In Chapter I the existing literature on secondary emission is reviewed from the point of view of possible effects which might be observed with positrons. Secondary emission by electrons of energy ~ 2 KeV has been extensively studied, and work on positive ions has been reported. No work at all on positrons has been published, and in the energy region covered by the present research ( ~ 5 - 500 KeV) there has been no theoretical work and practically no experimental work on electrons. Some simple theoretical ideas concerning secondary emission by positrons are put forward in Chapter II. Secondary emission by ''Potential Ejection", which has been observed for positive ions but is impossible for electrons, is considered as a possible process for positrons; if such a process can occur for positrons it would only be predominent for particles with an energy ~ 1eV. Some known differences in the behaviour of positrons and electrons are then discussed, from the point of view of any effect these might have on the secondary emission of the particles. It is concluded that no large differences are to be expected in the energy range which can be investigated by experiments which are feasible at present. The second part of Chapter II outlines the basic principle of the experiment, which was to compare the secondary emission by positrons and electrons of the same energy under identical conditions of geometry and target surface, A ?-spectrometer and a copper 64 source, which emitted positrons and electrons, provided focused beams of particles. The secondary electrons were detected with an Allen type electron multiplier, and the number of primary particles was counted with a thin windowed Geiger counter. Chapter III describes the electron multiplier and the associated electronics, and discusses briefly some measurements on its performance. In Chapter IV a preliminary experiment on secondary emission without using the spectrometer is described, which confirmed that there were no large differences in secondary emission by electrons and positrons at high energies. Chapter V describes the ?-spectrometer and the rotating coil method used to measure the magnetic field. Chapter VI describes the main experiments to determine, the relative secondary emission of electrons to that of positrons. Some absolute measurements were also made. It was found that above ~ 50 KeV was about 1.04; as the energy was reduced began to rise rapidly, exceeding 2 below 10 KeV. As such large values of were not expected on any existing theory, a very thorough investigation was carried out to establish that the results were not due to any instrumental errors. The final results for platinum, after all the corrections, none of which was very large, had been applied, were as follows;- Energy KeV 6.5 10 20 50-500 m 3.25 + 1.15 1.7 + 0.3 1.2 + 0.1 1.04. + 0.025 A copper-beryllium target gave similar results. In the final Chapter some tentative explanations for the results are put forward, For energies greater than 100 KeV a semi- quantitative theory is given. It was assumed that the secondary yield was proportional to the energy loss of the particles, and that a primary could produce a secondary as it entered the target, or as it left the target, if it did so as a result of scattering within the target. Using recent data on the energy loss of positrons and electrons, and the results of Seliger, who found that electrons were backscattered by ~30% more than positrons, values of m of the right order of magnitude are predicted. Below ~100 KeV the simple theory breaks down, but other factors which become important at lower energies enable this theory to be extended, so that it can possibly account for the results down to 20 KeV. This extended theory does not seem adequate to explain the large values of m observed below 20 KeV. Some very tentative ideas are put forward concerning processes by which positrons and electrons might liberate secondary electrons, which suggest qualitatively that electrons may be favoured. It is concluded that more experimental and theoretical work is required before the results at low energies can be understood.


Representing complex objects with basic geometric primitives has long been a topic in computer vision. Primitive-based representations have the merits of compactness and computational efficiency in higher-level tasks such as physics simulation, collision checking, and robotic manipulation. Unlike previous works which extract polygonal meshes from a signed distance function (SDF), in this paper, we present a novel method, named Marching-Primitives, to obtain a primitive-based abstraction directly from an SDF. Our method grows geometric primitives (such as superquadrics) iteratively by analyzing the connectivity of voxels while marching at different levels of signed distance. For each valid connected volume of interest, we march on the scope of voxels from which a primitive is able to be extracted in a probabilistic sense and simultaneously solve for the parameters of the primitive to capture the underlying local geometry. We evaluate the performance of our method on both synthetic and real-world datasets. The results show that the proposed method out-performs the state-of-the-art in terms of accuracy, and is directly generalizable among different categories and scales. The code is open-sourced at https://github.com/ChirikjianLab/Marching-Primitives.git.


In this paper, single group multicasting is considered for the cooperative relay network. Two-phase transmission is performed and amplify-and-forward relay protocol is used. In the first phase, the base station broadcasts the common signal to the single antenna relays by employing beamforming. Each relay multiplies its received signal by a complex weight and retransmits it to the single antenna users. The aim is to find the beamformer weights at the base station and the relays jointly to minimize the total transmitted power while satisfying signal-to-noise ratio constraint for each user. Nonconvex joint problem is firstly relaxed and then converted to an equivalent biconvex problem by using exact penalty approach. The equivalent problem is solved iteratively using alternating minimization. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that considers joint beamforming at the base station and the relays for single group multicasting scenario.


Myofibromas are rare fibroblastic-myofibroblastic tumors in children. Their biological behavior is unpredictable and spontaneous regressions have been described. This is a retrospective review of clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcome of children diagnosed with myofibroma between 1999 and 2013 at Texas Children's Hospital. The median age at diagnosis of 42 patients was 37 months. Approximately two thirds of the patients were male. The median length of follow-up was 50.5 months (range, 0 to 165 mo). Thirty-eight patients (90%) had solitary lesions; 19 (50%) in the head and neck, 10 (26%) in the limbs, and 9 (24%) in the trunk. Twelve patients underwent a complete surgical resection. Of the 30 patients with positive margins, only 1 had tumor progression. Two patients had multicentric involvement, and 2 patients had generalized disease with visceral involvement. One patient with generalized disease and a progressive maxillary sinus mass was treated with vinblastine and methotrexate chemotherapy followed by complete surgical resection. All patients were alive at last follow-up. Myofibromas of childhood demonstrate clinical variability, and may spontaneously regress. Positive surgical margins do not adversely affect outcome. The rare patient with progressive unresectable disease may benefit from chemotherapy.


Analytical methods to improve the detection of erythromycin in water and sediment were developed to optimize for erythromycin's recovery of extractable and bound residues from the aquatic environment. The objective of this study was to determine optimal recovery of erythromycin from water and sediment to improve its detection in environmental samples through solid-phase extraction (SPE) and sediment-extraction methods. SPE methods examined included previously reported methods for macrolide and sulfonamide antibiotics with erythromycin recoveries ranging from 75.5 % to 94.7 %. Extraction of erythromycin was performed from sand employing various solvents and buffers to determine the best method for extraction from two sandy loam pond sediments. Various extraction times were also examined, and all extraction procedures were performed in duplicate. The greatest recovery of 14C-erythromycin in the Iowa sediment was 84 % using 0.3 M ammonium acetate at pH 4.2: acetonitrile (15:85, v/v) solution. The Oklahoma sediment yielded the greatest recovery of 14C-erythromycin at 86.7 % with 0.3 M ammonium acetate at pH 7: acetonitrile (30:70, v/v) with a 60-minute shake time. The present results demonstrate improved extraction methods for enhancing the accuracy of erythromycin detection from environmental samples.


This guide will aid History students and researchers to make the best use of Wayne State University Library System resources and general internet resources.


This article discusses how data are made to represent subsurface phenomena in petroleum production. Drawing on studies of the subsurface disciplines in an oil company, and the multitude of sensor data employed there, we suggest that sensor data as representational artifacts are punctuated along three axes. We refer to this as spatial, temporal and aspectual punctuation. Whereas, the first two refer to the positioning of data in space and time, the latter refers to the sensors' response to single aspects of the interaction with a subsurface phenomenon. We show how extrapolation of punctuated data is a crucial element of the work of understanding the subsurface. It is when the punctuated data points are creatively extrapolated along the three axes of punctuation that ideas and models of the subsurface phenomena take shape. Consequently, we argue that the processes of punctuation and extrapolation are the keys to understand how knowledge about the subsurface is created at the onshore office. Punctuation gives mobility whereas extrapolation is necessary to establish reference between the punctuated data and the inaccessible oil reservoir. We specifically discuss the implications this has for reservoir models as representational artifacts.


This introductory editorial chapter paints the background to current issues of international migration, unfree labour, racialization, and changing frameworks of citizenship. The theoretical basis for this chapter is drawn from a modified view of the writings of Karl Polanyi. Using the notion of 'precarity' as a central concept, the editors analyse the prospects for a contemporary 'double movement' which challenges the commodification of labour under conditions of neoliberal globalization. The introduction summarizes and discusses the content of the book's fifteen chapters in the light of this perspective, and posits a discussion of human rights as a stratagem for today's labour movements. It makes a case for bringing the labour movement back in, through debates on migration, migrants' working conditions, the organization of labour, and the utopia of social justice in a post-neoliberal era.


For online mathematics instructors, synchronous communication can be a challenge due to the need for specialized symbols, graphics, or notations to explain key concepts. While software tools exist to support such communication, they can often be cumbersome and time-consuming for users to adopt in online exchanges. As one way of addressing this problem, Birgit Loch and Christine McDonald investigate the feasibility of employing a freely available chat client for the teaching of mathematics to distance students. The distinctive value of this chat client comes from a handwriting or 'electronic ink' tool that allows users to create and edit mathematical formulae and diagrams rapidly in real time, thereby allowing for a more fluid pace of communication. To assess this tool, Loch and McDonald conducted a pilot study in two undergraduate mathematics-based courses taught at a distance; in this study the authors used the client in a series of online tutorials with student volunteers, and they then evaluated the quality of communication in the tutorials as well as the results of a survey administered to the students. The results indicate that while the tool may require some practice to use, it was sufficiently flexible to accommodate both textual and graphic-based communications; moreover, the students found it a valuable resource for online tutorials in the discipline. The authors conclude with a recommendation of this convenient tool as a viable option for online mathematics instructors.


Abstract : The class k functions represent a generalization of the concept of the positive-real function. This generalization is useful for the purposes of analysis since many properties of networks, whose transfer functions are class k functions, are known. That is, if the transfer function of a network happens to be a class k function, then this transfer function and its corresponding transient responses (such as the unit impulse response and unit step response) will satisfy a number of restrictions. One objective of this investigation has been to construct a definition for the class k functions only in terms of the behavior of these functions in the open righthalf s-plane, as is done for positive-real functions. This will then allow such functions to have certain types of singularities on the s=jw axis. It is on the basis of this more general definition of class k functions that a successful attack is made on the second and principal objective: to develop a representation for class k functions, which is analogous to Cauer's representation for positive-real functions. (Author)


Food shortage in sub-Saharan Africa is generally considered a function of limited access to food, with little thought to nutritional quality. Analyzing household production of nutrients across farming systems could be valuable in guiding the improvement of those systems. An optimization model was employed to analyze the scenario of human nutrition and cropland allocation in enset (Enset ventricosum)/root crop-based and cereal-based systems of the Ethiopian Highlands. The type and amount of nutrients produced in each system were analyzed, and an optimization model was used to analyze which cropping strategies might improve the nutritional quality of the household using existing resources. Both production systems were in food deficit, in terms of quantity and quality of nutrients, except for iron. The energy supply of resource-poor households in the enset/root crop-based system was only 75% of the recommended daily dietary allowance (RDA) of the World Health Organization (WHO), whereas resource-rich farmers were able to meet their energy, protein, zinc, and thiamine demands. Extremely high deficiency was found in zinc, calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C, which provided only 26.5%, 34%, 1.78%, and 12%, of the RDA, respectively. The RDA could be satisfied if the land area occupied by enset, kale, and beans were expanded by about 20%, 10%, and 40%, respectively, at the expense of maize and sweet potato. The cereal-based system also had critical nutrient deficits in calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C, which provided 30%, 2.5%, and 2% of the RDA, respectively. In the cereal system, the RDA could be fully satisfied by reducing cropland allocated to barley by about 50% and expanding the land area occupied by faba beans, kale, and enset. A shift from the cereal/root crop-dominated system to a perennial-enset dominated system would decrease soil erosion by improving the crop factor by about 45%. This shift would also have a very strong positive impact on soil fertility management. However, any policy suggestions for change in cropland allocation should be done through negotiations with households, communities, and district stakeholders.


Rabbit anti-idiotypic antibodies (anti-Id-ab) against Yersinia pestis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were obtained with monoclonal immunoglobulins. Their complementary character to the original antigen was confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis and ELISA and gel precipitation tests. The anti-Id-ab were shown to possess all essential properties of Ab2P subtype. Both in-vitro and in-vivo experiments demonstrated a pronounced adjuvant activity of anti-Id-ab without the toxic effect characteristic of Y. pestis LPS. Combined immunisation with anti-Id-ab plus the FI capsular antigen led to a significant increase in the protective immune response against experimental acute challenge with virulent I.: pestis.


We show that optical flow, i.e., the apparent motion of the time-varying brightness over the image plane of an imaging device, can be estimated by means of simple differential techniques. Linear algebraic equations for the two components of optical flow at each image location are derived. The coefficients of these equations are combinations of spatial and temporal derivatives of the image brightness. The equations are suggested by an analogy with the theory of deformable bodies and are exactly true for particular classes of motion or elementary deformations. Locally, a generic optical flow can be approximated by using a constant term and a suitable combination of four elementary deformations of the time-varying image brightness, namely, a uniform expansion, a pure rotation, and two orthogonal components of shear. When two of the four equations that correspond to these deformations are satisfied, optical flow can more conveniently be computed by assuming that the spatial gradient of the image brightness is stationary. In this case, it is also possible to evaluate the difference between optical flow and motion field—that is, the two-dimensional vector field that is associated with the true displacement of points on the image plane. Experiments on sequences of real images are reported in which the obtained optical flows are used successfully for the estimate of three-dimensional motion parameters, the detection of flow discontinuities, and the segmentation of the image in different moving objects.


Background Double lumen endotracheal tubes (DLT) are commonly used to provide single lung ventilation during thoracic surgery. A fiberoptic bronchoscope (FOB) is typically used to confirm accurate DLT placement. Accounting for initial purchase, maintenance, repair and cleaning, the use of an FOB can cost as much as $312 per procedure. The VivaSight DLT (VS-DLT) incorporates a built-in camera, which is aimed at reducing FOB use and its associated costs. In this study, we compared the rate of FOB use when intubating using either a VS-DLT or a conventional DLT (c-DLT). Methods This is a randomized controlled comparative study performed at a public county teaching hospital. A total of 50 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to either a c-DLT (n=25) or a VS-DLT (n=25). The primary outcome was the rate of FOB use. Secondary outcomes included time to correct tube placement and incidence of malposition during surgery. Results Use of the VS-DLT required significantly less FOB use (28%) compared to use of the c-DLT (100%). While there was no difference in the ease of intubation, the time to correct tube placement was significantly faster using a VS-DLT (54 vs. 156 s, P<0.001). Additionally, the incidence of tube malposition was significantly reduced in the VS-DLT group. Conclusions This study demonstrated a significantly lower rate of FOB use when using a VS-DLT compared to a c-DLT. Placement of the VS-DLT was significantly quicker and malposition during surgery occurred significantly less than with the c-DLT. While intubating with a VS-DLT provides clinical benefits, it may not result in significant cost reductions when compared to a c-DLT.


We present a framework for the systematic analysis of video encoding complexity, measured in terms of the number of motion estimation (ME) computations, that we illustrate on motion compensated wavelet video coding schemes. We demonstrate the graceful complexity scalability of these schemes through the modification of the spatiotemporal decomposition structure and the ME parameters, and the use of spatiotemporal prediction. We generate a wide range of rate-distortion-complexity (R-D-C) operating points for different sequences, by modifying these options. Using our analytical framework we derive closed form expressions for the number of ME computations for these different coding modes and show that they accurately capture the computational complexity independent of the underlying content characteristics. Our framework for complexity analysis can be combined with rate-distortion modeling to determine the encoding structure and parameters for optimal R-D-C tradeoffs.


N ot all centrosomes are created equal. On page 13, Rusan and Peifer reveal that the separation of a dominant and a secondary centrosome helps defi ne an asymmetric division axis in fl y neuroblasts. Asymmetric divisions in stem cells give rise to one daughter that will differentiate and one that will replace the stem cell. This asymmetry can be set by the orientation of the mitotic spindle through microtubule interactions with the cortex. But Nasser and Peifer fi nd that fl y neural stem cells begin to align their spindles before they are even built. Spindle orientation in male germline stem cells was recently shown to be defi ned by separation of the mother centrosome, which remains near the stem cell niche, and the daughter centrosome, which travels to the opposite side. In neuroblasts, the authors now fi nd, centrioles similarly separate in interphase to defi ne the division axis. Whether the traveling centriole is consistently the daughter is not known. But only the stationary centriole retained its microtubule-organizing capacity; the traveler shed its pericentriolar material and microtubules until the following mitosis. The stationary centriole also kept its Polo kinase, which might help provide its unique abilities. Without centrioles, fl y neuroblasts still create spindles, whose interactions with the cortex often resulted in normal orientations. But if the spindle formed too far off-center, cortical cues could not correct the problem, thwarting the asymmetric division.


SUMMARY Introduction: Sclerosing stromal tumors are rare, benign sex chord stromal tumors. They are usually unilateral and are seen in second or third decades. The complaint at admission may be menstrual irregularity, pelvic pain, palpable pelvic mass, precocious puberty and postmenopausal bleeding. Because the complaint at admission and radiological findings are not specific to SSTs preoperative diagnosis is challenging. Herein we present the sonographical, intraoperative and histopathological findings of a SST diagnosed during laparoscopy in a patient who admitted with chronic pelvic pain and received pelvic inflammatory disease and endometriosis treatment and differential diagnosis of SSTs with the other ovarian tumors. Case report: 24 years old nulliparous patient first admitted to the gynecology department with the complaint of foul smelling vaginal discharge and pelvic pain. The diagnosis was pelvic inflammatory disease and the patient received antibiotics. After the treatment the patient no longer complained of vaginal discharge but pelvic pain still persisted. The pelvic examination was normal except the mass in the right ovary which had similar echogenity to the ovary. Because of the pelvic pain the mass was assumed to be an endometrioma and the patient was prescribed an oral contraceptive treatment for 3 months. Because of the persistent pelvic pain a diagnostic laparoscopy was performed which revealed a 2 cm, pinkish- white, exophytic lesion originating from the right ovary. Pathological examination reported the mass to be a sclerosing stromal tumor. After the operation the patient no longer complained of pelvic pain. Conclusion: Although SSTs are rare, they should be kept in mind when a young patient admits with menstrual irregularity, pelvic pain and hirsutism, particularly if the pain is refractory to treatment.


California has suffered a four year drought that has imposed severe stress on the state's water resources. Irrigators and urban users have both been affected by unprecedented water restrictions. How should California allocate water? The state has long-standing water allocation issues, as economic mechanisms historically have played little or no role in allocation. USAGE-TERM is a multi-regional CGE model that represents 12 key irrigation counties in California as separate economies. Water trading between irrigators would help California cope with drought. In particular, sales of water from annual crops grower to perennial producers may lower the costs of maintaining plantations, given the high fixed costs arising from the alternative action of drilling new wells. Diverting substantial volumes of irrigation water from plantations to urban users may not be consistent with welfare maximisation.


The aim of this article is to verify whether the historic sentence, no. 500/1999 of the Italian Legitimacy Court (Corte di Cassazione) in Plenary Session, may have contributed to diminishing bribery in Italy, by increasing the area of liability for both civil servants and the public administration. The empirical analysis is based on a case study conducted in Sicily, in the province of Catania, using a unique data set. The main results of the article are: paying bureaucrats by means of an incentive wage regimes may not be effective in reducing corruption; an extension of the liability rule for the public administration and civil servants may discourage the phenomenon of bribery; and, the perfect specification of property rights helps to reduce corruption.


As the new EU leadership takes office, Europe faces a complex web of economic, political, social and global challenges
which require new responses – above all, the need to restore the public's faith and trust after the years of
crisis which have prompted growing dissatisfaction with the Union, with many people now seeing it as part of the
problem rather than part of the solution to those challenges.
In 2012, a consortium of 11 European foundations initiated by the King Baudouin Foundation and Bertelsmann
Stiftung, and supported by the European Policy Centre, decided to launch a project to promote a Europe-wide debate
on the future of EU integration: an ambitious participatory initiative whose ultimate goal is to develop realistic
reform proposals to shore up a Union hit by multiple storms in recent years, which have left many people questioning
its capacity to respond effectively to those challenges.
Two years later, we are proud to be able to present the outcome of this endeavour: the result of a joint reflection
process involving the public, politicians, policy-makers, business leaders, trade unionists, EU experts, opinion-formers
and other civil society representatives in many EU Member States. Obviously, not all the ideas and proposals
generated by this process could be included in this report, but we hope that it faithfully reflects the feedback we
received in all the debates.
The discussions we have had led to the report that you now hold in your hands, which calls for a New Pact for
Europe – between EU Member States and between the EU and its citizens – to enhance the Union's capacity to
deliver effective solutions to the many challenges facing Europe, and to do so in a way that benefits all EU countries
and groups within society.
This report is designed to feed into the on-going discussions about the EU's future as the new leadership team
takes charge, providing what we hope will be seen as a valuable contribution to the debate on how to introduce
ambitious while at the same time workable and realistic reforms to make the EU more effective in responding
to the challenges we face. We hope that it will be taken up for discussion by the new European Parliament, the
new leadership of the European Commission, European Council and European External Action Service, and also by
policy-makers in the Member States. And it does not by any means mark the end of the process. The report will be
discussed again with policy-makers and stakeholders in a majority of Member States. Their feedback is important to
us and will impact the future progress of the initiative.


When U.S. presidential candidates misrepresent the facts, their claims get discussed across media streams, creating a lasting public impression. We show this through a public performance: the 2020 presidential debates. For every five newspaper articles related to the presidential candidates, President Donald J. Trump and Joseph R. Biden Jr., there was one mention of a misinformation-related topic advanced during the debates. Personal attacks on Biden and election integrity were the most prevalent topics across social media, newspapers, and TV. These two topics also surfaced regularly in voters' recollections of the candidates, suggesting their impression lasted through the presidential election.


Given the interest in coopetition and the associated intellectual ferment, one might suppose that a common understanding is developing. In fact, a shared conceptualization of coopetition is not yet in sight. In this paper we explore two research questions. First, what meanings of coopetition are affirmed in the literature so far? Second, to what extent in this process is the coopetition construct being reified and to what extent is it being allowed to remain open for further construction and interpretation? Through the use of a bibliographic coupling analysis, we identify the theoretical roots and orientations of studies that have focused on coopetition, and suggest likely directions for future developments.


Hybrid halide perovskites consisting of corner-sharing metal halide octahedra and small cuboctahedral cages filled with counter cations have proven to be prominent candidates for many high-performance optoelectronic devices. The stability limits of their three-dimensional perovskite framework are defined by the size range of the cations present in the cages of the structure. In some cases, the stability of the perovskite-type structure can be extended even when the counterions violate the size and shape requirements, as is the case in the so-called "hollow" perovskites. In this work, we engineered a new family of 3D highly defective yet crystalline "hollow" bromide perovskites with general formula (FA)1-x(en)x(Pb)1-0.7x(Br)3-0.4x (FA = formamidinium (FA+), en = ethylenediammonium (en2+), x = 0-0.44). Pair distribution function analysis shed light on the local structural coherence, revealing a wide distribution of Pb-Pb distances in the crystal structure as a consequence of the Pb/Br-deficient nature and en inclusion in the lattice. By manipulating the number of Pb/Br vacancies, we finely tune the optical properties of the pristine FAPbBr3 by blue shifting the band gap from 2.20 to 2.60 eV for the x = 0.42 en sample. A most unexpected outcome was that at x> 0.33 en incorporation, the material exhibits strong broad light emission (1% photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY)) that is maintained after exposure to air for more than a year. This is the first example of strong broad light emission from a 3D hybrid halide perovskite, demonstrating that meticulous defect engineering is an excellent tool for customizing the optical properties of these semiconductors.


How reviews impact patient choice in health field is still unknown. Patients often worry about their diseases and are eager to find a high skill physician to cure their painful. Traditional hospitals often lack information about individual physician, and with the emergence of online health communities (OHCs), patients can get physician service information on the platform. This study researches the role of reviews in health field and how the roles change with different diseases by collecting data from an online health community. We divide patient reviews into two kinds: online service reviews and offline service reviews based on different services. We find disease risk significantly moderates the relationship between reviews and patient choice: when patients get high-risk diseases, they care more offline service reviews than low-risk diseases. On the contrary, when patients get low-risk diseases, they care more online service reviews than high-risk diseases.


An in-depth examination of the oldest engineering process, The History of Grinding begins at the start of agriculture and outlines how size reduction developed over the centuries (without completely immersing the reader in technical detail). Great technical achievements have led to the machines of today, which can grind solid particles at the rate of tens of thousands of tons per day. One certainty is the existence of the continuing need for size reduction to develop and fit the lifestyles of people both today and in the future. Photos and illustrations gleaned from numerous sources, a glossary, reference list, and index enhance the text. Chapters include Size Reduction from the Stone Age to the Space Age; The Science and the Scientists; Hand Stones; Water Wheels, Windmills, and Beyond; Stamp Mills and Crushers; Roller Mills; Tumbling Mills; Fine-Grinding Mills; Classifiers; Explosive Rock Breakage; and Size Reduction in the 21st Century.


Surface reconstruction from point clouds often relies on a primitive extraction step, that may be followed by a merging step because of a possible over-segmentation. We present two statistical criteria to decide whether or not two surfaces are to be considered as the same, and thus can be merged. They are based on the statistical tests of Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Mann-Whitney for comparing distributions. Moreover, computation time can be significantly cut down using a reduced sampling based on the Dvoretzky-Keifer-Wolfowitz inequality. The strength of our approach is that it relies in practice on a single intuitive parameter (homogeneous to a distance) and that it can be applied to any shape, including meshes, not just geometric primitives. It also enables the comparison of shapes of different kinds, providing a way to choose between different shape candidates. We show several applications of our method, experimenting geometric primitive (plane and cylinder) detection, selection and fusion, both on precise laser scans and noisy photogrammetric 3D data.


Studies have been made of optical waveguides produced
in GaAs and InP epitaxial layers. Of the possible waveguiding
mechanisms present in these devices the contribution from the
photo-elastic effect (strain-induced refractive index changes)
dominates. Stresses in evaporated metal films and their
control have been investigated.
Strain-induced waveguides have been used to produce a
novel directional-coupler structure with a short coupling
length (~2mm). In GaAs bias has been applied to control the
amount of light at the output of each of the two waveguides
forming these couplers and it has been possible to isolate
the light in either the excited or the coupled waveguide.
A new theoretical model, based on finite difference
techniques, has been developed and used to analyse strain-induced,
slab and rib waveguide structures. Results obtained
have been compared with those from other methods. Theoretical
predictions of guiding properties in GaAs strain-induced waveguides
give good agreement with experimental results in all
cases. Optical waveguiding in InP layers using the same photoelastic
mechanisms, assessed experimentally, indicates that
the refractive index changes are similar to those in GaAs but
slightly larger. One of the first measurements of the nonzero
electro-optic coefficient, r41, of InP is described.
Guiding properties vary little with time in both InP and GaAs.
The reflection of light guided in a single-mode photoelastic
waveguide into a second perpendicular guide using a
vertical etched facet running at 450
to the direction of
propagation is proposed for providing bending with negligible
loss and some experimental results are reported.


How does institutional change in established democracies affect the distribution of political power in society? The new constitutional court in Costa Rica allows the authors to analyze the effects of judicial reform on the capacity of politically marginalized groups to safeguard their constitutional rights. Particular attention is paid to homosexuals, AIDS patients, and labor unions. The authors argue that it was not the establishment of the court as such but rather the specific rules regulating access to and cost of approaching the court that enabled marginalized groups to push for their rights and effectively circumvent the traditional policy-making process. Although these groups did not win all their cases, they have nonetheless been able to achieve considerable success in the protection of their previously denied constitutional rights. The legal reform partially redistributed power in society from policy makers to social groups and individuals.


The growing globalization of industry is stimulating a growing emphasis on international standards. Standards are important because they provide significant economic benefit. They are also costly and much of the benefit is broad-based, i.e. it does not accrue preferentially to those who incur the cost. Finally, there is a highly disaggregated international standards system and at least two very different basic philosophies as to how standard systems should operate. The effect of the individual cost-benefit analysis by organizations may produce a hybrid system that produces both global standards in which each country participates in the development as well as less costly technical and consortium standards.Copyright © 2002 by ASME


OBJECTIVE
To assess the association of maternal migration to Baja California, body mass index (BMI) status, children's perceived food insecurity, and childhood lifestyle behaviors with overweight (BMI > 85% ile), obesity (BMI > 95% ile) and abdominal obesity (Waist Circumference > 90% ile).

METHODS
Convenience sampling methods were used to recruit a cross-sectional sample of 4th, 5th and 6th grade children and their parents at Tijuana and Tecate Public Schools. Children's and parents' weights and heights were measured. Children were considered to have migrant parents if parents were not born in Baja California.

RESULTS
One hundred and twenty-two children and their parents were recruited. The mean age of the children was 10.1 ± 1.0 years. Forty nine per cent of children were overweight or obese. Children with obese parents (BMI > 30) had greater odds of being obese, Odds Ratio (OR) 4.9 (95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.2-19, p = 0.03). Children with migrant parents had greater odds of being obese, OR= 3.7 (95% CI, 1.6-8.3), p = 0.01) and of having abdominal obesity, OR = 3.2 (95% CI, 1.4-7.1, p = 0.01). Children from migrant parents have greater risk of higher consumption of potato chips, OR = 8.0 (95% CI, 2.1-29.1, p = 0.01). Children from non-migrant parents had greater odds of being at risk of hunger.

CONCLUSIONS
Parental obesity and migration are associated with increased risk of obesity among Mexican children. Children whose parents were born in Baja California have greater odds of being at risk of hunger. Further studies should evaluate the role of migration on risk for childhood obesity.


BACKGROUND: Oseltamivir is an effective agent for both the treatment and prevention of influenza, and its use is increasing. The package insert indicates that delirium and delirium-like events have been reported with the use of oseltamivir during postmarketing surveillance. The reports of neuropsychiatric events associated with oseltamivir are mainly in younger patients. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of oseltamivirassociated neuropsychiatric events occurring with oseltamivir prophylaxis in an older adult. CASE PRESENTATION: A 74-year-old male with a history of mild neurocognitive disorder was given oseltamivir prophylaxis in the setting of an influenza outbreak during his rehabilitation facility stay and developed newfound psychiatric symptoms after administration of oseltamivir for influenza prophylaxis because of institutional outbreak. The patient recovered completely after cessation of oseltamivir. CONCLUSION: We hope that our case report highlights the importance of careful consideration when prescribing oseltamivir prophylaxis in older people with or without previous history of neurocognitive disorder.


Objective: Studies related to the epidemiology of trauma play a major role in determining the health status of the communities living in the vicinity of the centers that they are conducted. We have found no epidemiological study related to emergency service admission conducted only on preschoolaged children in the literature. Our aim was to determine characteristics of trauma in this age group, to analyze encountered trauma types, and to investigate possible associations among epidemiological factors, characteristics of the traumavictims, and trauma itself in pediatric patients admitted to our emergency service. Methods:Weconducted a prospective studywith patients aged66months and younger, admitted to Emergency Service of Istanbul Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital between July 1, 2015, and December 31, 2015. Data related to age, sex, occupational status of parents, number of siblings, Glasgow coma scale score, transport mode, admission time period of the day, general health status, type of trauma, the trauma site, involved body regions, radiologic imaging and laboratory results, consultations, clinical diagnosis and outcome, duration of emergency service stay, and treatment cost were collected and statistically analyzed. Results: A total of 688 preschool-aged cases were admitted owing to trauma. The major mode of transport was a private vehicle (98.3%), and the major cause was falling (64.0%). The major traumatized body region was head and neck (51.0%), and themajor diagnosis was soft tissue trauma (90.1%). The average duration of stay was 122.01 minutes and affected by sibling number, trauma type, and employment status. The total service fee was interrelated with the type of trauma and the site that trauma occurred; it also was strongly correlated with duration of emergency service stay. Conclusions: Our results suggest that both in-hospital and social/ environmental aspects should be improved to reduce the clinical and social burden of trauma.


PURPOSE
A 4-Pi non-coplanar converging (4PiNC) modality has been actively developed in our institution, in which the radiation beams are delivered along conic trajectories and rotate around the midline of a patient. The proposed design eliminates the potential gantry-couch collision, a major concern of non-coplanar beam delivery. This study introduces a method to implement the 4PiNC planning in the public-domain treatment planning system (TPS) PLUNC.

METHODS
The cone angle of a 4PiNC delivery is defined as the angle between the cone edge and the transverse iso-plane. The beam angle defines its relative position on the cone. We have mathematically proved that there is a one-to-one correspondence between a 4PiNC beam specification (cone and beam angle) and a LINAC beam specification (gantry and couch angle). Therefore, a graphic interface was written in PLUNC to design a 4PiNC RT plan using existing commissioned LINAC machines. The method was validated visually on a spherical phantom of 15cm radius with 12 beams evenly distributed on a cone, and with cone angle 40, - 30, 20, - 10 and 0 degree respectively. A 4PiNC RT plan was made for a prostate SBRT case with the afore-mentioned 5 cones (20 beams on each cone) and was compared with the conventional five-beam IMRT plan.

RESULTS
In the phantom study, the transverse planes at -3, 0 and 3 cm from the iso-plane as well as the sagittal iso-plane were examined; the beam separations and cone angles were consistent with those specified. The prostate study suggested that the OAR mean dose can be reduced by up to 44.5% by the 4PiNC RT plan with comparable PTV coverage.

CONCLUSION
The RT planning for the proposed 4PiNC delivery system can be implemented in a TPS for conventional LINAC beams. This allows dosimetric investigation of the proposed system even before finalizing the hardware design. This work was partially supported by a DoD grant DoD W81XWH1010862.


In this paper I shall draw on the distinction between "decent" and "indecent", a pair of concepts highlighted in religious studies by Althaus-Reid (2000), and also on the role of ritual in delimiting the sacred in a secular context (Smith 1987, Knott 2005, 2007, Knott and Franks 2007), in order to show how the former can be seen to underlie a small part of the (female) flight attendant dress codes of commercial passenger airlines. It will be my argument that a widely adopted move away from allowing flight attendants to wear knee-high boots, especially inside the aircraft, stems from a growing cultural evaluation of these boots as "indecent," and a simultaneous conceptualization of the aircraft's interior as a secular sacred space. Using this case study, I hope to illustrate that at least one aspect of the contemporary culture of air travel can be usefully explored in terms of implicit religion (Bailey 1998), and a spatial approach to the sacred. I shall also suggest that the airline example has clear parallels in some other secular contexts. In section 1, I shall outline the relevant aspects of the theory of implicit religion and show how they relate to the notions of "decency" and "indecency." I shall then, in section 2, sketch out a brief history of knee-high boots within airline dress codes, before moving on to argue, in section 3, that they have become progressively entangled in a largely unconscious associative relationship with "indecency." In section 4, I shall draw attention to the requirement of many airlines that their flight attendants should remove their knee-high boots once they have boarded the aircraft, and I shall argue that this, in conjunction with other boundary markers and rituals, underlines the implicit sacrality of the aircraft cabin. Finally, in section 5, I shall anticipate and respond to some possible objections to this analysis.


Isolated intact pea chloroplasts synthesized phosphatidyiglycerol from either I'4Clacetate or j'Clglycerol 3-phosphate. Both time-course and pulse-chase labeling studies demonstrated a precursor-product relationship between newly synthesized phosphatidic acid and newly synthesized phosphatidylglycerol. The synthesis both of CDP-diacylglycerol from exogenous phosphatidic acid and CTIP, and of phosphatidylglycerol from exogenous CDP-diacyiglycerol and glycerol 3-phosphate, could be assayed in fractions obtained from disrupted chloroplasts. Moreover, the enzymes catalyzing these reactions were localized in the inner envelope membrane. Exogenous phosphatidic acid was incorporated into phosphatidylglycerol, but only following its incorporation into CDP-diacy4lycerol. Finally, radio- active phosphatidic acid synthesized in the envelope membranes from 1'4C]palmitoyl-ACP and l-oleoyl-glycerol 3-phosphate was sequentially incorporated into labeled CDP-diacylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol upon the addition of appropriate substrates and cofactors. Thus, we have demonstrated that (a) the synthesis of phosphatidylglycerol in chloroplasts occurs by the pathway: phosphatidic acid -- CDP-diacylglycerol -4-- phosphatidylglycerol, and (b) phosphatidylglycerol synthesis is located in the inner envelope membrane. described by McCaman and Finnerty (24) and Ganong et al. (13) for measuring the activity in bacterial homogenates. The reaction mixture contained in a total volume of 150 ul: MOPS-KOH, 250 mM (pH 7.4); PA, I or 2.5 mM; ['4C]CTP, 1 mM, 0.1 to 0.32 uCi/ assay; and MgC12, 30 mm. The reaction was initiated by the addition of envelope membranes (15-40 ,gg protein) followed in 15 s by the addition of MgCI2. Incubations were carried out for 5 to 60 min at 30°C, and terminated by the addition of 2.3 ml of methanol:CHCl3, 1:1 (v/v). After addition of 20 ,g of cold CDP-DG to act as a carrier, the single phase was broken by the addition of 1 ml I M KCI in 0.2 M H3PO4. The CHC13 layer was removed and dried under N2; the residue was resuspended in 1 ml CHC13. A known volume was removed for determination of total radioactivity; this was placed in a scintillation vial, dried under air, and the radioactivity assayed in 5 ml Aquamix (West-Chem). Lipid synthesis was calculated as nmol CTP incorporated into CHCl3-soluble products. The remaining CHC13 suspension was utilized for product analysis as described below. Variations from this procedure are noted in the text and figure legends.


Dental diseases are a persistent problem, not only in humans, but very often in companion animals as well. Aetiological agents of these diseases are the dental plaque bacteria. In the present study, we focused on identifying cultivable bacteria living in the dental plaque of dogs, specifically dogs suffering from the early stages of periodontal disease. Canine oral bacteria pose a risk to humans that get bitten by the dog, but they also have a zoonotic potential. Dental plaque samples were taken from five dogs of small breeds. Samples were cultured under aerobic and anaerobic conditions on several types of microbiological agars. All obtained and selected bacterial colonies were identified by PCR with universal primers for the 16S rRNA gene and the sequences of the 16S rRNA gene were compared with the sequences available in the GenBank database using BLASTn analysis. A total of 75 bacteria belonging to five phyla, predominantly to Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, were identified. The most frequent species was Pasteurella canis which was detected in all samples. In addition, representatives of the genera Actinomyces, Bacillus, Bacteroides, Corynebacterium, Frederiksenia, Fusobacterium, Haemophilus, Lactobacillus, Leucobacter, Neisseria, Ottowia, Porphyromonas, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Stenotrophomonas and Streptococcus were detected in the samples. In the present study, a broad spectrum of bacteria in dental plaque samples, including canine periodontal pathogens such as Porphyromonas gulae or Porphyromonas macacae were identified. In addition, highly pathogenic bacteria, specifically Actinomyces hordeovulneris, Bacillus circulans, and Bacteroides pyogenes, which pose a serious risk to human health, were detected in samples.


Administration of cadmium (Cd) significantly increased the peroxidation markers such as malondialdehyde and protein carbonyls along with significant decrease in antioxidant markers such as super oxide dismutase and reduced glutathione in liver and kidney tissues. Cadmium also caused a significant alteration in hepatic and renal functional markers in serum viz. total protein, albumin, alanine transaminase, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. Prominent pathological changes observed in liver were severe vascular and sinusoidal congestion with diffuse degenerative changes and mononuclear infiltration into peripheral areas, while the kidney showed vascular and glomerular congestion, cloudy swelling of tubular epithelium. Coadministration of ethonolic extract of T. terrestris or vitamin E along with Cd significantly reversed the Cd induced changes along with significant reduction in Cd load.


Cannibalism between age classes has been reported for Dungeness crab Cancer magister Dana, and hypothesized to cause the cyclic behavior of the fishery. Recently, cannibalism among young-of-the-year (YOY) Dungeness crabs has been documented, and proposed as an alternative hypothesis to explain recruitment failure of later cohorts of megalopae in intertidal shell habitats already occupied by older YOY crabs. Furthermore, cannibalism among juveniles has also recently been reported for other crab species. This study experimentally addressed whether: (1) cannibalism rate by age classes 0+, 1+ and 2+ of Dungeness crabs Cancer magister of both sexes on YOY conspecifics is affected by habitat type; (2) cannibalism rate among YOY is affected by conspecific density and prey-predator asymmetry; and (3) YOY mutual interference and prey-predator asymmetry affect consumption rate. Predation rate by older crabs (age classes 1 and 2) on YOY was highest in mud habitat, intermediate in low shell density, and lowest in the high shell density treatment. These results show that shell habitat enhances production of YOY crâbs by increasing survival. Despite the fact that shell habitat decreased cannibalism rate of larger conspecifics on YOY, it did not affect cannibalism rate among juveniles. YOY crabs did not consume carapaces of conspecifics, while larger crabs consumed entire prey; this difference in amount of hard parts consumed suggests that although cannibalism may be common among YOY, it may not be detected by stomach analysis. Consumption of megalopae was affected by prey density, and also by the asymmetry between the prey and the predator. As predator density increased, the total consumption of megalopae increased, but proportional mortality per predator decreased. When other instar stages were used as prey, prey-predator asymmetry and prey density were not as important factors as predator density on cannibalism rate. Megalopae were the most vulnerable prey, and under certain circumstances YOY conspecifics may be able to decimate cohorts of settling megalopae. However, megalopae may find refuge from cannibalism when predator-prey size ratio is low, predator density is high, and probably when relative abundance of alternative prey is high (laboratory experiments were conducted using only conspecifics as prey). Cannibalism, or other 'processes that may have evolved in response to cannibalism, may be important factors regulating crab recruitment in natural populations and limiting crab production in artificial habitats.


One important aspect to develop fuel cell design is to use the concept of computational models. Mathematical modeling can be used to help research complex, estimates the optimal performance of fuel cells stack, compare several different processes, save costs and time in the investigation. This paper focuses on several reviews of research models to develop the system design of the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC). Purposes of this study are to determine the factors that affect system performance include: stack of PEMFC system, water management system and Supply of reactants to the PEMFC stack.


Research into how journalists use the Internet continues flourish in the United States and Europe, but Australian research in this area is only just starting to emerge. Contributions to this field of research in Australia are comparatively limited. Evidence indicates that in the US journalists are increasingly using the Internet as a research tool to retrieve documents and as a mechanism to contact individuals and companies with which they want to communicate. This case study explores the search mechanisms adopted by a small group of Australian journalists using the World Wide Web. This preliminary case study reveals that for these journalists the Web has become a regular news gathering tool. The paper also suggests that structured training in advanced search techniques and a range of other rn/ernet resources would benefit these journalists by helping them use the technology more effectively and efficiently.


Cloud computing is a paradigm for providing and delivering IT services over the Internet. The cloud can provide several benefits for organisations, including cost reduction and flexibility. In developing countries, such as Saudi Arabia, cloud computing is still not widely adopted. In fact, migrating an existing system to the cloud depends on a number of factors that may affect an organisation's decision to adopt the cloud in the private sector in Saudi Arabia. In order to encourage the adoption of cloud computing, it is important to understand why some organisations are willing to move to the cloud while others are not. Therefore, the aim of this research is to investigate the factors that may influence an organisation's decision regarding adopting cloud computing. An integrated model is proposed which incorporates critical factors derived from a literature review on technology adoption and cloud computing along with other factors (such as physical location) that have not been examined in previous studies as main factors that may affect the organisation's decision to adopt cloud services. A study was conducted in private sector organisations in Saudi Arabia in order to improve the proposed model. Interviews were carried out with IT experts to review the identified factors and explore other factors that were not mentioned in previous studies. The second stage of this study was an online questionnaire which was used to confirm the existing factors in the cloud adoption model and other factors that were identified from interviews (trialability, external support, industry, and culture). Among the 17 factors examined, the results of the questionnaire revealed that only two, complexity and competitive pressure, did not significantly impact the adoption decision. Finally, a questionnaire was conducted with 300 IT staff in different organisations in the private sector in Saudi Arabia, in order to test the model for cloud adoption and to explore factors that were positively or negatively associated with cloud adoption. The findings of the evaluation study showed that there was both a direct and indirect effect of the factors on an organisation's intention to adopt the cloud. The findings of this study showed that quality of service and trust are the most influential determinants of cloud adoption. However, security and privacy concerns still prevent cloud adoption in this country. Furthermore, the physical location had a significant direct effect on compliance with regulation and privacy. This study also showed that the effect of these variables differed according to organisation size and in adopter and non-adopter companies. The results confirmed that the proposed model was well-fitted with the collected data. Thus, the developed model is valuable in explaining the adoption of the cloud at organisational level. Overall, the findings of this research provide great value in terms of guidelines to the organisations, cloud providers, managers, government and policy makers on ways of increasing the implementation and encouraging the spread of cloud computing in Middle Eastern countries particularly in Saudi Arabia.


PURPOSE
In this longitudinal study, we examined the moral judgment level and its related factors, such as individual characteristics. The result of this study will provide baseline data to establish policy of ethics education for college students and healthcare professionals.

METHOD
We enrolled 37 nursing students and 20 medical students as the subjects in a university in Suwon, Korea. We conducted a questionnaire on the subjects using Korean version of Defining Issues Test(DIT) to analyze the subjects' moral judgment level. Collected data was coded using ASCII document and scored using Fortran program for computer. Then the data was statistically analyzed by SPSS Version 10.0.

RESULT
Nursing students' moral development score at each stage were consistently higher at stage 5A across 4-years rather than other stages. On the other hand, medical students' moral development score were consistently higher at stage 4 than other stages. There was no significant difference in the change P(%) score at each academic year in both groups. In the perspective of the subjects' general characteristics, P(%) score showed no significant in both groups.

CONCLUSION
Based on the results of this study, further studies will examine the correlation between curriculum and moral judgment development in detail. Moreover, we suggest that the current ethics education should be developed and evaluated in more realistic manner.


Complex macromolecular matrix of coal is divided into the elements of C, O, H, S and N, which are all involved into the concerned reaction. Based on the changes in element occurrence during coal oxidation at low temperature, the pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics was used to evaluate the kinetic characteristics of coal oxidation. Coats and Refern's as well as Horowiz and Metzger's models were also used to model the changes in element occurrence. The activation energies obtained by the pseudo-first order kinetic have been found to be almost similar to those calculated by applying the Coats and Redfern's equation and the energies are higher when Horowitz and Metzger's equation is applied. The release of element H shows the highest rate constants (K) and lowest activation energy value (E-a) when compared with these values for C and N. A kinetic compensation effect between K and E-a was observed for the changes in element occurrence.


Background: Ready-to-eat deli meats are widely consumed by the public; however they are also a high risk food for carrying Listeria monocytogenes. Listeriosis, an infection that can result from consumption of Listeria monocytogenes contaminated food, is the leading cause of deaths related to foodborne illness in Canada. Due to structural constraints and inadequate cleaning, mechanical slicers used to process deli meats have been implicated as a major source of Listeria monocytogenes contamination of deli meats. Several governing bodies, including local health authorities have published recommendations on the proper method of cleaning and sanitizing meat slicers to prevent the risk of contamination of deli meats. This study evaluated the compliancy of retail delis in Metro Vancouver to these recommendations and also assessed their knowledge of the risk associated with deli meats. Methods: An in-person, self-administered paper survey was conducted at several retail delis and supermarkets. The survey questions determined the cleaning and sanitation procedures of meat slicers at the establishments and also assed knowledge of the risk associated with deli meats. Both nominal and numerical data was collected and analyzed using a Chi-squre test and a t-test. Results: Based on the data collected, a statistically significant difference was identified between the cleaning procedures practiced by the establishments and those recommended to prevent pathogen transmission through meat slicers. The chi-square test revealed that there is a statistically significant association between the size of the establishment and the adequacy of cleaning procedures, with small-scale delis being less likely to comply with the cleaning practices that are recommended by governing bodies. Conclusion: Cleaning procedures practiced at retail delis and supermarkets are not consistent with those recommended by regulatory agencies to prevent the transmission of pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes from meat slicers to deli meats. Smaller retail delis are less likely to follow proper cleaning methods than larger supermarket delis. Educational intervention by health authorities may be needed to ensure that food establishments are informed of proper and timely cleaning procedures.


Alluvial fill deposits associated with the Saline and Smoky Hill Rivers in Ellis County, Kansas were examined for variation in particle size, quartz-feldspar ratios, and heavy minerals. A selection of six sample localities was made on each river, each locality being a sand and gravel pit exposed in the terrace. Eighteen samples were taken from the high terrace of the Saline River and eighteen samples from the Pfeifer terrace of the Smoky Hill River. Quartz-feldspar ratios were run and the results demonstrated quartz varies randomly from 73% to 82% along the Smoky Hill River and from 76% to 85% along the Saline River. Five major statistical parameters: 1) median diameter, 2) graphic mean diameter, 3) inclusive graphic standard deviation, 4) inclusive graphic skewness, and 5) graphic kurtosis were used to interpret the numerical results of the sieved samples. Results indicate median grain size is very close to 0.000, values for graphic kurtosis are very close to 1.00 (mesokurtic), and graphic inclusive skewness indicates coarsely skewed material with graphic standard deviation index indicating poorly sorted material. All parameters vary randomly with no regular pattern with downstream distance. The heavy mineral assemblage found in the Saline and Smoky Hill Rivers samples indicated the ultimate source area is composite in nature, made up of at least three different rock types: 1) acid igneous, 2) high rank metamorphic, and 3) basic igneous.


In this article I attempt to widen scholarly discussions towards an engaged anthropology.These discussions are often occupied by the application of anthropological knowledge and skills through anthropologists' participation in colonial powers and imperialist structures, in army activitiesin different times and locations, in projects of regional or international development aid or in advocacy.Based on my own long-term ethnographic fieldwork in northern Thailand, I argue that such discussions understand engagement as a monolithic whole, without distinguishing the instrumentalisation of knowledge from the form which comes into existence with the explicit self-understanding of the researcher. I believe that ethnography as a method, as it is affected by the commitment between anthropologist and informer, demands engagement as an imperative for various forms of reciprocity which jointly form the social dynamics of any fieldwork. Consequently, I argue that the application of anthropological knowledge and training toward a solution of social conflicts is just one form of engagement. Through this text I will show that engagement has an irreplaceable position in the ethnographic method of participant observation and is thus significant for augmenting anthropological methodology and the overall research experience.


ObjectiveWe describe our efforts to prevent a hepatitis A outbreak in Houston.IntroductionSince 2017, over 11 states have been impacted by outbreaks of hepatitis A among persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) and drug use. The primary methods of transmission for the hepatitis A virus (HAV) are person-to-person contact and ingestion of contaminated foods. The HAV infection typically presents with minor symptoms, but the infection can cause serious complications and death in those with poor health. Houston, TX, the 4th largest U.S. city, has a large, mobile homeless population and is at risk for such an outbreak. Of the US adults surveyed for NHANES, only 27% reported hepatitis A immunity; and the homeless population is considered high risk for acquiring hepatitis A. The Point in Time Homeless Census (2017) estimated 3,412 PEH in the Houston metro area. Nationally, the HAV outbreaks have been marked by high rates of hospitalizations and deaths. Emergency and ambulatory department data was monitored and assessed for HAV-related visits using the Houston Health Department's (HHD) syndromic surveillance system.MethodsCase reports and syndromic surveillance query were used to assess baseline data. HHD provided single-dose units of Hepatitis A vaccine through the Adult Safety Net program to two community medical providers that deliver care to PEH in Houston. Staff administered vaccines via clinics and outreach efforts. Immunization records were recorded in the state immunization registry. Monitoring of potential outbreaks occurred monthly using the syndromic query. Data from case reports or syndromic surveillance were analyzed once immunization efforts concluded.ResultsFrom 2015-2017, the annual mean of HAV cases reported was 13. Analyses of syndromic surveillance conducted in March and August 2018 revealed no increase in jaundice complaints. Briefings were conducted with multiple stakeholders including community members, medical providers, academia, and health professionals in December 2017. HHD provided 150 single-antigen hepatitis A vaccine allotments to two community partner agencies. Immunizations began in late January 2018; 400 homeless persons had been immunized as of March 30, 2018.ConclusionsOngoing review of surveillance data in conjunction with community assessments of PEH is necessary to prevent a hepatitis A outbreak among PEH in Houston. Since vaccination is cited as the best method of prevention, continuing immunization efforts are needed to build herd immunity.The availability of vaccines was limited due to the increased demand in responding to the multi-state HAV outbreaks. However, Houston Health Department (HHD) had access to doses of the hepatitis A vaccine post Hurricane Harvey. While a mass immunization campaign of at-risk groups would be ideal, staffing isn't feasible as HHD uses a medical home model for immunization efforts. Innovative public health interventions are required to overcome the inherent challenges of delivering preventive programs to PEH. To prevent a potential HAV outbreak in Houston, comprehensive surveillance strategies should include 1) participatory stakeholder engagement, 2) timely reporting, 3) prompt referrals from providers who care for PEH, 4) community education about transmission and hygiene, and 5) vaccination of at-risk groups to increase herd immunity.


OBJECT
Subcortical stimulation is a method used to evaluate the distance from the stimulation site to the corticospinal tract (CST) and to decide whether the resection of an adjacent lesion should be terminated to prevent damage to the CST. However, the correlation between stimulation intensity and distance to the CST has not yet been clearly assessed. The objective of this study was to investigate the appropriate correlation between the subcortical stimulation pattern and the distance to the CST.

METHODS
Monopolar subcortical motor evoked potential (MEP) mapping was performed in addition to continuous MEP monitoring in 37 consecutive patients with lesions located in motor-eloquent locations. The proximity of the resection cavity to the CST was identified by subcortical MEP mapping. At the end of resection, the point at which an MEP response was still measurable with minimal subcortical MEP intensity was marked with a titanium clip. At this location, different stimulation paradigms were executed with cathodal or anodal stimulation at 0.3-, 0.5-, and 0.7-msec pulse durations. Postoperatively, the distance between the CST as defined by postoperative diffusion tensor imaging fiber tracking and the titanium clip was measured. The correlation between this distance and the subcortical MEP electrical charge was calculated.

RESULTS
Subcortical MEP mapping was successful in all patients. There were no new permanent motor deficits. Transient new postoperative motor deficits were observed in 14% (5/36) of cases. Gross-total resection was achieved in 75% (27/36) and subtotal resection (> 80% of tumor mass) in 25% (9/36) of cases. Stimulation intensity with various pulse durations as well as current intensity was plotted against the measured distance between the CST and the titanium clip on postoperative MRI using diffusion-weighted imaging fiberitracking tractography. Correlational and regression analyses showed a nonlinear correlation between stimulation intensity and the distance to the CST. Cathodal stimulation appeared better suited for subcortical stimulation.

CONCLUSIONS
Subcortical MEP mapping is an excellent intraoperative method to determine the distance to the CST during resection of motor-eloquent lesions and is highly capable of further reducing the risk of a new neurological deficit.


From 1958 to 1983, the Apollo nuclear facility produced low-enriched uranium, highly-enriched uranium, and thorium fuels. A history of poor regulatory compliance, poor materials accountability, inadequate building construction, absence of monitoring, and several accidents (including a fire that is believed to have released kilogram quantities of highly-enriched uranium into the atmosphere) suggest potential for occupational and environmental radionuclide exposures. This analysis investigates all-cancer incidence surrounding the Apollo facility from 1990–2010 using indirect standardisation methods. It addresses many of the limitations of prior studies by improving the accuracy of population estimates and assessing the magnitude of bias due to residential misclassification. We also evaluated whether changes in population distribution over time, for example due to ageing and migration of workers after closure of the facility, affected incidence rate ratios. We fit a lognormal Poisson model with random effects to account for person-time heterogeneity of age across calendar periods. We identified excess cancer incidence in the Apollo community relative to the number of expected cancers based on Pennsylvania statewide rates. Between 1990 and 2010, the observed rate of cancer incidence among males in the Apollo area was 1.56 (95% CI: 1.47–1.65) times the expected statewide incidence and among females the cancer rate was 1.38 (95% CI: 1.29–1.47) times the expected statewide incidence. The excess observed vs. expected rates was reduced by adjustment for prior estimates of geographic misclassification of cases. Differences in incidence ratios by sex could reflect occupational exposures. Estimates from the random effects model did not differ significantly from the standard estimates, indicating that the amount of heterogeneity in incidence ratios by changes population distribution was minimal.


This timely book analyzes the political events in Iraq that gave rise to one of the most brutal and sophisticated regimes of the modern era. Analyzing the country's history from 1941 to the Ba'ath Party's takeover of the government in 1968, Michael Eppel re-creates the domestic, social, and ideological climate that led to the establishment of Saddam Hussein's despotic control of Iraq in 1979. Eppel argues that after World War II, Iraq's ruling elites were impotent - trapped in a complex no-win situation that prevented them from adapting to new social conditions, victimized by external threats and a diverse religious and ethnic population. From the country's anti-British, pro-German uprising in 1941 until the fall of the constitutional monarchy in 1958, a relatively mild conservative government ruled the country. Between 1958 and 1968 Iraq was governed by several radical revolutionary regimes, military dicatatorships that allowed some social and political expression and worked to modernize the country. Despite frequent violent disturbances, political life was tolerably stable. However, divisiveness among military officers and the exhaustion of the modern middle class, which remained dependent upon the state and the regime, helped the Ba'ath Party become an effective political force. As the state benefited from financial resources derived from oil revenues, the ruling elites were able to weaken all other forces and the Ba'ath Party exploited these conditions to seize power. After years of behind-the-scenes manipulations, the atmosphere was ripe for Saddam's presidency in 1979. Weaving these events into their global and regional context, Eppel offers a compelling explanation of the failure of the old elites and their successors and of the conditions that allowed Saddam to create his dictatorship. He also includes an epilogue with a general outline of Iraq's history from 1979 until Saddam's fall in 2003. Eppel's primary sources were Iraqi newspapers, memoirs of Iraqi politicians, British and U.S. archives, and United Nations publications, as well as 23 volumes from Iraqi archives that contain the minutes of the revolutionary court that tried both the Hashemite monarchy and those who opposed the revolutionary regime.


The overall aim of the research in this paper is to investigate the relationship between consumer trends and innovation in the retail sector and its impact on the development of products and services in mainstream markets. Retailers operate in a very competitive environment and are facing increasing challenges to remain ahead of their competitors. One of the main areas of focus for retailers is to predict change in their consumers, and interpret and incorporate these in time into their product and service offer. The current literature does not adequately address the issue of identifying consumer trends and applying them to the design, development and marketing of new product across a broad range of sectors in the retail industry.

This paper's research addresses the issue by assessing current methodologies for identifying trends and applying elements to the emerging trend in horticulture and its potential impact to UK retailers. Complex innovations in particular, as perceived by the consumer, affect the rate of adoption by mainstream consumers as key areas such as the cost risk of time and social uncertainty can outweigh the benefits (Higham, 2009, Wejnert, 2002). The characteristics of horticulture as an innovation indicate it is a complex practice yet new consumer groups are adopting gardening in the UK (Euromonitor, 2009; Mintel, 2013, 2014). Extant literature suggests that the act of gardening and interaction with the natural environment offer individuals the opportunity to escape the stresses of contemporary life by generating restorative qualities (Kaplan, 1989, 1995) and contribute to the overall well-being of individuals (Pretty et al, 2003) - this was identified as one of the characteristics of the innovation that was potentially driving these new consumer groups to adopt the practice.

A framework was developed by adapting existing methodologies of trend identification. A case study analysis was conducted and five key themes of escapism, well-being, security, ownership and community emerged and were used to establish that the trend in horticulture was a long-term trend that would impact on a mainstream market. Resulting recommendations are suggested for retailers to implement into their product and service offer. In conclusion, by closely examining current methodologies for trend identification in marketing, this research highlights that this is a neglected area. It proposes that additional research is required to establish a more effective methodology for identifying contemporary social phenomena for use in a marketing context. The impact of global information-sharing in particular and the influence on consumers' needs should be evaluated more closely when establishing key consumer trends.


Chromatin is organized dynamically to accommodate different biological processes. One of the factors required for proper chromatin organization is a group of complexes called condensins. Most eukaryotes have two conserved condensins (I and II) required for chromosome segregation. C. elegans has a third condensin (IDC) that specializes in dosage compensation, a process that down-regulates X gene dosage in XX hermaphrodites to match the dosage in XO males. How the three condensins are regulated is not well understood. Here, I present the discovery and characterization of a novel condensin regulator, SMCL-1. We identified SMCL-1 through purification of a MAP-tagged condensin subunit. Condensins are comprised of SMC ATPases and regulatory CAP proteins; SMCL-1 interacts most abundantly with condensin SMC subunits and resembles the ATPase domain of SMC proteins. Interestingly, the SMCL-1 protein has residues that differ from SMC consensus and potentially render SMCL-1 incapable of hydrolyzing ATP. Worms harboring smcl-1 deletion are viable and show no detectable phenotype. However, deleting smcl-1 in a condensin hypomorph mildly suppresses condensin I and IDC mutant phenotypes, suggesting that SMCL-1 functions as a negative regulator of condensin I and IDC. Consistent with this, overexpression of SMCL-1 leads to condensin loss-of-function phenotypes such as lethality, segregation defects and disruption of IDC localization on the X chromosomes. Homology searches based on the unique ATPase domain of SMCL-1 reveal that SMCL-1-like proteins are present only in organisms also predicted to have condensin IDC. Taken together, we conclude that SMCL-1 is a negative modulator of condensin functions and we propose a role for SMCL-1 in helping organisms adapt to having a third condensin by maintaining the balance among three condensin complexes.


Film cooling is used in a wide range of industrial and engineering applications; one of the most important is in gas turbine cooling. The intent of film cooling is to provide a layer of cool film between the surface and the hot gas. Predicting film-cooling characteristics, particularly at high blowing ratios where the film is likely to be detached from the surface, is a challenge due to the complex three-dimensional and possibly anisotropic nature of the flow. Despite the growth of more sophisticated techniques for modeling turbulence, such as large eddy simulation (LES), the most commonly used methods in design are Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) methods that employ a two-equation turbulence model for specifying the eddy viscosity. Although these models have deficiencies, they continue to be used throughout industry because they offer reasonable turnaround time as compared to LES or other methods. This paper studies in detail two cases, one of high blowing ratio (off-design condition) of 2.0 and low blowing ratio of 0.5, and compares RANS-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results with experimental data for flow field temperatures and centerline, lateral, and span-averaged film effectiveness for a 35-degree circular jet. The effects of mainstream turbulence conditions, boundary layer thickness, and numerical dissipation are evaluated and found to have minimal impact in the wake region of separated films (i.e., they cannot account for the discrepancy between measured and predicted CFD results in the wake region). Analyses of low blowing ratio cases are in good agreement with data; however, there are some smaller discrepancies, particularly in lateral spreading of the jet.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) between gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and environmental indicators in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Additionally, this paper also explores the relationship between health and income levels in the GCC to identify whether higher incomes necessarily affect overall health metrics.

Design/methodology/approach
The first part of this paper studies the relationship between GDP per capita and the greenhouse gases (GHGs) – carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) (all per capita data). The second part of this paper explores the relationship between GDP per capita and the following health variables: life expectancy, infant mortality and child mortality – for GCC countries during 1980–2012. Unit root tests were conducted, followed by cointegration analysis, leading to Granger causality test and vector error correction model.

Findings
GCC states are highly dependent on fossil fuel production and hence depend on hydrocarbons for GDP growth. Most of the GCC states demonstrate lack of the EKC curve. However, there is evidence of U-shaped relationship between environmental pollutants and GDP per capita in kingdoms like Bahrain and Saudi Arabia (KSA). United Arab Emirates (UAE), on the other hand, demonstrates EKC, though not significantly. The study then explores the existence of potential relationship between health and GDP in the GCC, where it has been found that higher incomes have driven a better standard of living resulting in improved health metrics and higher life expectancy rates. Thus, growing incomes have played a positive role by improving health parameters and by offsetting some of the negative impacts from lack of environmental improvement as demonstrated by the absence of EKC in general in GCC.

Originality/value
GHG emissions data are individually and empirically examined for each country in the GCC. Furthermore, the study delves into the environmental problems that lead to health issues, which were initially caused by pollution. The results of the empirical analysis provide strong evidence that GCC countries need to rely less on fossil fuels, as lower productivity due to higher pollution reduces income and economic growth in most countries.


Aluminum alloy BS.1476-HE.15 by virtue of its high strength and low density finds application in the form of bars or sections for cranes, bridges, and other such structures where a reduction in dead weight load and inertia stresses is advantageous. Bars and sections in H.15 alloy are mostly produced by extrusion. Some material processed this way has been prone to exfoliation corrosion. Extended aging for 24 h at a temperature of 185 °C (365 °F) virtually suppresses the tendency for exfoliation corrosion to develop. Also, the use of a sprayed coating, either of aluminum or Al-1Zn alloy, was effective in halting and preventing this form of attack. While alarming, the appearance of exfoliation corrosion provides a valuable warning to the engineer or inspector before a severe weakening of the particular sections has occurred.


This study investigated the combined effects of reduced pH and increased temperature on the capacities of the Pacific cupped oyster Crassostrea gigas to bioconcentrate radionuclide and metals. Oysters were exposed to dissolved radiotracers (110mAg, 241Am, 109Cd, 57Co, 54Mn, and 65Zn) at three pH (7.5, 7.8, 8.1) and two temperatures (21°C and 24°C) under controlled laboratory conditions. Although calcifying organisms are recognized as particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification, the oyster did not accumulate differently the studied metals when exposed under the different pH conditions. However temperature alone or in combination with pH somewhat altered the bioaccumulation of the studied elements. At pH 7.5, Cd was accumulated with an uptake rate constant two-fold higher at 24°C than 21°C. Bioaccumulation of Mn was significantly affected by an interactive effect between seawater pH and temperature, with a decreased uptake rate at pH 7.5 when temperature increased (27 ± 1 vs. 17 ± 1 d-1 at 21°C and 24°C, respectively). Retention of Co and Mn tended also to decrease at the same pH with decreasing temperature. Neither pH nor temperature affected strongly the elements distribution between shell and soft tissues. Significant effects of pH were found on the bio-accessibility of Mn, Zn and 241Am during experimental in vitro simulation of human digestion.


Multimedia archives are expanding rapidly. For these, there exists a shortage of retrieval and summarisation techniques for accessing and browsing content where the main information exists in the audio stream. This thesis describes an investigation into the development of novel feature extraction and summarisation techniques for audio-visual recordings of academic presentations.

We report on the development of a multimodal dataset of academic presentations. This dataset is labelled by human annotators to the concepts of presentation ratings, audience engagement levels, speaker emphasis, and audience comprehension. We investigate the automatic classification of speaker ratings and audience engagement by extracting audio-visual features from video of the presenter and audience and training classifiers to predict speaker ratings and engagement levels. Following this, we investigate automatic identi�cation of areas of emphasised speech. By analysing all human annotated areas of emphasised speech, minimum speech pitch and gesticulation are identified as indicating emphasised speech when occurring together.

Investigations are conducted into the speaker's potential to be comprehended by the audience. Following crowdsourced annotation of comprehension levels during academic presentations, a set of audio-visual features considered most likely to affect comprehension levels are extracted. Classifiers are trained on these features and comprehension levels could be predicted over a 7-class scale to an accuracy of 49%, and over a binary distribution to an accuracy of 85%.

Presentation summaries are built by segmenting speech transcripts into phrases, and using keywords extracted from the transcripts in conjunction with extracted paralinguistic features. Highest ranking segments are then extracted to build presentation summaries. Summaries are evaluated by performing eye-tracking experiments as participants watch presentation videos. Participants were found to be consistently more engaged for presentation summaries than for full presentations. Summaries were also found to contain a higher concentration of new information than full presentations.


Successful outcome of surgical interventions for treatment of tachycardias in preexcitation syndromes can be anticipated in patients whose rhythm disturbances are attributable to delineated anatomic abnormalities, that is, accessory atrioventricular bundles as well as due to enhanced conduction subsequent to a physiologic abnormality of the normal AV conduction system. The procedure employed for surgical interruption of anomalous pathways is dependent on the localization of the accessory atrioventricular bundle. In 190 of our surgically-treated patients the Kent bundle was localized in the right ventricular free wall in 39, in the left ventricular free wall in 93, in the anterior septum in 21 and in the posterior septum in 58 patients. Interruption of AV conduction via the anomalous pathway was achieved by means of cryosurgical techniques especially in the presence of an epicardially-localized Kent bundle. Posterior septal pathways are notably problematic with respect to both localization and interruption. In the entire patient population, however, surgical interruption of the Kent bundle was possible in more than 90%. In 19 patients with enhanced AV conduction, surgical interruption of the His bundle was carried out predominantly with cryosurgical techniques.


The development of recent imaging modalities and of multimodal imaging may
offer new perspectives for biomedical imaging, such as in-vivo cancer detection at
early stages.
By combining optical coherence tomography (OCT) and photoacoustic microscopy
(PAM), complementary information is extracted from tissue: scattering and absorption.
Non-invasive cross-sectional images with micrometre resolution are obtained.
In this thesis, for the first time, encouraging results using a single SC source
for OCT and PAM are obtained. Micrometre axial resolution is achieved using SC
sources for OCT. The use of SC sources for PAM allows for multispectral PAM
(MPAM) by using several excitation spectral bands. With MPAM, different absorbers
are distinguishable and recognisable through their absorption spectra. In
addition, for the first time, spectroscopic photoacoustic (sPA) measurements are
demonstrated in the visible using a bandwidth narrower than 40 nm. These results
were obtained with the first multimodal imaging system that combines sPA,
PAM, MPAM and OCT. A single commercially available SC source is used for excitation.
Diverse in-vitro and in-vivo samples are imaged to show the capabilities
of such a configuration. In addition, the development of a novel fibre-based SC
source with both increased energy density and pulse repetition frequency (PRF) is
presented. The increased pulse energy allows reduction of excitations bands that
leads to more accurate MPAM and sPA measurements, while the access to larger
PRFs allows for both noise reduction and faster imaging rates in PAM and OCT. A
tapered photonic crystal fibre (PCF) is used to generate the SC by nonlinear spectral
broadening. The larger input core of the tapered PCF enables enhanced energy
density, where more than 50-100 nJ is achieved with less than 30 nm wide bandwidth,
over a broad spectrum extending from 500 nm to 1700 nm.
Such a source can be used for in-vivo blood oxygen saturation determination,
skin and other superficial organs imaging, which is critical to image tumours and
diagnose early stage cancers. Such imaging modalities can also be beneficial during
surgery and treatment.


The current status of Antarctic Odontocetes – sperm whales Physeter catodon, killer whales Orcinus orca, long-finned pilot whales Globicephala melaena, hourglass dolphins Lagenorhynchus cruciger and poorly known species of beaked whales (family Ziphiidae)–were studied in Anatarctic waters using data gathered in sighting surveys conducted from 1976/77 to 1987/88. Temporal variation in density demonstrated the different migration patterns by species, especially between sperm whale and killer whale. Spatial distributions during mid-summer demonstrated different peaks of occurrence for each species by latitude that suggest possible segregation between the species. Killer whales occur mainly in the very southernmost areas, sperm whales in the southern half of the study area, beaked whales (mostly southern bottlenose whales Hyperoodon planifrons) ranged over a wide area, and long-finned pilot whales and hourglass dolphins were mainly in the northern regions of Antarctic waters. Several longitudinal peaks of occurrence and apparent distribution gaps were identified for sperm, beaked and killer whales. Abundance estimates for south of the Antarctic Convergence in January are based on line transect theory and were 28 100 animals (coefficient of variation CV 0.18) sperm whales, 599 300 (0.15) beaked whales (mostly southern bottlenose whales), 80 400 (0.15) killer whales, 200 000 (0.35) long-finned pilot whales, and 144 300 (0.17) hourglass dolphins. Based on this, biomass of these species were estimated as 0.77 (sperm whales), 2.70 (beaked whales), 0.32 (killer whales), 0.16 (long-finned pilot whales) and 0.01 (hourglass dolphins) million tonnes. Consumption of food (mostly squid) by the Odontocetes is estimated as 14.4 million tonnes with 67% of the total consumed by beaked whales. Indirect consumption of Antarctic krill through the predation of squid by beaked whales is estimated to be c. 24 million tonnes. This value is similar to the estimate of krill consumption by penguins in the Antarctic (33 million tonnes). Odontocetes, especially southern bottlenose whales, are suggested to have a much greater role in the Antarctic ecosystem than has previously been considered.


Repressor activator protein 1 (Rap1) is an essential factor involved in transcription and telomere stability in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Its interaction with DNA causes hypersensitivity to potassium permanganate, suggesting local DNA melting and/or distortion. In this study, various Rap1-DNA crystal forms were obtained using specifically designed crystal screens. Analysis of the DNA conformation showed that its distortion was not sufficient to explain the permanganate reactivity. However, anomalous data collected at the Mn edge using a Rap1-DNA crystal soaked in potassium permanganate solution indicated that the DNA conformation in the crystal was compatible with interaction with permanganate ions. Sequence-conservation analysis revealed that double-Myb-containing Rap1 proteins all carry a fully conserved Arg580 at a position that may favour interaction with permanganate ions, although it is not involved in the hypersensitive cytosine distortion. Permanganate reactivity assays with wild-type Rap1 and the Rap1[R580A] mutant demonstrated that Arg580 is essential for hypersensitivity. AFM experiments showed that wild-type Rap1 and the Rap1[R580A] mutant interact with DNA over 16 successive binding sites, leading to local DNA stiffening but not to accumulation of the observed local distortion. Therefore, Rap1 may cause permanganate hypersensitivity of DNA by forming a pocket between the reactive cytosine and Arg580, driving the permanganate ion towards the C5-C6 bond of the cytosine.


Unsaturated fatty acids of the n-6 and n-3 class have been shown to affect tumor growth and metastasis. The very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-3 family, e.g. eicosapentaenoic acids (C20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acids (C22:5n-3), have an inhibiting effect on tumor growth. Metastasis is promoted by n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, e.g. linoleic acid (C18:2n-6) and gamma-linolenic acid (C18:3n-6). The mechanisms of promotion and inhibition are described in the present review. The mechanisms of lipid peroxidation, which appears to be an important factor in the inhibition of tumor growth, are discussed. Lipid peroxidation is induced by polyunsaturated fatty acids involving autoperoxidation a.o. and the enzymes cytochrome P450, cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase. In tumor cells these enzymes are decreased in activity but at present the reason for this reduction is not known. Lipid peroxidation products such as hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETES), hydroperoxy eicosatetraenoic acids (HPETES) and malondialdehyde may have a regulating effect on DNA duplication enzymes (e.g. polymerases). Prostaglandin synthesis in tumor cells and macrophages is also affected by polyunsaturated fatty acids. The fish oil fatty acids are known to reduce prostaglandin synthesis by competing with arachidonic acid for the enzyme cyclooxygenase. However, fish oil fatty acids have an antagonistic effect on cyclooxygenase. Polyunsaturated fatty acids also have an effect on the immune system and particularly on macrophages. Macrophages, but also T-cells and B-cells, are inhibited by prostaglandins such as PGE2, while immunosuppressor cells are stimulated by PGE2