Qualitative methods can be particularly useful approaches to use with individuals who are experiencing a rare disease and thus who comprise a small sample (such as children with cancer) and are at points in care that few experience (such as end of life). This data-based methods article describes how findings from a qualitative study were used to guide and shape a pediatric oncology palliative care intervention. Qualitative data can lay a strong foundation for subsequent pilot intervention work by facilitating the development of an underlying study conceptualization, providing recruitment feasibility estimates, helping establish clinically meaningful inclusion criteria, establishing staff acceptability of a research intervention, and providing support for face validity of newly developed interventions. These benefits of preliminary qualitative research are described in the context of this study on legacy-making, which involves reports of children (7-12 years of age) living with advanced cancer and of their parent caregivers.


This paper designs a class of generalized density function and from which proposed a solution method for the multivariable nonlinear optimization problem based on MCMC statistical sampling. Theoretical analysis proved that the maximum statistic converge to the maximum point of probability density which establishing links between the optimization and MCMC sampling. This statistical computation algorithm demonstrates convergence property of maximum statistics in large samples and it is global search design to avoid on local optimal solution restrictions. The MCMC optimization algorithm has less iterate variables reserved so that the computing speed is relatively high. Finally, the MCMC sampling optimization algorithm is applied to solve TSP problem and compared with genetic algorithms.


Five-layered Al/Al-Cu functionally graded material (FGM) was fabricated by powder metallurgy technology. The microstructure and composition of the prepared specimen were studied. Vickers hardness, flexural strength and fracture surface morphology were also measured. The results showed that Al/Al-Cu graded material with dense structure and compositional continuous change was obtained by solution-precipitation method. The graded materials presented a compositional continuous change along the graded direction because of the diffusion effect, and the Vickers hardness was liner proportional to the distribution of Cu content. Compared with pure sintered Al, remarkable improvement on hardness and fracture strength was achieved due to the CuAl 2 phase dispersively distributed in the matrix. With the increase of Cu content, the fracture mode changed from tough fracture to the tendency of brittle fracture.


Transportation Synthesis Reports are brief summaries of currently available information on topics of interest to WisDOT staff throughout the department. Online and print sources for TSRs include NCHRP and other TRB programs, AASHTO, the research and practices of other transportation agencies, and related academic and industry research. Internet hyperlinks in TSRs are active at the time of publication, but changes on the host server can make them obsolete. To request a TSR, e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com or call (608) 267-6977.


Epidemiological studies indicate that obstructive sleep apnoea is a strong risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease but the mechanisms of the risk remain unclear. We developed a method of modelling obstructive sleep apnoea in mice that replicates key features of human obstructive sleep apnoea: altered breathing during sleep, sleep disruption, moderate intermittent hypoxemia and cognitive impairment. When we induced obstructive sleep apnoea in a familial Alzheimer's disease model, the mice displayed exacerbation of cognitive impairment and pathological features of Alzheimer's disease, including increased levels of amyloid-beta and inflammatory markers, as well as selective degeneration of cholinergic basal forebrain neurons. These pathological features were not induced by chronic hypoxia or sleep disruption alone. Our results also revealed that the neurodegeneration was mediated by the oxygen-sensitive p75 neurotrophin receptor and hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha activity. Furthermore, restoring blood oxygen levels during sleep to prevent intermittent hypoxia prevented the pathological changes induced by the OSA. These findings provide a signalling mechanism by which obstructive sleep apnoea induces cholinergic basal forebrain degeneration and could thereby increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, as well as providing a rationale for testing a range of possible prophylactic treatment options for people with obstructive sleep apnoea and hypoxia including increased compliance of continuous positive airway pressure therapy.


The corrugated horn antenna is widely used for the evaluation of transmission lines in electron cyclotron resonant heating systems, but little is known about the intensity and phase of its radiation profile over a wide frequency range. This paper is concerned with the development of a full D-band (110 170 GHz) corrugated horn antenna. The antenna was designed based on electromagnetic simulation codes for the finite element method and the method of moment. To verify these numerical simulations, a low-power test system was established, and its dynamic power range was defined for the precise measurement of antenna radiation. The fabricated antenna was measured and analyzed with basic Gaussian optics for a number of frequencies throughout the D-band. The measured radiation profiles are Gaussian-like and agree well with the numerical simulations. The radiated intensity pattern is slightly elliptical in the lower frequency range, as unwanted higher-order modes arose at the corrugated mode conversion section and generated the elliptical radiation pattern. The evolutions of the antenna radiation do not correspond with those expected by basic Gaussian optics.


Modelling and simulation of social interaction and networks are of high interest in multiple disciplines and fields of application ranging from fundamental social sciences to smart city management. Future smart city infrastructures and management are characterised by adaptive and self-organising control using real-world sensor data. In this work, humans are considered as sensors. Virtual worlds, e.g., simulations and games, are commonly closed and rely on artificial social behaviour and synthetic sensor information generated by the simulator program or using data collected off-line by surveys. In contrast, real worlds have a higher diversity. Agent-based modelling relies on parameterised models. The selection of suitable parameter sets is crucial to match real-world behaviour. In this work, a framework combining agent-based simulation with crowd sensing and social data mining using mobile agents is introduced. The crowd sensing via chat bots creates augmented virtuality and reality by augmenting the simulated worlds with real-world interaction and vice versa. The simulated world interacts with real-world environments, humans, machines, and other virtual worlds in real-time. Among the mining of physical sensors (e.g., temperature, motion, position, and light) of mobile devices like smartphones, mobile agents can perform crowd sensing by participating in question–answer dialogues via a chat blog (provided by smartphone Apps or integrated into WEB pages and social media). Additionally, mobile agents can act as virtual sensors (offering data exchanged with other agents) and create a bridge between virtual and real worlds. The ubiquitous usage of digital social media has relevant impact on social interaction, mobility, and opinion-making, which has to be considered. Three different use-cases demonstrate the suitability of augmented agent-based simulation for social network analysis using parameterised behavioural models and mobile agent-based crowd sensing. This paper gives a rigorous overview and introduction of the challenges and methodologies used to study and control large-scale and complex socio-technical systems using agent-based methods.


Research indicates that immigrant women have lower levels of English than men in English speaking regions including Canada. In Canada, Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) is a government-funded language program which assists immigrants in improving their language levels. However, immigrant women face a number of barriers to accessing this program. These barriers suggest that LINC does not successfully accommodate immigrant women's diverse gender-based roles. This study examines the barriers that exist including the barriers reported by four Spanish speaking female immigrants. With the help of LINC key informants, this study suggests that the LINC Home Study program, a distance study program, any assist women who are unable to use the in-class LINC course to improve their English language level.


An historic assessment was required to inform a planning application for the conversion of a Methodist church at Barton Road, Worsley, Manchester, to a residential dwelling. The church is on a Local List of Heritage Assets for Salford, and lies within the Worsley Village conservation area, but is not a designated heritage asset of national significance in its own right according to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS 2010). The Historic Assessment has been undertaken by Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) at the request of RA Fisk and Associates.
In 1801 John Burgess leased a small plot of land (44 x 35 feet and 39 x 39 feet, totalling 171 sq yds) which was large enough for a chapel and for some additional cottages to accommodate preachers. The original chapel of 1801 was provided with a Sunday school to the east in 1814 and then a long school room to the south before 1876 (perhaps 1855). The school room did not last for long, however, being removed in 1878 to make space for the extension of the chapel and the erection of a new large school building. The chapel may have been given a new facade in 1865, but it was certainly in place by 1889. The roof of the Sunday school, which originally had been gabled at the northern end, was modified at some point between 1889 and 1961 and converted to a mansard roof with a central dormer window.
From both documentary and archaeological evidence it is evident that a substantial portion of the pre-1878 chapel survives to the present day. In addition, parts of the 1855 school building may also survive, although it has been substantially altered. The chapel's extension and the new school room of 1878 are also clearly evident in the surviving structure, with the interior of the chapel probably being attributable to this date. Of note is the survival of the pipe organ at the southern end of the chapel, parts of which may date to as early as 1830. Worsley Methodist Chapel lies within the Worsley Village Conservation Area, an area formally protected through the planning system for its special architectural and historic interest. Its immediate surroundings include a number of late eighteenth and nineteenth century houses, which line the south-western side of Barton Road. The wider industrial context of the village is revealed by the remains of an eighteenth century lime kiln that is located opposite the church, on the northern side of the Worsley Brook, and the Bridgewater Canal beyond. Generally, the building is in reasonable condition and exhibits no signs of water damage or ingress associated with poor maintenance, however, the flooring in the school room has buckled and is in need of attention.
The church has been assessed for its importance as a heritage asset. It has been locally listed for its social and communal value, along side its Aesthetic and Group values. Although the church itself may be assessed to be of Local/Borough significance, its inclusion within the Worsley Village Conservation Area means that it must be attributed a Regional/County significance for its contribution to the areas distinctive character.


The network capacity expansion problem is a key network optimization problem practitioners regularly face. There is an uncertainty associated with the future traffic demand, which we address using a scenario-based robust optimization approach. In most literature on network design, the costs are assumed to be linear functions of the added capacity, which is not true in practice. To address this, two non-linear cost functions are investigated: (i) a linear cost with a fixed charge that is triggered if any arc capacity is modified, and (ii) its generalization to piecewise-linear costs. The resulting mixed-integer programming model is developed with the objective of minimizing the costs.
Numerical experiments were carried out for networks taken from the SNDlib database. We show that networks of realistic sizes can be designed using non-linear cost functions on a standard computer in a practical amount of time within negligible suboptimality. Although solution times increase in comparison to a linear-cost or to a non-robust model, we find solutions to be beneficial in practice. We further illustrate that including additional scenarios follows the law of diminishing returns, indicating that little is gained by considering more than a handful of scenarios. Finally, we show that the results of a robust optimization model compare favourably to the traditional deterministic model optimized for the best-case, expected, or worst-case traffic demand, suggesting that it should be used whenever computationally feasible.


In the present study, we demonstrate that parietal patients with visual extinction show enhanced awareness when there is a match between the current contents of their working memory and the stimuli presented in the visual field. This effect cannot be attributed to automatic bottom-up priming from the presentation of a memory cue, because extinction was reduced only when patients committed the cue to memory, and not when primes were viewed passively or merely identified. The results suggest that reentrant processes, from working memory, modulate awareness.


The principle of fairness advocates against international double taxation and international double non-taxation. Countries and
international organizations (OECD, G20 and EU) have taken several initiatives against such taxation. However, these initiatives are
not always effective. Also, certain legal authors question the legitimacy of the OECD and its action plan on BEPS. The essential goal of
this research is to find guidelines to address international double (non-) taxation. We first argue that the principle of fairness is reflected
in the legal principles of proportionality, non-discrimination and the rule of law. Subsequently, we derive guidelines from these
principles. We address the research question by reference to these principles as enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights
(ECHR) and in the constitutional orders of Belgium, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Our main conclusion is that excessive
international double taxation and unintended international double non-taxation do not sit well with a comprehensive approach as
advocated by the legal principles. We also argue that the rule of law requires the national states to guarantee the balancing of all
relevant national interests through in-depth parliamentary debate. Finally, we submit that cross-pollination between international
organizations and national parliaments would contribute to the legitimacy of those organizations.


Physalis cultivation can be an alternative of extra income for small and medium producers, mainly with the use of materials available on the property that can replace chemical fertilizer. This study aimed to evaluate agronomic parameters of Physalis peruviana and P. pubescens submitted two different sources of fertilization - chemical and organic. We evaluated plant height, shoot dry mass, production/plant, fruits diameter and weight and productivity. The organic fertilization provided better results for vegetative parameters. Regarding production, fertilization resulted in increase in mass, with no significant difference between sources. In the production of fruits/plant we obtained 156.2 g, 274.6 and 355.5 g for unfertilized, chemical and organic fertilizers, respectively, without significant differences between species. The productivity estimates were 2,370, 1,831 and 1,041 kg ha-1, for organic, mineral and unfertilized treatments, respectively. These results demonstrate that organic fertilizer with poultry manure is the best alternative as a source of nutrients, which may result in gains to the producer by the use of originated waste from other activities, as well as lower environmental contamination, either by improper disposal of waste or the use of chemical fertilizers.

 Key words: Nitrogen, nutrition, poultry litter, production, Solanaceae


Divisible load applications consist of an amount of data and associated computation that can be divided arbitrarily into any number of independent pieces. This model is a good approximation of many real-world scientific applications, lends itself to a natural master-worker implementation, and has thus received a lot of attention. The critical issue of divisible load scheduling has been studied extensively in previous work. However, only a few authors have explored the simultaneous scheduling of multiple such applications on a distributed computing platform. We focus on this increasingly relevant scenario and make the following contributions. We use a novel and more realistic platform model that captures some of the fundamental network properties of grid platforms. We formulate the steady-state multi-application scheduling problem as a linear program that expresses a notion of fairness between applications. This scheduling problem is NP-complete and we propose several heuristics that we evaluate and compare via extensive simulation experiments. Our main finding is that some of our heuristics can achieve performance close to the optimal and we quantify the trade-offs between achieved performance and heuristic complexity.


Pediatrics and epidemiology are two specialties of medicine with independent training. The pediatrician is trained in a clinical setting with practice and theoretical knowledge throughout several years in an accredited hospital, whereas the epidemiologist is trained in a more theoretical basis with field works as its practice. Nevertheless, the pediatrician constantly uses the epidemiological method although he or she may not be aware of this. The purpose of this paper is to explain in a very short way, the relationship between both disciplines. Aspects of descriptive, analytic and experimental epidemiology are given.


This paper considers budget expansions and adjustments in OECD countries in the last three decades. Our main results are: i) on average fiscal expansions are the results of increases in expenditures, particularly of transfer programs, while contractions are typically due to tax increases; ii) however successful (i.e. long lasting), a minority of the total rely primarily on reduction of government wages and employment and cuts in transfer programs; iii) even major successful fiscal adjustments do not seem to have recessionary consequences, on average; iv) different types of governments show different degrees of success at implementing successful fiscal adjustment, with coalition governments showing the worst performance.


Infrared time-resolved interferometric transmission measurements have been performed on one dimensional porous silicon Fibonacci quasicrystals, obtained by electrochemical etching a p-type Si substrate, to address experimentally the problem of light transport and localization in deterministic aperiodic structures. Coherent beatings, pulse stretching and strong pulse delay on a picosecond time scale have been measured when the laser wavelength was tuned at the onedimensional band-edge of a 233-layers Fibonacci quasicrystal where quasi-localized states exist. The observation of these dramatic pulse distortion effects demonstrates the selective excitation of very-narrow localized optical modes. One dimensional transfer matrix and scattering states simulations yield the electromagnetic field distribution inside the structure and reproduce these experimental data supporting the general conclusion about the observation of quasi-localized photonics states.


Space mission-related projects are demanding and risky undertakings because of their complexity and cost. Many missions have failed over the years due to anomalies in either the launch vehicle or the spacecraft. Projects of such magnitude with undetected flaws due to ineffective process controls account for huge losses. Such failures continue to occur despite the studies on systems engineering process deficiencies and the state-of-the-art systems engineering practices in place. To further explore the reasons behind majority of the failures, we analyzed the failure data of space missions that happened over the last decade. Based on that information, we studied the launch-related failure events from a design decision-making perspective by employing failure event chain-based framework and identified some dominant cognitive biases that might have impacted the overall system performance leading to unintended catastrophes. The results of the study are presented in this paper.


We present the first realization of a Bragg grating apodization based on a concatenation of different duty cycles. The gratings were fabricated in SiON planar waveguides. The reflected signal exhibits a sidelobe suppression better than -20 dB outside a bandwidth of 1.36 nm. At the same time the reflection is stronger than 99.9%, i.e., the resonant light is suppressed better than -30 dB in transmission over 0.22 nm. The gratings are perfectly suited to serve as the wavelength-selective element of a Mach-Zehnder add/drop filter.


Heat stress has negative effects on biological defense mechanisms such as the immune response in chickens, and organs of the immune system, such as the spleen, are atrophied by heat stress in broiler chickens. In order to assess heat stress-induced functional changes of immune mechanisms in the spleen of broiler chickens, expression of genes encoding splenic cytokines (Th1 type, Th2 type, and pro-inflammatory cytokines) was analyzed. Heat exposure at 34°C for 15 days significantly induced the spleen involution, increased interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-12 expression and decreased interferon (IFN)-γ. However, expression of IL-6, 10, 13, and 18 was not affected. Heat stress reduced feed intake, which may affect the spleen weight and cytokine expression. Therefore, a pair-fed group at 24°C (24PF) was included in which chickens received the same amount of feed as those in the group at 34°C. Spleen weight was not affected by the reduction in feed intake. IL-4 expression in the 24PF group was higher than that in the control group. Further, IFN-γ expression increased and IL-12 expression was not affected by the reduction of feed intake, suggesting that the feed intake reduction induced by heat stress does not modulate splenic cytokine expression in broiler chickens. These data suggest that heat stress induces spleen involution and affects the expression of splenic cytokines such as IL-12 and IFN-γ in broiler chickens, but not through the feed intake reduction.


Soil-transmitted helminths, including hookworms and whipworms, infect billions of people worldwide. Their capacity to penetrate and migrate through their hosts' tissues is influenced by the suite of molecules produced by the infective developmental stages. To facilitate a better understanding of the immunobiology and pathogenicity of human hookworms and whipworms, we investigated the metabolomes of the infective stage of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis third-stage larvae (L3) which penetrate the skin and Trichuris muris eggs which are orally ingested, using untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). We identified 55 polar metabolites through Metabolomics Standard Initiative level-1 (MSI-I) identification from N. brasiliensis and T. muris infective stages, out of which seven were unique to excretory/secretory products (ESPs) of N. brasiliensis L3. Amino acids were a principal constituent (33 amino acids). Additionally, we identified 350 putative lipids, out of which 28 (all known lipids) were unique to N. brasiliensis L3 somatic extract and four to T. muris embryonated egg somatic extract. Glycerophospholipids and glycerolipids were the major lipid groups. The catalogue of metabolites identified in this study shed light on the biology, and possible therapeutic and diagnostic targets for the treatment of these critical infectious pathogens. Moreover, with the growing body of literature on the therapeutic utility of helminth ESPs for treating inflammatory diseases, a role for metabolites is likely but has received little attention thus far.


The design and development of today's dental implants has been an evolving process based on scientific research, clinician input, and manufacturers' ingenuity. One new addition to the dental implant armamentarium, the NobelActive implant, was introduced worldwide by NobelBiocare approximately 2 years ago. While many of the design features of the NobelActive implant are found individually in other dental implants, the implant's combination of external and internal design characteristics provides for unique handling and applications in many difficult clinical situations. Although the NobelActive implant can be used in most all clinical situations, its design allows for high levels of initial stability even in situations with low density or compromised bone, making it a good implant choice for immediate extraction, immediate implant placement, and immediate load cases, as well as cases with less-than-ideal qualities and quantities of bone. In addition, the implant has the ability to be redirected if less-than-ideal implant placement occurs at the time of implant insertion, maximizing the potential prosthetic outcomes. Prosthetically, the implant has features designed to minimize crestal bone loss and maximize gingival architecture, while minimizing the prosthetic components and instrumentation. This article discusses the characteristics of the NobelActive implant in detail and employs case presentations to illustrate its clinical use.


The main focus of this research is to analyze and identify opportunities for developing community-based creative tourism in Bintan. Data analysis was performed by understanding and compiling both primary and secondary data that had been systematically collected. The results of the data  analysis in this study were to create the concept of community-based creative tourism in Bintan based on its potential by developing creative zones based on seven creative sectors in Bintan with sustainable concepts and community empowerment to attract tourists, especially tourists from Singapore because the location of Bintan with Singapore is quite close and strategic. This is certainly an opportunity that must be utilized in terms of attracting foreign tourists visiting Singapore as well as foreign tourists from Singapore itself. It is also expected to increase the number of tourist visits to Indonesia, especially in Bintan.


Specific effects of serotonin, histamine, noradrenaline and tyramine on the rate of lipid peroxidation were studied in model systems by means of measurement of malonic dialdehyde and Schiff base concentration as well as of kinetics of O2 consumption. Alterations in the lipid peroxidation rate in the presence of biogenic amines occurred dissimilarly depending on localization of oxidation substrates either in bilayer membranes or in micellar solution. The antioxidative effect of serotonin was the most pronounced as a result of its ability to react with lipid peroxidation radicals.


This paper explores how the material selection matrix is used in a materials and sustainability course. The matrix encourages the students to articulate material selection requirements to become more competent in exploring new materials and selecting materials for a given design task. The study indicates that students focus on technical requirements when using the matrix and justifying their selection of materials. This is surprising since the students attend an arts and crafts oriented design school and are encouraged and guided to consider non-technical requirements, as part of the course where the matrix is introduced. A possible reason for the undesired behavior could be that students are allowed very freely to define their own matrices, having only little guidance to which requirements to use. A more formal procedure for making the material matrices is therefore proposed. The procedure requires students to use a fixed number of technical, experiential and sustainability oriented requirements.


We report on a combined experimental and theoretical study of the adsorption of the paramagnetic organic radical 2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-3-carboxypyrrolidine nitroxide (3-carboxyproxyl, 3CP) on a Cu(110) surface. Information from scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy, and periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveals important insights into the nature of the molecule−metal interface. We find that the molecule is robustly anchored to the surface via the formation of two Cu−O bonds between the carboxylate functionality and specific short-bridge adsorption sites on the Cu(110) surface. The adsorbed organic radicals appear in STM as discrete entities on the surface and can be imaged with submolecular resolution. We observe a tendency for local 2D ordering. Importantly, 3CP molecules adopt a preferred site, dictated by the strong interaction of the carboxylate groups and the steric repulsion of the methyl groups with the surface which orient the molecular ...


The e-government program aims to provide government services to citizens through different channels. One of these channels is mobile government that develops on the basis of traditional e-government. Mobile government affords a new method to improve government effectiveness and economy of public services. In the context of Jordan, mobile service is the most prevalent among the various segments of the society and powerful way for the deployment of government services with ease. Therefore, there is a real need for the transformation from egovernment to mobile government services. This paper will review mobile government application in Jordan which includes; the concept of mobile government, challenges of mobile government implementation, advantages of mobile government, and provide different cases of m-government applications applied in the globe scale.


Oral cancer pain is attributed to the release from cancers of mediators that sensitize and activate sensory neurons. Intraplantar injection of conditioned media (CM) from human tongue cancer cell line HSC‐3 or OSC‐20 evokes nociceptive behavior. By contrast, CM from noncancer cell lines, DOK, and HaCaT are non‐nociceptive. Pain mediators are carried by extracellular vesicles (EVs) released from cancer cells. Depletion of EVs from cancer cell line CM reverses mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. CM from non‐nociceptive cell lines become nociceptive when reconstituted with HSC‐3 EVs. Two miRNAs (hsa‐miR‐21‐5p and hsa‐miR‐221‐3p) are identified that are present in increased abundance in EVs from HSC‐3 and OSC‐20 CM compared to HaCaT CM. The miRNA target genes suggest potential involvement in oral cancer pain of the toll like receptor 7 (TLR7) and 8 (TLR8) pathways, as well as signaling through interleukin 6 cytokine family signal transducer receptor (gp130, encoded by IL6ST) and colony stimulating factor receptor (G‐CSFR, encoded by CSF3R), Janus kinase and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK/STAT3). These studies confirm the recent discovery of the role of cancer EVs in pain and add to the repertoire of algesic and analgesic cancer pain mediators and pathways that contribute to oral cancer pain.


The source of objective meaning is a controversial topic. For most of human history, religion had a monopoly on meaning, truth, and values. But from the nineteenth century onwards and with relativism gaining more popularity, this began to change, leaving most people divided into two main camps: those who believe in the existence of objective meaning and truth and those who maintain that such concepts simply do not exist. The resulting impossibility of finding shared meaning is very problematic, especially when it comes to intercultural communication. In fact, to speak of communication is to speak of common meaning. In this paper, I attempt to provide a definition for intercultural communication, explore the issue of shared meaning, and propose a culture-free approach to the latter—one that is based on reverting to an axiomatic understanding of the notion of meaning. My aim is to conclude that the failure of both dogmatism and relativism to sustain intercultural communication should not be interpreted pessimistically. Quite the opposite, it should be viewed as an opportunity to investigate other promising alternatives, mainly Sam Harris's science of morality.


This article is an attempt to transmit my own feeling towards the plays of the Theater of the Absurd; to enunciate my own interpretation of the extraordinary significance that I find in them. I only intend to point out my own personal point of view which I consider of fundamental importance in understanding the ultimate purpose of this new artistic representation, a dramatic form which at first glance will perhaps seem utterly absurd.


In many respects, water resources allocation problems have fuzzy characteristics owing to uncertainty and imprecision not only as numerical data but also as linguistic data, in addition to the political nature of resource allocation. All classical techniques require numerical data and cannot treat linguistic data, but fuzzy inference systems (FIS) can deal with both types of data. Hence, it is suitable to reflect the dynamic nature of country benefits, reflective variations in the main drainage and subdrainage basin flows, and various system parameters in search of a coalition among a few riparian countries. The size of core, which is generated from a series of linear programming (LP) optimization models and game theory concepts, shows the potential extra benefit advantage of being in grand coalition to all parties, but it does not provide a sufficient condition to assemble a robust coalition unless an agreeable allocation scheme or principle is provided. In this respect, there is a fuzzy link between being in the grand coalition and percentage share received from a core. Hence, a proper FIS is proposed, and the necessary steps are developed with the Shapley value and the core as game theory methods, which provide a methodological base in the evaluation of possible allocation schemes among the parties. The application of the methodology is presented to search for coalition possibilities among the riparian countries: Turkey, Syria, and Iraq. Basic results are generated over the application of the Inter‐Temporal Euphrates and Tigris River Basin Model, which is an optimization model for the allocation of scarce water resources considering agricultural and urban uses, energy generation, and conveyance costs in the Euphrates‐Tigris basin.


Standard lore has it that a proper name, or a definite description on its de re read- ing, is a temporally rigid designator. It picks out the same entity at every time at which it picks out an entity at all. If the entity in question is an enduring continuant (a 3D object that persists through time by being fully present at different times) then we know what this means, though we are also stuck with a host of metaphysical puzzles concerning endurance itself. If the entity in question is a perdurant (a 4D worm that persists through time by having different parts at different times) then the rigidity claim is trivial, though one is left wondering how it is that different speakers ever manage to pick out one and the same entity when a host of suitable, overlapping candidates are available. But what if the entity in question is neither a continuant nor a perdurant? What if the things we talk about in ordinary language are time-bound entities that cannot truly be said to persist through time, or stage sequences whose unity resides exclu- sively in our minds—like the "wave" at the stadium or the characters of a cartoon? In such cases the rigidity claim can't be right and a counterpart-theoretic semantics seems required. Is that bad? I say it isn't. And it had better not be, if that turns out to be the best metaphysical option we have.


An element [Φ]∈GrnH+,F of the Grassmannian of n-dimensional subspaces of the Hardy space H+=H2, extended over the field F = C(x1, …, xn), may be associated to any polynomial basis ϕ = {ϕ0, ϕ1, ⋯ } for C(x). The Plucker coordinates Sλ,nϕ(x1,…,xn) of [Φ], labeled by partitions λ, provide an analog of Jacobi's bi-alternant formula, defining a generalization of Schur polynomials. Applying the recursion relations satisfied by the polynomial system ϕ to the analog {hi(0)} of the complete symmetric functions generates a doubly infinite matrix hi(j) of symmetric polynomials that determine an element [H]∈Grn(H+,F). This is shown to coincide with [Φ], implying a set of generalized Jacobi identities, extending a result obtained by Sergeev and Veselov [Moscow Math. J. 14, 161–168 (2014)] for the case of orthogonal polynomials. The symmetric polynomials Sλ,nϕ(x1,…,xn) are shown to be KP (Kadomtsev-Petviashvili) τ-functions in terms of the power sums [x] of the xa's, viewed as KP flow variables. A fermionic operator representation is derived for these, as well as for the infinite sums ∑λSλ,nϕ([x])Sλ,nθ(t) associated to any pair of polynomial bases (ϕ, θ), which are shown to be 2D Toda lattice τ-functions. A number of applications are given, including classical group character expansions, matrix model partition functions, and generators for random processes.An element [Φ]∈GrnH+,F of the Grassmannian of n-dimensional subspaces of the Hardy space H+=H2, extended over the field F = C(x1, …, xn), may be associated to any polynomial basis ϕ = {ϕ0, ϕ1, ⋯ } for C(x). The Plucker coordinates Sλ,nϕ(x1,…,xn) of [Φ], labeled by partitions λ, provide an analog of Jacobi's bi-alternant formula, defining a generalization of Schur polynomials. Applying the recursion relations satisfied by the polynomial system ϕ to the analog {hi(0)} of the complete symmetric functions generates a doubly infinite matrix hi(j) of symmetric polynomials that determine an element [H]∈Grn(H+,F). This is shown to coincide with [Φ], implying a set of generalized Jacobi identities, extending a result obtained by Sergeev and Veselov [Moscow Math. J. 14, 161–168 (2014)] for the case of orthogonal polynomials. The symmetric polynomials Sλ,nϕ(x1,…,xn) are shown to be KP (Kadomtsev-Petviashvili) τ-functions in terms of the power sums [x] of the xa's, viewed as KP flow variables. A fermionic operator re...


Three patients, a woman aged 62 and two men aged 22 and 77 years respectively, were admitted because of an unexplained loss of consciousness. In the woman and younger man these complaints were caused by a vasovagal reaction, and in the older man by hypersensitivity of the carotid sinus. In a hospital setting, the examination of patients with a loss of consciousness often leads to discussions between the neurologist and the cardiologist. Elaborate additional testing seldom reveals epilepsy or cardiac arrhythmia as the cause. A thorough medical history can exclude both diagnoses in almost all cases. Physicians should be aware that most patients experience a vasovagal syncope and that this might be triggered by very common circumstances. Knowledge of these triggers and the epidemiology of loss of consciousness might prevent the patients from being examined by different specialists and undergoing unnecessary additional tests.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate a smoking prevention program for adolescents.

METHODS
The program was conducted between 1999 and 2002, in schools of the district of Lisbon, Portugal. The program integrated activities in the school, family and community. This was a longitudinal quasi-experimental study, based on Community Intervention Trial, with randomly defined control conditions (CC) and intervention conditions (IC). A total of four questionnaires were applied in the beginning of the 7th(T1), 8th(T2) and 9th(T3) and in the end of the 9th(T4) school grades, to 1,205 adolescents, aged 13 years on average, of which 57% were girls and 55% were included in the IC. Exposure to prevention activities, psychosocial determinants of smoking and behavior were the variables considered in the evaluation of the program. Variance analysis and logistic regression were used to test the differences between the two study conditions.

RESULTS
IC obtained better results in the smoking psychosocial determinants and in behavior. At the end of the project, 41.8% of participants in the IC and 53.3% of those in the CC had tried tobacco (OR = 0.62; CI95% 0.49;0.80), while those who became regular smokers totaled 8.0% and 12.4%, respectively (OR = 0.59; CI95% 0.40;0.87).

CONCLUSIONS
The program reduced the initiation of smoking and regular smoking. Results appeared in the second year and improved in the third. Effectiveness of smoking prevention programs depends on a continuous implementation throughout adolescence and on the integration of measures aimed to reach adolescents directly and indirectly through their social context (school, family and community).


Dry needling is a widely used technique for the treatment of painful syndromes in the musculature, however, its usefulness is of greater relevance in deep structures, such as the popliteus muscle, as it is more difficult to access. This muscle is heavily involved in knee pathology, being a source of pain and functional impairment, especially secondary to underlying pathologies. The method selected for the observation and study of the soft tissues, by means of imaging tests that do not use ionising radiation, is ultrasound. A cross-sectional observational study is proposed. It will be carried out in a healthy population, during the years 2021 and 2022, observing, by ultrasound, the results of the popliteal puncture technique, recorded by Mayoral del Moral et al. A popliteus muscle needle reach of 92% was achieved with this technique, in 48 of 50 patients. The results of the present cross-sectional observational study in living subjects, support that the popliteal puncture, described by Mayoral et al. is a reliable and safe approach, when performed with a 0.30 × 50 mm needle, and no adverse reactions or punctures of the vascular-nerve structures have been reported during the interventions.


Sirolimus is an immunosuppressive medication used in transplant recipients. To our knowledge, we describe the third reported case of alveolar hemorrhage in association with sirolimus. Fever, dyspnea, hemoptysis, and lung infiltrates resolved rapidly with cessation of sirolimus therapy both initially and after reinstitution of the drug. Unlike previous reports, our patient had no evidence of lymphocytic alveolitis but rather marked macrophage hemosiderosis, suggesting that sirolimus pulmonary toxicity may manifest through 2 separate mechanisms. Our case highlights an uncommon but potentially lethal manifestation of sirolimus pulmonary toxicity.


This monograph takes on "modern art" as the location of modernity. This subject, in my view, holds potential for a productive multi-logue and not just a dialogue, between three binary socio-cultural categories: child and adult, normal and mad, and colonisers and colonised. Modern art raises very interesting questions, and as an area that is often ignored in the analysis of law and science, it forms a powerful field for exploring both, as well as their intersections. Exploring the psychology of colonisation/domination is an important objective of this monograph. In order to get at it, the monograph imbibes Appadurai, Foucault, and Nandy as offering complementary stances on modernity and subsequent globalisation of intra- European relations after the industrial revolution. In doing so the author relates aspects of semiotic theory by looking at theories of myth. This monograph concludes by applying their relevance to the strategy of signification deployed by International law and relations.


OBJECTIVE:We hypothesized that patients with unruptured arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) at presentation have an increased risk of deterioration compared with patients with ruptured AVMs. METHODS:A consecutive series of 224 patients treated microsurgically by a single neurosurgeon during a period of 6.4 years was analyzed. Initial hemorrhagic presentation was the primary predictor variable. Neurological outcomes were assessed by use of the Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) and Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), and logistic regression identified predictors of deterioration at follow-up (mean duration, 1.3 yr) relative to baseline before any intervention. RESULTS:Overall, 120 patients (54%) presented with hemorrhage, and all 224 patients underwent microsurgical resection. Complete resection was achieved in 220 patients (98%). According to GOS score, 13 patients (5.8%) deteriorated; according to MRS score, 45 patients (20.1%) deteriorated. Fifteen patients (6.7%) died. Hemorrhagic presentation was associated with improved outcomes, with a mean change in MRS score of +0.89 in patients with ruptured AVMs and −0.38 in patients with unruptured AVMs (P < 0.001). The final mean MRS scores in patients with unruptured AVMs were better than those in patients with ruptured AVMs (1.44 versus 1.90; P = 0.048). Presentation with an unruptured AVM was a predictor of worsening MRS score (odds ratio, 2.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.3–4.3; P = 0.006) but not of worsening GOS score. CONCLUSION:Presentation with AVM hemorrhage is an underappreciated predictor of outcome after therapy that includes microsurgical resection. Patients with ruptured AVMs tended to have deficits at presentation and generally improved after surgery, whereas patients with unruptured AVMs tended to have normal or nearly normal neurological function at presentation and were susceptible to worsening, albeit slight, as measured by MRS scores. Sensitive outcome measures such as MRS detect subtle symptoms and impairments missed by coarser measures such as GOS. Patients should be counseled that the risks associated with elective resection of unruptured AVMs may be higher than recognized previously. Hemorrhagic brain injury and its secondary effects may mask this surgical morbidity.


Objectives The objectives of this study are: (1) to estimate the prevalence of unmet need for family planning among married women using Botswana Family Health Survey 2007 data and (2) to identify risk factors for unmet need for family planning among married women. Design This study used secondary data from a cross-sectional survey that was conducted to provide a snapshot of health issues in Botswana. Setting Nationally representative population survey data. Participants 2601 married or in union women aged 15–49 years who participated in the 2007 Botswana Family Health Survey were included in the analysis. Primary outcome Unmet need for family planning, which was defined as the percentage of all fecund married women who are not using a method of contraception even though they do not want to get pregnant. Results Married women who had unmet need for family planning were 9.6% in 2007. Most of the unmet need was for limiting (6.7%) compared to spacing (2.9%). Unmet need for family planning was more likely to be among women whose partners disapproved of family planning, non-Christians, had one partner and had never discussed family planning with their partner. Women of low parity, aged 25–34 years, and greater exposure to mass media, were less likely to have experienced unmet need. The patterns and magnitude of covariates differed between unmet need for limiting and for spacing. Conclusions The prevalence of unmet need for family planning was low in Botswana compared to other sub-Saharan African countries. The findings from this study reemphasise the importance of women's empowerment and men's involvement in women's sexual and reproductive healthcare needs and services. Different approaches are needed to satisfy the demand for family planning for spacing and limiting.


This paper analyses the use of global strategies by intemational advertising agencies. 1t uses Y旬's (1 989, 1992) conceptualization of global strategy as a multi-dimensional construct composed of a number of elements which he termed ' global levers'. The paper examines each ofthese levers in turn seeking to uncover which components of global strategy are being adopted and how are they being implemented by the agencies. This paper supplements a previous working paper in this same series. 1n that paper the extant literature regarding theories and definitions of globalisation and global strategy was examined. The terms were clearly defined for the purpose of this study. Additionally Y旬's 4企amework for global strategy's was introduced and the methodology of the overall study was presented. 1n the previous paper the forces pushing globalisation (in Y旬's terminology the 'global drivers') facing the advertising industry were identified. It was syggested that market drivers were the predominant force impacting the industry and cost, government and competitive drivers had a limited inf1uence. 1n this paper th己 anticipated effect of the global drivers facing the advertising industry are presented. A number of propositions are developed regarding the expects the use of each of the 'global levers'. Based on interviews with senior executives in the international advertising agencies the actual use of each globallaver is then discussed. The anticipated and actual results are then compared and conclusions drawn regarding the efficacy of Y旬's framework as a predictive modal. Three distinct 'typologies' of agency emerge, each following a differing overall approach in response to the industry globalisation drivers. It is suggested that the reason for the altemate strategic approaches is related largely to the administrative heritage of each organization. The paper concludes by suggesting areas for further research.


Background Community engagement can make a substantial difference in health outcomes and strengthen the capacity to deal with disruptive public health events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media platforms such as Facebook are a promising avenue to reach the broader public and enhance access to clinical and translational science, and require further evaluation from the scientific community. Objective This study aims to describe the use of live community events to enhance communication about clinical and health research through a Facebook platform case study (Minnesota [MN] Research Link) with a Minnesota statewide community. We examined variables associated with video engagement including video length and type of posting. Methods From June 2019 to February 2021, MN Research Link streamed 38 live community events on its public Facebook page, MN Research Link. Live community events highlighted different investigators' clinical and health research in the areas of mental health, health and wellness, chronic diseases, and immunology/infectious diseases. Facebook analytics were used to determine the number of views, total minutes viewed, engagement metrics, and audience retention. An engagement rate was calculated by the total number of interactions (likes, shares, and comments) divided by the total length of the live event by the type of live community event. Results The 38 live community events averaged 23 minutes and 1 second in duration. The total time viewed for all 38 videos was 10 hours, 44 minutes, and 40 seconds. Viewers' watch time averaged 23 seconds of content per video. After adjusting for video length, promotional videos and research presentations had the highest engagement and retention rates. Events that included audience participation did not have higher retention rates compared to events without audience participation. Conclusions The use of live community events showed adequate levels of engagement from participants. A view time of 23 seconds on average per video suggests that short informational videos engage viewers of clinical and translational science content. Live community events on Facebook can be an effective method of advancing health promotion and clinical and translational science content; however, certain types of events have more impact on engagement than others.


Abstract Adding hydrogen to the fuel in a direct injection natural gas engine offers the potential significantly to reduce local and global air pollutant emissions. This work reports on the effects of fuelling a heavy-duty engine with late-cycle direct injection of blended hydrogen—methane fuels and diesel pilot ignition over a range of engine operating conditions. The effect of hydrogen on the combustion event varies with operating condition, providing insight into the fundamental factors limiting the combustion process. Combustion stability is enhanced at all conditions studied; this leads directly to a significant reduction in emissions of combustion byproducts, including carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and unburned fuel. Carbon dioxide emissions are also significantly reduced by the lower carbon—energy ratio of the fuel. The results suggest that this technique can significantly reduce both local and global pollutant emissions associated with heavy-duty transport applications while requiring minimal changes to the fuelling system.


New ligands for imidazoline receptors are described so that these receptors can be more fully explored and understood. BU224, (2-(4,5-dihydroimidaz-2-yl)-quinoline, shows high affinity and is selective for the imidazoline-2 (I2) class of receptors. BU224 was tested in the rat Porsolt forced swim paradigm where it was found to decrease time spent immobile and increase the time spent swimming, consistent with an antidepressant profile. BU224 was tritiated and, in radioligand binding studies, was found to label a single population of saturable sites with high affinity. In vitro brain autoradiography with [3H]BU224 also showed a pattern of distribution similar to the known labeling of I2 receptors. A new series of four 2BFI (2-(benzofuranyl)-2-imidazoline) derivatives were investigated as potential ligands for imaging brain I2 receptors using positron emission tomography (PET). At least two, BU20012 and BU20013, retained high affinity and moderate selectivity and penetrated the brain when administered peripherally in the mouse. 2BFI has undergone the Mannich reaction to immobilized diaminodipropyl amine to fabricate an affinity column, which was used to isolate a protein from rabbit brain; this protein was sequenced and identified as the enzyme creatine kinase.


This work aims at developing compact readout electronics for a compact imaging detector module with silicon photomultiplier (SPM) array. The detector module consists of a LYSO crystal array coupling with a SensL's 4x4 SPM array. A compact multiplexed readout based on a discretized positioning circuit (DPC) was developed to reduce the readout channels from 16 to 4 outputs. Different LYSO crystal arrays of 4x4, 8x8 and 12x12 with pixel sizes of 3.2, 1.6 and 1.0 mm respectively, have been tested with the compact readout board using a Cs-137 source. The initial results show that the compact imaging detector module with the compact multiplexed readout could clearly resolve 1 mmx1 mmx10 mm LYSO scintillation crystal array except those at the edges. The detector's intrinsic spatial resolution up to 1 mm can be achieved with the 3 mmx3 mm size SPMArray4 through light sharing and compact multiplexed readout. Our results indicate that this detector module is feasible for the development of high-resolution compact PET.


The Dispute Settlement (DS) system is a central feature of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement. This compulsory and binding two-level mechanism for the adjudication of disputes between WTO Members is the most active among international courts. The functioning of the DS system has attractive research interest among both lawyers and economists. This paper reports some descriptive statistics of the working of the DS system based on the recently updated Horn and Mavroidis WTO Dispute Settlement Data Set. The data set covers all 426 WTO disputes initiated through the official filing of a Request for Consultations from January 1, 1995, until August 11, 2011, and for these disputes it includes events occurring until July 28, 2011. There are in total approximately 67 000 observations. Each dispute is followed through its legal life via the panel stage, the Appellate Body stage, through to the implementation stage. The paper provides information on fundamental aspects of the use of the DS system, such as: • How active have the different countries been as complainants and as respondents? • Which agreements and which provisions are most commonly cited? • How are the adjudicating panels composed? • How successful have the different participants been?


This paper describes an empirical study undertaken to investigate the quantitative aspects of the phenomenon of requirements elaboration which deals with the transformation of high-level goals into low-level requirements. Prior knowledge of the magnitude of requirements elaboration is instrumental in developing early estimates of a project's cost and schedule. This study examines the data on capability goals and capability requirements of 20 real-client, MS-student, team projects done at USC. Metrics for data collection and analysis are described along with the utility of the results they produce. These results suggest some relationship between the nature of projects and the size of requirements elaboration.


Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a potent antifibrotic cytokine that blocks tubular epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by TGF-beta1. However, the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. This study investigated the signaling events that lead to HGF blockade of the TGF-beta1-initiated EMT. Incubation of human kidney epithelial cells HKC with HGF only marginally affected the expression of TGF-beta1 and its type I and type II receptors, suggesting that disruption of TGF-beta1 signaling likely plays a critical role in mediating HGF inhibition of TGF-beta1 action. However, HGF neither affected TGF-beta1-induced Smad-2 phosphorylation and its subsequent nuclear translocation nor influenced the expression of inhibitory Smad-6 and -7 in tubular epithelial cells. HGF specifically induced the expression of Smad transcriptional co-repressor SnoN but not Ski and TG-interacting factor at both mRNA and protein levels in HKC cells. SnoN physically interacted with activated Smad-2 by forming transcriptionally inactive complex and overrode the profibrotic action of TGF-beta1. In vivo, HGF did not affect Smad-2 activation and its nuclear accumulation in tubular epithelium, but it restored SnoN protein abundance in the fibrotic kidney in obstructive nephropathy. Hence, HGF blocks EMT by antagonizing TGF-beta1's action via upregulating Smad transcriptional co-repressor SnoN expression. These findings not only identify a novel mode of interaction between the signals activated by HGF receptor tyrosine kinase and TGF-beta receptor serine/threonine kinases but also illustrate the feasibility of confining Smad activity as an effective strategy for blocking renal fibrosis.


Acetoin, a novel C4 platform molecule derived from new ABE (acetoin–butanol–ethanol) type fermentation via metabolic engineering, was used for the first time as a bio-based building block for the production of liquid hydrocarbon fuels. A series of diesel or jet fuel range C9–C14 straight, branched, or cyclic alkanes were produced in excellent yields by means of C–C coupling followed by hydrodeoxygenation reactions. Hydroxyalkylation/alkylation of acetoin with 2-methylfuran was investigated over a series of solid acid catalysts. Among the investigated candidates, zirconia supported trifluoromethanesulfonic acid showed the highest activity and stability. In the aldol condensation step, a basic ionic liquid [H3N+–CH2–CH2–OH][CH3COO−] was identified as an efficient and recyclable catalyst for the reactions of acetoin with furan based aldehydes. The scope of the process has also been studied by reacting acetoin with other aldehydes, and it was found that abnormal condensation products were formed from the reactions of acetoin with aromatic aldehydes through an aldol condensation–pinacol rearrangement route when amorphous aluminium phosphate was used as a catalyst. And the final hydrodeoxygenation step could be achieved by using a simple and handy Pd/C + H-beta zeolite system, and no or a negligible amount of oxygenates was observed after the reaction. Excellent selectivity was also observed using the present system, and the clean formation of hydrocarbons with a narrow distribution of alkanes occurred in most cases.


The aim of this study was to determine how climatic (North Atlantic Oscillation winter index, NAO, December through March), oceanographic (upwelling intensity, turbulence, water col- umn stability and larval offshore transport) and biotic (adult abundance) factors affect recruitment success of Sardina pilchardus off the northwest coast of the Iberian peninsula. Annual sardine juve- nile landings in the port of Vigo (Spain) from 1980 to 2000 were used as an indicator of sardine recruitment success. Ekman transport along the x-axis (Qx) in February (QxF), from March to April (QxMA), from May to August over the preceding year (QxMJJA), and NAO explained 86% of the variance observed in catches of sardine juveniles. Due to the north-south orientation of the west coast of the Iberian peninsula, upwelling intensity and larval drift offshore are higher the lower the Qx. Landings of sardine juveniles were higher in those years with moderate QxF, high QxMA, low QxMJJA and low NAO values. There was a dome-shaped relationship between sardine juvenile landings and QxF. Under both high and low Qx conditions, the upper layer is strongly mixed. There- fore, the reduced recruitment success observed at both high and low QxF values could be due to a stratified upper layer in February enhancing primary production during the spring bloom and, hence, larval food availability. As March and April are the main spawning periods for sardine in this area, the reduced sardine recruitment success observed as QxMA decreased was probably due to the transport offshore of eggs and larvae. In this area the main upwelling season is from May to August. Therefore, the positive relationship between upwelling intensity from May to August and nutrient concentration in surface layers could explain why landings of sardine were higher when QxMJJA over the preceding year was lower. Finally, in years with low NAO sardine recruitment success was higher. When NAO is lower than average, the winter/spring temperatures are warmer and transport offshore is lower.


Characteristic features of radiation damage in insulators for fusion reactors are that those materials are exposed to synergistic radiation damage of elastic displacements and electric excitation with the presence of an electric field. This paper describes the nucleation-and-growth of radiation-induced defects and their stability in oxide ceramics, such as magnesium-aluminate spinel (MgAl2O4) and alpha-alumina (α-Al2O3). Microstructure evolution in these oxides is shown through transmission electron microscopy for the formation process of dislocation loops under synergistic irradiation with displacements and ionizing radiation, the stability of dislocation loops, and the nucleation-and-growth process of loops with an applied electric field.


Gene expression microarrays provide a powerful new tool for studying complex processes such as brain aging. However, inferences from microarray data are often hindered by multiple comparisons, small sample sizes, and uncertain relationships to functional endpoints. Here we sought gene expression correlates of aging-dependent cognitive decline, using statistical profiling of gene microarrays in well powered groups of young, mid-aged, and aged rats (n= 10 per group). Animals were trained on two memory tasks, and the hippocampal CA1 region of each was analyzed on an individual microarray (one chip per animal). Aging- and cognition-related genes were identified by testing each gene by ANOVA (for aging effects) and then by Pearson's test (correlating expression with memory). Genes identified by this algorithm were associated with several phenomena known to be aging-dependent, including inflammation, oxidative stress, altered protein processing, and decreased mitochondrial function, but also with multiple processes not previously linked to functional brain aging. These novel processes included downregulated early response signaling, biosynthesis and activity-regulated synaptogenesis, and upregulated myelin turnover, cholesterol synthesis, lipid and monoamine metabolism, iron utilization, structural reorganization, and intracellular Ca2+ release pathways. Multiple transcriptional regulators and cytokines also were identified. Although most gene expression changes began by mid-life, cognition was not clearly impaired until late life. Collectively, these results suggest a new integrative model of brain aging in which genomic alterations in early adulthood initiate interacting cascades of decreased signaling and synaptic plasticity in neurons, extracellular changes, and increased myelin turnover-fueled inflammation in glia that cumulatively induce aging-related cognitive impairment.


In this prospective descriptive study, the developmental outcomes of 9 untreated infants with moderate to severe regulatory disorders were examined at 8 to 11 months and again at 4 years of age and compared with 13 normal infants. Regulatory disordered infants were defined as being behaviorally difficult, exhibiting disturbances in sleep, feeding, state control, self-calming, and mood regulation and evidencing poor sensory processing. Eight of the nine regulatory disordered children had developmental, sensorimotor, and/or emotional and behavioral deficits at 4 years. Group differences were found in atten tion and activity level, emotional maturity, motor coordination, and tactile sensitivity at 4 years. For normal infants, ratings of difficultness on the Bates Infant Characteristics Questionnaire and higher baseline cardiac vagal tone were related to better developmental outcomes and behavioral organization respectively at 4 years. In contrast, ratings of difficultness and higher baseline cardiac vagal tone in regulatory disordered infants were associated with poorer developmental outcomes and behavioral difficulties at 4 years. At the time the study was conducted, the clinical significance of regulatory problems was not known, therefore treatment was not considered. The results of this study suggest that untreated regulatory disordered infants may not outgrow behavioral difficulties over time.


In a century of mass atrocities, the Khmer Rouge regime marked Cambodia with one of the most extreme genocidal instances in human history. What emerged in the aftermath of the regime's collapse in 1979 was a nation fractured by death and dispersal. It is estimated that nearly one-fourth of the country's population perished from hard labor, disease, starvation, and executions. Another half million Cambodians fled their ancestral homeland, with over one hundred thousand finding refuge in America. From the Land of Shadows surveys the Cambodian diaspora and the struggle to understand and make meaning of this historical trauma. Drawing on more than 250 interviews with survivors across the United States as well as in France and Cambodia, Khatharya Um places these accounts in conversation with studies of comparative revolutions, totalitarianism, transnationalism, and memory works to illuminate the pathology of power as well as the impact of auto-genocide on individual and collective healing. Exploring the interstices of home and exile, forgetting and remembering, From the Land of Shadows follows the ways in which Cambodian individuals and communities seek to rebuild connections frayed by time, distance, and politics in the face of this injurious history.


From the Round Table on the Problem of Teaching Chemistry, sponsored by the Division of Chemical Education at the 103rd meeting of the A. C. S., Memphis, Tennessee, April 21, 1942.


Granular flows such as landslides, debris flows and avalanches are systems of particles with a large range of particle sizes that typically segregate while flowing. The physical mechanisms responsible for this process, however, are still poorly understood, and there is no predictive framework for ascertaining the segregation behaviour of a given system of particles. Here, we provide experimental evidence of individual large intruder particles being attracted to a fixed point in a dry two-dimensional flow of particles of otherwise uniform size. A continuum theory is proposed which captures this effect using only a single fitting parameter that describes the rate of segregation, given knowledge of the bulk flow field. Predictions of the continuum theory are compared with the experimental findings, both for the typical location and velocity field of a range of intruder sizes. For large intruder particle sizes, the continuum model successfully predicts that a fixed point attractor will form, where intruders are drawn to a single location.


This article offers a perspective on the critical theory of justice by presenting a structural and processual reconstruction of Rainer Forst's intriguing yet somewhat opaque concept of a basic structure of justification which is central to his proposed critique of justificatory relations. It shows from a cognitive-sociological perspective what a cooperative relation between a philosophical theory of justice and a social scientific approach could mean for critical theory. A basic structure of justification is revealed to be a cognitively available reflexive order above the order of substantive social and political relations that allows the identification, explanation and transformative critique of reflexivity deficits induced by hegemonic, ideological, repressive or obfuscating means. Far from being exclusively a theoretical and methodological tool, however, it is in principle accessible to those involved and affected on whose experience, suffering and critique critical theory vitally depends.


Hot cracking is a spontaneous failure of an alloy during solidification. It is a severe problem for casting industry as it reduces the productivity of cast houses and limits the range of alloys compositions that can be industrially produced. Hot tears occurs at the end of solidification, when solid grains are separated by thin liquid films. At this stage of solidification, fluid flow between the grains is difficult and the solid network is not continuous enough to transmit stresses. The material is extremely brittle. Moreover, the deformation induced by the thermal shrinkage of the material tends to localize in hot spots, i.e., in zones which solidify at last. These zones become in tension and the concomitant effect of the tensile stress with the intrinsic brittleness of the material result in a hot crack. Even though the general mechanisms of hot tearing are understood, the importance of each physical parameter remains ill defined. The present work is mainly focused on the derivation of a granular model of mushy zone (the zone where solid and liquid coexist) for aluminium alloys, i.e., a model which explicitly considers the behaviour of each grain while being sufficiently simple to allow the computation of large mushy zones. First, a solidification model based on the Voronoi diagram of a random set of nuclei is derived. This model computes the solidification in each polyhedron considering back-diffusion and coalescence. Second, a pressure drop calculation is performed in the network of connected liquid channels assuming the centre of solid grains to be fixed. This model considers a Poiseuille flow in each channel, Kirchhoff's conservation of flow at nodal points and flow Losses compensating solidification (KPL model). Finally, the displacement of the solid grain centres is considered and the mechanical behaviour of the mushy zone is computed assuming perfectly rigid solid grains. This model shows the progressive formation of grain clusters and the localization of fluid flow at high solid fraction. Therefore, it allows to define transitions in the behaviour of the mushy zone. These transitions are essential for hot cracking models, but should be introduced as parameters in continuum approaches. Finally, the mechanical model shows a strong localization of deformation in liquid channels normal to the stress direction. Such channels create ideal sites for the nucleation and the propagation of hot cracks.


This study explored the impact of employing Mother tongue as an instructional medium in one of the Education Department's programs at the university level. More specifically, it sought to find out the academic performance of General Physics students in mother tongue-based instruction in Visayas State University, Baybay City, Leyte. It specifically aimed to determine the gender and native language of the students, differentiate the academic performance of students in Physics in the mother tongue class and English class. More so, it adopted a quasi-experimental approach in which pre- and post-tests were administered to General Physics students enrolled in School Year 2017-2018. In the experimental group, Mother language was employed as the medium of teaching, whereas English was used in the control group. The lesson plans for both groups were identical, but the instructional medium was varied. Data were statistically treated using frequency, percentage, descriptive statistics, matching T-test, Z-test, and F-test. Findings revealed that the post-test academic performance of both groups in Physics was found to be superior than that of the pre-test. There is no significant difference in their academic achievement when grouped according to gender. The medium of teaching in Physics class has no impact on the academic achievement of pupils. Still, Physics was recommended to be taught with activities and instructional methodologies regardless of the language of education. Keywords: mother-tongue based multilingual education (MTBMLE)


BACKGROUND
In people with haemophilia, therapeutic clotting agents might be recognised as a foreign protein and induce anti-factor VIII antibodies, known as 'inhibitors'. Drugs insensitive to such antibodies, either recombinant or plasma-derived, are called factor VIII 'by-passing' agents and used for treatment of bleeding in people with inhibitors.

OBJECTIVES
To determine the clinical effectiveness of recombinant factor VIIa concentrate compared to plasma-derived concentrates for treating acute bleeding episodes in people with haemophilia and inhibitors.

SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group Coagulopathies Trials Register which comprises references identified from comprehensive electronic database searches and handsearches of relevant journals and abstract books of conference proceedings.Date of the most recent search of the Group's Coagulopathies Trials Register: 23 September 2015.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled clinical trials comparing recombinant factor VIIa concentrate to human plasma-derived concentrates (high-dose human or recombinant factor VIII or factor IX concentrate; non-activated prothrombin complex concentrates; activated prothrombin complex concentrates) in people with haemophilia. Comparisons with animal-derived products were excluded.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two authors independently assessed the trials (eligibility and risk of bias) and extracted data. No combined meta-analyses were performed due to the unavailability of outcomes and comparisons common to the included trials.

MAIN RESULTS
A total of 15 trials were identified, two of which (with data for a total of 69 participants) were eligible for analysis. Both trials showed methodological flaws and did not show superiority of one treatment over the other. Both the treatments showed that recombinant factor VIIa and activated prothrombin complex concentrate appeared to have a similar haemostatic effect in both trials, without increasing thromboembolic risk.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Based on the separate analysis of the two available randomised trials, recombinant factor VIIa and activated prothrombin complex concentrate were found to be similar in efficacy and safety. However, there is a need for further, well-designed, adequately-powered, randomised controlled trials to assess the relative benefits and risks of using recombinant factor VIIa compared to human plasma-derived concentrates in people with haemophilia with inhibitors. It is advisable that researchers in the field define commonly agreed objective outcome measures in order to enable the pooling of their results, thus increasing the power of comparisons. To date, data could not be combined in a formal meta-analysis. For the same reason reporting concordant and discordant pairs in cross-over trials is recommended.


In the field of disinformation research, the study of antagonistic networks and discourse on the messaging platform Telegram has developed into an active area of investigation. To this end, recent literature has specifically set out to map the scale, scope, and narrative trends marking Telegram communities with ties to localised, European contexts. The present paper contributes to this line of inquiry by offering an empirically-informed exploration of far-right and conspiracist Telegram channels associated with Flanders and the Netherlands. Building on previous observations concerning the propagation of disinformation on social media, the paper proposes a typology of the antagonistic discourse and narratives that circulate within these public channels. It thereby seeks to reconcile the comprehensive perspectives afforded by 'big data' approaches with the analysis of Telegram in an event– and culture–specific context. Covering the period March 2017–July 2021, this paper specifically considers an inductively collected dataset of 215 public Telegram channels and 371,951 messages pertaining to the relevant contexts, and bridges gaps between quantitative and qualitative methods by combining visual network analysis with discourse analysis. This combined approach reveals an expanding, highly diverse and dynamic network of Telegram channels, marked by overlapping antagonistic narratives, including traces of international conspiracy theories such as 'The Great Reset' and QAnon. These observations contribute to our understanding of how an emerging 'alt-tech' platform harbours and interconnects antagonistic actors and narratives in a specific linguistic and political context.


Structural analysis of proteins and their complexes is crucial to understanding protein function. This thesis demonstrates the application of mass spectrometry (MS) to the study of pilus assembly on Gram-negative bacteria and amyloid formation in dialysisrelated amyloidosis. In addition, it also tackles the challenging area of membrane protein analysis by MS.

Pili are hair-like appendages located on the outer membrane of bacteria that are involved in the transmission of infection. A periplasmic chaperone and an outer membrane usher protein coordinate pilin subunit assembly. Electrospray ionisation (ESI)-MS was used to elucidate the mechanism of subunit assembly. Experiments revealed the specific amino acids on the N-terminal extension of the pilus subunits that are important in catalysing
the subunit assembly process. Further MS/MS analysis indicated differences in the stability of the chaperone-subunit-usher ternary complexes formed, providing new
insights into the role of the usher in orchestrating pilus biogenesis.

Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS)-MS was next used to characterise oligomeric intermediates formed during beta-2 microglobulin (β2m) assembly into amyloid fibrils.
Analysis of the oligomers formed by a range of β2m point mutants that affect the kinetics of amyloid fibril formation highlighted the complexity of this fibril-forming
process. Further detailed characterisation of the β2m mutant H51A revealed subtle differences in the subunit exchange dynamics of the oligomers involved in fibril
formation.

Finally, this thesis shows a novel method for solubilising membrane proteins for MS analysis. Amphipathic polymers, termed amphipols, were used to fold and enhance the
stability of two bacterial outer membrane proteins, OmpT and PagP. The utility of amphipols to study the structural and functional properties of membrane proteins by
ESI-IMS-MS was then developed. Together these data show the power of ESI-IMS-MS in separating conformationally-distinct populations of amphipathic polymers from the amphipol-membrane complex whilst maintaining a 'native-like' membrane protein structure in the gas phase.


Temperate fish species are annual spawners and mainly rely on annually cycling cues (temperature and photoperiod) to synchronise the three main phases of their reproductive cycle, that is, induction (initiation of oogenesis), vitellogenesis and the final stages (including maturation, ovulation and oviposition). This review synthesises how these three phases are controlled by specific temperature and photoperiod variations. The direction of the changes (i.e. decrease or increase) is the most important factor, although the amplitude, rates and timing of variations should also be considered to improve/optimise the quality of reproduction in aquaculture. In addition, we tentatively classified temperate fish species sharing similar temperature and/or photoperiod variation requirements for reproduction into three general functional groups. The first group (salmonids) is induced by increasing photoperiod. Vitellogenesis and the final stages are synchronised by decreasing photoperiod. The second group (percids, moronids and gadids) is induced by decreasing both temperature and photoperiod. A chilling period allows vitellogenesis. Increasing temperatures synchronise the final stages. The third group (cyprinids) is induced by decreasing either photoperiod or temperature. Vitellogenesis is faster at warm temperatures. The final stages require an increase in either photoperiod or temperature. This classification may help future research on the control of reproduction in newly cultured fish species.


OBJECTIVE
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been shown to induce a significant change in polyamine metabolism. Polyamines and polyamine-dependent calcium influx play an important role in mediating the effects of excitotoxic amino acids at the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor site. We studied the effects of ifenprodil, known as a noncompetitive inhibitor of polyamine sites at the NMDA receptor, on brain edema formation, blood-brain barrier breakdown, and volume of injury after TBI.

METHODS
Experimental TBI was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by a controlled cortical impact device, functioning at a velocity of 3 m/s to produce a 2-mm deformation. Ifenprodil or saline (10 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally immediately after the cortical impact injury and then every 90 minutes until 6 hours after TBI. Blood-brain barrier breakdown was evaluated quantitatively 6 hours after injury by fluorometric assay of Evans blue extravasation. Brain water content, an indicator of brain edema, was measured with the wet-dry method 24 hours after TBI. Injury volume was quantitated from the brain slices stained with 2% cresyl violet solution 7 days after TBI.

RESULTS
Blood-brain barrier breakdown was significantly lower in the traumatic cortex of the ifenprodil-treated group than in the saline-treated group (84.4 +/- 26.8 microg/g versus 161.8 +/- 27 microg/g, respectively, P < 0.05). Brain edema was significantly reduced in the cortex of the ifenprodil-treated group relative to that in the saline-treated group (80.9 +/- 0.5% versus 82.4 +/- 0.6% respectively, P < 0.05). Ifenprodil treatment reduced injury volume significantly (14.9 +/- 8.1 mm3 versus 24.4 +/- 6.7 mm3, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
The polyamine-site NMDA receptor antagonist ifenprodil affords significant neuroprotection in a controlled cortical impact brain injury model and may hold promise for the discovery and treatment of the mechanism of delayed neurological deficits after TBI.


The social and political efficacy of "Born-Again" identity in Nairobi is fed by the accumulation of personal prestige or symbolic capital emerging from the Born-Again actor's association with religious and moral virtues. However, this prestige is being undermined by ongoing rumors and scandals, risking disruption of the benefits associated with this morality. In this article, we explore the popular discontent with Born-Again identity and practice, concluding that its prestige in Nairobi is possibly eroding, with risk to its efficacy in mobilizing social and political power.


The superconducting magnet group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has been developing racetrack coil technology for economical, high-field accelerator magnets from brittle superconductor. Recent tests have demonstrated 1) robust, reusable, double-layer, flat racetrack, wind and react Nb/sub 3/Sn coils, 2) a reusable, easily assembled coil-support structure that can minimize conductor movement and 3) nearly 15 T dipole fields, without conductor degradation. RD3c was our first attempt to compare measured and calculated field harmonics. A single-layer, Nb/sub 3/Sn, flat racetrack inner-coil was wound on both sides of a bore-plate and reacted and encapsulated (as before in RD3b). Hard coil-spacers were wound into the inner coils to adjust the geometric field harmonics and identify any problems from hard-spacers. The resulting insert coil-module was sandwiched between existing outer-coil modules, and pre-stressed within the previous yoke and shell structure. The bore-plate was thick enough to protect the rotating coil and its anti-cryostat from this pre-stress. Magnet training started at 77% of the un-degraded short-sample current, and progressed in 15 quenches to 92%, high enough to make realistic, saturated iron magnetic measurements. Although there was considerable training, the multipole dependencies correlated well with calculations. A sub-set of the tests are reported and discussed.


Effective waste strategy planning for sustainable and integrated waste management is predicated on high-quality information. However a review of recent local authority waste strategies in England, part of a research project into effective use of data and analysis in waste strategy planning carried out by researchers at the Open University, showed little evidence of being based on thorough analysis. Lack of good data on many aspects of performance restricts what can be achieved in planning better integrated, more sustainable waste management provision. This paper draws from the results of that project and illustrates improvements that could be achieved by using better quality data and analysis to inform decision making. The research explored the use of various types of information and analysis including compositional analysis and establishing diversion rates; scenario building; applications of geographical information systems; understanding and measuring public participation; the use of trials to collect relevant data; and understanding of the effects of recycling schemes on residual waste composition. The general principals and methodologies of each approach are illustrated by examples derived from the authors' analysis and interpretation of local authority data provided by case study partners, and show how local data can provide relevant and effective local answers.


We address the distributed estimation of an unknown scalar parameter in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Sensor nodes transmit their noisy observations over multiple access channel to a Fusion Center (FC) that reconstructs the source parameter. The received signal is corrupted by noise and channel fading, so that the FC objective is to minimize the Mean-Square Error (MSE) of the estimate. In this paper, we assume sensor node observations to be correlated with the source signal and correlated with each other as well. The correlation coefficient between two observations is exponentially decaying with the distance separation. The effect of the distance-based correlation on the estimation quality is demonstrated and compared with the case of unity correlated observations. Moreover, a closed-form expression for the outage probability is derived and its dependency on the correlation coefficients is investigated. Numerical simulations are provided to verify our analytic results.


Fourteen cases of lymphosarcoma occurred in a small experimental flock of sheep in Rhodesia. There appeared to be horizontal spread and the ages of the affected animals varied from one to more than 10 years. Thirteen of the cases so far diagnosed were leucaemic with a high lymphocyte count. Eleven of the sheep demonstrated multicentric lesions and two alimentary mesenteric; the remaining animal is still alive. Transmission attempts in four neonates resulted in one showing a high white cell count after 25 months. Electron microscope studies failed to demonstrate C-type virus-like particles. This appears to be the first recorded example of an outbreak of lymphosarcoma in a flock of sheep in Southern Africa and the descriptive term "enzootic leucosis" has been adopted.


Affect interpretation from open-ended drama improvisation is a challenging task. This article describes experiments in using latent semantic analysis to identify discussion themes and potential target audiences for those improvisational inputs without strong affect indicators. A context-based affect-detection is also implemented using a supervised neural network with the consideration of emotional contexts of most intended audiences, sentence types, and interpersonal relationships. In order to go beyond the constraints of predefined scenarios and improve the system's robustness, min-margin-based active learning is implemented. This active learning algorithm also shows great potential in dealing with imbalanced affect classifications. Evaluation results indicated that the context-based affect detection achieved an averaged precision of 0.826 and an averaged recall of 0.813 for affect detection of the test inputs from the Crohn's disease scenario using three emotion labels: positive, negative, and neutral, and an averaged precision of 0.868 and an average recall of 0.876 for the test inputs from the school bullying scenario. Moreover, experimental evaluation on a benchmark data set for active learning demonstrated that active learning was able to greatly reduce human annotation efforts for the training of affect detection, and also showed promising robustness in dealing with open-ended example inputs beyond the improvisation of the chosen scenarios.


A three element resonant converter capable of driving a voltage type load with load independent operation is analyzed using a state-space approach. Pulse width modulation is employed to control and regulate the output voltage. Closed-form solutions are obtained under steady state conditions. The experimental study of a prototype converter reveals complete agreement with the analytical and SPICE simulation results. Typical experimental oscillograms are given to verify the basic principles. >


Ommochromes are widespread pigments that mediate multiple functions in invertebrates. The two main families of ommochromes are ommatins and ommins, which both originate from the kynurenine pathway but differ in their backbone, thereby in their coloration and function. Despite its broad significance, how the structural diversity of ommochromes arises in vivo has remained an open question since their first description. In this study, we combined organic synthesis, analytical chemistry and organelle purification to address this issue. From a set of synthesized ommatins, we derived a fragmentation pattern that helped elucidating the structure of new ommochromes. We identified uncyclized xanthommatin as the elusive biological intermediate that links the kynurenine pathway to the ommatin pathway within ommochromasomes, the ommochrome-producing organelles. Due to its unique structure, we propose that uncyclized xanthommatin functions as a key branching metabolite in the biosynthesis and structural diversification of ommatins and ommins, from insects to cephalopods.


Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a malignant entity that develops from the renal tubular epithelium. piR-36707 and piR-36741 have not previously been associated with ccRCC and their potential roles in the pathogenesis of ccRCC are mystery. Methods: In the present study, formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) specimens were obtained from 19 patients having ccRCC diagnosis. Then, the expression levels of piR-36707 and piR-36741 were analyzed by RealTime PCR with respect to clinical parameters. Results: The expression levels of piR-36707 and piR-36741 were found higher in tumor samples than control ones. Also, piR-36707 expression showed significantly different pattern in terms of gender. Moreover, piR-36707 and piR-36741 expressions displayed statistically significant difference with respect to some TNM staging comparisons. piR-36707 and piR-36741 expressions were significantly differed between Fuhrman nuclear grade 2 and 4. Furthermore, piR-36741 expression change was significantly associated with the changes between low and normal RBC counts of ccRCC patients. Similarly, piR-36707 expression was significantly associated with hemoglobin count change of ccRCC patients. Conclusion: According to the literature, this is the first study that relates ccRCC pathogenesis with piR-36707 and piR-36741. Prospectively, all genes in target of piR-36707 and piR-36741 should be studied for the pathogenesis of ccRCC.


Future diesel engine legislations are focused on further improvements in green-house gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide while additionally pushing for lower NOx emissions levels. These are being achieved with a combination of base-engine, fuel-injection system, air-system and after-treatment system improvements. In this paper, the effect of one injection system characteristics, namely injector flow-rate was investigated on engine performance and emissions using both numerical and experimental techniques. The phenomenon of increasing injector flow was first numerically investigated using commercial code Converge. Two approaches to increasing injector flow-rate were investigated. The first approach was by increasing the injector nozzle hole size while keeping the number of holes constant. The second approach was to change the number of the holes while keeping the injector nozzle size fixed. These simulations led to procurement of injectors to validate the simulation trends. Engine tests were performed with Navistar's 12.4 L multi-cylinder heavy-duty diesel engine. The identified nozzle flow rates included a 66% increase from that of the baseline case. All the engine tests were performed at the typical cruising condition for this engine, at a series of injection timing and injection pressure values. It was observed that the crank angle for 50% of the integrated total calculated heat release (CA50) for the fuel burned was the most important factor that influenced the brake-thermal efficiency (BTE) and different injectors had similar BTE at constant CA50. With regards to emission, at higher nozzle flow rates, the combustion showed a slightly higher propensity for soot and increased levels of carbon monoxide.


A traditional scanning acoustic microscope (SAM) has been modified to operate in the near-field mode. A pinhole in a thin shim of brass defines the resolution of the instrument, which can be as small as 0.1 lambda . In an edge scan experiment, a 125- mu m-thick brass shim with a pinhole size of 125 mu m, a SAM operating at 3 MHz, and a transducer with an F-number of 0.7 are used. The improvement in resolution corresponds to using a transducer with an F-number of 0.2. The results of measurements of the line response of the system, using steel pinholes of several thicknesses and diameters at different linewidths and operating frequencies and showing the details of the design of the instrument, are presented.<<ETX>>