The Auxiliary Resonant Commutated Pole (ARCP) inverter has been of interest in motor drive applications that can benefit from any combination of increased conversion efficiency, reduced EMI radiation, or higher PWM switching frequency. The ARCP inverter achieves high efficiency by turning the main switches on or off only under zero-voltage conditions. This reduces switching losses in the main circuit, and potentially increases overall conversion efficiency. Furthermore, the reduced loss in the main switch offers opportunity for higher switching frequencies, which is of benefit for ironless low-inductance motors that are widely being used in small to medium power vehicle propulsion applications. The soft-switching ARCP generates an output with significantly reduced dv/dt and di/dt as compared to hard-switched inverters, which tends to reduce EMI emissions. All of these attributes of the soft-switching ARCP are potentially beneficial in electric propulsion or electric vehicle auxiliary applications. In the ARCP inverter, the control signal timing for main and auxiliary switches is critical to maintain the most favorable operating conditions. Many ARCP implementations utilize a variable timing control, where load current polarity and magnitude are used to determine the control signal timing - usually without additional sensors. In this paper, the timing of main and auxiliary switching is examined for low dc bus voltage operation. A variable timing methodology for ARCP switching will be developed specifically to address issues associated with low-voltage ARCP operation. The operation principles are described, and simulation and experimental results are included to demonstrate the approach.


One of Thomas Kuhn's most important contributions to the epistemology of science has been overlooked and underanalyzed. Specifically, Kuhn was one of the first to approach the philosophy of science by examining the dynamics of scientific communities. I will show how this approach is vital to the epistemology of science by showing how two dynamics that Kuhn discusses, shared tacit knowledge and professional hierarchies, directly bear on Popper's epistemic thesis that the possibility of criticism is the crucial feature of science. Without this methodological shift, the potential social hindrances to science being a critical enterprise remain beyond the scope of our philosophies.


Recent work on the sizes of craters produced by ion impacts of solids has shown that the size of the crater scales with the inverse square of the cohesive energy. This observation is in contrast to the size of craters produced in macroscopic impacts, which scale directly with the inverse of the cohesive energy. It has relied on the assumption that the melting temperature is proportional to the cohesive energy. Using computer simulations, we now show that the size scales in fact with the inverse of the product of the melting temperature and cohesive energy. This provides direct proof that the reason to the different behavior of macroscopic and ion-induced cratering is flow of the liquid produced by the ions.


Preparation for nation-building requires that responsible political leaders consult both with regional and functional experts, those who know why the society in question descended into conflict and those who know from experience elsewhere how to put such societies back together. Goals must be established which transcend the most immediate and normally negative purposes of the inter vention, e.g. halting conflict, stopping genocide or turning back aggression. These positive goals must be commensurate with the scale of military manpower and economic assistance likely to be committed. The larger the social transformation envisaged, the greater the resistance likely to be encountered. The most common cause for the failure of nation-building endeavours is a mismatch between objectives and commitments.


This paper presents a performance comparison of impulse radio ultra wideband (IR-UWB) and multi-band orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MB-OFDM) for multi-user wireless communication systems. Focusing on the analysis of system performance affected by multi-user interference (MUI) over general additive white Gaussion noise (AWGN) channel, we run a complete system simulation for direct sequence pulse amplitude modulation (DS-PAM), time hopping pulse position modulation(TH-PPM) and MB-OFDM UWB systems. Simulation results show that DS-PAM performs much better than TH-PPM and multi carrier OFDM (MC-OFDM).


Low-temperature measurements of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy K in (Fe1–xCox)2B alloys are reported, and the origin of this anisotropy is elucidated using a first-principles electronic structure analysis. The calculated concentration dependence K(x) with a maximum near x = 0.3 and a minimum near x = 0.8 is in excellent agreement with experiment. This dependence is traced down to spin-orbital selection rules and the filling of electronic bands with increasing electronic concentration. At the optimal Co concentration, K depends strongly on the tetragonality and doubles under a modest 3% increase of the c/a ratio, suggesting that the magnetocrystalline anisotropy can be further enhanced using epitaxial or chemical strain.


Deep learning models, especially recurrent neural networks (RNNs), have been successfully applied to automatic modulation classification (AMC) problems recently. However, deep neural networks are usually overparameterized, i.e., most of the connections between neurons are redundant. The large model size hinders the deployment of deep neural networks in applications such as Internet-of-Things (IoT) networks. Therefore, reducing parameters without compromising the network performance via sparse learning is often desirable since it can alleviates the computational and storage burdens of deep learning models. In this paper, we propose a sparse learning algorithm that can directly train a sparsely connected neural network based on the statistics of weight magnitude and gradient momentum. We first used the MNIST and CIFAR10 datasets to demonstrate the effectiveness of this method. Subsequently, we applied it to RNNs with different pruning strategies on recurrent and non-recurrent connections for AMC problems. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed method can effectively reduce the parameters of the neural networks while maintaining model performance. Moreover, we show that appropriate sparsity can further improve network generalization ability.


Our study aims to assess the influences of the alpha, zeta and
epsilon torsional angles, as well as the OPO bond angle on the
31P isotropic chemical shielding (CSI) and the chemical
shielding anisotropy (CSA) in the suga-phosphate backbone of
B-DNA. For this purpose, a model compound comprising two sugars
connected by a phosphate group has been used. During the
geometry optimizations of the model, only the torsional angle
studied has been varied within its experimental range while all
other backbone torsions have been constrained to average
experimental values. Our results reveal that when either alpha
or zeta goes up from 270 degs to 330 degs (the former) or from
240 to 300 degs (the latter), an increase in CSI as well as CSA
is introduced. In the case of CSI the increase is as small as a
few ppm for both torsional angles. By contrast, in the case of
CSA it is as large as 30 ppm for alpha and 10 ppm for zeta. The
larger ranges of CSI/CSA as a function of alpha (compared with
zeta) suggest higher sensitivity of the 31P chemical shielding
to the alpha torsional angle. The plots of CSI/CSA against
alpha (zeta) obtained for various values of zeta=240-300 degs
(alpha=270-330 degs) show that the trends of CSI/CSA are
conserved and shifted to higher values when zeta (alpha)
increases from 240 degs to 300 degs (from 270 to 330 degs).
Interestingly, the extent into which the epsilon torsional
angle influences CSI is of the same order as that we found for
alpha and zeta. On the contrary, CSA remains almost unaffected
by epsilon. Last but not least, the trend uncovered in the
dependence of CSI on alpha correlates with changes in the OPO
bond angle which in turn correlates with the alpha torsional
angle.


With the development of electronic commerce, there is a special phenomenon in rural areas of China that a lot of farmers in these areas depend on opening shops on Taobao online for a living. The products are made from the village workshop, and farmers become fully- fledged network businessmen. Electronic business platform mode of "Taobao Village" is the result of integrated development of primary, secondary and tertiary industries. In this study, we take two kinds of typical Taobao villages (Dongfeng Village and Yanxia Village) as sample areas, and conduct comparative analysis of this new rural business model based on field survey data, case studies and theoretical research. We also probe into the problems in the development of Taobao villages, and set forth the recommendations for the new rural business model.


In 1943 Sugar and Nadell1reviewed the literature concerning mental changes associated with multiple sclerosis. Their survey disclosed considerable disagreement regarding the question of intellectual loss. They said: Charcot and Dupre referred to progressive dementia characterized by defects of memory, hallucinations, markedly expansive moods.... Hunt and Kraeplin were of the opinion that this disease was accompanied by slight mental changes, and that in a large number of cases those psychical alterations were merely transitory. To our knowledge, estimates of intellectual impairment as a consequence of the disease, based upon clinical impressions, have varied from 2% (Cottrell and Wilson2) to 72% (Ombredane3). Although the procedure used by Ombredane did not provide a quantitative basis for group comparisons, he carefully studied 50 patients with multiple sclerosis and concluded that 36, or 72%, had very clear intellectual losses. He believed that the main loss was represented by difficulty in initiating


Objectives: This overview reviews the impact of second-generation antipsychotics on less frequently researched outcomes such as medication-adherence behaviour, quality of life, and subjective tolerability in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: We selectively reviewed recent literature and considered our own research and experiences in the field. Results: Most published studies about second-generation antipsychotics have dealt with issues related to efficacy and safety. So far, not many studies have focused on effectiveness in terms of such important outcomes as medication-adherence behaviour, quality of life, subjective tolerability, and overall satisfaction with treatment. Although most studies are inconclusive and their results are inconsistent—which has to do with several design and methodological limitations—there seems, on balance, to be a trend indicating superiority of second-generation, compared with first-generation, antipsychotics in improving medication-adherence behaviour and quality of life. The trend toward more favourable subjective tolerability and less frequent neuroleptic dysphoria seems to be relatively stronger. Conclusions: At present, the state of the art can only indicate a more favourable trend for second-generation antipsychotics in regard to improving medication adherence behaviour, quality of life, and subjective tolerability. It is surprising that such important outcomes, which are likely the defining factors in the superiority of second-generation antipsychotics, have not received adequate research attention. Well-designed, controlled, and adequately powered studies are urgently needed before any firm conclusions can be reached.


Correspondence Lakesh Sharma, Cooperative Extension, Univ. of Florida, Soil and Water Science, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Abstract Crop yield prediction is a critical measurement, especially in the time when parts of the world are suffering from farming issues. Yield forecasting gives an alert regarding economic trading, food production monitoring, and global food security. This research was conducted to investigate whether active optical sensors could be utilized for potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) yield prediction at the mid.le of the growing season. Three potato cultivars (Russet Burbank, Superior, and Shepody) were planted and six rates of N (0, 56, 112, 168, 224, and 280 kg ha−1), ammonium sulfate, which was replaced by ammonium nitrate in the 2nd year, were applied on 11 sites in a randomized complete block design, with four replications. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and chlorophyll index (CI) measurements were obtained weekly from the active optical sensors, GreenSeeker (GS) and Crop Circle (CC). The 168 kg N ha−1 produced the maximum potato yield. Indices measurements obtained at the 16th and 20th leaf growth stages were significantly correlated with tuber yield. Multiple regression analysis (potato yield as a dependent variable and vegetation indices, NDVI and CI, as independent variables) could make a remarkable improvement to the accuracy of the prediction model and increase the determination coefficient. The exponential and linear models showed a better fit of the data. Soil organic matter content increased the yield significantly but did not affect the prediction models. The 18th and 20th leaf growth stages are the best time to use the sensors for yield prediction.


Piezoelectric transformers (PTs) have lately been looked upon as an attractive solution to reduce size and weight in AC/DC converters. This paper presents a topology that includes such a device while minimizing the number of additional components required for an adequate performance. An 8 Watt AC/DC adapter (110 V/sub AC/, 12 V/sub DC/) operating at frequencies around 500 kHz is obtained using this topology.


Exact numerical solution of a time-space (one dimensional) three-level lasing system (homogeneously broadened) is used to study the relevance of steady-state models to such a system. This study revealed: 1) the existence of two disconnected (quasi) steady-state regions-the small-signal gain region (slow pumping rate) and the high saturation region (large pumping rate), and 2) the spatially averaged equations for the high saturation region have a form similar to those usually employed in the small-signal gain region, except that a constant which in the latter case is unity becomes smaller than 1 in the high saturation region.


Prior to fire suppression and exclusion, wildfires and other disturbances (e.g., insects, disease, and weather) sustained ecosystem processes in many landscapes of the Western United States. However, wildfires have been increasing in size, frequency, and intensity in recent years (Kellogg and others 2008). Recognizing the value of wildfire, scientists and land managers now promote allowing non- human-caused fires to burn in these landscapes, hoping fire can recreate the historical distribution and mosaic of presettlement, burned forests.


It was studied an influence of heart peptide complex on myocardial metabolism of intact animals, animals with immune deficiency of heart peptides and acute immobilizing stress. There was no significant changes of biochemical, fibrinolitic and thromboplastine properties of heart tissues by 0.1 and 1.0 mg/kg administration of peptide complex to animals. Treatment with peptide complex leads to a restoration of these properties by immune deficiency. Moreover, peptide complex has stress protective effect by acute immobilization.


China has witnessed a rapid growth of livestock breeding industry. Pollution from livestock breeding industry has also increased unprecedentedly and become a big issue of environmental quality. China has attached great effort to address the issue associated with intensive livestock breeding. In 2009, China and New Zealand started a cooperation project on pollution prevention and waste emission reduction in dairy industry. It is meaningful to borrow experience from well-developed countries to facilitate emission reduction of livestock breeding industry in China. This study presents a comparison of pollution prevention management and practice for livestock breeding in China and New Zealand. Framework on pollution control and water environmental management in the New Zealand dairy industry is carefully discussed, including the government's role in environmental management, dairy farming water environmental management, economic instruments, farmers' involvement in decision making, and land application of farm dairy effluent and nutrient budget. Key lessons that China can learn from the practice of pollution prevention and water environmental management in the New Zealand dairy industry are identified and its policy implementation is also discussed.


ABSTRACT Despite its undoubted importance to policy makers and practitioners, cultural value remains a highly contested concept. Empirical work in the area has, meanwhile, been hampered by the use of a unidimensional framework of cultural value. The understanding of word-of-mouth (WOM) communication behaviour related to cultural values has consequently been limited. The purpose of this paper is to develop cultural value segments using a multidimensional value framework to enable a profile to be developed of the WOM behaviour (both online and offline) of each segment. A typology with four distinct segments of cultural consumer, each exhibiting different combinations of cultural values and of WOM communication preferences. The study thereby challenges the orthodoxy of value creation and transmission in cultural settings. Practical recommendations include the use of market segmentation based on multidimensional value 'constellations': not only to achieve better audience development but also to encourage wider value communication through word of mouth.


Context: Concussion legislation has been enacted in all 50 of the United States, aiming to prevent mild traumatic brain injuries and the potential long-term sequelae of these injuries in youth athletics. Sports medicine providers, in addressing this major public health concern, are tasked with adhering to the established standards of medical care while also considering the legal implications. Evidence Acquisition: The PubMed (2011-2016) database was searched using the following search terms: concussion, sports concussion, legislation, and concussion legislation. References from consensus statements, review articles, and book chapters were also utilized. Study Design: Clinical review. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Results: The Lystedt law and its progeny have increased awareness of the signs and symptoms of sports concussion, but adherence to state legislation can pose some challenges. Conclusion: The presence of concussion legislation places a responsibility on the sports medicine provider to have a firm understanding of the legality of concussion management in the state(s) in which they practice.


Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waivers provide states an avenue to test new approaches in Medicaid that differ from federal program rules. Waivers can provide states significant flexibility in how they operate their programs and can have a significant impact on program financing. As such, waivers have important implications for beneficiaries, providers, and states. This brief provides an overview of Section 1115 waiver authority, the waiver approval process, and recent Section 1115 Medicaid waiver activity and discusses the implications of this activity.


Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is an important grain-producing legume that can forego nitrogen fertilization by establishing an efficient symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Although inoculating strains have already been selected for this species, little is known about the genotypic and symbiotic diversity of native rhizobia. Recently, Bradyrhizobium has been shown to be the genus most frequently trapped by cowpea in agricultural soils of the Amazon region. We investigated the genetic and symbiotic diversity of 148 bacterial strains with different phenotypic and cultural properties isolated from the nodules of the trap species cowpea, which was inoculated with samples from soils under agroforestry systems from the western Amazon. Sixty non-nodulating strains indicated a high frequency of endophytic strains in the nodules. The 88 authenticated strains had varying symbiotic efficiency. The SPAD (Soil Plant Analysis Development) index (indirect measurement of chlorophyll content) was more efficient at evaluating the contribution of symbiotic N2-fixation than shoot dry matter under axenic conditions. Cowpea-nodulating bacteria exhibited a high level of genetic diversity, with 68 genotypes identified by BOX-PCR. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene showed a predominance of the genus Bradyrhizobium, which accounted for 70 % of all strains sequenced. Other genera identified were Rhizobium, Ochrobactrum, Paenibacillus, Bosea, Bacillus, Enterobacter, and Stenotrophomonas. These results support the promiscuity of cowpea and demonstrate the high genetic and symbiotic diversity of rhizobia in soils under agroforestry systems, with some strains exhibiting potential for use as inoculants. The predominance of Bradyrhizobium in land uses with different plant communities and soil characteristics reflects the adaptation of this genus to the Amazon region.


Gliosarcoma is a rare tumor of the central nervous system characterized by a biphasic histological pattern. Our objective is to describe clinical, morphological and immunohistochemical features of two cases of gliosarcoma with chondroblastic osteosarcomatous differentiation and to discuss its pathogenetic mechanisms. CASE 1: A 52- year-old male patient underwent parietal craniotomy due to anaplastic ependymoma. The case had radiotherapy and chemotherapy postoperatively. After the first operation, additional resections were performed for tumor because of recurrences at the fourth, seventh and tenth months. The patient died after the last tumor resection. Histopathologic examination of the postmortem biopsy revealed neoplasm displaying a biphasic morphologic pattern including both gliomatous and sarcomatous components. CASE 2: The case was a 69-year-old male patient with a right frontal lobe mass histologically diagnosed as gliosarcoma displaying sarcomatous and glial components. Immunohistochemical features were similar to those of the first case in general, but diffuse nuclear reaction with p53 protein was detected in both components. We report two cases with an extremely rare histopathological diagnosis of "gliosarcoma with features of chondroblastic osteosarcoma".


Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is a systemic, autoimmune inflammatory muscle disorder and vasculopathy of unknown origin that affects children younger than 18 years. JDM primarily affects the skin and the proximal skeletal muscles. Globally, JDM is rare; in Nigeria only one case has been reported. In general, children with JDM are able to lead normal lives with full recovery when diagnosis and initiation of appropriate therapy is early. A 12 year old girl presented with proximal myopathy, skin rash, elevated muscle enzymes and typical muscle histology. The diagnosis of JDM was delayed despite her having accessed several health facilities. Response to steroids was incomplete as she already had disabilities (muscle wasting with inability to walk) before treatment was commenced. We highlight the challenges of management in a low resource setting which included delay in diagnosis, lack of diagnostic tools, poor referral system and lack of health funding. The need for awareness and a high index of suspicion among health care workers is emphasized to ensure early referrals for early diagnosis/early initiation of appropriate therapy and improved outcome.


Basically on the multi-body system dynamics,the virtual prototype of the hydraulic shock absorber for the bench test is developed in the ADAMS environment.Dynamic behaviors of the absorber are studied by both computer simulation and real test.Numerical predictions of dynamic responses are produced by the established virtual prototype of the absorber and compared with experimental results.It has been shown from the comparison that the vibration behaviors of the prototype with hysteretic damping characteristics are considered to be more identical with the bench test results than those of the same prototype with piecewise linear damping properties are.The current virtual prototype of the shock absorber is correct and can be a developing terrace for the optimizing design of the absorber and matching capability of the whole car.


Abstract 3412 The phase II explorative study of intermittent Imatinib (IM) treatment (InterIM) in elderly patients with Ph + chronic myeloid Leukemia (CML) who achieved a stable complete cytogenetic response (CCgR) after at least 2-years standard IM therapy (any dose between 300 and 800 mg/day) was started in April 2008 and closed for the enrollment in August 2009, since more than 78 patients required by statistics were included into the study. The main objective of the study was to investigate if after 12 months (trial time) the CCgR achieved with standard (daily administration) IM therapy could be maintained with InterIM. For this purpose, the CgR status was assessed by Interphase Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (I-FISH) on peripheral blood (≥ 200 cells counted) every 3 months. When I-FISH (% Ph + nuclei) increased more then 1%, chromosome banding analysis (CBA) on bone marrow was performed to confirm the loss of CCgR and to check for additional cytogenetic abnormalities (ACA). At the present time, out of the 95 patients who were enrolled, 82 patients were evaluable and out of them 77 (94%), 73 (89%), 71 (87%) and 70 (85%) completed 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of the treatment program, respectively. Therefore, the great majority of patients completed the study core and at the end of 2010 all the patients are expected to complete the trial time (12 mo). During the first 12 months of InterIM, 1% to 11% of the evaluable patients at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months showed an I-FISH >1% Ph+ nuclei (Figure 1). Totally, eleven (13%) out of 82 patients treated with InterIM showed an I-FISH >1% and they were checked by CBA on bone marrow (Figure 2). Out of them only 3 cases, that means 4% of the 82 evaluable patients, lost the CCgR and resumed standard IM therapy (daily administration), but none completed 3 months of therapy. All the patients lost the MMR and increased several folds the BCR-ABL transcript levels. Two pts had a low risk Sokal and one a high risk; age was 66, 69, 77 years; time from diagnosis was 29, 91 and 100 months; duration of IM therapy was 29, 83 and 84 months; the IM dose was 400mg in all cases. As concern as molecular response, 99% of the patients had a major molecular response (MMR= In conclusion, the results of the InterIM study core (12 months), clearly show that Intermittent Imatinib (IM) treatment (InterIM) is sufficient to maintain the complete cytogenetic response (CCgR) previously achieved with standard IM therapy in elderly (≥ 65 years) Ph+ CML patients. The risk to loose the CCgR has been very low (4%), while the benefit either in terms of reduction of IM dose and of costs of therapy or in terms of compliance (data not shown) was very high. Acknowledgments: This work was supported in part by CML-Leukemia Net and Progetto Regione Lombardia. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


The eta photon-production reaction on nuclei is studied by employing N* (1535) resonance model. The parameters of the model are extracted by using experimental data of N* decay channels and fitting gammap --> etap reaction cross section. The result shows that the theoretical values are in good agreement with experimental data if M-N* = 1550MeV. The total cross section of the eta photoproduction on C-12 is calculated. We find that the width of N* (1535) in nuclei increases because of corrections of many-body effects, and the interaction between N* and nuclei has the feature of repulsion.


In this article we study asymptotic properties of weighted samples produced by the auxiliary particle filter (APF) proposed by Pitt and Shephard [17]. Besides establishing a central limit theorem (CLT) for smoothed particle estimates, we also derive bounds on the Lp error and bias of the same for a finite particle sample size. By examining the recursive formula for the asymptotic variance of the CLT we identify first- stage importance weights for which the increase of asymptotic variance at a single iteration of the algorithm is minimal. In the light of these findings, we discuss and demonstrate on several examples how the APF algorithm can be improved.


In this study, linear static analysis of continuum shell structures is conducted by using a degenerated shell element which is developed by using isogeometric approach. Notably, the present isogeomeric shell element uses the positions of control points to create the normal vector via the mapping between control points and associated points on real surface. A series of benchmark tests are performed to verify the performance of the present isogeometric degenerated shell element. From numerical test, the present shell element can overcome locking phenomena with only use of refinements and therefore any special treatment such as reduced integration, assumed strains, non-conforming modes are not required in the formulation.


Throughout the UK's integration into the EU (1973-2016), referendums were considered and used as an effective political tool for the Government to negotiate with the common people on important issues. During the period of 43 years, the Government called for their practices 12 times with an uneven frequency between the UK's leaders, namely the UK's Prime Ministers. One important notice is that among the 12 referendums, only two have direct links to the relationship between the UK and the EU. This article looks into the use of referendums in the UK in general and the two that are directly related to the EU in particular in the period of 1973-2016. Its conclusion and findings are expected to help outline the usage of this political tool in the contemporary and futuristic climax of the country.


The market structures of sport and television industries are the determinant factors of sports broadcasting rights fee. Because of the rapid growth of cable and satellite televisions and the expansion of transnational media/entertainment corporations, the competition between buyers of the broadcasting rights market has been getting intense than ever. In both the US and the UK where the professional sports leagues are monopolistic and the televisions are competitive, the price of sports broadcasting rights has increased sharply over the last two decades. However, some media conglomerates have encountered financial crisis recently due to the dramatic escalation of the cost of sports broadcasting rights. The development of sports rights in Taiwan has followed the trajectory of these two countries but with a relatively immature and small sports industry and under the challenge of transnational sports leagues. In order to protect the public interests from the possible damage of ruthless competition for sports broadcasting rights among televisions, this paper recommends the establishment of regulations on sports broadcast in Taiwan.


Surface lattice resonances appear in periodic plasmonic nanoparticle arrays due to the hybridization of plasmonic and photonic modes. Compared to localized surface plasmon resonances of single particles, these coupled modes feature reduced linewidth, angle‐dependent dispersion, and long‐range collectivity. Here, the optical response of self‐assembled plasmonic monolayers of periodically arranged gold and silver nanoparticles is studied. In comparison to already established hexagonal lattices, self‐templated honeycomb and Moiré type lattices as well as their binary counterparts that include silver and gold nanoparticles in the same monolayer are looked at. All periodic arrays feature macroscopic dimensions (cm‐scale) and support surface lattice resonances as evidenced from classical extinction measurements. The experimental findings are supported by results from finite difference time domain simulations. Variation of the plasmonic material, the lattice spacing, and geometry enables spectral tunability of the optical response of the lattices.


Background When facing unprecedented emergencies such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a predictive artificial intelligence (AI) model with real-time customized designs can be helpful for clinical decision-making support in constantly changing environments. We created models and compared the performance of AI in collaboration with a clinician and that of AI alone to predict the need for supplemental oxygen based on local, non-image data of patients with COVID-19. Materials and methods We enrolled 30 patients with COVID-19 who were aged >60 years on admission and not treated with oxygen therapy between December 1, 2020 and January 4, 2021 in this 50-bed, single-center retrospective cohort study. The outcome was requirement for oxygen after admission. Results The model performance to predict the need for oxygen by AI in collaboration with a clinician was better than that by AI alone. Sodium chloride difference >33.5 emerged as a novel indicator to predict the need for oxygen in patients with COVID-19. To prevent severe COVID-19 in older patients, dehydration compensation may be considered in pre-hospitalization care. Conclusion In clinical practice, our approach enables the building of a better predictive model with prompt clinician feedback even in new scenarios. These can be applied not only to current and future pandemic situations but also to other diseases within the healthcare system.


The goal of this paper is to articulate a new solution to Kant's third antinomy of pure reason, one that establishes the possibility of incompatibilist freedom-the freedom presupposed by our traditional conceptions of moral responsibility, moral worth, and justice-without relying on the doctrine of transcendental idealism (TI). A discussion of Henry Allison's "two-aspect" interpretation of Kant's TI allows me both to criticize one of the best defenses of TI today and to advance my own TI-free solution to the third antinomy by appeal to a thesis of epistemic modesty based on Paul Guyer's realist interpretation of Kant's theory of experience. According to this interpretation, the a priori forms of our sensibility and understanding are not forms that the mind imposes on a material whose real properties are unknowable to us but are instead forms that limit or filter the kinds of things we can experience and know. In particular, being causally determined is a real feature of things as they are in themselves, but the necessity and universality of our deterministic claims are relative, restricted to the objects of possible experience. Consequently, though a causally determined event cannot be free, the necessity and universality of determinism does not entail that free events (choices) cannot exist but that they cannot constitute objects of possible experience. After arguing that freedom is possible, I outline an argument for the reality of freedom, based on the requirements of morality. Finally, I argue that my view, though opposed to metaphysical naturalism, is consistent with scientific realism and methodological naturalism.


Background: We report a case of a pregnant woman who presented posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) without pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, or any other common causes of PRES. Methods: A 32-year-old primigravida at 25 weeks and 4 days of gestation was admitted to neurology department because of suffering intermittent headache, hearing loss, memory loss with mental and behavioral disorder, and blurred vision for 1 month. She was healthy before without hypertension, migraine, or other medical or family history. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed diffuse symmetrical high-signal intensity lesions in the white matter, medulla oblongata, without enhancement. After completely multidisciplinary discussion and with the family of the patient, she accepted termination of pregnancy. Results: After the operation, the patient improved symptomatically. The follow-up MRI showed a decrease of the white matter lesion after 3 months and complete recovery at postoperative 6 months. The patient returned to work without any neurological sequelae. Conclusion: It might widen the cause spectrum of PRES that pregnancy itself without pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, or any other known risk factors could cause PRES. Pregnancy with acute or subacute leukoencephalopathy should be screened related causes and risk factors carefully. Hormonal fluctuations during the pregnancy might account for pregnancy-related PRES.


Research on the maturation of Penaeus monodon at AQD has focused on three broad areas, namely, reproductive biology and ecology, induced maturation and broodstock management. Studies on reproductive biology provided information on the life cycle, ovarian maturation stages, courtship and mating behavior, minimum size at sexual maturation (sperm occurrence, first spawning), and morphological egg types. Induced maturation has mainly been done through the eyestalk ablation method. Nutritional and environmental parameters were studied to enhance reproductive performance or as an alternative to ablation. Pond-reared and wild broodstock sources and marine pen and land-based tanks as maturation systems were also tested and compared. Size, shape, color, substrate material and other aspects of tank design and construction, sex ratio, stocking density, water management, and other parameters of the management system were also studied and refined. Early techniques in larval and postlarval rearing of P. monodon at AQD were based on the community culture method of growing natural food in larval tanks. However, low and inconsistent survival led to a shift in rearing methods toward pure phytoplankton culture grown in separate tanks as food for the larvae. Henceforth, refinement of rearing methods have been conducted to improve larval survival through effective water management, nutrition, and disease control. Efforts are continuously being geared toward making the technology affordable to Filipino farmers.


One of the basic concepts of mathematics education is the concept of function. Learning processes in mathematics education have a complex structure. Instrumental theory is a theoretical approach that provides the analysis of these learning processes, taking into account the complexity. While the studies in the literature examine the action schemes created by the use of technological tools, this study differs in that it examines the use of the roots of a quadratic equation as a tool. The aim of this study is to examine the instrumental action schemes that appear in the graphs of the quadratic functions by using the roots of the quadratic equation with one unknown as a tool. The implementation of the research was carried out with eleventh-grade students of a public high school in the central district of Düzce province in the spring term of the 2021-2022 academic year. Participants were determined using the easily accessible sampling method. In the research, qualitative research method was adopted and case study design was used. A worksheet consisting of five questions containing the graph of quadratic functions and semi-structured interview technique were used as data collection tools. The worksheet was applied to 52 students and semi-structured interviews were conducted with six of the students who performed the worksheet application The data obtained from the worksheets and semi-structured interviews were first subjected to descriptive analysis. As a result of the descriptive analysis, six categories were created based on the answers given by the participants to the five questions on the worksheet. These categories are correct answer, incorrect answer, incomplete answer, irrelevant/indifferent answer, inconsistent information/formula, and blank. In order to analyze the solution of the questions, the instrumented action schemes of the students were tried to be determined by using the content analysis method. As a result of the findings obtained by the analysis of the worksheets, it was determined that the roots of the quadratic equation were used by the students in the solution process of the questions in the codes under the categories of correct answer, incorrect answer, incomplete answer and inconsistent information/formula. It was determined that the instrumented action schemes presented in the graphs of the quadratic functions were similar for all participants. As a result of the analysis of the data obtained from the semi-structured interviews, it was determined that asking the questions in different styles and forms did not change the instrumented action schemes used in the solutions. Keywords: Roots of the equation, Quadratic functions, Instrumental genesis, Instrumented action schemes


Seventy-five undergraduates performed semantic differential ratings on 1 of 4 pictures: a male or female in a "masculine" or "feminine" stance as described by Wex (1979). The masculine stance was perceived as (1) more masculine as well as (2) more potent, active, happy, and well-adjusted than the feminine stance. (3) The cross-sex-typed stance was seen as less heterosexual than the same-sex typed one. (4) Interactions on masculinity, potency, activity, happiness, adjustment, and successfulness indicated that the cross-sex-typed male tended to be rated less favorably but the cross-sex-typed female more favorably than their same-sex-typed counterparts. A bias against "masculine" personality traits in females (Broverman et al., 1972) thus did not hold true for physical stance.


We describe a simple model for electron-molecule collisions that has one nuclear and one electronic degree of freedom and that can be solved to arbitrarily high precision, without making the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, by employing a combination of the exterior complex scaling method and a finite-element implementation of the discrete variable representation. We compare exact cross sections for vibrational excitation and dissociative attachment with results obtained using the local complex potential approximation as commonly applied in the boomerang model, and suggest how this two-dimensional model can be used to test the underpinnings of contemporary nonlocal approximations to resonant collisions.


Substituted pyrrolines are available by ring closure initiated by direct nucleophilic attack of stabilized enolates at the nitrogen of oximes activated with a leaving group, in a process which effectively out-competes the more usual Beckmann rearrangement. Subsequent reduction provides diastereoselective access to the corresponding pyrrolidines. This provides a rapid route to saturated heterocyclic systems from readily available precursors.


Objectives: We introduce the various methods of image analysis used for CAD. In addition, we provide a guide for the clinician through examples which use the CAD. methods: Medical images consist of individual pixel elements, to which discrete brightness or color values are assigned. Various methods have been utilized for the analysis of these images. We introduce the five methods: shape analysis, texture analysis, parametric mapping analysis, classification methods and segmentation methods. Results: Various image analysis techniques used in the CAD are quantified by analyzing the various features of the lesion shown in the image. It is used as a process for deriving the best diagnosis for the disease through the comparison of the existing data. It proposes an example of a CAD system being studied using a variety of image analysis techniques. conclusion: Nowadays, medical imaging has improved to show the functional state of the inner body. Furthermore, accelerated advances in computer-based technology have widely enlarged efficiency of saving, transmission and analysis. Improvement of CAD will expand the utilization range of CAD in 2D and 3D medical imaging. Also, we expect that CAD system will evolve the automatic diagnosis support system.


Leading Zero Anticipator (LZA) is a technique to calculate the number of leading zeros of the result in parallel with the addition. General algorithms can work effectively for a subtraction, and obtain the leading one position from exponents of operands for an addition or a multiply-add-fused (MAF) operation. However, using exponents to get leading zero number can introduce another error of one bit because of a carry into the leading one position. Moreover, when taking denormalized operands into account, the leading one position does not relate with exponents anymore. This paper presents a novel concurrent error detection circuit for an exact LZA which can work effectively for both addition and subtraction. In addition, a simpler pre-encoding method is employed to reduce the hardware complexity of the concurrent error detection circuit. The total area of the proposed LZA is reduced by 7.5% compared with that of a generalLZA.


Abstract Tornadic storms that occurred over northeastern Kansas and northern Missouri on 4 July 1995 are examined by combining the latest in National Weather Service technology with more routine datasets. The analysis provides an insightful description of the meteorological setting and evolution that led to the severe weather on this day. Strong thunderstorms first formed where an outflow boundary intersected a cold front, then new activity was triggered along the outflow boundary itself. It was found that small-scale outflow interactions may have played an important role in changing the nature of the convection already under way and were associated with the two most damaging tornadoes of the day. The case is also used to showcase how several new "modernization" datasets can be used together in a quickly accessible manner to provide a valuable and precise overview of a rapidly evolving meteorological event.


PURPOSE
Conventional craniospinal irradiation (CSI) challenges include dose inhomogeneity at field junctions and position uncertainty due to the field divergence, particular for the two spinal fields. Here we outline a new supine CSI technique to address these difficulties.

METHODS
Patient was simulated in supine position. The cranial fields had isocenter at C2/C3 vertebral and were matched with 1st spinal field. Their inferior border was chosen to avoid the shoulder, as well as chin from the 1st spine field. Their collimator angles were dependent on asymmetry jaw setting of the 1st spinal field. With couch rotation, the spinal field gantry angles were adjusted to ensure, the inferior border of 1st and superior border of 2nd spinal fields were perpendicular to the table top. The radio-opaque wire position for the spinal junction was located initially by the light field from an anterior setup beam, and was finalized by the portal imaging of the 1st spinal field. With reference to the spinal junction wire, the fields were matched by positioning the isocenter of the 2nd spinal field. A formula was derived to optimize supine CSI treatment planning, by utilizing the relationship among the Yjaw setting, the spinal field gantry angles, cranial field collimator angles, and the spinal field isocenters location. The plan was delivered with portal imaging alignment for the both cranial and spinal junctions.

RESULTS
Utilizing this technique with matching beams, and conventional technique such as feathering and forwarding planning, a homogenous dose distribution was achieved throughout the entire CSI treatment volume including the spinal junction. Placing the spinal junction wire visualized in both spinal portals, allows for precise determination and verification of the appropriate match line of the spine fields.

CONCLUSION
This technique of optimization supine CSI achieved a homogenous dose distributions and patient localization accuracy with image-guided and matched beams.


BACKGROUND: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a dynamic and continuous modality which offers a real time, direct view of the vascularization patterns and tissue resistance for many organs. Thanks to newer ultrasound (US) contrast agents, CEUS has become a well-established, live-imaging technique in many contexts, but it has never been extensively used for brain imaging. In particular, the use of intraoperative-CEUS (iCEUS) imaging in Neurosurgery is very limited. in this study, we provide the first dynamic and continuous iCEUS evaluation of a variety of brain lesions. METHODS: We evaluated 96 patients undergoing iCEUS imaging in an off-label setting while being operated on for different brain lesions; iCEUS imaging was obtained before resecting each lesion, after intra-venous (IV) injection of ultrasound contrast-agent (UCA). A semi-quantitative, offline postoperative inter-observer analysis was performed, in order to visualize each brain lesion and characterize its perfusion features in correlation with histopathology. RESULTS: In all cases, the brain lesion was visualized intra-operatively with iCEUS; the afferent and the efferent blood vessels were identified, allowing to evaluate the time and the features of the arterial and venous phases and facilitating the surgical strategy. iCEUS also proved to be useful in highlighting the lesion as compared to standard B-mode. Specific perfusion patterns were identified according to histopathology. No adverse effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first large-scale implementation of iCEUS in Neurosurgery as a dynamic and continuous real time imaging tool for brain surgery, providing a first iCEUS characterization of different brain masses. iCEUS ability to highlight and characterize brain tumor provides the neurosurgeon with important information, anytime during a surgical procedure, in order to refine and optimize the surgical strategy and, possibly, to further understand tumor biology. SECONDARY CATEGORY: Clinical Neuro-Oncology.


This paper presents a version of the Bartels-Stewart algorithm for solving the Sylvester and Lyapunov equations that utilizes the Jordan-Schur form of the equation matrices. The Jordan-Schur form is a type of Schur form which contains additional information about the Jordan structure of the corresponding matrix. This information can be used to solve more efficiently the Sylvester and Lyapunov equations in some cases. A two-level algorithm is implemented which allows us to find directly non-scalar blocks of the solution matrix. These blocks have sizes that are determined by the Weyr characteristics associated with the eigenvalues of the equation matrices. In the case of large elements of the Weyr characteristics associated with multiple eigenvalues, the determination of the solution blocks can be done more efficiency. Also, the blocks equations can be more appropriate in solving the Sylvester and Lyapunov equations in the case of parallel computations. Results obtained from numerical experiments confirm that the accuracy of the new algorithm is comparable with the accuracy of the Bartels-Stewart algorithm.


It is currently accepted that Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection is crucial in the pathogenesis of peptic ulcer. Therefore, we developed a prospective study to assess the prevalence of Hp infection by the 13C Urea Breath Test (13C UBT) in 52 hemodialysis patients, and we evaluated the efficacy of two consecutive eradication regimens in 23 positive patients with dyspepsia and/or on a transplantation list. The correlation between anti-Hp serology and 13C UBT results was also analyzed in 34 patients who were followed up during 18 months. The Hp prevalence by 13C UBT was 63.5% (33/52). The eradication rate after the first cycle of therapy (amoxicillin 500 mg/8 h and omeprazole 20 mg/12 h, 14 days) was 60.8% (14/23). After the second cycle (clarithromycin 500 mg/ 12 h plus omeprazole 20 mg/12 h, 14 days), the eradication rate reached 82.6% (19/23). The serological procedure showed a good correlation with 13C UBT (about 80% sensitive and specific) when very restrictive diagnostic and eradication criteria were adopted. We conclude that an eradication rate higher than 80% can be reached after two consecutive cycles of dual therapy in hemodialysis patients. Anti-Hp serological tests must be cautiously interpreted in these patients.


Medical informatics education should be adapted for each speciality of "allied professions". In this paper we try to share from our experience with students of several profiles: medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physio-kineto-therapy, clinical laboratory, dentistry techniques and stomatological prophylaxis.


To ensure safe operation of the United States' nuclear power plants, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission enacted 10CFR50.55a(b)(3)(xi) requiring the verification of valves' capability to control plant process conditions. Palo Verde Generating Station implemented the requirement with a focus on crediting existing operational and testing activities, iterating to optimize implementation. The station credits valve diagnostics, operational activities, and component testing programs wherever possible. Where testing and operations are insufficient to meet the requirement, phased-array ultrasonic equipment is used to verify stem-disc connection integrity. Palo Verde is fully compliant with the requirements of 10CFR50.55a(b)(3)(xi). This suggests compliance at other pressurized water reactors can be achieved primarily by documenting existing plant activities with minimal new testing activities required.


Construction industry is a key player in the UK economy. It contributes 10% of the GDP and employs more than 1.5 million people. Contractor organisations are the public face of the industry. Their policies, processes, and performance directly impact all stakeholders in the industry. However, the performance of contractor organisations on Quality, Health and Safety and Environment issues is far from satisfactory. Organisations of all type, including contractors are increasingly implementing management systems for Quality (ISO 9000), Health and Safety (BS 8800/OHSAS 18001) and Environment (ISO 14000) for many reasons including the fulfilment of legal obligations, creating a better organisational image and the wider demonstration of concern for the society. The standard based management systems have developed individually, independently and at different times fulfilling unique demands. However, the structural similarities in the standards have led to the evolution of integrated management systems (IMS). Chemical, nuclear and manufacturing industries are at the forefront of the emerging initiative of IMS. Contractor organisations in the UK have also shown a keen interest in the IMS development, however, there is a clear lack of guidance on the implementation of integrated management systems. This research develops a unique best practice framework for the implementation of integrated management systems (IMS) in construction contractor organisations. A comprehensive literature review, case studies in some major UK contactor organisations and a questionnaire survey were conducted to encompass the management systems, developments and issues related to the implementation of integrated management systems (IMS) in construction and other industries. The research finds contractor organisations at varying levels of development from very basic to advance in integrating their management systems. Various different approaches and methods are being applied to develop the integrated management systems in absence of any industry specific guidelines. The industry validated framework, developed in this research project will help contractor organisations as a best practice guide, in the implementation of integrated Quality, Health and Safety and Environment management systems. The integrated framework will make systems more streamlined, productive and easier to comply with.


Composition and main volatiles of different types of Turkish rakies produced from mono variety (Muscat), fresh grapes and blended distillate of raisin (Suma) and alcohol of agricultural origin (molasses) were investigated. Methanol and main volatile compounds (acetaldehyde, acetal, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, 2-butanol, n-propanol, izobutanol, n-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, trans anethole and estragole) were analyzed with direct injection method according to EU Reference Method by GC-FID. The main volatile compounds of rakies were trans-anethole originated from aniseed, higher alcohol, esters and aldehydes originated from Suma (distillate of grape). The levels of total volatiles (volatile acidity included), trans-anethole and methanol in rakies varied between 124.99-163.40 g/hL mA, 1038-1380 mg/L and 43.96-56.91 g/hL mA respectively. The highest level of total volatiles was determined in the raki produced from Muscat grape. It was found that rakies produced from mono variety and fresh grapes contained higher level of total volatiles especially higher alcohol than the raki produced from blended distillates. There was a significant differences among the higher alcohol levels of rakies at P<0.05. The highest amount of trans-anethole was found in the fresh grape raki and the lowest in the mono varietal raki. Meanwhile, it was found that the composition of rakies were in compliance with the Turkish Distillate Beverages Codex.


Community workers are the mainstay of community governance, and the key to building a team of community workers lies in the formulation and improvement of policies related to community and team construction. At present, community workers are facing a "ceiling" for career development, which will not only affect the stability of the community workforce, but also the effectiveness of community governance. In this regard, Chengdu Municipality issued the Chengdu Community Full-time Workers Management Method in 2018. Based on the analysis of the policies on the construction of community workers in Chengdu, the author will propose possible problems in the relevant policies in terms of remuneration, education and training, career promotion and assessment and evaluation, and put forward a few thoughts on improving the policies to further ensure that community workers have more room for career development and promote the effectiveness of community governance. This will further ensure that community workers have more room for career development and promote the construction and development of the community workforce.


ABSTRACT
Objective: Musculoskeletal involvement in brucellosis is very important. This study aimed to evaluate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and hematological parameters as a predictive value for the diagnosis of musculoskeletal brucellosis.
Methods: This prospective case-control study was conducted between June 2011 and November 2019 in a university hospital. Ninety-nine patients with the confirmed diagnosis of brucellosis without musculoskeletal involvement and forty-three brucellosis patients with musculoskeletal involvement were examined. The hematological, biochemical parameters, and radiological imaging findings of both groups were recorded. These parameters were statistically compared between the two groups.
Results: The mean age of the patients (non-involvement group) and musculoskeletal involvement groups was 44.04 ± 23.11 and 37.92 ± 24.80 years, respectively (P = 0.062). C-reactive protein (CRP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were significantly higher in the musculoskeletal involvement group (P < 0.05). The lower lymphocyte level was statistically significant in this group. Based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the sensitivity and specificity were 70% and 65% for ALP, 77% and 58% for CRP, 83% and 45% for lymphopenia, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of the other hematological and biochemical parameters. Spondylodiscitis (34.8%) was the most common MRI finding in patients with musculoskeletal involvement.
Conclusions: Our study results show that CRP, ALP, and lymphopenia can be used as valuable markers in the preliminary diagnosis of musculoskeletal brucellosis.


Fractional-order calculus is an area of mathematics that deals with derivatives and integrals from non-integer orders. In other words, it is a generalization of the traditional calculus that leads to similar concepts and tools, but with a much wider applicability. In the last two decades, fractional calculus has been rediscovered by scientists and engineers and applied in an increasing number of fields, namely in the area of control theory. The success of fractional-order controllers is unquestionable with a lot of success due to emerging of effective methods in differentiation and integration of non-integer order equations. Fractional-order proportional-integral-derivative (FOPID) controllers have received a considerable attention in the last years both from academic and industrial point of view. In fact, in principle, they provide more flexibility in the controller design, with respect to the standard PID controllers,because they have five parameters to select (instead of three). However, this also implies that the tuning of the controller can be much more complex. In order to address this problem, different methods for the design of a FOPID controller have been proposed in the literature. The concept of FOPID controllers was proposed by Podlubny in 1997 (Podlubny et al., 1997; Podlubny, 1999a). He also demonstrated the better response of this type of controller, in comparison with the classical PID controller, when used for the control of fractional order systems. A frequency domain approach by using FOPID controllers is also studied in (Vinagre et al., 2000). In (Monje et al., 2004), an optimization method is presented where the parameters of the FOPID are tuned such that predefined design specifications are satisfied. Ziegler-Nichols tuning rules for FOPID are reported in (Valerio & Costa, 2006). Further research activities are runnig in order to develop new tuning methods and investigate the applications of FOPIDs. In (Jesus & Machado, 2008) control of heat diffusion system via FOPID controllers are studied and different tuning methods are applied. Control of an irrigation canal using rule-based FOPID is given in (Domingues, 2010). In (Karimi et al., 2009) the authors applied an optimal FOPID tuned by Particle Swarm Optimzation (PSO) algorithm to control the Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) system. There are other papers published in the recent


Abstract. The Tibetan Plateau and its surroundings have recently experienced several catastrophic glacier-related disasters. It is of great scientific and practical significance to establish ground-based early warning systems (EWSs) to understand the processes and mechanisms of glacial disasters and warn against potential threats to downstream settlements and infrastructure. However, there are few sophisticated EWSs on the Tibetan Plateau. With the support of the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program (STPSER), an EWS was developed and
implemented in the Sedongpu Valley, southeastern Tibetan Plateau, where
repeated river blockages have occurred due to ice/rock collapse debris flow.
The EWS collected datasets of optical/thermal videos/photos, geophone
waveforms, water levels, and meteorological variables in this sparsely
populated zone. It has successfully warned against three ice-rock collapse–debris flow–river blockage chain events, and seven small-scale ice-rock collapse–debris flow events. Meanwhile, it was found that the low-cost geophone can effectively indicate the occurrence and magnitude of ice/rock collapses by local thresholds, and water level observation is an efficient way to warn of river blockages. Our observations showed that there were no immediate meteorological triggers for the ice-rock collapses and associated debris flows. Several factors, such as the volume and location of the collapses and the percentage of ice content involved, influence the velocities of debris flows and the magnitude of river blockages. There are still two possible glaciers in the study area that are at risk of ice collapse. It is worth monitoring their dynamic changes using high-resolution satellite data and the ground-based EWS to safeguard the surrounding hydrological projects and infrastructure in this transboundary region.


Using picosecond laser photoionization of Li in a microwave field we have observed phase-dependent reccombination of the photoelectrons with their parent Li+ ions. Recombination occurs at phases of the microwave field such that energy is removed from the photoelectron in the first microwave cycle after excitation, and there are two maxima in the recombination in each microwave cycle. These observations are consistent with observations made using an attosecond pulse train phase locked to an infrared pulse and with the "simpleman's" model, modified to account for the fact that the photoelectrons are produced in a Coulomb potential.


Abstract Objective To examine whether electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is associated with risk of mortality and acute somatic events in patients with or without somatic comorbidity. Methods A total of 174,495 patients with an affective disorder, of whom 41% had somatic comorbidity, were followed from 2005 through 2018 for ECT, mortality, and acute somatic outcomes using Danish registers. The association of ECT with outcomes was estimated using Cox proportional hazard regression. Results Patients, of whom 6943 (4.0%) had ECT, were followed for a median of 6.7 years. Compared to non-ECT treated patients, ECT was associated with a lower risk of death from natural causes, which was independent of somatic comorbidity. ECT was not associated with the risk of acute somatic events neither in patients with somatic comorbidity nor in patients without somatic comorbidity, except for cardiac events within 0–30 days of follow-up after the first ECT, for which there was a 3.7-fold higher risk in patients with no somatic comorbidity. This analysis, however, was based on few events. Conclusion In modern clinical practice, in patients with affective disorders and somatic comorbidity, ECT is not associated with a higher risk of death from natural causes or acute somatic events.


Home care services have characteristics that are distinctive from other health care settings. Thus, they require different management systems to those traditionally used in institutional settings. Typical management models often require adaptation for home care services in areas such as staffing, education and support. This includes performance appraisal, where traditional models may be inappropriate when clinicians work alone, with little supervision. This article describes an experience of adapting a performance appraisal tool, in order to be more relevant for staff working in home-based care. The project arose from staff frustration with the expectation of management that a tool developed for institutional settings would be appropriate for the home setting. This frustration gave the impetus for developing a successful appraisal system, and because of staff involvement, the model was wholeheartedly embraced. The process of development is discussed, and the model explained, with commentary about its implementation in a home care service.


Relative abundance indices are wide applied to observe life populations. A general categorization paradigm was developed for structuring information assortment and with validity conducting analyses. This approach is applicable for several observation metrics, with observations created at stations through the world of interest and continual over many days. The variance formula for the overall index was derived employing a linear mixed model, with applied math tests and confidence intervals made presumptuous Gaussian-distributed observations. However, several observation strategies, like intrusions to trace plots or camera traps, involve counts with several zeroes, manufacturing Poisson-like observations. To fill this inferential gap between Gaussian analytical assumptions and Poisson-distributed information we tend to evaluated, via a broad town simulation study, variance estimation and confidence interval coverage once Gaussian applied math illation is applied to information generated from a distribution. The mixed effects linear model presumptuous Gaussian observations performed well in estimating variances and confidence intervals once simulated Poisson information were within the vary found in field studies (88–96% confidence interval coverage). Estimation improved by increasing the amount of observation days. Confidence interval coverage rates performed all right (even with few observation days) once regular variability was tiny, whereas effective estimation resulted for an excellent point station-to-station variability. These results offer a foundational basis for applying the overall categorization paradigm to count information, strengthen the generality of the approach, offer valuable info for study style, and will reassure practitioners concerning the validity of their analytical inferences once mistreatment count information


Purpose of review Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasingly common condition, which is strongly associated with obesity and diabetes. The risk of cardiovascular disease is increased in NAFLD and represents the main cause of death in these patients. However, given the shared features between NAFLD, the metabolic syndrome and traditional cardiovascular risk factors, uncertainty exists as to whether NAFLD is an independent risk factor for increased cardiovascular disease. Recent findings Multiple epidemiological and case–control studies now demonstrate that NAFLD is associated with increased vascular risk, independently of conventional cardiometabolic risk factors. Evidence also suggests a graded association between NAFLD severity and increased vascular risk. However, given the heterogeneous disease spectrum of NAFLD, these findings have limitations with respect to accuracy of diagnosis and staging of NAFLD in most studies. Summary Although accumulating evidence points to NAFLD emerging as a novel cardiovascular risk factor, more research is needed to find suitable noninvasive biomarkers of NAFLD severity to allow better risk-stratification based on cardiovascular outcomes. Furthermore, with no established pharmacological treatment option for NAFLD currently available, any potential treatment must show efficacy not only in slowing liver disease progression, but also in ameliorating adverse cardiovascular outcomes.


Primary objective: Recent research studies attest to the presence of deficits in emotion perception following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Additionally, a growing number of studies report significant levels of alexithymia (disorder of emotional cognition) following TBI. This research aimed to examine the relation between the two, while assessing the influence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Design: Cross-sectional study examining levels of alexithymia, emotion perception disorders and PTSD and their association, in 20 people with severe, chronic TBI and 20 adults without brain injuries. Methods: Participants were assessed on the Toronto Alexithymia - 20 Scale, the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale and on two emotion perception tasks: matching and labelling of photos depicting the 6 basic emotions. Results: The group with TBI were impaired relative to controls when matching facial expressions. Their performance on 'fear' was especially poor. Performance on labelling was similar in pattern, although failed to reach significance. There was no association between poor performance on fear, or other negative expressions, and either PTSD or alexithymia symptoms in the TBI group. Conclusions: Alexithymia, as assessed by the TAS-20, taps a constellation of difficulties that do not appear to include difficulties with emotion perception in people with traumatic brain injuries.


The literature suggests that public research and development (R&D) subsidies may reduce market failures affecting private R&D investment caused by incomplete appropriability of knowledge and financial constraints due capital market imperfections. Drawing on the theory of investment under uncertainty, this paper argues that public R&D subsidies increase business R&D investment through an additional mechanism – mitigating the effects of market uncertainty on R&D investment in markets for new products. Using a sample of German manufacturing firms, we show that market uncertainty indeed reduces R&D investment, and that R&D subsidies mitigate the effect of uncertainty. Our findings suggest that public policies aimed at increasing business R&D investment can achieve this objective by reducing the degree of uncertainty in the demand for innovative products.


The glycosidases, enzymes which participate in the degradation of glycoproteins and glycolipids inside the lysosomes are themselves glycoproteins and, for one enzyme, several forms may be isolated in tissues and in biological fluids, corresponding to variations in the composition or the structure of their glycanic moiety. We have previously studied the different forms of alpha-L-fucosidase in human serum, kidney and urine. Some modifications of the glycanic fraction of glycoproteins have been described in various forms of tumoral cells; therefore, we have attempted to verify if the alpha-L-fucosidase of blood cells might be a useful marker in the diagnosis of leukemias, using the enzymic pattern obtained by chromatographic or electrofocusing methods. Detergent extracts from normal lymphocytes, submitted to ion-exchange chromatography as well as to chromatofocusing, revealed the presence of two forms of alpha-L-fucosidase, A and B, with respective pIs of 5.7 and 6.2. After treatment by neuraminidase, these two forms remain distinct, showing that the degrees of sialylation is not the only difference. Moreover, after desialylation, the two forms have not the same affinity for concanavalin A, an argument for the heterogeneity of the glycanic structures. The determination of the total activity, and of enzymic patterns of alpha-L-fucosidase from leukemic cells led to the observation of three types of modifications, in comparison with normal lymphocytes: quantitative variations in the total activity; variations in the proportions of the two forms; variations due to the modification of pIs. We have studied the lymphocytes from four patients with a hairy-cell leukemia (HCL), four patients with chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) and the MO cell-line, proceeding from a HCL. In all cases, the total fucosidase activity is strongly decreased in comparison with normal lymphocytes activity. The chromatofocusing pattern for CLL cells reveals the presence of the A and B forms, without modification of their eluting pH. A characteristic pattern is obtained with hairy cells, presenting only the B form, eluted in more acidic conditions. The normal lymphocytes in peripheral blood are for 80 per cent of the T phenotype, and the CLL lymphocytes exhibit the phenotypic markers B, as well as the hairy cells, but the MO cell-line acquires in culture the T markers. As these last cells express both the A and B forms of enzyme, the absence of the A form of alpha-L-fucosidase seems to be a marker of the HCL.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


Pulmonary aspergillosis and other invasive fungal infections (IFIs) commonly complicate the management of patients with acute leukemia. Standard amphotericin‐based therapies may be ineffective for many patients and the available salvage agents (itraconazole and caspofungin) are reported to possess only moderate activity against resistant infections. Laboratory evidence suggests a synergistic interaction between amphotericin and caspofungin. The authors treated a group of patients with amphotericin‐refractory IFIs with the combination of caspofungin and amphotericin (or liposomal amphotericin).


In this paper, the theoretical predictions of mechanical properties of functionally graded and uniform distributions Epoxy/clay nanocomposites are presented. The specimens were prepared for uniformly distribution of nanoclay with different nano particles weight percent (pure, 3 wt%, 5 wt% and 7 wt%) and functionally graded distribution. The distribution of nanoparticles has been investigated by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). For uniformly distribution of nanoclay, it is shown that there is no sign of the agglomerates found via FESEM imaging which can address well the distribution of nanoclay particles in epoxy. In addition, for functionally graded distributions, it is found that dispersion of nanoclays vary smoothly and continuously from one surface to the other one. The mechanical properties have been determined by simple extension tests. The results of extension tests show that elastic modulus begins to increase up to 5 wt% of nanoclay and then decreases. So, for functionally graded distribution, the elastic modulus is generally larger than the corresponding values for uniform distribution of nanoclay. The theoretical predictions of Young's modulus for functionally graded and uniform distributions nanocomposites are calculated using a genetic algorithm procedure. The formulation for Young modulus includes the effect of nanoparticles weight fractions and it is modified for functionally graded distribution. To investigate the accuracy of the present theoretical predictions, a comparison is carried out with the experimental results. It is found that the results obtained from the theoretical predictions of genetic algorithm procedure are in good agreement with the experimental ones.


The topography of Nissl-stained cells within the retinal gangalion cell layer is examined in two closely related freshwater teleosts from the family Cyprinidae. Regardless of the close phylogenetic relationship and the sympatric habitats of the two species, pronounced differences in the number and position of areas of increased cell density are observed in their retinae. In the creek chub, Semotilus atromaculatus, a midwater crepuscular feeder, three retinal specializations or areae centrales are identified in the dorsonasal, nasal, and temporal regions of the retina. In the cutlips minnow, Exoglossum maxillingua, a benthic diurnal feeder, two areae centrales are identified in temporal and nasal retina. The upper limits of the spatial resolving power of each species are calculated from the spacing of cells within the ganglion cell layer. Differences in the arrangement of isodensity contours appear to reflect the symmetry of each species' visual environment. The development and significance of up to three visually acute zones are discussed.


A modified medium is suggested for measuring Klebsiella DNAase activity; the advantage of this medium is the ability of maximally producing the enzyme. The medium is simple to prepare and may be widely used in practical bacteriology.


Chicks perform conspicuous begging behaviour in response to the arrival of a parent. In seabirds colonies, as nests are close to each other, chicks are permanently surrounded by sound and visual stimuli produced by adult conspecifics approaching their nests. However, in spite of these conditions, black-headed gull chicks begin to vocalize as their parent approaches even before they can see it. In this paper, we report field experiments testing soundbased discrimination of parents by black-headed gull chicks. Focusing on the 'long call', i.e. the signal emitted by parents when coming back to the nest, we investigate here the acoustic parameters used for this recognition process. By playback experiments using modified 'long calls', we demonstrated that signals without amplitude modulation still elicit responses in chicks. In contrast, frequency modulation appears essential. In the frequency domain, experiments revealed that frequency analysis is precise. Chicks did not react when the frequency spectrum of parental call was shifted 20 Hz down or up. The totality of harmonics is not necessary: chicks require only two harmonics to discriminate between parents. Signal redundancy is of great significance since a minimum of four successive syllables in parental 'long call' are required to elicit reaction in the chick.


This paper analyses one of the more problematic aspects of the migration of higher education lecture content from traditional print based and face-to-face modes to those of a digital nature. The paper looks specifically at issues stemming from increased pressure on academics to embrace the delivery of their lecture content online. The point is made that currently an over-emphasis on online 'delivery' has come at the expense of online pedagogy. An account of a pilot study undertaken to digitalize videotaped undergraduate lectures is presented along with a report of both the technical and human resource-related issues encountered. The paper concludes by arguing that if the streaming of lectures is to be successfully undertaken on anything more than a token level, it is essential for universities to support the funding of local professional development structures that allow academic staff to engage with a number of 'new technologies'.


Background Tofacitinib is an oral JAK inhibitor for the treatment of RA. For new therapies, it is important to contextualise safety with established therapies such as TNF inhibitors (TNFi). Analyses were conducted based on the projected patient-years (PY) of accrual within the pooled Phase 2, Phase 3 and long-term extension (P2P3LTE) tofacitinib rheumatoid arthritis (RA) studies and external data for TNFi. Objectives To estimate the minimum threshold for detecting risk of specific adverse events (i.e., serious infections, all malignancies [excluding non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC)], NMSC, major adverse cardiovascular endpoints [MACE], opportunistic infections [OI], lymphoma and gastrointestinal [GI] perforations) based on PY available for tofacitinib. Methods Power calculations were conducted based on a Poisson distribution to estimate the minimum PY of exposure needed to have 90% probability that the lower bound of the confidence interval (CI) for tofacitinib minus TNFi will be >1, for true tofacitinib rates of 1.2×, 1.5× or 2.0× the comparator rates. Rates of events for TNFi were derived from sources (i.e., published clinical trials and observational studies) intended to optimise similarity to the tofacitinib clinical trial database in term of baseline characteristics, study duration and average patient follow-up time. Results Based on projections, approximately 18,000 PY of exposure to tofacitinib will be accrued within the RA BID clinical development programme; the majority of these data will come from patients treated for at least 3 years. Table 1 highlights the PY of exposure needed to detect an increased risk in safety events as compared with published TNFi rates. Conclusions The risk characterisation approach represents an indirect method to contextualise the safety profile of tofacitinib as compared with TNFi. Ongoing and planned prospective active surveillance complement the data generated from clinical trials. References Askling J, Baecklund E, Granath F, et al. Ann Rheum Dis 2009;68(5):648-53. Gout T, Ostör AJ, Nisar MK. Clin Rheumatol 2011;30(11):1471-4. Keystone EC, van der Heijde D, Kavanaugh A, et al. J Rheumatol, 2013. 40(9):1487-97. Mariette X, Matucci-Cerinic M, Pavelka K, et al. Ann Rheum Dis 2011. doi: 10.1136/ard.2010.149419. Winthrop KL. Rheum Dis Clin Am, 2012;38:727-645. Disclosure of Interest J. Curtis Grant/research support from: Pfizer, Inc., L. Klareskog: None declared, R. Zhang Shareholder of: Pfizer, Inc., Employee of: Pfizer, Inc., S. Krishnaswami Shareholder of: Pfizer, Inc., Employee of: Pfizer, Inc., A. Anisfeld Shareholder of: Pfizer, Inc., Employee of: Pfizer, Inc., Y. Chen Shareholder of: Pfizer, Inc., Employee of: Pfizer, Inc., J. Geier Shareholder of: Pfizer, Inc., Employee of: Pfizer, Inc.


This study was aimed to estimate the immune responses of lambs immunized with heat-killed E. coli O157:H7 in two different doses to induce cellular immune responses against challenge with virulent type. Twenty lambs of both sexes were randomly divided into four equal groups (5 animals in each group).  Group A: were immunized subcutaneously with 2 ml of heat killed vaccine with a dose of 1X108 CFU/ml mixed with equal volume of adjuvant twice (primary and booster dose) at two week intervals. Group B- five lambs were immunized with a same manner of group A but with a vaccine containing 1X10 10 CFU/ml with adjuvant. Group C- lambs were injected S/C with 2 ml of sterile PBS mixed with equal volume of adjuvant twice in two weeks. Group D – lambs were left without any treatment. Post immunization all lambs examined for clinical signs, Moreover serum at 0, 7,14 ,21 , 28, 42, 56, and 70 days for estimation of Interferon gamma (INF-Y) and IgG levels by ELISA test. Results  showed  increases in Interferon gamma (INF-Y) values significantly in the two immunized groups  at 7,14, 28, and 48 days (0.270± 0.0052, 0.0.310± 0.0076, 0.365± 0.007, 0.428± 0.0089,  0.263± 0.007 ,0.268± 0.005, 0.339± 0.0035 ,0.409 ±0. 0035 ,0.489± 0.003)  respectively, compared with control groups,  while  results revealed  that the interferon values in group B which immunized   with  dose 1×10 10 CFU/ml  was significantly  increased  compared with  its value in  lambs immunization  with dose  1×10 8   CFU/ml  at days  14 as well as 28, and 42. Keywords : Killed vaccine, E. coli O157:H7, Interferon gamma (INF-Y), IgG.


Studies were performed on the mode of action of tolnaftate and resistance to this drug in Microsporum gypseum. Cells grown in the presence of tolnaftate (at the IC 50) showed a reduced content of total phospholipids and sterols whereas there was an increase in total RNA content. Incubation of cells with tolnaftate (at 10 x MIC), followed by addition of different macromolecule precursors revealed inhibition of the biosynthesis of all macromolecules except for RNA. The activity of membrane-bound enzymes did not change on treatment with tolnaftate (10 x MIC) whereas an increase in the leakage of intracellular 32P was observed. The content of total phospholipids was higher in tolnaftate-resistant cells, whereas the content of total sterols, DNA, RNA and protein was comparable to that of susceptible cultures. Activity of phosphodiesterase decreased and 5'-nucleotidase increased in tolnaftate-resistant cells. Our results suggest that the antifungal activity of tolnaftate is due to differential action on various targets site(s) which are modified in strains resistant to the drug.


Studies show that patients get most of their health advice from the media. Doctors, however, are fond of blaming broadcasters and journalists for inaccurate reporting and scaremongering. But is this criticism justified? After all, much of that advice is offered by doctors writing health columns.

The accuracy of information in the lay press was recently examined in Canada The study looked at a random sample of 50 advice columns on geriatric problems which were written by doctors and published in 11 different Canadian daily newspapers in 1995 (see News, BMJ 11 September, p 658). The group of geriatricians who evaluated these columns found that 28% gave potentially life threatening advice, in 22% critical issues were not clearly identified, and in 14% opinion was likely to be interpreted as fact.

Given the number of patients now arriving at general practitioners' surgeries clutching newspaper articles, it is time for a wider review of these advice columns. Various methodologies have been developed to produce measures of quality for consumer health information—such as DISCERN, an instrument for judging the quality …


This PDF is best viewed in a third-party application (such as Adobe Acrobat Reader). Please download the PDF to your local hard drive to follow the instructions.


The rate of oxidation and the catalyst stability in the oxidation of 1-alkenes with O2 using [PdCl(NO2)(MeCN)2] as catalyst is considerably improved by the use of amides as ligands or solvents. Transition metal catalyzed oxidation of olefins with molecular oxygen has attracted considerable attention from a synthetic, mechanistic, and industrial point of view. Environmental constraints with commonly used oxidants and the formation of stoichiometric amounts of co-products are important incentives to develop selective nonradical oxidations with O2. Various transition-metal dioxygen complexes and studies of oxygen activation have recently been described. . The Wacker process, based on palladium dichloride is extremely useful for the conversion of vinyl-substituted compounds into methylketones although there are severe limitations for higher α-olefins due to olefin isomerization or low catalyst stability. It has been demonstrated that catalysts based on palladium (II) nitro complexes in some cases offer an excellent alternative to the Wacker oxidation. We reported that [PdCl(NO2)(MeCN)2], modified with CuCl2 as co-catalyst and tBuOH or i-PrOH as ligand or solvent, is capable of catalyzing the oxidation of α-olefins to aldehydes (60-70% selectivity) or methylketones (>90% selectivity) using molecular oxygen. The proposed catalytic cycle for the oxidation of 1-alkenes to aldehydes, which involves a palladium-nitro-nitrosyl redox couple, is shown in scheme I. Scheme I. Catalytic cycle for the oxidation of 1-alkenes to aldehydes with O2 using a [Pd-NO2] catalyst.


Recently the industry high-speed machining has been applied to the automotive, aircraft, electronics parts machining because the effect of cost savings, machining time reduction and productivity improvement. In this study recently the aircraft structural aluminum alloy 7075 used in cutting the ball end-mill on the surface roughness terms most affect the parameters of the spindle speed and feed rate on the surface roughness of the work-piece according to the cutting depth is to investigate. Cutting depth at 0.3 mm has the lowest surface roughness.


When philosophers participate in the interdisciplinary ethical, environmental, economic, legal, and social analysis of nanotechnologies, what is their specific contribution? At first glance, the contribution of philosophy appears to be a clarification of the various moral and ethical arguments that are commonly presented in philosophical discussion. But if this is the only contribution of philosophy, then it can offer no more than a stalemate position, in which each moral and ethical argument nullifies all the others. To provide an alternative, we must analyze the reasons behind the prevailing individual and cultural relativism in ethics. The epistemological investigation of this stalemate position will guide us to the core problem of the relation between theory and action ("Part 1: From a conceptual to a speech act analysis of moral arguments"). The stalemate can be overcome from a pragmatic philosophical standpoint, which combines epistemology, philosophy of language—that is, the philosophy of speech acts—and practical reasoning—that is, reasoning about decision-making ("Part 2: Moral argumentation from a pragmatist perspective"). From this philosophical standpoint, it will be possible to show how philosophy can accompany and support the development of nanotechnologies ("Part 3: Philosophy and the evaluation of the development of nanotechnologies").


A double-oxalate-bridging tetra-Gd3+ containing divacant Lindqvist dimeric isopolytungtate Na10[Gd2(C2O4)(H2O)4(OH)W4O16]2·30H2O (Gd4W8) was obtained based on the reaction of Na2WO4·2H2O, H2C2O4, and GdCl3 in aqueous solution. Its dimeric polyoxoanion is established by two divacant Lindqvist [W4O16]8- segments connected by a rectangular tetra-nuclearity [Gd4(C2O4)2(H2O)8(OH)2]6+ cluster. Notably, neighboring trinuclear [Na3O4(H2O)11]5- clusters are interconnected to construct a picturesque 1-D sinusoidal Na-O cluster chain. The most outstanding characteristic is that 1-D sinusoidal Na-O cluster chains combine [Gd2(C2O4)(H2O)4(OH)W4O16]210- polyoxoanions together, giving rise to an intriguing 3-D extended porous framework. The red emitter Eu3+ ions and green emitter Tb3+ ions are first codoped into Gd4W8 to substitute Gd3+ ions for the exploration of the energy transfer (ET) mechanism between Eu3+ and Tb3+ ions and the color-tunable PL property in the isopolytungtate system. The PL emission spectra and decay lifetime measurements of the Eu3+/Tb3+ codoped Gd4W8 system illustrate that under excitation at 370 nm, Tb3+ ions can transfer energy to Eu3+ ions. When the molar concentration of Tb3+ ions is fixed at 0.9 and that of the Eu3+ ions gradually increases from 0.01 to 0.08, the calculated ET efficiency (ηET) from Tb3+ to Eu3+ ions increases from 7.9% for Gd0.36Tb3.6Eu0.04W8 to 67.3% for Gd0.08Tb3.6Eu0.32W8. The energy transfer mechanism (Tb3+ → Eu3+) is a nonradiative dipole-dipole interaction. Furthermore, upon excitation at 370 nm, Eu4W8 and Tb4W8 show visible red- and green-emitting lights, respectively. When codoping trace amounts of Eu3+ ions in Tb4W8, under excitation at 370 nm, Tb3.92Eu0.08W8 displays near white-light emission.


Inspection techniques are strategies for analysing software artefacts. These techniques provide guidelines for examining the software documentation and identifying defects. These guidelines consist of a series of heuristics to help reviewers to read and understand the artefact that they are analysing. A number of researchers have now developed experimental studies to compare the performance of the different techniques in an attempt to find out what is the best strategy to adopt in which cases. In this work, we conduct a systematic review of the effectiveness and efficiency of inspection techniques following Kitchenham's recommendations.


Abstract Electron microprobe analyses of almandine-spessartine garnets from pegmatites and aplites from the Hub Kapong batholith and Phuket Island in peninsular Thailand show three types of zoning. Garnets from pegmatites show extreme zoning, with Mn-rich cores (⋍ 80 % spessartine) and Mn-poor rims (⩾ 40 % spessartine), whereas those from aplites are either unzoned (35–40% spessartine) within the limits of detection, or have Mn-enriched rims (cores 45 %, rims 55 % spessartine). The origin of the three types of zoning is considered to reflect different crystal growth histories in each case. The pegmatitic garnets grew under conditions favourable for the development and preservation of marked concentration gradients—low nucleation density, rapid growth rate and slow cation diffusion rates for the crystal and rapid diffusion rates for the pegmatitic liquid. The aplitic garnets had a more complex growth history, with slower growth rates and faster diffusion rates for the crystal, coupled with slower diffusion rates within the aplite magma, tending to prevent the formation and preservation of concentration gradients. Subsequent resorption of aplitic garnets at lower temperatures gave rise to Mn-rich rims because of the preferential retention of Mn by the garnet; lower cation diffusion rates within the crystal permitted these marginal concentration gradients to be preserved.