An in vitro model of ischemic cerebral stroke [oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) for 6 h followed by 24 h reoxygenation (R)] with PC12 cells increases Ca(2+) influx by upregulating native L-type Ca(2+) channels and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. This reactive oxygen species generation and increase in intracellular Ca(2+) triggers the expression of hypoxic homeostasis transcription factors such as hypoxia induced factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), Cav-beta 3 (Cav β3), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), heat shock protein 27 (hsp-27), and cationic channel transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (TRPM7). OGD insulted PC12 cells were subjected to biologically safe doses (5, 10, and 25 μM) of trans-resveratrol in three different treatment groups: 24 h prior to OGD (pre-treatment); 24 h post OGD (post-treatment); and from 24 h before OGD to end of reoxygenation period (whole-treatment). Here, we demonstrated that OGD-R-induced neuronal injury/death is by reactive oxygen species generation, increase in intracellular calcium levels, and decrease in antioxidant defense enzymes. trans-Resveratrol increases the viability of OGD-R insulted PC12 cells, which was assessed by using MTT, NRU, and LDH release assay. In addition, trans-resveratrol significantly decreases reactive oxygen species generation, intracellular Ca(2+) levels, and hypoxia associated transcription factors and also increases the level of antioxidant defense enzymes. Our data shows that the whole-treatment group of trans-resveratrol is most efficient in decreasing hypoxia induced cell death through its antioxidant properties.


The paper gives the results of a short series of experiments carried out to determine the thermal death-point under conditions of controlled humidity of the larva and pupa of the Cheese Skipper, Piophila casei (L.). The larva is remarkable for the high temperatures it can withstand, namely 52° C., for 1 hour's exposure and 45° C. for an exposure of 24 hours. The death of the pupa at a much lower temperature is shown to be due to a secondary effect of temperature on its physiology.


ABSTRACT To better understand the growing popularity of live music, this study analyses consumers' motivations for live music attendance. In addition to existing literature, a generic approach to audience motivations contributes to our knowledge of the growing live music industry, where venues and festivals vie for the same artists and audience. Based on a survey among visitors of live music events (n = 1131), a principal component analysis was conducted to extract six motivations for visiting live music, the Live Music Motivation Scale (LMMS). Within this scale, for all motivations, a significant difference was found between visiting concerts and festivals. People predominantly visit festivals for social and personal reasons and predominantly visit concerts for artistic reasons and the uniqueness of the live experience. This study adds to the existing literature a more generic insight in motivations for visiting live music events and a clear comparison between motivations for visiting concerts and music festivals.


This abstract examines the fundamentals of stress in the ground, from the basic active and passive pressure limitations on the state of stress in a soil to focus on the state of stress in rock. In the case of sedimentary rocks, the influence of soil stress may still be visible; however, the more important effects in most rocks are likely to be those derived from the subsequent loading of the rock mass. This loading is derived from gravitational effects and the strains imposed on the rock mass externally. These strains are derived from true tectonic plate effects frequently heavily influenced, or indeed totally masked, by local features such as faulting and folding. The other source of loading is gravitational and, in this case, the stress derived from this is very dependent on Poisson's ratio: an important number that is often extremely difficult to determine in many sedimentary rocks. Thermal loading and, in particular, cooling are also important in determining the state of stress in rock. This is especially the case in igneous bodies.
In addition, the concepts of effective stress within the ground are examined. The premise of effective stress, as applied to soil mechanics, is quite inappropriate when applied to rock that lacks the point contact concept that is fundamental to soils. Fracture area and fracture coalescence become very important in determining the state of effective stress in a fractured rock mass. Indeed, the concept of effective stress in a rock mass cannot be applied to a plane but rather to a surface of interest, usually a potential failure surface.
One interesting theoretical finding of this study is that under a state of zero lateral strain, a rock mass may have no effective lateral stress unless it undergoes failure, which leads to lateral loading.
The state of effective stress in porous media is vital to the understanding of permeability change. The concept of stress path that is familiar to the soil mechanics practitioner gains a new dimension when applied to stress sensitive unconventional petroleum reservoirs such as coals or shales.
Finally, the paper turns to what can be measured and how you might measure it. It examines the practise and concepts of overcoring, hydrofracturing and examination of failure, be it borehole breakout or on fault planes in determining the state of stress in the ground. In many cases, the most important component of stress is that imposed by the fluid, be it water, gas or petroleum liquid, provided that the material has internal surfaces on which that pressure may act. The measurement of fluid pressure in the ground is therefore vital to an understanding of its behaviour.


This paper, the fourth in a series devoted to the study of the clinical usefulness of estimations of carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA), describes CEA levels in extracts of metastatic breast tumours. --Two groups can be distinguished, with CEA values higher or lower than 1.5 microgram CEA per g protein. The group of tumours with a CEA level exceeding 1.5 microgram/g (CEA-positive) included a significantly larger percentage or oestrogen receptor-positive tumours than the group with lower CEA levels (CEA-negative). --It is stated that CEA-negative metastases are most likely to be found in patients who fail to respond to hormonal therapy. --No relation was demonstrable between the presence of androgen receptors and the CEA level. All the possible permutations of CEA, oestrogen receptors and androgen receptors were encountered in the tumours examined.


The International Space Station (ISS) Program Master Integration and Verification Plan (PMI&VP) requires that the systems engineering verification team establish and implement an integrated verification measurement program. This paper captures the knowledge and experience acquired through the International Space Station systems engineering efforts to develop, implement, and report a detailed set of integrated stage verification planning and closure metrics. The information and lessons learned, contained in this paper, may provide insight, direction, and a starting point for other large engineering organizations seeking to institute a measurement program.


The article addresses the issue of women's representation in electoral legislation, focusing on the latest amendments of Chilean electoral laws. It first examines the conceptual relationship between representative democracy and equality, distinguishing between formal and substantive equality and representation, in order to fully understand the potential impact of electoral laws on women's representation. A comparative perspective is then offered, showing the current representation of women in Parliaments and reviewing the connection with different features of electoral systems. In this context, gender quotas are analysed as one of the main mechanisms that have been used to increase women representation. Finally, the recent amendments of Chilean electoral law on this issue are presented, in order to anticipate what we can expect for women's representation in the years to come.


The first university-level library schools were opened during the last quarter of the 19th century. The number of such schools has gradually increased during the first half of the 20th century, especially after the Second World War, both in the USA and elsewhere. The first department of librarianship in Turkey was opened in 1954. As information has gained further importance in scientific endeavors and social life, librarianship became a more interdisciplinary field and library schools were renamed as schools of library and information science/information studies/information management/information to better reflect the range of education provided. The departments of librarianship in Turkey, too, have revised their curricula and changed their names. In this paper, we review the major developments in education for library and information science (LIS) in the world as well as in Turkey, and the impact of these developments on the curricula of LIS schools along with subsequent changes under three historicalperiods. We discuss some of the external and internal factors that should be dealt with in revising the curricula of LIS schools.


Instructions: • Read the article on page 56. • The test for this CE activity is to be taken online at www.NursingCenter.com/CE/PSN. Find the test under the article title. Tests can no longer be mailed or faxed. • You will need to create (It's free!) and login to your personal CE Planner account before taking online tests. Your planner will keep track of all your Lippincott Williams & Wilkins online CE activities for you. • There is only one correct answer for each question. A passing score for this test is 12 correct answers. If you pass, you can print your certificate of earned contact hours and access the answer key. If you fail, you have the option of taking the test again at no additional cost. • For questions, contact Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: 1-800-787-8985.


We have evaluated whether selection of a human tumor leukemic line for resistance to vinblastine (Velban; VLB) alters its tumorigenicity. To address this question, CEM and CEM/VLB100 cells [which express the multiple drug-resistant (MDR) phenotype via amplification of the P-glycoprotein gene] were characterized by several techniques including chromosome banding, in situ hybridization, Southern blotting, RNA dot blotting, in vitro drug sensitivity, and tumorigenicity in nude mice. Analysis of the chromosome banding patterns of both drug-sensitive CEM cells and the MDR CEM/VLB100 cells revealed that the two lines differed primarily by the presence of a large metacentric marker chromosome associated with the acquisition of VLB resistance. In situ hybridization of a P-glycoprotein complementary DNA to metaphase chromosomes showed that the amplified P-glycoprotein genes in the CEM/VLB100 cell line were localized to this large marker. Tumorigenicity of both the CEM and CEM/VLB100 cell lines was measured after injection of 10(7) cells/nude mouse. The results showed that 4 of 4 drug-sensitive and 4 of 5 drug-resistant cell lines formed tumors in 5-10 wk. By comparison with the parental line, three of the four tumors arising from the CEM/VLB100 line retained their drug-resistance properties as measured by vinblastine resistance in vitro and elevated P-glycoprotein mRNA expression associated with P-glycoprotein gene amplification. In addition, tumors retaining the MDR phenotype also retained the large metacentric marker chromosome. One tumor arising from CEM/VLB100 reverted to the drug-sensitive phenotype, with a resultant decrease in P-glycoprotein mRNA expression and loss of P-glycoprotein gene amplification. This revertant was also missing the large metacentric marker present in all cells from the CEM/VLB100 parent. Our experiments show that the acquisition of the MDR phenotype resulting from overexpression of P-glycoprotein in the plasma membrane does not effect the tumorigenicity of human CEM cells.


This study examined the maternal actions and preferences of treatment of febrile illnesses among the under- five- year old children.   Purposive sampling method was used to select 150 respondent comprisingof mothers who brought their children to seven selected health institutions in Osun State. An interview guide was used in the collection of data. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics.Results of the study showed that fever was the main reason for taking action and 122 (81%) had taken first level home care before going to the clinic. As the first line of action 89 (59%) bought drugs from the chemists while only 29(19%) displayed correct knowledge of drug schedules and doses. Respondents' preferences   increase from 33% as first line of action to 95% as second line of action and 99.3% as the third line of action. It was found that those respondents that had no formal education accounts   for more than half (8.5%) of those that used herbs(14,9%).  Using Pearson product moment correlation analysis, educational status of mothers was also significantly associated with initial treatment of febrile illnesses ( ?2 39.46 P <0.01).  Summarily, these findings showed high prevalence of home treatment and that chemists were the main source of obtaining  drugs.Thus, the study concluded that there is a need for training of mothers on treatment of febrile illnesses especially use of drugs, and the chemists and patent medicine vendors should be exposed to periodical trainings especially on essential drugs for treating febrile illnesses in under five- year -old children.


In this paper the author presents results of the first study on cocaine use in Ireland. The research attempted to build up a picture of cocaine use nationally, using available indicators of drug use/misuse. The combined information from the following data sources is presented and analysed: law enforcement and supply statistics; drug treatment figures; school-going, college-going and general population surveys; morbidity and morality; and qualitative and ethnographic research. The perceptions of key informants and service providers, including drug service staff, Gardai and prison staff, youth and student workers, counsellors and doctors were sought. These are assessed under the headings of cocaine availability, the nature and extent of cocaine use, and implications for drug treatment and service provision. The conclusion drawn from both of these general information sources is that while opiates remain the primary drugs of misuse among drug users who access treatment, there is an increased likelihood of cocaine use among individuals whose main drug of misuse was heroin. The exploratory study of social/recreational cocaine was carried out using in depth interviews with ten adult cocaine users. An analysis of interview transcripts is presented under the following themes: socio-demographic characteristics of the interviewees; patterns of cocaine use and routes of administration; other drug use; first use of cocaine; frequency and contexts of cocaine use; availability, purity and price of cocaine; perceived attractive and unattractive aspects of cocaine; and, risk perceptions and self-regulation of cocaine intake. All of the study's respondents emphasised the social nature of their cocaine use and none reported 'problems' as a result of their use of the drug. The findings of the study strongly suggest an increased availability and use of cocaine, especially among certain groups of recreational poly-drug users. There are, however, also signs of increased cocaine use among opiate users in deprived areas of Dublin. The author recommends further research and monitoring of drug trends at local level to determine whether cocaine use is an expanding 'problem', or not.


In the past decade, there has been a flurry of ethnographic and historical writing about death and dying in sub-Saharan Africa. Africa published no less than thirteen articles between 2001 and 2009 on African ways of death, and other journals such as African Studies Review (2005) and the Journal of African History (2008) have dedicated special issues under the rubric. Additional scholarship has also appeared in edited volumes (Droz and Maupeu 2003; Jindra and Noret, forthcoming), tempered by a surprisingly limited number of published monographs (de Witte 2001; Ngimbi 1997). Taken together, this is a striking output and raises several initial questions about academic vogue, on the one hand, and historicity, on the other.

To attend to the first question, death is a 'sexy' subject, in quite a number of theoretical and empirical senses. But it is also exceptionally difficult to study, no less so than sexuality. Louis Vincent Thomas, francophone theorist of funerary ideologies in African societies, explicitly made a connection between l'ethno-thanatologie and sexuality without leaving an ethnographic guide to this intimate relationship (Thomas 1982). As far as ethnography goes, sexuality enters into African death practices in new and emergent conduct at funerals in Kinshasa (Ngimbi 1997) and the politicization of sexuality in post-apartheid South Africa (Posel 2005), just to recall a couple of examples. However 'sexy' the topic may be, I am not convinced that death's current place in African studies is simply a matter of being in fashion. If the volume of recent research is anything to go by, then it can be said that something is happening in Africa that commands our attention.


We analyse the directed, weighted and evolutionary US flight network, in which vertices are the airports and the flights connecting two airports represent the edges. It is shown that such a network displays two important features recently found in small-world networks. First, the average shortest-path length is 2.4 s, the clustering coefficient of the entire network, 0.618, is greatly larger than that of the random networks with the same N (system size) and ⟨k⟩ (average degree), 0.065. We study the detailed flight information both in a week and on a whole. In both the cases, using the Pareto distributions, we find the degree distributions follow two-segment power laws. The weight distributions have power-law tails with the exponents of around 2, and the clustering coefficient distributions follow linear distributions.


The consequences of mild-to-moderate malnutrition during early childhood, for social and emotional status at ages 8-16 were investigated in this study. Fifty-four Ghanaian children who were malnourished during the first three years of life were compared with 54 of their classmates who were not malnourished. Mean age for both groups was 12 years (malnourished SD =2.2; comparison SD = 2.3). Their social and emotional status was assessed with Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist and Teacher's Report Form. Data on the children's socioeconomic background were also collected. The previously malnourished children were found to be more anxious, sad, depressed and withdrawn than the children who were not malnourished. They were also perceived as having poorer social relationship with others, and more attention and thought problems than the comparison children. Aggressive and delinquent behavior were not found to be related to the nutritional status of the children. No significant associations were found between the socioeconomic variables studied and the social and emotional behavior of the children. These results show that mild-to-moderate malnutrition during early childhood has negative consequences for the children's emotional and social behavior and that these consequences are still present several years after the episode of malnutrition.


A photographic record of the nine journeys to Mexico which the Magnum photographer, Abbas, has made during the past three years. On each occasion, he took photographs of the country and its people, and kept a journal of his thoughts and impressions as he travelled. With an introduction by the Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes, this collection of photographs reveals the contrast between an ancient and often primitive country and the materialism with which its people endeavour to demonstrate its "modernity". Abbas uses his photographs, and extracts from his daily journal to convey the effects of Mexico's transition into a modern state and places the causes in their historical context.


Bacteria must develop resistance to various inhospitable conditions in order to survive in the human gastrointestinal tract. Bile, which is secreted by the liver, and plays an important role in food digestion also has antimicrobial properties and is able to disrupt cellular homeostasis. Paradoxically, although bile is one of the guts defenses, many studies have reported that bacteria such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus can sense bile and use its presence as an environmental cue to upregulate virulence genes during infection. This article aims to discuss how bile is detected by V. parahaemolyticus and its role in regulating type III secretion system 2 leading to human infection. This bile–bacteria interaction pathway gives us a clearer understanding of the biochemical and structural analysis of the bacterial receptors involved in mediating a response to bile salts which appear to be a significant environmental cue during initiation of an infection.


In this paper we present an approach for building a graph of drivable paths from the reconstructed trajectories of vehicles detected by lidar and radar sensors mounted in an autonomous car. The perceived objects are tracked, and their trajectories are merged, clustered and labeled with meta information. A graph of the underlying road infrastructure can be generated with this information. We report on the results of testing the validity and accuracy of the method. The generated path graph can be used either to update high precision maps or for generating local temporary maps, both of them useful for autonomous driving.


Since the introduction of sweet oranges to Florida with the establishment of the settlement at St. Augustine in 1565, the citrus industry has been steadily moving south. Prior to the "big freeze", of 1894–95, the main citrus growing region was the hammocks of north-central Florida. The major citrus producing counties in the 1890's were Orange, Alachua, Volusia, Lake, Putnam, Hillsborough, Pasco, Brevard and Polk, in that order. In 1889–90, Alachua county accounted for about one-third of the total citrus production. The freezes of the 1890's caused the citrus belt to move south a hundred miles or so. By 1955, the leading counties were Polk, Lake, Orange, Hillsborough, Indian River, Highlands, Brevard and Volusia. Due to the strong influx of new residents in the 1950's, the best drained areas along the coasts and central portion of the state were being converted to residential sub-divisions. Citrus growers were forced into less desirable locations. An attempt was made to expand citrus plantings along the upper west coast, but the winters of 1957–58 and 1962–63, with their severe freezes, again forced the industry south. The latest freezes of 1977 and the mid-1980's have had a profound effect on the industry. In 1986–87 the major citrus producing counties were Polk, St. Lucie, Indian River, Highlands and Hendry. Lake County produced 40 million boxes of fruit in 1975–76 and less than 2 million in 1986–87. The most recent freezes have renewed interest in the undeveloped pastureland of southwestern Florida. As of January, 1988, 300 square miles of citrus have been permitted in Hendry, Glades, Collier and Lee Counties. Applications for another 100 square miles are pending.Paper published with permission.Compilation Copyright © 2018 ASME


In amniotes, myogenic commitment appears to be dependent upon signaling from neural tube and dorsal ectoderm, that can be replaced by members of the Wnt family and by Sonic hedgehog. Once committed, myoblasts undergo different fates, in that they can differentiate immediately to form the myotome, or later to give rise to primary and secondary muscle fibers. With fiber maturation, satellite cells are first detected; these cells contribute to fiber growth and regeneration during post-natal life. We will describe recent data, mainly from our laboratory, that suggest a different origin for some of the cells that are incorporated into the muscle fibers during late development. We propose the possibility that these myogenic cells are derived from the vasculature, are multi-potent and become committed to myogenesis by local signaling, when ingressing a differentiating muscle tissue. The implications for fetal and perinatal development of the whole mesoderm will also be discussed.


Lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) transferred from oxidatively modified low density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) to the endothelial surface membrane has been shown to produce a selective unresponsiveness to cell surface receptor-regulated endothelium-dependent relaxation (EDR) in the rabbit aorta. To determine its mechanism we examined the effects of lysoPC on endothelial surface receptor-mediated transmembrane signals. Incubation for 1 minute with palmitoyl lysoPC (5-10 microM) decreased thrombin (Th, 2 units/ml)- or histamine (His, 0.1 mM)-stimulated inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) production in primary cultures of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). LysoPC also decreased Th- or His-induced intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i, fura 2) elevation. Pretreatment with protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors staurosporine (100 nM) or H-7 (50 microM) prevented the inhibitory actions of lysoPC, but HA-1004 had no effect. Incubation for 5 minutes with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA, 100 nM) produced the inhibitory actions on the Th- or His-induced intracellular signals, which closely mimic those exhibited by lysoPC. However, the inhibitory effect of lysoPC was lost in cells that were depleted of PKC by pretreatment for 24 hours with 100 nM PMA. Furthermore, incubation of the cells for 1 minute with lysoPC stimulated PKC activity in the membrane fraction. In organ chamber experiments with porcine coronary artery rings, pretreatment with staurosporine (20 nM) attenuated lysoPC-induced impairment of EDR in response to Th. These results indicate that lysoPC, which accumulates in Ox-LDL and atherosclerotic arterial walls, inhibits the early transmembrane signaling pathway in endothelial cells, and PKC activation could at least partially be involved in the negative regulation by lysoPC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The ultrastructural appearances of 7 primitive neuroepithelial tumours (PNETs) originating in soft tissues and bone are described. Three of the tumours represented primary soft tissue lesions, while locally recurrent tumour or pulmonary metastases were studied from the 4 skeletal tumours, all of which had been diagnosed previously as Ewing's sarcomas. Rosettes were present in one of the soft tissue lesions and although not seen in the primary skeletal neoplasms, they were identified by light microscopy (LM) in 2 of 3 pulmonary metastases, one of which had the morphology of a neuroepithelioma, with innumerable Homer Wright rosettes. Conventional TEM revealed cytoplasmic processes in all cases and rosettes in varying stages of development were also evident, but the appearances did not achieve the level of cellular organization seen in neuroblastoma: microtubules were few, while dense-core granules varied in number but were generally sparse and pleomorphic, resembling lysosomes. However, typical neurosecretory granules were found in one lung metastasis; the neoplastic cells comprising the same tumour also had epithelial markers in the form of well constructed desmosomes, while freeze-fracture analysis demonstrated elaborate tight junctions. In thin sections, junctions in the other tumours appeared rudimentary, but freeze-fracture of a further case revealed small collections of membrane particles suggesting extremely poorly developed desmosomes. Immunocytochemical study of 4 tumours (2 originating in soft tissue and 2 in bone) demonstrated weak to moderate immunostaining for neurone-specific enolase and with several monoclonal antibodies reactive with neuroblastomas, but there was no evidence of immunolabelling for tyrosine hydroxylase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


We investigate the dynamo problem in the limit of small magnetic Prandtl number (Pm) using a shell model of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. The model is designed to satisfy conservation laws of total energy, cross helicity and magnetic helicity in the limit of inviscid fluid and null magnetic diffusivity. The forcing is chosen to have a constant injection rate of energy and no injection of kinetic helicity nor cross helicity. We find that the value of the critical magnetic Reynolds number (Rm) saturates in the limit of small Pm. Above the dynamo threshold we study the saturated regime versus Rm and Pm. In the case of equipartition, we find Kolmogorov spectra for both kinetic and magnetic energies except for wave numbers just below the resistive scale. Finally the ratio of both dissipation scales (viscous to resistive) evolves as Pm −3/4 for Pm < 1.


Many modern time-series datasets contain large numbers of output response variables sampled for prolonged periods of time. For example, in neuroscience, the activities of 100s-1000's of neurons are recorded during behaviors and in response to sensory stimuli. Multi-output Gaussian process models leverage the nonparametric nature of Gaussian processes to capture structure across multiple outputs. However, this class of models typically assumes that the correlations between the output response variables are invariant in the input space. Stochastic linear mixing models (SLMM) assume the mixture coefficients depend on input, making them more flexible and effective to capture complex output dependence. However, currently, the inference for SLMMs is intractable for large datasets, making them inapplicable to several modern time-series problems. In this paper, we propose a new regression framework, the orthogonal stochastic linear mixing model (OSLMM) that introduces an orthogonal constraint amongst the mixing coefficients. This constraint reduces the computational burden of inference while retaining the capability to handle complex output dependence. We provide Markov chain Monte Carlo inference procedures for both SLMM and OSLMM and demonstrate superior model scalability and reduced prediction error of OSLMM compared with state-of-the-art methods on several real-world applications. In neurophysiology recordings, we use the inferred latent functions for compact visualization of population responses to auditory stimuli, and demonstrate superior results compared to a competing method (GPFA). Together, these results demonstrate that OSLMM will be useful for the analysis of diverse, large-scale time-series datasets.


The teacher should have a steady, stable, adult, wise, and authoritative personality competence, be an example for learners, and have a noble character, but in reality, his personality competence is still low and still far from the personality that teachers should have. The authors offer an alternative solution with the Islamic psychology approach that is Tazkiyatun nafs that can be used as a basis of teacher personality strengthening. This research uses qualitative descriptive approach and literature or library research. The essence of tazkiyatun nafs tends to talk about the soul (an-nafs). It is a process of purification of the human soul from the impurities, both visible dirt and inner dirt. Therefore, the notion of tazkiyatun nafs is closely related to morals and psychology, and in Islam, it serves as a pattern of human formation of good character and cautious to Allah. In this study, the authors found some of the following findings. First, the growth of one's personality is influenced by factors from within that is the integration of elements of aql (mind), qalb (heart), lust and outside factors such as the process of interaction with the environment. Second, the soul is very functional to one's personality. A clean soul will produce good behavior while a dirty soul will result in a low or weak personality.


With the rapid development of modern information technology, following the E-mail, BBS and MSN, Blog, Wiki, Podcasting and other information exchange methods are constantly emerging. These new modes of communication provide convenience to lives of people. At the same time, they also provide wealth imagination and chances to teaching reform for Chinese language. Based on the theory of constructivis m, th is paper analysis how network technology effects the teachers, students, teaching content and other factors of teaching system, and the situation of web-based teaching research for Chinese language. Finally, it proposes the idea of modeling the Web-based teaching model for Chinese language, makes the network technology get more effective application in Chinese language teaching.


Liquid sprays play a key role in many engineering processes and the dynamics at the nozzle exit have a significant impact on the downstream spray characteristics. However, visualizing the spray in this region is extremely challenging because, under most operating conditions, the spray is optically dense. High intensity white beam X-rays, like those found at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory, can be used to produce time-resolved measurements of the liquid-gas structures in the spray near-field region. In this study, high temporal and spatial resolution X-ray images were acquired at the 7-BM beamline at APS of an atomization process using a canonical airblast atomizer consisting of coaxial liquid and gas jets. Unique flow structures were observed under various operating conditions, including bag, ligament, wisp, droplet, and air bubble formation, as well as hollowing of the liquid core into a crown at the liquid needle exit. Conditions where these structures exist are presented and their impact on spray formation are discussed.


Twenty-five isolates of the bacterium Pasteurella multocida were characterized (fingerprinted) phenotypically and genotypically in order to compare the abilities of various techniques to differentiate strains for epidemiologic studies of fowl cholera. Isolates were obtained over a 16-month period from turkeys dying from fowl cholera (six outbreak flocks) and from wildlife captured on premises with a history of the disease. The characteristics compared included (i) serotype, (ii) subspecies, (iii) antibiogram, (iv) presence of plasmid DNA, (v) restriction endonuclease analysis patterns of whole-cell DNA, and (vi) ribotype. Ribotyping, a method of highlighting DNA restriction site heterogeneity by using an rRNA probe, worked well for differentiating the strains of P. multocida when the majority of the other techniques could not. Ribotyping results correlated directly with and confirmed results obtained from restriction endonuclease analysis. Ribotyping demonstrated the presence of up to three strains of P. multocida in one outbreak flock, recurrence of a single strain in five of the flocks over an 11-month period, and the presence of common strains in turkeys and wildlife on the premises.


Niche is a fundamental concept in ecology. It integrates the sum of biotic and abiotic environmental requirements that determines a taxon's distribution. Microbiologists currently lack quantitative approaches to address niche-related hypotheses. We tested four approaches for the quantification of niche breadth and overlap of taxa in amplicon sequencing datasets, with the goal of determining generalists, specialists and environmental-dependent distributions of community members. We applied these indices to in silico training datasets first, and then to real human gut and desert biological soil crust (biocrust) case studies, assessing the agreement of the indices with previous findings. Implementation of each approach successfully identified a priori conditions within in silico training data, and we found that by including a limit of quantification based on species rank, one could identify taxa falsely classified as specialists because of their low, sparse counts. Analysis of the human gut study offered quantitative support for Bacilli, Gammaproteobacteria and Fusobacteria specialists enriched after bariatric surgery. We could quantitatively characterise differential niche distributions of cyanobacterial taxa with respect to precipitation gradients in biocrusts. We conclude that these approaches, made publicly available as an R package (MicroNiche), represent useful tools to assess microbial environment-taxon and taxon-taxon relationships in a quantitative manner.


In a period of eight years, nevic lesions were diagnosed in 81 cases. Fibroadnexal hamartoma (FH) occurred in 53 animals (65.4%), and it was clinically characterized by firm nodules located mainly on the limbs and digits. No sexual predisposition was present. Mongrels, Boxers and Cocker Spaniels were the breeds most affected by FH. The average age at which lesions appeared was 6.3 years. The collagenous nevi was the second most prevalent lesion, occurring in 18 dogs (22.2%). The lesions were usually single, alopecic and hyperpigmented. The main affected places were the dorso and limbs. The average age at which lesions appeared was 4.7 years. Mongrels, Rottweilers and Labradors were the breeds most affected by the collagenous nevi. Nodular dermatofibrosis was diagnosed in one dog. In this dog, multiple collagenous nevi were present alongside unilateral papillary renal cystadenoma. Sebaceous, follicule-apocrine and fibrolipomatous nevi were less frequently found (10 cases - 12.3%).


The advent of multicore processors requires mainstream concurrent programming languages with high level concurrency constructs and effective debugging techniques. Unfortunately, many concurrent programming languages are non-deterministic and allow data races. We present a deterministic concurrent communication library for an existing multi-threaded language. We implemented the SHIM communication model in the Haskell functional language, which supports asynchronous communication and transactional memory. The SHIM model uses multi-way rendezvous to guarantee determinism. We describe two implementations of the model in Haskell, demonstrating the ease of writing such a library. We illustrate our library with examples and experimentally compare two implementations. We also compare our new model with equivalent sequential programs and parallel versions using Haskell's existing concurrency mechanisms.


The Fifteen Twenty Fracture Zone offsets the Mid-Altantic Ridge over 195 km in a sinistral sense. It was surveyed in 1982 between 30°W and 60°, i.e. from anomaly 34 on the African plate to anomaly 34 on the American plate where it disappears as the Barracuda Ridge into the Caribbean subduction zone. The fossil limbs of the Fifteen Twenty Fracture Zone show a remarkable symmetry to both sides of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Barracuda Ridge appears to have undergone a later deformation. The sections of the Fifteen Twenty FZ between 49°W and 54°W to the west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and between 37.5°W and 42.5°W to the east do not exhibit the normal characteristics of a fracture zone but have elongate and extremely narrow transverse ridges (dykes) along the fracture zone axis. The present transform domain shows signs of leaking. This is interpreted as a result of a fairly recent (about 7 Ma bp) change in spreading direction of the area. This change in spreading direction seems to have affected only the area south of 17°50′N. It may have resulted from a northward migration of the plate boundary between the North American and South American plates and the coming into existence of a triple point near 16°N. From this reconstruction, the location of the differential pole between the North American and South American plates is 16°N/53.5°W. This location leads to increasing compression from 53.5° to 60°W, affecting the Barracuda Ridge and Trough with a N–S shortening of about 16 km in 7 Ma. From 53.5° to 45°W, N–S extension occurred (about 19 km near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge), which led to the origin of the volcano–tectonic complex of Researcher Ridge, Researcher Trough and Royal Trough to the west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.


Abstract. Hadrosaurid dinosaurs, the dominant large-bodied terrestrial herbivores in most Laurasian Late Cretaceous ecosystems, have an exceptional fossil record consisting of many species known from partial ontogenetic series, making them an ideal clade with which to conduct life-history studies. Previous research considered the Dinosaur Park Formation (DPF) of Alberta as an attritional, or time-averaged, sample and interpreted size–frequency distribution of long bones collected from the DPF with three size classes to suggest that hadrosaurids from the DPF attained near-asymptotic body size in under 3 years. This conflicted with previously published osteohistological estimates of 6+ years for penecontemporaneous hadrosaurids from the Two Medicine Formation (TMF) of Montana, suggesting either extreme variation in hadrosaurid growth rates or that size–frequency distributions and/or osteohistology and growth modeling inaccurately estimate ontogenetic age. We tested the validity of the previously proposed size–age relationship of hadrosaurids from the DPF by significantly increasing sample size and combining data from size–frequency distributions and osteohistology across multiple long-bone elements. The newly constructed size–frequency distributions typically reveal four relatively distinct size–frequency peaks that, when integrated with the osteohistological data, aligned with growth marks. The yearling size class was heavily underrepresented in the size–frequency distribution. If not due to preservation, this suggests that either juvenile (<2 years of age) hadrosaurids from the DPF had increased survivorship following an initially high nestling mortality rate or that yearlings were segregated from adults. A growth-curve analysis revealed asymptotic body size was attained in approximately 7 years, which is consistent with hadrosaurids from the TMF. The data suggest size–frequency distributions of attritional samples underestimate age and overestimate growth rates, but when paired with osteohistology can provide unique life-history insights.


The results of 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements on alkali fullerides KxC60 are reported. The NMR spectra demonstrate that material with 0 < x < 3 is in fact a two-phase system at equilibrium, with x = 0 and x = 3. NMR lineshapes indicate that C3–60 ions rotate rapidly in the K3C60 phase at 300 K, while C6–60 ions in the insulating K6C60 phase are static on the time scale of the lineshape measurement. The temperature dependence of the 13C spin-lattice relaxation rate in the normal state of K3C60 is found to be characteristic of a metal, indicating the important role of the C3–60 ions in the conductivity. From the relaxation measurements, an estimate of the density of electronic states at the Fermi level is derived.


In this paper, the authors present the design and implementation of a microwave oscillator circuit with ultra-fast amplitude control for an inspection system appropriate for real-time measurements of continously streaming materials. The material passing through the resonator of the oscillator changes the resonance frequency and the quality factor of the resonator. This influences the oscillation frequency and the loop gain required for maintenance of stationary oscillation in the linear regime. From the measurement of the oscillator frequency and the gain, adjusted via an automatic gain control (AGC), resonance frequency and loaded quality factor of the resonator and therefrom the material parameters, i. e. material density and humidity, can be determined. For the automatic gain control circuit, a Gilbert-cell based variable gain amplifier (VGA) with high modulation bandwidth of 70 MHz and wide linear gain range is designed using SiGe HBTs. Cascaded variable gain amplifiers with a wide linear gain range of over 40 dB and an ultra-high control loop-bandwidth allow to measure the parameters of materials streaming at a velocity of around 10 m/s with an error in the order of 1 %.


The low-rate trickling filter is the most common biological treatment process used in
small and medium sized sewage works in the UK. It produces an inconsistent effluent
quality, which has traditionally been related to seasonal changes in solids
accumulation, grazing activity and sloughing of microbial film. The final effluent solids
and, organic matter content is then too high for discharge or reuse. Given the
increasingly stringent effluent standards, both in terms of quality and consistency,
tertiary treatment is often required. This study was designed to investigate the key
parameters affecting the performance of low-rate trickling filters and the
characteristics of their effluents in terms of contaminant size, which might influence
the efficiency of crossflow filtration as a tertiary treatment for the trickling filter. [Continues.]


Background:The aim of this study was to validate a model of postfracture pain in mice, which was evaluated in the presence and the absence of morphine and ketoprofen. Methods:The study was divided into two parts: protocol A, the effects of closed fracture; and protocol B, the effects of morphine and ketoprofen on fracture pain. In protocol A, mice were assigned to three groups: group 1, sham incision; group 2, sham pinning; or group 3, fracture. In protocol B, mice were randomly assigned to four groups to receive morphine (3 or 10 mg/kg body weight), ketoprofen (50 mg/kg body weight), or placebo (vehicle). Three tests were used to assess pain behavior: von Frey filament application, hot plate test, and a subjective pain scale. Results:In protocol A, thermal nociception, mechanical nociception, and subjective pain were significantly modified in group 3 (fractured) compared with control groups 1 and 2 (sham groups). In protocol B, when tests were repeated for 240 min in morphine-treated animals and in ketoprofen-treated animals, reduction of mechanical nociception, thermal nociception, and subjective pain scale score were observed. Morphine and ketoprofen administration provided the same effect on behavioral testing on postoperative days 1 and 2. Conclusion:This mouse model seems to be a reliable and reproducible tool to investigate the effect of closed bone fracture on several parameters, such as pain, remodeling, and recovery. Moreover, it allows studying the effects of various pharmacologic treatments as well as the involvement of various systems using different genetically modified strains of mice.


This article intends to discuss some aspects related to educational inclusion of university students with disabilities, showing how the subject has been treated in social context. It debates some conceptions of inclusion, understood as a process of recognition of the fact that people with disabilities have right to education, especially when it comes to primary and secondary school. The work registers legal points and indicates aspects that should be observed in order to include these people. In this manner, the purpose of this study is raising the discussion and suggesting the reflection on reality and needs of university students with disabilities. It shows some advances in legislation and in the use of new technologies, and presents positive changes related to accessibility. However, the paper indicates that these measures are not enough they still need to be


The COVID-19 pandemic heightened the psychosocial impact of a cancer diagnosis as patients face concerns about the risk of infection and serious disease and uncertainties about the impact on their treatment. We conducted an online survey (n = 317) and focus groups (n = 19) with patients to examine their experiences with cancer care during the pandemic. Most survey respondents (68%) reported one or more disruptions or delays in care, including appointments switched to telehealth (49%). Patients perceived both benefits (e.g., convenience) and drawbacks (e.g., more impersonal) to telehealth. For many patients, COVID-19-related restrictions on bringing family members to support them during appointments was a major concern and left them feeling alone and vulnerable during treatment. Patients' self-reported coping during the pandemic was positively associated with age, education, and income (P < .05 for each) and better communication with their doctors during telehealth sessions (P < .001). Study findings highlight the importance of patient-centered care and communication to help patients cope with the challenges of the pandemic. Further research is needed to develop guidelines for use of telehealth as part of patient-centered cancer care.


Background It is unclear if the rat myocardium undergoes the same rapid reductions in protein content that are classically observed in fast-twitch skeletal muscle during endotoxaemia. Methodology/Principal Findings To investigate this further, and to determine if there is any divergence in the response of skeletal muscle and myocardium in the mechanisms that are thought to be largely responsible for eliciting changes in protein content, Sprague Dawley rats were implanted with vascular catheters and administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 150 µg kg−1 h−1) intravenously for 2 h, 6 h or 24 h (saline administered control animals were also included), after which the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and myocardium were removed under terminal anaesthesia. The protein-to-DNA ratio, a marker of protein content, was significantly reduced in the EDL following 24 h LPS administration (23%; P<0.05), but was no different from controls in the myocardium. At the same time point, a significant increase in MAFbx/atrogin-1 and MuRF1 mRNA (3.7±0.7- and 19.5±1.9-fold increase vs. controls, respectively; P<0.05), in addition to protein levels of α1-3, 5–7 subunits of the 20S proteasome, were observed in EDL but not myocardium. In contrast, elevations in phosphorylation of p70 S6K residues Thr421/Ser424, and 4E-BP1 residues Thr37/Thr46 (P<0.05), consistent with an elevation in translation initiation, were seen exclusively in the myocardium of LPS-treated animals. Conclusions/Significance In summary, these findings suggest that the myocardium does not undergo the same catabolic response as skeletal muscle during early endotoxaemia, partly due to the absence of transcriptional and signalling events in the myocardium typically associated with increased muscle proteolysis and the suppression of protein synthesis.


Creation of a single European energy space is impossible without proper and rapid assessment of the level of energy supply of the country. Depending on the specifics of regional development, indicators for assessing the level of energy security are different. Therefore, the study of the methodology for assessing the current state of the resource supply of the multifaceted energy system of the country is an important and topical task of the country's management. The proposed methodology for an integrated assessment of the economic security level is characterized by the use of the multiplicative form of the integrated index and contains a number of additional recent indices; simultaneous normalization of indices and their threshold values by a common normalizing function; substantiation of the threshold value vector; as well as by a formalized definition of weighting factors, which allows to compare the dynamics of the integrated index with integrated threshold values on one scale, i.e., correctly identify the state of economic security. The theoretical approaches to the integrated assessment of the country's energy security level have been analyzed and summarized and an evaluation methodology has been proposed that differs from the previous ones in that it allows to assess in detail the energy security level in the regional context. The paper describes the results of developing a methodology for assessing Ukraine's energy security based on an indicative approach. The methodology for predicting threats to the country's energy security has been provided. The numerical values and data sources of Ukraine's energy security indices have been presented.


Recent trends in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems have demonstrated the growing interest in autonomous, embeddable devices able to perform in-situ inspection and to work conjointly and wirelessly in a global sensor network. Hence, the energy aspect is of prior importance when dealing with such systems. However, most signal processing methods for assessing the integrity of a structure still rely on linear transforms or operators, such as Fourier or amplitude analysis, which for example require analog-to-digital converters that consume a lot of energy. As well, in addition of optimizing the signal processing, another important part is the use of a proper energy management for the whole system. Hence, the purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it aims at reviewing a particular set of low energy cost methods for Structural Health Monitoring consisting of deriving a Damage Index (DI) obtained from the comparison of the LW signature with a reference signal using logical operators that greatly reduce the required computational energy. A particular emphasis will be placed not only on the performance of the exposed techniques, but also on their energy consumption as well as their sensitivity and robustness facing environmental drifts. It will therefore be shown that the use of non-linear operators for the comparison permits ultra-low energy requirements while allowing detection abilities similar to classical approaches. The second objective of this paper is to discuss the implementation of the whole system in an efficient way using proper management strategies. This issue will be discussed through an example of a self-powered SHM scheme powered using ambient vibrations.


With the growing desire to initiate a Space Sta tion program, the interest in advanced, regen erative life support systems is also increasing. This paper briefly reviews this future space craft and concentrates on the advanced technolo gy in some of the key functions of life support for this application. This paper reviews the basics of life support and its importance with in a space station program. It concentrates«on the impact of major requirements and discusses some of the key influences that impact the de sign of the system. It also projects some of the key functional areas of the life support system which are most likely to be implemented from today's current technology. • Assembly and checkout of large orbiting systems in space. • On-orbit assembly, launch, recovery, and servicing of space vehicles. • Tending of co-orbiting, free-flying satel lites. • Accommodation of science and applications experiment programs. • Permanent manned operations capability in space with reduced dependence on earth for control and resupply. The imminent availability of the Space Shuttle has rekindled interest in the longer duration space missions and permanent orbiting space platforms. Studies are underway to define mis sions and concept the orbiting facilities based on the capabilities available with and limita tions imposed by the Space Transportation Sys tem. A work base in space is required to eco nomically perform the long duration, complex missions of the future and to utilize the Space Shuttle in its intended role as a space truck. The term "Space Station" is again com ing into vogue, although other titles for this program are currently in use. Current activities are directed at two poten tial approaches to deploying an operational Space Station. The first approach has been under study for well over a year by the Boeing Company for NASA/Johnson Space Center. This conceptual study is entitled "Space Opera tions Center" (SOC). It is aimed at establish ing an initial minimal operational capability before 1990 and modularly growing this facility to a full-fledged Space Station. The SOC (Figure 1) capability would include: Since this SOC study represents the most up-todate analysis of a Space Station, it provides much of the framework for the information pre sented in this paper. The second study being pursued by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center is entitled "Manned Space Platform" (MSP). This study is being performed by the McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company and is aimed at evolving a manned Space Station starting with an orbiting Power System (or module). This power module initially provides electrical power, heat rejection, and data management services to attached payloads includ ing the Space Shuttle Orbiter and its payload complement (Spacelab, etc.). Later, the power module would be expanded with a structural adapter to provide additional payload docking ports and increased service capability. This combination of space structures is currently referred to by NASA as the "Space Platform". Subsequently, one or more habitability modules would be added to this evolving assemblage to form the initial MSP (Figure 2). From this early MSP, it would eventually be grown into a full-fledged Space Station.


ABSTRACT In resource-limited settings (RLS), reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors form the backbone of first-line treatment regimens. We have developed a simplified HIV-1 drug resistance genotyping assay targeting the region of RT harboring all major RT inhibitor resistance mutation positions, thus providing all relevant susceptibility data for first-line failures, coupled with minimal cost and labor. The assay comprises a one-step RT-PCR amplification reaction, followed by sequencing using one forward and one reverse primer, generating double-stranded coverage of RT amino acids (aa) 41 to 238. The assay was optimized for all major HIV-1 group M subtypes in plasma and dried blood spot (DBS) samples using a panel of reference viruses for HIV-1 subtypes A to D, F to H, and circulating recombinant form 01_AE (CRF01_AE) and applied to 212 clinical plasma samples and 25 DBS samples from HIV-1-infected individuals from Africa and Europe. The assay was subsequently transferred to Uganda and applied locally on clinical plasma samples. All major HIV-1 subtypes could be detected with an analytical sensitivity of 5.00E+3 RNA copies/ml for plasma and DBS. Application of the assay on 212 clinical samples from African subjects comprising subtypes A to D, F to H (rare), CRF01_AE, and CRF02_AG at a viral load (VL) range of 6.71E+2 to 1.00E+7 (median, 1.48E+5) RNA copies/ml was 94.8% (n = 201) successful. Application on clinical samples in Uganda demonstrated a comparable success rate. Genotyping of clinical DBS samples, all subtype C with a VL range of 1.02E+3 to 4.49E+5 (median, 1.42E+4) RNA copies/ml, was 84.0% successful. The described assay greatly reduces hands-on time and the costs required for genotyping and is ideal for use in RLS, as demonstrated in a reference laboratory in Uganda and its successful application on DBS samples.


A hybrid channel assignment (HCA) scheme in direct sequence-code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) systems for accommodating integrated voice/data traffic is proposed and the required power levels of voice and data traffic are derived. These levels can be used to maintain the minimum required link qualities of all calls. In the proposed scheme, delay-sensitive voice traffic is accommodated in circuit mode and delay-nonsensitive data traffic is accommodated in packet mode. The capacity region is derived and it can be used for controlling voice call admission and scheduling data packets. The proposed scheme can achieve a high link efficiency with reduced control overhead by statistically multiplexing voice and data traffic.


On the eve of the tenth anniversary of the coming into force of the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA), this thesis endeavours to explore the extent to which New Labour's flagship piece of legislation can be considered a Bill of Rights for Britain. It explores the debate surrounding the characteristics of Bills of Rights in comparison to the traditional UK approach towards human rights protection, arguing that a compromise between the two positions exists in the form of third wave Bills of Rights; a model which increases the power of the judiciary whilst still preserving parliamentary sovereignty.
Although the HRA has the potential on paper to be a third wave Bill of Rights, it is argued that it can only be so if the judiciary takes a relatively expansive approach towards its key provisions: sections 2, 3, 4 and 6. Much of the thesis therefore focuses on finding traces of such expansive judicial reasoning, discovering that the judiciary's application of the Act has been distinctively uneven. In some instances, the judiciary have taken a severely restrictive approach towards the HRA, whilst in others they have taken a more expansive approach akin to a third wave Bill of Rights. However, despite any inconsistency, this thesis nevertheless argues that a general trend by the judiciary, to move beyond the traditional British model of human rights protection towards a Bill of Rights, is beginning to emerge.

The thesis also argues that the HRA must, in order to be considered a Bill of Rights, have the support and backing of the public. This, however, has not happened; despite the fact that the HRA displays many of the general characteristics of Bills of Rights, as well as also reflecting British legal tradition. With calls for the repeal and replacement of the HRA, it appears unlikely that it will have the time needed to fulfil its potential as a Bill of Rights for Britain.


Brachial plexus magnetic resonance (MR) examination of an adult female synchronized swimmer, who was suffering from rightsided arm pain and weakness while making a stroke, showed an aberrant "subclavius posticus muscle" in the parascapular region on the right side. The muscle had an attachment anteriorly on the first rib and posteriorly on to the scapula. The belly of this aberrant muscle showed proximity to the brachial plexus. Presence of such an anomalous muscle has been recognized as a possible cause of neurovascular compression or thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). Radiologists and surgeons should be familiar with this rare entity and consider it in the differential diagnosis of TOS.


The purpose of this guideline is to provide evidence-based guidance for the most effective strategies for the diagnosis and management of babesiosis. The diagnosis and treatment of co-infection with babesiosis and Lyme disease will be addressed in a separate Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), American Academy of Neurology (AAN), and American College of Rheumatology (ACR) guideline [1]. Recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of human granulocytic anaplasmosis can be found in the recent rickettsial disease guideline developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [2]. The target audience for the babesiosis guideline includes primary care physicians and specialists caring for this condition, such as infectious diseases specialists, emergency physicians, intensivists, internists, pediatricians, hematologists, and transfusion medicine specialists.


We introduce a new approach for analysis and numerical simulations of asymmetric first-price auctions, which is based on dynamical systems. We apply this approach to asymmetric auctions in which players' valuations are power-law distributed, i.e., Fi(v) = v^{α_i} , i = 1, · · · , n. We utilize the dynamical-systems formulation to provide a simple proof of the existence and uniqueness of the equilibrium strategies in the case of two types of players. In the case of n types of players, the singularity point of the original system corresponds to a saddle point with n − 1 admissible directions of the dynamical system. This relation enables us to use forward solutions in the analysis and in the numerical simulations, in contrast with previous analytic and numerical studies which used backward solutions. The dynamical systems approach provides an intuitive explanation for why the standard backward-shooting method for computing the equilibrium strategies is inherently unstable, and enables us to devise a stable forward-shooting method. In particular, in the case of two types of players this method is extremely simple, as it does not require any shooting.


A yield stress is added to Taylor's (Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A, vol. 209, 1951, pp. 447–461) model of a two-dimensional flexible sheet swimming through a viscous fluid. Both transverse waves along the sheet, as in Taylor's original model, and longitudinal waves are considered as means of locomotion. In each case, numerical solutions are provided over a range of the two key parameters of the problem: the wave amplitude relative to the wavelength and a Bingham number which describes the strength of the yield stress. The numerical solutions are supplemented with discussions of various limits of the problem in which analytical progress is possible. When the yield stress is large, the swimming speed for low wave amplitude is exactly double that for a Newtonian fluid, for either type of wave.


Equilibria established in reactions between isophthalaldehyde (IPA) and terephthalaldehyde (TPA) on one side and 2-aminoethanol and NH3 on the other side were followed in solutions, where these amines acted both as reagents and as buffers. The equilibrium between TPA and 2-aminoethanol was followed spectrophotometrically; all others, of reactions of TPA with NH3 and of IPA with both NH3 and H2N-CH2CH2-OH, were followed by using polarography. Separate limiting reduction currents of the dialdehyde and its imine enable simultaneous determination of the starting material and the product. The equilibria are shifted more in favor of the imine in reactions of TPA than those of IPA. Equilibrium constants for reactions of both TPA and IPA with 2-aminoethanol are 3 orders of magnitude higher than those observed for the reactions of dialdehydes with NH3, even when the pKa values of these two reagents differ only slightly.


The Talbot effect has found profound applications in a wide variety of research fields, facilitating the development of sensing, imaging, and lithography, among others. Taking advantage of the flexibilities offered by the bidimensional Talbot effect, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a 2-bit coding acoustic metasurface lens. It is capable of arranging the far-field wave-energy distribution and thus tailoring the passive amplification of wave pattern at positions away from the source. By simply adjusting two different types of embedded helicoid units and their layout in the metasurface lens to change the coding sequences, the intensity amplification factor and period of the self-image can be manipulated simultaneously within the same imaging plane. The proposed Talbot lens allows flexible far-field sound redistribution and enhancement. Along with the nonresonant nature, it may open possibilities in applications such as acoustic communication, sonography, and signal processing.


Purpose: The aim of this study is to describe a modified technique of using conjunctival tissue from the pterygium itself without any rotation of graft for the primary pterygium in eyes with glaucoma filtering bleb, glaucoma suspects, and in primary double-head pterygium using fibrin glue. Methods: In this retrospective, noncomparative, interventional case series, 98 eyes of 98 patients with primary pterygium operated between July 2011 to July 2016 were included. They underwent this technique from the pterygium tissue itself. There was no rotation of this graft, and it was adhered to the bare scleral defect with fibrin glue. Histopathological analysis of pterygium tissue was done to look for morphology and thickness of this thin conjunctival tissue obtained from pterygium tissue itself. The primary outcome measure was recurrence rate. Other outcome measures studied was graft retraction and graft edema. Results: The mean age was 52 ± 10.04 years. Mean follow-up was 14 ± 8.24 months. The only significant complication was recurrence rate of 4.08% (4 eyes out of 98). The most come secondary outcome was graft edema, 52.04% (51 eyes out of 98) which resolved without any intervention. Other outcome such as graft retraction, 32.65% was also recorded. Conclusion: Conjunctival tissue from the pterygium tissue itself without actual rotation appears to be a successful technique with lower recurrence rate for treating primary pterygium in eyes with glaucoma filtering bleb, glaucoma suspects, and in primary double-head pterygium.


There is considerable literature on the subject of hypoglycemia in adults, both with and without insulin therapy. Very little, however, has been written concerning the state of hypoglycemia as a cause of symptoms in new-born infants. The effect of hypoglycemia in the production of neurologic symptoms in adults has been well described by Banting and his coworkers. 1 Britton 2 noted that the blood sugar of new-born kittens was usually maintained at a normal level even though the mother's blood sugar was severely reduced by insulin or greatly increased by epinephrine or dextrose. Bowen and Heilbrun, 3 however, reported instances in which the fetus of a diabetic mother had hypertrophic islands of Langerhans in the pancreas. In the literature on diabetes during pregnancy very little is said concerning the sugar metabolism of the child after birth. Stander and Peckham 4 have expressed the opinion that the excessive size of many


Blood plasma retinol level in normal donors and patients with colonic carcinoma was measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography and the concentration of p-hydroxyphenyl lactic and homogentizine acids by Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer MAT-311A using 2H4-p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid as internal reference. The functional activity of lymphocytes was estimated from the proliferative response to alloantigens in a one-way mixed lymphocyte culture and in blast transformation reaction to Con A and pokeweed mitogen. After systematic intake of retinyl acetate and ascorbic acid in optimally high doses, the patients manifested an increase in vitamin C level in plasma and lymphocytes and a lowering of p-hydroxyphenyl lactic acid excretion. Blood plasma retinol remained unchanged. Daily intake of retinyl acetate and ascorbic acid for 8-12 days produced a significant increase of lymphocyte proliferation in response to alloantigens in mixed lymphocyte culture and blast transformation reaction to suboptimal mitogen doses.


The San Juan Bay Estuary Program and the Corporation for the Conservation of the San Juan Bay
Estuary, intends to develop a cost-effective and environmentally acceptable plan for water quality
improvement and seagrass restoration in the Condado Lagoon. One of the principal challenges associated with this Project is evaluating options for dredge material sources (borrow sites), transport, and placement in the Condado Lagoon to achieve the ecological restoration goal. A potential borrow site has been identified in the northwestern side of San Juan Bay near La Esperanza Peninsula. The accretion of
sediment near the Peninsula has inhibited tidal flushing to this area from San Juan Bay. The
implementation of this Project would support the beneficial use initiative by dredging the shoaling
material at La Esperanza Peninsula and filling the artificial depressions in Condado Lagoon to improve
water circulation at both the dredge and fill sites; as well as providing habitat for epibenthic growth in the
Lagoon.

In March 2011, Tetra Tech performed baseline investigations in Condado Lagoon, Puerto Rico in support of the San Juan Bay Estuary Program's Water Quality Improvement and Seagrass Restoration Project. Field investigations included a bathymetric (multibeam) survey, benthic community data collection and sediment sampling. The results of the surveys were used to characterize benthic habitats in the Lagoon and to assist in evaluating alternatives for restoring the Lagoon to a gradient that supports a diverse epibenthic assemblage of Lagoon and estuarine species, specifically seagrass communities.

In addition to the above mentioned investigations, Caribbean Oceanography Group deployed GPS-tracked lagrangian drifters in the lagoon in order to gather current data for the calibration of a hydrodynamic model of the Condado Lagoon.

The intent of the multibeam survey was to map the existing depths and bathymetric features within
Condado Lagoon, with an emphasis on detailing the extents of seven artificial depressions. The results of
the survey determined a minimum depth of 0.8 m and maximum depth of 10.4 m (2.6 to 34.1 ft) in the Lagoon. Maximum depths were recorded in the center of the dredge holes, which are located in the center
and eastern end of the Lagoon. The results of the multibeam survey were also used to support depth-based in situ data collection of the benthic community.

The results of the benthic survey indicate a regional separation in benthic community diversity and
abundance. The south-central and southeastern sides of the Lagoon support low to no biotic cover. This is contrary to the biotic diversity and abundance at the western, north-central and northeastern sides of the Lagoon. The benthic data also showed a segregation of benthic community assemblages between three depth ranges (shallow 1.8 to 2.4 m [6.0 to 8.0 ft]; mid (2.7 to 5.8 m [9 to 19 ft]); and deep 6.1 to 9.1 m [20 to 30 ft]). The benthic community in the mid depth range supports the greatest diversity and abundance of organisms. The areas with little to no biotic cover correspond to the dredged areas of the Condado Lagoon.

Typical of low energy environments, finer grained sediments are located in the central and eastern regions of the Lagoon. Grain size analyses reported coarse material at the La Esperanza Peninsula sample site and the western end of Condado Lagoon, which are indicative of currents and regular water exchange in these locations. Organic content decreases from west to east in the Lagoon which supports the observations of lower benthic cover in the south-central and southeastern Lagoon compared to the western region.

Based on the 2011 baseline investigations, H. decipiens was determined to be the most prevalent seagrass species in the Lagoon, followed by T. testudinum. Fill volume calculations based solely on the bathymetric survey results, estimate between 132,211 and 488,719 cy of fill material needed to support a water depth gradient (2.7 to 5.8 m [9.0 to 19.0 ft]) conducive to H. decipiens and T. testudinum growth in the central and eastern portions of the Lagoon. More specifically, the baseline results suggest a preferred depth of 4.05 m (13.3 ft) for H. decipiens, which would require between approximately 317,629 and 336,504 cy of fill material to restore a portion of the Lagoon.

Caribbean Oceanography Group (with the support of Tetra Tech) has modeled the circulation within the
Lagoon using the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC) hydrodynamic model. Modeling results
reveal a complex circulation within the Condado Lagoon that is largely wind driven. A statistical analysis of the wind record for NOAA's U.S. Coast Guard Station ID 9755371, located at the western end of the model domain was carried out, and 70%, 80%, 90%, 95% and 98% exceedance levels were determined.

Model results show that under the 98% wind speed exceedance scenario, two of the examined locations
within the dredged area of the lagoon experience a shear stress large enough to trigger a minimum sand
grain diameter requirement for stability through the Shields relation. The locations and their minimum
sand grain diameters are: A-2 with 0.46 mm and A-3 with 0.21 mm. These grain sizes correspond to
Medium Sand and Fine Sand, respectively (after Wentworth (1922)).

Evaluation of the direction of the shear at the above mentioned locations reveals that a portion of the
material eroded from location A-2 (the medium sand) will be deposited at location A-3, and the rest (the
fine sand) will be deposited at some combination of locations A-4, A-5, A-6 and A-7. Likewise the material originally eroded from location A-3 (fine sand) will be deposited at some combination of locations A-4, A-5, A-6 and A-7. Therefore, any unstable material placed at locations A-2 and A-3 will merely be shifted to another location within the fill area with a lower shear stress where it will become stable.

Therefore the requirements for fill stability in the Condado Lagoon in terms of grain size are:

1) In order to remain stable under a 98% exceedance wind event, fill at location A-2 should be
composed of sand with a grain diameter greater than 0.46 mm. In other words, Medium to Coarse
sand should be used to fill location A-2.
2) In order to remain stable under a 98% exceedance wind event, fill at location A-3 should be
composed of sand with a grain diameter greater than 0.21 mm. In other words, Fine to Medium
sand should be used to fill location A-3.

Of note is the finding that any material too fine to remain stable at either A-2 or A-3 will be deposited at
some combination of the remaining fill locations, and thus will not be lost from the fill area, nor will it be
unstable and cause problems elsewhere in the lagoon.

It should be kept in mind that the lower exceedance levels (95% or less) did not present any minimum
sand grain size requirements for stability. For those cases, sand fill of any grain size remains stable.
Likewise, a higher exceedance level than 98% would require coarser fill at A-2 and A-3 than that discussed above. In either case, however, the eroded material would remain within the fill area, being deposited the downstream at a more sheltered location


OBJECTIVE
Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) results in significant morbidity in the elderly with symptoms of dementia, gait instability, and urinary incontinence. In well-selected patients, ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) placement often results in clinical improvement. Most postshunt assessments of patients rely on subjective scales. The goal of this study was to assess the utility of remote activity monitoring to provide objective evidence of gait improvement following VPS placement for iNPH.

METHODS
Patients with iNPH were prospectively enrolled and fitted with 5 activity monitors (on the hip and bilateral thighs and ankles) that they wore for 4 days preoperatively within 30 days of surgery and for 4 days within 30 days postoperatively. Monitors collected continuous data for number of steps, cadence, body position (upright, prone, supine, and lateral decubitus), gait entropy, and the proportion of each day spent active or static. Data were retrieved from the devices and a comparison of pre- and postoperative movement assessment was performed. The gait data were also correlated with formal clinical gait assessments before and after lumbar puncture and with motion analysis laboratory testing at baseline and 1 month and 1 year after VPS placement.

RESULTS
Twenty patients fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria (median age 76 years). The baseline median number of daily steps was 1929, the median percentage of the day spent inactive was 70%, the median percentage of the day with a static posture was 95%, the median gait velocity was 0.49 m/sec, and the median number of steps required to turn was 8. There was objective improvement in median entropy from pre- to postoperatively, increasing from 0.6 to 0.8 (p = 0.002). There were no statistically significant differences for any of the remaining variables measured by the activity monitors when comparing the preoperative to the 1-month postoperative time point. All variables from motion analysis testing showed statistically significant differences or a trend toward significance at 1 year after VPS placement. Among the significantly correlated variables at baseline, cadence was inversely correlated with percentage of gait cycle spent in the support phase (contact with ground vs swing phase).

CONCLUSIONS
This pilot study suggests that activity monitoring provides an early objective measure of improvement in gait entropy after VPS placement among patients with iNPH, although a more significant improvement was noted on the detailed clinical gait assessments. Further long-term studies are needed to determine the utility of remote monitoring for assessing gait improvement following VPS placement.


Coesite eclogite is associated with metagranitoid in a 50×100 m2 outcrop within the regionally developed amphibolite-facies Su-Lu orthogneiss. Primary intrusive relationships between the metagranitoid and basic rocks and bulk-chemistry analyses show that together they represent a composite igneous body that has subsequently been strongly deformed and metamorphosed. The presence of rutile, sodie pyroxene, corona garnet, and possible pseudomorphs after coesite all suggest very high pressures of metamorphism in the metagranitoid. This is the first documented occurrence of ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metagranitoid outside of the European Alps. The existence of UHP metagranitoid shows that low density of rocks does not necessarily prevent subduction to mantle depths. Even at peak metamorphic conditions the UHP composite igneous body reported here would have a bulk density less than the mantle. Buoyancy forces may, therefore, have been important in the early exhumation of this unit. Other outcrops of coesite eclogite in the Su-Lu region may also have been originally metamorphosed along with low-density granitoid rocks.


A review of many-body effects in exciton ensembles in semiconductors is given with the emphasis on two-dimensional systems: structures with single and double quantum wells and with quantum microcavities. The Bose–Einstein condensation effect, an accumulation of a macroscopic number of excitons in the ground state of the system, is discussed. The known prohibition on condensation in low-dimensional systems can be lifted due to the disorder resulting from the chaotic potential. Manifestations of the finite exciton lifetime and, correspondingly, of the nonequilibrium of the excitonic system caused by processes of excitons entering and leaving the condensate state are analyzed. Other collective phases of excitons, namely, two-dimensional crystals of dipolar excitons and an electron–hole liquid, formed as a result of interparticle interactions, are discussed.


Background: Intrathecal magnesium has been found to prolong the duration of analgesia in various surgical procedures like lower limb surgeries and as adjuncts to general anesthesia for pain management. The present study was designed to examine whether addition of intrathecal magnesium sulfate would enhance the analgesic efficacy of intrathecal bupivacaine and fentanyl in patients undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy. Methods: After taking informed consent, 60 patients were randomised into two groups with 30 patients. Group "S" received 2.5 mL (12.5 mg) of hyperbaric bupivacaine + 0.5 mL (25 mcg) of fentanyl + 0.5 mL of normal saline and Group "M" received 2.5 mL (12.5 mg) of hyperbaric bupivacaine + 0.5 mL (25 mcg) of fentanyl + 0.5 mL (100 mg) of magnesium sulfate. Onset of sensory, motor block and duration of analgesia was noted. Results: Demographic profile and duration of surgery were comparable (P>0.5). Time of onset of sensory and motor blockade was delayed in Group M compared with Group S, and this was statistically significant. A statistically significant longer duration of analgesia was observed in Group M compared with the control Group S. However, the recovery of motor blockade was found to be statistically insignificant in both the groups. The hemodynamic parameters were comparable in the perioperative period (P>0.05). The incidence of side-effects in both the groups were also comparable (P>0.05). Conclusion: The addition of 100 mg intrathecal magnesium led to prolonged duration of analgesia significantly without increasing the incidence of side-effects. Also, there was a significant delay in the onset of both sensory and motor blockade.


One approach to the analysis of stochastic fluctuations in market prices is to model characteristics of investor behaviour and the complex interactions between market participants, with the aim of extracting consequences in the aggregate. This agent-based viewpoint in finance goes back at least to the work of Garman (1976) and shares the philosophy of statistical mechanics in the physical sciences. We discuss recent developments in market microstructure models. They are capable, often through numerical simulations, to explain many stylized facts like the emergence of herding behavior, volatility clustering and fat tailed returns distributions. They are typically queueing-type models, that is, models of order flows, in contrast to classical economic equilibrium theories of utility-maximizing, rational, ``representative'' investors. Mathematically, they are analyzed using tools of functional central limit theorems, strong approximations and weak convergence. Our main examples focus on investor inertia, a trait that is well-documented, among other behavioral qualities, and modelled using semi-Markov switching processes. In particular, we show how inertia may lead to the phenomenon of long-range dependence in stock prices.


The Mt. Filau orthogneiss is an Ordovician orthogneiss outcropping in the External zone of SW Sardinia chain. It consists of dark, biotite-rich facies, a leucocratic coarse-grained facies and a leucocratic fine-grained facies with igneous andalusite. Coarse- and fine-grained leucocratic orthogneiss have comparable major elementcontents, being slightly enriched in SiO2 and depleted in Fe2O3, MgO, TiO2 and CaO as compared to the biotite-bearing orthogneiss. Bt-bearing orthogneiss shows higher Sr and Ba concentrations than leucocratic ones, whereas Rb content is higher in leucocratic orthogneiss as compared to the Bt-bearing ones. Zr content shows a progressive decrease from biotite-bearing orthogneiss, coarse-grained leucocratic ones, to fine-grained orthogneiss. In the spider diagram the Mt. Filau orthogneiss shows the typical signature of calc-alkaline rocks, with negative anomalies of Ba, Nb, Sr and Ti, and positive anomalies in U, K. REE patterns of Bt-bearing and coarse-grained leucocratic orthogneisses are characterized by a moderate LREE fractionation, flat HREE and negative Eu anomaly. Fine-grained leucocratic orthogneiss shows flatter patterns, stronger Eu anomalies and slight HREE enrichment. The geochemical features suggest a clear evolution trend, from the less evolved Bt-bearing orthogneiss to the more differentiated fine-grained leucocratic orthogneisses which likely represent aplite bodies deriving from the most acidic residual melt. Selected trace and REE elements of Mt. Filau are compared with other Ordovician orthogneiss outcropping in the Axial zone of Sardinia Variscan belt. Besides, their geochemical features are also compared with metavolcanics of External and Nappe zone. The geochemical affinity of orthogneisses and metavolcanics from Variscan Sardinia, together with the geochronological data, allows to state a clear cogenetic relationship between the bodies belonging to the calc-alkaline Ordovician magmatic cycle. Our results suggest that the early Paleozoic basement of Sardinia might represents the witness of an early Paleozoic subduction-accretionary complex recording convergence along the N/NE Gondwana margin.


The research presented in this thesis is an investigation of the views of commercial home owners within Scotland. The thesis is designed to deepen understanding of the commercial home sector, and more specifically, the relationship the host has with the commercial home.

The host's relationship with their commercial home contributes to the provision of commercial hospitality within a home setting. The review of the literature points to a number of conceptual gaps in our understanding, notably that there has been no study directly focusing upon the host perspective of the commercial home and how this relationship with the home might potentially impinge upon the guest experience.

The specific aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the host and their commercial home and its influences on product construction. As the hospitality product is more of a total sensory experience than has perhaps been acknowledged to date, it is appropriate to seek to understand the host perspective. Prior studies have very largely focused on readily accessible 'objective' issues, rather than below the surface issues accessing the inner self, the intangible dimensions of self, which may determine aspects of the hospitality product.

The field research involved the researcher taking photographs of the commercial home properties and then using the photographs as prompts to interview the hosts and explore intangible elements such as memories, emotions and senses. A conceptual framework was developed from the data, identifying the main components of the host home relationship, and was revised as each commercial home was analysed. The framework is divided into three sections; Home, Host, and Business. In relation to the Home section themes that emerged include, Meanings of Home, Decor, and Artefacts. In relation to the Host section, themes include Family and Lifestyle. With regards to the Business section, themes include Feelings, Space, Guests, Performance, Target Market, Tourist Board and Competitors.


Many large scale applications, have significant I/O requirements as well as computational and memory requirements. Unfortunately, limited number of I/O nodes provided by the contemporary message-passing distributed-memory architectures such as Intel Paragon and IBM SP-2 limits the I/O performance of these applications severely. In this paper, we examine some software optimization techniques and architectural scalability and evaluate the effect of them in five I/O intensive applications from both small and large application domains. Our goals in this study are twofold: First, we want to understand the behavior of large-scale data intensive applications and the impact of I/O subsystem on their performance and vice-versa. Second, and more importantly, we strive to determine the solutions for improving the applications' performance by a mix of architectural and software solutions. Our results reveal that the different applications can benefit from different optimizations. For example, we found that some applications benefit from file layout optimizations whereas some others benefit from collective I/O. A combination of architectural and software solutions is normally needed to obtain good I/O performance. For example, we show that with limited number of I/O resources, it is possible to obtain good performance by using appropriate software optimizations. We also show that beyond a certain level, imbalance in the architecture results in performance degradation even when using optimized software, thereby indicating the necessity of increase in I/O resources.


Embryo transfer (ET) is among the key factors determining the overall efficiency of transgenic technology in the mouse. A successful ET depends among other factors on the quality of the transferred embryos, foster mothers and anaesthetic reagents and on the transfer techniques. Anaesthesia-caused deaths and suboptimal ET procedures are factors which reduce the success of transgenic experiments and mouse colony maintenance. Here we compared the effects of two anaesthetic reagents—a ketamine/xylazine combination, and tribromoethanol (Avertin)—on the rates of implantation and development to term of mouse zygotes transferred into the oviducts of CD-1 foster mothers, and evaluated whether hypothermia caused by anaesthetics after the ET operation could be overcome by postoperative incubation of the foster mothers. We established two experimental groups of fosters, one of which was kept at room temperature (RT, 21°C) with the other in an incubator (33°C) overnight after ET. Rates of implantation, resorption and development to normal fetuses were evaluated by sacrificing the foster mothers on the 15th day of their pregnancy. Our results showed that regardless of the anaesthetic reagents used, the rates of implantation and of development to normal fetuses can be significantly improved by exposing the foster mothers to warmer temperatures (33°C) immediately after the ET operation. These results may have important implications in increasing the success rate of ET with micromanipulated embryos.


Riddoch's phenomenon, in which a stimulus is perceived during movement but not with static presentation, has been reported for occipital lobe and anterior visual pathway disorders. To our knowledge, a threshold for movement detection in the affected hemifield has not been reported. A case of statokinetic dissociation from occipital lobe infarction is presented in which a threshold range for movement detection was identified. The possible role of separate channels in the visual cortex for analysis of kinetic and static stimuli is suggested.


Abstract : Aircraft laser beamsteering is accomplished using a single gimbaled mirror housed inside a turret, which protrudes from the fuselage and causes unwanted turbulence, vibrations, and weight. The Air Force is currently investigating the use of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) micro-mirror arrays to replace aircraft beamsteering technology. MEMS micro-mirror arrays provide a unique solution to address these issues. Unfortunately, current MEMS micro-mirror technology cannot meet all the beamsteering requirements in a single assembly. These include high fill-factor, large aperture, 25 degrees of out-of-plane deflection, 4-axis tilt, and actuation speeds below 1 ms. In this research, a novel MEMS actuation scheme to address all these requirements using electrostatically driven bimorph cantilever beams was designed, modeled, fabricated, and characterized. Modeling results show a linear relationship between the number of cantilever beams and maximum deflection. Characterization of fabricated micro-mirror assemblies supports the modeling for individual actuators as well as for micro-mirror platform assemblies. Fabricated devices reached vertical deflections greater than 170 micrometer with pull-in voltages of 20 V and an optical range of 16 degrees. These large deflections, low pull-in voltage, and reasonable optical range shown in this research demonstrate the feasibility of using MEMS micro-mirror arrays to address aircraft beamsteering issues.


Peripheral compartment syndrome (PCS) has a complex etiology, with limited treatment options and high patient morbidity. Animal models of PCS have been hampered by differences in cross-species anatomy, physiology, and the relative rarity of the naturally occurring syndrome in animals. In the present study, the combination of saline infusion with intermittent crushing of skeletal muscle consistently caused increased intracompartmental pressure, hypocalemia, and hypercreatinine-phophokinasemia, signs diagnostic of PCS. This method was used to evaluate both the standard PCS treatment, specifically a fasciotomy, and a regenerative medicine approach for treatment-consisting of a fasciotomy with local administration of a biologic scaffold material composed of porcine small intestinal submucosa extracellular matrix (SIS-ECM). The use of this SIS-ECM scaffold in conjunction with a fasciotomy was associated with myogenesis and constructive tissue remodeling in the SIS-ECM-treated animals. At 1 and 3 months after treatment innervated muscle tissue was present at the site of injury. No myogenesis was present in the fasciotomy only treated animals. RAM11+ macrophages, which are associated with constructive tissue remodeling, were present within the injury site in the SIS-ECM-treated animals at 1 month. The present study provides a reproducible animal model with which to study PCS, and shows the potential of a regenerative medicine approach to PCS treatment.


Australia is viewed internationally as a desirable tourist destination. At a time when many other destinations are struggling with tourist health, safety and security issues, Australia is fortunate to have a stable political and social environment with little negative impact on both the community and international visitors. Within the Asia Pacific region, Japan is a very important inbound tourism market for Australia. Queensland, especially the Gold Coast, is a leading tourist destination preferred by Japanese tourists. In recent years, however, the number of Japanese inbound tourists to Australia has declined, while the market has simultaneously been exposed to adverse travel advisories. It is therefore essential for the destination to implement positive initiatives that demonstrate a genuine interest in keeping visitors safe. Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) plays an essential role in keeping tourists safe at the beach. This article outlines some of the innovative safety programs run by SLSQ on the Gold Coast specifically for the Japanese tourism market.