A case report of a rare proximal phalanx metastasis from a primary lung carcinoma is described. The presenting symptom of the patient was pain in the proximal phalanx of the index finger. Radiographs at the time of presentation were unremarkable, and no diagnosis was provided. Because of increasing pain and eventual swelling, the patient presented for emergency assessment. Radiographs, less than 3 months after initial assessment, demonstrated a large lytic lesion within the proximal phalanx. Biopsy of the lesion documented a large cell malignancy consistent with a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Subsequent investigations documented an occult lung neoplasm. The patient underwent palliative ray resection followed by the initiation of palliative chemotherapy for the primary carcinoma. A brief review of literature regarding acrometastases is provided and the potential benefit of early positron emission tomography scanning is discussed.


In this article, the issue of setting the market value of the new goods is examined. Inclusion of price proposals for all new goods to the analysis of price proposals results in setting a wrong market value. The new goods category includes many of the goods, which significantly differ by their prices and groundlessly influence on the market value. In fact, these goods are not new but they may be taken by mistake in the analysis of the price proposals.
When carrying out a forensic merchandising examination with a new product, you should carefully check the product, at a price significantly lower. If it is established that it belongs to the refurbished goods, it is impractical to include it for comparison.
Based on the above analysis, we can conclude that in order to establish objectively the market value of new goods, it is necessary to take price proposals for the first and second groups of goods, which were determined at the beginning. Goods belonging to the third group should not be included in the analysis, as this may affect the correctness of the market value determination.


It is commonly used method to analyze the overall thermal characteristics of mechanical structure without considering the thermal contact resistance of components. But in terms of precision composite grinding machine, the impact of thermal contact resistance can not be ignored. On the basic of thermal contact resistance characteristics, this article gives the concept and empirical value of the equivalent area factor. By calculating the equivalent contact coefficient, the thermal contact resistance characteristics were integrated into the grinder simulation. According to the structure and processing characteristics of grinder, grinding machine was analyzed in two parts respectively to get the pattern of temperature rise and thermal deformation. Analysis shows the impact that thermal deformation has on working accuracy, so as to provide basis to the compensation of numerical control system to improve the working accuracy.


Scienceblind: Why Our Intuitive Theories About the World Are So Wrong . By Andrew Shtulman. 2017. Basic Books. (ISBN: 9780465053940). 311 pp., illus. Hardcover $30.00.

Science denial has been a major issue of concern in recent years. Many factors have been proposed as the cause of science denial, including political ideology, religious ideology, and purveyors of misinformation and doubt like antievolutionists, anti-vaccination proponents, and climate change skeptics. In Scienceblind , Andrew Shtulman, associate professor of psychology and cognitive science at Occidental College, discusses yet another factor that contributes to skepticism about established science. Shtulman provides an overview of intuitive theories about the world that develop early in life, have been consistently found in people of all ages, across many different cultures, and throughout history. These intuitive theories can pose barriers for students trying to learn many of the well-established, but counterintuitive, theories central to the biological and physical sciences. Shtulman argues that, "To get the world right we need to do more than just change our beliefs; we need to change the very concepts that articulate those beliefs. That is, to get the world right, we cannot simply refine our intuitive theories; we must dismantle them and rebuild them from their foundations" …


Industrial static VAr compensators (SVCs) are typically applied at or near the load center to mitigate voltage fluctuations, flicker, phase unbalance, or other load-related disturbances. In this paper, a phase-to-phase "open + close" control scheme for industrial SVC is proposed. The forward loop is to guarantee short response time, while the feedback loop is to ensure good dynamics and steady characteristics of SVC. The fast compensation algorithm for asymmetric industrial loads based on instantaneous reactive power theory is used in the forward loop, while a fuzzy proportional-integral-differential control strategy is applied to the close loop. The hardware and software of this SVC control system is developed based on SIMATIC-TDC and WinCC; the former is the most modern but well-proven industrial controller, while the latter is the globally used human machine interface system. Many industrial applications show that this kind of control system can meet the strict performance and reliability requirements of industrial SVCs.


The use of error-correcting codes for tight control of the peak-to-mean envelope power ratio (PMEPR) in orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) transmission is considered. A well-known approach for the construction of such codes is to take a code that is good in the classical coding-theoretic sense and to choose a translate of this code that minimizes the PMEPR. A fundamental problem is to determine the minimum PMEPR over all translates of a given code. Motivated by a recent lower bound for this minimum, an existence result is presented here. Roughly speaking, given a code C of sufficiently large length n, there exists a translate of C with PMEPR at most k log(|C|n1+ϵ) for all ϵ > 0 and for some k independent of n. This result is then used to show that for n ≥ 32 there is a translate of the lengthened dual of a binary primitive t-error-correcting BCH code with PMEPR at most 8(t + 2)log n.


Liquid xenon (LXe) is employed in a number of current and future detectors for rare event searches. We use the EXO-200 experimental data to measure the absolute scintillation and ionization yields generated by γ interactions from Th228 (2615 keV), Ra226 (1764 keV), and Co60 (1332 keV and 1173 keV) calibration sources, over a range of electric fields. The W value that defines the recombination-independent energy scale is measured to be 11.5±0.5 (syst.) ±0.1 (stat.) eV. These data are also used to measure the recombination fluctuations in the number of electrons and photons produced by the calibration sources at the MeV scale, which deviate from extrapolations of lower-energy data. Additionally, a semiempirical model for the energy resolution of the detector is developed, which is used to constrain the recombination efficiency, i.e., the fraction of recombined electrons that result in the emission of a detectable photon. Detailed measurements of the absolute charge and light yields for MeV-scale electron recoils are important for predicting the performance of future neutrinoless double β-decay detectors.


Reviewing reports of foundations generally is not a useful exercise for physicians. These two reports, neatly bound and shrewdly edited, serve as a taking-off point for a consideration of the role which foundations have played and which they might play, not only in American medicine but in the broad field of education and in the affairs of the world at large. There is scarcely any endeavor which may not be forwarded by a foundation. There is no objective for which one cannot bequeath large or small sums. No one has ever calculated the vast sums of money wasted by devoted but misguided zealots bemused by some enthusiastic promoter or tormented by some pathological whim. Such travesties on altruism may be seen particularly where large quantities of wealth accumulate in a short period of time. For reasons not apparent, many established whimsies have been supported by fortunes made by exploitation of


Background Stereotactic breast biopsies have become the gold standard for tissue diagnosis in non-palpable, sonographically occult breast abnormalities seen on mammogram. Only limited data exist in South Africa on the correlation between imaging findings and stereotactic biopsy histology. Objectives To describe the mammographic findings and histological diagnosis in patients who underwent stereotactic breast biopsy at a referral hospital. In addition, to evaluate the proportion of malignancy in each Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) category. Method A retrospective review of stereotactic breast biopsies was performed. Imaging characteristics (including BI-RADS category) and histological diagnosis were recorded. Using histopathology, cases were classified as benign, high-risk or malignant. Results A total of 131 biopsies, from 123 patients, were included in the study. Most biopsies were performed on asymptomatic patients (79.3%, 104/131). The majority were categorised as BI-RADS 4 and demonstrated calcifications. Histology revealed a malignant diagnosis in 40 (30.5%) patients, a high-risk lesion in 8 (6.1%) patients and a benign diagnosis in 83 (63.4%) patients. There was a stepwise increase in the proportion of malignancy from BI-RADS category 3 to 5. When compared with surgical histology, the stereotactic biopsies demonstrated an overall ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) underestimation rate of 10.3%. Conclusion Despite resource restrictions, stereotactic breast biopsies performed in a South African context produce radiological-pathological concordance in keeping with BI-RADS guidelines, as well as with local and international studies.


Abstract. Knowledge of the particle lidar ratio (Sλ) and the particle linear
depolarisation ratio (δλ) for different aerosol types allows
for aerosol typing and aerosol-type separation in lidar measurements.
Reference values generally originate from dedicated lidar observations but
might also be obtained from the inversion of AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) sun/sky radiometer
measurements. This study investigates the consistency of spectral Sλ
and δλ provided in the recently released AERONET version 3
inversion product for observations of undiluted mineral dust in the vicinity
of the following major deserts: Gobi, Sahara, Arabian, Great Basin, and Great Victoria. Pure dust conditions are identified by an Ångström exponent
<0.4 and a fine-mode fraction <0.1. The values of spectral Sλ are found to vary for the different source
regions but generally show an increase with decreasing wavelength. The
feature correlates to AERONET, retrieving an increase in the imaginary part of
the refractive index with decreasing wavelength. The smallest values of
Sλ=35–45 sr are found for mineral dust from the Great Basin
desert,
while the highest values of 50–70 sr have been inferred from AERONET
observations of Saharan dust. Values of Sλ at 675, 870, and 1020 nm
seem to be in reasonable agreement with available lidar observations, while
those at 440 nm are up to 10 sr higher than the lidar reference. The
spectrum of δλ shows a maximum of 0.26–0.31 at 1020 nm and
decreasing values as wavelength decreases. AERONET-derived δλ
values at 870 and 1020 nm are in line with the lidar reference, while values of
0.19–0.24 at 440 nm are smaller than the independent lidar observations by
a difference of 0.03 to 0.08. This general behaviour is consistent with
earlier studies based on AERONET version 2 products.


This paper was prepared for the Angus Maddison Memorial conference, held in November 2010 at the International Institute of Social History in Amsterdam. The paper reflects on Angus Maddison's contributions to development economics. It focuses on the following issues: 1. quantification in development economics and the framework of proximate and ultimate causality in growth and development; 2 the debate about levels of GDP per capita in the middle of the eighteenth century; 3 Maddison versus the Malthusians; 4 measurement of Chinese Economic Performance in the long run; 5. the impact of Western expansion on the non-Western world and 6. the role of institutions in economic development.


During visual fixation, microscopic eye movements shift the image on the retina over a large number of photoreceptors. Although these movements have been investigated for almost a century, the amount of retinal image motion they create remains unclear. Currently available estimates rely on assumptions about the probability distributions of eye movements that have never been tested. Furthermore, these estimates were based on data collected with only a few, highly experienced and motivated observers and may not be representative of the instability of naive and inexperienced subjects in experiments that require steady fixation. In this study, we used a high-resolution eye-tracker to estimate the probability distributions of gaze position in a relatively large group of human observers, most of whom were untrained, while they were asked to maintain fixation at the center of a uniform field in the presence/absence of a fixation marker. In all subjects, the probability distribution of gaze position deviated from normality, the underlying assumption of most previous studies. The resulting fixational dispersion of gaze was much larger than previously reported and varied greatly across individuals. Unexpectedly, the precision by which different observers maintained fixation on the marker was best predicted by the properties of ocular drift rather than those of microsaccades. Our results show that, during fixation, the eyes move by larger amounts and at higher speeds than commonly assumed and highlight the importance of ocular drift in maintaining accurate fixation.


For most of its history, western philosophy has regarded woman as an imperfect version of man. Like so many aspects of western culture, this tradition builds on foundations laid in ancient Greece. Yet the first philosophers of antiquity were hardly agreed on first principles. Songe-M-|ller shows how the Greeks made intellectual choices that would prove fateful for half of humankind.


K-fashion is a manifestation of technology-driven globalization. Globalization, or the process of acrossborders interaction and integration, has been fueled by modern advancements in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Popular culture, of which K-pop would be a good example, is a manifestation of this process. It is likewise fueled by technology, by the internet, by online means of acquiring data. In this globalized age, ICT is an open source of information on the rise and fall of K-pop groups. The access—to these information—that they give also reflects their role in the actual rise and fall of these global groups. In the Philippine setting, technology-driven globalization manifests in popular culture only indirectly. This process of interaction and integration can be visibly seen in the more wearable and more tangible products of K-fashion. With the internet providing means to download free music and videos, Filipinos can instead use their resources to shop for clothes, in both physical stalls and online stores. As a third-world country, the Philippines finds itself not far above the modified poverty-line called the wash-line. Despite this, however, they manage to innovate and find creative ways to participate—become active receivers—of the process that continuously connects the technological world.


This study contains analysis of data obtained from the Climate Community System Model (CCSM) 3.5 with the objective of determining the driver of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). The model was run with initial conditions resembling a Pliocene climate. The main hypothesized drivers were the meridional density difference, the strength of the winds over the Southern Ocean, the deep water formation in the north Atlantic, and the transport of the subpolar gyre. The analysis consisted of a quantitative and a qualitative part. In the quantitative part the focus was on finding the correlation coefficient between the AMOC and the hypothesized drives, and in the qualitative the purpose was to find a causal relation. Furthermore, the quantitative analysis provided a basis on which to perform the qualitative part. Because of distinctly different behavior of the AMOC in the early and latter part of the simulation both analyses were performed in two seperate temporal regimes. In both regimes the overall analysis of the data supported the claim that it is the deep water formation in the Denmark Strait and the Labrador Sea which should be considered the most important driver, although with a large influence of the subpolar gyre in transporting high salinity waters to these regions. Two feedback mechanisms in the behavior of the AMOC, deep water formation and subpolar gyre transport must be highlighted in this regard. First, the socalled salt-advection feedback; an increase in upper ocean northward salinity flux towards the subpolar Atlantic increases the density here. This enables deep water formation which again increases the overturning. Second, the convective feedback; when convection takes place the vertical density difference is being lowered due to mixing. This process decreases the energy input required for deep convection, which is thereby sustained. Since the deep water formation occurs in a region with a fresh water flux from the atmosphere to the ocean (since precipitation is higher than evaporation) a continuous freshening of the upper ocean take place. If convection does not occur for consecutive years, the fresh water accumulates and therefore lightens the upper ocean further inhibiting deep water formation. The analyzed data support the conclusion that both these feedback processes can have a very large influence on the deep water formation and therefore on the AMOC strength.


The dynamic evolution of the real estate market, as well as the sophistications of the interactions of the actors involved in it have caused that, contrary to classical economic theory, the real estate market is increasingly being thought of as a set of submarkets. This is because, among other things, the modeling of a segmented housing market allows, on the one hand, to design housing policies that are better adapted to the needs of the population, but on the other hand, it allows the generation of both marketing and supply strategies Oriented to specific population sectors. Such strategies in theory should behave as options with relatively low uncertainty, thus representing an attractive offer to all market players. However, in praxis, the segmentation of the real estate market is usually modeled on the offer. It is therefore that this paper proposes a modeling from observed preferences3 seen through intraurban migrations. In particular, it is proposed to model the market through the interaction value of Coombes, scaling the results in order to visualize the resulting submarket structure from the construction of a PAM (Partitioning Algorithm Medoids).


Examination of data from Brazilian prehistoric remains, anthropometric variation and genetic polymorphisms of Brazilian or South American Indians in general do not furnish clues about the routes travelled by the first colonizers within the continent. Although the main contribution for the Amerindian gene pool should have originated in Siberia, the genetic data do not contradict the possibility of other, minor sources from the Pacific (Proto-Polynesians ?).


This study was conducted to analyze the ultrasonic transmitted signal for apple using wavelet transform. Fruit consists of non-linear visco-elastic properties such as flesh, an ovary and rind and hence most ultrasonic wave is attenuated and its frequency is shifted during passing the fruit. Thus it was not easy to evaluate the internal quality of the fruit using typical ultrasonic parameters such as wave velocity, attenuation, and frequency spectrum. The discrete wavelet transform was applied to the ultrasonic transmitted signal for apple. The magnitude of the first peak frequency of the wavelet basis from the ultrasonic transmitted signal showed a close correlation to the storage time of apple.


Peanut plants (Arachis hypogaea L.) are glycophytes indicating their vulnerability to highly saline soils. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different NaCl concentrations on seed germination characteristics and early seedling growth of peanut seeds of three Bulgarian cultivars 'Kremena', 'Kalina' and '4389'. Four different concentrations of NaCl (50, 100, 150 and 200 mM) were used as treatments and deionized water as control. To determine the salinity tolerance, the data for following germination characteristics germination energy (%), final germination (%), coefficient of velocity of germination (% day-1), germination rate index and mean germination time (day) and seedling characteristics shoot and root length (cm), fresh weight (mg plant-1) of shoot and root and dry weight (mg plant-1) of shoot and root were recorded. The Vigor index, coefficients of depression of roots and shoots and salt tolerance index were also calculated. The genotype had the strongest influence on the variance of the root length, while the salinity treatment had the strongest influence on germination energy, coefficient of velocity of germination, germination rate index, mean germination time, length of shoot, fresh weight of shoot and dry weigth of shoot and root. 'Kremena' was the most tolerant at seedling growth stage, while '4389' was the most sensitive especially at high levels of salt stress. Principal component (PC) analysis grouped analysed cultivars at different salinity stress according to similarity on the basis of investigated germination and seedling characters in two components in the factor plane.


The eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, is divided into four populations along the western North Atlantic, however, the only published mitochondrial genome sequence was assembled using one individual in Delaware. This study aimed to (1) assemble C. virginica mitochondrial genomes from Texas with pooled restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing (ezRAD), (2) evaluate the validity of the mitochondrial genome assemblies including comparison with Sanger sequencing data, and (3) evaluate genetic differentiation both between the Delaware and Texas genomes, as well as among three bays in Texas. The pooled-genome-assembled-genomes (PAGs) from Texas exhibited several characteristics indicating that they were valid, including elevated nucleotide diversity in non-coding and the third position of codons, placement as the sister haplotype of the genome from Delaware in a phylogenetic reconstruction of Crassostrea mitochondrial genomes, and a lack of genetic structure in the ND4 gene among the three Texas bays as was found with Sanger amplicons in samples from the same bays several years prior. In the comparison between the Delaware and Texas genome, 27 of 38 coding regions exhibited variability between the two populations, which were differentiated by 273 mutations, versus 1–13 mutations among the Texas samples. Using the full PAGs, there was no additional evidence for population structure among the three Texas bays. While population genetics is rapidly moving towards larger high-density datasets, studies of mitochondrial DNA (and genomes) can be particularly useful for comparing historic data prior to the modern era of genomics. As such, being able to reliably compile mitochondrial genomes from genomic data can improve the ability to compare results across studies.


Ankle sprains represent a common musculoskeletal injury that clinicians are tasked with preventing and treating. Because of the prevalence of this injury, ankle braces have been designed to prophylactically protect the joint and reduce the incidence of repetitive sprains. Although an abundance of literature exists focusing on the efficacy of braces in preventing ankle sprains in young, healthy, and physically active populations, there is a scarcity of evidence specific to the impact of these apparatuses on functional performance; therefore, the purpose of this critically appraised topic (CAT) is to investigate the effects of ankle braces on functional performance measures in such individuals. The outcomes of this CAT will assist sport rehabilitation specialists with informed clinical decision making in managing young, healthy, and physically active populations using ankle braces. Do ankle braces hinder functional performance measures when compared with an unbraced condition in a young, healthy, and physically active population? A minimum of level II evidence research studies were surveyed for this CAT. For this CAT, 1 randomized controlled trial and 3 prospective cohort studies were selected. One study found a statistically significant main effect of increased agility run times while participants wore ankle braces. Another study demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in vertical jump height and ankle range of motion while wearing braces. No other statistically significant findings were reported among studies comparing unbraced with braced conditions. Current data indicate that young, healthy, and physically active individuals may experience varied performance effects when executing specific functional performance tasks while wearing ankle braces. In general, bracing does not appear to significantly impair performance on most functional tasks; however, decrements were noted to increases in agility run time and decreases in vertical jump height. Subsequent analysis indicated that a brace may result in decreased ankle plantarflexion, dorsiflexion, eversion, and inversion range of motion, which may underpin noted performance deficits.


Factor X deficiency is a rare bleeding disorder that varies in severity among affected individuals. The signs and symptoms of this condition can begin at any age, although the most severe cases are apparent in childhood. Factor X deficiency commonly causes nosebleeds, easy bruising, bleeding under the skin, bleeding of the gums, blood in the urine (hematuria), and prolonged or excessive bleeding following surgery or trauma. Women with factor X deficiency can have heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia) or excessive bleeding in childbirth, and may be at increased risk of pregnancy loss (miscarriage). Bleeding into joint spaces (hemarthrosis) occasionally occurs. Severely affected individuals have an increased risk of bleeding inside the skull (intracranial hemorrhage), in the lungs (pulmonary hemorrhage), or in the gastrointestinal tract, which can be life-threatening.


Paper II of this series demonstrates that spherical lens elements combined with spherical mirrors may provide well-corrected and achromatized ultraviolet microscope objectives. The present paper presents a further study of several types of catadioptric Schwarzschild systems which provide microscope objectives relatively easy to construct, convenient to use, and for which ultraviolet and visual range performance characteristics are not compromised. Several modifications with numerical apertures within the range 0.4 to 1.0 are presented.


While it is well known that income and health are positively associated, the critical question of whether this relationship is causal remains open. Income may cause better health, but causality could also run from health to income, or both income and health could be correlated with one or more unobserved variables. This paper attempts to overcome these problems by systematically exploiting features of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, which recently added several important health measures. To account for reverse-causality, I reason that health effects income mainly by limiting labor force activities, and focus on a subpopulation that has never reported a health related work limitation. To account for omitted variables, I estimate sibling fixed-effects models to control for childhood conditions and genetic background, and include direct controls for discount rates, risk aversion and cognitive ability. I find that income has a significant causal effect on physical health and obesity, but not on mental health, smoking or heavy drinking. My preferred models predict that an individual with a permanent income of $70,000 is approximately 10% less likely to be obese than if they had a permanent income of $30,000, and reports physical health that is .25 standard deviations more favorable.


OBJECTIVE
To review recent dermoscopy studies that provide new insights into the evolution of nevi and their patterns of pigmentation as they contribute to the diagnosis of nevi and the management of pigmented melanocytic nevi.

DATA SOURCES
Data for this article were identified by searching the English and German literature by Medline and Journals@Ovid search for the period 1950 to January 2009.

STUDY SELECTION
The following relevant terms were used: dermoscopy, dermatoscopy, epiluminescence microscopy (ELM), surface microscopy, digital dermoscopy, digital dermatoscopy, digital epiluminescence microscopy, digital surface microscopy, melanocytic skin lesion, nevi, and pigmented skin lesions. There were no exclusion criteria.

DATA SYNTHESIS
The dermoscopic diagnosis of nevi relies on the following 4 criteria (each of which is characterized by 4 variables): (1) color (black, brown, gray, and blue); (2) pattern (globular, reticular, starburst, and homogeneous blue pattern); (3) pigment distribution (multifocal, central, eccentric, and uniform); and (4) special sites (face, acral areas, nail, and mucosa). In addition, the following 6 factors related to the patient might influence the pattern of pigmentation of the individual nevi: age, skin type, history of melanoma, UV exposure, pregnancy, and growth dynamics.

CONCLUSIONS
The 4 x 4 x 6 "rule" may help clinicians remember the basic dermoscopic criteria of nevi and the patient-related factors influencing their patterns. Dermoscopy is a useful technique for diagnosing melanocytic nevi, but the clinician should take additional factors into consideration to optimize the management of cases of pigmented lesions.


The peripheral and semi-peripheral roles of islands are being challenged and contested as contemporary island cities assume positions as engines of growth and become centres of progress for driving economic development. Notably, island cities around the globe have become instrumental in shaping and influencing the dynamics of urban development as cities now compete with each other to strategically position themselves in today's competitive global economy that leverages creativity and innovation. Particularly in a creative economy, the availability, quantity, and quality of unique cultures; creative talents; and creative/cultural industries within a city are differentiating and determining factors that can boost a city's position and subsequently spur economic growth and progress. Against this backdrop, this paper explores the position of the island city of George Town (Penang) en route to becoming a Creative City. This paper highlights the island's urban dynamics as well as discusses the promise and perils of transforming George Town into a Creative City in its own right.


in vitro fertilisation, but appreciable side effects are unlikely to be so rare. For instance, ovarian hyperstimulation is a known risk despite published advice that it should be preventable.' Adequate information about possible morbidity in assisted conception is not made readily available to potential patients, nor are the hazards apparently sufficiently acknowledged by those who deliver the treatments. Of course, the increasing success of fertility treatments is to be welcomed, but childless couples, in their desperate longing for babies, are only too ready to overlook the possible drawbacks. Fertility specialists therefore have a duty to present comprehensive information about not only the prospects of success but also the risks of assisted conception. BILL TRAVERS Warley Hospital, Brentwood, Essex CM14 5HQ


BACKGROUND
Atypical antipsychotic agents are thought to be less likely than older typical agents to produce parkinsonism. This has not been well documented. We compared the risk of development of incident parkinsonism among older adults dispensed atypical relative to typical antipsychotics.

METHODS
Retrospective cohort study of all adults 66 years and older in Ontario. We used Cox proportional hazards models to study the association between the type, potency, and dose of antipsychotic dispensed and the development of parkinsonism during 1 year of follow-up.

RESULTS
All 25,769 older adults prescribed antipsychotics were observed for 11,573 person-years, and 449 events of parkinsonism were identified. Relative to individuals dispensed an atypical antipsychotic, those dispensed a typical agent were 30% more likely (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.58) and those exposed to neither agent were 60% less likely (HR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.29-0.43) to experience development of parkinsonism. Furthermore, those dispensed lower-potency typical agents were no different (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.48-1.15), and those dispensed higher-potency typical antipsychotics were at close to a 50% greater risk (HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.13-1.84) of development of parkinsonism relative to atypical antipsychotics. Relative to those dispensed a high-dose atypical antipsychotic, those dispensed a typical antipsychotic were at similar risk for parkinsonism (Wald chi(2) = 0.14, P = .7).

CONCLUSIONS
The risk of development of parkinsonism associated with the use of high-dose atypical antipsychotics was similar to that associated with the use of typical antipsychotics. Caution should be used when prescribing atypical antipsychotic therapy at high doses.


Retrograde transport of a transcription factor from hippocampal axons exposed to amyloid β triggers neurodegeneration. Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease associated with β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques. Baleriola et al. investigated the mechanism by which pathogenic Aβ-induced changes in axonal projections cause cell death in the neurons using rat embryonic hippocampal neurons cultured in tripartite chambers, which enable the axons and cell bodies (soma) to be exposed to different media. Addition of oligomeric Aβ1-42 to the axonal chamber induced apoptosis in neurons that depended on increased general protein synthesis specifically in the axons. Aβ1-42 stimulated the expression of a specific set of mRNAs in the axons but not in the soma, among which was the transcript for activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4). ATF4 suppresses the transcription of memory-related genes and activates the expression of apoptosis-related genes as part of the unfolded protein response (UPR), a pathway induced by cellular stress. The translation of ATF4 is mediated by the translation initiation factor eIF2α. Exposure of axons to Aβ1-42 resulted in a temporal response: First, the abundance of eIF2α increased in the axons, then ATF4 increased in the axons, and finally ATF4 abundance increased in the soma. Inhibiting retrograde transport blocked the responses to Aβ1-42 in the soma but not the increase of ATF4 in the axons. Furthermore, blocking retrograde transport also prevented Aβ1-42 from stimulating ATF4-mediated transcriptional induction of CHOP (a UPR mediator) in the soma and prevented neuron death when axons were treated with Aβ1-42. Knocking down ATF4 also prevented Aβ1-42-induced neuronal death. Intrahippocampal injection of Aβ1-42 in mice induced cell death in basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCN), which extend their axons to the hippocampus. BFCN axons in the Aβ1-42-injected hippocampus had increased abundance of Atf4 mRNA; ATF4 protein was increased in both BFCN axons and soma. Coinjection of ATF4 siRNA decreased Aβ1-42-induced BFCN death but exacerbated cell death in the hippocampus. In postmortem brain tissue from patients that had Alzheimer's disease, ATF4-positive axons were observed in the vicinity of Aβ plaques. Thus, blocking the transport of ATF4 from axons to the soma may prevent some of the neuronal loss associated with Alzheimer's disease. J. Baleriola, C. A. Walker, Y. Y. Jean, J. F. Crary, C. M. Troy, P. L. Nagy, U. Hengst, Axonally synthesized ATF4 transmits a neurodegenerative signal across brain regions. Cell 158, 1159–1172 (2014). [PubMed]


How can a collapsing world be shown to be a chance for change? The catastrophe of the earthquakes that began on September 4th 2010 continues to shake Christchurch, New Zealand, to its very foundations. Much of the city was reduced to rubble – first by nature and then by governmental and corporate machinery. The ruptures caused by the earthquakes and what came after have created openings and a sense of urgency for creative experimentation and challenges to the status quo. Canterbury Tales (October 2013) was produced by Free Theatre for the Festival of Transitional Architecture and involved: artists and academics from Christchurch, Auckland and Sydney; Christchurch Symphony Orchestra; performers from Ngai Tahu and Pacific Underground; local businesses and the general public. As a carnivalesque celebration of community in the face of natural, and man-made, disaster, Canterbury Tales featured a procession of giant puppets and masked performers that led participants in a performative exploration of the destroyed city centre. Peter Falkenberg, artistic director of the overall production, and Thea Brejzek, who led the design project, 'Eye of the Storm', consider how performance in an earthquake zone can spatialize the transgressive potential of social, cultural and political ruptures. This paper reflects on the dialectical negotiation underlying the project: following Bakhtin, as a natural, cyclical, temporal interruption, while also facing a catastrophe that helps us create the 'real state of emergency' Benjamin demands for our time. In Benjamin's words: 'The tradition of the oppressed teaches us that the "state of emergency" in which we live is not the exception but the rule'. We may be at a time in Christchurch, as everywhere, when we must confront a catastrophe that, being of our own making, is even more virulent than an earthquake.


Managing processes with the aim of improving them necessarily requires both analysis and critical evaluation of organizational practice. This article takes up the theme of business process analysis with the aim of highlighting and comparing alternative techniques and approaches. Four approaches have been identified: action analysis, process mapping, co‐ordination analysis and social grammar analysis. An interpretative model of the fundamental differences between these approaches is proposed. This paper discusses both the limits and the possibilities offered by each approach and concludes with a reflection on the problem of integrating diverse analytical perspectives.


A ReaxFF reactive force field is developed and used for molecular dynamics studies of reactions that occur when diethyl zinc is exposed to a graphene surface that has been functionalized with epoxide groups. From past experiments, it is known that these conditions lead to zinc oxide nanoparticle formation. Molecular dynamics simulations are used to provide atom-level detail into the nanoparticle formation process, including the mechanisms whereby oxygen is abstracted from the graphene surface, thus enabling condensation reactions in which multiple zinc-containing species form zinc oxide fragments and ultimately nanoparticles. Structural properties of the nanoparticles show nonstoichiometric zinc oxide structures with average coordination numbers of 3.6 around each zinc. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations show that the absorption spectra of these clusters are red-shifted by a few tenths of an electronvolt compared to that of a wurtzite crystal structure, representing transitions from oxy...


Abstract This text seeks to situate Being and Time in the line of the ancient philosophical tradition of care for self (epiméleia heautou). After a brief description of the main features of this tradition as portrayed by Michel Foucault and Pierre Hadot, the author presents the elements of Being in Time in favour and those against such a link. Her hypothesis appears to encounter a major objection in the explicit refusal of Heidegger to speak of Selbstsorge. But an attentive examination of the meaning of this reserve (the rejection of selfhood as a transparent and introspective relationship of the soul to itself) makes it in reality possible to show Heidegger to be one of the most consequent philosophers in the tradition of care for the soul. Indeed, by highlighting the constitutive link between selfhood and care, Heidegger shows the very condition of possibility of the tradition of care for the soul: that the self is not given as a thing, but may contribute to its own transformation through a specific form of care.


A variety of methods are utilized in an instrumented vertical wellbore to invert for and estimate the heights and lateral extents of the hydraulic fracture treatment. Data were acquired with externally mounted dual- and single-mode fiber optics for measuring strain, acoustics, and temperature. In addition, external pressure gauges, internal conventional tiltmeters, and geophones were also utilized. This instrumented well was used multiple times to record a number of nearby offset horizontal hydraulic stimulations and to record a time-lapse vertical seismic profile. By using multiple data acquisition techniques, we obtained a more comprehensive and accurate estimation of the hydraulic fracture geometry and the dynamic processes taking place internal to the propagating fractures. Furthermore, these data could be used to calibrate fracture models and the fracture interaction with the surrounding unconventional reservoir.


Some Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) strains are considered aetiological factors in oropharyngeal carcinomas. Interestingly, HPV+ neoplasms appear to have a different demographic and relatively better prognosis than HPV- ones, making HPV status a relevant diagnostic and prognostic feature. HPV status assessed by in situ hybridisation is particularly challenging due to the complexity of staining patterns, high resolution imaging requirements and presence of staining artefacts, all of which call into question the feasibility of imaging techniques for analysing such histological samples. We present a machine learning-based, automated imaging workflow for the identification of HPV status in digitized tissue microarray samples of oropharyngeal carcinomas. High-risk HPV genomes assessed with the INFORM HPV-III system (Ventana) revealed blue stained regions (NBT/BCIP) in epithelial nuclei on a pink background (Red Counterstain II). The contributions of the two dyes (plus a residual colour component) were determined using colour deconvolution. Blue regions were segmented using Renyi's entropy thesholding, while stain artefacts were identified by feature co-occurrence in the blue and residual channels. Morphological parameters of the segmented regions and clinical data were summarized and submitted to a set of supervised recognition classifiers. The evaluation of 695 cases (2085 TMA images, x20 magnification) using feature selection procedures in conjunction with a support vector machine classifier achieved an average of 90% accuracy in detecting HPV status when compared with the histopatholgist scoring as standard. In conclusion, imaging of in situ hybridisation patterns can provide automated means of screening HPV status in large datasets at known levels of accuracy.


OBJECTIVE
There is limited longitudinal evidence relating subchondral bone changes to cartilage damage and loss. The aim of this study was to describe the association between baseline tibial bone area and tibial subchondral bone mineral density (BMD) with tibial cartilage defect development and cartilage volume loss.

METHODS
A total of 341 subjects (mean age 63 years, range 52-79 years) underwent measurement at baseline and approximately 2.7 years later. Tibial knee cartilage volume, cartilage defects (graded on a scale of 0-4), and bone area were determined using T1-weighted fat suppression magnetic resonance imaging. Tibial subchondral BMD was determined using dual x-ray absorptiometry.

RESULTS
In multivariable analysis, baseline bone area positively predicted cartilage defect development at the medial and lateral tibial sites (odds ratio [OR] 1.6 per 1 SD increase, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.0, 2.6, and OR 2.4 per 1 SD increase, 95% CI 1.4, 4.0, respectively) and cartilage volume loss at the medial tibial site (beta = -34.9 per 1 SD increase, 95% CI -49.8, -20.1). In contrast, baseline subchondral BMD positively predicted cartilage defect development at the medial tibial site only (OR 1.6 per 1 SD increase, 95% CI 1.2, 2.1) and was not associated with cartilage loss.

CONCLUSION
The results of this study demonstrated that bone area predicted medial and lateral cartilage defect development and medial cartilage volume loss, while subchondral BMD predicted medial defect development but not cartilage loss. These associations were independent of each other, indicating there are multiple mechanisms by which subchondral bone changes may lead to cartilage damage.


Beatrice Wood's Life has been extraordinary in every way, from earliest childhood, when her dominating Victorian mother realized she "wasn't like the rest of them," to her productive life at ninety-five in California's Ojiai Valley. Rebellious, radical and romantic, Beatrice Wood was determined to be an artist. She fled to Paris for several bohemian seasons as a painter and actress, then returned to New York where she fell into the loving clutches of two Frenchmen: Henri-Pierre Roche, the author of "Jules and Jim, " and Marcel Duchamp, the iconoclastic Dadaist. Her promising youth was followed by a disastrous marriage, financial woes and a debilitating physical affliction; but in 1933, at the age of forty, she discovered the passion that would change her life: pottery. Now one of America's acclaimed ceramicists, Beatrice Wood shares the intriguing details of her unconventional life in "I Shock Myself." With candor and insight, she recollects nearly ten decades of world shaking events, heart breaking romances, and artistic achievement.


ACBGS is indicated in patients with stable angina who have left main coronary artery disease; three-vessel disease; three or four of the clinical variables set forth in the Veterans Administration Cooperative Study; obstruction in proximal third of left anterior descending coronary artery as part of two- or three-vessel disease; and two- or three-vessel disease and exercise-induced ischemic ST-segment depression greater than or equal to 1.5 mm. ACBGS may increase survival in patients with limited exercise capacity. Finally, ACBGS may be indicated to increase the quality of life in patients with disabling angina that is refractory to medical treatment. Patients with unstable angina who have an inadequate response to intensive medical therapy should have emergency ACBGS. Indications for elective ACBGS in patients with unstable angina who respond adequately to medical therapy are the same as those for stable angina. Patients with rupture of the ventricular septum, acute severe mitral regurgitation, and cardiogenic shock with vessels suitable for ACBGS should have urgent ACBGS after acute myocardial infarction. Patients with postinfarction angina after the first few days following acute myocardial infarction, especially non-Q-wave infarction, should be considered for ACBGS. Indications for elective ACBGS in postinfarction patients are the same as those in stable angina. Patients with coronary artery disease, especially those with a significant amount of ischemic myocardium, who must undergo cardiac surgery for valvular heart disease or for congenital heart disease should probably have ACBGS performed at the time of surgery.


Background Bortezomib (Velcade) is a cytostatic drug used for the treatment of several cancer types. The drug must be reconstituted before administration and the reconstituted solution is stable for 8 hours according to the manufacturer. Leftovers therefore cannot be used on subsequent days. Since one vial of Velcade costs approximately €1000, this imposes a significant economic loss for hospital budgets. Several studies have shown that the reconstituted drug is stable for > 24 hours, but none of these have contained identification and quantification of the degradation products (DPs) formed during storage. Purpose To conduct a stability study of reconstituted Velcade in the manufacturer's vial with quantification and identification of all DPs. Material and methods The analytical method was based on the work of Srinivasulu and colleagues,1 and validated according to ICH regulations. The storage conditions were 5°C±3°C, protected from light, and the study consisted of the following measurements: assay, DPs and visual inspection. Measurements were conducted at 0, 1, 3, 7, 10 and 14 days. The acceptance criteria for the study were: assay 95–105% of initial value, bortezomib impurity E <3.0%, other impurities <0.5%, summarised other impurities <2.0% and a clear liquid. Results The solution was clear and colourless throughout the study. Only low amounts of DPs were observed, and no change during the study. However, due to a large SD related to the low sampling volume and viscosity of the solution, the 95% CI of the assay measurement exceeded 105% after 13 days, thus limiting the stability of the solution to 12 days. The increased shelf-life has since been implemented at our hospital pharmacy and led to a cost reduction of approximately €135 000. Conclusion The stability of reconstituted Velcade in the manufacturer vial was at least 12 days at 5°C±3 °C, protected from light. References and/or acknowledgements 7. Srinivasulu K, et al. Development and validation of a stability indicating LC method for the assay and related substances determination of a proteasome inhibitor bortezomib. Chromatogr Res Int2012: article ID801720, 13 pages. No conflict of interest


The only comprehensive reference and tutorial for Civil 3D 2011 Civil 3D is Autodesks popular, robust civil engineering software, and this fully updated guide is the only one endorsed by Autodesk to help students prepare for certification exams. Packed with expert tips, tricks, techniques, and tutorials, this book covers every aspect of Civil 3D 2011, the preferred software package for designing roads, highways, subdivisions, drainage and sewer systems, and other large-scale civic projects. This is the official, Autodesk-endorsed guide to Civil 3D, the leading software for designing large-scale civic systems such as highways, subdivisions, and sewer systems Covers all the key concepts, the software interface, and best methods for creating, editing, displaying, and labeling all elements of a civic engineering project Features in-depth, detailed coverage of surveying, points, alignments, surfaces, profiles, corridors, grading, LandXML and LDT Project Transfer, cross sections, pipe networks, visualization, sheets, and project management Includes what students need to pass the Civil 3D 2011 Certified Associate and Certified Professional exams Mastering AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 is a complete course in the real-world application of Civil 3D as well as the ultimate study guide for certification.


In an elective gastroscopic series of 3837 patients, gastric mucosal erosions were observed in 404 (10.5%) patients, 215 (5.6%) having only erosions without other endoscopic findings in the upper gastrointestinal tract. The male to female ratio was 1.3:1. The number of patients with erosions was highest in the age groups 41-60 years. The patients with erosions were younger than those with peptic ulcer studied during same period. The erosions were located in the distal part of stomach only in 86% of patients. Erosions were observed in 3.5% of patients with stomach resected for peptic ulcer. The positive association with active duodenal ulcer was significant, but there was a negative correlation to gastric cancer, with an almost significant difference compared with patients without gastric erosions randomly selected from the same elective gastroscopic series. The seasonal variation of occurrence resembled more that of gastric than duodenal ulcer.


A linear complementarity model is extended with volume-shifting demand response. The model is an equilibrium model of the power market. In this paper the model is subjected to a scenario for the northern European power system represented by time series for demand and renewable generation. Investments and dispatch are being computed to study the effect of volume shifting demand response on system adequacy and the potential shift in generation mix. The results show that, within certain limits, the system may benefit from demand response. Further, a sensitivity analysis suggest that demand response may not be enough as the share of renewable energy sources increase. From a system adequacy point of view the results show that demand response can reduce the number of hours with load curtailment, but may increase the amount of energy not served with a cost minimization approach.


British administrative policy in Africa, and particularly in Cameroon, was generally misguided. Encyclopedia Britannica supports this largely undisputed perspective, declaring that "British rule was a period of neglect, and this, coupled with the influx of numerous Nigerians, caused great resentment. [...] At independence, French Cameroun had a much higher gross national product per capita, higher education levels, better health care, and better infrastructure than British Cameroons" ("Cameroon", 2019, para. 2–3). This state of affairs is likely the result of the decision to administer the British portion of Cameroon as a constituent part of Britain's Nigerian colony. This arrangement dictated the course of events in the Southern Cameroons territory from 1922 to 1961. From this basic premise, this paper argues that the administration of British Southern Cameroons as part of the British Nigerian Colony brought about an identity crisis in which Southern Cameroonians, albeit integrated into Nigeria, predominantly chose to maintain their identity as a distinct, separate group of people. As such, the allocation of their territory to Nigeria exposed them to alien political domination, as most of the administrators in the Southern Cameroons were Nigerian. Consequently, Southern Cameroonians formed political pressure groups, created political parties and wrote petitions to the British Government as well as to the United Nations in an effort to resist the authority of what they considered to be an intrusive foreign entity. A corollary to this state of affairs was the vote in the 1961 plebiscite. With the great majority of voters choosing to sever their ties with Nigeria, Southern Cameroonians reasserted their distinct identity and called for an end to the political domination that resulted from their unsolicited association with Nigeria.


Deployment of low power pico basestations within cellular networks can potentially increase both capacity and coverage. However, such deployments require efficient frequency allocation schemes for managing interference from the pico and macro basestations that are located within each other's transmission range. Partitioning the available frequencies between the various basestations avoids the problem of interference, but can lead to inefficient spectrum usage. In this paper, we introduce a distributed frequency allocation scheme that shares frequencies between macro and pico basestations, and guarantees a minimum average throughput to users. The scheme seeks to minimize the total number of frequencies needed to honor the minimum throughput requirements. We evaluate our scheme using detailed simulations and show that it performs on par with the centralized optimum allocation. Moreover, our proposed scheme outperforms a static frequency reuse scheme and the centralized optimal partitioning between the macro and pico basestations.


We study the following combinatorial problem. Given a set of $n$ y-monotone wires, a tangle determines the order of the wires on a number of horizontal layers such that the orders of the wires on any two consecutive layers differ only in swaps of neighboring wires. Given a multiset $L$ of swaps (that is, unordered pairs of numbers between 1 and $n$) and an initial order of the wires, a tangle realizes $L$ if each pair of wires changes its order exactly as many times as specified by $L$. The aim is to find a tangle that realizes $L$ using the smallest number of layers. We show that this problem is NP-hard, and we give an algorithm that computes an optimal tangle for $n$ wires and a given list $L$ of swaps in $O((2|L|/n^2+1)^{n^2/2}\varphi^n n)$ time, where $\varphi \approx 1.618$ is the golden ratio. We can treat lists where every swap occurs at most once in $O(n!\varphi^n)$ time. We implemented the algorithm for the general case and compared it to an existing algorithm.


In the present study tribological performance of ZrN coatings deposited on hardened AISI D2 quality cold work tool steel by arc-Physical Vapor Deposition technique has been examined in as-deposited and oxidized conditions. ZrN coatings were oxidized at 400 oC for various times up to 12 h. Reciprocating wear tests carried out by rubbing Al2O3 balls on the coatings, revealed significant improvement in wear resistance of ZrN coating upon oxidation. Oxidation treatment at 400 oC for 12 h yielded seven times higher wear resistance than as-deposited ZrN coating, beside significant reduction in the wear of counterface (Al2O3 ball).


This thesis presents the first automatic date processing system developed on a Canadian real-life standard cheque database. This system can process unconstrained handwritten dates written in English or in French, and it can also be applied to the recognition of any handwritten dates with similar format on many other kinds of documents.
A knowledge-based module has been proposed for the date segmentation and a new cursive month word recognition system has also been implemented based on a combination of classifiers. The interaction between the segmentation and recognition stages has been properly established by using a multi-hypotheses generation and evaluation module. In addition, a verification module with two levels is designed in the postprocessing stage to correct some errors and reject invalid results, which further improves the reliability of the system.
The segmentation of the date zone can be implemented in the knowledge-based segmentation module, the multi-hypotheses generation and evaluation module, or the verification module. An effective neural network ensemble system is proposed in this knowledge extraction stage to differentiate handwritten alphabetic words from numeric strings (A/N). We investigate the use of effective features extensively, and propose several new methods in the design of neural networks, creation of neural network ensembles, and combination methods for the ensembles created.
For date recognition, the new cursive month word recognizer is implemented by combining a Hidden Markov Model classifier (HMM) with two Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) classifiers. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


The music of Sir Michael Tippett's 'second period', as characterised by the opera "King Priam" (1958-61), is fragmetory and abrasive: a mosaic of rhetorical gestures replacing the lyricism and continuity of his earlier music. The motivation for this stylistic change is in part dramatic: ideas, personalities and events encapsulated in a single memorable musical statement. Whilst gestures may coalesce into larger perceptual units, the underlying logic is primarily dramatic, rather than structural. With Tippett's third opera, "The Knot Garden" (1966-9), conventional dramatic narrative is eschewed in favour of a string of brief and unresolved exchanges between the protagonists of the opera. The underlying structural metaphor is that of film and television, with rapid 'cross-cutting' between scenes. For Ian Kemp, such techniques are used to 'convert apparent discontinuity of dramatic process into its opposite' (Kemp 1984, 403). Nowhere is this technique more prevalent than in the second act, 'Labyrinth', a series of miniature ensembles in which one character is plucked away to be replaced by another. In this paper, I study the 'apparent discontinuities' – and the hidden continuities that this implies - prevalent in the second act of "The Knot Garden", with reference to Robert Hatten's work on gesture (2004). Hatten's observation that 'discontinuity of discourse may be understood as intensifying the conflict that is at the heart of all drama' (p. 237) is particularly relevant for a study of a work that foregrounds rhetorical gestures. By adapting Hatten's theory of gesture to Tippett's music, I will demonstrate how Kemp's 'apparent discontinuities' ultimately belong to a larger continuity, or, in Hatten's words, to show how 'unpredictable shifts of musical thought may be understood as part of an ultimately integrative process' (p. 270).


Developmental etiologies causing complex congenital aortic root abnormalities are unknown. Here we show that deletion of
 Sox17
 in aortic root endothelium in mice causes underdeveloped aortic root leading to a bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) due to the absence of non-coronary leaflet (NCL) and mispositioned left coronary ostium (LCO). The respective defects are associated with reduced proliferation of NCL mesenchyme and aortic root smooth muscle derived from the second heart field cardiomyocytes. Mechanistically, SOX17 occupies a
 Pdgfb
 transcriptional enhancer to promote its transcription and
 Sox17
 deletion inhibits the endothelial
 Pdgfb
 transcription and PDGFB growth signaling to the NCL mesenchyme. Restoration of PDGFB in aortic root endothelium rescues the NCL and LCO defects in
 Sox17
 nulls. These data support a SOX17-PDGFB axis underlying aortic root development that is critical for aortic valve and coronary ostium patterning, thereby informing a potential shared disease mechanism for concurrent anomalous aortic valve and coronary arteries.


Experience in one product market can potentially improve firm performance in a related product market in the future. Thus, entry into a market is determined not just by profits in that market but also by its future impact on profitability in other markets. We formulate and estimate a dynamic model of entry decisions of firms in the presence of such spillovers using data on the generic drug industry. Spillovers imply that a firm's unobserved "ability" to profit in a product market not only changes stochastically but is also is endogenous to past entry decisions. Therefore, the model needs to accommodate unobserved state variables that are endogenous to firm actions and serially correlated. We address the methodological challenge of estimating such a model using a sequential importance sampling based technique. Our estimates show significant spillover effects of entry on future profits. On average, each entry reduces costs by 7% at the next entry opportunity. On average there are eight entry opportunities annually. The average cumulative benefit of a firm that enters all eight markets in a year is 51%. We conclude that spillovers are critical in the equilibrium evolution of the structure of the generic drug industry.


Abstract. In this article we conduct a broad numerical investigation of stability of breather-type solutions of the nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS) equation, a widely used model of rogue wave generation and dynamics in deep water. NLS breathers rising over an unstable background state are frequently used to model rogue waves. However, the issue of whether these solutions are robust with respect to the kind of random perturbations occurring in physical settings and laboratory experiments has just recently begun to be addressed. Numerical experiments for spatially periodic breathers with one or two modes involving large ensembles of perturbed initial data for six typical random perturbations suggest interesting conclusions. Breathers over an unstable background with N unstable modes are generally unstable to small perturbations in the initial data unless they are "maximal breathers" (i.e., they have N spatial modes). Additionally, among the maximal breathers with two spatial modes, the one of highest amplitude due to coalescence of the modes appears to be the most robust. The numerical observations support and extend to more realistic settings the results of our previous stability analysis, which we hope will provide a useful tool for identifying physically realizable wave forms in experimental and observational studies of rogue waves.


Patient: Male, 34-year-old Final Diagnosis: Infective endocarditis of the tricuspid valve Symptoms: Lethargy • weakness Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Tricuspid valve repair • tricuspid valve replacement Specialty: Anesthesiology • Cardiac Surgery • Infectious Diseases • Psychiatry Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: Intravenous drug use is an epidemic in the United States. One of the complications of intravenous drug use can be infective endocarditis. The treatment for this disease is a combination of intravenous antibiotics, cardiac surgery consultation, and multidisciplinary psychiatric care. Despite surgical intervention, recurrence of disease is common. In the setting of recurrent infective endocarditis in the setting of intravenous drug use, the ethics of redo cardiac surgery has not been well-established. Case Report: A 34-year-old man with history of intravenous drug use presented on 3 separate occasions with infective endocarditis resulting in 3 tricuspid valve surgeries within fewer than 7 months. He said he had not injected drugs since before his first operation, he was considered to have a strong social support system, and he completed his postoperative antibiotic regimens each time. However, prior to his last operation, the patient had a urine drug screen positive for opiates without recorded prescribed opioids. Pathology reports from the 3 intraoperative specimens showed different pathogens each time. An extensive interprofessional discussion ensued. Conclusions: Infective endocarditis in the setting of intravenous drug use and its treatments continue to be a point of ethical and medical discussion for all professionals involved with the care of these patients. This case could be used as an example of individualized decision-making, with rigorous ethical and medical discussion factoring into each decision for cardiac surgery. The ongoing treatment for patients with recurrent endocarditis in the setting of intravenous drug use requires more research and guidelines to help medical professionals better care for this patient population.


Genetic data are now common in many domains. Typically, these genetic studies try to associate genetics with
single phenotypes, behaviors, or diagnostic criteria. However, many of these studies include multiple behavioral variables and very large genetic data sets. The analysis of these data sets faces two particular challenges: 1) How to integrate many behavioral and genetic variables when 2) only a small number of variables are interpretable. To address these issues, we propose the integration of partial least squares and a sparsified approach to multiple correspondence analysis.


Increasing the solar reflectance (albedo) of a paved surface keeps it cooler in the sun, reducing convection of heat from pavement to air and thereby decreasing the ambient air temperature. Simulations of the influence of pavement albedo on air temperature in Los Angeles predict that increasing the albedo of 1,250 km2 of pavement by 0.25 would save cooling energy worth $15M yr-1, and reduce smog-related medical and lost-work expenses by $76M yr-1. Most sidewalks and a small fraction of roads and parking areas are paved with portland cement concrete, which can be made quite reflective through suitable choice of cement and aggregate. Variations with composition and environmental exposure of the albedos of portland cement concrete pavements were investigated through laboratory fabrication and exposure of 32 mixes of concrete. Twenty-four mixes yielded substandard, ''rough'' concretes due to high, unmet aggregate water demand. The albedos of the remaining eight ''smooth'' concrete mixes ranged from 0.41 to 0.77 (mean 0.59). Simulated weathering, soiling, and abrasion each reduced average concrete albedo (mean decreases 0.06, 0.05, and 0.19, respectively), though some samples became slightly more reflective through weathering or soiling. Simulated rain (wetting) strongly depressed the albedos of concretes (mean decrease 0.23) until their surfaces were dried. Concrete albedo grew as the cement hydration reaction progressed (mean increase 0.08), but stabilized within six weeks of casting. White-cement concretes were on average significantly more reflective than gray-cement concretes. The albedo of the most-reflective white-cement concrete was 0.18 to 0.39 higher than that of the most-reflective gray-cement concrete, depending on state of exposure. Concrete albedo generally correlated with cement albedo and sand albedo, and, after abrasion, with rock albedo. Cement albedo had a disproportionately strong influence on the reflectance of concrete. Efflorescence and surface carbonation whitened some gray-cement mixes.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the benefits of efinaconazole topical solution, 10% on quality of life in onychomycosis patients.

METHODS
An analysis of 1,655 patients, aged 18 to 70 years, randomized to receive efinaconazole topical solution, 10%, or vehicle from two identical multicenter, double-blind, vehicle-controlled, 48-week studies evaluating safety and efficacy. The primary endpoint was complete cure rate (0% clinical involvement of target toenail, and both negative potassium hydroxide examination and fungal culture); clinical improvement defined as ≤ 10-percent improvement in nail involvement both at Week 52. Quality of life was assessed using a validated OnyCOE-t™ questionnaire. Improvement in quality of life was compared in those patients clinically and not clinically improved.

RESULTS
Efinaconazole topical solution, 10%, was significantly more effective than vehicle irrespective of QoL domain. Greatest improvement in mean score was seen in those domains with the lowest baseline scores. All mean scores in the group considered to have clinically improved with efinaconazole exceeded 80.0 at Week 52. Mean treatment satisfaction scores with efinaconazole in those patients who were clinically improved increased from 79.9 (Week 24) to 89.2 (Week 52), compared to a corresponding drop in those patients considered not improved from 65.3 to 58.0. The correlation between change in percent affected nail and change in mean domain scores was significant with efinaconazole for all domains.

LIMITATIONS
A period of 52 weeks may be too brief to evaluate improvement in quality of life in onychomycosis patients. Some of the questions in the OnyCOE-t questionnaire may be more relevant than others to the study population and the onychomycosis population as a whole.

CONCLUSION
Once-daily efinaconazole topical solution, 10%, provided statistically greater improvement in all aspects of quality of life compared to vehicle. Improvement was most marked in those patients considered clinically improved and correlated with a change in percent affected nail.


YlbF and YmcA are two essential proteins for the formation of biofilm, sporulation, and competence in Bacillus subtilis. In these two proteins, a new protein domain called com_ylbF was recently discovered, but its role and protein function has not yet been established.

 In this study, we identified and performed an "in silico" structural analysis of the YheA protein, another com_ylbF-containing protein, in the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus.

 The search of the yheA gene was performed using BLAST-P and tBLASn algorithms. The three-dimensional (3D) models of YheA, as well as YlbF and YmcA proteins, were built using the I-TASSER and Quark programs. The identification of the native YheA in Staphylococcus aureus was carried out through chromatography using the FPLC system.

 We found that YheA protein is more widely distributed in Gram-positive bacteria than YlbF and YmcA. Two new and important characteristics for YheA and other com_ylbF-containing proteins were found: a highly conserved 3D structure and the presence of a putative conserved motif located in the central region of the domain, which could be involved in its function. Additionally, we established that Staphylococcus aureus expresses YheA protein in both planktonic growth and biofilm. Finally, we suggest renaming YheA as glutamine-rich protein (Qrp) in S. aureus.

 The Grp (YheA), YlbF, and YmcA proteins adopt a highly conserved three-dimensional structure, harboring a protein-specific putative motif within the com_ylbF domain, which possibly favors the interaction with their substrates. Finally, Staphylococcus aureus expresses the Grp (YheA) protein in both planktonic and biofilm growth.


Background: Molecular deoxyribonucleic acid markers are one of the most important tools in molecular biology labs. The size of DNA molecule is determined by comparing them with known bands of markers during gel electrophoresis. In this study, we have suggested an efficient strategy to produce molecular weight markers in an industrial scale. Materials and Methods: A combination of two previously known methods, restriction enzyme digestion and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), was used. The enzymatic digestion process was based on designing and constructing plasmids which equaled in size with the bands of ladder and produce the DNA fragment by plasmid linearization through digestion. In the PCR method, the DNA fragments with length 102 bp lesser than the related bands in DNA ladder are amplified by PCR and cloned in pTZ57T/A cloning vector. Then, PCRs with forward and reverse 100-bp primers on the resulting plasmids amplify the ladder fragments. F100 and R100 primers bind to the backbone of pTZ57R (without insert) and amplify a 100-bp PCR product. PCR on the plasmid with insert amplifies DNA fragment with 102+ insert length bp size. Results: Upon application of this strategy, 2000-10,000 bp DNA fragments were produced by enzymatic digestion of plasmids of the same size. Moreover, 100-1500 bp fragments were produced during PCR using only a set of forward and reverse (100 bp) primers. Conclusion: The highest advantage of this cost-benefit approach is to produce different types of molecular weight markers by using an effective and short protocol.


Artists' project commissioned by Pavilion 8 magazine, Bucharest. This commissioned text is edited from a response to issues raised by the artist Terry Atkinson, following Common Culture's exhibition, Spectacular Vernacular, in Leamington Spa Art Gallery, England, January 2005. Bouncers, in the form of a series of large-scale portraits and DVD screening, forms part of their solo show at Focal Point Gallery, Southend-on- Sea, England, October/ November 2005. The text explores Common Culture's interest in live performance as part of their presentational strategy for a show and in particular examines their use of 'hired' labour. The text/image project appeared alongside other projects by:Jeff Koons, Kutlug Ataman, Maurizio Cattelan, Nathalie Latham, Philip Lorca Di Corcia. & Tracey Emin and articles/interviews by Slavoj Zizek, Jean Baudrillard and Boris Groys.


Maximizing goal probability is an important objective in probabilistic planning, yet algorithms for its optimal solution are severely underexplored. There is scant evidence of what the empirical state of the art actually is. Focusing on heuristic search, we close this gap with a comprehensive empirical analysis of known and adapted algorithms. We explore both, the general case where there may be 0-reward cycles, and the practically relevant special case of acyclic planning, like planning with a limited action-cost budget. We consider three different algorithmic objectives. We design suitable termination criteria, search algorithm variants, dead-end pruning methods using classical planning heuristics, and node selection strategies. Our evaluation on more than 1000 benchmark instances from the IPPC, resource-constrained planning, and simulated penetration testing reveals the behavior of heuristic search, and exhibits several improvements to the state of the art.


Background: The morbidity rate for toddlers with malaria in Indonesia had increased from 2013. Bengkulu city is a malaria-endemic area in Indonesia. Caregivers are people who stay with toddlers daily. Purpose: This study intended to identify the correlation between the malaria prevention knowledge and behavior of caregivers and malaria rates among toddlers in Basuki Rahmad Health Center in Bengkulu City. Method: This research was conducted in the Basuki Rahmad Health Center in Bengkulu City from March to April 2018. The research design was cross-sectional. The population size was 1,575 and the sample size was 127. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and the chi-squared test. Results: The majority of caregivers were female, with a low educational background, with good knowledge of malaria that was not reflected in their behavior. There was a relationship between knowledge of the signs and symptoms of malaria (p = 0.01), knowledge of malaria prevention practices (p = 0.01), health behaviors (p = 0.01), and use of malaria prevention practices (p = 0.01) and malaria in toddlers. Conclusion: There was a significant correlation between caregiver knowledge of the signs and symptoms of malaria, knowledge of malaria prevention practices, health service use, use of prevention practices, and malaria incidence in toddlers.


Summary 1. There has been considerable debate over the past decade with respect to wildlife provisioning, especially resultant behavioural changes that may impact the ecological function of an apex predator. The controversy is exemplified by the shark diving industry, where major criticisms based on inference, anecdote and opinion stem from concerns of potential behaviourally mediated ecosystem effects because of ecotourism provisioning (aka 'chumming' or feeding). 2. There is a general lack of empirical evidence to refute or support associated claims. The few studies that have investigated the behavioural impacts of shark provisioning ecotourism have generated conflicting conclusions, where the confidence in such results may suffer from a narrow spatial and temporal focus given the highly mobile nature of these predators. There is need for studies that examine the potential behavioural consequences of provisioning over ecologically relevant spatial and temporal scales. 3. To advance this debate, we conducted the first satellite telemetry study and movement analysis to explicitly examine the long-range migrations and habitat utilization of tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) originating in the Bahamas and Florida, two areas that differ significantly with regards to the presence ⁄ absence of provisioning ecotourism. 4. Satellite telemetry data rejected the behaviourally mediated effects of provisioning ecotourism at large spatial and temporal scales. In contrast, to the restricted activity space and movement that were hypothesized, geolocation data evidenced previously unknown long-distance migrations and habitat use for both tiger shark populations closely associated with areas of high biological productivity in the Gulf Stream and subtropical western Atlantic Ocean. We speculate that these areas are likely critically important for G. cuvier feeding forays and parturition. 5. We concluded that, in the light of potential conservation and public awareness benefits of ecotourism provisioning, this practice should not be dismissed out of hand by managers. Given the pressing need for improved understanding of the functional ecology of apex predators relative to human disturbance, empirical studies of different species sensitivities to disturbance should be used to guide best-practice ecotourism policies that maximize conservation goals.


Author(s): Roa, Jinae | Advisor(s): Tresguerres, Martin | Abstract: Regulation of acid-base stress (i.e. carbon dioxide [CO2], pH, and bicarbonate [HCO3-]) is essential for proper functioning of cells, organs, and whole-animals; however, the mechanisms for sensing acid-base stress are largely unknown in marine animals. Therefore, for my dissertation research I investigated the evolutionarily conserved acid-base sensor soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC, adcy10) in leopard sharks (Triakis semifasciata), round rays (Urolophus halleri), and hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii). Leopard shark gills have two acid-base regulatory cell types: acid-secreting Na¬+/K+-ATPase (NKA)-rich and base-secreting V-H+-ATPase (VHA)-rich cells. Base-secreting VHA-rich cells also contain the Cl-/HCO3- exchanger pendrin. In starved sharks, VHA and pendrin are present in the cell cytoplasm; but, in fed sharks, each translocates to the basolateral and apical membrane, respectively. This translocation is likely mediated by HCO3--stimulated sAC, which is highly abundant in both acid- and base-secreting leopard shark gill cells. sAC is also present in other tissues, including rectal gland, cornea, intestine, muscle, and heart tissues; and it is present in the cell nucleus, where it is likely mediates regulation of gene expression. In round rays, sAC is also highly abundant in acid-secreting NKA-rich and base-secreting VHA-rich calls. Additionally, sAC is co-expressed along with hormone-regulated transmembrane adenylyl cyclases (tmACs, adcy1-9). However, sAC, and not tmACs, is essential for VHA translocation to the cell membrane of isolated base-secreting gill cells exposed to extracellular alkalosis, an indication that this process is locally regulated by sAC without the involvement of whole-animal hormone regulation. In hagfish, sAC is present in both the atrial and ventricle heart chambers; and sAC regulates heart beat rate in isolated hearts recovering from anoxia exposure, a previously unknown role for HCO3--activated sAC-cAMP signal transduction pathway that has potential implications for the mammalian heart.


Continuously increasing food prices of basic kitchen items, fruits and vegetables the poor and fixed income groups are suffering from the decreasing real incomes and purchasing power. The marginal increase in the income of the poor people to enable them to gain access to food and improve their nutrition is the need of the present time. The kitchen garden falls under bio-intensive and participatory innovation which can provide year round availability, access and consumption of adequate amount and varieties which supply not only the calorific demands but also the micronutrients by the resource poor. One of the easiest ways of ensuring access to a healthy diet that contains adequate macro- and micronutrients is to produce many different kinds of foods in the home garden. This is especially important in rural areas where people have limited income-earning opportunities and poor access to markets. Kitchen gardening contributes to household food security by providing direct access to food that can be harvested, prepared and fed to family members, often on a daily basis. Kitchen gardens can be grown in the empty space available at the backyard of the house or a group of women can come together, identify a common place or land and grow desired vegetables, fruits, cereals etc that can benefit the women and community as a whole. This leads to give the idea of automated kitchen gardening system. The system is designed to sense soil moisture and amount of light falling on the plants. When the moisture content in the soil is too low, the system will give command to start a pump and water the soil. Apart from this the Arduino and ESP8266 it will transmit information on moisture level and ambient light. You can monitor all the data from your smart phone by using Virtuino app. Then a twit can be send to your account automatically if the moisture falls below a given threshold value. It provides full control and monitoring of variables such as temperature, pest management and control works and more.


: In the domain of the use of ionising radiation for medical purposes and in the nuclear industry, the protection of man and his environment is primordial. Such protection is defined in European Community countries by the Directives of the Euratom Council, applied as national law. In France, the "Office de protection contre les rayonnements ionisants" oversees the application of laws and rules relating to protection from radiation and determines the inspections and analyses required to ensure the protection of the population against ionising radiation.


Addition of dibutyryl 3′,5′-cyclic AMP to slices of bovine pituitary stimulated incorporation of [3H]leucine into protein, whether or not actinomycin D was present; therefore the influence of 3′,5′-cyclic AMP on protein synthesis by bovine pituitary polysomes was studied. If the cyclic nucleotide was added to the complete protein-synthesizing system (including pH 5.0 enzyme), stimulation of [3H]leucine incorporation occurred only with pH 5.0 enzyme from rat liver; there was no stimulation when homologous enzyme, i.e., from bovine pituitary, was used. Addition of 3′,5′-cyclic AMP to the polysomes, before addition of pH 5.0 enzyme, resulted in stimulation of protein synthesis with either source of enzyme, but stimulation was facilitated to a greater degree, over the range 0.5-2 mM 3′,5′-cyclic AMP, when rat liver was the source. The stimulation of protein synthesis was prevented by the addition of cycloheximide. With rat liver pH 5.0 enzyme the product of hydrolysis of 3′,5′-cyclic AMP was mainly 5′-AMP whereas with pituitary pH 5.0 enzyme there was also dephosphorylation and deamination resulting in production of hypoxanthine and other bases. However, using either source of pH 5.0 enzyme and the complete protein-synthesizing system (i.e., including an ATP-regenerating mechanism) most of the 3H from hydrolysis of [3H]3′,5′-cyclic AMP was incorporated into ATP. The data are seen as compatible with a stimulation by 3′,5′-cyclic AMP of translation by pituitary polysomes; the significance of the importance of the source of pH 5.0 enzyme used in the system is obscure.


Reliable data association techniques for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) are necessary for the generation of large-scale maps in unstructured outdoor environments. Data association techniques are required at two levels: the local level represents the inner loop of the mapping algorithm, and the global level where newly mapped areas are matched to previously mapped areas to detect repeated coverage and close loops. Local map building is achieved using a robust iterative scan matching technique incorporated into an extended Kalman filter where the state consists of the current pose and previous poses sampled periodically and at a fixed lag from the current time. The introduction of states at a fixed time lag significantly reduces the growth of errors in the location estimate and the resultant map. For global matching, we enhance existing histogram cross-correlation techniques, introducing entropy sequences of projection histograms and an exhaustive correlation approach for reliable matching in unstructured environments. This enables loop closure without depending on prior knowledge of map alignment. These data association techniques are incorporated into the Atlas SLAM framework, enabling the generation of accurate two-dimensional laser maps over tens of kilometers in challenging outdoor environments.


Abstract
The functional and morphological effects of duodeno-gastric reflux have been studied in the dog. Reflux causes hypersecretion of acid to pentagastrin and a hypergastrinaemic response to a standard meal, associated with antral gland hyperplasia. It is suggested that these changes are mediated by suppressed somatostatin activity, and that they may play an important part in the pathogenesis of peptic ulceration.


Objective
Although the Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain-Revised (SOAPP-R) has become a widely used screener for aberrant opioid-related behavior in adults, the length of the instrument may limit its utility. The purpose of the current study was to develop a short form of the SOAPP-R by retaining as few items as possible while maximizing predictive accuracy.

Methods
Participants (N = 555), recruited from pain clinics, completed the 24-item SOAPP-R and participated in a five-month follow-up visit to evaluate aberrant drug-related behaviors. Opioid aberrant-related behavior was determined through self-report, physician report, and urine toxicology screen. The optimal subset of SOAPP-R items to predict aberrant opioid-related behavior was identified empirically by employing the LASSO selection method and the leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) method offered in the GLMSELECT procedure in SAS 9.4 in conjunction with content expertise.

Results
Eight items were identified before the selection method stopped. The receiver operating characteristic curve generated from the predicted probabilities from the model produced an area under the curve (AUC) value greater than the AUC value produced by the 24-item SOAPP-R total score and yielded a sensitivity of 0.74 and a specificity of 0.66.

Conclusions
These results provide strong preliminary support for the SOAPP-8 as a brief screening tool of aberrant opioid-related behavior in chronic pain patients.


Purpose
Are the explanations that companies provide when deviating from two board structure-related best practices under the Australian Stock Exchange's "If not, why not" regulatory regime systematically influenced by company characteristics?

Design/methodology/approach
Multinomial logistic regressions are performed on a sample of 258 ASX-listed firms in the period 2004-2007. The dependent variable is the level of response to the "why not" pillar of the regime which requires companies to provide an explanation where they deviate from the recommended governance practice or practices. The variable is categorised into three levels: zero response, inadequate explanation and adequate explanation. This variable takes on a fourth possible level (full compliance) if both pillars of the regime are considered jointly. The independent variables are company size, ownership concentration, profitability, liquidity, age and the market-to-book ratio.

Findings
The regime appears to be well specified, but size is positively correlated to the quality of explanations given for the deviation. Other company characteristics have no important systematic effect.

Practical implications
Small firms, while availing of the regulatory flexibility that enables them to adopt governance systems that suit their corporate governance requirements, tend not to meet the reporting requirements that go with that flexibility.

Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is one of the first to explore the justifications given for deviations from full compliance in the "if not why not" regime and covers new ground with respect to explanations given for non-adoption of board structure recommendations.


Deloro Stellite 21 (UNS R30021), previously known as Stellite 8, is similar to the medical implant alloy ASTM F75. It is a Co-Cr- Mo-Ni alloy that was developed in the mid-1930s as a corrosion resistant alloy, and rapidly found application as a biocompatible hip implant and denture alloy. This alloy consists of a CoCrMo alloy matrix containing dispersed hard carbides that strengthen the alloy and increase its hardness, but that also decrease its ductility. The type, shape, size, and distribution of the carbides are strongly influenced by the processing history of the alloy, and for this reason, the mechanical properties of Deloro Stellite 21 depend greatly on the manufacturing route and any subsequent heat treatments. This datasheet provides information on composition, physical properties, microstructure, hardness, and tensile properties. It also includes information on corrosion resistance as well as machining. Filing Code: Co-139. Producer or source: Deloro Wear Solutions GmbH.


Responding to a recent article by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, the author argues that evolution of the world and life, through random processes rightly understood, is indeed consistent with divine, transcendent meaning, value, and purpose of creation. After criticizing traditional "intelligent design" arguments, the article analyzes the key notions of design and randomness. It then draws on the work of Bernard Lonergan to show how it is possible to reconcile the affirmations of divine purpose and the randomness of the evolving world.


With the increasing availability of non-Roman script materials in academic/research libraries, bibliographic access to vernacular characters in library OPACs becomes one of the primary means for users of these materials to access and use them efficiently. Though Romanization, as a bibliographic control tool, has been studied extensively during the past five decades, investigations of using original (vernacular) scripts remain inadequate. The purpose of this study was to trace the transition from Romanization-based to vernacular-based bibliographic access to non-Roman script materials. Two major developments contributing to this transition were the availability of records with script characters from bibliographic utilities, and the development of a universal character set, the Unicode standard. The main data collection instrument was a self-administered mail questionnaire sent to a purposive sample of academic library members in the Association of Research Libraries with sizeable non-Roman script collections. Another data collection technique utilized was document/Web site analysis of bibliographic utilities and library automation vendors. Forty five questionnaires were obtained, which represented 65% of an actual population of 69 libraries. The major conclusions of this study are: (1) Most academic libraries catalog their non-Roman script materials using vernacular characters in bibliographic utilities, not on their OPACs; (2) Despite the advances in multilingual support capabilities in automated library systems, academic libraries are still unable to exploit these systems to their maximum benefit; (3) The majority of libraries surveyed performed CJK cataloging in vernacular characters, but Cyrillic cataloging is still in romanized format; (4) CJK and Arabic/Hebrew librarians showed a strong attitude toward vernacular cataloging; Cyrillic librarians showed significant opposition (42%) in their attitudes toward Cyrillic vernacular cataloging; (5) Catalogers of CJK and Arabic/Hebrew materials experienced various difficulties with Romanization; Cyrillic catalogers had the least trouble with Romanization; and (6) Among the systems librarians surveyed, 58% indicated future plans considering scripts support.In addition, the study has developed a set of functional requirements for OPAC designers and systems managers with regard to vernacular access to script characters in bibliographic records. The future research directions recommended concern the future of Romanization as a bibliographic control tool, end users' familiarity with transliteration tables, re-cataloging romanized records to include scripts, and multilingual authority files.