A Review of:
Greysen, S.R., Harrison, J.D., Rareshide, C., Magan, Y., Seghal, N., Rosenthal, J., Jacolbia, R., & Auerbach, A.D. (2018). A randomized controlled trial to improve engagement of hospitalized patients with their patient portals. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 25(12), 1626-1633. https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocy125
Abstract
Objectives – To study hospitalized patients who were provided with tablet computers and the extent to which having access to these computers increased their patient portal engagement during hospitalization and following their discharge.
Design – Prospective, randomized controlled trial (RCT) within a larger, observational study of patient engagement in discharge planning.
Setting – A large, academic medical centre in the Western United States of America.
Subjects – Of a total of 250 potential subjects from a larger observational study, 137 declined to participate in this one; of the remaining 113 subjects, 16 were unable to access the patient portal, leaving 97 adult (18 years of age or older) patients in the final group. All subjects (50 intervention and 47 control) were randomized but not blinded, had been admitted to medical service, and spoke English. In addition, all participants were supplied with tablet computers for one day during their inpatient stay and were provided with limited assistance to the portal registration and login process as needed. They were also required to have access to a tablet or home computer when discharged.
Methods – The intervention group participants received focused bedside structured education by trained research assistants (RAs) who demonstrated portal key functions and explained the importance of these functions for their upcoming transition to post-discharge care. Following enrolment and consent, RAs administered a brief pre-study survey to assess baseline technology use. Then, at the end of the observation day, the RAs performed a debrief interview in which participants were asked to demonstrate their ability to perform key portal tasks. The RAs recorded which tasks were accomplished or if the RAs had provided assistance. Patient demographics and clinical information were obtained from the Electronic Health Record (EHR).
Main results – Of the 97 patients who were enrolled in the RCT, 57% logged into their portals at least once within seven days of their discharge. The mean number of logins and specific portal tasks performed was higher for the intervention group than for the control group. In addition, while in the hospital, the intervention group was better able to log in and navigate the portal. Only one specific portal task reached statistical significance—the use of the tab for viewing the messaging interaction with the provider. The time needed to deliver the intervention was brief—less than 15 minutes for 80% of participants. The intervention group's overall satisfaction with the bedside tablet to access the portal was high.
Conclusion – Data analysis revealed that the bedside tablet educational intervention succeeded in increasing patient engagement in the use of the patient portal, both during hospitalization and following discharge. As the interest and demand for patient access to EHRs increases among patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers, more rigorous studies will be needed to guide the implementation of patient portals during and after hospitalization.


This study aims to investigate "The impact of the Green Supply Chain Management" (GSCM) on Environmental-Based Marketing Performance. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, the researchers deployed the descriptive analytical approach due to its relevance to this kind of research. The sample used in this study was the stratified convenience sampling, where the study targeted the top and middle managerial levels from the population, and the targeted managerial levels was made up of (167) employees in the five companies. 125 questionnaires were distributed for the five companies with (25) questionnaires for each company. The accepted questionnaire was (96). The results of the research showed that the elements of the Green Supply Chain Management "Internal Environmental Management, Green Purchasing, Green Information Systems, Cooperation with Customers, Eco-Design and Packaging, and Investment Recovery" practices affected the environmental-based marketing performance. The results showed the element with significant impact on the environmental-based marketing performance was internal environmental management.


We conducted a clinical, radiological and urodynamic study in 70 patients submitted to different urethropexy techniques (Kelly, Raz, Marshall-Marchetti-Krantz, Burch, simplified Ramirez) to determine the importance of the bladder neck in the treatment of urinary incontinence. Urethropexy achieved a significant increase in the percentage of patients with an open bladder neck during the filling phase. However, the opening of the bladder neck posturethropexy did not influence urinary continence.


Heterogeneous cell populations, from either healthy or malignant tissues, may contain a population of cells characterized by a differential ability to efflux the DNA-binding dye Hoechst 33342. This "side population" of cells can be identified using flow cytometric methods after the Hoechst 33342 dye is excited by an ultraviolet (UV) laser. The side population of many cell types contains stem- or progenitor-like cells. However, not all cell types have an identifiable side population. Danio rerio, zebrafish, have a robust in vivo model of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), but whether these zebrafish T-ALLs have a side population is unknown. The method described here outlines how to isolate the side population cells in zebrafish T-ALL. To begin, the T-ALL in zebrafish is generated via the microinjection of tol2 plasmids into one-cell stage embryos. Once the tumors have grown to a stage at which they expand into more than half of the animal's body, the T-ALL cells can be harvested. The cells are then stained with Hoechst 33342 and examined by flow cytometry for side population cells. This method has broad applications in zebrafish T-ALL research. While there are no known cell surface markers in zebrafish that confirm whether these side population cells are cancer stem cell-like, in vivo functional transplantation assays are possible. Furthermore, single-cell transcriptomics could be applied to identify the genetic features of these side population cells.


Abstract The four-volume set of "A Global history of accounting, financial reporting and public policy" edited by Previts, Walton and Wolnizer is a promising attempt to contribute to our understanding of national specifics, differences, and parallels in accounting traditions. Fifty-one authors capture "global accounting history" in a still diverse and non-standardized world by providing 28 different national perspectives with almost 1,000 pages in total. This seems to be a reasonable and careful first step to handle the current challenge of accounting internationalization and harmonization – out of consideration for and fully aware of the national traditions, thoughts, and institutional settings.


This study applies Extreme Value Theory in calculating Value-at-Risk (VaR) of portfolios consisting of foreign exchange exposures of ASEAN+3 countries. This paper addresses the issue that traditional VaR models assume normality of the return distribution. Empirical evidence confirms the stylized facts that financial asset returns are typically negatively skewed and fat-tailed. Moreover, risk management concerns itself with the distribution of the tails, or events in the extremes of the distribution. Estimation of magnitude and the likelihood of extreme events should be given greater attention than central tendency characteristics. Thus, this paper proposes the application of Extreme Value Theory in computing an "Extreme VaR" to directly focus on the behavior of the tail of return distribution. The modeling is done on daily exchange rates returns of ASEAN+3 countries from January 24, 2004 to January 31, 2010.


Abstract
Normal vibration calculations have been done for a type I β-turn of CH3-CO-(Ala)4-NH-CH3 and a type II β-turn of CH3-CO-(Ala)2-Gly-Ala-NH-CH3. The force field was the one we refined for β-sheet and α-helical structures. A calculation was also done for CH3-O-CO-Gly-(Ala)2-Gly-O-CH3, which is an appropriate model for two tetrapeptides for which infrared data are available. The agreement between observed and calculated frequencies in this case is good, thus supporting the conclusions drawn from the above β-turn calculations. The most important result of the calculations is the prediction of bands near 1690 cm-1, a region heretofore associated only with the antiparallel-chain pleated sheet structure. This means that bands observed in proteins near 1690 cm-1 should be associated with the presence of β-turns as well as of β-sheets. We also find that a band near 1665 cm-1 is characteristic of type II turns.


A short review is given of recent papers on the relaxation to (incompressible) absolute equilibrium. A new algorithm to construct absolute equilibrium of spectrally truncated compressible flows is described. The algorithm uses stochastic processes based on the Clebsch representation of the velocity field to generate density and velocity fields that follow by construction the absolute equilibrium stationary probability. The new method is shown to reproduce the well-known Gaussian results in the incompressible limit. The irrotational compressible absolute equilibrium case is characterized and the distribution is shown to be non-Gaussian. The high-temperature compressible spectra are found not to obey k2 scaling. Finally, oscillating behavior in constant-pressure variable-temperature relaxation is obtained, suggesting the presence of second sound.


The analysis of foreign scientific editions is presented in article on modern medico-biological aspects of training and competitive activity. The most significant data and tendencies of application of medico-biological technologies in training process of elite athletes are allocated. Scientists pay the main attention to prevention of injuries and diseases, a competitive stress, diagnostics of a functional condition of systems of an organism. Features of urgent and long-term adaptation, and also physiological predictors of special efficiency of athletes of different types of sports are defined.


BACKGROUND
Laparoscopic splenectomy has become an important therapeutic option in the management of diverse hematologic disorders. However, the incidence of important complications, such as portal vein thrombosis, remains poorly understood. We set out to study the incidence of this complication over a 14-month period.

METHODS
All adult patients who underwent laparoscopic splenectomy between July 2001 and April 2002 at McMaster University Medical Centre in Hamilton, Ont., were approached postoperatively and offered duplex ultrasonography of the portal vein to look for thrombosis.

RESULTS
During the study period 17 patients underwent laparoscopic splenectomy. Two patients declined to participate, and in 1 patient the ultrasonography was technically inadequate. Of the 14 remaining patients, 2 (14%) were found to have portal vein thrombosis. In 1 other patient, the investigation was suggestive, but not conclusive, of a clot in the portal system.

CONCLUSIONS
Portal vein thrombosis in this series was a relatively common complication of laparoscopic splenectomy. Further research is needed to confirm our findings.


Different dolphin and tuna species have frequently been reported to aggregate in areas of high frontal activity, sometimes developing close multi-species associations to increase feeding success. Aerial surveys are a common tool to monitor the density and abundance of marine mammals, and have recently become a focus in the search for methods to provide fisheries-independent abundance indicators for tuna stock assessment. In this study, we present first density estimates corrected for availability bias of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) from the Golf of Lions (GoL), compared with uncorrected estimates of Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT; Thunnus thynnus) densities from 8 years of line transect aerial surveys. The raw sighting data were further used to analyze patterns of spatial co-occurrence and density of these three top marine predators in this important feeding ground in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea. These patterns were investigated regarding known species-specific feeding preferences and environmental characteristics (i. e. mesoscale activity) of the survey zone. ABFT was by far the most abundant species during the surveys in terms of schools and individuals, followed by striped dolphins and fin whales. However, when accounted for availability bias, schools of dolphins and fin whales were of equal density. Direct interactions of the species appeared to be the exception, but results indicate that densities, presence and core sighting locations of striped dolphins and ABFT were correlated. Core sighting areas of these species were located close to an area of high mesoscale activity (oceanic fronts and eddies). Fin whales did not show such a correlation. The results further highlight the feasibility to coordinate research efforts to explore the behaviour and abundance of the investigated species, as demanded by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).


This chapter argues that the effect of violent conflict on food security can best be understood by analysing how conflict affects the command over food of the average farm household. This occurs via its effect on the income sources of the farm household in combination with its effect on the local food chain and the political system. Policy makers should focus on vulnerability to food deprivation during conflict, on the long-term consequences of conflict for human development and on innovative insurance mechanisms to maintain adequate levels of food intake and to prevent violent conflict.


This article analyses IMF estimates of economic growth in 180 countries (IMF, 2009),and links the results to the i°Re-orienti± approach, put forward by Frank, 1998. With global economic gravitation shifting to the Indian Ocean/Pacific region, the article also analyses the role of MNC (foreign capital) penetration as the key variable of past quantitative dependency studies for contemporary economic growth and social performance. In a Schumpeterian fashion, MNC penetration reflects the power, which transnational oligopolies wield over local economies. Today, social polarization and stagnation increase as a consequence of the development model, based on high MNC penetration.


Europe, with the European Charter for the Protection of Regional and Minority Languages and the Framework Convention for the Protection of Minorities has acknowledged that the protection of its cultural identity, of which languages form part, is vital. Despite these efforts, States have adopted varying measures. France, for constitutional reasons, is unable to recognize officially any of its linguistic minorities. As a consequence, in practical terms, French legislation on the subject of minority language instruction at school cannot really promote, for example, the teaching of Corsican, because it must be seen to be of a voluntary nature. In other words, a minority language will be taught as long as it is not compulsory. This principle has the unfortunate corollary of threatening the existence and survival of France's minority languages.


In this paper we develop an approximate computational framework for simulation of the fluctuating flowfield associated with the complex vortex system seen at the side edge of a flap in a multielement high-lift airfoil system. The eventual goal of these simulations is to provide an estimate of the spectral content of these fluctuations, in order that the spectrum of the noise generated by such flowfields may be estimated. Results from simulations utilizing this computational framework are shown.


This paper assesses various crisis resolution proposals using a theoretical model of (liquidity and solvency) crisis. The model suggests that payments standstills and last-resort lending are equally efficient means of dealing with liquidity crises, while coordinated lending through creditor committees is second best. Debt write-downs are preferred to subsidised IMF financing when dealing with solvency crises, because of the negative moral hazard implications of the latter tool. Finally, the model suggests that international bankruptcy court proposals may be superior to existing contractual approaches in securing such write-downs.


Many first-year students in the School of Law at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College, who have been disadvantaged by a poor primary and secondary education, exhibit poor legal writing skills. Over a period of four years, in order to address this urgent need for legal writing instruction, the School of Law introduced two successive legal writing interventions. The first intervention was the Concise Writing Programme, followed by the Integrated Skills in Context Programme. The Concise Writing Programme focused on English writing skills and grammar in the hope that first-year law students would be able to transfer these generic writing skills to the more specific legal discourse within which they were learning to operate. The Law School reviewed the success of this initial programme and found that students who took part in the programme not only lacked the motivation to learn generic English writing skills, but that they also did not find it easy to transfer these skills to the more specific legal writing environment. The Law School then implemented a second legal writing intervention – The Integrated Skills in Context Programme. This programme acknowledged the fact that legal writing has a multi-faceted nature, encompassing legal analysis and application, as well as logical sequencing and argument, all of which could not be taught in a vacuum, particularly when most of the student base was largely unfamiliar with any form of legal discourse and many had English as a second language. This paper recognises that there is no silver bullet to improving the legal writing skills of these students. The reality is that it will take hard work as well as financial incentives to make a difference to these students' legal writing skills. Our students need intensive one-on-one attention by qualified academics, and this means that those doing the instruction must be recognised and adequately compensated.


Illumination of dark-grown barley plants induces a massive insertion of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein into the developing thylakoid membrane. In addition to the onset of chlorophyll synthesis, light induces specifically the appearance of a prominent mRNA species which codes for a polypeptide of Mr 29500. This component was identified as a precursor of the apoprotein of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein. The precursor has an Mr larger than the authentic protein by approximately 4000. Studies of the chlorophyll-b-less mutant chlorina f2 of barley offer the first clue to the mechanism which controls the light-dependent mRNA formation. The induction of the mRNA coding for the aproprotein of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein does not seem to be linked directly to the assembly process of the light-harvesting structure and does not require chlorophyll b. It is proposed that light exerts its influence on the mRNA formation by a reaction which is different from the phototransformation of protochlorophyll(ide) to chlorophyll(ide).


This report describes tests of 10 full-scale metal propellers of several thickness ratios at various tip speeds up to 1,350 feet per second. The results indicate no loss of efficiency up to tip speeds of approximately 1,000 feet per second. Above this tip speed the loss is at a rate of about 10 per cent per 100 feet per second increase relative to the efficiency at the lower speeds for propellers of pitch diameter ratios 0.3 to 0.4. Propellers having sections of small thickness ratio can be run at slightly higher speeds than thick ones before beginning to lose efficiency.


Our recent efforts in manipulating electromagnetic (EM) waves using metamaterials (MTMs) are reviewed with emphasis on 1) manipulating wave polarization and transporting properties using homogeneous MTMs, 2) manipulating surface-wave properties using plasmonic MTMs, and 3) bridging propagating and surface waves using inhomogeneous meta-surfaces. For all these topics, we first illustrate the physical concepts and then present several typical practical realizations and applications in the microwave regime.


Tissue engineering is a multidisciplinary field that has evolved in various dimensions in recent years. One of the main aspects in this field is the proper adjustment and final compatibility of implants at the target site of surgery. For this purpose, it is desired to have the materials fabricated at the nanometer scale, since these dimensions will ultimately accelerate the fixation of implants at the cellular level. In this study, electrospun polyurethane nanofibers and their analogous nanofibers containing MWCNTs are introduced for tissue engineering applications. Since MWCNTs agglomerate to form bundles, a high intensity sonication procedure was used to disperse them, followed by electrospinning the polymer solutions that contained these previously dispersed MWCNTs. Characterization of the produced nanofibers has confirmed production of different non-woven mats, which include random, semi-aligned and mostly aligned patterns. A simultaneous and comparative study was conducted on the nanofibers with respect to their thermal stability, mechanical properties and biocompatibility. Results indicate that the mostly aligned nanofibers pattern presents higher thermal stability, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility. Furthermore, incorporation of MWCNTs among the different arrangements significantly improved the mechanical properties and cell alignment along the nanofibers. Copyright © 2015 VBRI Press.


Fasting induces short-term physiological adaptations which spare the body's remaining carbohydrate stores and mobilize lipid stores to provide a substitute fuel for many tissues and organs, especially skeletal muscle. Rodent studies show that regular occurrence of fasting then refeeding, stimulates adaptations in muscle which make the animal better placed to withstand a further period of fasting by possessing a better ability to oxidise lipid. This review explores the research describing these adaptations, with an emphasis on Ramadan, a human model of repeated fasting/refeeding. Separately, a single bout of endurance exercise places similar metabolic stress on the body as fasting since the exercising muscle must reduce its use of carbohydrate and utilize lipid more readily as exercise progresses. Not surprisingly therefore, adaptations in muscle to repeated bouts of endurance exercise (endurance training) are similar to those seen with repeated fasting/refeeding. Superimposing the stressors of repeated fasting/refeeding and exercise training, and subsequent adaptations to the muscle and exercise response, are examined by describing the published research which has investigated the situation where athletes continue their training whilst participating in Ramadan.


This paper traces some genealogical lines of Foucault's famous tool-box metaphor by discussing hermeneutic and anti-hermeneutic analogies between theory and tool usage. Contrasting Deleuze's and Guattari's philosophy of asignifying machines with Heidegger's and Fink's phenomenological fascination for operativity, the article argues that Foucault's tool imagery draws heavily on Nietzsche's "philosophizing with a hammer". This genealogical hammer is read as a storytelling device used by Nietzsche and Foucault to dramatize historic conflict, staging power relations as complex plays of strategic instrumentality. The ongoing relevance of this dramatization tool is finally examined in David Simon's The Wire.


Social software environments are increasingly used for open education: teachers and learners share and collaborate in these environments. While there are various possibilities for the inclusion of such social functionalities for OER, many organizational, individual and technological challenges can hinder the motivation of teachers to share and collaborate in these environments. Current research cannot explain what barriers teachers face in social OER environments and how those challenges influence their motivation to engage in such environments. An exploratory factor analysis was used in the context of schools and higher education institutions to investigate the possible barriers to engaging in social OER environments; a linear regression analysis was used to predict how the extracted factors influenced the motivation of teachers (N = 754) to share and collaborate. The findings allude to barriers within social OER environments; the main challenges relate to the lack of organizational support, language and culture as well as quality concerns. The key results depict how teachers' motivation to share and collaborate in these environments decreases when they perceive higher language and cultural barriers. These findings can support OER providers as well as educational institutions in their efforts to minimize those barriers.


Optimization of the acoustic resonant sensor requires a clear understanding of how the output responses of the sensor are affected by the variation of different factors. During this work, output responses of a capacitive acoustic transducer, such as membrane displacement, quality factor, and capacitance variation, are considered to evaluate the sensor design. The six device parameters taken into consideration are membrane radius, backplate radius, cavity height, air gap, membrane tension, and membrane thickness. The effects of factors on the output responses of the transducer are investigated using an integrated methodology that combines numerical simulation and design of experiments (DOE). A series of numerical experiments are conducted to obtain output responses for different combinations of device parameters using finite element methods (FEM). Response surface method is used to identify the significant factors and to develop the empirical models for the output responses. Finally, these results are utilized to calculate the optimum device parameters using multi-criteria optimization with desirability function. Thereafter, the validating experiments are designed and deployed using the numerical simulation to crosscheck the responses.


This article describes the feature extraction methods for crop and fruit diseases based on computer image processing in detail. Crop and fruit diseases are most important agricultural products. In order to obtain more value added products, a proper quality control is essentially required. There are various applications claimed to extract the accurate information from the coloured image database. The main purpose of this paper is to provide an interface for digitally illiterate users, especially farmers to efficiently and effectively retrieve information through internet. In addition, to enable the farmers to identify the disease in their crop, its causes and symptoms using image processing without classical approach and identify the disease.


Coincidences are surprising events that can provide learners with the opportunity to revise their theories about how the world works. In the current research, we investigate whether infants are truly sensitive to coincidences, detecting these events even when they cannot be predicted mere probabilities. In addition, we explore whether this sensitivity is translated into action, encouraging infants to engage in activities that enable them to revise their theories. Results from 2 experiments demonstrate that infants display a sensitivity to coincidence similar to adult intuitions, and they selectively explore objects that produce anomalous data that better supports an alternative theory than their prior theory.


In the absence of knowledge of the true density function, Bayesian models take the joint density function for a sequence of n random variables to be an average of densities with respect to a prior. The authors examine the relative entropy distance D/sub n/ between the true density and the Bayesian density and show that the asymptotic distance is (d/2)(log n)+c, where d is the dimension of the parameter vector. Therefore, the relative entropy rate D/sub n//n converges to zero at rate (log n)/n. The constant c, which the authors explicitly identify, depends only on the prior density function and the Fisher information matrix evaluated at the true parameter value. Consequences are given for density estimation, universal data compression, composite hypothesis testing, and stock-market portfolio selection. >


Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a biomarker commonly used to screen for prostate cancer. Several studies have examined PSA growth rates prior to prostate cancer diagnosis. However, the resulting estimates are highly variable. In this article we propose a non-linear Bayesian hierarchical model to combine longitudinal data on PSA growth from three different studies. Our model enables novel investigations into patterns of PSA growth that were previously impossible due to sample size limitations. The goals of our analysis are twofold: first, to characterize growth rates of PSA accounting for differences when combining data from different studies; second, to investigate the impact of clinical covariates such as advanced disease and unfavorable histology on PSA growth rates.


Introduction Achilles tendinopathy is believed to be driven in part by eccentric fatigue.1 Likewise, interventions that improve resilience to eccentric fatigue demonstrate efficacy.2 An experimental model of eccentric fatigue has the potential to inform our understanding of the underlying operating mechanisms. The purpose of this study was therefore to explore the influence of a longitudinal experimental model of eccentric fatigue on stretch shortening cycle behaviour during a sub maximal hopping task in healthy volunteers. In doing so, our understanding of the role that fatigue, pain and structural changes play in the development and rehabilitation of Achilles tendinopathy may be progressed. Methods Eleven healthy volunteers (23.2 ± 6.7 years) performed a sub-maximal hopping task on a custom-built sledge system. A 3D motion capture system and surface EMG was utilised to measure temporal kinematic measures (lower limb stiffness, ankle angle 80 ms pre-contact, ankle angle at contact, peak ankle angle, ankle stretch amplitude) and muscle timing measures (soleus and tibialis anterior onset, peak and offset), respectively over 4 testing occasions; baseline, acute fatigue (5 min), pain (2 days) and recovered (7 days). Results Compared to baseline, volunteers hopped with greater stiffness in all experimental conditions (p < 0.001). Stiffness increased in fatigue and again in pain, before partially returning in the recovered state (Figure 1). Compared with baseline, when fatigued, participants ankle kinematics were unchanged; however in pain, participants hopped in greater dorsiflexion (p < 0.001) but had reduced stretch amplitude (Figures 1 and 2). Once recovered, ankle kinematics returned towards baseline levels, albeit shifted towards a more plantarflexed position (p < 0.001). Soleus activity became earlier in each experimental condition, whilst tibialis anterior activity also became earlier in each experimental condition, except in the recovered state where it became relatively delayed. Abstract 28 Figure 1 Stretch amplitude and stiffness Abstract 28 Figure 2 Ankle Kinematics (° plantarflexion) Discussion These findings indicate that experimentally induced fatigue alters stretch-shortening cycle behaviour in healthy volunteers. Likewise, the structural changes that occur following such an intervention also lead to alterations in behaviour. Specifically, lower limb stiffness increases, ankle kinematics shift towards a more plantarflexed position, and muscle activity becomes earlier. These findings have clinical applications supporting theoretical models of the pathoaetiology of Achilles tendinopathy and the mechanisms underpinning eccentric loading interventions. References 1 Shepherd, et al. Int J Exp Path. 94:260–270 2 Magnuson, et al. Clin J Sports Med. 19:54–64


With the depth of space exploration and applications, the space robot self-assembling has become more and more important for space on-orbit service. Parameter analysis is an indispensable work of assembling process design. The dynamic model of the space robot with target is established firstly, then the Hertz model is introduced as the collision model between the docking link and the capturing cone, and the operational space control is applied to achieve the assembling operation control under the Cartesian space. Then the paper focuses on the discussion and analysis of the influences of the parameters such as the stiffness coefficient, friction coefficient, leading speed coefficient and vertical speed damping coefficient on the assembling characteristics. The simulation results would provide a basis for assembling control and parameter design and have an important academic value and engineering significance on space service.


This study applied a modified deterrence model to evaluate the effectiveness of legitimacy and ethical factors compared to deterrence measures for compliance with mesh size regulation in the Jebel Aulia Reservoir of Sudan. The ordered probit and zero-truncated negative binomial models were employed to examine influences of determining factors on the choice between typologies of violators and non-violators, and then on frequency of violations (extent) respectively. Reported violation rates were high (87.5%), combined with weak enforcement and effective evasion used by almost all (97%) violators, leading to a low probability of detection, as only 28% of violators were caught. This is consistent with widely observed phenomena in developing countries, calling for increased efficacy of detection, monitoring and enforcement of regulations and higher penalties to fight non-compliance. The study also confirmed the high importance of legitimacy and ethical factors, suggesting that the involvement of stakeholders in the process of designing, monitoring and enforcing regulations is crucial as a process factor that may be more important than mere deterrence measures. This advocates for participatory co-management systems that are most likely to be more effective than top-down mechanisms in promoting compliance. The study also suggests that investments in the education of fishermen, the provision of alternative income and employment opportunities outside of fishing, access to credit to finance the acquisition of legal nets, and the effective regulation of importation of illegal nets will be necessary for enhancing compliance with mesh size regulation in Sudan.


SIP is a protocol designed to create and manage multimedia sessions such as telephone calls over the Internet, distributed conferences, or, in general, every kind of communication between two or more peers. The introduction of payment in SIP is an interesting idea in order to charge for this media services. This payment services have been proposed in several scenarios such as charging for accessing to services, microbilling or as a solution to SPAM in VoIP systems. In this context, there is a proposal for making payments on SIP that is based on SAML. However, this proposal is not good enough to make low payments or micropayments because involves that the payment service provider participates in every payment. This implies that the transaction costs are high and therefore it is not suitable for this kind of payments. Additionally, this proposal only deals with the scenario in which the payment covers the whole session. Finally, this proposal does not take into account that streams with different quality could be used in the session, and therefore the amount to pay could be different. In response to these limitations we propose a new extension for supporting payments on SIP which, being payment-independent protocol, solves interoperability problems and links payment information to requests. For this purpose, we have extended both SDP and SIP to facilitate the access to SIP services based on payment. The extension supports an offer/answer model that allows the choice of the quality of the streams as well as the payment method to use. Furthermore, it is extensible and not only supports payment but also more complex business models such as loyalty models, credentials and subscriptions. Thus, we facilitate the incorporation of new payment methods and business models in the vendor's software. This paper describes this extension as well as some scenarios where it can be applied.


Gram-negative bacteria representing nine genera were screened for their ability to survive surface exposure to polyethylene sheet plastic containing chemically compounded hexachlorophene (0.25%). Subcultures were made at hourly intervals over a 6-hr period of time. An exceedingly large drop in viable cells beginning at the 1-hr exposure was noted for each genus except one tested on the hexachlorophene-plastic, whereas most nonadditive controls grew bacterial colonies too numerous to count.


Astonishing in its scale and ambition, this is the most balanced and accomplished book about the Iraq war so far. "The Assassins' Gate" recounts how the United States set about changing the history of the Middle East and became ensnared in a guerrilla war in Iraq. It tells the story of the people and ideas that created the Bush administration's war policy and led America to the Assassin's Gate - the main point of entry into the American zone in Baghdad. The consequences of that policy are shown in the author's vivid reporting on the ground in Iraq, where he made several tours on assignment for "The New Yorker". We see up close the struggles of individual American soldiers and civilians and Iraqis from all backgrounds, including returning exiles, thrown together by a war that followed none of the preconceived scripts. "The Assassins' Gate" also describes the effect of the Iraq war on American life, including the ordeal of a fallen soldier's family and the shortcomings of a political culture too impoverished in its knowledge of the world and too bitterly polarized to debate complex moral and strategic questions.


In this paper we compare the performance of interest point descriptors. Many different descriptors have been proposed in the literature. However, it is unclear which descriptors are more appropriate and how their performance depends on the interest point detector. The descriptors should be distinctive and at the same time robust to changes in viewing conditions as well as to errors of the point detector. Our evaluation uses as criterion detection rate with respect to false positive rate and is carried out for different image transformations. We compare SIFT descriptors (Lowe, 1999), steerable filters (Freeman and Adelson, 1991), differential invariants (Koenderink ad van Doorn, 1987), complex filters (Schaffalitzky and Zisserman, 2002), moment invariants (Van Gool et al., 1996) and cross-correlation for different types of interest points. In this evaluation, we observe that the ranking of the descriptors does not depend on the point detector and that SIFT descriptors perform best. Steerable filters come second ; they can be considered a good choice given the low dimensionality.


Polyploids are common and have a wide geographical distribution and environmental adaptability. Allopolyploidy may lead to the activation of transposable elements (TE). However, the mechanism of epigenetic modification of TEs in the establishment and evolution of allopolyploids remains to be explored. We focused on the TEs of model allopolyploid Brassica napus (An An Cn Cn ), exploring the TE characteristics of the genome, epigenetic modifications of TEs during allopolyploidization, and regulation of gene expression by TE methylation. In B. napus, approximately 50% of the genome was composed of TEs. TEs increased with proximity to genes, especially DNA transposons. TE methylation levels were negatively correlated with gene expression, and changes in TE methylation levels were able to regulate the expression of neighboring genes related to responses to light intensity and stress, which promoted powerful adaptation of allopolyploids to new environments. TEs can be synergistically regulated by RNA-directed DNA methylation pathways and histone modifications. The epigenetic modification levels of TEs tended to be similar to those of the diploid parents during the genome evolution of B. napus. The TEs of the An subgenome were more likely to be modified, and the imbalance in TE number and epigenetic modification level in the An and Cn subgenomes may lead to the establishment of subgenome dominance. Our study analyzed the characteristics of TE location, DNA methylation, siRNA, and histone modification in B. napus and highlighted the importance of TE epigenetic modifications during the allopolyploidy process, providing support for revealing the mechanism of allopolyploid formation and evolution.


Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent and second most fatal type of cancer in the Western world. 20q amplification has been identified in approximately 50% of CRC cases. 20q amplification and may be associated with liver metastasis. In our lab, a previous array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) study of a series of primary CRCs and corresponding liver metastases, found that the 20q13 was frequently amplified in both groups. Several known oncogenes are located at Chromosome 20q (for example SRC, TPX2 and CSE1L) suggesting that 20q amplification may be an important event in the development and metastasis of CRC.

Hypothesis and Aim: Although there are many genes located in 20q identified to have role in developing CRC, other genes with potential role in tumour progression have not been studied in CRC. We hypothesized that 20q harbouring genes have a potential role in CRC progression. Therefore, we aimed to (i) study the frequency of 20q amplification in CRC by validating our aCGH data by alternative method and screen larger sample set for 20q amplification. (ii) Protein expression of candidate genes was investigated. Then, candidate genes were evaluated in several cancer related processes including proliferation and cell motility.

Materials and Methods: The evaluation of 20q amplification was performed in DNA from FFPE of micro-dissected 20 CRCs and their matched liver metastasis, using comparative quantitative PCR (qPCR) based on 6 genes (PTPN1, CSE1L, ADNP, PREX1, ELMO2 and PTGIS), which are located in the same region. It was found that quantification of two genes was sufficient to evaluate amplification and thus separate series of 103 cases were screened for 20q amplification based on qPCR of two genes (ELMO2 and PTPN1). For studying the functional activity, PTPN1, CD40, PREX1, ELMO2 and PTGIS were studied in CRC cell lines. To evaluate gene function, small interference RNAs (siRNAs) were used to knockdown genes of interest in CRC cell lines. Knockdown was validated by western blot and qPCR and the effect of knockdown was evaluated on cellular functions such as proliferation, cell migration, cell invasion and wound healing. Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate protein expression in primary CRCs.

Results: The amplification of 20q in CRC sample was studied by qPCR and aCGH. High concordance was found between the two methods aCGH, and high correlation coefficient between the qPCR results of the genes demonstrated the utility of this method for measuring amplification. In the combined data set, 20q amplification was seen in both primary tumours (51%) and metastases (60%). TP53 mutation was associated with 20q amplification (p =0.010). Then, we investigated the functional activity of 5 genes located on 20q, which might be has a role in CRC progression. (1) PTPN1 has been reported as tumour suppresser and oncogene. Therefore, we studied protein expression and its functional role in CRC cell lines. PTPN1 was overexpressed in 59% of primary tumours. Knockdown of PTPN1 reduced cell motility but did not affect cell proliferation. (2) CD40, previously, has been identified as a tumour suppresser in CRC. However, high CD40 expression was detected 25% of tumours. Functional assays showed CD40 promotes proliferation by altering subG1 phase of the cell cycle. Therefore, CD40 might promote tumour growth by inhibiting apoptosis. (3) PREX1 was expressed in 61% of primary tumours. Functional analysis showed that it promotes both cell proliferation and motility. (4) ELMO2 was expressed in 38% of primary tumours and functional analysis showed it promotes proliferation and cell migrations. (5) Finally, PTGIS is highly expressed in CRC and its expression associated with liver metastasis. However, PTGIS effect on tumour progression has not been studied. PTGIS knockdown had no effect on CRC cell lines growth and motility.

Conclusion: Using alternative methods to evaluate the 20q13 amplification, we have confirmed our previous aCGH and found a frequency similar to that reported in the literature. Amplification of 20q appears frequently in primary tumours but it not positively associated with metastasis. Many genes located in 20q have oncogenic effects which would support the hallmarks of cancer. Understanding their role in CRC development could reveal new avenue in understanding cancer biology and treatment.


Field margin management of improved and semi-improved grasslands is an option ofagri-environment schemes in Northern Ireland (NI). Species communities of field marginsmay differ regionally and as a result of local environment and management factors. Thisregional scale study aimed to assess the plant species composition of the field margins ofmanaged grasslands to develop an ecological basis for their management. Multivariateanalysis showed that the field margin species assemblage has a significantly differentspecies composition to that of the grass field. Its species composition was determinedlargely by a soil nutrient gradient, in particular soil nitrogen. A management objective toincrease the plant species diversity value of field margins should aim to reduce the grassfield nutrient input intensity or the influence of nutrient inputs on the field margin itself,while maintaining a grazing regime.Key words: Grassland field margins, plant


The most compelling account of jus cogens is that it flows from natural law and constitutes the "ethically minimum" content of international law. Although natural law was once considered an acceptable and obvious approach to jurisprudence, its significance has waned at the expense of legal positivism. However, the hierarchical quality of jus cogens is best explained by some element of natural law—and its explicit invocation of moral content—rather than anything one might find in legal positivism.Of course, international lawyers have persistently refused to recognize the latent naturalism within jus cogens. While rueful from the point of view of legal theory, the obfuscation was nonetheless essential for jus cogens to succeed. In an alternate world where jus cogens was correctly viewed as a vestige of natural law, modern international lawyers would never have accepted it.One might lament the failure to recognize the natural law origins of jus cogens because it hampered the development of standards for identifying which legal norms counted as jus cogens. However, no account of jus cogens offers compelling, unambiguous criteria, and second, the lack of clarity on its criteria was a good price to pay in exchange for the legal category's widespread adoption. In the end, the notion that jus cogens is consistent with international law's legal positivism was a useful fiction, a "noble lie" that gave us modern human rights law.


Purpose: To investigate degree of anisotropy and evaluate elastic constants of the eyeball tissues based on a shell theory.

Methods: Simulated sclera was mechanically modeled as an orthotropic spherical shell. Scleral deformations were generated by simulated stresses in the intraocular pressure (IOP). Relations between the shape deflection mode in the shell and the ratio of tangential elasticity modules were calculated. In Maklakov's method of IOP testing, the eyeball is modelled as two spherical segments with different mechanical properties. The baseline (prior to load) two-segment shell is assumed to be filled with uncompressible liquid under pressure. Young's module of cornea is much lower than that of sclera. Hence, cornea is more compliant than rigid sclera and doesn't resist to flexural deformations. A nonlinear shell theory was used to analyze deformations of both the cornea and the sclera.

Results: Ratios of tangential elasticity modules of the orthotropic spherical shell in different directions appeared to have a great influence on the amplitude and shape of the deformation in the shell. Therefore, the degree of scleral anisotropy can be evaluated by ratio of anterior-posterior eye axis lengths to the equator diameter. Maklakov's method of IOP measurement, with several different loads, can be also used to investigate the elasticity of the eye tunics and to study the range of application of physically linear theories of elasticity in mechanical models of pressure-related eyeball deformation.

Conclusions: Pressure-related eyeball deformation varies significantly depending on the degree of anisotropy and heterogeneity of the eye tunics. Transversal shear modules have the greatest influence on the pressure-related deformation of the eyeball tunics. Physical nonlinear theories of elasticity are necessary tools to characterize details of pressure-related corneal and scleral deformations.


The article develops the thesis that a universal value basis for holistic education ( Bildung ) is provided by a plural moral system in which various ethical discourses are constructively interwoven. This is more successful for education and allows the individual a broader eval- uation of alternatives in moral action. The plurality of a moral system supposes the pres-ence of various ethical discourses, including the ethics of human rights (liberal discourse), the ethics of the common good (communitarian discourse) and the ethics of interpersonal relations (the ethics of care). In interweaving all three of these discourses in education, the teacher should use common sense, which we define as the power of judgement and a sense of community. This is followed by views on how to model organise educational practices that stimulate the creation of an ethically plural educational environment in open communication, where the learner develops the ability to make judicious decisions with regard to moral action without having to submit passively to common norms.


Inductive Logic Programming (ILP) is concerned with the induction of first-order clausal theories. April is a new ILP system that can be classified as an empirical, non-interactive, single predicate learning system. In this report we describe the architecture and implementation details of April together with a description of its features and an explanation of how to use it. We also propose the use in ILP systems of two efficient data structures: the Trie, used to represent lists and clauses; and the RL-Tree, a novel data structure used to represent clauses coverage list. We empirically evaluate the impact on April's performance of the proposed data structures, together with the impact evaluation of the coverage caching technique. April's development is an on going work. Although the results obtained are encouraging, there are still areas to improve. Areas for further research are identified.


In autumn 2011 and spring 2012, the diet of pike (n = 112) captured in a backwater in eastern Hungary was examined. Eight species of prey-fish were found in the stomachs of 31 of the 112 pike individuals, and 71.9% of the prey-fish in the stomachs of 16 of the 31 pike individuals were European weather loach, Misgurnus fossilis. This first recording of European weather loach in the diet of pike is a valuable finding, because it provides new information on an endangered species categorized as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The high number of European weather loach found in the diet of pike suggests that this species was easy prey for the predator after the spawning period when pike start to feed intensively to replace the energy used for reproduction.


The proximate mineral composition, amino acid profile and physicochemical
characteristics of three new chickpea cultivars (two Desi: NIFA-88, NIFA-
95, and one Kabuli: Hassan-2k) grown in the North West Frontier Province
of Pakistan were studied, in order to assess their role in human nutrition. It
was found that chickpea is a rich source of protein and minerals. The protein
content (22.89–24.82%) of chickpea was much higher than that of cereals
(wheat and maize), and comparable to other legumes. Mineral composition
of chickpea cultivars showed that they contribute sufficient amount of Ca,
P, K, Cu, Zn and Mg in human diets to meet the recommended dietary
allowance. The essential amino acid leucine (8.7% of protein) was found in
highest concentration, followed by arginine (8.3% of protein) and lysine
(7.2% of protein) in the chickpea cultivars. In terms of physical characteristics,
more variability was observed in seed size and seed volume than in
hydration and swelling capacities, cooking time and hydration and swelling
indices. Phytic acid content ranged from 132.3 to 170.7 mg/100 g of dried
sample. The higher amount was recorded in Desi than in the Kabuli cultivar
of chickpea. It was concluded that chickpea may improve the nutritional
value of a cereal-based diet


The entrenched Odra palaeovalley, cut into the bedrock of the distal margin (forebulge basal unconformity) of the Moravian Carpathian Foredeep (peripheral foreland basin) is filled with an almost 300 m thick pile of Miocene deposits. The directon of the valley (NW–SE to NNW–SSE) has been controlled by faults subparallel with the system of "sudetic faults". The sedimentary succession consists of 5 facies associations/depositional environments, which are interpreted (from bottom to top, i.e. from the oldest to the youngest) as: 1 – colluvial deposits to deposits of alluvial fan, 2 – deposits of alluvial fan, 3 – fan-delta deposits, 4 – shallow water delta to nearshore deposits and 5 – open marine deposits. This fining-up and deepening-up succession reveals the following: the formation of the new flexural shape of the basin; deep erosion connected with uplift and tilting of the forebulge and reactivation of the NW–SE trending basement faults; the Early/Middle Miocene sea level fall; alluvial deposition mostly driven by tectonics and morphology; forebulge flexural retreat; Middle-Miocene sea level rise; back-stepping of valley infill; marine invasion during the Early Badenian with shift of the coastline further landward of the pallaeovalley. Tectonics related to contemporary thrusting processes in the Western Carpathians are assumed to be the dominating factor of the studied deposition at the expense of eustatic sea level changes. Provenance studies have proven that the pre-Neogene basement (i.e. the Early Carboniferous clastic "Culmian facies" of the Moravian-Silesian Paleozoic) represents an important source for the conglomerates and sands, which volumetrically dominate in the palaeovalley infill. However, they also showed, that the deposits of the earlier Carpathian Foredeep Basin sedimentary stage (Karpatian in age?) covered the area under study and were eroded and resedimented into the palaeovalley infill.


Objectives To compare the effects of an intermediate molecular weight (MW) intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) with a low MW product on knee osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms. Methods Patients with symptomatic knee OA were enrolled inarandomised, controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, non-inferiority trial with the possibility to shift to superiority. Patients were randomised to GO-ON(MW 800–1500 kD, 25 mg/2.5 ml) or Hyalgan(MW 500–730 kD, 20 mg/2 ml) injected at 3-weekly intervals. The primary outcome was 6-month change in the WOMAC pain subscale (0–100 mm). Sample size was calculated on a non-inferiority margin of 9 mm, lower than the minimum perceptible clinical improvement. Secondary endpoints included OARSI-OMERACT responder rates Results The intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) populations consisted of 217 and 209 patients and 171 and 172 patients in the GO-ON and Hyalgan groups, respectively. ITT WOMAC pain of 47.5±1.0(SE) and 48.8±1.0 mm decreased by 22.9±1.4 mm with GO-ON and 18.4±1.5 mm with Hyalgan after 6 months. The primary analysis was conducted in the PP population followed by the ITT population.Mean (95% CI) differences in WOMAC pain change were 5.2 (0.9 to 9.6)mm and 4.5 (0.5 to 8.5)mm, respectively,favouring GO-ON, satisfying the claim for non-inferiority (lower limit>−9 mm) and for statistical superiority (95% CI all>0, p=0.021). Ahigher proportion of OARSI/OMERACT responders was observed with GO-ONthan with Hyalgan (73.3% vs58.4%, p=0.001). Both preparations were well tolerated. Conclusions Treatment with 3-weekly injections of intermediate MW HA may be superior to low MW HA on knee OA symptoms over 6 months, with similar safety.


Djungarian hamster cell lines, selected for resistance to 2 microgram/ml of actinomycin D (AD) have been studied. These lines are 1000-4000 times more resistant to AD than the parent cells. AD-resistance is an unstable property. It is lost or diminished when the cells are grown in the absence of AD. The resistant cells show markedly reduced uptake of AD and unrelated agent - colchicin, which indicated that resistance to AD is due to the decrease of plasma membrane permeability. The chromosomal analysis of resistant lines revealed a specific abnormality in their kariotypes, namely, chromosomes containing "homogeneously staining regions" (HSR). These data support the suggestion that AD-resistance is associated with gene amplification.


In the terrestrial biosphere, biomass deconstruction is conducted by microbes employing a variety of complementary strategies, many of which remain to be discovered. Moreover, the biofuels industry seeks more efficient (and less costly) cellulase formulations upon which to launch the nascent sustainable bioenergy economy. The glycan decoration of fungal cellulases has been shown to protect these enzymes from protease action and to enhance binding to cellulose. We show here that thermal tolerant bacterial cellulases are glycosylated as well, although the types and extents of decoration differ from their Eukaryotic counterparts. Our major findings are that glycosylation of CelA is uniform across its three linker peptides and composed of mainly galactose disaccharides (which is unique) and that this glycosylation dramatically impacts the hydrolysis of insoluble substrates, proteolytic and thermal stability, and substrate binding and changes the dynamics of the enzyme. This study suggests that the glycosylati...


The luminescence of : (LYSO:Ce) and (GSO:Ce) crystals was studied for use in tomographic medical x-ray imaging. LYSO:Ce and GSO:Ce are high density (7.1 and 6.71 respectively), high atomic number (71 for Lu and 64 for Gd), non-hydroscopic, and short decay time (40 ns and 60 ns respectively) scintillators. Evaluation was performed by determining: 1) the luminescence efficiency (LE) (emitted light energy flux over incident x-ray energy flux) in x-ray energies employed in general x-ray imaging (40-140 kVp) and in mammographic x-ray imaging (22-49 kVp), 2) the light emission spectrum, determined at various x-ray en- ergies (22-140 kVp), and 3) the spectral compatibility to optical photon detectors, incorporated in medical imaging systems. Both scintillation materials exhibited adequately high LE in the x-ray diagnostic energy range, with LYSO:Ce's LE being distinctively higher. LYSO:Ce and GSO:Ce were found most compatible with the S-20 photocathode (0.9 for both materials) and adequately compatible to the amorphous silicon photodiode (0.74 for both materials), incorporated in many digital x-ray detectors.


In view of the complex vibration characteristics of hydrodynamic coupling, dynamic analysis of hydrodynamic coupling is carried out by finite element method (FEM), and modal characteristics of pump and turbine which are the most important parts of it are calculated. Modal vibration analysis data of pump and turbine could be obtained by ANSYS software and the natural frequencies of it within different rotational speed is calculated. The result shows that the natural frequencies of pump and turbine are increasing along with enhance of the rotating speed, and it illustrates that rotating centrifugal force could be reinforced natural frequencies of the structure. According to the relationship between exciting force and rotating speed,the critical speeds of pump and turbine are calculated. And the stability operating condition of hydrodynamic coupling must be avoided in each order critical speed of pump and turbine. The research work provides an effective method to analyze the vibration of hydrodynamic coupling. It is suitable for further dynamic analysis and structure optimum design to reduce the vibration of Hydrodynamic coupling.


Importance
The prognostic significance of regression in primary melanoma has been debated for many years. There is no consensus regarding the need for sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy when regression is present within the primary tumor.

Objective
To review the evidence that regression may affect SLN status.

Data Sources
A systematic review was performed by searching in MEDLINE, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library from January 1, 1990, through June 2014.

Study Selection
All studies that reported an odds ratio (OR) or data on expected and observed cases of SLN positivity and histologic regression were included.

Data Extraction and Synthesis
Primary random-effects meta-analyses were used to summarize ORs of SLN positivity and histologic regression. Heterogeneity was assessed using the χ2 test and I2 statistic. To assess the potential bias of small studies, we used funnel plots, the Begg rank correlation test, and the Egger weighted linear regression test. The methodologic quality of the studies was assessed according to the Strengthening of Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist, and 2 different meta-analyses were performed based on those criteria.

Main Outcomes and Measures
Summary ORs of histologic regression of primary melanoma and SLN status.

Results
Of the 1509 citations found in the search, 94 articles were reviewed, and 14 studies comprising 10 098 patients were included in the analysis. In the combined 14 studies, patients with regression had a lower likelihood to have SLN positivity (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.41-0.77) than patients without regression. On the basis of study quality, we found that patients with regression enrolled in high-quality studies had a lower likelihood to have SLN positivity (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.32-0.72) compared with results of low-quality studies (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.53-1.00). Examination of the funnel plot did not provide evidence of publication bias.

Conclusions and Relevance
The results of this analysis showed that the risk of SLN positivity was significantly lower in patients with histologic regression compared with those without. Regression may be used in these cases to make a selection of which patients should be the most appropriate for this procedure.


Histopathological studies of skin samples from Wistor rats treated once daily for four weeks with 20mg/gm body weight of the fresh leaf extract of Calotropis procera by the oral route showed significant degeneration of adipose tissue in the hypodermis and partial degeneration of the dermis at the site of merging with the hair follicles. No significant histological changes were, however, observed In the stratified squamous epithelium of the epidermis. hair follicles and sebaceous glands were not affected. It was concluded from these observations that the subcutaneous layer was mainly affected by the treatment with the leaf extract.


Abstract This paper tests whether significant changes in stock return volatility, market risk, and foreign exchange rate risk exposures took place around the launch of the Euro in 1999. The experiment analyzes weekly returns for 3220 nonfinancial firms from 18 European countries, the United States, and Japan. We find that though the Euro's launch was associated with an increase in total stock return volatility, significant reductions in market risk exposures arose for nonfinancial firms both in and outside of Europe. We show that the reductions in market risk were concentrated in firms domiciled in the Euro area and in non-Euro firms with a high fraction of foreign sales or assets in Europe. The Euro's introduction led to a net absolute decrease in the foreign exchange rate exposure of nonfinancial firms, but these changes are statistically and economically small. We interpret our findings in the context of existing theories of exchange rate risk management.


The mineralogy of carbonatites reflects both the diversity of the sources of their parent magmas and their unusual chemistry. Carbonatites contain diverse suites of both primary magmatic minerals and later hydrothermal products. We present a summary of the variety of minerals found in carbon-atites, and note the economic importance of some of them, particularly those that are major sources of "critical elements", such as Nb and rare earth elements (REEs), which are essential for modern technological applications. Selected mineral groups are then discussed in detail: the REE carbonates, the alkali-rich ephemeral minerals that are rarely preserved but that may be important in the petrogenesis of carbonatites and their metasomatic haloes in adjacent rocks, and the Nb-rich oxides of the pyrochlore supergroup.


This article provides an angular-based radiometric slope correction routine for Sentinel-1 SAR imagery on the Google Earth Engine platform. Two established physical reference models are implemented. The first model is optimised for vegetation applications by assuming volume scattering on the ground. The second model is optimised for surface scattering, and therefore targeted at urban environments or analysis of soil characteristics. The framework of both models is extended to simultaneously generate masks of invalid data in active layover and shadow affected areas. A case study, using openly available and reproducible code, exemplarily demonstrates the improvement of the backscatter signal in a mountainous area of the Austrian Alps. Furthermore, suggestions for specific use cases are discussed and drawbacks of the method with respect to pixel-area based methods are highlighted. The radiometrically corrected radar backscatter products are overcoming current limitations and are compliant with recent CEOS specifications for SAR backscatter over land. This improves a wide range of potential usage scenarios of the Google Earth Engine platform in mapping various land surface parameters with Sentinel-1 on a large scale and in a rapid manner. The provision of an openly accessible Earth Engine module allows users a smooth integration of the routine into their own workflows.


The thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) behaviour of the Nimonic 90 Nickel base superalloy has been investigated within two laboratories. In-phase-tests (IP) where the maximum mechanical strain occurs at the maximum temperature (850°C), and 180°-out-of-phase-tests (180° OP) where the maximum mechanical strain coincides with the minimum temperature (400°C) have been applied. All tests were carried out at varying mechanical strain ranges with a constant strain ratio of Rε = - 1. A temperature rate of 5 K/s was used throughout the whole cycle without any additional cooling system during decreasing temperature. The fatigue life of 180° OP tests is longer compared to identical IP tests. The stress / mechanical strain hysteresis loops are completely different and some characteristic values are compared to each other. The fracture surfaces observed show that fatigue crack (or cracks) starts on the external surface and propagates inwards. The fractures of 180° OP tests are transgranular showing the presence of fatigue striations, while the fractures of IP tests are mixed transgranular and intergranular with no fatigue striations.


This study investigated the aflatoxin M 1 contents of fresh milk, fermented defatted skimmed milk (nono) and full fat or partially skimmed milk (kindirmo) from two dairy farm settlements in Bida Local Government Area of Niger State, Nigeria. Thirty samples (10 of each product) were collected from the sampling sites and evaluated for their AFM1 concentrations using High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results obtained showed 100% prevalence of AFM1 in the three products at mean concentrations of 0.665, 0.924,0.575μg/l respectively. All the samples had toxin levels above the European Union action level of 0.05μg/l for milk and milk products while 5 out of the 30 samples had AFM1 contents above the United States' tolerable limit of 0.5μg/kg. This high AFM1 level in Nigerian milk and its product elicits public health concern which necessitates regulation of mycotoxins in foods and feeds in the country


The design of a laser transmitter for fast frequency switching in an optical frequency-division-multiplexing (FDM) cross-connect system that uses tunable laser diodes and passive frequency-channel selection filters is considered. Small-signal analysis of the laser rate equation is used to estimate laser switching time. The results show that the frequency switching time depends on the allowable frequency detuning as well as the frequency spacing and the carrier lifetime. Frequency switching time is obtained from the calculation of power penalty due to the frequency detuning at the receiver section with ASK and FSK direct detection schemes. To achieve frequency switching without bit loss in the cross-connect module, switching times of 4-200 ns are required to change frequencies of 500 GHz. This suggests that a duplex transmitter configuration using two laser diodes must be employed to perform fast frequency switching and bit-error-free operation in a cross-connect system. The thermally induced frequency drift is experimentally evaluated. The feasibility of the duplex transmitter configuration is experimentally verified with a 156 Mb/s cross-connect unit. >


From time to time, large numbers of researchers investigate the success factors of B2C e-commerce systems. However majority of those were conceptual studies. Though some empirically validated studies were published on B2C e-commerce systems, very few focused on Asian consumers. The study aims to fill this gap by studying ecommerce success factors among Asian online consumers. Another important objective of this study is to include factors such as perceived security, privacy, trust and perceived cost of transactions into the existing ecommerce success models. Based on the IS success model proposed by DeLone and McLean and its further respecification and validation attempts made by other researchers later, a revised conceptual model is formulated. The model is tested and validated using the data collected from 240 Asian online consumers living in Thailand. The research generated 8 inter related dimensions of e-commerce system success which are information quality, system quality, service quality, trust, perceived sacrifice, perceived value, online customer satisfaction and repurchase intention. Results show that the user satisfaction and perceived value are the two important factors influencing the individuals to repurchase products and services from online portals. Online customer satisfaction is influenced by trust, perceived value, service quality, information quality and system quality. On the other hand, three quality dimensions as well as the perceived sacrifice construct influence perceived value. This study also proved that user"s trust in the system is influenced by system quality and service quality of the e-commerce system.


This paper adds to the recent literature on firm-level corruption by relying on rich data including detailed information on the purpose and amounts of bribe payments among Vietnamese micro, small, and medium firms. Using industry-location averages to instrument for firm-level bribe payments in both a cross-sectional and a panel setting, we provide evidence of a large and significant positive association between corruption and firm performance. We further show that the type of bribe payment does matter: only the payments that can arguably be considered 'voluntary' (rather than extortive) drive this association.


This paper analyzed the automobile defects and its risk characteristics; the Event Tree Analysis (ETA) method was introduced to determine the risk flow route of automobile defects. According to the scattered of automobile, a risk forecast method based on the Weibull distribution is established. Based on the thousand vehicle breakdown number for risk probability forecast, propose a risk assessment model of automobile defect. The results indicate that on gathering actual failure data from after-sales service, the Weibull distribution model has a favorable applicability for forecasting risk possibility.


To report the updated prescription trend of antiglaucoma medications, the dose-based prescription of a glaucoma medication in Japan in the fiscal year 2019 was aggregated by using the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan (NDB) Open data. Of the 100 most frequently prescribed topical medications for outpatients from out-hospital pharmacies, 32 glaucoma medications were identified. This year, 150.8 million ml of glaucoma medications prescribed accounted for 12.3% of the total prescription dose (1.3 billion ml). The dose was the largest with prostaglandin FP2α agonist (PGF2α), followed by the fixed-dose combination (FDC) of β-blocker and carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (β + CAI) and α2-agonist. Prescription doses peaked at 75–79 years old for all medication classes, except for prostaglandin EP2 agonist of that peaked 10 years younger age class than other medications. The prescription dose was larger in women (55.3%) than men (44.7%), single medication formulation (71.2%) than FDC (28.8%), and brand-name (85.2%) than generic (14.8%). By multivariate analysis, prescription doses were affected by roles of the sex (p = 0.0066) and brand-name or generic (p = 0.032), but not by single medication formulation or FDC (p = 0.67); age was the most remarkable parameter for the difference in prescription dose (p < 0.0001). Dose-based anti-glaucoma medication prescription was analyzed using the government-provided most recent database on a national scale. The results provide the up-to-date real-world glaucoma medication prescriptions where the country has the highest aging rate in the world.


In recent years, deep learning-based approaches have shown great strength in multi-view stereo because of their outstanding ability to extract robust visual features. However, most learning-based methods need to build the cost volume and increase the receptive field enormously to get a satisfactory result when dealing with large-scale textureless regions, consequently leading to prohibitive memory consumption. To ensure both memory-friendly and textureless-resilient, we innovatively transplant the spirit of deformable convolution from deep learning into the traditional PatchMatch-based method. Specifically, for each pixel with matching ambiguity (termed unreliable pixel), we adaptively deform the patch centered on it to extend the receptive field until covering enough correlative reliable pixels (without matching ambiguity) that serve as anchors. When performing PatchMatch, constrained by the anchor pixels, the matching cost of an unreliable pixel is guaranteed to reach the global minimum at the correct depth and therefore increases the robustness of multi-view stereo significantly. To detect more anchor pixels to ensure better adaptive patch deformation, we propose to evaluate the matching ambiguity of a certain pixel by checking the convergence of the estimated depth as optimization proceeds. As a result, our method achieves state-of-the-art performance on ETH3D and Tanks and Temples while preserving low memory consumption.


In order to successfully model Long Distance Dependencies (LDDs) it is necessary to under-stand the full-range of the characteristics of the LDDs exhibited in a target dataset. In this paper, we use Strictly k-Piecewise languages to generate datasets with various properties. We then compute the characteristics of the LDDs in these datasets using mutual information and analyze the impact of factors such as (i) k, (ii) length of LDDs, (iii) vocabulary size, (iv) forbidden strings, and (v) dataset size. This analysis reveal that the number of interacting elements in a dependency is an important characteristic of LDDs. This leads us to the challenge of modelling multi-element long-distance dependencies. Our results suggest that attention mechanisms in neural networks may aide in modeling datasets with multi-element long-distance dependencies. However, we conclude that there is a need to develop more efficient attention mechanisms to address this issue.


This paper describes an architectural framework for the creation of applications based on mobile software agents. As networks grow in popularity, especially the Internet, bandwidth becomes an important issue. At the same time, more and more information is made available on the Internet. This not only aggravates the bandwidth problem but also demands more user search time. Mobile software agents are likely candidate solution to this problem. However, there are currently no common framework for developing agent-based applications. This involves developing an architecture for both the agent as well as the agent execution environment that is flexible, general and able to function efficiently. It is found that many of such Internet-based applications share many commonalties. By having a framework that abstracts away the specific functionality of the application, we are able to extract the common features and thus reuse much of the general architecture. This in turn reduces system design time and makes for more robust systems.


Fe50Ni30B20 amorphous Alloys powder was prepared by mechanical alloying (MA) with a high-energy planetary ball mill. The composition and non-crystallization changing process of the as-milled powder were studied by X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The microstructure and shape of the amorphous alloys powder was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Thermodynamic properties and crystallization kinetics behavior of the as-milled amorphous alloys powder were measured by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC).


An appreciation of the extent of one's own knowledge is known as metaknowledge and it has been argued that students' ability to distinguish between what they know, and what they do not, is an important influence on academic success. However, previous research suggests a general tendency for individuals to display overconfidence in their knowledge, by overestimating how much they know. This study assessed the ability of learners studying business in higher education to appreciate the extent of their own knowledge and investigated the association between this capability and academic achievement. It therefore contributes towards answering broader questions regarding how well individuals are able to assess their own capabilities and what the implications of this are. Quantitative methodology was employed and multiple-choice tests used to investigate how accurately students were able to assess the extent of their knowledge of issues addressed in their study programmes. Analysis of over 12,500 judgements provided by 508 respondents revealed a general tendency for overconfidence and indicated that this was greater for males, older participants and particularly, for Chinese students. Consequently, interventions designed to moderate overconfidence may be particularly valuable for these sub-groups. In terms of its potential implications for learning, the research indicated that better metaknowledge was positively associated with higher levels of academic performance, particularly for those in their first year studying at the university. Consequently, while metacognitive skills, such as accurate self-monitoring, are typically poorly addressed in business schools, the findings from this study suggest that initiatives to improve self monitoring accuracy may be effective in enhancing student learning. Additionally, such interventions have other potential benefits for learners, since metacognitive monitoring skills may also usefully inform lifestyle decisions, as well as improving the chances of success in business and may therefore be particularly beneficial for business students.


Background Pregabalin has been shown to have analgesic effect in acute pain models. The primary objective was to examine the efficacy a single dose of pregabalin, would have on morphine consumption following lumbar discectomy. Methods With ethical approval a randomized, placebo-controlled prospective trial was undertaken in 32 patients (ASA I-II, 18-65 years) with radicular low back pain for > 3 months undergoing elective lumbar discectomy. Patients received either oral pregabalin 300 mg (PG Group) or placebo (C Group) one hour before surgery. Pain intensity, the accumulative morphine consumption and adverse effects were recorded for 24 hours following surgery. Functional, psychological and quantitative sensory testing were also assessed. Results Fourteen patients out of the 32 recruited were randomized to receive pregabalin. Morphine consumption was reduced (absolute difference of 42.3%) between groups with medium effect size. (Mann-Whitney; U = 52.5, z-score= 2.84, P = 0.004, r = 0.14). This was not associated with a significant difference in the incidence of adverse effects between the two groups. The median pain intensity (VAS) on movement was not significantly different between groups. Conclusions A single pre-operative dose of pregabalin (300 mg) did not result in a reduction in pain intensity compared to placebo in this patient cohort but the significant reduction in morphine consumption suggests that a fixed peri-operative dosing regime warrants investigation.


Background and Purpose —Based on the results of animal experiments, clinical trials were performed with nimodipine, which did not demonstrate a beneficial effect on outcome after stroke. The aim of this study was to determine whether the evidence from animal experiments with nimodipine supported the use of nimodipine in clinical trials. Methods—We performed a systematic review of animal experiments with nimodipine in focal cerebral ischemia. Studies were identified by searching Medline and Embase. We assessed whether these studies showed a beneficial effect of active treatment. In-depth analyses were performed on infarct size and amount of edema, and subgroup analyses were performed on the length of the time window to the initiation of treatment and the methodological quality of the studies. Results—Of 225 identified articles, 20 studies were included. The methodological quality of the studies was poor. Of the included studies, 50% were in favor of nimodipine. In-depth analyses showed statistically significant effects in favor of treatment (10 studies). No influence of the length of time to the initiation of treatment or of the methodological quality on the results was found. Conclusions—We conclude that the results of this review did not show convincing evidence to substantiate the decision to perform trials with nimodipine in large numbers of patients. There were no differences between the results of the animal experiments and clinical studies. Surprisingly, we found that animal experiments and clinical studies ran simultaneously.(Stroke. 2001;32:2433-2438.)


Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether physicians with larger sepsis caseloads provide better outcomes, defined as lower in-hospital mortality rates, for patients with sepsis. Design. Retrospective cross-sectional study. Method. This study used pooled data from the 2002-2004 Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. A total of 48,336 patients hospitalized with a principal diagnosis of septicemia were selected and assigned to 1 of 4 caseload groups on the basis of their treating physician's sepsis caseload during the 3 years reflected in the pooled data (low caseload, less than 39 cases; medium caseload, 39–88 cases; high caseload, 89–176 cases; and very high caseload, more than 176 cases). Generalized estimating equation models were used for analysis. Results. Receipt of treatment from physicians in the very high, high, and medium caseload groups decreased patients' odds of inhospital mortality by 49% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41-0.67; P < .001 ), 40% (95% CI, 0.53-0.68; P < .001 ), and 18% (95% CI, 0.73-0.92; P < .001), respectively, compared with the odds for patients treated by low-caseload physicians. These findings persisted after partitioning out systematic physician-specific and hospital-specific variation and isolating the effects of most hospital, physician, and patient confounders. Conclusion. Patients treated by physicians who had a larger sepsis caseload had a substantially lower in-hospital mortality rate than did patients treated by physicians in the other caseload groups, and the difference was statistically significant. This result supports the "practice makes perfect" hypothesis.


The principle of this thesis concentrates particularly on developing a simpler method of determination of glyphosate at residue level with the emphasis on clean-up procedures. The difficulties of obtaining a simple method of quantitation of this compound are mainly due to its properties; its relatively high solubility in water, its insolubility in organic solvents and its complexing behaviour. These characteristics are quite similar to compounds naturally existing in plants or crops and thus make it difficult to isolate from these matrices. Its properties were investigated in detail in order to predict its behaviour more accurately. The work can be sub-divided as follows : 1. A brief discussion was made of the chemistry of glyphosate and the difficulties involved when it is quantified by GC or HPLC mainly because of the derivatization problem involved. The current methods of determination of glyphosate residues in various matrices were also presented as a reference. The justification of the choice of food crops as a key study were mentioned. 2. Analysis of glyphosate residues in a tuber food crop (potato). The main aim of this work was to develop a simple clean-up procedure for the determination of glyphosate residues in food crop (potato) that could be used for detection both by GC and HPLC. It was found that determination by GC especially with an EC detector involved simultaneous esterification and acylation and was not suitable for this purpose mainly because the derivative retention time was relatively short and easily masked by the impurities. Due to the glyphosate solubility behaviour, HPLC was advantageous over GC and was chosen for all subsequent detection. Simple clean-up procedures were developed for the determination by HPLC and pre-column derivatization was preferred because it was less complicated than determination by post-column derivatization. All types of Bond-Elut small cartridges ranging from non-polar to anion exchange were not effective in retaining glyphosate from potato extracts, although anion exchange cartridges could strongly retain glyphosate standards. A mixture of semi coarse and powdered forms of activated carbon was found to be useful as a clean-up material to adsorb impurities from the potato extract. Recovery was found to be 53 % at 0.1 ppm sample and up to 92 % at 10 ppm sample with the limit of detection at 0.05 ppm. This could be considered a reasonably good recovery and a good alternative procedure to those currently employed. 3. The translocated effect of glyphosate to the tuber crops was simulated by spraying it onto the plant leaves of a tuber crop (potato). The physical effects on the tubers were observed under normal storage conditions. Results showed that sprout lengths were reduced, number of eyes open and rotting increased with increasing rate of glyphosate application. The residue content in the tubers also increased with increasing amount of glyphosate applied. For the assessment of the injuries caused by glyphosate, all the above parameters could be taken into consideration. However better accuracy could be obtained if the rotting effect and glyphosate residue were used as references. If the rotting effect was to be used for the assessment all the possible diseases should be determined first in order to avoid the difficulty of differentiating their symptoms. Field growth performance indicated that all the treated tubers were affected by glyphosate even at the lowest treatment level (0.09 kg/ha glyphosate). Tubers from the lowest treatment level did not show any significant difference compared with controls in terms of sprout length, number of eyes open, rotting and residue level during storage. From this work, residue levels of 0.1 ppm or above had a decided effect on subsequent growth. Treatment with > 0.36 kg/ha glyphosate which gave significant effects during storage did not produce any healthy plants or daughter tubers when planted out. 4. A small comprehensive exercise on the determination of glyphosate in barley grain was undertaken. Adaptations of the experiments in chapter 2 were applied. It was found that anion exchange Bond-Elut cartridges could retain glyphosate in barley extracts better than in potato extracts. However its recovery was still relatively low to enable its use as a clean-up material. A chelating resin was also tried to retain glyphosate from barley extract. Its recovery was 52 % at 1 ppm and 42 % at 0.1 ppm level. Formation of gel during the extraction could reduce recovery and attempts on how to eliminate it were also mentioned. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).


BACKGROUND
 COVID-19 national lockdown measures in South Africa (SA) have been under scrutiny since they were implemented in March 2020. Currently there are no studies showing the effect of the first lockdown on hospital admissions in the northern provinces of SA.

OBJECTIVES
 To evaluate the impact of national lockdown restrictions on musculoskeletal injury admissions in three hospitals across three provinces (Gauteng, Limpopo and North West).

METHODS
 In a retrospective review, we compared orthopaedic trauma admissions from 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2020 (during alert level 5 of the national lockdown) with cases admitted during the same period in 2019 (non-lockdown). We reviewed the number of admissions, demographic data and mechanisms of injury in the adult and paediatric population groups.

RESULTS
 A total of 449 patients were admitted with musculoskeletal injuries during the lockdown period compared with 664 patients in 2019, equating to a 32% reduction in total admissions. While there was an 8% increase in paediatric admissions during lockdown at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital, adult admissions decreased in all centres. More young males were admitted during both lockdown (mean age 39.8 years) and non-lockdown (mean age 41.2 years) periods than females (p=0.004). There were significant reductions in the number of injuries due to motor vehicle accidents (59%) and in the number of gunshot wounds (36%) during lockdown. However, we observed an 11% rise in injuries related to suicide attempts among adult admissions during the lockdown period.

CONCLUSIONS
 Lockdown restrictions resulted in a significant reduction in orthopaedic trauma admissions, and were effective in terms of allowing institutions to direct resources to the management of COVID-19 patients. In the light of the increased suicide attempts observed during lockdown, future lockdown regulations should include comprehensive measures to relieve socioeconomic stress.


ABSTRACT Climate change is a real and present threat to heritage across the world. In Europe and North America, research on the impacts of climate change on heritage, including how to mitigate against more frequent extreme weather events and how to implement efficient sustainable adaptation planning, are now key foci of heritage literature. In contrast, virtually nothing has been written about the impacts of climate change on heritage on the African continent, even though these will be significant in the coming decades. Heritage is essential for livelihoods, but also for the construction and reinforcement of identity and the psychological wellbeing of society. Here, we consider the impacts of climate change on different (connected) forms of heritage in Africa, including archaeological, historical and living heritage. We situate the implications of climate change for African heritage in recent debates around climate justice, sustainability and social wellbeing. We conclude that without significant intervention some of Africa's most important heritage will be lost as a result of the direct and indirect impacts of climate change over the coming decades. Our intention is to draw attention to the need for research into the impacts of climate change on different forms of heritage in Africa and to highlight the possible deleterious effects these losses will have on society more generally. We view this paper as a first step in developing a research agenda that will have a practical application for the management of heritage in the face of climate change in Africa.


The financial crisis starting in mid-2007 is still affecting us, and with increased regulation banks and institutions are supposed to get more solvent and the industry to become more stable. The Basel Committee is working towards more unified regulation across countries, but the question is how the increased regulation is affecting banks financials. Do profitable banks with a solid capital base have a higher ratio of capital buffer? Looking at banks in 16 OECD countries during the period 1993-2009, with country-level panel-data displayed in two simultaneous equation estimations illustrating how profit and capital buffer has changed during these years, and the relation between them. To get an understanding of how the crisis affected these variables the regressions are also done for a pre-crisis period of 1993-2006. Internal funding variables and other economic control variables are explanatory variables and results show the internal funding variables have a large effect on profit and for capital buffer profit have the largest impact. Results imply that profitable banks with a solid capital base do have a higher ratio of capital buffer. The results coincide with the franchise value theory which is applied in the paper.


Analysis of 746 new V-band observations of the RR Lyrae star AH Cam obtained during 1989 - 1992 clearly show that its light curve cannot be described by a single period. In fact, at first glance, the Fourier spectrum of the photometry resembles that of a double-mode pulsator, with peaks at a fundamental period of 0.3686 d and an apparent secondary period of 0.2628 d. Nevertheless, the dual-mode solution is a poor fit to the data. Rather, we believe that AH Cam is a single-mode RR Lyrae star undergoing the Blazhko effect: periodic modulation of the amplitude and shape of its light curve. What was originally taken to be the period of the second mode is instead the 1-cycle/d alias of a modulation sidelobe in the Fourier spectrum. The data are well described by a modulation period of just under 11 d, which is the shortest Blazhko period reported to date in the literature and confirms the earlier suggestion by Goranskii. A low-resolution spectrum of AH Cam indicates that it is relatively metal rich, with delta-S less than or = 2. Its high metallicity and short modulation period may provide a critical test of at least one theory for the Blazhko effect. Moskalik's internal resonance model makes specific predictions of the growth rate of the fundamental model vs fundamental period. AH Cam falls outside the regime of other known Blazhko variables and resonance model predictions, but these are appropriate for metal-poor RR Lyrae stars. If the theory matches the behavior of AH Cam for a metal-rich stellar model, this would bolster the resonance hypothesis.


In Reply .—In Virgil's Aeneid , aged Priam throws a telum imbelle sine ictu , which literally means "a feeble weapon without a thrust." This is like an argument that falls short of the mark or misses it altogether. Clark states that I am guilty of the old "town and gown" problem and that I have shown "the usual egotism and arrogance." In my reply to Sloane, I stated that there is no scientific evidence to support this ("that good trauma surgery could not be done in community hospitals"). I further replied that the American College of Surgeons' Committee on Trauma has steadfastly insisted that community hospitals be integrated into any regional trauma system. Clark's argument is a feeble thrust and relies on name-calling. In the preface to the 1986 document, Hospital and Prehospital Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient , 1 I wrote, "A major goal of the American College


This study is aimed at investigating the effect of port-injected methanol on the performance and emissions of a diesel engine under different engine loads and engine speeds. Experiments were performed on a four-cylinder diesel engine operating at three engine speeds and five engine loads for each speed. The results show that when methanol is injected into the intake port of the diesel engine, the brake thermal efficiency decreases at low engine loads but has no significant change at medium to high engine loads. There is also a reduction of NOx and particulates but a significant increase in CO, HC, NO2, unburned methanol, and formaldehyde emissions. The application of port-injected methanol shows potential greenhouse benefits only at high engine loads with a high level of fumigation methanol. With a diesel oxidation catalyst, the HC, CO, unburned methanol, and formaldehyde emissions are significantly reduced when the exhaust gas temperature is sufficiently high. The results are consistent at each engine speed.