In the pick-up and delivery problem with time windows (PDPTW), each transportation service is delivered, from an origin to a destination, satisfying both the time windows and the precedence constraints. This paper addresses the related vehicle routing problem by using only electric vehicles (EVs) and by introducing the recharging stations (RSs). The problem is formulated as a multi-objective mixed integer linear model for minimising the total travel distance, the total cost for the EVs used and the total penalty cost for the unsatisfied time windows. In addition, length constraints on the routes are imposed in order to include several aspects such as the limited availability of the RSs. The weighted sum method is adopted and, to properly set the weights, three methods, derived from the analytical hierarchical process, are compared. Computational experiments on some instances are carried out, in order to assess the behaviour of our approach in terms of solution quality.


Objective Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are associated with mental illness. The risk of serious mental illness, including deliberate self-harm (DSH), in these conditions is not well known. We aimed to determine if RA or AS independently increases the risk for DSH. Methods We conducted retrospective, population-based cohort studies using administrative health data for the province of Ontario, Canada between April 1, 2002 and March 31, 2014. Individuals with incident RA (N = 53,240) or AS (N = 13,964) were separately matched 1:4 by age, sex, and year with comparators without RA or AS. The outcome was a first DSH attempt identified using emergency department data. We estimated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for risk of DSH in RA and AS versus comparators, adjusting for demographic, clinical and health service utilization variables. Results Subjects with AS were significantly more likely to self-harm (crude incidence rate [IR] of 0.68/1,000 person years [PY] versus 0.32/1,000 PY in comparators), with an adjusted HR of 1.59 (95% CI 1.15 to 2.21). DSH was increased for RA subjects (IR 0.35/1,000 PY) versus comparators (IR 0.24/1,000 PY) only before (HR 1.43, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.74), but not after covariate adjustment (HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.33). Conclusions AS carries an increased risk for DSH but no such risk was observed in RA. Further evaluation of at-risk AS subjects is needed, including the longitudinal effects of disease and arthritis therapies on self-harm behaviour. This will inform whether specific risk-reduction strategies for DSH in inflammatory arthritis are needed.


were beneath the 3rd centile. The patient was counselled regarding the poor prognosis for this fetus. The patient elected to continue with the pregnancy. Repeated scans at 20, 21, 24, 26, and 27 weeks showed persistent oligohydramnios with the mean pool depth decreasing from 17 mm to 15 mm. From 20 weeks umbilical artery Doppler showed absent end-diastolic flow, although this never reversed. At 28 + 1 weeks' gestation, the patient presented with antepartum haemorrhage, and uterine contractions. Ultrasound confirmed fetal viability. Labour progressed spontaneously, a female infant with a birthweight of 355 g was delivered with APGAR scores of 3 at 1 minute, and 8 at 5 minutes. The infants abdominal circumference was 24.5 cm and head circumference was 21.5 cm, both beneath the 3rd centile for gestation age and gender. The placenta was noted to be extremely small and gritty. The infant had an uneventful neonatal period with no evidence of respiratory distress, necrotising enterocolitis, intracranial damage or infection. Chromosomal analysis was normal. She was discharged at 95 days of age. Despite severe placental insufficiency as diagnosed by Doppler ultrasound this fetus survived to extra-uterine life. It is hypothesised that the second wave of trophoblastic invasion failed, leading to a period of chronic physiological stress in the fetus allowing it to survive.


BACKGROUND: Transanal total mesorectal excision is a novel and promising technique in the treatment of low and middle rectal cancer. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the safety and feasibility of transanal total mesorectal excision versus laparoscopic total mesorectal excision. DESIGN: This was a retrospective study using propensity score matching analysis. SETTINGS: This study was conducted in a single high-volume university hospital. PATIENTS: Patients with low and middle rectal cancer who underwent total mesorectal excision with curative intent between 2007 and 2017 were recruited. INTERVENTIONS: Laparoscopic total mesorectal excision and transanal total mesorectal excision had been performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intraoperative, pathological, and 30-day postoperative outcomes were compared between the transanal and laparoscopic groups. RESULTS: Overall, 105 patients were selected from the whole sample of 316 patients with rectal cancer. After propensity score matching analysis, 46 patients for each group were compared. Laparoscopic total mesorectal excision was associated with a higher conversion rate to open surgery (19.6% vs 0%, p = 0.002). Transanal total mesorectal excision showed a longer distal resection margin (15 mm vs 25 mm; p < 0.001), and similar results regarding the completeness of mesorectal excision and circumferential resection margin involvement, compared to laparoscopy. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of postoperative complications. LIMITATIONS: The study was limited by its retrospective design and the small size of the sample. CONCLUSIONS: Transanal total mesorectal excision is a safe and feasible technique that results in a high-quality rectal cancer resection specimen and favorable 30-day postoperative outcomes.


Five steps in the pathogenic process involved in the tension headache pathogenesis are suggested from a 100 patients clinical study. Therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of the tension headache is considered to be linked to the relation between the therapeutic agent and the stage in which it has focused its effect, in the pathogenic process.


Aim The aim of the thesis is to examine if there are internal variations within generation Y and to what extent it is in their online clothing purchase intention, based on existing knowledge of factors influencing them. Methodology A survey was distributed online to Swedish generation Y residents, born between 1979 and 2000. Thus, primary data totalling 114 responses were collected and analysed by using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). The nonprobability sampling technique was applied using convenience and snowball sampling methods. Results There were no statistically significant differences in the effect of perceived risk, perceived benefit and personal factors on purchase intentions within generation Y (Y1, Y2 and Y3 groups) towards online clothing purchase. Practical implication As generation Y is an attractive segment to business managers, this research affirms the previous studies confirming generational cohort as a suitable way of categorising consumers. Thus helping managers in market segmentation strategies. Originality/Value This study contributes to the literature on generational cohorts by questioning the concept of cohort and how reliable it is for business managers to use in market segmentation.


: Fifteen hyperactive boys aged 5.6-10.6 years had their electroencephalograms (EEG) recorded during performance of a simple reaction task while on stimulant medication (methylphenidate or d-amphetamine) and after being free of medication for at least 48 hr. Interval histograms were formed from measurements of the duration of 780 half waves taken from predetermined portions of the EEG'S recorded from the left parietal-occipital derivation for both treatment conditions, and the histograms were subjected to a central-moments analysis. Previous evidence showed that, in normal children, smaller-valued 2nd, 3rd, and 4th central moments were associated with greater maturity. The EEG histograms obtained while the hyperactive children were taking stimulant medication had significantly (p less than 0.005) smaller 2nd, 3rd, and 4th central moments than the histograms of the same children obtained when off medication. Age of the group predicted from the means of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th central moments of the EEG interval histograms was 91 months when the children were off medication--9 months less than the group's actual mean age. Age predicted in the same way when the children were on medication was 97 months. Findings support the concept of a neurophysiological maturational lag in hyperactivity and suggest that this lag is overcome, in part, by the use of stimulant drugs.


Objectives: The objective of this study is to analyze the hard and soft-tissue profile changes as well as the upper airway changes after distraction osteogenesis (DO) using rigid external distraction device in adult cleft lip and palate (CLP) patients. The study also evaluates the stability of the surgical result. Materials and Methods: Three lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken: Predistraction (T1), postdistraction (T2), and 1 year after distractor removal (T3). The treatment changes (T1 vs. T2) and the stability (T2 vs. T3) were analyzed. The overall treatment changes after 1 year were also evaluated (T1 vs. T3). The lateral cephalograms were digitally analyzed with the help of software named Dolphin. Statistical Analysis Used: Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks test was used, and the probability value (P value) of 0.05 was considered as statistically significant level. Results: Eleven adult patients with CLP were retrospectively analyzed. After distraction, there was a significant mean maxillary advancement of 14 mm (P < 0.01) from a T1 value of 73.54 ± 10.38 to a T2 value of 88.2 ± 10.49. The lower facial height and the incisor exposure were significantly increased. The nasolabial angle had a significant improvement of 24.5° (P < 0.01) from a T1 value of 56.6 ± 21.03 to a T2 value of 81.18 ± 14.4.The upper airway was significantly improved by 3.7 mm (P < 0.01) with a T1 value of 13.5 ± 3.8 to a T2 value of 17.2 ± 3.66. After 1-year follow-up, there was a significant maxillary relapse of 3.20 mm (P < 0.05) from a T2 value of 8.29 ± 6.84 to a T3 value of 5.09 ± 5.59. However, the soft-tissue profile and upper airway remained stable. Conclusion: The clinician should have an understanding of the related hard and soft tissues as well as airway changes which may assist him when planning for maxillary advancement for CLP patients with DO. There were significant improvements immediately after distraction, but during the 1-year follow-up, some relapse was seen. This stressed on the need for overcorrection of about 35%–40% for adult CLP patients.


Four hundred sixty-nine serum samples were obtained from horses admitted to the internal medicine service of the Texas Veterinary Medical Center between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 1990. Serum samples were tested by ELISA for antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi. Of these 469 samples, 1 (0.2%) was repeatedly seropositive for the organism by ELISA. Confirmatory testing by protein immunoblot was negative. The observed seroprevalence was 0%; the upper bound of the 95% confidence interval was 0.6%. These findings indicate the evidence of infection with B burgdorferi is presently uncommon in horses in central Texas.


SUMMARY discussed. (2) The concentrations of total Na, K and Ca were determined for fifteen species of moss, one species of liverwort, one species of alga and nine species of lichen growing in a wide range of habitats. (3) In all species examined the concentration of Na was considerably higher in summer than in winter, the difference being least in the lichens. Species occupying wet habitats or habitats near the shore had the highest Na concentrations (up to 0 53% of dry weight). There was a strong correlation between Na content in the plants and the distance both vertically and horizontally from the sea. (4) Potassium concentrations were higher than those of Na, but the concentration in summer was frequently less than that in winter, particularly in those mosses and lichens growing in relatively dry rock habitats. As with Na, the higher K concentrations appeared to be correlated with increased moisture availability, with the highest K values (up to 1 41% of dry weight) in species growing on wet rocks. (5) The concentrations of Ca varied considerably and showed little conformity in fluctuation in all groups of species. The highest concentrations of the element (up to 2.29% of dry weight) were in species associated with mineral substrata and a high Ca content. There was a strong correlation between the Ca concentration in the plant material and the pH of the substratum. (6) The difference between summer and winter concentrations of the three cations suggests the probability of an annual cycle of mineral elements within the plants, with relatively high spring to early summer levels and winter minima. However, this cycle may not be complementary with the seasonal trends in soil elements. (7) The mineral-ion concentration within the plants varied considerably, not so much in relation to species but to environment, and to some extent to growth form which is strongly correlated with environment. Different species associated with a particular habitat tended to have similar concentrations of specific mineral elements, whereas the same species growing in a variety of habitats tended to have a range of mineral-ion concentrations. (8) The simple mechanism of uptake and storage of mineral-ions in these non-vascular species is considered to be a response to the moisture regime of the habitat and to the concentration of the elements in the substratum or in precipitation. The concentrations within the plants tend to be proportional to those occurring in the substratum, although some degree of accumulation, despite the absence of specialized storage tissues, is suspected.


Rapid accretion of cold intergalactic gas plays a crucial role in getting gas into galaxies. It has been suggested that this gas accretion proceeds along narrow streams that might also directly drive the turbulence in galactic gas, dynamical disturbances and bulge formation. In cosmological simulations, however, it is impossible to isolate and hence disentangle the effect of cold stream accretion from internal instabilities and mergers. Moreover, in most current cosmological simulations, the phase structure and turbulence in the interstellar medium (ISM) arising from stellar feedback are treated in an approximate (subgrid) manner, so that the feedback cannot generate turbulence in the ISM. In this paper we therefore test the effects of cold streams in extremely high-resolution simulations of otherwise isolated galaxy discs using detailed models for star formation and stellar feedback; we then include or exclude mock cold flows falling on to the galaxies, with mass accretion rates, velocities and flow geometry set to maximize their effect on the gaseous disc. We find (1) turbulent velocity dispersions in gas discs are identical with or without the presence of the cold flow; the energy injected by the flow is efficiently dissipated where it meets the disc. (2) In runs without stellar feedback, the presence of a cold flow has essentially no effect on runaway fragmentation (local collapse), resulting in star formation rates (SFRs) that are an order-of-magnitude too large. (3) Model discs in runs with both explicit feedback and cold flows have higher SFRs, but only insofar as they have more gas. (4) Because the flows are extended, relative to the size of the disc, they do not trigger strong resonant responses and so induce weak gross morphological perturbation (bulge formation via instabilities/fragmentation is not accelerated). (5) However, flows can thicken the disc by direct contribution of out-of-plane or misaligned star-forming streams/filaments. We conclude that while inflows are critical over cosmological time-scales to determine the supply and angular momentum of gas discs, they have weak instantaneous dynamical effects on galaxies.


Outlines trends in the ageing of the population in OECD countries from 1995-2050 and considers the labour market consequences. Investigates the labour force participation rate of older workers and examines reasons for their non-employment. Looks at trends in the lowering of the retirement age between 1950 and 1995 and discusses the impact of the old age pension on early retirement. Explores policy options to overcome projected deficits in pension accounts and examines public and enterprise policies concerning active ageing and the employability of older workers.


Several different drugs are now used, or are potentially useful, to treat patients with spasticity. Although these compounds vary in their actions on spinal neurons and reflex arcs, it is possible to formulate reasonable hypotheses regarding their modes of action. The benzodiazepines bind to specific benzodiazepine receptors linked to classic γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors located on the terminals of primary afferent fibers. This binding results in an increased affinity of the GABA receptor for the amino acid, an augmented flux of chloride ions across the terminal membrane, and an increase in the amount of presynaptic inhibition. Baclofen activates GABAB receptors putatively located on the same terminals. Activation of these receptors retards the influx of calcium ions into the terminals, thereby reducing the evoked release of excitatory amino acids and possibly other transmitters. Progabide and its metabolites act on both classic and GABAB receptors. Glycine works on specific inhibitory receptors located on spinal interneurons and motoneurons. The phenothiazines act on the brainstem to alter the function of fusimotor fibers. Phenytoin and carbamazepine reduce the afferent output of muscle spindles. Dantrolene diminishes the activation of the contractile process in muscle fibers by reducing the release of calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. This review summarizes the data supporting these concepts.


Abstract In this paper, the results of numerical analysis of the thermal consolidation of a two phase medium, under the assumption of independent heat transfer in fluid and the solid phase of the medium, are presented. Three cases of pore fluid were considered: liquid, represented by water, and gas, represented by air and carbon dioxide. The mathematical model was derived from irreversible thermodynamics, with the assumption of a constant heat transfer between the phases. In the case of the accepted geometry of the classical dimensions of the soil sample and boundary conditions, the process leads to equalization of temperatures of the skeleton on the pore fluid. Heat transfer is associated with the fluid flow in the pores of the medium. In the case of gas as the pore fluid, a non-linear mathematical model of gas filtration through the pores of the medium was accepted. For the computing process, relationships between viscosity or density and temperature proposed by other authors were taken into account. Despite accepting mechanical constants of the solid phase that do not depend on temperature, the obtained model is nonlinear and develops the classical Biot–Darcy model.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytocompatibility, cell ingrowth and extracellular matrix deposition of a newly developed porous bioactive glass as a bone substitute. Two types of bioactive glass, different in their pore size (75 and 20 ppi, resp. ~350 and ~1200 $m), were used in this study. The materials were seeded with human osteoblastic (MG63) and fibroblastic (M-228 F01 and M-191 F01) cell lines. The cells were visualized by two techniques, scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. For confocal microscopy cell nuclei were labeled with propidium iodide (IP) and the extracellular matrix components (type I collagen and osteocalcin) by specific antibodies. Cells and matrix were visualized by fluorescence. The bioactive glass used in this study was shown to be non cytotoxic. Cell growth and colonization at the surface and in the depth of the material were observed. Extracellular matrix deposition was also demonstrated which proved the proper biofunctionality of the biomaterial. Scanning electron microscope allowed us to visualize cells at a high magnification at the surface of the bioglass and evidenced that the biomaterials were covered by a sheet of cells with their matrix; on the other hand, confocal microscopy permitted us to observe cell ingrowth and matrix deposition within the depth of the substitute. We showed that extracellular matrix was synthesized mainly in the upper levels where the cell population was the most confluent. In summary, this porous bioglass appears promising for bone substitution.


Three sets of ionic liquids such as 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazole chloride [Cnmim]Cl, 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [Cnmim]Ac and 1-octyl-3-methylimidazole salt [Omim]Y (n = 2, 4, 6, 8, and Y = Cl, BF4, HSO4, Ac and TFO) were used as corrosion inhibitor medium for corrosion protection of carbon steel. Electronic structures and reactivity of these ionic liquids, surface energy and electronic structures of the iron surface were systematically analyzed by density functional theory. By increasing the alkyl chain length of the [Cnmim]Cl and [Cnmim]Ac systems, the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy (ELUMO), the highest occupied molecular orbital energy (EHOMO), the softness (S) and polarizability (α) increased gradually, whereas electronegativity (χ), energy gap (ΔE), hardness (η), dipole moment (μ)and electrophilic index (ω) gradually decreased. For the [Omim]Y system, the structure parameters of ionic liquids are quite different, and only the polarizability (α) decreases gradually by increasing the length of the alkyl chain. The results show that inhibition is mainly [Cnmim]+ cations of the [Cnmim]Cl system, and the order of inhibition efficiency follows as [C2mim]Cl < [C4mim]Cl < [C6mim]Cl < [C8mim]Cl. Both [Cnmim]+ cations and the Ac− anion have inhibition effect for the [Xmim]Ac system, and the order of inhibition efficiency is [C8mim]Ac > [C6mim]Ac > [C4mim]Ac > [C2mim]Ac. For the [Omim]Y system, [Xmim]+ cations and anions (BF4−, HSO4−, Ac−, TfO−) have inhibition effect, and the order of inhibition efficiency is [Omim]TfO > [Omim]Ac > [Omim]HSO4 > [Omim]BF4 > [Omim]Cl.


Introduction: Conventional real-time PCR for the detection of bacteria is unable to distinguish between viable and non-viable cells within a sample. Propidium monoazide (PMA) is a photo-reactive dye that is cell membrane impermeable which interacts with non-viable cells ceasing amplification due to DNA modification. We investigated if PMA could distinguish between viable and non-viable Haemophilus influenzae. Methods: H.influenzae strain (NCTC11931) was grown in LB broth for 24hrs then subjected to 90°c heat. Half were treated with PMA and incubated in darkness for 5min, then subjected to an intense light source for 15min. Bacterial DNA was extracted from all samples, using a commercial assay and quantified using real time-PCR. Each sample was plated on a chocolate agar plate and incubated for 24hrs. Results: PMA treated and non-PMA treated samples not subjected to heat treatment had very similar values, geometric mean (95%CI) of 5.22 x 10 7 (4.05to 6.74 x 10 7 ) and 6.29 x 10 7 (5.09 to 7.78 x 10 7 ) gene copies respectively. Samples treated by heat and stained with PMA had a significantly lower amount of H. influenzae detected than samples not treated with PMA (p<0.001).
 Conclusion: PMA appears able to distinguish between viable and non-viable H. influenzae , but further studies are warranted.


Study Design. A retrospective evaluation of 28 patients with recurrent lumbar disc herniation. Objectives. To analyze the outcome of the revisions (repeat discectomy), the risk factors of recurrent disc herniation, and the factors that influenced the outcomes of repeat discectomy. Summary of Background Data. Recurrent herniation following disc excision has been reported in 5–11% of patients. There have been many studies on recurrent disc herniation, but these studies have analyzed mixed patient populations. Methods. Recurrent lumbar disc herniation was defined as disc herniation at the same level, regardless of ipsilateral or contralateral herniation, with a pain-free interval greater than 6 months. Eight women and 20 men were studied. The levels of disc herniation were L4–L5 (19 cases) and L5–S1 (9 cases). Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging was performed in all patients. Revision surgery was performed in all patients by using conventional open discectomy. The pain-free interval, side and degree of herniation, operation time, duration of hospital stay, and clinical improvement rate were recorded. Results. The mean pain-free interval was 60.8 months. There were 21 cases of ipsilateral herniation and 7 cases of contralateral herniation. The degrees of herniation in revision were protrusion (14 cases), subligamentous extrusion (3 cases), transligamentous extrusion (8 cases), and sequestration (3 cases). The degrees of herniation in the previous discectomy were protrusion (17 cases), subligamentous extrusion (10 cases), and transligamentous extrusion (1 case). The length of surgery was significantly different (P = 0.003) between the revision surgery and the previous discectomy. There were no significant differences between revision and previous surgery in terms of hospital stay or clinical improvement rates. Age, gender, smoking, professions, traumatic events, level and degree of herniation, and pain-free interval did not affect the clinical outcomes. Conclusion. Conventional open discectomy as a revision surgery for recurrent lumbar disc herniation showed satisfactory results that were comparable with those of primary discectomy. Based on the results of this study, repeat discectomy can be recommended for the management of recurrent lumbar disc herniation.


Paragonimiasis has previously been reported in many zones of China, which is the infestation of the trematode genus Paragonimus. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence and epidemiology of paragonimiasis in Jinhua which is next to Fujian, China. The differences of Paragonimus westmani isolates from Jinhua and other areas of the world were also analyzed. Freshwater crabs and snails from streams located in each of the villages were dissected for isolation of Paragonimus metacercariae. The epidemiology data were further analyzed by using geographic information systems (GIS). We found that the infestation rate for the Paragonimus cercariae in snails was as low as 2.3%, while that was as high as 76.67% in crabs. So, freshwater crabs were demonstrated as one of the main hosts for P. metacercariae in Jinhua. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis indicated that the sequences of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) and cytochrome coxidase subunit I (COI) were conserved among different isolates, especially for the ITS2 gene. Based on the phylogenetic trees generated from the comparison results of COI gene, it was interesting to find that Paragonimus strains from different areas were present in different cluster. We conclude that the COI gene of Paragonimus can be a molecular marker contributing to the typing and source tracking for Paragonimiasis.


An analytic many-body potential is derived for the bond order of {ital s}-valent systems which allows the influence of the local atomic environment on the bond strength to be determined directly. The importance of the three-membered- and four-membered-ring terms on the topology of four-atom clusters is demonstrated. The simplicity of the potential's analytic form will allow the much used embedded atom potentials to be extended to include explicit three-body and four-body terms.


W ill India and China resolve their boundary dispute during the tenure of Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping? The strategic communities in both countries are optimistic, particularly after the high tension prevailing along the border during President Xi Jinping's tour of India in September 2014. Both Prime Minister Modi and President Xi are seen as decisive leaders. Both are expected to hold power in their respective countries for a few years to come. Personalities and personas matter greatly for scoring political brownie points. The boundary dispute, quintessentially, is political in nature. The 2005 Agreement on the 'Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India–China Boundary Question' acknowledged as much: the 'two sides are seeking a political settlement of the boundary question'. In future India–China boundary negotiations, will the two leaders go for territorial exchange or will they remain content with the status quo, and simply define the Line of Actual Control (LAC)?


Within the context of ERA, this paper addresses the question of how we might provide practitioners with a framework for understanding creative arts research as the production of new knowledge. Drawing on the thought of Julia Kristeva, it examines the aesthetic underpinnings of discovery and the implications and significance of this for research training and the development of more effective pedagogies both within and beyond the university. Kristeva's work constitutes both an implicit and explicit critique of science allowing us to conceive of artistic research as an experiential and performative production of knowledge. As a mode of enquiry, artistic practice reveals the inextricable and necessary relationship between practice and theory, interpretation and making, art and life. This interrelationship underpins the aesthetic dimension of revolutionary practice and its production of unfamiliar or mutant forms of knowledge that is often difficult to grasp in terms of its capacity to engender social change and innovation. In the context of creative arts practice as research, the notion of experience-in-practice indicates that interpretation and analysis must fall to the practitioner-researcher, himself or herself, rather than to another person who has been external to the procedures of making, to trace the significant experiential, subjective and emergent processes involved in the production of the work that allows it to reveal the new. This is necessary if the generative and revolutionary impact of artistic research is to be fully understood in the wider research arena. In the final part of this paper, I will apply and illustrate these ideas through an analysis of a number of artistic research projects successfully completed in Australia.


Complexation of celecoxib with β-cyclodextrin and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin in the presence and absence of polyvinylpyrrolidone and the effect of polyvinylpyrrolidone on the solubilizing efficiency of cyclodextrins and on the dissolution rate of celecoxib from the cyclodextrin complexes were investigated. The phase solubility studies indicated the formation of celecoxib-β-cyclodextrin and celecoxib-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes at a 1:1 M ratio in solution, both in the presence and absence of polyvinylpyrrolidone. The complexes formed were quite stable. The solubility and dissolution rate of celecoxib were markedly enhanced by complexation with β-cyclodextrin and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin. Celecoxib-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (1:2) inclusion complex gave a 36.57-fold increase in the dissolution rate of celecoxib. Addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone resulted in higher complexation efficiency and markedly enhanced solubilizing efficiency of β-cyclodextrin and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin. Solid inclusion complexes of cyclodextrins with polyvinylpyrrolidone gave several times higher rates of dissolution than those of celecoxib and its complexes with cyclodextrins alone.


[1] We examine potentially periglacial landforms in Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) and High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) images at the Phoenix landing site and compare them with numerical models of permafrost processes to better understand the origin, nature, and history of the permafrost and the surface of the northern plains of Mars. Small-scale (3‐6 m) polygonal-patterned ground is ubiquitous throughout the Phoenix landing site and northern plains. Larger-scale (20‐25 m) polygonal patterns and regularly spaced (20‐35 m) rubble piles (localized collections of rocks and boulders) are also common. Rubble piles were previously identified as ''basketball terrain'' in MOC images. The small polygon networks exhibit well-developed and relatively undegraded morphology, and they overlay all other landforms. Comparison of the small polygons with a numerical model shows that their size is consistent with a thermal contraction origin on current-day Mars and are likely active. In addition, the observed polygon size is consistent with a subsurface rheology of ice-cemented soil on depth scales of about 10 m. The size and morphology of the larger polygonal patterns and rubble piles indicate a past episode of polygon formation and rock sorting in thermal contraction polygons, while the ice table was about twice as deep as it is presently. The pervasive nature of small and large polygons, and the extensive sorting of surface rocks, indicates that widespread overturning of the surface layer to depths of many meters has occurred in the recent geologic past. This periglacial reworking has had a significant influence on the landscape at the Phoenix landing site and over the Martian northern plains.


Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber plain woven fabric reinforced line-low-density polyethylene composites with different matrix volume fraction were prepared. The interfacial bonding strength and the impact property of the laminates were investigated. The experiment results revealed that the sample with a matrix volume fraction 14% showed better impact properties than other ones, while the interface bonding strength continued to drop when the matrix volume fraction was decreased. It is also indicated that in high fiber interface bonding strength, the impact resistance of the laminate would grow by decreasing the interface bonding strength. However, when the interface bonding strength was lower than the threshold, there would be an opposite effect.


Ten years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the political and economic structures of the former German Democratic Republic are largely understood, yet many questions remain. What actually motivated the East Germans themselves? What common goals and values kept GDR society going and, until its unexpected collapse in 1989, seemed to make it into a relative success story?"Building the East German Myth" examines the East German communist party's propagandistic treatment of German high culture, antifascism, "German-Soviet" friendship, and the German nationalist tradition. In this pathbreaking study, Alan Nothnagle argues that the party's mass events and indoctrination campaigns were not mere propaganda, but rather an ingenious program of mythbuilding by which young people were instilled with a dynamic and nearly inescapable mythology. Using a wealth of previously unexplored sources, Nothnagle shows this mythology was as essential to the GDR's existence as the Wall of the Soviet occupation and, as its leaders discovered in 1989, the GDR could not survive without it.Alongside the economic and human costs this book demonstrates, the loss of honesty, subtlety, and a sense of proportion may represent the most devastating legacy of the East German experience.Written to appeal to both specialists and non-specialists, "Building the East German Myth" will prove essential reading for those interested in German and European history, communism, political propaganda, and Cold War culture.Alan L. Nothnagle is Assistant Professor of History, Europa-Universitat Viadrina in Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany."


Background: Gene mutations in the PI3K pathway in breast tumors are associated with resistance to tamoxifen and poorer prognosis. Differences in host susceptibility to developing breast cancers with PI3K pathway mutations may explain the heterogeneity in response to tamoxifen for chemoprevention and breast cancer outcomes. The objective of the study was to evaluate the association between host germline single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and activation of the PI3K pathway in breast tumors. Methods: We extracted tumor and germline DNA from 386 women with stages I-II breast cancer treated at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Nine PI3K mutation sites were evaluated using the Sequenom assay and 57 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of candidate genes in the PI3K pathway were genotyped using the Illumina Golden Gate Platform. Results: 36 patients (10%) had at least one mutation in the PI3K pathway. There was no association between PI3K mutation status by age at diagnosis or ethnicity. In univariate analysis, there was a statistically significant association between PI3K gene mutation status and 3 tagging SNPs in the genes, PTEN (rs123421, rs1234213) and IGF-1 (rs2033178). Conclusion: PI3K mutations are rare in breast tumors but represent a druggable target for prevention and treatment. Host genetics may play a role in contributing to tumor biology and serve to identify individuals at risk for tumors with PI3K pathway activation and tamoxifen resistance. Citation Format: Abenaa M. Brewster, Melissa Bondy, Kim-anh Do, Aysegul Sahin, Katherine Hale, Caimiao Wei, Gordon Mills, Patricia Thompson. The association between germline genetic variants in the PI3K pathway and PI3K mutations in breast tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2012 Oct 16-19; Anaheim, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Prev Res 2012;5(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B84.


Reasons for low penetration and low quality of Internet access in Africa are numerous: high Internet access costs inherent to energy instability, transit costs, network operation costs, lack of infrastructure in rural areas, lack of content in Africa, as well as the preference of users for popular Google, Facebook or Youtube content mostly hosted outside Africa which lead to a constant loop (no local content no peering, no peering no local content). We review approaches to tackle this problem. We suggest a better energy provision to the industry (by Africans governments or private companies) which could be boosted by competition in this sector, an orientation of electrification politics towards solar energy storage and furniture, renewable energy, gas and nuclear centrals, as well as the establishment of a climate of fairness and cooperation/partnership by the regulations in the telecoms market. Most importantly, ISPs could increase peering to save on transit costs. They could also implement traffic engineering and efficient routing to keep local traffic local. Meanwhile, ISPs should invest in terrestrial optical fiber networks deployment or alternative technologies for the middle mile in order to reach more customers. Creation, development of local content and web content hosting should also be encouraged. Considerable efforts are currently being done on the continent to achieve these objectives but they need to be multiplied, as Africa is massive.


Argument mining targets structures in natural language related to interpretation and persuasion which are central to scientific communication. Most scholarly discourse involves interpreting experimental evidence and attempting to persuade other scientists to adopt the same conclusions. While various argument mining studies have addressed student essays and news articles, those that target scientific discourse are still scarce. This paper surveys existing work in argument mining of scholarly discourse, and provides an overview of current models, data, tasks, and applications. We identify a number of key challenges confronting argument mining in the scientific domain, and suggest some possible solutions and future directions.


A comprehensive survey of the interaction of the copper proteins and oxygen is presented including a correlation of structure, function, and other properties of the known copper oxidases and of hemocyanin. The origin of their blue color and the structure of copper complexes and copper proteins are related to the oxidation state of copper ion and relevant electronic transitions probably arising from the formation of charge transfer complexes. The oxygen reactions of hemocyanin, ceruloplasmin, and cytochrome oxidase show half-saturation values far below the other Cu enzymes. The formation of hydrogen peroxide as a reaction product is associated with the presence of one Cu atom per oxidase molecule or catalytic system. Water is the corresponding product of the other Cu oxidases with four or more Cu atoms per molecule, except for monoamine oxidase. Mechanisms for the oxidase action of the two and four electron transfer Cu oxidases and tyrosinase are proposed. These reactions account for the number, the oxidation-reduction potential, and the oxidation state of Cu in the resting enzyme, the cyclical change from Cu(II) to Cu(I), the diatomic nature of O2, the sequence of the oxidation and reduction reactions, and other salient features. The catalytic reactions involved in the oxidation of ascorbic acid by plant ascorbate oxidase, ceruloplasmin, and Cu(II) are compared. Finally the substrate specificity, inhibitory control, and the detailed mechanism of the oxidase activity of ceruloplasmin are summarized.


The work described in this thesis is concerned with the preparation of gel stationary phases for liquid chromatography in organic solvents. Sephadex dextran is a crosslinked polymer of D-glucose molecules. It contains many free hydroxyl groups which make it hydrophilic. Substitution of these groups with a suitable organic residue gives a lipophilic .gel which swells in organic solvents and which is well suited for use as a chromatographic stationary phase. Gels were prepared with optically active substituents with the intention that selective phases would be produced which might permit the separation of enantiomers and phytosterols containing epimeric alkyl substituents on the side chain. No satisfactory chromatographic method of analyzing such sterols has yet been reported. A suitable method of attaching substituents (first reported by Sjoali and co-workers) was the BF3-catalysed reaction of an olefin oxide with LE-20, a hydroxypropyl derivative of Sephadex G-25. A chiral oxide, 25,24-oxido-5 (choline was prepared from naturally occurring bile acids. The conditions of the substitution reaction were optimised such that stoichiometric amounts of oxide w'ere incorporated efficiently into the gel, A product containing 405S by weight of hydroxy-cholanyl residues (hydroxy-5 P-cholanyl IiH-20) was obtained. The physical properties of the gel were examined. Solvent regain values, sample recovery from the column, and the effect of sample size on the chromatographic elution profile were determined. The gel was then examined with respect to chromatographic properties in two solvent systems (benzene and methanol-heptane 9tl). These gave rise to straight-phase or reversed-phase gel systems respectively. A model set of compounds, mainly steroids, was used in this evaluation. The gel proved satisfactory as a stationary phase. Quantitative recovery of samples, symmetrical peaks, and an absence of tailing were characteristic of gel chromatograms. The straight-phase system was useful for the analysis of hydroxylic steroids. Alcohols, amines and carboxylic acids were all retarded on the column. Hydrocarbons, esters and ketones all had similar elution volumes and were not markedly retarded on the column. In the reversed-phase system, the order of elution was inverted, and non-polar compounds were retarded on the column relative to polar materials. This system gave rise to separations of substances differing in the hydrocarbon substitution. However, no separations were observed, in either system, of enantiomers or of phytosterols containing diastereomeric side chains. A second derivative was prepared using cyclohexene oxide. This was a model compound for the reaction of more complex alicyclic oxides. The BP3-catalysed substitution reaction was successful and marked the first occasion when an non-terminal olefin oxide had been incorporated into a gel. While generally similar to hydroxy-5P-cholanyl IiH-20, this gel proved useful for the separation of epimeric steroids containing hydroxyl substituents and also 5ci/A-steroids. Pour other alicyclic oxides were reacted with LH-20. Two of these, 2a,5o-oxido-5o-cholestane and endo-2,5-oxidobornane were prepared from optically active starting materials. The gels were evaluated as chromatographic stationary phases. Improved separations of liydroxylic steroid epimers were obtained on hydroxycholestanyl LH-20.. The properties of the four gels were generally similar to hydroxycyclohexyl LH-20. Neither enantiomers nor phytosterol diastereoisomers could he separated on these phases. Some inferences are drawn on the mechanisms of separation on the gels, and suggestions are made for further work. The second section deals with the analysis of the metabolites of cholesterol (labelled with 4-C-cholesterol) in the plant pathogenic fungus, Phytophthora cactorum. The major products were esters of cholesterol and long chain fatty acids, The fatty acid pattern was determined and compared with that of the fungal triglycerides.


Background: Rotavirus is an important etiologic agent of diarrhea worldwide and ongoing surveillance is essential to monitor strain diversity. To describe the epidemiology of rotavirus disease and circulating rotavirus strains in Mauritius, surveillance for rotavirus diarrhea was conducted at 2 regional hospitals from June 2008 through December 2010. Methods: A total of 787 fecal samples from children <5 years of age admitted to the pediatric ward with acute gastroenteritis was collected within 48 hours of hospitalization and analyzed for group A rotavirus. A subset of rotavirus-positive samples was subjected to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and VP4 and VP7 genotyping. Results: Rotavirus was detected in 327 (41.6%) stools. Highest prevalence of rotavirus infection occurred in children <2 years of age, predominately between 12 and 23 months. Three seasonal peaks were observed during the study period: July to October 2008, October to December 2009 and July to October 2010. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of 116 positive samples yielded only long electropherotypes. The predominant circulating strain was G3P[8] (89%) from June through December 2008, G4P[8] (76%) from January through December 2009 and G1P[8] (90%) from January through December 2010. Conclusions: The diversity of rotavirus strains detected in this study highlights the need for continuous surveillance and data generated can be used to advocate for rotavirus vaccine introduction.


In international fisheries management, scientific advice on the presence of 'Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems' (VMEs) per United Nations resolutions, has generally used qualitative assessments based on expert judgement of the occurrence of indicator taxa such as cold-water corals and sponges. Use of expert judgement alone can be criticised for inconsistency and sometimes a lack of transparency; therefore, development of robust and repeatable numeric methods to detect the presence of VMEs would be advantageous. Here, we present a multi-criteria assessment (MCA) method to evaluate how likely a given area of seafloor represents a VME. The MCA is a taxa-dependent spatial method that accounts for both the quantity and data quality available. This was applied to a database of records of VMEs built, held and compiled by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). A VME index was generated which ranged from 1.51 to 4.52, with 5.0 being reserved for confirmed VME habitats. An index of confidence was also computed that ranged from 0.0 to 0.75, with 1 being reserved for those confirmed VME habitats. Overall the MCA captured the important elements of the ICES VME database and provided a simplified, spatially aggregated and weighted estimate of how likely a given area is to contain VMEs. The associated estimate of confidence gave an indication of how uncertain that assessment was for the same given area. This methodology provides a more systematic and standardised approach for assessing the likelihood of presence of VMEs in the North-East Atlantic.


The Ni-P-SiC composite coatings with homogeneous distribution were prepared through adding nano-SiC grains into the Ni-P chemical plating liquid. The morphology of the composite coatings was analyzed by SEM. The coatings microhardnesses at the SiC composite content for different concentration were measured using the microhardness tester. The wear property of coatings was evaluated by the friction-wear tester and the abrasion mechanism of coatings was also analyzed. The results show that the microstructures of the composite coatings are superior to the common coatings because the nano-SiC particles refine the crystal grains of the composite coatings. The hardness and wear resistance of the composite plating coatings were well improved under the strengthening effect of nano-SiC grains.The wear resistance was the best when the SiC concentration was 4g/L.


The article is devoted to the effectiveness of the use of local lore material in mountainous terrain schools to improve student achievement in the development of their cognitive interest. In particular, the analysis of the role of the school in the development of Ukrainian Carpathian mountain areas of education and younger generation training. Attention is drawn to the fact that  during the organization of the educational process in schools of mountainous terrain ,we  are  to  take into  consideration  rather high level of spirituality  of Highlanders, their love for their land , traditions and customs. Therefore, during the lessons of social and humanitarian course the teacher is to use local history material that will provide development of students cognitive interest. The authors in the experimental studies process demonstrated that the organization of learning the history of Ukraine in the 5 th grade should be directed to the development of cognitive interest in history. So, the children in the 5 th grade will not have to study the whole history. They are to be prepared to gradually assimilate to it according to the curriculum. A critical factor in successful learning is to form cognitive interest. To make the learning process easier and more interesting the teacher must offer his/her students the curriculum material which they would not only feel, but also easily understand. The students must realize that it's not about teaching something/someone unknown, but about themselves, their parents, grandparents, great grandparents, family, region, country. Therefore, the initial training should dominate local history material, allowing the development of cognitive interest in history, lay the foundations of historical knowledge and provide increasing levels of students' achievements. This is ensured by a parallel study of the history of the native land. The authors defined teaching and learning requirements for local lore material to be used in the process of study and presented their own examples.


This article examines four different asset-pricing factors and their use in a portfolio that varies over time based on an investor's risk preferences. Using data for the period 1980–2014, the authors show that the risk premiums of different factors are not constant over time and that investors may improve their risk–return trade-off by weighting or tilting their portfolios differently as liquidity and risk tolerances change, such as when investors age. The results suggest that those investors targeting higher returns should tilt toward the size and value factors, whereas investors favoring lower levels of risk should tilt toward the quality factor. This article raise questions about the current industry approach to asset allocation and the driving forces behind the magnitude of risk premiums over time.


Abstract. Parameterisation of changes of the solar irradiance at ground level with a specific variable (e.g. solar zenithal angle, aerosol optical depth, altitude, etc.) is often used in operational processes because it saves computational time. This paper deals with the modelling of the vertical profile of downwelling solar irradiance for the first two kilometres above ground in clear sky conditions. Two analytical parameterisations are evaluated for direct and global irradiance in spectral bands as well as for the total irradiance. These parameterisations reproduce the vertical profile with good accuracy for global spectral irradiance and are less accurate for direct component, especially in turbid atmosphere. A piecewise linear interpolation technique using irradiance values known at surface and 4 altitudes every 500 m performs better in any case.


To utilize photovoltaic power generation (PV), the compensation for power fluctuation is necessary since the fluctuation has a bad influence on electric power system. Therefore, micro grid using several kinds of distributed generation is considered to be a good solution. For this reason, studies on batteries have been done in particular, due to the high output responsiveness. However, the power generation cost of batteries is higher than other distributed generation such as gas engines, which have not been studied enough from the viewpoint of distributed generation to compensate for renewable energy. In this paper, the feasibility of gas engines to compensate for the PV fluctuation is investigated from the point of view of exhaust gas NOx and power cost by simulation. As a result, the amount of NOx increases as the output of the gas engine fluctuates, but this increase on NOx hardly has a problem in micro grid. As for power cost, it can be decreased by combining battery and a few kinds of gas engines efficiently. In conclusion, it can be said that gas engines are able to play an important role in micro grid as distributed generation.


With the growing scale of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs), it is challenging to maintain their stability under all operating conditions. How to reduce the downtime and locate the failures becomes a core issue in system design. In this paper, we employ a hierarchical contract-based resilience framework to guarantee the stability of CPS. In this framework, we use Assume Guarantee (A-G) contracts to monitor the non-functional properties of individual components (e.g., power and latency), and hierarchically compose such contracts to deduce information about faults at the system level. The hierarchical contracts enable rapid fault detection in large-scale CPS. However, due to the vast number of components in CPS, manually designing numerous contracts and the hierarchy becomes challenging. To address this issue, we propose a technique to automatically decompose a root contract into multiple lower-level contracts depending on I/O dependencies between components. We then formulate a multi-objective optimization problem to search the optimal parameters of each lower-level contract. This enables automatic contract refinement taking into consideration the communication overhead between components. Finally, we use a case study from the manufacturing domain to experimentally demonstrate the benefits of the proposed framework.


This research examined the validity of the Performance Environment Perception Scales (PEPS), a new instrument designed to assess performance-relevant aspects of the work environment. A sample of 156 employees of an Australian university completed the PEPS and their supervisors rated their task and citizenship performance. Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed the PEPS to have a valid factor structure, and the PEPS were found to be significantly correlated with citizenship performance, but not with task performance. Although this finding is consistent with theoretical predictions, the PEPS are apparently the first measures of work environment perceptions that have confirmed this. Thus the PEPS show promise as measures for use in future research and organizational development projects that focus on relationships between the work environment and performance. Limitations of the research and implications for the validity of the PEPS, as well as for future research and practice, are discussed.


B cells and T cells are key players in the defence against infections and malignancies. To exert their function, B cells and T cells differentiate into effector and memory cells. Tight regulation of these differentiation processes is key to prevent their malfunction, which can result in life-threatening disease. Lymphocyte differentiation relies on the appropriate timing and dosage of regulatory molecules, and post-transcriptional gene regulation (PTR) is a key player herein. PTR includes the regulation through RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), which control the fate of RNA and its translation into proteins. To date, a comprehensive RBP expression map throughout lymphocyte differentiation is lacking. Using transcriptome and proteome analyses, we here provide an RBP expression map for human B cells and T cells. We observed that even though the overall RBP expression is conserved, the relative RBP expression is distinct between B cells and T cells. Differentiation into effector and memory cells alters the RBP expression, resulting into preferential expression of different classes of RBPs. For instance, whereas naïve T cells express high levels of translation-regulating RBPs, effector T cells preferentially express RBPs that modulate mRNA stability. Lastly, we found that cytotoxic CD8+ and CD4+ T cells express a common RBP repertoire. Combined, our study reveals a cell type-specific and differentiation-dependent RBP expression landscape in human lymphocytes, which will help unravel the role of RBPs in lymphocyte function.


Cell membrane plays critical cellular functions in both physiological and pathological pathways and thus is important target for both basic and applied biomedical research. The domain structure features of cell membrane strongly affect the functions of membrane embedded biomolecules such as proteins and carbohydrates. However, understanding the structural aspects of membrane effects on the embedded biomolecule's function have not been able easily to do due to limited approaches available. We have engaged in fabrication of cell membrane mimetic systems for functional analysis of membrane proteins and cell surface carbohydrates [1,2]. Thrombomodulin (TM), an endothelial integral membrane protein, plays central roles in haemostatic balance by serving as a cofactor for thrombin-mediated protein C (PC) activation (antithrombotic) [3]. The structure of TM and its structural domains necessary for PC activation has been clarified and reactions occur on endothelial cell membrane surfaces [4]. Therefore, cell membrane may be involved in the protein C activation process. However, it is not conducted so far. In this research, we fabricate cell membrane mimetic systems containing TM and investigate the physiological significance of the lipid membrane on TM-enhanced PC activation mechanism. The proposed research will provide important information to understand the relative factors involved in PC activation and would offer opportunities to manipulate thrombotic disorders (antithrombotic versus prothrombotic) related to cardiovascular diseases. In addition, the cell membrane mimetic system can be used for examining binding interactions of other cell surface biomolecules such as carbohydrates and can be applied for drug screening applications as well.


Abstract Estimates of Antarctic iceberg melt rates made from field observations, iceberg distribution statistics, laboratory experiments and theoretical studies give a wide range of values. Evaluation of the errors associated with each method allows for the quantitative first-order correction for both the effect of bubbles released from the melting ice on the convective heat transfer and the effect of other forms of iceberg deterioration besides sidewall melting. The results provide a best estimate for the melt rate of 5, 17 and 55 m year−1 at a temperature elevation above the freezing point of Td = 2, 4 and 8°C, respectively. Also, the laboratory, theoretical and field observations indicate that the melt-rate dependence is proportional to Td1.6.


In global environmental governance, numerous new international organizations have emerged from dozens of multilateral treaties signed over the last 30 years. This paper focuses on intergovernmental organizations in an organizational theory perspective with a particular focus on organizational learning processes. It explores where and when international organizations exhibit organizational learning with significant effects on the organizations' internal structure and behavior. Key hypotheses from principal-agent theory and organizational learning theory are tested in eight case studies of international organizations involved in global environmental governance. The analysis shows that organizations engage in three forms of learning: reflexive learning, adaptive learning, and no learning. Explanations of the observed variation depend on specific learning mechanisms, change agents in leadership functions and external triggers such as pressures from governments or nongovernmental actors.


Opportunistic networking involves forwarding messages between proximate users, who may or may not know one another. This assumes that users are willing to forward messages to each other. This assumption may not hold if users are concerned about using the opportunistic network service. One such concern may be due to privacy; for instance, users' locations may be leaked. A privacy-concerned user may therefore disable their mobile device's opportunistic-networking features at various times, to preserve their privacy. This paper studies the impact of location privacy concerns on the performance of an opportunistic network. Using data from a real-world location-aware user study to develop a privacy model, we conduct trace-based simulations of various opportunistic routing protocols with two real-world traces. We find that users' location privacy preferences may potentially reduce the delivery performance of an opportunistic network to zero.


Purpose: There is limited research surrounding how mental health in post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients differs by gender and ethnicity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether mental health differs by ethnicity in post-MI older adult females with coronary artery disease (CAD).
Methods: This cross-sectional analysis used 2015 BRFSS data for post-MI females 50 years of age and older from Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between mental health and ethnicity/race while controlling for age, education level, income level, marital status, physical activity, and depression.
Results: About half of post-MI older adult females reported good mental health in the last month (56-58%) and most were White, non-Hispanic (73-80%), followed by Black, non- Hispanic (15-17%), and other ethnic/racial groups (4-11%). The results of this study indicated that mental health did not differ significantly by ethnicity/race in any of the three states after controlling for demographic factors, physical activity, and depression. However, good mental health was inversely related to depression in all three states and positively related to age in two of three states.
Conclusion: Mental health did not differ significantly by ethnicity/race in post-MI older adult females. However, within this target population, good mental health was less likely in those with a previous diagnosis of depression in all three states and more likely in those aged 65 and older in two of three states. Although there was no information in this study regarding mental health progression following a myocardial infarction, primary care providers and cardiologists should screen all post-MI female patients, despite their ethnicity/race, for good mental health, especially those who have a previous diagnosis of depression and those ages 50-64 years. Mental health education and referrals should be provided to post-MI older adult females of all ethnicities as needed.


Petro physics, rock physics and multi-attribute analysis have been employed in an integrated approach to delineate porosity variation across Tamag Field of Niger Delta Basin. Gamma and resistivity logs were employed to identify sand bodies and correlated across the field. Petro physical analysis was undertaken. Rock physics modelling and multi-attribute analysis were carried out. Two hydrocarbon reservoir sands (A and B) were delineated across the field. Reservoir A is a relatively clean sand, characterized with high average porosity of 0.28 while Reservoir B is also a relatively clean sand with lower average porosity of 0.24. Reservoir A is a replica of Friable Sand Model while reservoir B mirrors the Constant Cement Model. Acoustic impedance attributes serve as good predictors of lateral changes in porosity across the reservoirs. The internal fabric of Reservoir sand A is that of a clean high porosity sands implying that there are few or no diagenetic cement and the stiffness of the rock is weakly affected. This reservoir is relatively good quality due to its good porosity and sorting even at deeper depths. This unconsolidated sandstone reservoir is associated with high permeability but highly susceptible to sand production, which causes severe operational problem for oil and gas explorers. Reservoir B has good porosity but relatively lower that of Reservoir A. This conforms to the results of the petro physical analysis which shows that reservoir sand A with average porosity 0.28 is more porous than reservoir sand B with average porosity 0.24.


The authors analyze Danish registry data from 1991 to 2006 to determine how firm age and firm size influence wages. Unadjusted statistics suggest that smaller firms paid less than larger firms paid, and that firm age had little or no bearing on wages. After adjusting for differences in the characteristics of employees hired by these firms, however, they observe both firm age and firm size effects. Larger firms paid more than did smaller firms for observationally equivalent individuals but, contrary to conventional wisdom, younger firms paid more than older firms. The size effect, however, dominates the age effect. Thus, although the typical start-up—being both young and small—paid less than a more established employer, the largest start-ups paid a wage premium.


Public listed companies in Malaysia have been pressured tremendously to accept the engagement of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG), but the engagement is still low based on previous studies. ESG will enhance company financial performance, image as well as the ability to attract and retain the workplace which contributes to the market value in the economy. This shows that ESG engagement improve company brand image and reputation, increase customer loyalty and sales as well as productivity. Corporate governance is seen to be the key role to ensure that companies engage with ESG practices since it can enhance the value creation and improve financial performance. Even the present investors are bound to look for non-financial performance elements like corporate governance and environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices that the company engaged since it is an evidence of effective corporate governance. Based on today's global and innovation-driven economy which also include social and environmental matters consisting of welfare distribution and growth, it is said that countries need to be more efficient in finding new ways to enhance the environmental policy promoting greater change and dynamics. Thus, they must find new ways to develop an innovation policy to emphasise the knowledge-driven economy on the capacity to adapt and adopt best practices, create, diffuse and transform innovation and knowledge. The absorptive capacity will recognise the ability of the individual and company in adopting the innovation which play an essential part in determining the characteristics of good corporate governance to ensure best ESG practices in the company. This paper examines the relationship between board capabilities and ESG practices through the mediating role of absorptive capacity. Board size, board diversity and board independent are the board capabilities that the paper investigates. Collection of information and data was from company's listed in FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia from the year 2012 to 2016. The results from the regression analysis show that ESG practices have a significant relationship with board size, board diversity, board independence and absorptive capacity. On top of that, absorptive capacity is perceived to have influence on board diversity and board independence towards ESG practices. The results provide empirical evidence and guidance in identifying areas of problems in the current policy and amend it for a better policy in promoting sustainability.


The effect of cat odour exposure was studied on the behaviour and neuropeptide gene expression in rodents. Exposure to the cat odour suppressed the exploratory activity of male Wistar rats in the elevated zero-maze. Treatment with morphine (1 mg/kg) increased the exploratory behaviour of rats in an unfamiliar environment. Previous exposure of animals to the cat odour completely abolished this stimulating action of morphine. Cat odour exposure induced a significant increase in the expression of Pomc1, Oprm1 and Cck genes in the brain structures related to anxiety and motivation. The similar study was also performed in female 129Sv/C57/Bl6 mice. The exposure of wild-type and homozygous CCK2 receptor deficient mice to the cat odour did not reveal substantial differences between the two genotypes. However, the following exposure of mice to the elevated plus-maze established differences as homozygous mice displayed increased exploratory activity in the plus-maze. The cat odour exposure significantly reduced exploratory activity only in homozygous mice. Together with the increased exploratory activity in homozygous mice the expression of Oprm1 gene was elevated in the frontal cortex and mesencephalon. Thus, the reduced anxiety of homozygous mice seems to be related to an increased tone of opioid system in the brain. The exposure of mice to cat odour did not change the gene expression in wild-type mice, whereas in homozygous animals a significantly increased expression of the Mc3r gene in the frontal cortex and temporal lobe, and the Pomc1 gene in the temporal lobe, mesencephalon and mesolimbic area was established. Therefore, it is likely that the increased function of melanocortin system is responsible for the anxiogenic effect of cat odour exposure in homozygous mice. In conclusion, the experiments conducted on rodents demonstrate that the cat odour exposure induced anxiety is accompanied by the compensatory changes in the activity of opioid and melanocortin systems.


In human-human dialogue, especially in attentive listening such as counseling, backchannels are important not only for smooth communication but also for establishing rapport. Despite several studies on when to backchannel, most of the current spoken dialogue systems generate the same pattern of backchannels, giving monotonous impressions to users. In this work, we investigate generation of a variety of backchannel forms according to the dialogue context. We first show the feasibility of choosing appropriate backchannel forms based on machine learning, and the synergy of using linguistic and prosodic features. For generation of backchannels, a framework based on a set of binary classifiers is adopted to effectively make a "not-to-generate" decision. The proposed model achieved better prediction accuracy than a baseline which always outputs the same backchannel form and another baseline which randomly generates backchan-nels. Finally, evaluations by human subjects demonstrate that the proposed method generates backchannels as naturally as human choices, giving impressions of understanding and empathy.


Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been intensively studied since their discovery in 1991. DSSCs have been extensively researched over the past decades as cheaper alternatives to silicon solar cells due to their high energy-conversion efficiency and their low production cost. However, some problems need to be solved in order to enhance the efficiency of DSSCs. In particular, the electron recombination that occurs due to the contact between the transparent conductive oxide (TCO) and a redox electrolyte is one of the main limiting factors of efficiency. In this work, we report for the first time the improvement of the photovoltaic characteristics of DSSCs by doping TiO2 with Al2O3. DSSCs were constructed using composite particles of Al2O3-doped TiO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles. The DSSCs using Al2O3 showed the maximum conversion efficiency of 6.29% due to effective electron transport. DSSCs based on Al2O3-doped TiO2 films showed better photovoltaic performance than cells fabricated with only TiO2 nanoparticles. This result is attributed to the prevention of electron recombination between electrons in the TiO2 conduction band with holes in the dye or the electrolyte. There mechanism is suggested based on impedance results, which indicated improved electron transport at the TiO2/dye/electrolyte interface.


Purpose: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is used to treat Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia and mucosal carcinoma. Outcomes are variable with some patients having persistent disease, whereas others develop strictures. The aims of this study were (a) to compare porfimer sodium tissue uptake, light dose, and esophageal thickness with clinical outcomes and (b) to determine the selectivity of porfimer sodium uptake in diseased and normal epithelium. Experimental Design: Forty-eight hours after porfimer sodium infusion, patients underwent mucosal biopsy for quantification of the porfimer sodium. Laser light was delivered at 48 hours and again 24 or 48 hours later. Porfimer sodium was extracted from the biopsy samples and quantified using fluorescence spectroscopy. The enhanced photodynamic dose was determined as [porfimer sodium content * light dose/esophageal thickness]. PDT efficacy was determined 6 to 8 weeks later based on persistence or complete ablation of dysplasia or carcinoma. Results: Mean porfimer sodium content of 6.2 mg/kg (range, 2.6-11.2 mg/kg) and mean total light dose of 278 J/cm (range, 225-360 J/cm) resulted in a complete treatment. Mean porfimer sodium tissue content of 3.9 mg/kg (range, 2.1-8.1 mg/kg) and mean total light dose of 268 J/cm (range, 250-350 J/cm) resulted in an incomplete treatment. The total esophageal thickness (range, 1.7-6.0 mm) and enhanced photodynamic dose were correlated with treatment outcome. Conclusions: Esophageal thickness is the strongest predictor of treatment outcome. The porfimer sodium content of Barrett's and normal tissue is not significantly different. "Photodynamic dose" for esophageal PDT should incorporate the esophageal thickness.


Lyα emitter (LAE) surveys have successfully used the excess in a narrowband filter compared to a nearby broadband image to find candidates. However, the odd spectral energy distribution (SED) of LAEs combined with the instrumental profile has important effects on the properties of the candidate samples extracted from these surveys. We investigate the effect of the bandpass width and the transmission profile of the narrowband filters used for extracting LAE candidates at redshifts z ≃ 6.5 through Monte Carlo simulations, and we present pilot observations to test the performance of tunable filters to find LAEs and other emission-line candidates. We compare the samples obtained using a narrow ideal rectangular filter, the Subaru NB921 narrowband filter, and sweeping across a wavelength range using the ultra-narrow-band tunable filters of the instrument OSIRIS, installed at the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias. We use this instrument for extracting LAE candidates from a small set of real observations. Broadband data from the Subaru, Hubble Space Telescope, and Spitzer databases were used for fitting SEDs to calculate photometric redshifts and to identify interlopers. Narrowband surveys are very efficient in finding LAEs in large sky areas, but the samples obtained are not evenly distributed in redshift along the filter bandpass, and the number of LAEs with equivalent widths <60 Å can be underestimated. These biased results do not appear in samples obtained using ultra-narrow-band tunable filters. However, the field size of tunable filters is restricted because of the variation of the effective wavelength across the image. Thus, narrowband and ultra-narrow-band surveys are complementary strategies to investigate high-redshift LAEs.


ABSTRACT Primary caregiving grandparents can play an important role in young children's development including the development of healthy lifestyle behaviours. This study aimed to gain insight into the perspectives of primary caregiving grandparents regarding the promotion of healthy eating and activity behaviours in their 1–7-year-old grandchildren. Semi-structured interviews (45–90 min) were conducted with primary caregiving grandmothers (n = 7). Interviews investigated grandmothers' beliefs, knowledge, perception of their capacity, confidence, ability, and the barriers and facilitators to promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours in their grandchildren. Thematic analysis revealed four themes: (1) Influence of past experiences on grandparenting; (2) Grandparenting role and responsibility; (3) Intrinsic drivers of grandparenting; and (4) Confidence and capacity to grandparent. Grandmothers adopted a different and improved parenting approach with their grandchildren based on their life experiences and high sense of responsibility to improve their grandchildren's wellbeing. They expressed a high perceived level of knowledge and confidence in their ability to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours in their grandchildren, and demonstrated positive attitudes and practices towards healthy eating and physical activity. Additional support was inconsistently desired. Further research is necessary to identify priorities and suitable intervention strategies supported by policy development to enhance the health and wellbeing of grandparent carers and their grandchildren.


The Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (MAIN) is a theoretically grounded toolkit that employs parallelpictorial stimuli to explore and assess narrative skills in children in many different languages. It is part of the LITMUS (Language Impairment Testing in Multilingual Settings) battery of tests that were developed in connection with the COST Action IS0804 Language Impairment in a Multilingual Society: Linguistic Patterns and the Road to Assessment(2009−2013). MAIN hasbeen designed to assess both narrative production and comprehensionin children who acquire one or more languages from birth or from early age. Its design allows for the comparable assessment of narrative skills in several languages in the same child and in different elicitation modes: Telling, Retelling and Model Story. MAIN contains four parallel stories, each with a carefully designed six-picture sequence based on a theoretical model of multidimensional story organization. The stories are controlled for cognitive and linguistic complexity, parallelism in macrostructure and microstructure, as well as for cultural appropriateness and robustness. As a tool MAIN had been used to compare children's narrative skills across languages, and also to help differentiate between childrenwith and without developmental language disorders, both monolinguals and bilinguals.
This volume consists of two parts. The main content of Part I consists of33 papers describing the process of adapting and translating MAIN to a large number of languagesfrom different parts of the world. Part II contains materials for use for about 80 languages, including pictorial stimuli, which are accessible after registration.
MAIN was first published in 2012/2013 (ZASPiL56). Several years of theory development and material construction preceded this launch. In 2019 (ZASPiL 63), the revised English version (revised on the basis of over 2,500 transcribed MAIN narratives as well as ca 24,000 responses to MAIN comprehension questions, collected from around 700 monolingual and bilingual children in Germany, Russia and Sweden between 2013-2019) was published together with revised versions in German, Russian, Swedish, and Turkish for the bilingual Turkish-Swedish population in Sweden. The present 2020 (ZASPiL 64) volume contains new and revised language versions of MAIN.


Original scientific paper To analyse the influence of joint angle, number and spacing on the strength and acoustic emission (AE) characteristics of rock mass, the uniaxial compression model of rock specimens was established using the micro particle flow PFC2D software platform. The intact rock parameters were determined via trial and error, joints with different angles, numbers and spacing were prefabricated in the model, and a compression test was performed using the displacement control method. The compressive strength, elastic modulus, and AE time characteristics of the rock specimens increased, decreased, and then increased again along with increasing joint angle. The AE characteristics at joint angles 0°, 15°, 30° and 90° were consistent with those of the intact rock specimens, while the 45° ÷ 75° joint angle showed relatively discrete AE characteristics. A larger number of joints corresponded to lower uniaxial compressive strength, elastic modulus, and AE intensity. However, the time and strain range of the obvious AE were not significant. The compressive strength and AE signal intensity of the rock specimens increased along with joint spacing, but the AE triggering time did not show obvious changes. Uniaxial compression tests were performed via numerical simulation to avoid the non-homogeneous and discrete effects from the indoor test and to reflect accurately the influence of joint angle, number, and spacing on the strength and AE characteristics of rock mass. The results can help in generating reliable criteria for predicting the instability of engineering rock mass.


Some urban university engagements with their local communities have given the mistaken impression that universities can be neutral or equal partners with their communities. When universities adopt this view (e.g., the case presented in this article), they contribute to unsuccessful partnerships with their communities. Failures can be prevented if universities establish engagement programs and structures that linkfaculty expertise to the knowledge needs of the community.


In phytogeographic data sets, the number of assemblages or floras from each interval may provide a test of the influence of sampling intensity on land-plant diversity. Using a data set of Silurian and Devonian compression-impression plant genera from Laurussia and the Acadian terrain, regression of five measures of land-plant diversity (total diversity, mean genus richness of floras, median assemblage diversity, most diverse assemblage, and standing diversity at interval boundaries) against the number assemblages or floras from thirteen intervals suggests that sampling bias influences all of the diversity measures to some extent, including within-habitat measures. The standing diversity of land plants at interval boundaries, the measure least influenced by sampling (r = 0.65, p = 0.05), increased steadily from the Middle Silurian to the late Givetian/early–middle Frasnian boundary, fell sharply in the early–middle Frasnian and remained low throughout the late Frasnian–middle Famennian. Standing diversity rose dramatically in the late Famennian and Strunian (latest Devonian): the Frasnian–Famennian extinction event may have affected land plants. The standing diversity of Silurian and Devonian microspore genera at interval boundaries mirrors that of compression-impression genera: neither record supports a land-plant diversity equilibrium during the Devonian.


We present an alternative expectation formation mechanism that helps rationalize well known asset pricing anomalies, such as the predictability of excess returns, excess volatility, and the equity-premium puzzle. As with rational expectations (RE), the expectation formation mechanism we consider is based on a rigorous optimization algorithm that does not presume misperceptions - it simply departs from some of the implicit assumptions that underlie RE. Agents fear that existence of misspecifications and design strategies that will be robust against a very large class of misspecifications. The new element is that uncertainty cannot be modeled via probability distributions. We consider an asset pricing model where uncertainty is represented by unknown disturbance sequences, as in the H-infinity-control literature. Agents must filter the persistent' and transitory' components of a sequence of observations in order to make consumption and portfolio decisions. We find that H-infinity forecasts are more sensitive to news than RE forecasts and equilibrium prices exhibit the anomalies previously mentioned.


Uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (UPRTase) catalyzes the transfer of a ribosyl phosphate group from α‐D‐5‐phosphoribosyl‐1‐pyrophosphate to the N1 nitrogen of uracil. The UPRTase from the opportunistic pathogen Toxoplasma gondii is a rational target for antiparasitic drug design. To aid in structure‐based drug design studies against toxoplasmosis, the crystal structures of the T.gondii apo UPRTase (1.93 Å resolution), the UPRTase bound to its substrate, uracil (2.2 Å resolution), its product, UMP (2.5 Å resolution), and the prodrug, 5‐fluorouracil (2.3 Å resolution), have been determined. These structures reveal that UPRTase recognizes uracil through polypeptide backbone hydrogen bonds to the uracil exocyclic O2 and endocyclic N3 atoms and a backbone–water–exocyclic O4 oxygen hydrogen bond. This stereochemical arrangement and the architecture of the uracil‐binding pocket reveal why cytosine and pyrimidines with exocyclic substituents at ring position 5 larger than fluorine, including thymine, cannot bind to the enzyme. Strikingly, the T.gondii UPRTase contains a 22 residue insertion within the conserved PRTase fold that forms an extended antiparallel β‐arm. Leu92, at the tip of this arm, functions to cap the active site of its dimer mate, thereby inhibiting the escape of the substrate‐binding water molecule.


Hydraulic characteristics of flow in a tidal inlet act an important role in morphological changes of the inlet. In normal conditions, inlet currents flush sediment out of the inlet to maintain its opening against longshore sediment transports that tend to close the inlet. The currents in the inlet are contributed by the tides and also from upstream river inflows as can be seen in many tidal inlets in tropical areas. Stability analysis for those tidal inlets can be done based on analytic solutions of inlet hydraulics. This paper presents a new analytic solution of tidal inlet hydraulics with inertia term and contribution of tributary inflow. The solution is compared with other studies. Based on the analytic solution, stability analysis for tidal inlets can be carried out.


Covering a wide range of substances, including opium, cocaine, coffee, tobacco, kola, and betelnut, from prehistory to the present day, this new edition has been extensively updated, with an updated bibliography and two new chapters on cannabis and khat. Consuming Habits is the perfect companion for all those interested in how different cultures have defined drugs across the ages. Psychoactive substances have been central to the formation of civilizations, the definition of cultural identities, and the growth of the world economy. The labelling of these substances as 'legal' or 'illegal' has diverted attention away from understanding their important cultural and historical role. This collection explores the rich analytical category of psychoactive substances from challenging historical and anthropological perspectives.


The present work studies the destruction of a silica-free solution of alkaline hydrolysate of rice husk (pH 7.25, COD = 22.8O g·L−1) using the photo-Fenton process in the UV layer at a wavelength of 365 nm. Oxidation of lignin was carried out at a constant mass ratio of COD:H2O2 = 1:2 in the solutions with different dilution times (1:10, 1:50) and with varying iron(II) concentrations in the range from 10 to 100 mg·L−1. It was established that the oxidative degradation of alkaline lignin effectively proceeds in the UV layer when the solution is diluted 50 times, at an iron(II) concentration from 50 to 70 mg·L−1. Color, the content of polyphenols and chemical oxygen demand in the silica-free solution with a dilution ratio of 1:50, after oxidation, is reduced by several tens of times. The products of lignin degradation were identified using gas chromatography.


This paper investigates the feasibility of using hydrophone detectors to acquire VSP data. The interest in hydrophones stems from the fact that they offer a rapid and efficient way for acquiring VSP data. With this objective, CREWES acquired seismic data using hydrophone detectors in a 100m cased and water-filled hole over the Blackfoot field in Alberta, Canada. The data was simultaneously acquired with several 2-D seismic surveys over the field. Events on raw hydrophone data correlate with corresponding geophone receiver gather. Tube waves are observed to be the primary source of noise on the hydrophone data. They are effectively suppressed using a combination of predictive deconvolution and velocity filters. VSPCDP stacking and migration are then used to obtain the final section from the hydrophone data. Correlation and interpretation of the hydrophone image with those from previously interpreted 2-D and 3-D surface seismic surveys reveal the anomaly associated with the channel structure in the Blackfoot field. In this survey, hydrophones in boreholes resulted in efficient acquisition of VSP data and interpretable images.


Notation systems for the arts were developed to educate students in performing the art form. Soon notation systems were used in research and archiving performances and skills that could have been lost to the following generations. Virtual travel through the written notations brings experts to students rather than having students go to the teachers. But, unfortunately, reading notation systems is not always valued nor taught in studio classes. Definitions of notation systems and examples from several art forms are presented for illustration. The pedagogy of teaching with notation systems is explored generally and from shared personal experiences. Finally, notations in craft books are reviewed for use in studio settings. Hopefully, literacy of notation systems will be deliberately addressed in future arts classrooms.


The structural form of a kind of cellular hollow flat slab floor using thin wall plastic boxes was introduced. The equivalent frame method, which was used to analyze the internal force of this kind of cellular hollow flat slab floor, was discussed. Finally, the method to calculate the deflection of cellular hollow flat slab was investigated and some improvements in this method were presented. The effects of the cracks on the stiffness and deflection of hollow flat slabs were taken into account in this method to decrease the error of elasticity calculation results.


The Rayleigh-Plesset bubble dynamics equation coupled with the bubble motion equation developed by Johnson and Hsieh was applied to study the real flow effects on the prediction of cavitation inception in tip vortex flows. A three-dimensional steady-state tip vortex flow obtained from a Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes computation was used as a prescribed flow field through which the bubble was passively convected. A "window of opportunity" through which a candidate bubble must pass in order to be drawn into the tip-vortex core and cavitate was determined for different initial bubble sizes. It was found that bubbles with larger initial size can be entrained into the tip-vortex core from a larger window size and also had a higher cavitation inception number.


Background To evaluate intraocular pressure (IOP) using the application of a novel liquid patient interface for femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery with the FEMTO LDV Z8. Methods IOP was evaluated in enucleated porcine eyes prior, during and after the application of the Femto LDV Z8 liquid patient interface (Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems, Switzerland) using intracameral cannulation (n=20), intravitreal cannulation (n=20), rebound tonometry (n=20) and indentation tonometry (n=20). Pressure was assessed prior vacuum, during vacuum (30 s, 1 min, 2 min, 3 min) and after releasing the vacuum (1 min and 2 min). Two groups with different predefined vacuum levels (350 mbar, 420 mbar) were investigated. Results Mean intracameral pressure (±SD) increased during vacuum application from 20 mm Hg to 52.00 mm Hg (±6.35mm Hg; p=0.005) and 45.18 mmHg (±4.34 mm Hg; p=0.005) for the 420 mbar and the 350 mbar vacuum levels, respectively. Mean intravitreal pressure increased from 20 mm Hg to 25.60 mm Hg (±9.85 mm Hg; p=0.058) and 28.10 mm Hg (±2.54 mm Hg; p=0.059) for the 420 mbar and the 350 mbar vacuum levels, respectively. Pressure values from indentation and rebound tonometry were in between intracameral and intravitreal values. Mean intracameral IOP was 18.1% higher (p=0.019) in the 420 mbar group compared with the 350 mbar group. Conclusion During vacuum application of the liquid patient interface of the Femto LDV Z8 for femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery, IOP values were higher in the anterior chamber compared with the intravitreal pressure measurements. The higher predefined vacuum level (350 mbar vs 420 mbar) resulted in significant higher intracameral IOP.


The utility of ultrasound volumetry of the thyroid is discussed on the basis of 414 different examinations. Analysis of the possible errors in calculations and the importance of the experience as well as practice are emphasized. According to the results of the cadaver studies, the difference between the in situ size and the size of the removed thyroid is explained by the changes of the blood, lymph and colloid flows after stasis. The preliminary data on the thyroid volume values in a randomized population pattern may serve as a model for a wide-ranging study aimed at the determination of the normal value in Hungary. Different volume values in the two phases of the menstruation period draw the attention to the effect of the female sex hormones on the thyroid volume, a factor that has to be considered in follow-up studies of female thyroid patients. Ultrasound volumetry is an indispensable method for the correct estimation of the thyroid volume changes in the course of suppressive treatment.


Recent work has identified IR stimulated luminescence signals at elevated temperature from both potassium- and sodium-rich feldspars that have much lower anomalous fading rates than the conventional signal measured using IR stimulation at 50°C. This paper examines the stability of these signals for potassium-rich sedimentary feldspars. We show that the natural post-IR IRSL (pIRIR) signal from a 3.6 Ma old sample is in apparent saturation on a laboratory generated dose response curve, i.e. it does not show detectable fading in nature although a low fading rate is observed on laboratory time scales. We show that the pIRIR signal has a greater thermal stability than the IRSL signal and that the trend in increasing thermal stability is mirrored by a decreasing fading rate. We also investigate the effect of preheat temperature and IR stimulation power on the decay shape and conclude that the data can be explained in terms of either a single- or multiple-trap model. We present evidence that may suggest that at least part of pIRIR signal is derived from a high temperature trap (∼550°C thermoluminescence (TL) peak), although again the data can also be explained in terms of a single-trap model. Finally, we present dose response curves and characteristic curvature constants (D0) values for various IRSL signals and conclude that the more stable signals saturate more quickly than the less stable signals and that the initial and final signals saturate at approximately the same level.


The Diego Hernandez Formation (DHF; 600–ca. 180 ka) represents the products of the most recent complete cycle of phonolitic explosive volcanism on Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). We provide a revised and detailed stratigraphy, new 40 Ar/ 39 Ar and (U–Th)/He age determinations for major eruptive units, a summary of new chemical data and an overview of the key characteristics of the cycle, including volume estimates, dispersal patterns, eruption styles, phreatomagmatic influences and caldera collapse episodes. The complex stratigraphy of the DHF is divided into 20 named members, each representing a major eruption, as well as numerous unnamed members of limited present-day exposure. The major eruptions are represented by the Fortaleza (370 ka), Roque (347 ka, 3 km 3 ), Aldea (319 ka, 3 km 3 ), Fasnia (309 ka, 13 km 3 ), Poris (268 ka, 3.5 km 3 ), Arafo (4 km 3 ), Caleta (223 ka, 3.5 km 3 ) and Abrigo (between 196 and 171 ka, 20 km 3 ) Members. The Aldea, Fasnia and Poris Members consist of highly complex successions of plinian fall, surge and flow deposits and several of the eruptions produced widespread and internally complex ignimbrite sheets. Phreatomagmatism occurred most frequently in the opening phase of the eruptions but also recurred repeatedly throughout many of the sequences. Inferred sources of water include a shallow caldera lake and groundwater, and intermittent phreatomagmatic activity was an important influence on eruption style. Another important factor was conduit and vent instability, which frequently loaded the eruption column with dense lithic debris and occasionally triggered column collapse and ignimbrite formation. Most of the major DHF eruptions were triggered by injection of mafic magma into existing phonolitic magma bodies. Two phonolitic magma types were available for eruption during the lifetime of the DHF, but each was dominant at different times. The results presented here support a caldera collapse rather than a landslide model for the origin of the Las Canadas Caldera, although the evolution of the caldera is evidently more complex and incremental than first thought.