with a fibula osteocutaneous free flap including bone, vessels, and soft-tissue in oncology cases. An integrated stable six degrees-of-freedom haptic attraction force model, snap-to-fit, supports semi-automatic alignment of virtual bone fragments in trauma cases. HASP has potential beyond this thesis as a teaching tool and also as a development platform for future research. In addition to HASP, we describe a surgical bone saw simulator with a novel hybrid haptic interface that combines kinesthetic and vibrotactile feedback to display both low frequency contact forces and realistic high frequency vibrations when a virtual saw blade comes in contact with a virtual bone model. We also show that visuo-haptic co-location shortens the completion time, but does not improve the accuracy, in interaction tasks performed on two different visuo-haptic displays: one based on a holographic optical element and one based on a half-transparent mirror. Finally, we describe two prototype hand-worn haptic interfaces that potentially may expand the interaction capabilities of the HASP system. In particular we evaluate two different types of piezo-electric motors, one walking quasi-static motor and one traveling-wave ultrasonic motor for actuating the interfaces. This thesis is based on the following papers, which are referred to in the text by their Roman numerals. The author is the main contributor in the above papers. Reprints were made with permission from the respective publishers. Tandem canoeing over the internet using haptic feedback, Proc. IEEE 14 th Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Tele-operator Systems, pp. 281-285. 6.


Abstract. Two recently-available daily gridded datasets are used to investigate trends in Mediterranean temperature extremes since the mid-20th century. The underlying trends are found to be generally consistent with global trends of temperature and their extremes: cold extremes decrease and warm/hot extremes increase. This consistency is better manifested in the western part of the Mediterranean where changes are most pronounced since the mid-1970s. In the eastern part, a cooling is observed, with a near reversal in the last two decades. This inter-basin discrepancy is clearer in winter, while in summer changes are more uniform and the west-east difference is restricted to the rate of increase of warm/hot extremes, which is higher in central and eastern parts of the Mediterranean over recent decades. Linear regression and correlation analysis reveals some influence of major large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns on the occurrence of these extremes – both in terms of trend and interannual variability. These relationships are not, however, able to account for the most striking features of the observations – in particular the intensification of the increasing trend in warm/hot extremes, which is most evident over the last 15–20 yr in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean.


The brand name is one of the most important devices for marketing a product. Western companies spend vast sums of money devising brand names that convey the positive characteristics of products marketed on the strength of their image. Many of the brand names patented are complex linguistic units, using aspects of phonology, orthography, morphology, syntax and semantics to make names memorable. These names use language to impact on readers and therefore have transferable meanings. This article analyses the linguistic devices in a corpus of English language adverts and investigates which translation strategies are employed when the adverts are transferred into Russian. It argues that the transfer process is more complex than previous literature has suggested and that although the original meaning is often not maintained after transfer, brand names in the target adverts carry new connotations which are appealing due to the target audience's expectations.


Ancient rocks have survived plate tectonic recycling for billions of years, but key questions remain about how and when they were exhumed to the surface. Constraining exhumation histories over long timescales is a challenge because much of the rock record has been lost to erosion. Argon and helium noble gas thermochronology can reconstruct deep-time <350 °C thermal histories by using the distinct temperature sensitivities of minerals such as feldspar, zircon, and apatite, while exploiting grain size and radiation damage effects on diffusion kinetics. Resolution of unique time–temperature paths over long timescales requires multiple chronometers, appropriate kinetic models, and inverse simulation techniques to fully explore and constrain possible solutions. Results suggest that surface histories of ancient continental interiors are far from uninteresting and may merely be misunderstood.


The increased concerns about climate change have made renewable energy sources an important topic of research. Several scholars have applied different methodologies to examine the relationships between energy consumption and economic growth of individual and groups of countries and to analyze the environmental effects of energy policies. Previous studies have analyzed carbon emission savings, using renewable energy usage as an individual source or in combination with traditional sources of energy (e.g., hybrid plants) in connection with lifecycle analysis methods. It is shown that after a certain period, economic growth leads to the promotion of environmental quality. However, econometric modelling critiques have opposed the results of these studies. One reason is that the effectiveness of governance-related parameters has previously been neglected. In this research, we analyze the impact of renewable energy development on carbon emission reduction. We estimate a model to evaluate the effectiveness of renewable energy development, technological innovation, and market regulations in carbon emission reduction. The empirical results are based on a panel data estimation using the EU-15 countries data observed from 1995 to 2010. The elasticities of CO2 emissions are estimated, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of each parameter. The findings show that the effects of a negative climate change could be mitigated by governance-related parameters instead of economic development.


This written defence accompanies an audio-visual documentary which aims to investigate the potential linkages between the three concepts of identification, fandom and religion by drawing on the phenomenally rich tapestry of Elvis fan culture. This investigation was achieved by the filmmaker's immersion, as a non-fan, into the private world of the fan through encounters with several Elvis Tribute Artists and lifelong Elvis fans. The crucial questions addressed in the documentary include an investigation into the meaning of 'identification'; the concept of fandom and identificatory fan practices and the reasons why we become fans and how this fandom is enacted during the fan's life. The impact of Presley's death on Elvis fandom is also debated with regard to possible connections between fan practices and religious behaviours. Most importantly, however, the idea that fandom is a universal concept is highlighted and fans are given the freedom to express their true feelings towards their idol Elvis Presley. As a result of the investigation we gain a greater understanding of the three concepts; their linkages and what it means to be a fan. In so doing any myths surrounding negative stereotypes of fans as obsessive and 'Other' are shattered.


Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) include cosmetics, pharmacological products, products employed in food farming to improve livestock growth and/or health. PPCPs continuous and massive use justifies their finding in different aquatic ecosystems and due to the improvement of sensitivity and accuracy of the analytic techniques, the scientific community has been able to identify the contribution to pollution of this common usage substances.
PPCPs compose a variegated collection of chemical substances among which drugs are of particular interest for the purposes of this study. They have been designed to be active at very low concentration, to pass through biological membranes and to persist in the organism sufficiently to carry out their therapeutic effect before being secreted through urines or faeces. Thus they can have a substantial impact on the environment and to serious consequences on human health.
Drugs are released into the environment through several ways, from landfill disposal of drugs (unused or out of date), to sewage disposal of households, hospitals, factories and intensive cattle farming. A big amount of drugs and of their metabolic products reaches the STPs (Sewage Treatment Plants) where treatment processes are often not capable of inducing mineralization of xenobiotics, thus allowing their inlet into surface waters. It is therefore extremely important to evaluate to what extent a drug is removed during wastewater disposal. The percentage of removal of a certain drug from wastewater not only depends on its mineralization, but also on its capacity to be transformed into a different chemical substance during treatments, in particular during disinfection step. The most used disinfection processes are: UV irradiation, chlorination, ozone or peroxyacetic acid oxidation.
Chlorination is the most used sterilization process in the world. Chlorine is normally added to wastewater as gas or as a sodium hypochlorite solution (NaOCl). Hypochlorite disinfection is the most commonly used disinfection treatment in Italy. The mixture HOCl/OCl-, known as free available chlorine (FAC), is a powerful non-specific oxidant, capable of inducing degradation of different micro-pollutants to products which are chlorinated, oxidized and to fragmentation by-products that are potentially more toxic than the parental compound.
Many data on the possibility that chlorination could induce drug transformation are available in recent literature but data on the identification of eventual transformation product are limited to few cases.
This thesis work has been focused on studying transformations induced by hypochlorite treatment on drugs belonging to different pharmaceutical classes, in STPs like-conditions.
Selection has been based on the following parameters:

• Presence in the molecular structure of potentially reactive groups;
• High use and sale of drugs containing the selected active ingredient;
• Literature data on the detection of drugs in STP effluents;
• Environmental load.

The drugs examinated in this study are: atenolol, ranitidine, naproxen, gemfibrozil, benzafibrate and fenofibrate, tamoxifen, lincomycin, sidenafil and tadalafil. The main degradation products were isolated and fully characterized employing NMR techniques (COSY, HSQC, HMBC, NOESY) and mass spectrometry experiments (ESI-MS, MALDI-MS, EI-MS). The formation pathways were also elucidated.
The potential environmental impact of the parental compounds and of their products has been evaluated by phytotoxicological quantification assays or, in collaboration with the Life Science Department of the Second University of Naples, by acute and chronic toxicity, genotoxicity and mutagenicity assays on different aquatic organisms. This study combination is rare in literature but in the last years it is becoming of particular interest in Environmental Chemistry.


In the Eastern Ghats Belt, 7-9-3 sapphirine in biotite-free Crd + Crn ± Sil ± Spl restitic domains occurs interlayered with Opx + Crd + K-feldspar assemblages extensively replaced by biotite. Natural settings and experimental phase relations indicate the restitic assemblages were derived by low pressure ( 800 °C) anatexis of pelitic protoliths. In the restitic domain, sapphirine formed by the reaction Crn + Crd + Spl = Spr. Volumetrically minor amounts of sillimanite associated with sapphirine were produced by the ancillary reaction Crn + Crd = Spr + Sil. The decomposition of sapphirine + cordierite to En + Sil symplectites is attributed to the reaction Spr + Crd = En + Sil; occasional spinel in the symplectite may have formed by the reaction Spr = Spl + Sil + En. A quantitative activity-corrected M(F)AS grid constructed for Grt and Qtz-absent Mg, Al-rich metapelites suggests that sapphirine stabilization was induced by loading at ∼4.5 kbar, 900 °C. The decomposition of sapphirine occurred during cooling down to 700 °C at 8 Kbar in a thickened crust. The record of low-P prograde heating that led to high T (> 800 °C, P max attained broadly synchronous with P max at ∼9 kbar. The phase petrological relations in the sapphirine granulites strongly indicate that near-peak T was attained prior to the attainment of P max value. The initial high thermal anomaly is reconciled with asthenospheric heating below a thinned crust, and does not correspond with the thermal condition in the upper zone of a crust of normal thickness experiencing asthenospheric perturbation. Since loading induces temperature increase due to shallowing of geotherms, the cooling of the thickened crust can only be explained by conductive heat loss to "cooler" thrust slices above the hot crust, and/or asthenospheric depression. The post-T max cooling in the CCW orogen suggests the continuance of thermal relaxation in the thickened crust in its attempt to attain isostatic stability with its environs.


Language is the medium of business. To be successful, we need to communicate effectively in writing. That's true whether we are providing instructions to our colleagues, communicating with our customers, or advising our direct reports. We must be able to deliver clear, accurate messages that inform, persuade and motivate. Unfortunately, people lapse into habits that interfere with their ability to communicate. The Language of Success shows readers how to avoid these mistakes, and to write lucid, concise, and accurate e-mails, letters, performance appraisals, and presentations. Now anyone can master the lost art of clear writing and:

eliminate ambiguities, jargon and grandiose claims ? master proper paragraph structure so the message doesn't get muddled ? avoid wishy-washy or misleading terms like ?world class? or ?state of the art? ? write clear concise sentences that follow the ?first time right rule? ? use e-mail professionally and efficiently ? create career-enhancing reports

Honest and authoritative, The Language of Success will gives readers practical techniques to help readers cut through the fluff, guff, geek, and hyperbole, write exceptional business documents, and get their message heard.


In Richland Creek, Haywood County, North Carolina, the invasive species, Redbreast Sunfish,Lepomis auritus (Linnaeus 1758), dominates the fish assemblage. As part of a study of thefeasibility of using backpack electrofishing to selectively remove the invasive, Redbreast Sunfishwere removed from three reaches of Richland Creek. The sacrificed fish were used to gain insightinto the population characteristics of this population. Data on total length, wet weight and age,were recorded. Stomach contents were identified to the lowest taxon feasible, and compared tostandardized invertebrate samples collected near the time of fish sampling. Fish sacrificed rangedfrom total lengths of 31 mm to 168 mm. Fish were found from zero to three years old, with themajority of fish being in their first or second year of life. The fish collected in sites close to asmall reservoir downstream were smaller than fish collected upstream, indicating that the riverpopulation was likely a sink population to the reservoir. This population of Redbreast Sunfish atea variety of invertebrates, as well as a fish, supporting our hypothesis that they, as many invasivespecies, are generalists. They showed a slight preference for chironomids, and appeared to avoidmayflies.


The article considers unknown pages of the history of the left-bank of Saratov. Particular attention is paid to the collapse of the embassy caravan on the Volga near Saratov on October 1, 1639 and to the further actions of Prince F. F. Volkonsky's Ambassador. For the first time a detailed chronology of the events that took place in this city in the summer of 1637 and in the autumn of 1639 is presented, the Saratov Chronicle compiled 120 years ago is supplemented over the years.The main sources about the history of Saratov of this period are analyzed in detail.


Although Congress delegates lawmaking authority to both courts and agencies, we know remarkably little about the determinants-and even less about the consequences-of the choice between judicial and administrative process. The few scholars who have sought to understand the choice of delegate have used formal modeling to illuminate various aspects of the decision from the perspective of the enacting Congress. That approach yields useful insight into the likely preferences of rational legislators, but tells us nothing about how (or whether) those preferences play out in the behavior of courts and agencies. Without such knowledge, we have no way of testing the existing theories, and little on which to base new ideas about what ought to be driving the legislative decision. This Article takes a new approach to the choice between judicial and administrative process. Using a real-world example of a delegation to courts-Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964-I examine how the Supreme Court and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission interpreted the statute over more than four decades of enforcement. The analysis confirms the importance of the choice of delegate, revealing substantial differences between judicial and agency interpretations of the statute. It also calls attention to some surprising similarities between the two institutions, both of which exhibited markedly stable decision making in the face of political upheavals in Congress and the White House. The picture that emerges is far more complicated and context-dependent than the stylized models of prior work would allow-but so is the decision that Congress must make. By exposing the legal and political consequences of a delegation to courts in one area of federal law, this Article offers a richer and more nuanced understanding of a critical, but largely overlooked, question of institutional choice.


OBJECTIVES
Published data, both on nocturnal melatonin suppression in humans and on widely accepted retinal structure and function, suggest that spectral opponency plays a role in human circadian phototransduction. We directly test subadditivity, implied by spectral opponency, in human circadian phototransduction in response to nearly monochromatic and to polychromatic light.

METHODS
Adult male human subjects were exposed for 60 minutes to two intensities each of two lighting conditions, during nighttime experimental sessions. One condition consisted of light from mercury vapor lamps (450 and 1050 lx), and one condition consisted of light from these lamps filtered such that only the spectral line from this lamp at 436 nm was presented to subjects (7.5 and 15 lx).

RESULTS
Melatonin suppression from the filtered illumination at 436 nm alone was greater than mercury lamp illumination (containing energy at 436 nm in addition to other wavelengths), even when the sources exposed subjects' retinae to equal amounts of irradiance at 436 nm.

CONCLUSION
This direct test of subadditivity, together with evidence from neuroanatomy, supports the inference that spectral opponency is a fundamental characteristic of human circadian phototransduction.


Wireless power holds great promise for solving many power distribution problems. Medical device designers will need to understand the impact of the electromagnetic coupling used for wireless power systems to design safe electromagnetic environments and safe medical devices. One question for designers will be whether or not current standards and requirements used for testing the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of medical devices and human exposure go far enough to insure safe environments and safe and reliable medical devices in the presence of wireless power. Electromagnetic energy can be transferred in three ways: through induction, radio frequency waves, or resonant evanescent coupling. Nonradiative inductive coupling uses the magnetic fields created when current is passed through one coil to create a current in a second coil that is located very near the first coil. These systems usually operate in the 50 KHz to 10 MHz range. Radio frequency energy can be transferred through radiating electromagnetic waves over great distances at frequencies from the upper KHz to many GHz. Most recently, work has been done on resonant evanescent coupling which transfers power between resonant objects over a distance of a couple of meters at frequencies from 1–10 MHz. Safety and reliability of medical devices is confirmed by testing EMC emissions and susceptibility to IEC60601-1-2 and supporting standards. For example, one of the supporting standards, CISPR 11 calls for measuring the electric field of radiated emissions over 30 MHz and the magnetic field below 30 MHz at distances of 3–10 meters. Many of the effects of wireless power systems are in the near field and are not covered in the current test standards. The AAMI PC69 series of standards have some near field requirements but these standards tend to be industry specific – such as drug pumps or pacemakers. EMC immunity standards used to test EMC susceptibility barely mention magnetic immunity. The only test for magnetic fields recommends testing fields at the power frequencies of 50 and 60 Hz. There are few standards detailing safe limits for human exposure to the near field effects of wireless power as well. Historically human exposure standards have been based on time average thermal effects on tissue and not medical devices. IEEE's C95.1b has requirements for specific absorption rate limits averaged over a 6 minute period. A pulsed wireless power system could meet these requirements and be safe for exposed tissue, but if a patient has an implanted device, or is wearing an external medical device, the pulsed EM energy could affect it during the pulse. The German BGV B11 standard lists human exposure limits for electric and magnetic fields based on a time average and limits exposure based on which portion of the body is exposed. However, it is meant as a workplace standard not a medical device standard. Currently the FDA does not require meeting either of these standards. It is necessary to determine the appropriate limits and tests to ensure that medical devices safely use wireless power and continue to operate safely in the presence of wireless power.


Two commercial waterborne wood acrylic paints were applied to wood samples and the weathering resistance of samples was tested using four different weathering methods: outdoor exposure in Arizona (USA), Florida (USA), and the province of Quebec (Canada), and accelerated weathering in a QUV (fluorescent) weatherometer. Degradation was characterised by colorimetric and FTIR analyses. FTIR confirmed the importance of paint composition in the resistance of samples to weathering. Polymer sensitivity to UV radiation was clearly evident. An interpretation of discoloration in terms of either the energy received by the samples or the length of exposure is presented. Strong differences existed between the four weathering methods. Particularities of each method are discussed and recommendations regarding their application for effective testing are proposed. Overall, in addition to accelerated weathering tests, we conclude that it is necessary to test paints in an end-use environment for accurate assessment of their likely performance. This study confirms the multifactorial aspect of the weathering process.


This paper presents a structural investigation of the Hattfjelldal Nappe (part of the Storfjiillet Nappe Complex), Nordland, Norway,leading to a tentative model for the sequence of deformational events within the nappe and its bordering thrust zones. The investigated area belongs to the internal zone of the Caledonian fold-and-thrust belt. The rocks have been subjected to multiple deformational phases. The deformational sequence comprises at !east two generations of isoclinal folds, as well as younger transverse and longitudinal folds. The phases can be correlated with movements in the bordering thrust zones. Finally, some aspects of correlation of fold phases in neighbouring nappes are discussed by comparing the Hattfjelldal Nappe with the underlying Jofjiillet Nappe.


Background: Hip arthroscopy is associated with moderate to severe postoperative pain. This prospective, randomized, double-blinded study investigates the clinically analgesic effect of anterior quadratus lumborum block with multimodal analgesia compared to multimodal analgesia alone. The authors hypothesized that an anterior quadratus lumborum block with multimodal analgesia would be superior for pain control. Methods: Ninety-six adult patients undergoing ambulatory hip arthroscopy were enrolled. Patients were randomized to either a single-shot anterior quadratus lumborum block (30 ml bupivacaine 0.5% with 2 mg preservative-free dexamethasone) or no block. All patients received neuraxial anesthesia, IV sedation, and multimodal analgesia (IV acetaminophen and ketorolac). The primary outcome was numerical rating scale pain scores at rest and movement at 30 min and 1, 2, 3, and 24 h. Results: Ninety-six patients were enrolled and included in the analysis. Anterior quadratus lumborum block with multimodal analgesia (overall treatment effect, marginal mean [standard error]: 4.4 [0.3]) was not superior to multimodal analgesia alone (overall treatment effect, marginal mean [standard error]: 3.7 [0.3]) in pain scores over the study period (treatment differences between no block and anterior quadratus lumborum block, 0.7 [95% CI, –0.1 to 1.5]; P = 0.059). Postanesthesia care unit antiemetic use, patient satisfaction, and opioid consumption for 0 to 24 h were not significantly different. There was no difference in quadriceps strength on the operative side between groups (differences in means, 1.9 [95% CI, –1.5 to 5.3]; P = 0.268). Conclusions: Anterior quadratus lumborum block may not add to the benefits provided by multimodal analgesia alone after hip arthroscopy. Anterior quadratus lumborum block did not cause a motor deficit. The lack of treatment effect in this study demonstrates a surgical procedure without benefit from this novel block. Anterior quadratus lumborum block along with acetaminophen and ketorolac did not improve postoperative analgesia in comparison to acetaminophen and ketorolac alone. Likewise, secondary outcomes including opioid consumption and patient satisfaction were not improved in subjects receiving quadratus lumborum blocks.


We developed a reliable probabilistic solar-flare forecasting model using a deep neural network, named Deep Flare Net-Reliable (DeFN-R). The model can predict the maximum classes of flares that occur in the following 24 hr after observing images, along with the event occurrence probability. We detected active regions from 3 × 105 solar images taken during 2010–2015 by Solar Dynamic Observatory and extracted 79 features for each region, which we annotated with flare occurrence labels of X-, M-, and C-classes. The extracted features are the same as used by Nishizuka et al.; for example, line-of-sight/vector magnetograms in the photosphere, brightening in the corona, and the X-ray emissivity 1 and 2 hr before an image. We adopted a chronological split of the database into two for training and testing in an operational setting: the data set in 2010–2014 for training and the one in 2015 for testing. DeFN-R is composed of multilayer perceptrons formed by batch normalizations and skip connections. By tuning optimization methods, DeFN-R was trained to optimize the Brier skill score (BSS). As a result, we achieved BSS = 0.41 for ≥C-class flare predictions and 0.30 for ≥M-class flare predictions by improving the reliability diagram while keeping the relative operating characteristic curve almost the same. Note that DeFN is optimized for deterministic prediction, which is determined with a normalized threshold of 50%. On the other hand, DeFN-R is optimized for a probability forecast based on the observation event rate, whose probability threshold can be selected according to users' purposes.


Leadership has been on the corporate landscape ever since the earliest days of management developing as a discipline. Despite this, little agreement has been reached on what constitutes effective leadership. In addition, the changes brought about by the information age and the impact of technology on society in general, and management in particular, necessitate that leadership approaches be reconsidered. Traditional leadership styles and management methods based on command and control principles that once were perceived to increase the competitiveness of an organization have become a liability, as these methods have not been found to offer competitive advantages. Leadership has been identified as one of the primary barriers to organizational learning in the knowledge society. Leading authors argue that leadership and managerial influences in the knowledge organization should receive specific attention if knowledge management (KM) programmes are to be successfully implemented. Therefore, organizational leadership needs to change to reflect these new realities. The relevance and importance of 'emerging' leadership have been explored by diverse authors who all suggested new approaches to leadership development. This research critically examined these approaches to leadership to determine what new competencies leaders should develop to be successful in the knowledge society. Adopting a qualitative research approach making use of a focus group and correlation study, the author concludes firstly that managers have not yet made the transition to manage successfully in a knowledge society and, secondly, that action learning provides a suitable platform and framework for developing a next generation of leaders.


Extracted from text ... 44 VOL 44, NO. 2, MAY 2006 SAJS
The original hospital in Johannesburg was a hastily constructed
structure of wattle and daub that also served as a
prison. The first major operation performed in this building,
by Dr Hans Sauer in 1886, was the amputation of a necrotic
arm that had been crushed by a wagon wheel.
The first official hospital was built on land to the north
of the burgeoning city. This piece of ground, on which the
first permanent structure was built in 1889, was donated
by the Government of the Transvaal. The Honorary J. M. A. ..


A theoretical model has been developed to determine the maximum saltation layer thickness of sediment particles in water associated with the migration velocity of particle in the bed layer. This is consistent with Owen's (1964) hypothesis for saltation of uniform grain in air. The equation for mean particle velocity at the bed is derived by balancing the horizontal forces acting on the particle in the bed. The modified expression for mean particle velocity includes the effects of drag and lift coefficients, bed shear stress, coefficient of dynamic friction, settling velocity and pivoting angle. The saltation layer model presented here extends a reasonable physical assumption by converting the average horizontal particle velocity to a vertical component of velocity due to collisions with particles resting on the bed. This explicitly shows a functional dependence of saltation height on mean particle velocity and take-off angle. The proposed model has been tested using available experimental data and the agreement with particle velocities and saltation heights is excellent. An interesting outcome is that a quadratic relationship is suggested between the higher transport stage (upper plane bed) and the take-off angle of particle. This shows that the take-off angle decreases with increase in transport stage.


I examine the movie Borderline in its attempt to create a language of the body. Borderline was a collaborate project of the Pool group, which included director Kenneth Macpherson, the poet H. D., and her partner Bryher. Both H. D. and Bryher star in the film, along with African American singer and actor Paul Robeson. I read Borderline as a work which parallels modernist literary experiments, for instance the poetry of William Carlos Williams, Gertrude Stein, H. D. and Amy Lowell.1 This experimentalism is related to the problem of authenticity, which modernist authors often associate with the materiality of the body. The movie, as I will show in the following discussion, works with two different, intersecting notions of authenticity. On the one hand, it locates authenticity in the material body, especially the black body of its star Paul Robeson. On the other hand, it emphasizes the materiality of the medium itself.


Diamond films with different levels of doping have been the subject of applications and fundamental research in electrochemistry, opening up a new branch known as the electrochemistry of diamond. The electrochemical properties of diamond mostly depend on the operating conditions during the deposition of the film and on the treatment of the surface. The absence so far of a standard procedure in the production and treatment of diamond films has created a wide range of diamond quality and properties. This work would try to clarify some aspects of the electrochemical activity of boron-doped diamond electrodes in light of the results obtained in our and other laboratories. Boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes, both as-grown and polarised anodically under different conditions, were prepared in order to study the chemical and electrochemical changes of diamond and clarify the rule played by the surface-state density. Many different treatments were employed, but only the most relevant results will be presented in this work, viz., those obtained with four kinds of surface treatment: as-grown (BDDag), mildly polarised (BDDmild), strongly polarised in perchloric acid (BDDsevere), and strongly polarised in a sulphuric acid-acetic acid mixture (BDDAcOH). Charge transfer processes at the electrode surface were studied by steady-state (polarisation) and dynamic (cyclic voltammetry) potential step methods. Simple electron transfer processes such as the outer-sphere redox system ferri/ferrocyanide (Fe(CN)6III/II) and complex charge transfer reactions such as the inner-sphere 1,4-benzoquinone/hydroquinone (Q/H2Q) redox reaction were chosen to test the electrochemical properties of the electrodes. The properties of the diamond electrodes were found to undergo strong modification as a function of surface treatment. The reaction rate constants decreased significantly upon anodic polarisation. Important drops in the carrier surface concentration and in true surface area led to hindrance of electron transfer at the electrode surface. The concept of non-diamond (sp2) impurities as charge transfer mediators on a diamond surface was suggested as an explanation for the electrochemical behaviour of diamond electrodes after surface oxidation treatment. To verify this concept, graphite particles were deposited on mildly polarised diamond electrodes (BDDmild) so as to prepare diamond-graphite composite electrodes (BDD-g), and their properties were compared with those of as-grown (BDDag) diamond and carbon electrodes. The sp2 coverage on BDD was estimated by cyclic voltammetry. A strong analogy existed between as-grown diamond electrodes and diamond-graphite composite electrodes. In fact, by depositing graphite particles on diamond after its deactivation by anodic polarisation is was possible to restore the initial properties of the as-grown diamond electrode. In the potential region of electrolyte decomposition, sp2 was eliminated from the BDD-graphite composite surface by oxidation to CO2. BDD itself behaved as an "non-active" electrode. In this case the oxidation of organic compounds was mediated by hydroxyl radicals formed during water discharge, without any participation of the electrode surface. The behaviour of "non-active" diamond in organic oxidation processes occurring in the potential region of water discharge was described in greater detail in the chapter about electrochemical oxidation of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The theoretical model developed for organic oxidation at "non-active" anodes was used to predict results for the oxidation of EDTA at boron-doped diamond electrodes. The very good fit between experimental results and theoretical values confirmed that EDTA oxidation at diamond in the potential region of electrolyte decomposition was a fast reaction involving free electrogenerated hydroxyl radical intermediates formed at the anode during water discharge. Nanoparticles of IrO2 were deposited by thermal decomposition on boron-doped diamond electrodes (BDD-IrO2) in order to improve and better understand their electrocatalytic activity toward redox processes and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Electrodes with different IrO2 loadings were prepared and their electrochemical properties tested. The reaction rate constants of redox processes increased by several orders of magnitude, the overpotential of the oxygen evolution reaction decreased by about one volt. The IrO2 deposition completely altered the electrochemical properties of diamond from an "non-active" to an "active" material. The high electrocatalytic activity of BDD-IrO2 electrodes toward the OER was also confirmed in an indirect way by the observation that the oxidation of organic substances and the production of peroxodisulphate are inhibited. The high degree of dispersion of the IrO2 particles led to a high electrocatalytic activity, even at extremely low IrO2 loadings. On the basis of experimental results a phenomenological model was proposed. Boron-doped diamond was defined as a degenerated semiconductor material because of the quite high charge density on its surface due to the boron doping (> 1021 boron atoms cm-3), to the non diamond (sp2) carbon and in general to surface species. This distribution of charges on the surface promoted processes of electron transfer across the interface diamond/electrolyte. Deposition of particles on the diamond surface (graphite or IrO2) increased further this surface charge density until reaching a perfectly metallic behaviour. Since charge transfer processes occurred on the deposited particles at lower overpotential than on diamond sites, surface modified diamond electrodes showed the electrochemical properties of the deposited material.


Abstract Species distributions are typically represented by records of their observed occurrence at a given spatial and temporal scale. Such records are inevitably incomplete and contingent on the spatial‐temporal circumstances under which the observations were made. Moreover, organisms may respond differently to similar environmental conditions at different places or moments, so their distribution is, in principle, not completely predictable. We argue that this uncertainty exists, and warrants considering species distributions as analogous to coherent quantum objects, whose distributions are better described by a wavefunction rather than by a set of locations. We use this to extend the existing concept of "dark diversity", which incorporates into biodiversity metrics those species that could, but which have not yet been observed to, inhabit a region—thereby developing the idea of "potential biodiversity". We show how conceptualizing species' distributions in this way could help overcome important weaknesses in current biodiversity metrics, both in theory and by using a worked case study of mammal distributions in Spain over the last decade. We propose that considerable theoretical advances could eventually be gained through interdisciplinary collaboration between biogeographers and quantum physicists.


Background Prenatal genetic testing is an essential part of routine prenatal care. Yet, obstetricians often lack the time to provide comprehensive prenatal genetic testing education to their patients. Pregnant women lack prenatal genetic testing knowledge, which may hinder informed decision-making during their pregnancies. Due to the rapid growth of technology, mobile apps are a potentially valuable educational tool through which pregnant women can learn about prenatal genetic testing and improve the quality of their communication with obstetricians. The characteristics, quality, and number of available apps containing prenatal genetic testing information are, however, unknown. Objective This study aims to conduct a firstreview to identify, evaluate, and summarize currently available mobile apps that contain prenatal genetic testing information using a systematic approach. Methods We searched both the Apple App Store and Google Play for mobile apps containing prenatal genetic testing information. The quality of apps was assessed based on the criteria adopted from two commonly used and validated mobile app scoring systems, including the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) and the APPLICATIONS evaluation criteria. Results A total of 64 mobile apps were identified. Of these, only 2 apps were developed for a specific prenatal genetic test. All others were either pregnancy-related (61/64, 95%) or genetics-related (1/64, 2%) apps that provided prenatal genetic testing information. The majority of the apps (49/64, 77%) were developed by commercial companies. The mean quality assessment score of the included apps was 13.5 (SD 2.9), which was equal to the average of possible theoretical score. Overall, the main weaknesses of mobile apps in this review included the limited number of prenatal genetic tests mentioned; incomprehensiveness of testing information; unreliable and missing information sources; absence of developmental testing with users (not evidence based); high level of readability; and the lack of visual information, customization, and a text search field. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the quality of mobile apps with prenatal genetic testing information must be improved and that pregnant women should be cautious when using these apps for prenatal genetic testing information. Obstetricians should carefully examine mobile apps before referring any of them to their patients for use as an educational tool. Both improving the quality of existing mobile apps, and developing new, evidence-based, high-quality mobile apps targeting all prenatal genetic tests should be the focus of mobile app developers going forward.


A revision of the trilobite fauna from Brzechów in the Holy Cross Mountains (Poland) shows that the assemblage consists of Palaeolenus medius (Bednarczyk), Issafeniella orlowinensis (Samsonowicz), Kingaspidoides sanctacrucensis (Czarnocki), Paradoxides (Acadoparadoxides) oelandicus Sjögren, P. (A.) cf. mureroensis Sdzuy and P. (A.) sp. It is earliest Middle Cambrian in age according to the West Gondwana standard of Geyer & Landing (2004) and can be correlated with the Cephalopyge notabilis Zone of Morocco. Moreover, the co-occurrence of the ranges of P. (A.) oelandicus with P. (A.) cf. mureroensis might suggest that P. (A.) oelandicus appears earlier in the Brzechów sandstones than in Scandinavia, thus the strata exposed here do not find their correlative in the Scandinavian succession. As a result, the Banian/Agdzian boundary (Lower–Middle Cambrian boundary according to the West Gondwana standard) probably lies within the Kamieniec Formation, and also below the Brzechów sandstones, in the upper part of the Ociesęki Formation. Close similarity of the discussed assemblage with contemporaneous assemblages from Morocco, Jordan or New Brunswick indicates that the fauna is generally of peri-Gondwanan and Gondwanan aspect.


D.J. Quint SUMMARY: Although radiography of the spine began shortly after Roentgen's discovery in 1895, there was little written in the medical literature about spine imaging until nearly 25 years later with the development of myelography, first by using air and then a variety of positive contrast agents. The history of spine imaging before CT and MR imaging is, in large part, a history of the development of contrast agents for intrathecal use. The advent of CT and, more important, MR imaging revolutionized spine imaging. The spinal cord and its surrounding structures could now be noninvasively visualized in great detail. In situations in which myelography is still necessary, advances in contrast agents have made the procedure less painful with fewer side effects. In this historical review, we will trace the evolution of spine imaging that has led to less invasive techniques for the evaluation of the spine and its contents and has resulted in more rapid, more specific diagnosis, therapy, and improved outcomes.