We introduce penalty-function-based admission control policies to approximately maximize the expected reward rate in a loss network. These control policies are easy to implement and perform well both in the transient period as well as in steady state. A major advantage of the penalty approach is that it avoids solving the associated dynamic program. However, a disadvantage of this approach is that it requires the capacity requested by individual requests to be sufficiently small compared to total available capacity. We first solve a related deterministic linear program (LP) and then translate an optimal solution of the LP into an admission control policy for the loss network via an exponential penalty function. We show that the penalty policy is a target-tracking policy--it performs well because the optimal solution of the LP is a good target. We demonstrate that the penalty approach can be extended to track arbitrarily defined target sets. Results from preliminary simulation studies are included.


In the Philippine Sea, from April 2010 to March 2011, a 330-km radius pentagonal acoustic transceiver array with a sixth transceiver in the center transmitted broadband signals with center frequencies between 172 and 275 Hz and 100 Hz bandwidth eight times a day every other day. The signals were recorded on a large-aperture vertical-line array located near the center of the pentagon at ranges of 129, 210, 224, 379, 396, and 450 km. The acoustic arrival structures are interpretable in terms of ray paths. Depth and time variability of the acoustic observations are analyzed for six ray paths (one from each transceiver) with similar vertical sampling properties in the main thermocline. Acoustic-field statistics treated include: (1) variances of phase and intensity, (2) vertical coherence and intensity covariance, (3) glinting and fadeout rates, and (4) intensity probability density functions. Several observed statistics are compared to predictions using Feynman path-integral theory assuming the Garrett-Munk internal-wave spectrum. In situ oceanographic observations support this assumption and are used to estimate spectral parameters. Data and theory differ at most by a factor of two and reveal the wave propagation regimes of unsaturated, partially saturated, and fully saturated. Improvements to the evaluation of path-integral quantities are discussed.


The goal of this paper is to analyze the tendencies of social exclusion and inequality in Lithuania and in the context of Europe. By using statistical methods such as Gini coefficient and Lorenz curve, firstly we analyze the inequality of average county disposable household income per month. In the second part of the study, we analyze an indicator of people at-risk-of poverty or social exclusion in 26 different countries of Europe. In this section, we want to test the fixed and random effects models on our data. Based on them, the average effect of the at-risk-of poverty or social exclusion indicator can be measured. Based on real expenditure per capita analysis, Lithuania can be classified to a group of post-Soviet countries, where tendencies of poverty or social exclusion risk are similar.


In this paper, the stability problem of a model-based fuzzy system put forward by Tanake and Sugeno (1992) is discussed. By means of transforming it into a contracting problem of convexes V/sub a/, some difficulties of judging and constructing the Lyapunov function are overcome. In addition, an auxiliary method to estimate convexes is established, which contributes a lot to the research. From the research paper, two important results are derived. The first is that whether a model-based fuzzy system exists, a P-type Lyapunov function can be determined by the algorithm. The latter is that if it has a P-type Lyapunov function, one of them can be constructed by the algorithm. Furthermore, the results can also contribute to local linearization of nonlinear systems.


Clinical and experimental studies have shown that the use of phytosterol esters as a food ingredient reduces the plasma concentrations of cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, not affecting the HDL cholesterol levels. Based on the use of phytosterols as a food ingredient, we have conducted a 30-day feeding study with Wistar rats, drinking low-fat milk containing phytosterols, in order to evaluate the plasma cholesterol concentrations and the hemorheological parameters. Throughout the study, clinical observations, body weights and food and milk consumption were measured and at the end of the feeding period, blood samples were collected for biochemical and hemorheological determinations. There were no clinical changes, alterations in growth, food or milk consumption. In the plasma cholesterol and HDL concentrations there were no significant differences, but LDL levels decreased about 70%. In the hemorheological parameters, significant changes were observed in plasma viscosity and in membrane fluidity in all experimental groups. The blood viscosity and the erythrocyte deformability show significant improvements with the ingestion of the phytosterols enriched milk. With these results we conclude that phytosterols maintain their cholesterol lowering properties when incorporated in milk and can be considered a hypolipemic food component.


In this paper, the nonlinear dynamic behaviour of vertical and horizontal rotors in compliant tilting pad journal bearings has been investigated. White metal and compliant bearings with line pivot pads are compared. The dynamic response of four pad bearings with different preload factors is studied. The effect of viscoelasticity is also considered in comparison with purely elastic compliant and white metal liners. The influence of radial clearance and pad offset is analysed. It is shown how pad design parameters such as preload factor, pivot offset, viscoelasticity of the liner, and radial clearance can be selected to control the size of the journal orbit in compliant bearings.Copyright © 2012 by ASME


The study is a comparison of 4 successive hemodialysis (HD) sessions on each patient, 2 with cuprophan (CU) membrane (Gambro 120 M) and 2 with Cellulose acetate (CA) (Cordis Dow 3500). 60 minutes prior to the HD session placebo or Ticlopidine (500 mg) was administered orally to each patient. Leucocyte and platelet counts, serum C3 complement, arterial PO2, PCO2 and PH were measured before and 15, 30, 60, 120 and 240 minutes after the beginning of HD. Leucocyte count fell markedly within 15 minutes of both placebo HD sessions, but it was significantly lower (p less than 0.005) in CA than CU membrane. Ticlopidine prevented significantly (p less than 0.01) the HD-induced leucopenia. Slight changes in platelet count, either in placebo or Ticlopidine study were observed. Serum C3 complement increased significantly (p less than 0.05) at 15 minutes of CU placebo session and was also correlated (p less than 0.01) with the concurrent leucopenia. The arterial PO2 decreased 22% and 13.5% during HD with CU and CA membranes respectively, but it was preserved within normal limits by Ticlopidine. The arterial PH was increased up to 7.4 at the end of all HD sessions, while PCO2 showed only slight changes. We conclude that: 1) CA membrane is better tolerated than CU 2) HD-induced leucopenia and hypoxemia are prevented by Ticlopidine, probably by modulating the complement activation.


In this column, Busken discusses the addition of fiber to baked product formulations. Food manufacturers need to carefully consider what types of fiber they use in their products. For example, some types of fiber can cause unpleasant effects such as gastrointestinal issues. Manufacturers also need to consider the effects of the fiber in the product in which it is incorporated. Some fibers are easier to work with than others. Two general categories of fiber (insoluble and soluble) and their potential effects and food applications are described.


Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major causative agent of cervical cancers. Over the past several decades, increasing number of studies established strong association of HPV with a subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). In the present study, we reviewed evidence, including epidemiology, carcinogens, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, showing that HPV-positive HNSCCs exhibit a variety of distinct characteristics for understanding tumor biology and improving cancer treatment.


A PECULIAR type of ice fonnation of which no description has been found in the more easily accessible literature was observed in Antarctic waters (66° S., 152° E.) on 25 February 1948 during the cruise of the Wyatt Earp of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition. The temperature of the water surface was 29° F. (-1'7° C.), that of the air 25° F. (-3'9° C.), wind Beaufort 2. As shown in the photograph (Fig. 5, p. 316) numerous spheres of a diameter of one to two inches (2'5 to 5'0 cm.) were found floating in the sea. The balls were very soft and spongy; no internal structure could be clearly distinguished. They were generally arranged in "streams" in the same way as the sJush that was simultaneously fonning in many places. The ball ice may possibly have originated from the coalescence of frazil ice particles and their subsequent rounding off by wave action and collision with other particles. Or they may be remnants of small pancakes worn down by the same process. This explanation is suggested by the association 6f the balls with slush and incipient pancake ice, but it appears nevertheless unlikely because no transition between the flat pancakes and the balls was observed. Another explanation is that snowflakes, which fell into the water, did not melt but were able to continue floating at the surface. The movement of the water brought them into contact with each other so that they stuck together, the agglomerate becoming rounded by water movements and the impact of other solid particles. This second explanation becomes more likely as snowflakes had actually been falling for some time before the observation. It would be interesting to know whether similar "ball ice" has been observed elsewhere and whether a more likely theory of its fonnation can be suggested.


The field of diagnostic radiology continues to evolve, particularly in refinements to crosssectional techniques. Imaging of the urinary tract, as a result, has become more precise, with new digital procedures offering a great selection of options, and new imaging algorithms being implemented. Ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provide higher soft-tissue contrast resolution than conventional radiography, as well as multiplanar imaging capability, resulting in significant advances in almost all areas of uroradiology. While such advances have produced new algorithms to approach the diagnostic imaging evaluation, each particular case also depends greatly on the equipment and professional available. In summary, ever changing uroradiology remains indispensable in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with urologic disorders. We discuss the digital imaging techniques used in uroradiology, with summaries of the advantages and disadvantages of the various techniques, and will end with a discussion comparing different Doppler imaging methods.


The 2008 conflict in South Ossetia, involving both Georgian and Russian armed forces, attracted much international attention and debate. This article seeks to analyse the international legal framework regarding the use of force which should have applied to this conflict. It will first look at the history of, and circumstances surrounding, the South Ossetian conflict, and then examine the jus ad bellum regarding wars of national liberation and aggression. The concept of intervention to protect nationals abroad will also be discussed. These legal paradigms will then be applied to the events of August 2008 in the region of South Ossetia to analyse the legality of the use of force in this conflict.


Background: Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are the most prevalent pathogens causing late onset sepsis in neonates. They are often multiresistant to antibiotics, and the ability to form biofilm is considered their main virulence determinant. Methods: During a 12-year period, we identified 150 neonates having 164 suspected septic episodes with growth of CoNS in blood culture. We examined the relationship between antibiotic resistance, phenotypic biofilm production and genetic determinants for biofilm formation in different CoNS species and their correlation with neonatal inflammatory response. Results: Eighty-five episodes were classified as true sepsis, and 79 episodes of CoNS growth in blood culture were considered contaminations. Sixty-one percent of Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates produced biofilm compared with 26% of CoNS non-epidermidis (P < 0.001). We observed no difference in phenotypic biofilm production or genetic determinants for biofilm formation between invasive isolates and contaminants. C-reactive protein levels as a marker of inflammatory response were higher in CoNS sepsis caused by methicillin and aminoglycoside resistant versus susceptible isolates (P = 0.031). In contrast, there was a significant association between a lower C-reactive protein response and biofilm-positive isolates (P = 0.018). Antibiotic resistance was significantly correlated with biofilm production in S. epidermidis, but not in other CoNS species. Conclusions: CoNS sepsis with biofilm-forming strains was associated with a decreased host inflammatory response, potentially limiting the immune system to counteract the infection. The impact of antibiotic resistance and virulence determinants on clinical outcome of neonatal CoNS sepsis warrants additional clinical studies.


Software inspection covers the defects related to software tests Incompetence. The proposed model of this research performs defect removal actions as an important duty of inspection, as well as, using the capabilities of collaborative and knowledge base systems. The process improvement is continuously in progress by creating swap iteration in inspection model kernel. Making and modifying some rules related to defects, adds intelligence and learning features to the model. In order to validate the model, it is implemented in a real software inspection project. The varieties of detected and removed defects show the potential performance of the model and make the process reliable.


In this position paper we describe an on-going effort to provide an in-depth and cross-cultural evaluation of how elderly users perceive robotic systems for domestic cognitive support. Our work is grounded on two implemented smarthome prototypes, namely the RoboCare Smart Home developed in Italy, and the PEIS Home developed in Sweden. The former project has provided a testbed for an aposteriori evaluation of smart home technology with Italian user groups. The presence in Sweden of the PEIS Home, a system which shares numerous commonalities with the RoboCare Smart Home, gives us the opportunity to extend these results by (1) providing a cross-cultural perspective on the perception of smart home technology, and (2) lay the foundations for a live, Wizard of Oz based evaluation within


This paper describes a novel approach for the speaker adaptation of statistical parametric speech synthesis systems based on the interpolation of a set of average voice models (AVM). Recent results have shown that the quality/naturalness of adapted voices depends on the distance from the average voice model used for speaker adaptation. This suggests the use of several AVMs trained on carefully chosen speaker clusters from which a more suitable AVM can be se-lected/interpolated during the adaptation. In the proposed approach a set of AVMs, a multiple-AVM, is trained on distinct clusters of speakers which are iteratively re-assigned during the estimation process initialised according to metadata. During adaptation, each AVM from the multiple-AVM is first adapted towards the target speaker. The adapted means from the AVMs are then interpolated to yield the final speaker adapted mean for synthesis. It is shown, perform-ing speaker adaptation on a corpus of British speakers with various regional accents, that the quality/naturalness of synthetic speech of adapted voices is significantly higher than when considering a single factor-independent AVM selected according to the target speaker characteristics.


We survey the state of the art for the proof of the quantum Gaussian optimizer conjectures of quantum information theory. These fundamental conjectures state that quantum Gaussian input states are the solution to several optimization problems involving quantum Gaussian channels. These problems are the quantum counterpart of three fundamental results of functional analysis and probability: the Entropy Power Inequality, the sharp Young's inequality for convolutions and the theorem "Gaussian kernels have only Gaussian maximizers". Quantum Gaussian channels play a key role in quantum communication theory: they are the quantum counterpart of Gaussian integral kernels and provide the mathematical model for the propagation of electromagnetic waves in the quantum regime. The quantum Gaussian optimizer conjectures are needed to determine the maximum communication rates over optical fibers and free space. The restriction of the quantum-limited Gaussian attenuator to input states diagonal in the Fock basis coincides with the thinning, the analogue of the rescaling for positive integer random variables. Quantum Gaussian channels provide then a bridge between functional analysis and discrete probability.


Abstract Background and purpose: The quality management field has been studied for more than 100 years dating back to the early 1900s when Fredrick W. Taylor is known as the father of Scientific Management, stressed the importance of quality inspection. This paper describes how quality management field has developed and evolved to date, particularly by tracking its focus over time. Design/Methodology/Approach: A systematic approach to literature review was adapted in this research. Identifying the gurus and the scholars in this field makes it possible for the researchers to review their works, which are, mainly, in the form of books and journal articles. Process in getting literature review that has been conducted include quality management in general, as well as 'evolution of quality management' and 'development of quality management' respectively in capturing the field of quality management and thus, illustrating how the quality management field has evolved over the time. Results: It appears that quality management literature have evolved through time, and as they evolved, the principles, systems, tools and techniques have changed. As a result of the study, this paper also provides the synthesis of quality management literature over time according to the key focus and gives a new perspective for the further research. Conclusions: The historical review allows the researchers to establish the pattern of quality – the 'focus, principles, systems, and tools and techniques' over time. Our observations have confirmed that as the focus has changed, the principles have also changed and as the principles have changed, the systems, tools and techniques also have changed in quality management field.


The martial arts are among today's most exciting exercise regimes and are fast becoming the most popular way to get and keep fit. New Holland's Martial Arts series, aimed at both men and women, uses specially commissioned full-colour sequence photography and expert text to introduce the newcomer to the techniques. Jujitsu is a comprehensive book on what is considered the most complete self-defence system ever developed. Its chapters focus on the technical elements of the martial art from strikes, kicks, defences and footwork to joint locks and holds, throws, ground grappling, as well as defences against weapons. The techniques of Brazilian Jujitsu are also elaborated on. In addition, the fascinating history of these sports is covered and a small section is dedicated to Judo. Jujitsu is an invaluable and inspiring book for any beginner.


A new type of piezoelectric transducer with compression/shear sense is developed and was successfully tested for measuring three dimension accelerations in shock and vibration experiment.


BUM Desa as a quasi-public organization needs a special strategy because BUM Desa is branded as a state-owned company at the village level which is still synonymous with ineffective and inefficient institutions. The purpose of this study is to see how the strategy of the existence of BUM Desa in the era of competition and economic and digital openness is required to be able to develop and increase competitiveness, especially in Paser Regency which is a candidate for the gateway to the new capital city of Indonesia. The research method used is descriptive qualitative by taking BUM Desa which has developed, and which is still in the basic stage.
The results showed that the implementation of the BUM DESA program was mainly in two villages that had two different levels, namely Modang Village and Padang Jaya Village. This is because Capacity Development in the business world has been running in Padang Jaya Village, this is the basis for being substantially superior because the Padang Jaya village government prioritizes processes and trust in the community and local wisdom and is supported by high village income (PAD Desa) in the village. that prioritizes local culture or MSMEs from the community. Based on the assessment of the classification of BUMDes development in Paser Regency, Padang Village BUMDes are in the "Developing" BUMDes category or arguably the only BUMDes that have progressed in Paser Regency compared to BUMDes in Modang Village which are still in the "Basic" category.
The results showed that the level of success of the BUM DESA program in community economic empowerment can be seen from the level of community participation, income levels of BUM DESA members and the level of community welfare. In addition, the implementation of the BUM DESA program in Modang Village and Padang Jaya Village in empowering business entities received an explanation of strengthening Individual Capacity, namely in 3 aspects including Personality capacity development where BUMDesa Padang Jaya got a superior personality capacity than BUMDesa Modang, then Capacity Development in the world work, so that Padang Jaya Village is substantially superior because the Padang Jaya village government prioritizes process and trust in the community and local wisdom and is supported by the high village income (PAD Desa) in the village based on the classification assessment of BUMDesa's development in Paser Regency, which is included in the BUMDesa category. "Developing" or arguably the only advanced BUMDesa in Paser Regency compared to BUMDesa in Modang Village which is still in the "Basic" category.


In plasma physics, a hybrid fluid-kinetic model is composed of a magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) part that describes a bulk fluid component and a Vlasov kinetic theory part that describes an energetic plasma component. While most hybrid models in the plasma literature are non-Hamiltonian, this paper investigates a recent Hamiltonian variant in its two-dimensional configuration. The corresponding Hamiltonian structure is described along with its Casimir invariants. Then, the energy-Casimir method is used to derive explicit sufficient stability conditions, which imply a stable spectrum and suggest nonlinear stability.


Exception handling in a complex concurrent and distributed system (e.g. one involving cooperating rather than just competing activities) is often a necessary, but a very difficult, task. No widely accepted models or approaches exist in this area. The object-oriented paradigm, for all its structuring benefits, and real-time requirements each add further difficulties to the design and implementation of exception handling in such systems. In this paper, we develop a general structuring framework based on the coordinated atomic (CA) action concept for handling exceptions in an object-oriented distributed system, in which exceptions in both the value and the time domain are taken into account. In particular, we attempt to attack several difficult problems related to real-time system design and error recovery, including action-level timing constraints, time-triggered CA actions, and time-dependent exception handling. The proposed framework is then demonstrated and assessed using an industrial real-time application-the Production Cell III case study.


Multi-Agent Systems provide a suitable concept to easily map processes, interaction and knowledge into agents. This paper discusses the development of ontology-based multi-agent system and explores some performance of the system. We also present a typical scenario for resource allocation and demonstrate a promising approach for integration of process planning and scheduling functions.


Modern studies in the field of public administration confirm the high efficiency and prospects of using targeted programs at various levels. The formation and realization of targeted programs in the implementation of the agrarian policy of Russia allow of solution of the most significant problems of the latter, while observing all planning principles and constantly monitoring the results achieved. The author of this article analyzes the use of targeted programs on the example of the "State Program for the Development of Agriculture and Regulation of Agricultural Products, Raw Materials and Food Markets". He considers the directions and causes of its changes, the amount of financing aimed at its implementation, the distribution of responsibilities for its implementation and monitoring. The author also compares this program with the similar one at the level of the Voronezh region, identifies and substantiates common features and signs of difference. In addition to the positive aspects, it is indicated that the regional authorities are not yet fully aware of and so do not use the level of independence available to them in the formation and implementation of agricultural policy. The article proves the strategic nature of program-target planning, its specificity and systemic nature, which makes it attractive for public administration. A general conclusion is drawn on the effectiveness of targeted programs as a mechanism for implementing agricultural policy at the national and regional levels.


The present paper describes the features and implementation of SmartVox an application designed to help vocal ensembles learn and perform polyphonic music.
Technically, SmartVox is a distributed web application that delivers audiovisual scores through the performer's mobile devices. From a singer's point of view, this setup allows for the synergy between visual and acoustic stimuli, which facilitates the interpretive and performative processes, particularly in polyphonic passages. It also enables spatial separation of the performers (cori spezzati), and speeds up the learning process of unfamiliar musical materials (e.g. microtonal tuning, texts in a foreign language).
The ubiquity of smartphones makes such a distributed system affordable and allows the use of SmartVox in multiple contexts, from professional ensembles to pedagogical and recreational practices.


Purpose: To evaluate, using MRI, the extent and pattern of fibrovascular ingrowth into Medpor implants after modified evisceration. Methods: Contrast T1-weighted images were performed in 21 patients within 1.5- to 69-month intervals after modified evisceration with primary Medpor implantation. In 6 patients, the images were obtained separately following 1- and 5-minute delays after contrast administration. Results: No grade I enhancement occurred in these series. Grade II was observed in 2 patients (9.09%), grade III in 8 patients (36.36%), grade IV in 9 patients (40.91%), and grade V in 3 patients (13.64%). Significant correlation existed between the grade of enhancement and the postevisceration interval (r = 0.483, p = 0.023 < 0.05). The images demonstrated an enhancement pattern that started at the unwrapped posterior pole and anterior location of rectus muscles with progressive centripetal vascularization toward the center of the implant. At the early stage of recovery, the fibrous connective tissue was thick in front of Medpor spheres. In the 5-minute delay images of 6 patients, 2 patients failed to exhibit further enhancement; 2 patients exhibited enlarged and homogeneous enhancement; and 2 patients revealed more intense enhancement patterns. The medical ethics committee of Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center approved the study. Conclusions: Fibrovascular ingrowth into Medpor implants was satisfactory after the modified evisceration and correlated with the duration of the implants. The double layers of sclera effectively prevented the implant extrusion and exposure. The authors recommend waiting at least 5 minutes before obtaining MR images after contrast administration.


The construction industry in malaysia is large and it involves multidisciplinary participants. There is high frequency of disputes arising from construction contract claims. Even with the most expert understanding of construction contract clauses and the most equitable risk-allocation management, claims will continue to present problems if they are poorly managed in practice. This research presents the results of interview with 25 contractors and 19 consultants on the claim issues and problems in malaysia construction industry. The main findings which indicate that the lack of site staff awareness to proactively detect claims, inaccessibility or unavailability of relevant documents, and conflicts arising during owner/contractor negotiation are all critical problems associated with the process of claim management. The problems observed from this research could be used to solve or improve the contractors' claim management system. KeywordsConstruction Claims, Claims.


An analysis is first presented to clarify the effects of a magnetic fluid film coated on a current-carrying cylinder on the free-stream structure and on the hydrodynamic drag force. The calculation is made for the case of Reynolds number, Re=10 and a ratio between the mean film thickness and cylinder radius, e=0.1 using a perturbation method taking e as a parameter. Then, the effects of Reynolds number and film thickness on the film profile are experimentally studied. It is clearly shown that the drag of a cylinder is reduced by the presence of a magnetic fluid coating only when the ratio of the apparent viscosity of magnetic fluid to the viscosity of the outer fluid is less than 1/4.


This thematic issue of Andragogic Perspectives brings to the fore a topic which has, since the turn of the century, enjoyed considerable international attention in the field of (adult) education and lifelong learning. In Slovenia, however, the influence of globalisation and/ or Europeanisation on adult education has not in fact been systematically addressed. The editorial board made the decision to encourage a wide-ranging discussion about the influence and impact of globalisation and/or Europeanisation processes on adult education and learning, lifelong learning and higher education, hence the current thematic issue.


This paper explores how changing economic circumstances have affected performance of the government, in terms of governance, during the pre-August 2010 Constitutional dispensation. Further, the review introduces issues of politics and their influence in the running of local authorities. It also examines the various attempts by the government to strengthen local authorities by distributing its functions and service delivery through decentralization policies. The paper notes that changing economic landscape has in part affected local governance. It also indicates that decentralised government operations have been hampered by suspicion from the central government about the likelihood of losing its central control/legitimacy to local authorities.


The Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS)project was the largest naturalistic driving study ever conducted. The data obtained from the study was released to the research community in 2014 through the project's InSight webpage. The objectives of this research were to (a) explore the content of this large dataset and perform statistical analysis to identify useful performance measures to detect distracted driving behavior, and (b) provide an outline for a crash index model that can be used to quantify the crash risk associated with distracted driving behavior. Time series data on driver GPS speed, lateral and longitudinal acceleration, throttle position, and yaw rate were extracted as five appropriate performance measures available from the NDS that could be used for the purpose of this research. Using this data, the objective was to detect whether a driver was engaged in one of three specific secondary tasks or no secondary task at all using the selected performance measures. The specific secondary tasks included talking or listening on a hand-held phone, texting/dialing on a hand-held phone, and driver interaction with an adjacent passenger. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the odds of a driver being engaged in one of the secondary tasks given their corresponding driving performance data. The results indicated that, while none of the models provided a statistically good fit of the data, the lateral acceleration measure seemed to be a useful indicator of drivers' engagement in talking/listening and texting/dialing on the cell phone. The analysis of distracted driving behavior for by age and gender showed slightly different results. The longitudinal acceleration variable appeared to perform better in predicting talking/listening and texting/dialing for drivers aged 70-89. The lateral acceleration measure, however, performed better in predicting the engagement of younger drivers (16-29) in the same secondary tasks. When considering the gender of drivers, the lateral acceleration performance variable proved to be more effective in predicting texting/dialing and talking/listening for both genders. Still, these results are inconclusive due to the undesirable Hosmer and Lemeshow Test p-values observed in all the models. Thus, the same analysis was performed using neural networks modeling, which is recognized for its capability of nonlinear pattern recognition. The neural network analysis showed that the five performance measures can be used as surrogate measures of distracted driving. The developed neural network models also proved to be good tools for detecting drivers' engagement in secondary tasks. A proposed framework of crash index calculation provides an insight into how the crash risk associated with distracted driving behavior can be quantified. Further research is required to identify the required statistical analysis for the crash index calculation as well as provide further details on how such index can be used.


Refractories are indispensable in high temperature operations/processes without which industrialization is all but impossible. Production and refining of metals, alloys, glass, ceramic wares, castings, and even refining of petroleum cannot be accomplished without furnaces and reactors that are lined with refractories. Many developing nations like Nigeria that wish to change their industrialization policy from import-substitution to resource-based strategy must not continue to depend heavily on imported refractories as lining materials for their furnaces, reactors and power plants. Not when the basic raw materials for the manufacture of refractories abound in such developing countries. This work has shown that the Nigeria parades enormous refractory raw materials, particularly refractory clays. The processing techniques for converting them into valuable industrial materials and products and methods of characterizing them to meet standard property specifications is the subject of this book. It is written to stir policy direction towards the development of local raw materials, especially by developing Nations.Very useful for Metallurgy, Materials Science and Chemical Engineering.


The ultrastructural features of 12 cases of leukoedema were investigated and compared with clinically normal buccal mucosa. Histochemistry was undertaken to try to resolve some of the observed ultrastructural changes. The characteristic "intracellular edema" of the epithelial cells in leukoedema is due to vacuolation in the cytoplasm of cells. Abnormal mitochondria were observed in these cells. The vacuoles contained a granular material somewhat like clumped glycogen granules, but histochemistry failed to identify this material as glycogen. Towards the surface of the epithelium, the vacuolated cells collapsed into a compact layer of flattened cells. The outer cells of this layer abruptly swelled again to form the characteristic superficial layer of "ballooning" cells of leukoedema. The latter cells were not vacuolated but contained remnants of organelles, membraned vesicles with remnants of organelles, keratohyalin granules and structures apparently related to keratohyalin granules. We propose that the vacuolation represents a limited reversible form of cellular degeneration resulting from cell damage and that impeded mitochondrial function may be the cause of the vacuolation. The superficial "ballooning" cells are degenerated cells. The flattening of the vacuolated cells into a compact layer and the presence of keratohyalin granules and keratohyalin-like structures in the superficial cells are regarded as features of an aborted form of keratinization.


Lime, or quicklime, is produced from carbonate sedimentary rocks like limestone. Lime is then used for a variety of purposes in building construction, agriculture, medicine, steel and paper-making. By the 19th century, manufacture of lime for mortar and plaster was a significant part of the economy in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Amongst the many quarries and kilns, the Green Head operation was among the industry leaders. The Green Head quarry was probably used in the early 1700s or earlier. However, for many of its busiest years during the 1800s Joseph and Frank Armstrong operated the quarry. The Armstrong quarry was well known throughout the Maritimes and New England as a producer of a high quality product. Joseph Armstrong was referred to in contemporary newspaper stories as a pioneer in the New Brunswick lime industry. The Armstrong quarry ceased production in the early 20th century and the site on Green Head Island now preserves the last and perhaps best example of this once thriving industry.


Raney catalysts were prepared by a combination of mechanical alloying and leaching as an alternative in the synthesis of Raney-Nickel catalysts. Binary Al-Ni and ternary Al-Ni-Fe alloys with nominal compositions Al65Ni35, Al75Ni25, Al65Ni30Fe5, Al75Ni20Fe5 (in atomic percent), were processed from pure elemental powders; they consisted mainly of the intermetallic B2 AlNi phase. Aluminum was selectively removed from the alloys by means of a chemical treatment with hydroxide solutions, resulting in a highly porous solid. Higher Al contents in the alloys produced larger surface area values of the catalysts. Increasing Ni proportion in the final product resulted in higher catalytic activity, while the addition of Fe improved the stability of the catalysts. The Raney-Ni catalysts produced by mechanical alloying and leaching were highly active in the hydrogenation reaction of benzene.


Purpose: To determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) dose-limiting toxicity, and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of TKI258 (formerly CHIR-258). Experimental Design: A phase I dose escalating trial in patients with advanced solid tumors was performed. Treatment was initially as single daily doses on an intermittent 7-day on/7-day off schedule. Following a protocol amendment, a second schedule comprised, during cycle 1, 7-day on/7-day off treatment followed by 14 days of continuous daily dosing; subsequent cycles comprised 28 days of daily dosing. Pharmacokinetics and evaluation of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were done during the first 28 days of each schedule. Results: Thirty-five patients were treated in four intermittent (25-100 mg/d) and three continuous (100-175 mg/d) dosing cohorts. Observed drug-related toxicities were nausea and vomiting, fatigue, headache, anorexia, and diarrhea. Dose-limiting toxicities were grade 3 hypertension in one patient at 100 mg continuous dosing, grade 3 anorexia in a second patient at 175 mg, and grade 3 alkaline phosphatase elevation in a third patient at 175 mg. One patient had a partial response (melanoma) and two patients had stable disease >6 months. TKI258 pharmacokinetics were linear over the dose range of 25 to 175 mg. Five of 14 evaluable patients had modulation of phosphorylated ERK levels. Conclusions: The MTD was defined as 125 mg/d. Evidence of antitumor activity in melanoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumors warrants further investigation, and other phase I studies are ongoing. Further pharmacodynamic evaluation is required in these studies to evaluate the biological effects of TKI258.


Background: Noise produced during machining of wood materials can be a source of harm to workers and an environmental hazard. Understanding the factors that contribute to this noise will aid the development of mitigation strategies. In this study, an artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed to model the effects of wood species, cutting width, number of blades, and cutting depth on noise emission in the machining process. Methods: A custom application created with MATLAB codes was used for the development of the multilayer feed-forward ANN model. Model performance was evaluated by numerical indicators such as MAPE, RMSE, and R 2 . Results: The ANN model performed well with acceptable deviations. The MAPE, RMSE, and R 2 values were 0.553%, 0.600, and 0.9824, respectively, in the testing phase. Furthermore, this study predicted the intermediate values not provided from the experimental study. The model predicted that lower noise emissions would occur with decreased cutting width and cutting depth. Conclusions: ANNs are quite effective in predicting the noise emission. Practitioners relying on the ANN approach for investigating the effects of various factors on noise emission can save time and costs by reducing the number of experimental combinations studied to generate predictive models.


Analyses of ice cores have often been used as a means to reconstruct past environments. The species composition of the organism such as microorganism in the ice cores could reflect the environmental condition at that time. Thus, organisms in ice cores could be useful to reconstruct past environments. However, analysis of the biological contents of ice cores is still highly limited. The ice core samples collected on Gregoriev Glacier, Kyrgyz Tienshan were melted using a device that enabled us to obtain water only from the inner portion of the cores. Complete separation of the inner and outer cores is required to avoid contamination microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi that can adhere to the cores during drilling and storage. We report results of cyanobacterial species and their evolution by molecular DNA analysis collected from the ice core sample (about 8,000 and 12,500 years old). We also attempted to reconstruct the organisms and their interactions within the community and with the environment on the sampled sites. The results implied genomic information used as an environmental marker for past environmental studies.


Limay Chico stream: an example of fluvial capture in the upper basin of the Limay River (SE of Neuquen). A process of stream piracy caused by the active retrograde erosion of Limay Chico stream -a tributary of Limay river- is des- cribed. It is located in the southern part of headwaters of the Alicura drainage basin, tributary of Collon Cura river. It is sup- posed that the increment of the headward erosion is related to the postglacial climatic conditions and a coetaneous deepening of the Limay river channel, a process expressed by modern and lower erosion terraces. Moreover the retrograde erosion was enhanced by the special location of the Limay Chico valley along an important line of structural weakness, the Limay Chico fault. The fluvial capture and the consequent diversion of the Alicura basin upper part showed previous favorable conditions: 1) the topographic lower disposition of Limay Chico stream and their base level; 2) its steeper slope and the location of Limay Chico valley along a zone of structural and litologicalk weakness; 3) transverse arrangement of the Alicura rivers headwaters; 4) its gentle slope and location of their basin and base level at a topographic higher level. Several wind gaps were recognized and were interpreted two probable elbows of capture and barbed pattern. Also the increment of discharge of Limay Chico stream caused in their basin local phenomena of static rejuvenation. It is suppose a close genetic relation between the lands- lides observed along the steep fault scarp promoted by the Limay Chico Fault and the postglacial climatic change and the local erosional deepening of Limay Chico valley. The slumps characterized by the coalescence of their scars, generated the irregu- lar and ruged landscape of the western side of Limay Chico valley. On the eastern valley slope the slumps reach minor expres- sion. Longitudinal profils and slopes of the analized streams are included.


The overall industrial gas turbine efficiency is known to be influenced by the pressurerecovery in the exhaust system. The design and, subsequently, the performanceof an industrial gas turbine exhaust diffuser largely depend on its inflow conditionsdictated by the turbine last stage exit flow state and the restraints of the diffuserinternal geometry. Recent advances in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) toolsand the availability of computer hardware at an affordable cost made the virtual toola very attractive one for the analysis of fluid flow through devices like a diffuser. Inthis backdrop, CFD analyses of a typical industrial gas turbine hybrid exhaust diffuser,consisting of an annular diffuser followed by a conical portion, have been carriedout with the purpose of improving the performance of these thermal devices usingan open-source CFD code "OpenFOAM". The first phase in the research involvedthe validation of the CFD approach using OpenFOAM by comparing CFD resultsagainst published benchmark experimental data. The numerical results closely capturedthe flow reversal and the separated boundary layer at the shroud wall wherea steep velocity gradient has been observed. The standard k –e turbulence modelslightly over-predicted the mean velocity profile in the casing boundary layer whileslightly under-predicted it in the reversed flow region. A reliable prediction of flowcharacteristics in this region is very important as the presence of the annular diffuserinclined wall has the most dominant effect on the downstream flow development. The core flow region and the presence of the hub wall have only a minor influence as reported by earlier experimental studies. Additional simulations were carried out in thesecond phase to test the veracity of other turbulence models; these include RNG k–e,the SST k–ω, and the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence models. It was found that a highresolution case with 47.5 million cells using the SST k–ω turbulence model produceda mean flow velocity profile at the middle of the annular diffuser portion that had thebest overall match with the experiment. The RNG k –e, however, better predictedthe diffuser performance along the exhaust diffuser length by means of the pressurerecovery coefficient. These results were obtained using uniform inflow conditions andsteady-state simulations. As such, the last phase of our investigations involved varyingthe inflow parameters like the turbulence intensity, the inlet flow temperature, andthe flow angularity, which constitute important characteristics of the turbine bladewake, to investigate their impact on the diffuser design and performance. Theseisothermal CFD simulations revealed that by changing the flow temperature from 15to 427°C, the pressure recovery coefficient significantly increased. However, it hasbeen shown that the increase of temperature had no effects on the size of the reversedflow region and the thickness of the separated casing boundary layer, although theflow appears to be…


A computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system that employs a super learner to diagnose the presence or absence of a disease has been developed. Each clinical dataset is preprocessed and split into training set (60%) and testing set (40%). A wrapper approach that uses three bioinspired algorithms, namely, cat swarm optimization (CSO), krill herd (KH) ,and bacterial foraging optimization (BFO) with the classification accuracy of support vector machine (SVM) as the fitness function has been used for feature selection. The selected features of each bioinspired algorithm are stored in three separate databases. The features selected by each bioinspired algorithm are used to train three back propagation neural networks (BPNN) independently using the conjugate gradient algorithm (CGA). Classifier testing is performed by using the testing set on each trained classifier, and the diagnostic results obtained are used to evaluate the performance of each classifier. The classification results obtained for each instance of the testing set of the three classifiers and the class label associated with each instance of the testing set will be the candidate instances for training and testing the super learner. The training set comprises of 80% of the instances, and the testing set comprises of 20% of the instances. Experimentation has been carried out using seven clinical datasets from the University of California Irvine (UCI) machine learning repository. The super learner has achieved a classification accuracy of 96.83% for Wisconsin diagnostic breast cancer dataset (WDBC), 86.36% for Statlog heart disease dataset (SHD), 94.74% for hepatocellular carcinoma dataset (HCC), 90.48% for hepatitis dataset (HD), 81.82% for vertebral column dataset (VCD), 84% for Cleveland heart disease dataset (CHD), and 70% for Indian liver patient dataset (ILP).


The purpose of this paper is to identify, for given technology levels (TRL) and mission requirements, those parameters that are critical for preliminary sizing of a hypersonic airbreathing airliner. Mission requirements will dictate a solution space of possible vehicle architecture capable of meeting cruise conditions as well as of taking-off (TO) and landing. In practice, once defined a range of cruise vehicle architectures, constraints are imposed (as to all passenger airliners), such as: 1. take off (=TO) and landing distance (so-called field length, FL): FL no longer than for the B-747-400, or 10000 ft; 2. completing TO with one engine off; 3. max acceleration at TO and climb-out (CO) = 0.4 g; 4. Hydrogen fuel (Meeting NOx emission limits (EINOx) is a further constraint not discussed in this paper). These constraints enable focusing on a realistic design out of the broad range of vehicles capable of performing the given mission. Thus a realistic vehicle must not only integrate aerodynamics and propulsion system; in fact, it is the result of many iterations in the design space, until performance and constraints are successfully achieved and met. The Gross Weight at Take Off (TOGW) was deliberately discarded as a constraint, based on Previous studies by Czysz. Typically, limiting from the beginning the TOGW leads to a vicious spiral where weight and propulsion system requirements keep growing, eventually denying convergence. In designing passenger airliners, in fact, it is the payload that is assumed fixed from the start, not the total weight. A parametric analysis of the hypersonic vehicle architecture is presented: in particular, optimal size, weight and geometrical shape are defined for different mission requirements. This analysis has shown that, it is possible to define a range of possible successful solutions for the European LAPCAT II project.


Summary Experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that at least part of the immunogenicity of spontaneous mammary carcinomas and preneoplastic hyperplastic alveolar nodules resides in antigens possessed or induced by the mammary tumor virus (MTV). Outgrowths of 2 recently isolated C3H nodules grew well in the MTV-infected C3H animals, but developed not at all, or only to a very limited extent, in adult MTV-free C3Hf hosts. Experience with either nodular tissue afforded protection to many of the C3Hf animals against subsequent challenge with implants of a mammary carcinoma originating from 1 of the outgrowths. In contrast, C3H mice accrued no such protection from nodule immunization. Infection of C3Hf mice with MTV at birth by foster-nursing on a C3H mother rendered these animals (designated C3Hf/f.C3H) receptive to the growth of the nodular tissues. In addition, C3Hf/f.C3H hosts could not be immunized effectively against tumor challenge by exposure to the nodular outgrowths. The immunogenicity of C3H preneoplastic and neoplastic mammary tissues for C3Hf mice cannot be explained, therefore, on the basis of any residual heterozygosis of normal isoantigenic composition. Instead, the present findings support the hypothesis that antigens associated with the presence of the MTV play a prominent role in the immunogenicity of C3H mammary tumors and nodules.


The action of an inhibitor of proteolytic enzyme on fertilization of rabbit ova was examined. Epididymal rather than ejaculated spermatozoa were employed. Mature virgin does were used for capacitation and 75 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) was used to induce ovulation. 24 hours postinsemination ovum donors were sacrificed the oviducts were flushed and the ova were examined by phase-contrast microscopy. The capacitated spermatozoa suspension was incubated with soyabean trypsin inhibitor and then inseminated into 1 of the fallopian tubes. 75.4% of the eggs were recovered in the oviducts after an ovulatory dose of HCG. When insemination was fertilization of 71.3% was obtained. The proteolytic enzyme inhibitor (1 mg/25000 spermatozoa) reduced the fertilization rate to 14%.


A distributed data collection system developed for use in cost sensitive situations is described. The system design constraints included reliability, low cost, high flexibility, and real time performance. The resulting system which evolved is a distributed expert system. Each node of the distributed system supports its own inference engine, scheduler and rule base with context sensitive switching between partitions and fact bases. Each node can support an artificial neural network (ANN).<<ETX>>


The present work analyses the relationship between the sweetness liking and the age, gender, sweet taste sensitivity, hedonic response to low concentrations of the saccharose and the habit of sweetening in adults. 161 women and 114 men, aged 18-55, were the subject of this study. All individuals were healthy and non-smoking. In the study the volunteering subjects rated their individual sweetness liking by means of a scaling method with three categories: I like it very much, I like it moderately, I do not like it, and they quantified the amount of sugar they take with their tea or coffee. Also their date of birth, height and body mass were taken into consideration. The sweet taste sensitivity was marked with the use of the method correlating with PN-ISO 3972: 1998 norm, and the hedonic responses were analysed according to the three-point scale: pleasant, unpleasant, neutral. The findings suggest that the interrelation between the age and the sweetness liking in adults exists. No link between the gender, as well as hedonic response to low concentrations of saccharose and the degree of sweetness acceptance in adults was observed. The amount of sugar taken with tea or coffee was different in groups with different sweetness liking, however, the degree of the sweet taste sensitivity is not always a sufficient factor to determine the predicted sugar intake.


A key application of the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm lies within industrial contexts. Indeed, the emerging Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), commonly referred to as Industry 4.0, promises to revolutionize production and manufacturing through the use of large numbers of networked embedded sensing devices, and the combination of emerging computing technologies, such as Fog/Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence. The IIoT is characterized by an increased degree of inter-connectivity, which not only creates opportunities for the industries that adopt it, but also for cyber-criminals. Indeed, IoT security currently represents one of the major obstacles that prevent the widespread adoption of IIoT technology. Unsurprisingly, such concerns led to an exponential growth of published research over the last few years. To get an overview of the field, we deem it important to systematically survey the academic literature so far, and distill from it various security requirements as well as their popularity. This paper consists of two contributions: our primary contribution is a systematic review of the literature over the period 2011–2019 on IIoT Security, focusing in particular on the security requirements of the IIoT. Our secondary contribution is a reflection on how the relatively new paradigm of Fog computing can be leveraged to address these requirements, and thus improve the security of the IIoT.


There is an increasing demand from the petroleum industry for high accuracy subsea multiphase flowmeters to make the development of difficult to access deep water and ultra-deep water fields economically viable. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is a very powerful measuring principle, and is one of the few techniques considered to be capable of meeting the required high performance. The work presented in this thesis is a first step in the development of a non-invasive, in-line, full-bore, nuclear magnetic resonance based, multiphase flowmeter without phase separation. The continued development of the investigated system has led to the commercial KROHNE M-PHASE 5000 flowmeter, which is based on an improved prototype. To keep maintenance as low as possible, the flowmeter consists of a permanent polarizing magnet with two measuring probes, operating at 14.1 MHz, at different streamwise positions. Pipelines with an inner diameter of up to 10 cm fit through the bore of the flowmeter prototype. Two NMR measurement concepts have been developed, each with a different underlying velocity measuring principle, to determine the liquid flowrate in a gas-liquid flow: (i) the T1 Relaxation Residence Time (T1RRT) method utilizes the longitudinal relaxation principle to derive the velocity from the intensity of the NMR signal, which is a function of the residence time in the polarizing magnetic field; (ii) the Pulsed Gradient Spin Echo (PGSE) method exploits pulsed magnetic field gradients, to obtain the fluid velocity from the phase shift of a spin echo signal. Both flowmetering concepts resolve the fractions of the liquid components identically, from the multi-exponential course of the signal intensity associated with the different polarization lengths of the measuring probes. The measurement concepts have been tested for singlephase flow in 9.85 mm, 34 mm and 98.6 mm diameter pipes and for two-phase flow in a 98.6 mm diameter pipe.


Preliminary results on using artificial neural networks (ANNs) as a dispatcher's aid for power system dynamic security assessment are presented. Dynamic security assessment is explained, and a brief introduction to ANNs is given. The ANN-based dispatcher training simulator is then described, and results for a 39-bus test system are given. It is found that the ANN is able to properly estimate the postfault state and accurately predict the security status of the power system. In general, the ANN results are in close agreement with those obtained by simulation.<<ETX>>


Background Reduced lung function is common and associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, even in asymptomatic individuals without diagnosed respiratory disease. Previous studies have identified relationships between lung function and cardiovascular structure in individuals with pulmonary disease, but the relationships in those free from diagnosed cardiorespiratory disease have not been fully explored. Methods UK Biobank is a prospective cohort study of community participants in the United Kingdom. Individuals self-reported demographics and co-morbidities, and a subset underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and spirometry. CMR images were analysed to derive ventricular volumes and mass. The relationships between CMR-derived measures and spirometry and age were modelled with multivariable linear regression, taking account of the effects of possible confounders. Results Data were available for 4,975 individuals, and after exclusion of those with pre-existing cardiorespiratory disease and unacceptable spirometry, 1,406 were included in the analyses. In fully-adjusted multivariable linear models lower FEV1 and FVC were associated with smaller left ventricular end-diastolic (−5.21ml per standard deviation (SD) change in FEV1, −5.69ml per SD change in FVC), end-systolic (−2.34ml, −2.56ml) and stroke volumes (−2.85ml, −3.11ml); right ventricular end-diastolic (−5.62ml, −5.84ml), end-systolic (−2.47ml, −2.46ml) and stroke volumes (−3.13ml, −3.36ml); and with lower left ventricular mass (−2.29g, −2.46g). Changes of comparable magnitude and direction were observed per decade increase in age. Conclusions This study shows that reduced FEV1 and FVC are associated with smaller ventricular volumes and reduced ventricular mass. The changes seen per standard deviation change in FEV1 and FVC are comparable to one decade of ageing.


250 unsexed day old broiler (Cobb) chicks were used to evaluate effects of phytogenic spices on blood profile, intestinal morphometric and gut microflora status. The study consist of five treatments namely: T1-control T2-synthetic antioxidant, T3 –T5 (Syzygium aromaticum, Piper nigrum, Tetrapleura tetraptera at 1% inclusion and replicated five times in a completely randomized design. Obtained results showed a significant (P<0.005) effect of phytogenic spices on haematological parameters with an increase in the value (37%) of PCV in birds fed synthetic antioxidants while lowest value (31%) was recorded in T1.The broiler chickens on synthetic antioxidants had highest serum protein (15.37g/l) as against (9.17-9.50g/l) in birds (T3-T5). Uric acid, creatinine, globulin, cholesterol values are normal while creatinine values (1.7 – 2.5mg/dl) reflects better protein utilization as confirmed by decreased uric acid values (0.81-1.74mg/dl). The active ingredients in the phytogenic plants reduced the Clostridium, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Coliform, coliform counts in the ceacal contents while Lactobacillus and Bacillus population increased as recorded inT4. Increased villi height/crypt depth ratio (20µm) indicates improved intestinal health as well as increased digestive capacity of the small intestine in broilers fed T. tetraptera. The results trend showed that the present study is constituents dependent with optimal response with T. tetraptera meaning that these phytogenic antioxidants are able to replace the synthetic antioxidant under common feeding practice without any deleterious effect on intestine morphometric, blood profile and caecal microbial in broiler chickens.


: The author reports the results of 76 laparoscopies performed in 75 patients with clinically suspected acute surgical diseases (22), peritonitis (38), injuries to internal organs in a blunt abdominal trauma (16 patients). As a result of laparoscopic studies the precise clinical diagnosis was established in 39 patients, and the necessity of urgent therapy was supported, in 3 cases the operation was postponed. Acute surgical diseases were excluded in 33 of 75 examined subjects. There were no cases of pseudonegative diagnosis.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Hearing impairment from noise exposure has been reported in fix-wing pilots, especially in civilized countries. However, there are few studies on rotary wing aviators and aircraft mechanics, especially in developing countries whose hearing conservative program is not well established. The present study, therefore, was done to evaluate the prevalence of noise induced hearing loss and the contributing factors that may effect both groups of noise-exposed population.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
Report questionnaires were reviewed and physical examination combined with audiometric records of 34 pilots and 42 mechanics in the Royal Thai Army Aviation Center, Lobburi, were examined. Hearing loss was studied using four categories of significant threshold shift (STS). Amplitude of noise radiated by aircraft was also measured at different distances.

RESULTS
No significant difference was found in prevalence of hearing loss in aviators (32.4%) and aircraft mechanics (47.6%), but in the aircraft mechanics group there were more damage of frequency involvement including speech frequency and high frequency and more decibels loss than aviators. The type of hearing protection and smoking index were strongly correlated with hearing loss. Age, flight time and alcohol habit had no significant effect and ninety percent of the subjects had no self awareness of hearing loss.

CONCLUSION
Aircraft mechanics had more severity on hearing loss than aviators. Types of noise protector and cigarette smoking had significant association with hearing loss.


The subunconformity trap at Oklahoma City long has been known to have leaked a substantial first crop of oil when it was breached in Early Pennsylvanian time, although when discovered the buried Ordovician reservoirs again were nearly full of oil and gas. It can be shown now that the first crop was generated in deeper, already thermally mature parts of the pre-Pennsylvanian section and that the second crop later was generated in the "preservation window," defined as the shallower part of that section which was both preserved from erosion and still thermally immature when unconformably buried. A simple method is used to estimate the depths and ages at which significant crops of oil started to form.


SUMMARY Carcass contamination during processing is an expensive problem for poultry processors. Feed withdrawal (FW) is commonly used to reduce the amount of gut contents prior to slaughter, thereby reducing the probability of contamination. The present study used market aged mixedsex broilers to evaluate the effect of FW time on the incidence of fecal spillage and contamination of broiler carcasses at processing. In order to develop a more simple research protocol for FW, the effects of live haul and holding in stationary crates were compared. Broilers were subjected to 1 of 4 FW times (4, 8, 12, and 16 h) prior to slaughter at a commercial processing plant, in which the incidence of carcass contamination was recorded. Carcass yield and clearance of contents from 8 gut sections were determined. Moisture content of the pooled gut contents was assessed. Shrink increased from 2.1 to 3.3% of pre-FW BW after 4 and 16 h, respectively. Gut weights decreased significantly with every additional 4 h of FW. The incidence of processing plant inefficiencies decreased with increasing FW time. Gut moisture was not correlated with FW time, although moisture of the gut contents was reduced in birds subjected to live haul. Twelve hours of FW resulted in an optimal combination of gut clearance and carcass yield.


Low cost, easy processing and environment-friendly aqueous rechargeable zinc batteries have great potential for large-scale energy storage, which justifies they have been receiving extensive attention in recent years. An original concept based on the use of a binary Li+/Zn2+ aqueous electrolyte is described here in the case of Zn/V2O5 system. The Zn // Li2SO4 - ZnSO4 // V2O5 cell presents, in the narrow 1.6 - 0.8 V voltage range, interesting capacity values about 136-125 mAh g-1 at C/20-C/5 rates respectively. At 1C, a capacity of 80 mAh g-1 is outstandingly stable over more than 300 cycles with a capacity retention of 100 %. A detailed structural study by XRD and Raman spectroscopy allows unravelling the peculiar response of the V2O5 layered host lattice. Strong similarities with the well-known structural changes reported in non-aqueous lithiated electrolytes are highlighted, although the emergence of the usual distorted δ-LiV2O5 phase is not detected upon discharge to 0.8 V. The pristine host structure is restored and maintained along cycling with mitigated structural changes leading to the high capacity retention. The present electrochemical and structural findings reveal a reaction mechanism mainly based on Li+ intercalation, but co-intercalation of a few Zn2+ ions cannot be completely dismissed. The presence of zinc cations between the oxide layers is thought to relieve the structural stress induced in V2O5 under operation, resulting in a limited volume expansion of 4 %.


Institutions of higher education, and the system of which they are a part, face a host of unprecedented challenges from forces in society that affect and are influenced by these very institutions and their communities of learners and educators. Among these forces are sweeping demographic changes, shrinking state budgets, revolutionary advances in information and telecommunication technologies, globalization, competition from new educational providers, market pressures to shape educational and scholarly practices toward profit-driven ends, and increasing demands and pressures for fundamental changes in public policy and public accountability relative to higher education's role in addressing pressing issues of communities and the society at large. Anyone of these challenges would be significant on their own, but collectively they increase the complexity and difficulty for higher education to sustain or advance the fundamental work of serving the public good.


This paper use income tax return data from 1960 to 2000 to analyze the link between reported incomes and marginal tax rates. Only the top 1% incomes show evidence of behavioral responses to taxation. The data displays striking heterogeneity in the size of responses to tax changes overtime, with no response either short-term or long-term for the very large Kennedy top rate cuts in the early1960s, and striking evidence of responses, at least in the short-term, to the tax changes since the 1980s. The 1980s tax cuts generated a surge in business income reported by high income individual taxpayers due to a shift away from the corporate sector, and the disappearance of business losses for tax avoidance. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 and the recent 1993 tax increase generated large short-term responses of wages and salaries reported by top income earners, most likely due to re-timing in compensation to take advantage of the tax changes. However, it is unlikely that the extraordinary trend upward of the shares of total wages accruing to top wage income earners, which started in the 1970s and accelerated in the 1980s and especially the late 1990s, can be explained solely by the evolution of marginal tax rates.


Knowledge is crucial for structural design, yet existing methodologies for managing it are
neither comprehensive nor do they adequately address the requirements of structural
engineers. This knowledge exists in different forms and repositories therefore requiring
special consideration as to how it should be managed. Poor management of structural
design knowledge can result in many problems such as increased design time, reduced
quality and decreased scope for innovation. Knowledge Management (KM) remains
largely unexplored within the context of structural design although it is a valuable
concept. The research in this thesis was aimed at developing a structured approach to
managing structural design knowledge.
The research methodology adopted consisted of various methods. Literature on structural
design and KM was first reviewed. Case studies involving thirteen organisations were
then undertaken to investigate the potential of KM for managing structural design
knowledge and to develop a conceptual framework and methodologies for formulating
KM strategies and evaluating the impact of KM initiatives. Rapid prototyping (based on
MS Visual Basic) was used to encapsulate the methodologies into prototype systems,
which were evaluated by industry practitioners. The evaluation established that the
systems do proffer many benefits to the construction industry and facilitate the
development of a KM strategy for managing the very specialised knowledge of structural
design.
It is concluded that the process of structural design suffers from several problems where
managing the tacit and explicit knowledge involved in the process did not receive
adequate attention. The research also concludes that KM has the potential to improve the
structural design process and that the framework developed and its associated prototypes
help to clarify a KM problem, identify goals for implementing KM, develop a KM
strategy and evaluate the strategy. The prototypes also support KM at both the strategic
and tactical levels, unlike other existing IT tools, which support KM primarily at the
operational level. Recommendations for future research include further improvement to
the prototypes, additional evaluation using a wider range of real cases and integrating the
two prototypes into one system.


Honey-based wound dressings have been used worldwide since ancient times. A honey product received US Federal Drug Administration approval in 2007, making this dressing an option for wound care. Honey has been found to exert anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects without antibiotic resistance, promote moist wound healing, and facilitate debridement. However, it may cause a stinging pain. As is true of any wound dressing, its use must be carefully selected and monitored. Continued research is needed to add to its evidence base. This article provides a summary of the current evidence base for the use of honey and a review of its therapeutic effects and discusses implications for WOC nursing practice.


Radial stiffness of angular contact ball bearings are decreased remarkably at high speed revolution, because the inner and outer ball contact angle with races arc changed under the ball centrifugal forces at high speed. In the past, the optimizations of spindle units were done under the assumption of unchanged bearing stiffness for the whole speed range. But the bearing stiffness is changed and the dimension of optimum spindle is also changed with speed. In the design phase, only one model of many optimum spindle models with speed should be selected. As optimization criterion, the area of transfer function at spindle nose is proposed to estimate simply and accurately improvement of dynamic characteristics in spindle units. Finally, according to many analyses of diverse spindle models with decreased bearing stiffness, the spindle with shorter bearing span is better than longer bearing span from the viewpoint of dynamic characteristics.


OBJECTIVE
To improve the surgical outcome of pituitary adenomas by identifying and preserving the pituitary stalk and the gland during surgery.

METHODS
From October 2010 to September 2012, the author from the Department of Neurosurgery of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University operated on 51 patients with pituitary adenoma. During the operations, we carefully identified the normal adenohypophysis, pituitary stalk, neurohypophysis and the abnormal tissues either by direct observation or by medical images, aiming to excise the tumor thoroughly, protect the pituitary function and reduce the postoperative complications.

RESULTS
Totally 37 patients (72.5%, 37/51) had total resection of the tumor, 12 (23.5%, 12/51) had subtotal tumor resection and the other 2 had major removal. The gland and the pituitary stalk were well identified and reserved. Detection of hormone content proved that the operation had little effect on the free triiodothyronine (FT3) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), while for free tetraiodothyronine (FT4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and postoperative followup significant alleviation was found. There was no significant fluctuation for the testosterone in the men preoperatively and postoperatively (all the above results were obtained without hormone replacement therapy). The main postoperative complications were as follows: temporary diabetes insipidus in 5 patients (9.8%, 5/51); electrolyte disorder (the appearance of hyponatremia) in 17 (33.3%, 17/51); and cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea and postoperative intracranial infection in 1 (2%, 1/51). No one died during the perioperation period.

CONCLUSION
Microscopic transsphenoidal surgery is effective for pituitary adenomas including tumors violating the cavernous sinus. Accurate identification of the pituitary stalk, the gland and the abnormal tissue during the microscopic transsphenoidal operation plays a critical role in preserving the pituitary function and promoting postoperative rehabilitation.


When a human needs to generate a large force, the human will try to apply an impulsive force cooperating whole body. This paper proposes a way to generate impact motions for humanoid robots to exert a large force keeping a balance. In the proposed method, the Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) is used to solve a nonlinear programming problem in which an objective function and constraints may be nonlinear functions of the motion parameters. Impact motions are generated using SQP so that the impact force is maximized while the angular momentum is minimized to keep stability. Breaking wooden boards by Karate-chop is taken as a case study because it is a typical example of tasks that utilize impulsive force. A humanoid robot motion for the Karate-chop is generated by the proposed method. In order to validate the designed motion, experiments are carried out using a small humanoid robot Fujitsu HOAP-2. The Karate-chop motion generated by the proposed method is compared with the motion designed by a human. The results of the breaking wooden boards experiments clearly show the effectiveness of the proposed method.


By combining the metal bonding/debonding and laser lift off techniques, a new approach to fabricating flexible vertical structure GaN-based light emitting diodes (F-LEDs) has been developed. The performance of these F-LEDs under different bending radii was investigated in detail.


In their article "Electronic Literature and the Effects of Cyberspace on the Body" Maya Zalbidea and Xiana Sotelo discuss how new technologies are facilitating the emancipation of subjugated subjects aimed at transforming unequal social relations through an intersectional and performative approach. This perspective is discussed through the exploration of the so-called intersectional approach described by Berger and Guidroz, Haraway's situated knowledges, and Butler's performative agency based on transgressions. Framed within the posthuman, post-biological deconstruction of social and cultural hierarchies, Zalbidea and Sotelo argue for the value of a conjuncture between postcolonial post-modern/post-structuralist literature and the field of feminist cultural studies. Based on previous theories of gender and bodies in cyberspace, Zalbidea and Sotelo develop ideas about bodies, gender, and anxieties, and how these theories may be illustrated metaphorically in electronic literature and new media art works. Maya Zalbidea and Xiana Sotelo, "Electronic Literature and the Effects of Cyberspace on the Body" page 2 of 10 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 16.5 (2014): <http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/clcweb/vol16/iss5/12> Thematic Issue New Work on Electronic Literature and Cyberculture. Ed. Maya Zalbidea, Mark C. Marino, and Asunción López-Varela Maya ZALBIDEA and Xiana SOTELO Electronic Literature and the Effects of Cyberspace on the Body After years of doing research on third-wave feminist theories, cyberfeminism, and women authors of electronic literature, we have realized that we need to create innovative theories of body and gender from a present day perspective. We think that it is time to move forward with awareness of the psychosomatic effects of cyberspace in our lives, accept new changes in our reading and writing habits, and explore how our body is adapting to new technologies in the same way as it adapted to modern inventions. We have interited a fear of machines from the Industrial Revolution, because they can replace human labor. The same idea is connected to panic around images of cyborgs and robots: we fear an artificial body replacing a natural one. Despite these fears, the twenty-first century human is surrounded by machines. Computers, cell phones, cars, washing-machines are all essential for life and work. Human beings make machines, and then these machines substitute human's work: "in cyberspace and electronic literature the reader and writer become posthuman. Machines become writers and writers can become machines" (Zalbidea 244) and in computer generated writing even the human writer disappears: the machine creates writing without human action. Before developing theories on how bodies are affected by the use of the new technologies such as websites, online communication, cell phones, and various social networks of communication and image production and consumption and how these effects are reflected on electronic literature in the context of gender, it is necessary to discuss previous theories of embodiment in cyberspace. The deconstruction of identity has become proxy of transgression if we understand transgression as the capacity to deconstruct and alter traditional gender roles. This empowerment stems from an intersectional and performative gender agency in new virtual and digital scenarios. That is, how historically subjugated subjects thanks to new media technologies have turned into emancipated cyberbodies (on this see, e.g., Sotelo; Staunae). Over the last four decades the discourse (scholarly and public) over the problematization of social and cultural categories of identity has triggered the jumbling of the boundaries and the collapse of fixed categories of meaning. Our purpose is to show how feminist insights have evolved to accommodate the challenges of engendered bodies in cyberspace and to highlight how the rise of virtual possibilities of self-identification not only indicates a shift in the organization of social relations, but potentially becomes a new source of empowerment and agency. Moving away from a conception of cyberspace initially described as "consensual imagination" in the cyberpunk fiction of William Gibson, a new epistemology of networked complexity began to emerge in different disciplines theorized by scholars such as Donna Haraway, Katherine N. Hayles and George P. Landow (on this, see, e.g., López-Varela 7). Postmodern feminists combined criticism of an androcentric subject of modernity with an emphasis on partial, fragmented identities mediated by highly technological and virtual scenarios (see Zalbidea). Haraway opened debates on primatology, biology, and technology with regard to human-machine relations and her cyborg represents the postmodern utopia of a world without gender or genesis (see "A Manifesto"). From Haraway's point of view, the cyborg is unchained: it is released from god's demands or parents' weaknesses. Cyborgs are influenced by militarism, patriarchy, and socialism, but they are above the traditional Western polarity of public and private properties. They tend to present a politically united front without innocence. Society is reconstructed, mutating its economic, cultural, political, and family environments ignoring the given heritage from patriarchal capitalism. For Haraway, a cyborg has a changing identity and feminists should create coalitions based on affinity rather than on identity. Haraway supported Chela Sandoval's theory of oppositional consciousness arguing that feminists had suffered breakdowns because of insisting on the idea of unity rather than on multiplicity (see Sandoval 199). This new digital context is defined by Haraway as a tool for analyzing reality and the complex interactions between the body and technology. Hence, the figure of the cyborg emerges from such interactions to call into question the binarisms that have structured Western thought, such as body vs. mind or human vs. machine. Haraway argues that in the age of globalization and under the impact of technology, cyborg bodies are marked by a set of mediations that somehow bridge the increasing overlap between human and Maya Zalbidea and Xiana Sotelo, "Electronic Literature and the Effects of Cyberspace on the Body" page 3 of 10 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 16.5 (2014): <http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/clcweb/vol16/iss5/12> Thematic Issue New Work on Electronic Literature and Cyberculture. Ed. Maya Zalbidea, Mark C. Marino, and Asunción López-Varela technical dimensions. In our digital era (in the West, that is), there is therefore no unmediated relationship to experience. In this sense, Haraway follows Michel Foucault and his approach to the discursive construction of bodies within social systems and it could be said that Haraway redesigned Foucault bio-politics for the technological era. By the midand late 1990s, Foucault's analysis, framed for post-industrial societies, had become obsolete. A cyborg gender identity implies the affirmation of provisional positions, rather than those which are essentialist and unitary: cyborg gender identity is not determined by dichotomies and rigid binaries. Fuelled by complexity, but also by particular meanings, new postmodern bodies become the embodiment of a situated knowledge in which "identities seem contradictory, partial and strategic" (Haraway, Simians, 155). On the one side cyborg gender identity recognizes the "politics of location" (see Rich) as the specific and always partial positioning on the self. Moreover, it celebrates the interlocking and contradictory nature of gendered identity. Additionally, the cyborg recognizes a subject able to negotiate "strategic alliances" (Hill-Collins 226) on the basis of concrete interactions and the dissolution between the physical body and identity therefore provides an opportunity for the conventions underlying the construction of gender and other social categories to be subverted. In her reading of Haraway's work, Rosi Braidotti asserts that cyborg theory emphasizes that multiplicity does not necessarily lead to relativism, since it enables Haraway to think with enough flexibility to belong to multiple positions while at the same time while seeking to articulate specific meaning from particular locations. The dualist relationship between body and machine is not only "a gesture of separation and of hierarchical coding" (Braidotti 108), but a celebration of intersectional relationship. Braidotti notes that "Haraway argues for a multifaceted foundational theory, for an anti-relativistic acceptance of differences, so as to seek for connections and articulations in a non-gender centered and non-ethnocentric perspective" (210). And Sadie Plant has defended the importance of women's historical contributions to the technological revolution and uses the figure of Ada Lovelace to vindicate the importance of women's contributions to new technologies. Further, Sandy Stone analyzes models of gender in cyberspace, according to her every user in cyberspace can change gender constantly, what she calls "computer dressing," on the net there is no physical body, only gendered communication (Stone 506). For Stone, individuals lose their flesh in cyberspace, the Platonic idea of the soul's jail would disappear in virtual life, but all the same, gender differences remain. Stone senses that the concept of body is old and Cartesian and therefore women and minorities are not interested in the disappearance of the body. On the contrary, feminists are interested in their visibility in public spaces. Hayles sees humans as a distributed cognitive system, wherein part of the intelligence lies in the human brain, part in intelligent machines, and part in the interface between them (How We Became 7). The fluidity of power mechanisms which operate in cyberbodies became especially attractive to a poststructuralist-oriented gender theory as its practitioners claimed that a subject is never in a pure sta


This paper presents the analysis, design, and closed-loop motion control of a mobile microrobotic platform capable of micrometer positioning on a plane. The mobile microrobot, including chassis, actuators, drives, microprocessor, and electronics, is of low cost (less than $20), can be fabricated rapidly and is made of commercially available components. Its motion is induced by centrifugal forces generated by two vibration motors installed inside the platform body. The asynchronous operation of the vibration motors is shown by simulation to result in planar motions of two degrees-of-freedom locally, with micrometer resolution. A motion controller has been designed to generate controlled motions using sets of motor angular velocities. A prototype has been developed and used to validate the motion principle and the controller efficacy. Open loop experiments show that the platform motion resolution is approximately 20 μm, while its speed is greater than 2 mm/s. Closed-loop experiments demonstrate a 5 μm resolution, i.e., a fourfold improvement compared to the open loop experiments. The low cost, the rapid fabrication, and the micrometer motion resolution suggest that this microrobotic platform is a promising solution for low-cost microfactories, where a group of such robots performs high throughput, advanced microassembly of microsystems.


While railway vehicles are moving, a sudden change of superstructure stiffness in crossings at the starting and ending points of tunnels or bridges leads to undesired vibrations both on the track structure and in the vehicle. In this paper, simulations are performed by using a one-dimensional train-track coupled dynamic model under the condition of a light rail vehicle passed through a slab superstructure line with different stiffness values as a transition zone of the railway. The actual conditions used in Istanbul transportation are taken into account in the modelling of the track and the light metro vehicle. The model of the track consists of an Euler-Bernoulli beam resting on discrete supported rail pads, which are connected as a viscoelastic foundation to a rigid ground. The vertical vibrations are analyzed by a model in which track and 16 DOF semi-vehicle models are combined, including a dynamic wheel-rail contact. Two different controllers are designed in parallel with secondary suspensions in order to suppress vertical vibrations of the light rail vehicle resulting from the change in the dynamic conditions of the superstructure and the rail irregularity in the transition zone to increase the comfort of the passengers. For many simulation scenarios, including unloaded and fully loaded vehicle conditions at the average and maximum operational speeds, with and without track irregularities, the superiority of the fuzzy logic controller over the commonly used PID controller is shown in the time and frequency domain.


Maximal supersymmetry is made manifest through the introduction of the pure spinor formalism. In many ways, this formalism represents a powerful tool in examinations of characteristics of different theories in high energy physics, though it is far from extensively exploited.

In this thesis, we review the ideas behind the manifestly, maximally supersymmetric formulations of supersymmetric Yang--Mills theory and supergravity, as well as the concept of pure spinors. We then proceed to the two research areas of Born--Infeld theory in the context of D-branes and loop amplitude descriptions of supersymmetric Yang--Mills theory and supergravity. Both are examples of theories in which interesting applications for the pure spinor formulations can be found. For example, the question of finiteness of the amplitude description in perturbative maximal supergravity in four dimensions is not yet quite settled. The theory is not believed to be finite, but an actual divergence still remains to be found.
 In addition, we briefly review the concept of U-duality and its description in terms of generalised, exceptional geometry. Apart from being an interesting research area on its own, e.g. with respect to its tensor formalism, it also connects to restrictions of loop amplitude descriptions of maximal supergravity and ongoing research.


The objective of present study was to develop and validate an analytical method for quantitative determination and dissolution studies of glimepiride in tablets. The glimepiride shows absorption maxima at 225 nm and obeyed Beer's law in the range of 6.0 – 14.0 µg/mL. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation were 0.06, and 0.17 µg/mL respectively. Percentage recovery of glimepiride for the proposed method ranged from 99.32 to 100.98% indicating no interference of the tablet excipients. It was concluded that the proposed method is simple, easy to apply, economical and used as an alternative to the existing spectrophotometric and non-spectrophotometric methods for the routine analysis of glimepiride in pharmaceutical formulations and in vitro dissolution studies.


Metformin is one of the most commonly prescribed Type II Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) drugs and has been shown in diabetic long-term users to reduce the likelihood of breast cancer by 56%. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK accounting for 55,000 new cases per year. It has been estimated that as much as 27% of cases could be prevented based on current knowledge. This study aims to investigate the novel hypothesis that metformin acts as a preventative agent by altering epigenetic patterns in non-cancerous breast epithelial cells and the T2DM environment, namely hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycaemia, potentially modulates this. Crystal Violet cell viability assay and Western Blot for p-AMPK, a known target for metformin, were performed to assess the response of two non-cancerous breast epithelial cells lines, MCF10A and MCF12A, to metformin in a range of insulin and glucose concentrations. Western blot was performed to assess changes in histone post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as H2K27ac and H3K27me3, following 3-days treatment with metformin at 2.5mM and 5mM. Additionally, we conducted an Illumina MethylationEPIC Array on MCF10A and MCF12A cell lines treated for 3-days with 2.5mM and 5mM metformin. Pyrosequencing assay was used to further validate interesting CpG sites. Our findings suggest non-cancerous breast epithelial cells, MCF10A and MCF12A cell lines, are sensitive to metformin following 3 and 7-days treatment. Further to this, our data suggests the T2DM environment impacts the effectiveness of metformin where low glucose and high insulin significantly increase metformin effectiveness in MCF10A and MCF12 cell lines following 3-day treatment, respectively. Metformin treatment leads to the activation of p-AMPK in normal breast epithelial cells. Analysis of Illumina MethylationEPIC array suggests metformin in hyperglycaemic and hyperinsulinemic conditions induces differential DNA methylation changes in MCF10A and MCF12A non-cancerous breast epithelial cell lines and the effects are dose dependent. Of the 850,000 probes, 13 CpG sites in MCF10A and 5 CpG sites in MCF12A showed significant changes in methylation following metformin treatment (p In summary, this study has shown a potential mechanism of metformin action through altering of epigenetic patterns in non-cancerous breast epithelial cells. Future work aims to further explore epigenetic changes induced by metformin in the context of the T2DM environment and whether these changes could potentially predict reduced breast cancer risk. Citation Format: Caitriona Tyndall, Charlene Lam, Marc Gunter, James Flanagan. Metformin9s potential as a breast cancer preventative agent by altering epigenetic patterns [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1254.