Clustering is a process of discovering group of objects such that the objects of the same group are similar, and objects belonging to different groups are dissimilar. A number of clustering algorithms exist that can solve the problem of clustering, but most of them are very sensitive to their input parameters. Minimum Spanning Tree clustering algorithm is capable of detecting clusters with irregular boundaries. Detecting outlier in database (as unusual objects) is a big desire. In data mining detection of anomalous pattern in data is more interesting than detecting inliers. In this paper we propose a Minimum Spanning Tree based clustering algorithm for noise-free or pure clusters. The algorithm constructs hierarchy from top to bottom. At each hierarchical level, it optimizes the number of cluster, from which the proper hierarchical structure of underlying data set can be found. The algorithm uses a new cluster validation criterion based on the geometric property of data partition of the data set in order to find the proper number of clusters at each level. The algorithm works in two phases. The first phase of the algorithm create clusters with guaranteed intra-cluster similarity, where as the second phase of the algorithm create dendrogram using the clusters as objects with guaranteed inter-cluster similarity. The first phase of the algorithm uses divisive approach, where as the second phase uses agglomerative approach. In this paper we used both the approaches in the algorithm to find Best number of Meta similarity clusters.


This study analyzed the dependence of part load performance of simple cycle gas turbines on their design performance. Various parametric calculations were carried out to examine effects of design temperature ratio, pressure ratio and component efficiencies using a simplified analysis. In addition, a more practical analysis was done for realistic design conditions with the aid of a comprehensive performance analysis program. The results show that gas turbines with higher design performance exhibit less efficiency degradation during part load operation. The influence of power control method (fuel only centre) and air flow control) on part load performance was examined as well.


Potentiated adrenal responses to the second of two identical hemorrhages spaced 24 h apart are seen in the pentobarbital sodium-anesthetized dog. Although pentobarbital effectively reduces environmental influences, barbiturates affect hemodynamic and hormonal responses and preclude normal daily feeding and activity patterns. To determine the role of anesthesia in these earlier results, we prepared awake trained dogs with chronic adrenal venous catheters. Animals were bled 8.7-21.8% of measured blood volume [131] over 3 min, and peripheral and adrenal blood was sampled. Blood was reinfused 1 h later, and the dogs were fed. The protocol was repeated 24 h later. Dogs with small hemorrhage (11.6 +/- 2.3% blood vol; n = 9) showed no difference in catecholamine secretion on the 2 days. Dogs with large hemorrhage (18.9 +/- 2.1% blood vol; n = 9) showed a greater epinephrine and norepinephrine secretory response to hemorrhage on day 2. No differences were detected in the hemodynamic response to bleeding on the 2 days. Whereas potentiation was seen in epinephrine and norepinephrine responses to a second 10% hemorrhage in anesthetized dogs, larger hemorrhage was needed to elicit this effect in awake dogs. Thus potential adrenal medullary responses to repeated hemorrhage occur in both awake and pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs, but important differences in the threshold and manifestation of this effect are seen.


Background: Prescription opioid use and overdose has steadily increased over the past years, resulting in a dramatic increase in opioid-related emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. Methods: This study used a prospective cohort of cancer patients having undergone surgery in Montreal (Quebec) to describe their post-discharge opioid use and identify potential patterns of unplanned health service use (ED visits, hospitalizations). Provincial health administrative claims were used to measure opioid dispensation as well as hospital re-admissions and ED visits. The hospital warehouse, patient chart and patient interview will be used to further describe patient's medical profile. Marginal structural models will be used to model the association between use of opioids and risk of ED visits and hospitalizations. Inverse probability of treatment and censoring weights will be constructed to properly adjust for confounders that may be unbalanced between the opioid and non–opioid users as well as to account for competing risk due to mortality. Reasons for the re-admissions will also be presented as part of the analyses. Covariates will include patient comorbidities, medication history, and healthcare system characteristics such as nurse-to-patient and attending physician-to-patient ratios. Results (interim): A total of 821 were included in the study; of these, 73% (n=597) were admitted for a cancer procedure. At postoperative discharge, 605 (74%) of patients had at least one opioid dispensation, of which the majority (67%) were oxycodone with hydromorphone being the second most prescribed (28%). Among those who filled a prescription, mean age was 66 (13.4), 68% had no previous history of opioid use, and 10% have had 3 or more dispensing pharmacies in the year prior to admission, compared to less than 1% for the non–opioid users. Overall, 343 people refilled their opioid prescription at least once and 128 at least twice during the 1-year postoperative period. Among cancer patients who were opioid users, 214 ED visits occurred in the 1 year after surgery compared to only 40 for the non-cancer opioid users. Conclusion: This study will help to identify the risk profile of cancer patients who are most likely to continue using opioids for prolonged periods following surgical procedures as well as quantify the impact of opioid use and its associated burden on the healthcare system in order to identify areas for possible interventions.


This study investigated the influence of teacher related factors on students' performance in Mathematics in Secondary school. The insight into the study arose from the recurrent poor performance of mathematics in Kenyan secondary schools. Specifically, the investigation was on the teaching methods used by teachers, teachers' attitudes and assessment techniques. Participants were mathematics teachers randomly chosen from 20 schools in Mombasa County. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics where percentages and weighted means for the schools were used. The findings indicated that teachers assessed all cognitive domains of learning except creativity, imagination and data interpretation domains. The students' difficulties were mostly sprung from their disabilities in representation and understanding of word problems, making a plan and defining the related vocabularies Therefore, to enhance mathematics learning, teachers need to be in-serviced on use of various teaching and assessment techniques. Teachers need to help students in interpreting mathematical questions by teaching them to look for a pattern, draw a picture and rewording the problems.


Abstract Research suggests that childhood adversity (CA) is associated with a wide range of repercussions, including an increased likelihood of interpersonal stress generation. This may be particularly true following interpersonal childhood adversity (ICA) and for youth with high hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis-related genetic risk. In the current study, we applied a multilocus genetic profile score (MGPS) approach to measuring HPA axis-related genetic variation and examined its interaction with ICA to predict interpersonal stress generation in a sample of adolescents aged 14–17 (N = 241, Caucasian subsample n = 192). MGPSs were computed using 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms from HPA axis-related genes (CRHR1, NRC31, NRC32, and FKBP5). ICA significantly predicted greater adolescent interpersonal dependent stress. Additionally, MGPS predicted a stronger association between ICA and interpersonal dependent (but not independent or noninterpersonal dependent) stress. No gene–environment interaction (G×E) effects were found for noninterpersonal CA and MGPS in predicting adolescent interpersonal dependent stress. Effects remained after controlling for current depressive symptoms and following stratification by race. Findings extend existing G×E research on stress generation to HPA axis-related genetic variation and demonstrate effects specific to the interpersonal domain.


Recent researches indicate that ubiquitin-protea some pathway plays an important role in apoptosis regulation. Proteasome inhibitors induce apoptosis in many kinds of neoplastic cells, thus provide a great opportunity for exploring synergy of proteasome inhibitors and other apoptosis-inducing agents. In this study, the effect of the proteasome inhibitor Z-LLL-CHO combined with etoposide (VP16) on leukemic cell lines M-07e and TF-1 was investigated by MTT assay, trypan blue exclusion, flow cytometry and Western blot. The results showed that the combination of Z-LLL-CHO and VP16 was much more effective than either agents alone in promoting cytotoxicity in both cell lines evaluated. Accumulation of cells in S + G2/M phase of the cell cycle was observed in the cells treated with VP16 and Z-LLL-CHO alone, while apparent increase of sub-G0/G1 fraction was detected in cells treated with combination of the agents. The cleavage of Bcl-2 into a shortened 22 kD fragment was detected in M-07e cells exposed to either agents alone, and the fraction of 22 kD fragment was increased in the cells treated with combination of the agents. In conclusion, the combination of Z-LLL-CHO and VP16 enhanced their individual cytotoxic effect by inducing apoptosis, in which increase of S + G2/M fraction in cell cycle as well as the enhanced cleavage of Bcl-2 are the possible mechanism of the additive effect on leukemic cells by Z-LLL-CHO and VP16.


A SOLUTION FOR COMMODITY FIELD HAULING WITH SELF-UNLOADING SEMI-TRAILERS Lee P. Wilkerson School of Technology Master of Science Commodity hauling of bulk goods is a growing enterprise that has expanded from hauling agricultural products to hauling many other bulk products. Commodity trailers are used to haul agricultural products from storage facilities to processing plants. These trailers are designed for highway use but are frequently required to work in field conditions as well. In many cases this environment overstresses these trailers and results in permanent irreparable damage. In addition to the structural problems of these trailers, the current systems for unloading the bulk produce from these trailers have serious inadequacies. While functional, the currently used chain and non-chain driven belt discharge devices are expensive and often problematic, requiring frequent maintenance and replacement. Furthermore, the discharge device also causes damage to the produce. This thesis provides innovative solutions to these two key problems and introduces a completely new trailer design that can be used for both field and road conditions. The main chassis of the trailer has a framework of ribs supported by two I-beams. This unique rib design combined with the main I beams act as large vertebra, which results in a rigid underbody that maintains flexibility and strength. Special consideration was taken while creating this design to account for dynamic loading on soft muddy soils or uneven surfaces while still maintaining the desired lightweight trailer characteristics. In addition to the improved trailer frame and body design, a simple and effective device for unloading bulk products was constructed. The new design—a beltover-chain system—is actually two separate systems performing one job in unison with different characteristics and speeds. The system works by means of a hydraulic orbit motor that actuates the drive chains into motion. The weight of bulk commodities on the chain presses the unattached conveyor belt against the chain and cross-members, creating friction, which advances the conveyor belt. This thesis solves two of the problems associated with hauling bulk produce from the field to the storage facility and sets the groundwork for improving the hauling capabilities used to move commodities from the field. Finally, this thesis introduces a new commodity self-unloading trailer for hauling produce, which has a belt system that preserves quality and a body design that provides trailer longevity.


This study will search for the dynamics around the selection process of the monument for the founder of the Turkish Republic, Ataturk in the site of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in a time period between 1937 and 1981. Time period of the selection process starts with the international architectural competition launched for the new Turkish Parliament House in 1937. There had been a number of proposals of a monument in the perspective and facade drawings submitted by most of the competitors in the international competition. In parallel the winner Austrian architect, Clemens Holzmeister envisaged a monument for Ataturk in a number of situations and positions in his drawings produced for the competition for the Grand National Assembly. After the realization of the building, the issue of building a monument for Ataturk in the site of the Assembly started to be discussed as a part of a search for artworks in the Assembly building and its garden. For that reason a committee of historians, artists, architects and parliament members assembled a number of times to discuss the meanings and values to be represented in the artworks and monuments in the Assembly Site around 1976. As a result of these discussions, a two stepped competition was opened for the monument of Ataturk in 1979. In light of the findings, it is believed that the discussions of the committee and the dynamics of the selection process of the monument will be enlightening on the priorities and values of bureaucrats, academicians and politicians.


The creation of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission in 2005 was a landmark event for the UN as an institution. However, the true measure of success for any institution is not found in its lofty ideals, but in its ability to deliver a positive impact on people's lives. In mid-2007, ActionAid, CAFOD and CARE researched the Peacebuilding Commission's work in Sierra Leone and Burundi to try to capture local opinions and experiences of interacting with this nascent institution one year after its establishment. What they found was an institution whose impact was largely positive, but which faced important challenges and lessons to be learned. Now, one year on from that initial research, the Peacebuilding Commission has had time to overcome many of the initial teething problems common to new organisations and has become better placed to articulate its unique role in post-conflict contexts.


A variational approach to perturbative calculations of the first order in the wavefunction and second order in the energy is described. Pedagogically simple variational wavefunctions are used to evaluate the dipolar polarizabilities of He and isoelectronic ions, and the dispersion coefficient for the H–H asymptotic potential, to illustrate the usefulness of the approach.


Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that impacts language, communication and social interactions. The current diagnostic process for ASD is based upon a detailed multidisciplinary assessment. Currently no clinical biomarker exists to help in the diagnosis and monitoring of this condition that has a prevalence of approximately 1%. The electroretinogram (ERG), is a clinical test that records the electrical response of the retina to light. The ERG is a promising way to study different neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, including ASD. In this study, we have proposed a machine learning based method to detect ASD from control subjects using the ERG waveform. We collected ERG signals from 47 control (CO) and 96 ASD individuals. We analyzed ERG signals both in the time and the spectral domain to gain insight into the statistically significant discriminating features between CO and ASD individuals. We evaluated the machine learning (ML) models using a subject independent cross validation-based approach. Time-domain features were able to detect ASD with a maximum 65% accuracy. The classification accuracy of our best ML model using time-domain and spectral features was 86%, with 98% sensitivity. Our preliminary results indicate that spectral analysis of ERG provides helpful information for the classification of ASD.


We study the autonomous motion of catalytic nanorods in Gibbs monolayers. The catalytic activity of the rods on a hydrogen peroxide aqueous subphase gives rise to anomalous translational and rotational diffusion. The rods perform a Levy-walk superdiffusive motion that can be decomposed into thermal orientation fluctuations and an active motion of the rods with a constant velocity along their long axis. Since interfacial dissipation increases relative to bulk phase dissipation when miniaturizing the size of objects moving in the interface, the autonomous nanorods allow for precise measurements of surface shear viscosities as low as a few nN s/m. The cross over from active motion toward passive diffusion when increasing the surfactant concentration is explained by a loss of friction asymmetry of the rods.


Introduction In recent years, there has been a call to restructure physical education (PE) practices and outcomes. A physical literacy enriched pedagogy approach would support this change by more intentional design of lesson planning that includes concurrent development of competence & confidence and inclusion of students of all levels of ability, leading to holistic development of the student. Despite this potential, there is little research to date that outlines PE pedagogical practices with physical literacy as a foundation. The purpose was to explore pedagogical practices and perspectives from elementary PE teachers through a physical literacy enriched pedagogy lens in a high-quality PE context. Methods One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of elementary PE teachers within one school division. Interviews with all participants focused on questions related to PE and physical literacy. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected from the audio-recorded interviews. Results Four themes were generated based on the semi-structured interviews from six elementary PE teachers from one school division. The results identified key physical literacy enriched pedagogical practices based on four themes: supporting a holistic PE experience based upon physical literacy as an outcome; movement within and beyond PE; inclusive and individualized experiences; and physical literacy practices bringing the school community together. The findings were then connected to the physical literacy cycle and UNESCO components of quality PE. Conclusions All participants spoke to how their pedagogy focused on the holistic development and inclusion of their students based upon activation of various feedback pathways of the physical literacy cycle. The themes that emerged and subsequent insight gained from teachers went beyond existing physical literacy cycles, in particular by discussing development of students from cognitive, affective, social and creative (problem solving) perspectives, supporting an expansion to the existing physical literacy cycle as presented.


Abstract Colour is only one element in an elaborate methodological strategy that is deployed within my interdisciplinary praxis. Nonetheless, a colour-coding schema has emerged as an increasingly significant performative structural function within the formation of METHODOLOGICAL EMBODIMENTS. For this reason, it has been signalled out for the purposes of this text: 1. To provide a specific example of how an interplay between multiple 'visual-material' and 'linguistic' practices are mediated through the embodied subjectivity of the practising scholar, in this case myself: whom I call RyyA. Bread©.2. To offer an abbreviated insight into the kinds of performative 'play' at work within my research and/of (identity) textual production.


Objective. To investigate the effects of long pulse gastric electrical stimulation (GES) at a tachygastrial frequency on food intake, gastric tone and gastric myoelectrical activity (GMA). Material and methods. Of twelve dogs implanted with electrodes and a gastric cannula, 6 underwent truncal vagotomy. Stimulus consisted of long pulses with a frequency of 9 cycles/min. Experiment one was performed in all dogs to test for food intake with or without GES. Experiment two on six normal dogs consisted of baseline, GES and recovery periods. Gastric volume and GMA were recorded. Results. 1) GES reduced food intake in both normal (398.5±111.7 g versus 573.0±97.9 g; p<0.02) and vagotomized dogs (170.6±100.4 g versus 401.0±97.3 g; p<0.05). 2) Gastric volume was increased with stimulation from 168.4±17.7 ml to 301.1±34.1 ml (p<0.02 ANOVA) and maintained at 271.8±27.6 ml. 3) The percentages of normal slow waves before, during and after GES were 83.3±4.6%, 38.0±3.5% and 61.0±12.5%, respectively (p=0.02 ANOVA). Conclusion. Long-pulse GES at tachygastrial frequency substantially reduces food intake, and is not mediated by the vagal pathway but attributed to relaxation of the stomach and impairment of intrinsic GMA.


Temperature control of heating systems is difficult due to imprecise plant model, larger external disturbance and uncertainties associated with heat transfer process. For actual system, especially the heat conduction dynamic process, the fractional order model is more suitable than the integer order model to describe the system features. Therefore, the heating process could be described more precisely by fractional order model than conventional (integer order) model. In this paper, an improved New Luus-Jaakola (INLJ) algorithm is put forward in order to obtain a good fractional order model. INLJ is the fusion of New Luus-Jaakola (NLJ) algorithm and Random adaptive search with identification and diversification (RasID) method. Accuracy comparison is made between the two different types of models achieved with INLJ algorithm. The results demonstrate that fractional order model provides a higher accuracy than integer model in heating process modeling.


A rapid method is described for collecting gradients after centrifugation, and assaying them for acid-precipitable radioactivity. An entire gradient is collected and processed on a single glass-fibre filter disc. This method allows one easily to assay six gradients for acid-precipitable radioactivity in less than 2h.


This book tells, for the first time, the complex story of how, from the Reformation to the present day, English men and women have contrived to use, twist or defy the law in order to deal with marital breakdown. It is largely based on court records in which witnesses speak freely and frankly about their moral attitudes towards love, sex, adultery, marriage, and its collapse. Lawrence Stone traces the changes in moral attitudes and the political and religious forces which, before 1857, made England the only Protestant country with virtually no facillities for full divorce on the grounds of adultery, desertion, or cruelty; and he uncovers the means laity and lawyers evolved to deal with this stuation. The attitudes of any society to marriage and its breakdown throw vivid light on the most profound moral vaules of the age and its culture. Using a huge mass of transcribed legal testimonies of witnesses, taken from hitherto unexplored court records covering the period 1660-1860, the book offers astonishingly frank and intimate insights into the changing view of our ancestors about love, sex, adultery, marriage and marital breakdown. This book is intended for scholars and students of British history; social, cultural, legal, religious, and demographic history; women's studies; specialists in history of family and marriage; all those with specific interest in marriage, divorce, society and human affairs.


Peter Murphy has argued that effective skeptical scenarios (those that can power a prima facie compelling skeptical argument) all have the following feature: the subject involved in the scenario does not know that some ordinary proposition is true, even if the proposition is true in the scenario. So the standard "false belief" conception of skeptical scenarios is wrong, since the belief of the targeted proposition need not be mistaken in the scenario. Murphy then argues that this observation engenders a problem for skeptical arguments: they require the KK principle. We respond to this criticism on behalf of the skeptic in our paper.


Summary.We seek to explain the economic volatility of the last 6 years, in particular the rapid expansion and contraction of the knowledge sectors. Our hypothesis is that these sectors amplify the business cycle due to their increasing returns to scale, growing faster than others in an upswing and contracting faster in a downswing. To test this hypothesis we postulate a general equilibrium model with two sectors: one with increasing returns that are external to the firm and endogenously determined - the knowledge sector - and the other with constant returns to scale. We introduce a new measure of volatility of output, a 'real beta', and derive a 'resolving' equation, from which we prove that the increasing return sectors exhibit more volatility then other sectors. We validate the main results on US macro economic data of real GDP by industry (2-3 digits SIC codes) of the 1977-2001 period, and provide policy conclusions.


Magnetic films were produced by ultrashort pulsed laser deposition (uPLD) using a rotating multitarget of terfenol-D (nominal composition: Tb0.3Dy0.7Fe2) and iron. The composite films obtained have a nanoparticle morphology typical of material produced by the uPLD technique, where each particle retains the stoichiometry of the parent target material. The co-deposition allows the production of (Tb0.3Dy0.7Fe2)100−xFex films, where x can range from 0% to 100%. Unlike films obtained by standard nanosecond PLD, pure terfenol-D layers (x = 0) are amorphous, while the addition of iron induces the formation of Fe crystalline nanoparticles inside an amorphous nanogranular matrix of terfenol-D. The magnetic properties depend on the nanoparticle morphology and more strictly on the fraction of iron particles. In particular, it was demonstrated that the exchange interaction between hard magnetic terfenol-D nanoparticles and iron nanoparticles is active in the uPLD films, giving a cumulative magnetic response resulting from an averaging of the properties of the two component phases.


This paper explores the relationship between centrality and land values. While in literature centrality is simplified as the proximity to centres, which normally are identified using qualitative approaches, in this paper a novelty vision is proposed. It differs from state of the art approaches since centrality is derived from an integrated indicator coming from data regarding the time-space behavior of citizens. In order to test whether centrality correlates with urban values, a regression model is used departing from data of Metropolitan Barcelona, such a method allows for controlling architectural variables that influence residential housings, as well as other locational factors beyond centrality that may affect land values. The results suggest that urban form does influence the spatial distribution of urban values; nevertheless such an impact is not as high as other locative factors such as socioresidential segregation. So urban policies intended to democratize urban quality should be focused not only in urban structural factors but also those regarding social differentiation of space.


One of the most ecologically significant invaders in the coastal waters of the U.S.is the European green crab, Carcinus maenas. It is a voracious, generalist predator in its native range in Europe as well as invaded regions which include including South Africa, Australia, Japan, and both coasts of North America (reviewed in Grosholz and Ruiz 1995, Cohen et al. 1995, Geller et al. 1997). Previous work in its native range and in the eastern U.S. has provided much evidence for its strong control over the abundance of benthic organisms in soft sediment communities (e.g. Ropes 1968, Reise 1977, 1985, Morgan et al. 1980, Jensen and Jensen 1985, Tettlebach 1986). Furthermore, work in Bodega Bay Harbor, CA has documented significant changes in the local food web as the direct result of green crab predation: Grosholz et al (2000) found 5- to 10-fold declines in the abundances of previously abundant invertebrate taxa. Lafferty & Kuris (1996) estimated that the annual net value of crab, mussel, oyster, and bait harvests threatened by green crabs in Western North America (WNA) is $43.7 million.


The common fisheries policy aims at eliminating discarding which has been part of fisheries for centuries. It is important to monitor the compliance with the new regulations but estimating the discard rate is a challenging task, especially where the practise is illegal. The aim of this study was to review a length-based method that has been used to estimate the discard rate in Icelandic waters and explore the effects of different monitoring schemes. The length-based method estimates the minimum discard rate and the method of bootstrapping can be used to determine the uncertainty of the estimate. This study showed that the number of ships is the most important factor to consider in order to decrease the uncertainty.


This study presents a novel procedure for switched affine systems control design specially developed to deal with switched converters where the main goal is to attain a set of equilibrium points. The main contribution is on the determination of a switching function, which assures global stability and minimises a guaranteed quadratic cost. The implementation of the switching function taking into account only partial information is analysed and discussed with particular interest. The theoretical results are applied to buck, boost and buck-boost converters control design. Several simulations show the usefulness of the methodology and its favourable impact in a class of real-world control design problems.


Introduction: The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is a 500 bed freestanding psychiatric hospital in Canada. We are in the process of preparing for an integrated commercial clinical information system, which will have computerized physician order entry (CPOE) functionality. Methods: As a preparation for CPOE, we developed inpatient order sets (OSs). Development teams from individual clinical programs created and sent their OSs to an OS Working Group for initial endorsement, and then to Pharmacy & Therapeutics and Medical Advisory committees subsequent approvals. Results: In twelve months we created and introduced 22 behavioral health OSs across eight clinical programs in our hybrid information system with an excellent adoption rate (>97%) by clinicians. Discussion: The development and implementation temporarily contributed to a multifactorial flow problem in the emergency department (ED), which was addressed by substantially simplifying the General Admission via the ED OS. Also, as the OSs were developed and sent for approval the project identified areas where local clinical practice can improve. Our electronic-paper hybrid set of clinical systems was a major factor impacting the effort.


This paper has presented a review of the thermodynamics of three desiccant cooling cycles: the ventilation cycle, the recirculation cycle, and the Dunkle cycle. For the ventilation cycle the qualitative effects of changes in the effectiveness of individual components were analyzed. There are two possible paths to improved dehumidifier performance: changing the design of dehumidifiers using currently available desiccants so as to increase effectiveness without increasing parasitic losses, or developing new desiccants specifically tailored for solar cooling applications. The later part of this paper has considered the second option. A list of desirable desiccant properties was defined, properties of currently used solid and liquid desiccants were compared to this list, and a hypothetical desiccant type that would give improved system performance was discussed.


Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) are commonly used nowadays. The association between CIED placement and infections is responsible for the high mortality and device explantation rate. Since CIED placement has increased in the past decade, CIED-related complications have risen. In order to reduce the CIED-related complications rate, the prevention of device infection represents the main goal. Over time, many different studies have proven the importance of the measures to prevent CIED-related infections. This review aims to collect the actual recommendations for CIED infection prevention, providing an overview of the main evidence-based strategies.


Machine learning is ubiquitous in today's society, with promising applicationsin the field of natural language processing (NLP), so that computers can handlehuman language better, and within the medical community, with the promiseof better treatments. Machine learning can be seen as a subfield of artificialintelligence (AI), where AI is used to describe a machine that mimics cognitivefunctions that humans associate with other human minds, such as learning orproblem solving.In this thesis we explore how machine learning can be used to improve classification of picture, by using associated text. We then shift our focus to biomedical data, specifically heart transplantation patients. We show how the data can be represented as a graph database using the resource description framework (RDF).After that we use the data with logistic regression and the Spark framework, toperform feature search to predict the survival probability of the patients. In thetwo last articles we use artificial neural networks (ANN) first to predict patientsurvival, and compare it with a logistic regression approach, and last to predict the outcome of patients awaiting heart transplantation.We plan to do simulation of different allocation policies, for donor hearts, usingthese kind of ANNs, to be able to asses their impact on predicted earned survivaltime. (Less)


Formation of inclusion complexes involving a cavitand derivative (as host) and an antimetabolite drug, methotrexate (as guest) was investigated by photoluminescence measurements in dimethyl sulfoxide solvent. Molecular modeling performed in gas phase reflects that, due to the structural reasons, the cavitand can include the methotrexate in two forms: either by its opened structure with free androsta-4-en-3-one-17α-ethinyl arms or by the closed form when all the androsta-4-en-3-one-17α-ethinyl arms play role in the complex formation. Experiments reflect enthalpy driven complex formation in higher temperature range while at lower temperature the complexes are stabilized by the entropy gain.


IT HAS been almost half a century (1909) since roentgenographic methods were first applied to the study of the lacrimal drainage apparatus. Since then, although many ophthalmologists have had experiences with these methods, there exist only a few isolated papers available as reference material in this field. Conspicuously deficient has been information concerning the appearance of the normal lacrimal system. Also, there is a lack of experience on the part of the clinical radiologist, and as a result the value of lacrimal x-rays has been limited. This study had for its purposes (a) the development of a simple, standardized clinical method for the roentgen examination of the lacrimal apparatus; (b) the determination of roentgenographic criteria for the normal system; (c) the selection of a contrast medium, eminently suited for lacrimal roentgenography and hitherto unreported for this purpose, and (d) emphasis on the aid which this technique may afford the clinical


Cilia, hair-like structures extending from the cell membrane, perform diverse biological functions. Primary (genetic) defects in the structure and function of sensory and motile cilia result in multiple ciliopathies. The most prominent genetic abnormality involving motile cilia (and the respiratory tract) is primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). PCD is a rare, usually autosomal recessive, genetically heterogeneous disorder characterized by sino-pulmonary disease, laterality defects, and male infertility. Ciliary ultrastructural defects are identified in approximately 90% of PCD patients and involve the outer dynein arms, inner dynein arms, or both. Diagnosing PCD is challenging and requires a compatible clinical phenotype together with tests such as ciliary ultrastructural analysis, immunofluorescent staining, ciliary beat assessment, and/or nasal nitric oxide measurements. Recent mutational analysis demonstrated that 38% of PCD patients carry mutations of the dynein genes DNAI1 and DNAH5. Increased understanding of the pathogenesis will aid in better diagnosis and treatment of PCD.


The nitrogen-atom endohedral fullerene (N@C60) has been synthesized by controlling the plasma ion irradiation energy (Ei) and fullerene (C60) behavior in the sublimation phase. We examined the relationship between the synthesis purity of N@C60 [molar concentration ratio of N@C60 to pristine fullerene (C60)] and Ei, which was controlled by changing the substrate bias voltages (Vsub) and gas pressure (PN2) during the plasma irradiation process. High-density nitrogen-molecular ions (N2+) with a suitable Ei near 80 eV are confirmed to be the optimum condition of the nitrogen plasma for the synthesis of high-purity N@C60. In addition, high sublimation of C60 contributes to a higher yield due to the high internal energy of C60 and the related cage defects that are present under these conditions. As a result, a purity of 0.83% is realized for the first time, which is almost two orders of magnitude higher than that using other methods.


Zero-shot learning aims at recognizing unseen classes (no training example) with knowledge transferred from seen classes. This is typically achieved by exploiting a semantic feature space shared by both seen and unseen classes, i.e., attribute or word vector, as the bridge. One common practice in zero-shot learning is to train a projection between the visual and semantic feature spaces with labeled seen classes examples. When inferring, this learned projection is applied to unseen classes and recognizes the class labels by some metrics. However, the visual and semantic feature spaces are mutually independent and have quite different manifold structures. Under such a paradigm, most existing methods easily suffer from the domain shift problem and weaken the performance of zero-shot recognition. To address this issue, we propose a novel model called AMS-SFE. It considers the alignment of manifold structures by semantic feature expansion. Specifically, we build upon an autoencoder-based model to expand the semantic features from the visual inputs. Additionally, the expansion is jointly guided by an embedded manifold extracted from the visual feature space of the data. Our model is the first attempt to align both feature spaces by expanding semantic features and derives two benefits: first, we expand some auxiliary features that enhance the semantic feature space; second and more importantly, we implicitly align the manifold structures between the visual and semantic feature spaces; thus, the projection can be better trained and mitigate the domain shift problem. Extensive experiments show significant performance improvement, which verifies the effectiveness of our model.


Abstract 487 Background: Given the life-threatening nature of severe VOD (sVOD) and multi-organ failure (MOF), DF was made available in the US through a prospective treatment IND protocol (T-IND) to gather additional safety and response data from SCT patients (pts) with sVOD who were not eligible for a pivotal Phase 3 trial. Following completion of this Phase 3 trial, the T-IND protocol has continued and been amended to include pts who would have met eligibility criteria for the completed phase 3 trial, as well as pts with non-severe VOD and non-SCT pts who develop VOD after chemotherapy (chemo). This is the largest prospective evaluation of DF for the treatment of sVOD/MOF post SCT and non-SCT pts to date. Methods: Pts were initially required to have a diagnosis of VOD by Baltimore criteria (total bilirubin > 2.0 mg/dL with > 2 of the following: hepatomegaly, ascites or 5% weight gain) with MOF (either renal and/or pulmonary failure) that followed SCT. Following treatment of 104 pts, an amendment expanded eligibility criteria to include pts with VOD after chemo and pts with non-severe VOD (defined as no MOF). Key exclusion criteria included clinically significant bleeding or >1 pressor to maintain BP. CR was defined as bilirubin Results: This interim analysis is based on 269 pts enrolled between December 2007 and March 2011 at 67 centers. Nearly all pts (n=251) had undergone SCT (with allogeneic SCT in 225, 90%); 18 developed VOD after chemo alone. Of the 269 cases of VOD, 200 were severe at study entry, with 25% (66/269) of all pts dialysis dependent and 31% (83/269) ventilator dependent. Median age was 16 years (range 0.1 – 70); 55% were male. In the SCT pts, the most common diagnosis was leukemia (29% AML; 22% ALL; CML 3%; 4% other), with conditioning of CY (71%), BU (46%) and TBI (38%) respectively; 18% had undergone multiple SCTs (>1 SCT). Median onset of VOD was 15 d post-SCT. When presenting after chemo alone (n=18), median onset of VOD was 16 d after the first dose, most frequently after CY (61%), cytarabine (44%) and vincristine (39%), and for treatment of leukemia (AML 33%, ALL 33%, other 6%). Overall mean number of days of DF administration in all pts was 22 (range 1–88).Of 269 pts, 32% (85/269) achieved a CR and 50% [ by Kaplan-Meier estimate] survived to D+100. In the subgroup of SCT pts, 31% (78/251) achieved CR and 50% survived to D+100; 134 pts met entry criteria for the original Phase 3 trial and comparison to the Phase 3 historical control showed a statistically improved outcome in CR (30% vs 9%, p=0.0006) and D+100 survival (46% vs 25%; p=0.006). Of 200 pts with sVOD, CR was 28% and D+100 survival was 44%. In the 18 chemo only pts, CR was 39% and D+100 survival was 50%. CR rate and D+100 survival for the 69 pts with non-severe VOD were 42% and 62%, respectively. Delay of >2 d (vs Conclusions: In 269 pts with mainly sVOD/MOF, DF therapy achieved significantly improved outcome compared to an untreated historical control. Importantly, CR and survival were improved in pts who were treated within 2d of VOD diagnosis (vs. later) and in pts who had not yet progressed to sVOD. As with prior studies, there was a low incidence of DF-associated toxicities. Interestingly, the incidence of GvHD in allo-SCT pts was low, consistent with the reduction of GvHD seen in the large randomized EBMT pediatric prevention study. These results confirm the findings of previous trials and strongly support early intervention with DF once the diagnosis of VOD is made after SCT, as well as its use in pts who have not progressed to advanced MOF. The use of DF for VOD following intensive chemotherapy without SCT also appears promising, but more research in this patient population is needed. Enrollment to the T-IND study continues. Disclosures: Richardson:Gentium: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees. Arai:Gentium: Research Funding. Symons:Otsuka Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding. Martin:Gentium: Research Funding. Massaro:Gentium: Consultancy. D9Agostino:Gentium: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees. Hannah:Gentium: Consultancy. Tudone:Gentium: Employment. Hume:Gentium: Employment. Iacobelli:Gentium SpA: Employment. Soiffer:Gentium: Honoraria.


Introduction Pelvic floor trauma in the form of partial or complete avulsions of the levator ani muscle (LAM) affects 6-42% of women after vaginal birth and can cause tremendous long-term morbidity. Many studies assessed morphological pelvic floor trauma after childbirth but lacked to evaluate women's associated short-term complaints. A proper assessment of trauma and subjective complaints after birth could help to assess possible associations between them and their relevance to women's daily life. Therefore, we aimed to assess women's complaints within the first months after birth in association to their LAM trauma. Materials and Methods Between 3/2017 and 4/2019, we prospectively evaluated vaginal births of 212 primiparous women with singletons in vertex presentation ≥ 36 + 0 gestational weeks for levator ani muscle (LAM) trauma by translabial ultrasound, for pelvic organ prolapse by clinical examination, and for urogynecological complaints using questionnaires 1-4 days (P1), 6-10 weeks (P2), and 6-9 months (P3) after birth. The questionnaires were self-designed but oriented to and modified from validated questionnaires. Women's complaints were evaluated for P1-P3 according to their LAM trauma state. Results At P1, 67% of women showed an intact LAM, whereas 14.6% presented a hematoma, 6.6% a partial avulsion (PAV), and 11.8% a complete avulsion (CAV). At P2, 75.9% showed an intact LAM, 9.9% a PAV, and 14.2% a CAV. At P3, 72.9% of women with a LAM trauma in P1 and/or P2 were assessed with 21.6% being intact and 39.2% having a PAV and CAV, respectively. Obstetrical and baseline characteristics differed slightly between the groups. When comparing the time before and during pregnancy with the time after childbirth, birth itself affected women's complaints in all LAM state groups, but the presence of a LAM trauma, especially a CAV, had more negative effects. Conclusions Vaginal birth changes the anatomical structure of the maternal birth canal and genital tract, and it alters women's perceptions and body function. In our study, LAM trauma did not change these effects tremendously within the first months. Therefore, other maternal, fetal, and obstetrical factors need consideration for the explanation of maternal complaints, in addition to long-term effects of trauma and dysfunction of the LAM and other birth canal structures.


Tandamine (AY-23,946)- a new norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor with practically no serotonin potentiation, MAO inhibition and anticholinergic activity-was administered in doses from 75 to 200 mg to a group of 20 hospitalized depressed patients. Weekly clinical evaluation including the ECDEU global score. Hamilton score and Zung self-rating score demonstrated a slight improvement which became statistically significant between the 1st and 2nd weeks of therapy. While the 'thymoleptic' properties of the drug were weak, a pronouned 'activating/stimulatory' effect of the drug was noted. Psychometric tests showed an increase in attention, concentration and psychomotor activity as well as an improvement in FPI personality dimensions 'depression' and 'inhibition', while the Taylor anxiety score did not reveal any changes. Digital computer period analysis of the EEG demonstrated, 6 h after oral administration of 50 mg tandamine, a decrease of slow waves, a significant increase of fast activity as well as a significant attenuation of the amplitude variability. Such changes are reminiscent of the pharmaco-EEG profile of psychostimulatory drugs and may represent the neurophysiological correlate for the activating/stimulatory properties of tandamine. Our finding suggest that the well-tolerated drug may be of some benefit for retarded depressions.


Abstract Solid-fluid interactions often involve the replacement of one phase by another while retaining the morphology and structural details of the parent phase, i.e, pseudomorphism. We present in situ observations of the evolution of both the solid and fluid compositions at the interface during such a replacement reaction in the model system KBr-KCl-H2O, in which a single crystal of KBr is replaced by a single crystal of KCl. The pseudomorphism is initiated by epitaxial growth at the fluid-mineral interface, when the dissolution of the parent phase results in an interfacial fluid layer that is supersaturated with respect to a different solid composition. The subsequent evolution of the coupled dissolution and growth can be related to local equilibrium defined by a Lippmann diagram. The reaction features, including the development of porosity in the new solid phase, share many characteristics of replacement reactions in nature as well as in technical applications


For increasing efficiency in mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) containing high mobility of node, it is necessary to avoid frequent link breakages which lead to frequent path failures and route discoveries. In a route discovery, broadcasting is a fundamental and effective data dissemination mechanism, where a mobile node blindly rebroadcasts the first received route request packets unless it has a route to the destination, and thus it causes the broadcast storm problem. In this paper, we propose a neighbor coverage-based probabilistic rebroadcast protocol for reducing routing overhead in MANETs. In order to effectively exploit the neighbor coverage knowledge, we propose a novel rebroadcast delay to determine the rebroadcast order, and then we can obtain the more accurate additional coverage ratio by sensing neighbor coverage knowledge. We also define a connectivity factor to provide the node density adaptation.


Background and Purpose— Muscle weakness is recognized as a key factor in gait performance of poststroke individuals, but its impact on lower-limb muscular effort has been scarcely studied. The aims of this study were to compare the level of effort of the lower limbs of hemiparetic and able-bodied individuals and to assess the effect of side, cadence, and muscle group. Methods— Seventeen chronic hemiparetic participants (7 females and 10 males) with a mean age of 60.5±13.4 years were assessed when walking. They were compared with a group of 14 able-bodied individuals. The level of effort was estimated from the muscular utilization ratio (MUR), which relates the walking moment of a given muscle group to its maximal potential moment. Peak MUR and MURarea were used as main outcome measures. Results— Hemiparetic individuals showed greater peak MUR values (45% to 78%) than the able-bodied subjects matched for cadence (24% to 63%). For both groups, the peak MUR values were similar between sides and increased with cadence. At self-selected cadence, the plantar flexors showed greater peak MUR values, whereas at maximal cadence, levels of effort for all muscles were equivalent. The MURarea values at the hip joint were greater for the hemiparetic group, and both groups had values that increased with cadence. Differences between sides and muscle groups were noted for the hemiparetic and healthy individuals, respectively. Large peak MUR values were associated with high MURarea values. Conclusions— For a similar cadence, the levels of effort of hemiparetic individuals were greater than those of the able-bodied. In the presence of muscle weakness, similar bilateral levels of effort could mean that hemiparetic individuals relied on their sense of effort while walking.


BACKGROUND AND AIMS OF THE STUDY
Earlier surgical intervention to the mitral and/or aortic valve means that it will be uncommon to replace the tricuspid valve (TVR) in a patient who has not had prior open heart surgery.

METHODS
We report the short and medium term results of a consecutive series of 14 patients who underwent bioprosthetic TVR between December 1985 and February 1993 at the Hammersmith Hospital, UK. All patients had undergone previous open heart surgery on at least one occasion. Mean patient age was 59 years (range: 45-77 years), 11 were female and three were male. Ten patients (72%) were in New York Heart Association class III or IV preoperatively, eight patients were first time reoperations and six patients were second time reoperations.

RESULTS
Hospital mortality was 50% (7/14). Of these seven patients, six were in NYHA class III or IV preoperatively, and three were second time reoperations. There were no 'on-the-table deaths' and no patients required reoperation for bleeding or permanent pacing. For the patients discharged from hospital, the mean follow up was 46 months (range 9-84 months) and it was 100% complete. There was no significant difference in the preoperative assessment data between the hospital mortality group and the patients who left hospital (p > 0.05). Of the patients discharged, four (57% of this group, 28.5% of all patients) showed an improvement in NYHA classification and all patients reported a reduction in peripheral edema. Amongst the survivors there was 100% freedom from valve related complications. Within this group there have been three deaths since discharge, all due to biventricular failure.

CONCLUSIONS
From this study we conclude that TVR in patients who have had prior cardiac surgery is a high risk procedure. Nonetheless, amongst survivors, benefit may be gained by either a reduction in peripheral edema and/or an improvement in NYHA class.


In this paper we give a solution of the discrete and continuous versions of the problem where is the class of absolutely continuous functions on with common majorizing modulus of continuity . We also discuss applications of the results obtained to mathematical economics (the Kantorovich-Monge mass transfer problem), approximation theory and numerical differentiation (Chebyshev -polynomials and splines), the constructive theory of functions (inequalities for -rearrangements), graph theory (graphs of rearrangements), and optimal control theory (the theory of total control and the Fel'dbaum-Bushaw problem).


Soil microbes are central to many soil processes, but due to the structural complexity of soil organic matter, the accurate quantification of microbial biomass contributions continues to pose a significant analytical challenge. In this study, microbes from a range of soils were cultured such that their molecular profile could be compared to that of soil organic matter and native vegetation. With the use of modern NMR spectroscopy, the contributions from microbial species can be discerned in soil organic matter and quantified. On the basis of these studies, the contributions of microbial biomass to soil organic matter appear to be much higher than the 1-5% reported by other researchers. In some soils, microbial biomass was found to contribute >50% of the extractable soil organic matter fractions and approximately 45% of the humin fraction and accounted for >80% of the soil nitrogen. These findings are significant because organic matter is intimately linked to nutrient release and transport in soils, nitrogen turnover rates, contaminant fate, soil quality, and fertility. Therefore, if in some cases soil organic matter and soil organic nitrogen are predominately of microbial origin, it is likely that this fraction, whether in the form of preserved material or living cells, plays an underestimated role in several soil processes.


Practical issues and treatment considerations in brief, problem-focused group therapy with adolescents are discussed, including selectivity factors, group composition, and leadership style. The need for therapists using this approach to engage actively in emotional exchange and self-disclosure is emphasized, and the varieties of interventions encompassed in this approach are illustrated by case vignettes.


Identifying the drivers of adaptation is key to understanding the origin and evolution of diversity. Here we study the morphological evolution of tooth morphology, a classic example of a conserved structure, to gain insights into the conditions that can overcome resistance to evolutionary change. We use geometric morphometrics of the occlusal surface outline of the fourth lower premolar (p4) of squirrels, a paradigm of a stable tooth morphology, to explore morphological adaptations to diet. Although a versatile generalist dental morphology favors the retention of the ancestral shape, the acquisition of diets that require strong mechanical processing drives morphological change. In particular, species that eat both grass and dry fruits evolved disparate tooth shape morphologies, related to trade-offs between feeding performance that lead to a more or less pronounced change depending on the proportion of those items in their diet. Also, some folivores develop relatively large p4s, and most bark gleaners have relatively small p4s. Ultimately, despite the role of diet shaping these patterns, we showed that diet is not the only factor driving the evolution of tooth morphology.


SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, has caused a pandemic leading to millions of infections and deaths worldwide. Identifying the factors governing susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 is important in order to develop strategies to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. ABSTRACT Understanding factors that affect the infectivity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is central to combatting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The virus surface spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 mediates viral entry into cells by binding to the ACE2 receptor on epithelial cells and promoting fusion. We found that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) induces ACE2 expression when it enters the lytic replicative cycle in epithelial cells. By using vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) particles pseudotyped with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, we showed that lytic EBV replication enhances ACE2-dependent SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus entry. We found that the ACE2 promoter contains response elements for Zta, an EBV transcriptional activator that is essential for EBV entry into the lytic cycle of replication. Zta preferentially acts on methylated promoters, allowing it to reactivate epigenetically silenced EBV promoters from latency. By using promoter assays, we showed that Zta directly activates methylated ACE2 promoters. Infection of normal oral keratinocytes with EBV leads to lytic replication in some of the infected cells, induces ACE2 expression, and enhances SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus entry. These data suggest that subclinical EBV replication and lytic gene expression in epithelial cells, which is ubiquitous in the human population, may enhance the efficiency and extent of SARS-CoV-2 infection of epithelial cells by transcriptionally activating ACE2 and increasing its cell surface expression. IMPORTANCE SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, has caused a pandemic leading to millions of infections and deaths worldwide. Identifying the factors governing susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 is important in order to develop strategies to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. We show that Epstein-Barr virus, which infects and persists in >90% of adult humans, increases susceptibility of epithelial cells to infection by SARS-CoV-2. EBV, when it reactivates from latency or infects epithelial cells, increases expression of ACE2, the cellular receptor for SARS-CoV-2, enhancing infection by SARS-CoV-2. Inhibiting EBV replication with antivirals may therefore decrease susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.


In Malaysia, it is estimated that almost 80 percent of the world's population today used palm oil in their daily lives. Malaysia is the second country exporting palm oil, about 39 percent of world palm oil output. Besides that, Malaysia also recorded about 44 per cent of world exports, making the palm industry very important for countries other than rubber and cocoa. However, to keep the palm industry running smoothly and constantly, there are many challenges to face. One is to maintain soil fertility because the soil can affect the growth of oil palm trees. With the use of this system, it will show the condition of soil behaviour to the farmer about the treatment given. Arduino board is used in this project which it is programmed to calculate and display the level of soil condition by using temperature sensor and soil moisture sensors as an input. This sensor will detect the level of soil moisture and temperature and it is easier for farmers to monitor the soil conditions. Controlled soil conditions can improve the soil's ability to maintain the fertility of palm trees and help plant growth suit to the weather and local climate.


The fast growing wireless technologies have resulted in a huge cellular market all over the world. The providers of these technologies are competing to provide attractive services such as voice over IP, video streaming, and Internet access, with affordable prices. The IEEE 802.16e (WiMAX) is an emerging long-range, high-speed fixed and mobile wireless technology that is expected to spread quickly and be available globally within few years. In this paper, we show that, for a WiMAX backhaul network, the slot allocation technique that satisfies the data rate requirements of different service stations (SSs) while minimizing their total transmission power can be formulated as an integer optimization problem. When solved using the branch and bound algorithm, the obtained slot allocation allows the base station to serve the theoretical maximum number of SSs that can be supported under a given traffic load.


(57) [summary] The present invention provides a compound of formula (1) wherein X having a therapeutic activity is O, S, Se or NR


Collaborative Filtering, one of the most widely used algorithm in recommender system, predicts a user's preference towards an item by aggregating ratings given by users having similar taste with that user. State-of-the-art approaches introduce many other secondary methods to combine to cope with sparsity and precision problem. However, these hybrid approaches rarely consider the importance of context information. This paper incorporates the time-context, one of the most important contexts, into the traditional collaborative filtering algorithm and proposes a Time-context-Based Collaborative Filtering (TBCF) Algorithm to improve the performance for traditional collaborative filtering algorithm. Experiments evaluating our approach are carried out on real dataset taken from movie recommendation system provided by MovieLens web site. The result shows the proposed approach can improve predication accuracy and recall ratio compared with existing methods.


Different mechanisms have been proposed in lymphomatous involvement of the optic nerve. They include isolated optic nerve lymphoma, optic nerve lymphoma associated with primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma, or with systemic lymphoma. We present one case of non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the optic nerve in a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patient and discuss the mechanism of metastasis, classification of optic nerve involvement with clinical and radiologic features as well as treatment options. Despite the uncommon nature of optic nerve infiltration by lymphoma, prompt evaluation should be considered in patients with a history of lymphoma and visual symptoms as delays in treatment can result in permanent vision loss. The recommended initial workup includes neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid evaluation. Treatment options are not standardized but include intravenous and intrathecal chemotherapy, corticosteroids, and radiation.


An improved compact ultra-wideband (UWB) microstrip antenna with metamaterials is proposed. The total size is slightly reduced and the measured impedance bandwidth operates from 3.84 to 22.77 GHz for a return loss of less than −10 dB. Compared with the original patch antenna, the bandwidth of this antenna is about six times broader. Moreover, the antenna has an average gain of 6.2 dB, which is 1.2 dB larger than the original one. Both strong radiation in the horizontal direction and practical characteristics are observed. Thus, this antenna would have some specific applications for UWB wireless communications in the future.


Antigenic relationships between 12 locally isolated bdellovibrios and 3 established reference strains (109D, 6-5-S, and UKi2) were investigated. Antigenicity of the strains was examined by use of the micro-complement fixation test, the serum and complement bactericidal test, and the immunodiffusion test. Antisera were prepared against one of the local strains (MS7) and against one of the established reference strains (UKi2). The complement fixation titers suggest a close relationship among all strains. Immunodiffusion tests produced lines of identity between the homologous strain MS7 and all other strains. It is suggested on the basis of these results that bdellovibrio may possess a common antigen.


We have performed systematic in-plane angle-dependent c-axis transverse magnetotransport measurements on the double-layered ruthenate Ca3Ru2O7 throughout a broad field and temperature range. Our results reveal that the magnetic states unusually evolve with in-plane rotation of magnetic field. When magnetic field is applied along the b axis, we probe crossover magnetic states in close proximity to phase boundaries of long-range ordered antiferromagnetic states. These crossover magnetic states are characterized by short-range antiferromagnetic order and switch to polarized paramagnetic states at critical angles as the in-plane field is rotated from the b to the a axis. Additionally, we observe bulk spin-valve behavior resulting from spin-flop transitions tuned by in-plane rotation of magnetic field. Our results highlight the complex nature of the spin-charge coupling in Ca3Ru2O7 and posts a challenging question: why does the change of magnetic-field orientation result in magnetic phase transitions.


Ample adaptive and functional opportunities of a living cell are determined by the complexity of its structural organisation. However, such complexity gives rise to a problem of maintenance of the coherence of inner processes in macroscopic interims and in macroscopic volumes which is necessary to support the structural robustness of a cell. The solution to this problem lies in multidimensional control of the adaptive and functional changes of a cell as well as its self‐renewing processes in the context of environmental conditions. Six mechanisms (principles) form the basis of this multidimensional control: regulatory circuits with feedback loops, redundant inner diversity within a cell, multilevel distributed network organisation of a cell, molecular selection within a cell, continuous informational flows and functioning with a reserve of power. In the review we provide detailed analysis of these mechanisms, discuss their specific functions and the role of the superposition of these mechanisms in the maintenance of cell structural robustness in a wide range of environmental conditions.


Abstract This Tale from the Field focuses on the interpretation by workers of the precarious nature of blue-collar formal employment in Russia. In an ethnographic sketch based on over two years in the field, I follow an individual, Sergei, as he relies more and more on informal and other sources of income instead of waged labour in the increasing number of multi-national enterprises which have come to Russia to set up factories. Why does Sergei, and many like him, still young or without memory of Soviet labour practices, 'choose' exit from the formal economy at the very moment when wages and conditions are finally increasing? Why is the informal economy as a 'choice' so important to blue-collar workers despite the hunger for labour in traditional production industry?


The possibility of establishing the chronology of events in a widely distributed network, or even stronger, the clock synchronization of all nodes in the network is often needed for applications of wireless sensor networks (WSN). In this paper we describe the Flooding Time Synchronization Protocol (FTSP) that provides clock synchronization service in such networks. The protocol was designed to utilize low communication bandwidth, scale well for medium sized multi-hop networks, and be robust against topology changes and node failures. The robustness of the protocol is due to the periodic radio broadcast of synchronization messages and the implicit dynamic topology update. MAC-layer time-stamping, comprehensive compensation of errors and linear regression are used to achieve high accuracy of the clock synchronization. The data from a comprehensive multi-hop experiment shows that the average network-wide synchronization error is less than two microseconds per hop. The protocol was further validated as part of our countersniper system that was field tested in a US military facility.


This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 203941, "Bridging the Gap Between Material Balance and Reservoir Simulation for History Matching and Probabilistic Forecasting Using Machine Learning," by Nigel H. Goodwin, Essence Analytics. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
 Currently, building and maintaining a reservoir simulation model is the bottleneck for reservoir decision support. In this paper, the authors describe an approach for creating a digital twin that is informed by the data itself based on established physics modeling and uses a fully probabilistic Bayesian approach.

 Differences Between Statistical Models and Physics Models. The statistical model includes an error term for each timestep. In practice, this means that the predicted fit to historic data is very good and the error terms are small, but forecasting can have a major funneling effect. Many methods exist for forecasting of statistical models, but the increasing uncertainty of prediction over time, and the large magnitude of uncertainty, is a common feature. The error term implies a future random walk behavior. When forecasting, multiple single-step integrations are being performed in which each step has its own error.
 Where known values of exogenous variables exist in the future, prediction uncertainty can be greatly ameliorated. In contrast, the differential algebraic equations (DAE) for a physical model have no error term for each timestep. Each time the model is run with the same parameter values, the same results are obtained.
 The error in reservoir simulation lies in measurement error and model error. Errors exist in individual historical measurements (or maybe systemic errors), and the model and its parameters are known to be wrong. For forecasting, a range of models and model parameter values are used—ideally, based around a robust Monte Carlo approach. An ensemble of forecasts can then be generated that represent uncertainty.


ABSTRACT This article uses interview data gathered during a collaborative cross-disciplinary project undertaken in 2016 to explore experiences of longevity in qualitative detail with a small cohort of Northern Irish participants. The project was inspired by Penelope Lively's autobiography Ammonites and Leaping Fish: A Life in Time (2013, 4, 199), which documents the author's feelings about her life through focused reflections on her own possessions. Lively chose objects which she felt "oddly identified" her life and proposed that "people's possessions speak of them". We devised a series of activities to be undertaken with participants over the age of 60, with the intention of using material things as a lens on longevity. In this article we use interview data with three female participants to analyse women's narration of their own biographies. The aim of this article is to explore the role of the possessions in narrating women's lives and to consider how themes of ageing, memory, relationships, and the self are articulated through objects. The theoretical context for this exploratory work refers to cultural gerontology, material culture studies, gender studies and scholarship on life history. We conclude that objects offer a useful, tangible means of articulating and communicating the complexity of women's longevity.


The critical fluid velocity of cantilevered cylindrical shells subjected to internal fluid flow is investigated in this study. The fluid-structure interaction is considered in the analysis. The cantilevered cylindrical shell is supported intermediately at an arbitrary axial position. The intermediate support is simulated by two types of artificial springs: translational and rotational spring. It is assumed that the artificial springs are placed continuously and uniformly on the middle surface of an intermediate support along the circumferential direction. The steady flow of fluid is described by the classical potential flow theory. The motion of shell is represented by the first order shear deformation theory (FSDT) to account for rotary inertia and transverse shear strains. The effect of internal fluid can be considered by imposing a relation between the fluid pressure and the radial displacement of the structure at the interface. Numerical examples are presented and compared with existing results.


We developed this comprehensive 28‐color flow cytometry panel with the aim to measure a variety of T cell effector functions in combination with T cell differentiation markers (CCR7, CD27, CD28, CD45RO, CD95) in γδ T cells and CD4+ and CD8+ αβ T cells (Table 1). The effector functions measured in this panel include activation and co‐stimulatory molecules (CD69, CD137, and CD154), cytokines (IL‐2, IL‐13, IL‐17A, IL‐21, IL‐22, TNF, and IFNγ), the chemokine IL‐8, cytotoxic molecules (perforin and granzyme B), and the degranulation marker CD107a. In addition, Ki67 enables the identification and analysis of recently activated T cells. To characterize regulatory T cells (Tregs), we included CD25, CD39, and the canonical Tregs transcription factor FoxP3. We developed and optimized this panel for cryopreserved human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and stimulation with phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA) and ionomycin. However, we successfully tested other types of stimulation such as staphylococcus enterotoxin B (SEB) or a mix of immunodominant peptides (CEF peptide pool) from cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and influenza. Published 2019. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.


Objective: To compare the outcome of expectant management versus immediate delivery in females with preterm premature rupture of membrane close to term. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial Place and Duration of Study: Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology Unit III, Fatima Memorial Hospital Lahore from 20th June 2018 to 20th December 2018 Methodology: Three hundred females were included through emergency. They were divided in two groups; females of group A managed conservatively and females of group B were induced for delivery and immediate delivery was conducted. After delivery in both groups, outcome was recorded i.e. neonatal distress, poor Apgar score or NICU admission. Results: The mean age of group A was 27.53±4.99 years and group B was 25.81±4.92 years. The mean gestational age of group A was 33.92±1.41 weeks and group B was 33.88±1.40 weeks. In group A there were 28 (18.7%) women with parity 1, 40(26.7%) with parity 2, 42 (28%) with parity 3 and 40 (26.7%) with parity 4 whereas in group B there were 28(18.7%) women with parity 1, 40 (26.7%) with parity 2, 42 (28%) with parity 3 and 40 (26.7%) with parity 4. In group A there were 54 (36%) women with normal BMI, 44 (29.9%) were overweight and 52 (34.7%) were obese while in group B there were 63 (42%) women with normal BMI, 38 (25.3%) were overweight and 49 (32.7%) were obese. There was no significant (P=0.329) association between neonatal distress and study groups and also no significant (P=0.202) association between poor APGAR score and study groups. Conclusion: Incidence and rate of neonatal distress in complicated pregnancies by PPROM within 34 and 37 weeks of gestation is very low Keywords: Delivery, Preterm, Premature, Rupture of membrane, Term, Outcome, Expectant, Management


This thesis concentrates on the development of advanced large-signal measurement and characterization tools to support technology development, model extraction and validation, and power amplifier (PA) designs that address the newly introduced third and fourth generation (3G and 4G) wideband communication standards. By exploiting an innovative mixed-signal approach, the measurement systems developed within this thesis work extend the limits of the current state-of-the-art large-signal characterization in terms of bandwidth, power range, speed and functionality. As described in Chapter 1 these activities are needed to address the demands that follow from the evergrowing data transfer rates in modern telecommunication systems. Here the introduction of the new 3G and 4G communication standards, which make use of higher bandwidths and peak-to-average ratios, in combination with the necessity to reduce the power consumption of mobile networks, put very stringent demands on the power amplifier in the wireless transmitter. Since the PA is one of the dominant sources of energy consumption in the wireless network, it needs to be very efficient and linear over a wide frequency range and over a wide power span. Therefore, to accomplish this difficult mission, the PA designer has to rely on either an accurate nonlinear model of the active device to perform the design in a circuit simulator, or on device data resulting from load-pull measurements, which can accurately characterize the transistor performance parameters as a function of the load and source impedances at all frequencies of interest. In order to support the development of compact device models which include self-heating and trapping effects, isothermal measurement systems are required. Chapter 2 introduces the theory and the requirements for pulsed-RF and pulsed-DC measurements. Moreover, a new isothermal measurement system is presented, which provides the ability to measure with DC and RF pulses as short as 200 ns, while featuring a very high dynamic range (? 85 dB) under pulsed-RF conditions, which is independent on the duty-cycle. The system performance is discussed in detail through a set of benchmarks, and some examples on isothermal active device characterization are provided. The second and dominant part of this thesis introduces a revolutionary active harmonic load-pull approach. Load-pull device characterization is fundamental to all activities related to PA design and PA development, from technology development, to model extraction and validation, to the actual power amplifier design. For this reason Chapter 3 reviews conventional passive and active source and load-pull architectures, and discusses their basic limitations, with particular attention to the problems arising when characterizing devices with wideband complex modulated signals. Moreover, the requirements of active load-pull systems to perform high power measurements with complex modulated signals are also explained. To solve the problems of conventional load-pull systems when dealing with wideband modulated signals, a novel active harmonic load-pull system based on a mixed-signal approach is described in detail in Chapter 4. The system developed during this thesis work enables the measurement of active devices up to 120 MHz of modulation bandwidth, and allows arbitrary control of the refection coefficient in this band. Measurement data highlighting the system performance, and measurement results on active devices are presented. To enhance the process of developing new transistor technologies and their application in very efficient and linear PAs, in Chapter 5, a new approach for enabling high-speed multidimensional source and load-pull parameter sweeps is introduced. The method described allows any combination of multiple parameters (e.g., input power and/or fundamental and harmonic load impedance) to be swept, at a very high speed, while maintaining all other parameters (e.g., second harmonic source impedance) accurately controlled to a user-defined value. Moreover, several measurements are reported, with particular emphasis on the high-power capabilities of the system, both in CW as well as under modulated signal excitations. The option to measure time-domain voltage and current waveforms can provide significant insight into the actual device behavior, which benefits to power amplifier design, ruggedness evaluation, as well as to (database) model extraction and validation. In Chapter 6 the basic theory behind the measurement of high frequency time-domain voltage and current waveforms at the device reference planes are discussed, and an extension to the mixed-signal load-pull system described in the previous chapters is presented, with particular attention on the requirements of the calibration device used for the system calibration. Furthermore an approach for time-domain waveform analysis of multi-tone signals which are closely spaced in frequency is introduced. To highlight the most unique capabilities of the mixed-signal load-pull system developed in this thesis, Chapter 7 reports several relevant examples of significant applications. In particular an out-of-band linearity optimization of an HBT device, the characterization of a GaN device for high efficiency PA design, and some very high-power device measurements for base-station applications are described. Chapter 8 finishes the thesis and gives the most important conclusions and the recommendations for future work.


Embedded platform development, where a platform is a basis for a family of products, is characterized by soft-and hardware co-design as well as very tight constraints on cost and available real-time system performance. The latter implies that early software performance estimation plays a crucial role in embedded platform development. Due to the different focus of software and hardware design, performance data and estimations techniques needed are by nature heterogeneous. In order to simplify access and availability of software performance data for an entire development organization, a database tool is proposed and implemented, which allows organizing, presenting, and to some extent evaluating the existing, inhomogeneous data for software performance estimations.


Background Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is recently considered as a key event and a therapeutic target of the pannus formation in rheumatoid arthritis1). Objectives The purpose of this study was to confirm the inhibitory effects of sunitinib, an angiogenesis inhibitor that targets vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinase2), on arthritis in mice with type II collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Methods Sunitinib at 30 or 60 mg/kg/day was intraperitoneally administered to mice with CIA. We compared the arthritis score, pathological score, bone density, and synovial microvascular density between the control and treatment groups. Results In the sunitinib-treated groups, the arthritis score decreased in a dose-dependent manner in comparison with the control group. Furthermore, improvement in the pathological score, inhibition of loss in the bone density, and a decrease in the synovial microvascular density were noted. Conclusions An angiogenesis inhibitor, sunitinib, inhibited arthritis in a murine CIA model. This compound may be useful for treating arthritis. References Szekanecz Z, Koch AE. Angiogenesis and its targeting in rheumatoid arthritis. Vascular pharmacology 2009 Jul;51(1):1-7. Mendel DB, Laird AD, Xin X, Louie SG, Christensen JG, Li G, et al. In vivo antitumor activity of SU11248, a novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting vascular endothelial growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor receptors: determination of a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationship. Clinical cancer research: an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research 2003 Jan;9(1):327-331 Disclosure of Interest None Declared


One challenge for solid freeform fabrication has been to develop the capability to directly create functional metal shapes which are dense, metallurgically bonded, geometrically accurate and with good surface appearance. Shape Deposition is a manufacturing paradigm which attempts to address these issues. It incorporates the advantages of several processes including solid freeform fabrication (complex geometries, rapidly planned), 5-axis CNC machining (accuracy, smooth surfaces), shot-peening (for stress relief) and 'microcasting' (a high-performance, weldbased material deposition process). These processes are integrated within a CAD/CAM system using robotic automation. This paper will present the current research in this effort.


In this thesis I report experimental studies toward developing versatile, compact, and reliable ultrafast sources in the 1.5 micron wavelength region, and their power scalability.The first part of the thesis reports on the development of a stable all-fiberized wavelength-tunable frequency-shifted feedback (FSF) picosecond laser. Stability of the passive mode-locking mechanism is achieved by combining the effects of nonlinear polarization evolution and a frequency shifting mechanism carried out by an acousto-optic modulator. The novel configuration generates pulses in the range of ~ 34 to 66 ps, depending on the value of the frequency shift applied in the cavity. The cavity allows for continuous wavelength-tuning over 30 nm of the erbium gain bandwidth via a fiberized tunable filter. The stability of the laser cavity allows pulse analysis as a function of different parameters of the laser cavity. Additional extensive numerical analysis, combined with the experimental results, provide novel insights for understanding the dynamics of FSF lasers in the mode-locking regime, which have not been addressed in the literature before. The second part of the thesis reports on the development of a versatile, stable, compact mode-locked fibre laser using nonlinear polarization evolution and a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror(SESAM). The novel cavity can generate pulses with widths between ~ 2.7 and 11 ps over 25 nm of erbium gain bandwidth. This is achieved by integrating in the cavity state-of-the-art optical filters. The performance of this laser is compared to that of the FSF laser in terms of pulse energy, amplitude noise, timing jitter and power scaling. The third part of the thesis reports on the direct amplification of a mode-locked ~ 10 picosecond bandwidth-tunable laser source that I made by means of large-mode area (LMA) erbium-ytterbium co-doped and erbium-doped fibres. While cladding pumping amplification schemes have become a standard option for pulse amplification in the 1.5 µm region, core-pumped amplification in LMA erbium-doped fibres has been less studied. In this thesis, in addition to the amplification of picosecond pulses in an erbium-ytterbium co-doped fibre; I present a novel scheme that uses a hybrid co-propagation core-pumped (1480 nm) and counter-propagation cladding-pumped (980 nm) scheme, which compensates for the low cladding absorption at 980 nm of the erbium-doped fibre. Picosecond pulses are amplified up to 1.5 W with peak powers exceeding 11 kW. The last part of this thesis reports on the study of a stable operating regime found in passive mode-locked lasers called noise-like pulses, which can generate broadband spectra directly from the main oscillator. Here, I report the record of a 135 nm bandwidth linearly polarized noise-like pulse generation in an erbium-doped fibre laser by exploiting the birefringence of the cavity and the Raman gain of a highly nonlinear fibre (HNLF). Noise characterization of the source is carried out and compared to other commercial broadband sources in order to see its applicability in areas such as optical coherence tomography.


The standard modality for breast cancer detection is X-ray imaging. Diagnosis is performed after the triple assessment of X-ray mammography assisted by ultrasonog- raphy and biopsy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is sometimes used in specific problem solving such as contradictory results are obtained from X-ray and ultrasound images. X-ray mammography is capable of producing 2D projection images with a high spatial resolution. However, X-ray mammography besides possessing ionizing hazards, is less sensitive in women with dense breasts. In addition, X-ray mammography has difficulties to image tumors close to the chest wall. Ultrasonography still suffers from poor soft tissue contrast, inherent speckle noise, strong operator dependence and lack of standardization. MRI has high sensitivity but suffers from variable specificity, a relatively high cost and needs the use of a contrast agent. Thus there is a great need for an alternative technology to detect and diagnose early stages of breast cancer with high sensitivity and specificity.
Photoacoustic (PA) imaging has shown great potential to visualize high optical absorption contrast based on hemoglobin absorption that can impact breast cancer detection and diagnosis. State-of-the-art photoacoustic breast imaging systems are promising but are limited either by only a 2D imaging capability or an insufficient imaging field-of-view (FOV) in 3D. This thesis investigates various aspects regarding the design and development of a sensitive 3D photoacoustic tomography system for full breast imaging, focusing on the optimization of ultrasound detection, the heart of the system.


ABSTRACT Objective Distinguish between EDE severity levels by analysing the MGLA, conjunctival hyperemia and corneal staining. Methods One hundred participants were recruited based on OSDI, TO, TFBUT, TMH, and LLP to be categorised as healthy (Group 1) or EDE (Group 2). Group 2 was divided into Group 2A (mild symptoms), 2B (moderate), and 2C (severe). MGLA, conjunctival hyperemia, and corneal staining were measured. Results Positive correlation between MGLA, conjunctival hyperemia, and corneal staining were found (all r ≥ 0.221, p ≤ 0.027). Significant differences were found: MGLA between Group 1 vs. 2C and 2C vs. 2A or 2B; conjunctival hyperemia between Group 1 vs. 2A, 2B or 2C; corneal staining between Group 1 vs. 2B or 2C and 2A vs. 2B or 2C (all p ≤ 0.049). Conclusion Severe EDE participants have higher MGLA, conjunctival hyperemia, and corneal staining values than healthy, mild, or moderate EDE participants.


Abstract : Recent events in Iraq and Afghanistan have demonstrated that military interventions to affect regime change can be extremely costly and fraught with risk. When weighing future foreign policy options, it is possible that the US will turn to less overt means of changing regimes and spreading democracy, namely the sponsorship of insurgency. After analyzing historical examples of US support to insurgent movements, this paper outlines operational planning considerations and limitations. The US government currently possesses the necessary capabilities to support an insurgency, but is lacking in an effective command and control structure to ensure unity of effort. In order to properly harness these capabilities, a unique coordinating structure needs to be created that can take advantage of the disparate skill sets resident in State, CIA, and DoD.


checklist. Abstract Background : Factors that might influence response to systemic treatment for moderate-to-severe psoriasis are varied, and generally, are poorly understood, aside from high body weight, suggesting that other unidentified factors may be relevant in determining response to treatment. The impact of alcohol abuse on treatment response has not been previously investigated. Objective : To investigate whether alcohol abuse is associated with poor response to treatment for psoriasis. Methods : Prospective cohort study in which response to systemic therapies was assessed using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). The CAGE questionnaire was used to screen for alcohol abuse. A multivariable factional polynomial linear regression model was used to examine factors associated with change in PASI between baseline and follow-up. Results : The cohort comprised of 266 patients (biologic cohort, n=134; conventional systemic cohort, n=132). For the entire cohort, the median (interquartile range) PASI improved from 13[10-18.3] at baseline to 3[1-7.5] during follow-up. A higher CAGE score (regression co-efficient: 1.40; 95% CIs: 0.04-2.77); obesity (1.84; 0.48-3.20); and receiving a conventional systemic rather than a biologic therapy (4.39; 2.84-5.95) were significantly associated with poor response to treatment; whereas a higher baseline PASI (-0.83; -0.92,-0.74) was associated with better response to treatment. Conclusion : The poor response to therapy associated with alcohol abuse and obesity found in people with psoriasis calls for lifestyle behaviour change interventions and support as part of routine clinical care. Targeting interventions to prevent, detect and manage alcohol abuse among people with psoriasis is needed to minimise adverse health consequences and improve treatment response.


Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) has previously been shown to be a useful decomposition for multivariate data. We interpret the factorization in a new way and use it to generate missing attributes from test data. We provide a joint optimization scheme for the missing attributes as well as the NMF factors. We prove the monotonic convergence of our algorithms. We present classification results for cases with missing attributes.


During the late 1960s and early 1970s, most Latin American countries experienced military coups and military interventions in government affairs. One of the worst consequences of these military interventions was the torture and murder of thousands of people. This study focuses on the perpetrators of torture and examines group influences on the occurrence of torture and the behavior of torturers. To achieve this goal, we have conducted field research to interview and evaluate individuals who were members of the Chilean police and military during the 1980s. Interviews were conducted with Chilean military and police torturers active during the military regime (1973 – 1990). Group influences are strongly associated with the institutional context. The study identifies common patterns among the perpetrators but also considers the marked differences between them and demonstrates the important role of the group in enabling the perpetration of torture. Few studies have examined torture behavior in an institutional framework, and the identification of these features may allow this type of crime to be prevented.


Introduction Colorectal cancer is the second cause of cancer-related death in the United States and Europe (1).Computerised tomography Colonography (CTC) is used to examine the colon and rectum to detect for abnormalities such as cancers and polyps often in those where direct visualisation is difficult or contraidindicated. There are diagnostic pitfalls that are unique to evaluation of the rectum(2). The presence of a rectal balloon and enema tube can compress masses rendering them more difficult to detect at cross-sectional imaging. Fortunately, most large masses that are low enough in the rectum can be detected by digital rectal examination. The anorectal pitfalls that seem to cause the most trouble at CTC interpretation are hypertrophied anal papillae, internal haemorrhoids and low rectal tumours(3). Method To determine if a digital rectal examination (DRE) or rigid sigmoidoscopy was performed prior to a patient referral for a CTC. Retrospectively all CTCs performed between January 2013 and December 2013 in two separate NHS Trust hospitals were analysed. Retrospective data was collected at the point of referral to see if a DRE or rigid sigmoidoscopy was performed. We followed up patients who underwent lower endoscopic evaluation following their index CTC to see if we missed any potentially avoidable pathology in the rectum and anus. Results 172 CTCs were analysed, 31 patients had a follow-up lower endoscopy following their index CTC. Twenty-five patients were referred for CTC due to a change in bowel habits, three were referred for anaemia and three were referred for abdominal pain. 20/31 (65%) patients had a physical examination of their rectum prior to CTC. 17/21( 85%) referrals for ctc from surgical clinics performed a physical examination compared with 3/10 (30%) referrals from gastroenterology clinics (p<0.002). In the 11 patients who did not have a physical examination of the rectum prior to CTC, follow-up endoscopy found two rectal cancers. Both lesions were not detected on index CTC. Conclusion CTC has the potential to miss serious rectal pathology. A physical examination of the anus and rectum should routinely be performed in any patient being considered for a CTC to avoid missing potentially serious pathology. It is important that we also inform patients on the limitations of investigations which may include the chance of missed pathology. References . Boyle P, Langman JS. ABC of colorectal cancer: epidemiology. BMJ2000; 321:805–808 . Alvin C, Silva MD. Evaluation of benign and malignant rectal lesions with CT colonography and endoscopic correlation. Radiographics. 2006;4 . Pickhardt PJ. Differential diagnosis of polypoid lesions seen at CT colonography(virtual colonoscopy) Radiographics. 2004;24:1535–56. Disclosure of Interest None Declared