This randomized, double-blind, crossover study in two parts compared tolerability to high doses of formoterol (Oxis Turbuhaler) with that of high doses of terbutaline (Bricanyl Turbuhaler). After Holter monitoring at home, 12 patients were treated with 4+4+4 doses of formoterol Turbuhaler, 6 microg x dose(-1), (total daily metered dose 72 microg) or 4+4+4 doses of terbutaline Turbuhaler, 0.5 mg x dose(-1) (daily dose 6 mg) given in the morning, after lunch and in the evening, for 3 consecutive days. After a one week washout period at home, patients received the alternative treatment. Thereafter, 15 other patients received 8+6+6 doses of formoterol Turbuhaler (total daily metered dose 120 microg) or 8+6+6 doses of terbutaline Turbuhaler (daily dose 10 mg). Pulse, cardiac frequency, blood pressure, serum potassium, electrocardiogram and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) were registered at regular intervals and Holter monitoring was applied during all 4 treatment days. Terbutaline 6 mg showed significantly greater systemic effects than formoterol 72 microg on pulse, blood pressure, cardiac frequency and QTc (QT interval corrected for heart rate). Terbutaline 10 mg had significantly greater effects than formoterol 120 microg on serum potassium levels, pulse, cardiac frequency and QTc. No differences in FEV1 levels were found. Both drugs were safe and generally well tolerated on both dose levels. In conclusion, high doses of formoterol Turbuhaler over 3 days were generally safe and well tolerated. Daily doses of 6 mg and 10 mg terbutaline Turbuhaler were systemically more potent than 72 microg and 120 microg formoterol, respectively. The safety margin thus appears to be wide if patients happen to use extra doses of formoterol in addition to those prescribed for regular use.


The benefit of psychotropic medication in the treatment of psychotic disorders depends on patients taking the medication as prescribed. Medication nonadherence is high among individuals with psychotic disorders, leading to substantial disability, relapse and health care costs. The current article reviews the efficacy of interventions to improve adherence with oral medications among individuals with psychotic disorders, paying special attention to the quality of adherence measurement used in the studies. As in previous reviews, most of the 43 studies included in this review used subjective measurement of adherence. Across studies, findings suggest that interventions that do not specifically target medication adherence are unlikely to improve this domain, even if they are delivered in high dosage, such as in case management models. Evidence regarding the benefit of low-intensity interventions that specifically target medication adherence (including cognitive motivational approaches) remains fairly weak. Most positive studies in this category use subjective measurement, which may lead to overestimation of benefit. Finally, newer research suggests that individualized environmental supports delivered through home visits may improve medication adherence. More research is needed using objective measurement approaches, and evaluating lower intensity treatments using environmental supports, behavioral principles and strategic problem solving.


Congestion control is the key techniques of Next-Generation-Networks. The classical TCP congestion control such as RED is difficult to configure parameters and the average queue length is related to the load level. A network-measurement based on congestion control algorithm is proposed, the essential idea is introduce macroscopic guidance according to network measurement, the measurement facilities distributed in networks are exploited to acquire the performance of network. NS simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the traditional TCP congestion control in terms of length and throughput, it can improves routers' ability, is more suitable for the Next-Generation-Networks.


BACKGROUND: The actual prognosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disorder previously thought of to be notorious for an increased risk of untimely death is poorly defined. OBJECTIVE: The present study describes the findings of patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy followed for more than nineteen years in a large clinic population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A clinic population of 113 patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy was prospectively studied to assess cardiac mortality in the overall groups and in selected subgroups commonly thought to be at high risk for sudden death. Diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was based on the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy without a known cause. Left ventricular hypertrophy was determined by echocardiography. RESULTS: During follow-up there were 11 cardiac and 2 non cardiac deaths. The annual cardiac mortality was 1% (95% confidence interval 0.2-1.8%). Relative risk for cardiac death was not significantly different in the presence of young age (< 30 years), family history for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) and sudden death, history for syncope or previous cardiac arrest or both, ventricular tachyeardia on 24-hour, holter monitoring or operation for refractory symptoms and out-flowtract obstruction. CONCLUSION: HCM has a relatively benign prognosis (1% cardiac annual mortality) that is 2-4 times less than previously thought. These findings might have important consequences for risk assessment in individual patients. Echocardiography is obligatory to determine the presence, and extent of myocardial hypertrophy. In addition, the technique allows differentiation between Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Athlete's Heart.


In order to reduce the harmonic content normally generated at the input of AC motor drives as a result of using three-phase voltage-fed inverters (VFI) for supplying electric drives with AC motors, and thus, to improve the input power factor of such machines, hysteresis current control technique is usually used to control the amplitude of three-phase motor currents and to decrease the phase shift between these currents and their corresponding voltages. Hysteresis current technique is considered to have a very simple implementation and an instantaneous current control, resulting in a fast response. However, the switching frequency is not constant and varies over a wide range during each half-cycle of the AC input source, and consequently the load current harmonic ripple is not optimal [J. Salmon & H. Zhang, Power and Energy Systems, 2004; Buso et at., IEEE Transactions on Industrial Applications, 2000]. In this paper, an improved implementation of hysteresis current control of three-phase voltage-source inverter with constant frequency is presented. In order to do that, before developing any inverter prototype, it is very convenient to use one of the several dynamic system software simulators available such as the phase-locked-loop (PLL) with the dead beat current control, even at a high rate of output voltage change, such as required in fast drive systems, and other highly demanding applications. Stability analysis and performance are confirmed through simulation results using Matlab/Simulink and Simplorer 6.


In a recent discussion (October, 1988) at the Universidad Centroamericana in San Salvador, Jon Sobrino was asked about an article in The Nation' suggesting that liberation theologians were turning from ing from politics to spirituality out of deference to recent criticisms from the Vatican. With a gentle shrug of his shoulders, he responded, "For the work of liberation, spirituality is just as important as—or more important than—politics. Spirituality is not an afterthought or a concession." That's the essential message of this book—socio-political liberation can endure and succeed only if done "with spirit"; and the spirit can be truly felt and lived only in the struggle for liberation. A "spirituality of liberation" is the "practice of a spirit" and the "spirit of a practice" (p. 43). Sobrino unfolds this message more in the form of an intricate fugue than a systematic symphony. With little time to write books, he offers us another collection of papers/talks—these given between the years 1980-84 in response to concrete needs and requests. There is an inevitable repetition of themes, but the repetition is always in a different melody or arrangement; one delights in each melody but realizes the beauty and power of the whole work only after the last measure. There is a further reason for the book's lack of tidy system: as Sobrino repeats throughout the text, he did not sit down to construct this spirituality; rather, he learned it from the struggling poor of El Salvador. It was given to him as he witnessed and was embraced by the spirit that animates their struggle. This book is but a description of, and a further reflection on, that living spirituality. Here is its real power. The essays are assembled in three parts. The six chapters of Part I, "Liberation with Spirit," present the genesis and fundamental elements of a liberation spirituality; Part II, "Dimensions of Spirituality," explores the foundations of a liberation spirituality in the New Testament message, especially in Jesus' understanding and living of the reign of God and in the conflictual life of the early Christian community. In Part III, "Sources of Spirituality," Sobrino offers an up-close look at the


Advances in communication technology have seen strong interest in digital data transmission. However, illegal data access has become more easy and prevalent in wireless and general communication networks. In order to protect the valuable data from illegal access, different kinds of cryptographic systems have been proposed. In this paper, a new integrating channel coding and cryptography design communication systems is proposed. So we use cryptography as an error detection tool. In order to preserve the advantages of encryption and to improve its disadvantages, we place the encryptor before the encoder. The hamming encoder is used to select the generator matrix to be used as a block code to form the new system .In this the security of common cryptographic primitive i.e a key stream generator based on LFSR can be strengthened by using the properties of a physical layer.So, a passive eaves dropping will experience great difficulty in cracking the LFSR based cryptography system as the computational complexity of discovering the secret key increases to large extent. The analysis indicates that the proposed design possesses the following feature. Its security is higher than the conventional one with the channel encoder only. Privacy is more due to unknown random codes. As the applied codes are unknown to a hostile user, this means that it is hardly possible to detect the message of another user. Anti-jam performance is good. It overcomes the disadvantage of Chaos based cryptography system as input data is not extended and hence bandwidth is not wasted. Moreover, the computer simulation shows that the proposed system has a good ability in error detection especially when the SNR per bit is moderate high, and the detection ability is enhanced when the increased length of Hamming code is employed.


Abstract. The ancient theatres in Sicily, in southern Italy and along the countries facing the Mediterranean Sea basin, constitute a reality of incomparable cultural value. Regarding the research on the ancient theatres of eastern Sicily, few studies have been recently dealt with different methodologies. In the last years some practices have been done using 3D laser scanners for the theatres of Syracuse, Taormina and Morgantina, as well as the Syracuse amphitheatre and Taormina Odeon, just obtaining very interesting results. Lately the theatre of Palazzolo Acreide (Syracuse) has been studied, with Structure From Motion (SFM) and Dense Matching methodologies. From these experience, conclusions could be drawn on the quality and reliability of the elaborations realised with the SFM methodologies. We really know that these systems are today representing one of the fastest growing areas of examination, on which several software houses are investing. The study was chosen both for the small size of the building, and for the particular geometric conditions typical of the architecture of ancient theatres. This because their three-dimensional trend varies continually in the three variables X, Y, Z. The purpose of the work was to check whether the latest releases of these systems of survey allow today more than yesterday, a rapid digitalization and representation of the enormous archaeological cultural heritage. Various software were used, to verify the practicality and operation, the choice then fell on the Zephyr of 3DFlow, kindly available by the manufacturer, whose results were quite agreeable. The possibility offered by the program of a graphical tracing of polylines on the textured 3D model, has been a considerable advantage. Therefore the results obtained by modeling and surveying of the Palazzolo Acreide theatre have been compared, with the survey of the Syracuse, Taormina and Morgantina theatre performed using 3D laser scanners. First results of the research are matter of the following work.


Simulation training is a method of interactive teaching and training for healthcare professionals. Medical education research demonstrates that high fidelity simulation leads to effective learning. Acute Medical Specialist Year Three-plus Trainee (ST3+) doctors are often required to manage high-pressure situations, requiring a combination of clinical and non-clinical abilities. We therefore hypothesised that simulation training could be an ideal training tool for this cohort. We designed a simulation training day for ST3+trainees which exposed them to ethically challenging scenarios. The learning objectives were mapped to the acute medical curriculum, focusing on areas trainees may traditionally describe as either difficult to achieve, or for those for which providing evidence may be challenging. Simulation scenarios and debriefing sessions enabled trainees to explore different views in a protected environment, and feedback was strongly positive. We strongly recommend simulation training as a teaching tool for Acute Medical ST3+ doctors.


Muscle-attachment impressions are described for the first time from representatives of the nautiloid suborders Oncoceratina (Oncoceras sp., Beloitoceras sp., Diestoceras sp.) Ascoceratina (Billingsites deformis (Eichwald)?, Discosorina (Parryoceras euchari Sweet & Miller), and Rutoceratina (Metacoceras sp.). Notes concerning the probable configuration of such impressions in certain Paleozoic Barrandeoceratina (Charactoceras?) and Triassic Lyroceratina (Proclydonautilus ursensis Smith) are included. Muscle-attachment impressions are not known in the Endoceratina and Actinoceratina; in known Ellesmeroceratina, Michelinoceratina, and secondarily straight Tarphyceratina (Lituitidae) the retractors were attached dorsally ("dorsomyarian"), whereas in described Barrandeoceratina, coiled Tarphyceratina, Ascoceratina, Oncoceratina, and Discosorina, these muscles were attached ventrally ("ventromyarian"). Described Rutoceratina, Nautilina, Solenochilina, and Lyroceratina are similar in that the retractors were attached laterally ("pleuromyarian"). In several cases, similar attachment patterns suggest adaptive convergence, rather than relationship, and their taxonomic significance is thereby reduced.


This methodological paper elaborates on the pitfalls and potentials for using participatory photo interviews that explore children's experiences with food. It aims to show how participatory photo interviews can give a deeper understanding of children's food preferences. Such knowledge will be useful to other researchers who wish to apply the method in social studies involving children and food. We studied 12 families comprising seven- and eight-year-old children and their parents to illustrate how this method can be used to identify and understand children's food preferences. The children took photographs over a one-week period while eating family dinners at home and grocery shopping with their parents. The photos were then used to elicit information during separate in-depth interviews. The Qualitative data analysis software (NVivo 10) was used to content analyse the data. We found that participant photo interviews were a useful method for helping children to remember and describe the sensory, cognitive and affective situational associations of their meals. This approach helped to explore interesting aspects of children's preferences such as their response to raw vegetables, the importance of controlling and choosing meal ingredients and ambivalent food preferences. We discuss parental involvement during data collection as it represents one of the methodological pitfalls. Another limitation is the risk of sensitive information to be breached. We conclude that participatory photo interviews have potential for future food research involving children and may provide information difficult to elicit using other methods. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


This paper studies the role of global factors in causing common movements in consumer price inflation, with particular focus on the food, housing and energy sub-indices. It uses a comprehensive dataset of 223 countries and territories collected from national and international sources. Global factors explain a large share of the variance of national inflation rates for advanced countries - and more generally those with greater GDP per capita, financial development and central bank transparency - but not for middle and low income countries. Common factors explain a large share of the variance in food and energy prices.


ABSTRACT Introduction: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the major cause of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in infants, the elderly, and the immunocompromised. Although the development of a RSV vaccine has been a priority for >50 years, there is still no vaccine available. Treatment of RSV LRTI has remained mostly supportive, i.e. hydration and oxygenation. Palivizumab and ribavirin are the only options currently available for prevention and treatment of RSV infection, but evidence suggests that they are not fully effective. This creates a significant unmet medical need for new therapeutics for prevention and treatment of RSV worldwide. Areas covered: This article reviews the antiviral drugs and monoclonal antibodies (mAb) for RSV that are in different stages of clinical development. Expert commentary: Over the last 10 years, new antiviral drugs and mAb have shown clinical promise against RSV, and may become available in the coming years. Although the RSV fusion protein has been the most popular target for inhibitors and mAbs, new approaches targeting other viral proteins have shown promising results. To overcome the emergence of RSV escape mutants, combination antiviral therapy may be explored in the future.


This is the first report of the presence of Aedes albopictus in the native rain forest, near the urban area of Recife (State of Pernambuco, Brazil). Adult female mosquitoes were collected using human bait. Mosquitoes in aquatic stages were looked for in treeholes, bamboos, bromeliads and old tires. The existence of Ae. albopictus in the metropolitan area of Recife poses a potential risk for the interaction of this mosquito species with the urban human population.


The Paleoproterozoic Monchegorsk Complex, located in the Russian part of the Fennoscandian Shield, constitutes one of the largest mafic-ultramafic layered intrusions in Europe. The complex hosts extensive contact-style platinum group element-Ni-Cu sulfide mineralization along its margin, irrespective of the host lithology, which ranges from peridotite to pyroxenite and gabbronorite. The mineralized intervals reach up to 3 ppm Pt + Pd and attain a thickness of up to 50 m in the central portions of the intrusion, thinning toward the periphery. Our study shows that the key process controlling the size and grade of a contact-style deposit in the Mon-chegorsk Complex was the efficiency of sulfide collection in distinct zones of the intrusion. Strongly mineralized basal contacts are always associated with intense brecciation and the presence of large amounts of felsic pegmatite, suggesting a multistage emplacement of the mafic-ultramafic succession. Thermal modeling demonstrates that multiple episodes of magma influx are required to allow for significant partial melting of the basement. Moreover, the interaction between magma and basement led to the local addition of water and, potentially, carbon dioxide to the magma, resulting in local small-scale dissolution of cumulus phases and a reduction in viscosity of the interstitial melt. This increased the porosity of the mush in the vicinity of the lower intrusion contact, which promoted preferential sulfide liquid accumulation at the base, while the local decrease in magma viscosity facilitated gravitational settling of sulfide droplets. These factors led to an efficient collection of sulfide liquid, especially in the center of the complex, where permeability was maintained the longest due to slower cooling relative to more peripheral parts.


Russia's war against Ukraine, launched on 24 February 2022, had determined new conditions for the existence of Ukrainian society, the state, and all fields of activity. The Bar was no exception. As an institution of civil society that protects human rights and interests, the Bar is an integral element of fair justice, the right which is inviolable even in wartime. However, the war made its corrections and created new rules, determining the specificity of the attorneys` activity, their behaviour, and the activity of the attorneys` self-governing bodies in wartime.
The article presents the analysis of the peculiarities of functioning of the Bar of Ukraine in wartime on the example of the Odesa region. Its choice is due to the history and ancient traditions of Odesa Bar, whose representatives have already experienced periods of military aggression, and the available information about the results of its activity in wartime in the modern period. In wartime, it is impossible to obtain and systematize such data regarding the whole territory of Ukraine because part of the state is under occupation, and active hostilities are taking place on the other part.
The author's analysis was based on the decisions of the Odesa Regional Bar Council, the results of the activity of the Odesa Regional Qualification and Disciplinary Commission of the Bar, the results of their interaction with the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Odesa City Council, volunteer formations, volunteer organizations and foreign colleagues.
The authors used a chronological method, synthesis and a method of information analysis. Actual statistical and empirical data are used for proper argumentation of the conclusions.
A conclusion was made about the internal consolidation, as well as the external ability of the Bar to act together with civil society institutions and public authorities in countering the armed aggression against Ukraine.

This article was prepared as part of the scientific project 'Justice in the Context of Sustainable Development' Project No. 22BF042-01 (2022-2024).


Range DTU Orbit (17/11/2019) Calibration Standards for Surface Topography Measuring Systems down to Nanometric Range Background For the precise and accurate measurement of surface topography a whole range of surface detection systems is available. With their application in research and production problems arise due to the lack of traceable standard artefacts for the instrument calibration in X, Y and Z directions and for the calibration of filters. Existing ISO standards on calibration specimens are inadequate and limited in that they only cover contacting instruments and only partially the measuring ranges for these instruments. The whole range of non-contacting instruments are not covered despite their increasing use in industries ranging from automotive manufacture to ultraprecision manufacture of data storage systems and compact discs. Objectives The project is concerned with developing calibration standards including their production methods and calibration procedures as a consistent means of calibrating different types of instruments that report microtopography information about engineering surfaces across the whole range of characteristic dimensions. Work programme The work programme consists of the following work packages: -Design of calibration artefacts. -Design and laboratory set-up of an active calibrator device. -Development of production methods and investigation of limits of the processes for producing primary standards. -Development of reproduction processes and investigations of the reproduction limitations of the replication methods. -Development of calibration procedures for calibration specimens and instruments. -Development of non-invasive cleaning, sealing and packaging methods for surfaces of calibration standards. Work results A survey report in German and a short version in English on the state of art of calibration standards are available. The design of calibration standards comprises the overall geometry of basic bodies for compression and injection moulding of plastic negatives with different step height, sinusoidal-, triangular and arcuate profiles covering Ptvalues from 0.05 μm up to 100 μm and PSm values from 0.8 μm up to 800 μm. For active calibration in Z-direction a small size vertical calibrator has been designed, built and tested. Primary calibration standards have been produced by ionbeam and plasma etching (step height standards), by holographic generation of sinusoidal structures with two-beam interference exposure and by ultra-precision diamond cutting. From primary standards compression and injection moulded plastic negatives and Ni-negatives have been made from which again Ni-positives were produced. The replication processes showed negligible deviations from the Pt and Pa values compared to the primary standards. An important prerequisite is the cleanliness of the surfaces to be replicated during all stages of the replication processes. Procedures for cleaning glass, PVC, PC, PMM and Ni-surfaces have been developed and tested. Calibration procedures for calibration standards and for calibrating instruments in X-, Yand Z-direction have been developed and tested. Proposals for standardization of calibration standards and calibration procedures were derived from the results of the project.


Current research indicates that African Americans and Hispanic Americans lag behind White and Asian Americans in computer ownership and Internet use. This disparity has been described as the "digital divide"---the schism that exists between those who have access to technology and those who do not. The community college serves as a postsecondary entry point for a growing number of minority students and it is vital that technology be an integral part of the academic experience. The problem addressed by this quantitative study was to determine the level of computer access, computer self-efficacy, and computer anxiety of African American and Hispanic American community college students compared with Caucasian community college students in the state of Connecticut, as these factors may serve as obstacles to technology adoption. Compeau and Higgins' Computer Self-Efficacy Measure and Oetting's Computer Anxiety Scale were administered to a convenience sample of 417 Connecticut community college students enrolled in computer science applications courses around the state. Using the independent-samples t test, one-way between groups ANOVA, Spearmans' rho, and the Chi-square test for independence, data analysis revealed no statistically significant differences among racial or ethnic groups with regard to computer access or computer self-efficacy although Hispanic American community college students experienced a higher level of computer anxiety when compared with African American and Caucasian community college students. The results of this study contributed to positive social change by identifying potential barriers to technology use for students who may already be burdened by socioeconomic and cultural challenges that impede academic and occupational success.


Background Bone metastasis is one of the most common complications in clinical intractable castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and advanced prostate cancer period. The invasion ability of cancer cells was thought to have important relationship with the potential of cancer metastasis. EP4 receptor is overexpressed in several cancers, and enhanced EP4 receptor signaling has been previously shown to correlate with the invasion of several different cancer types. In present study, we found that EP4 antagonist can in vitro suppress the invasion phenotype abilities of CRPC PC3 cells, LNCaP cells with EP4 overexpressed which have the tendency to castration-resistance and in vivo suppress the CRPC bone metastasis animal models. Methods RNA interference was used to stably transfected EP4 to LNCaP with the pcDNA3.1-EP4, so as to be the LNCaP with vector control (LNCaP-mock) and LNCaP with EP4 overexpressed (LNCaP/EP4+) as described in our previous article. Effect on cell proliferation was determined firstly by the MTT assay. Transwell invasion assay was used to in vitro examine the metastasis abilities of PC3 cells, LNCaP cells, LNCaP/EP4+ and all after EP4 antagonist affected. Cells with ONO-AE3-208 at the final concentration of 0.1, 1 and 10 µmol/L were administrated to be the experimental group. To observe the effect of EP4 antagonist on the bone metastasis of prostate cancer in vivo, PC3/Luc cells were inoculated into the left cardiac ventricle of 5-week-old male nude mice. The mice developed osteolytic lesions with a mean endpoint at 52±7 days. To assess whether EP4 antagonist suppresses bone metastasis, ONO-AE3-208 (10 mg/kg/d) was given to the animals 5 days a week i.p. which the same volume of DDW was given as the control. To detect PC3 cell dissemination, bioluminescent imaging (BLI) was applied using a cooled CCD camera. We evaluated the efficacy of ONO-AE3-208 by measuring the photon counts of the metastatic lesions in the mandible and both hip joints in a blinded manner. Results The invasion assay showed that ONO-AE3-208 can inhibit the invasive abilities of both PC3 and LNCaP/EP4+ in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.01). In animal experiment, metastatic bone lesions in the control group progressed while the photon emission was significantly suppressed in the ONO-AE3-208 treatment group during the observation period from day 28 every 7 days (P<0.01). Conclusions We demonstrated that EP4 antagonist can in vitro inhibit the invasive abilities of CRPC PC3 and LNCaP/EP4+ cells. The administration of it can also suppress the bone metastasis of CRPC in vivo.


Patients experience more than 700,000 osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures each year in the United States, primarily because of bone brittleness and the inability of the vertebrae to resist increased forces applied to it. Patients diagnosed with this type of fracture are given the option of conservative or operative treatment approaches. Although a typical compression fracture generally heals in 6 to 12 weeks, patients may be offered the kyphoplasty procedure, which reduces the fracture and stabilizes it with cement. Although this procedure is not without risk, it is deemed a safe and effective treatment option. This article reviews the indications, implications, and care provided to patients pursuing kyphoplasty after osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture.


In Libya, the UN mediation among the parties in conflict has opened up opportunities, but is still hindered by three main factors: the fragmentation of Libyan forces, the role of neighbouring countries and regional powers, and the evolution of civilian-military relations between the two main parties to the conflict. this paper takes a detailed look at all of them, concluding that mediation is weak because it is not sufficiently supported by western countries, even though they are the ones who insist that a political solution has to be found. For more effective backing, this paper recommends: a) tighter application of the sanctions and other instruments called for in security council resolution 2174; b) adequate pressure on regional powers – particularly Egypt and turkey – who support the two parties in the conflict and give them hope for victory; c) a reconsideration of General Hafter's role as part of a credible reform of the national security sector; d) more room for civil society actors, who seem to be the most interested in peace. Finally, the document considers the possible alternatives of external intervention, concluding however that none of them can realistically work unless based on some kind of political agreement among the parties.


A Vehicle simulation model is built by AMESim software. During the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) running on, the cases of varieties about system variables are investigated based on the automobile dynamic model. Fault modes of actuators and sensors in ESP are built up. And data-fault is acquired. Support Vector Machine (SVM) based on classification is applied for fault diagnosis of the ESP system. The basic idea is to identify the information and classify new fault samples by using the trained SVM model. Finally, simulation examples are performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed design.


Ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) is used in the feedlot industry to increase daily gain, improve feed efficiency, and increase HCW. However, little work has been done to determine whether additional protein is needed in the diet to maximize the benefit of RAC in beef cattle. Objectives of our experiment were to determine if feeding additional CP in conjunction with RAC would improve animal performance and carcass characteristics. Therefore, an experiment was conducted using finishing diets containing 13.5 or 17.5% CP with 0 or 300 mg of RAC for 30 to 33 d at the end of the finishing period. Beef steers (n = 438; 387.8 ± 1.9 kg initial BW) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement (16 pens total, 4 pens/treatment). No interactions between feeding RAC and CP level were detected (P > 0.19) for animal performance or carcass traits. Final BW did not differ among treatment (P = 0.37); however, final BW had a tendency to be 2% greater (P = 0.07) when the 13.5% CP diet was fed. Dry matter intake was not different between steers fed 0 or 300 mg/d-1 of RAC (P = 0.20), yet DMI was 12% greater for cattle fed the 13.5% CP compared with steers fed the 17.5% CP diet (P < 0.01). Daily gain did not differ for cattle fed different levels of RAC or CP (P > 0.16). The G:F was 3.6% greater for cattle fed 300 vs. 0 mg/d-1 of RAC (P = 0.04). The G:F was 8.7% greater for cattle fed the 17.5% diet vs. the 13.5% CP diet (P < 0.01), which can be attributed to the decreased DMI for cattle fed the 17.5% CP diet. Hot carcass weight was not different for steers fed 0 or 300 mg/d-1 of RAC (P = 0.36) or for steers fed the 13.5% diet vs. 17.5% CP diet (P = 0.93). Dressing percentage was 1.5% greater for cattle fed 300 vs. 0 mg/d-1 of RAC (P = 0.05) but was not different between cattle fed the different CP levels in the diet (P = 0.16). Longissimus area, adjusted 12th-rib fat, and marbling score did not differ across RAC or CP treatments (P > 0.26). Additionally, no differences in USDA yield grade or percentage of cattle grading USDA Choice were detected for RAC or CP treatments (P > 0.26), which also supports the idea that quality grade of cattle fed RAC at the same level of fatness is not impacted. Our data indicate excess protein did not enhance the response to RAC, and furthermore, the improved performance from RAC reported by others was not observed other than a small increase in G:F.


Near the base of the Mesozoic oceanic crust of the western North Atlantic we recognize a discontinuous, diffractive layer, Horizon R. Moho is a distinct, uniform, and more continuous horizon beneath. Variations in "seismic thickness" of the crust occur primarily through changes in the R-to-Moho layer, the maximum thickness occurring midway between fracture zones. We propose that Horizon R may mark the top of a layered cumulate sequence that formed on the floor of a relatively persistent crustal magma chamber. The crust having minimum thickness is spatially restricted to a small strip near fracture zones and comprises only the super-R unit. We further propose that this implies the sustained accretion of normal oceanic crust at the Mesozoic Mid-Atlantic Ridge required the presence of a magma chamber.


The meadow vole (Microtus ennsylvanicus) and pine vole M_. pinetorum) are major pests in fruit orchards in the eastern U.S. These species damage trees by gnawing the bark or root systems during the winter months, thus, reducing the fruit yield s or in many cases actually killing the trees. Orchard owners generally use an integrated pest management approach in-volving a combination of methods: (1) cultural practices such as reducing favorable vole habitat, thereby, limiting the carrying capacity, (2) mechanical control through the use of tree guards or trapping techniques, and (3) the use of rodenticides, both acute and chronic. Economics, or af-fordability, is often the determining factor as to which method or methods an orchard manager will utilize to reduce vole damage to trees. Although rodenticides offer an effective means of control, the use of chemicals should be in combination with either cultural or mechanical control measures. Environmental considerations are of utmost importance in the chemical control of voles. Both primary and secondary hazard potential to non-target wildlife should be examined before a product is used. The rapid environmental degradation time of certain compounds reduces exposure to wildlife.


ABSTRACT The sexual exploitation of children remains a very serious problem and is rapidly increasing globally through the use of the Internet. This work focuses on the current methods employed by criminals to generate and distribute child pornography, the methods used by law enforcement agencies to deter them, and the drawbacks of currently used methods, as well as the surrounding legal and privacy issues. A proven method to detect the transmission of illicit images at the network layer is presented within this paper. With this research, it is now possible to actively filter illicit pornographic images as they are transmitted over the network layer in real-time. It is shown that a Stochastic Learning Weak Estimator learning algorithm and a Maximum Likelihood Estimator learning algorithm can be applied against Linear Classifiers to identify and filter illicit pornographic images. In this thesis, these two learning algorithms were combined with algorithms such as the Non-negative Vector Similarity Coefficient-based Distance algorithm, Euclidian Distance, and Weighted Euclidian Distance. Based upon this research, a prototype was developed using the abovementioned system, capable of performing classification on both compressed and uncompressed images. Experimental results showed that classification accuracies and the overhead of network-based approaches did have a significant effect on routing devices. All images used in our experiments were legal. No actual child pornography images were ever collected, seen, sought, or used.


Gout is one of the most common inflammatory arthropathies, characterized by the deposition of monosodium urate crystals in the synovial membrane, articular cartilage and periarticular tissues and leading to inflammation. The natural history of articular gout is typically composed of four periods: asymptomatic hyperuricemia, episodes of acute attacks of gout (acute gouty arthritis) with asymptomatic intervals (intercritical gout), and chronic tophaceous gout. Tophi develop in 12-35% of gouty patients without adequate control of uricemia. Initially, they do not cause significant complaints or function limitation of the nearby joints. However, if they become larger, joint instability and movement range limitation, joint function impairment and bone erosions and infection at the sites of their penetration can develop.We report a case of a poorly controlled polyarticular tophaceous gout complicated by osteomyelitis.


This study examined the effectiveness of data-driven learning (DDL), explicit instruction and these two methods combined in teaching verb+noun (V+N) collocations to advanced Turkish learners of English. Recognition accuracy of V+N collocations was measured along with participants' judgment about the acceptability of these collocations. It also explored the opinions of learners about using corpus in learning V+N collocations. Quantitative data were analyzed via a one-way independent analysis of variance and descriptive statistics. Results revealed a statistically significant difference between the three groups in their recognition accuracy of V+N collocations. While the Explicit-Instruction (EI) Group and the Combined (C) Group scored significantly higher than the Data-Driven Learning (D) Group, the means of the EI-Group and C-Group did not significantly differ. With respect to the judgment about the acceptability of V+N collocations, the EI-Group significantly outperformed the D-Group; but the difference between the EI-Group and the C-Group; or between the C-Group and the D-Group was not statistically significant. The questionnaire data showed that the participants found the instruction with the use of corpus more useful and effective for learning V+N collocations than instruction without.


$K$-frames as a generalization of frames were introduced by L. Gu{a}vruc{t}a to study atomic systems on Hilbert spaces which allows, in a stable way, to reconstruct elements from the range of the bounded linear operator $K$ in a Hilbert space. Recently some generalizations of this concept are introduced and some of its difference with ordinary frames are studied. In this paper, we give a new generalization of $K$-frames. After proving some characterizations of  generalized $K$-frames, new results are investigated  and some new perturbation results are established. Finally, we give several characterizations of $K$-duals.


: The existence of cross (common) proteins-antigens on the membrane of nervous and glial cells of Helix pomatia in vitro was proved by Coons' method of immunofluorescence. The presence of the neurospecific protein S-100 on the membrane of these cells and antigenous heterogeneity of the membranes of the neuronal cell population were established. The antigen concentration was shown to vary on the somatic and axonal membranes. The distribution pattern of specific luminescence indicates potential qualitative and/or quantitative differences in the content of neurospecific proteins in various portions of the neuronal membrane.


Inversion of large-scale time-domain transient electromagnetic (TEM) surveys is computationally expensive and time-consuming. The calculation of partial derivatives for the Jacobian matrix is by far the most computationally intensive task, as this requires calculation of a significant number of forward responses. We propose to accelerate the inversion process by predicting partial derivatives using an artificial neural network. Network training data for resistivity models for a broad range of geological settings are generated by computing partial derivatives as symmetric differences between two forward responses. Given that certain applications have larger tolerances for modeling inaccuracy and varying degrees of flexibility throughout the different phases of interpretation, we present four inversion schemes that provide a tunable balance between computational time and inversion accuracy when modeling TEM datasets. We improve speed and maintain accuracy with a hybrid framework, where the neural network derivatives are used initially and switched to full numerical derivatives in the final iterations. We also present a full neural network solution where neural network forward and derivatives are used throughout the inversion. In a least-squares inversion framework, a speedup factor exceeding 70 is obtained on the calculation of derivatives, and the inversion process is expedited ~36 times when the full neural network solution is used. Field examples show that the full nonlinear inversion and the hybrid approach gives identical results, whereas the full neural network inversion results in higher deviation but provides a reasonable indication about the overall subsurface geology.


As cloud computing is becoming growingly popular, consumers' tasks around the world arrive in cloud data centers. A private cloud provider aims to achieve profit maximization by intelligently scheduling tasks while guaranteeing the service delay bound of delay-tolerant tasks. However, the aperiodicity of arrival tasks brings a challenging problem of how to dynamically schedule all arrival tasks given the fact that the capacity of a private cloud provider is limited. Previous works usually provide an admission control to intelligently refuse some of arrival tasks. Nevertheless, this will decrease the throughput of a private cloud, and cause revenue loss. This paper studies the problem of how to maximize the profit of a private cloud in hybrid clouds while guaranteeing the service delay bound of delay-tolerant tasks. We propose a profit maximization algorithm (PMA) to discover the temporal variation of prices in hybrid clouds. The temporal task scheduling provided by PMA can dynamically schedule all arrival tasks to execute in private and public clouds. The sub problem in each iteration of PMA is solved by the proposed hybrid heuristic optimization algorithm, simulated annealing particle swarm optimization (SAPSO). Besides, SAPSO is compared with existing baseline algorithms. Extensive simulation experiments demonstrate that the proposed method can greatly increase the throughput and the profit of a private cloud while guaranteeing the service delay bound.


The ad hoc emergency approach to the current economic crisis has a great chance of wasting billions of dollars by mismatching skills and needs. According to Martin Shubik of Yale University, the current deepening recession needs a "quick fix" solution now, but a longer-fix solution must be put into place along with it. There is already considerable talk about the possible need for a large public works program to follow the massive infusion of funds into the financial and automobile sectors. But who is going to manage it? For us to weather this great economic storm we need to line up and coordinate (at least) four sets of highly different talents--political, bureaucratic, financial, and industrial. Without their coordination, economic recommendations, no matter how good they may appear to be in theory, will fail in execution.


Last decades of humanoid research has shown that humanoids developed for high dynamic performance require a stiff structure and optimal distribution of mass~ inertial properties. Humanoid robots built with a purely tree type architecture tend to be bulky and usually suffer from velocity and force/torque limitations. This paper presents a novel series-parallel hybrid humanoid called RH5 which is 2 m tall and weighs only 62.5 kg capable of performing heavy-duty dynamic tasks with 5 kg payloads in each hand. The analysis and control of this humanoid is performed with whole-body trajectory optimization technique based on differential dynamic programming (DDP). Additionally, we present an improved contact stability soft-constrained DDP algorithm which is able to generate physically consistent walking trajectories for the humanoid that can be tracked via a simple PD position control in a physics simulator. Finally, we showcase preliminary experimental results on the RH5 humanoid robot.


While metamaterials offer engineered static optical properties, future artificial media with dynamic random-access control over shape and position of meta-molecules will provide arbitrary control of light propagation. In this thesis I report: • The experimental realization of the first addressable nanomechanical photonic metasurfaces allowing selective actuation of individual metamaterial strips in a single spatial dimension. The devices are constructed from individually addressable plasmonic chevron nanowires with a 230 nm × 100 nm cross-section, which consist of gold and silicon nitride. The active structure of the metadevice consists of 15 nanowires each 18 μm long and is fabricated by a combination of electron beam lithography and ion beam milling. It is packaged as a microchip device where the nanowires can be individually actuated by control currents via differential thermal expansion. • The novel concept and numerical characterization of a realistic metadevice that dynamically controls the optical phase of reflected light with sub-wavelength pixelation in one dimension. Based on nanomembrane technology, it consists of individually moveable metallic nanowire actuators that control the phase of reflected light by modulating the optical path length. The metadevice can provide on-demand optical wavefront shaping functionalities of diffraction gratings, beam splitters, phasegradient metasurfaces, cylindrical mirrors and mirror arrays with variable focal distance and numerical aperture without unwanted diffraction. • The novel concept and numerical characterization of a spatial intensity modulator with sub-wavelength resolution in one dimension that combines recent advances in reconfigurable nanomembrane metamaterials and coherent all-optical control of metasurfaces. The metadevice uses nanomechanical actuation of metasurface absorber strips placed near a mirror in order to control their interaction with light from perfect absorption to negligible loss, promising a path towards dynamic beam diffraction, light focusing and holography without unwanted diffraction artefacts. • The experimental demonstration of a reflective light modulator, a dynamic Salisbury screen where modulation of light is achieved by moving a thin metamaterial absorber to control its interaction with the standing wave formed by the incident wave and its reflection on a mirror. Electrostatic actuation of the plasmonic metamaterial absorber's position leads to a dynamic change of the Salisbury screen's spectral response and 50% modulation of the reflected light intensity in the near-infrared part of the spectrum. The demonstrated approach can also be used with other metasurfaces to control the changes they impose on the polarization, intensity, phase, spectrum and directional distribution of reflected light. In summary, dynamic control over optical properties both in time and space through addressable metamaterials enables focusing, diffraction and redirection of light on demand without unwanted diffracted beams present in commercial spatial light modulators. This work paves the way towards optical properties on demand.


Insomnia is a common health complaint that often becomes a persistent problem. The theoretical frameworks for understanding and treating insomnia have mostly been behavioural, yet the importance of cognitive processes has received greater attention over the years. The overall aim of this dissertation was to expand the knowledge on the processes from the Cognitive Model of Insomnia by investigating them in novel contexts. Study I examined the outcomes from cognitive therapy for insomnia on adolescents. Study II explored the relationship between cognitive processes and the association with remission and persistence of insomnia in the general population. Lastly, Study III investigated if cognitive processes mediated between cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and outcomes of insomnia and depressive severity in a sample of people with insomnia comorbid with depressive problems.The findings show that cognitive therapy for insomnia affected sleep for adolescents, thus this is a promising treatment option for this age group. Further, it was found that cognitive processes distinguished between adults with normal sleep and persistent insomnia. For people with insomnia, elevated sleep-related worry at baseline increased the risk of reporting persistent insomnia later on, whereas a lowering of selective attention and monitoring, and safety behaviours over time increased the likelihood of remission from insomnia. This has clinical implications for insomnia assessment and treatment, as well as theoretical implications, and warrants further research. CBT-I was associated with greater reductions in dysfunctional beliefs and sleep-related safety behaviours compared to control treatment. Dysfunctional beliefs mediated between CBT-I and insomnia severity and depressive severity respectively. This supports the importance of negative thought content in both insomnia and depression.


The aim of the study was to examine whether increased neural tension during passive hamstring stretching contributes to stretch-induced strength loss. Eleven healthy subjects performed maximal isometric knee flexion contractions (100°, 80°, 60° and 20°) before and after a series of hamstring stretches (six 1-min stretches), performed in either a spinal neutral position or a neural tension position. Effect of stretch technique (neutral or neural tension) on passive resistance to stretch, strength-induced strength loss and electromyography activity during strength tests was assessed with repeated measures analysis of variance. Passive resistance to stretch was reduced by 19% after the series of stretches (p=0.001) with no difference between neutral or neural tension stretches (p=0.41). Stretch-induced strength loss was greater (p=0.043) after the neural tension stretches (13%) vs the neutral stretches (5%). There was an apparent rightward shift in the length tension curve after neutral stretches with a 15% strength loss at muscle lengths shorter than optimum, and a 10% gain in strength at muscle lengths longer than optimum (p<0.001). This effect was not apparent after neural tension stretches where strength loss was 21% at muscle lengths shorter than optimum and 9% at muscle lengths longer than optimum. The addition of neural tension to hamstring stretching increased stretch-induced strength loss but this was not associated with observable neural inhibition. The absence of a rightward shift in the length-tension curve after neural tension stretching indicates that muscle fibre shortening during isometric contractions was unaffected, presumably because tendon-aponeurosis compliance was not increased.


Introduction Lung infections with Mycobacterium abscessus, a species of multidrug resistant nontuberculous mycobacteria, have increased in frequency worldwide, emerging as an important global threat to individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) where they cause accelerated inflammatory lung damage and death. M. abscessus was previously thought to be independently acquired by susceptible individuals from the environment. However, using whole genome sequencing and detailed epidemiological analysis of a cohort of patients attending the CF centre at Papworth Hospital, we found strong evidence for transmission between patients. We therefore sought to examine the mechanism of acquisition of M. abscessus in CF individuals across the world. Methods We undertook whole genome sequencing on 1080 isolates from 517 patients from the UK, US, the Republic of Ireland, mainland Europe and Australia. This was then correlated with clinical metadata and phenotypic functional analysis. Results Our genomic analysis revealed that the majority of infections are from densely clustered M. abscessus genotypes with low levels of diversity, indicating a high level of human associated spread. Moreover, the phylogeny reveals the presence of three recently emerged dominant circulating clones that have globally spread. We found that these clones are associated with worse clinical outcomes and show increased virulence in both cell-based and mouse infection models. Within patients we found evidence of genetic diversity and evolutionary adaptation through the processes of convergent evolution and hypermutation. Conclusions The majority of M. abscessus infections in patients with Cystic Fibrosis are caused by genetically related clusters, indicating recent patient-to-patient transmission despite conventional infection control measures. Transmission appears to have facilitated evolution of M. abscessus from an environmental organism into a transmissible human pathogen. This work was supported by The Wellcome Trust grant 098051 (JMB, SH, JP) and 107032AIA (DG, RAF) The Medical Research Council (JMB), The UK Cystic Fibrosis Trust (DMG, DR-R, IE, JP, RAF), Papworth Hospital (DMG, KPB, CSH, RAF), NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (RAF), and The UKCRC Translational Infection Research Initiative (JP).


In this study, mercury (Hg) concentrations were detected in feathers of 22 bird species from 10 different families living in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in Van Lake Basin in Turkey. The mercury rates in feathers were detected based on nutrition status and taxonomic classifications of bird species. Mercury levels were detected in 0.002 ± 0.007 mg/kg and 2.700 ± 0.560 mg/kg dry weight range. It was observed that there was a significant difference between the groups classified taxonomically (p < 0.05). The highest concentrations were detected in European Honey-buzzard (Pernis apivorus) 2.7 mg/kg, Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus) 0.45 mg/kg and Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus) 0.28 mg/kg species from Accipitridae family. And the lowest mercury concentration was detected in Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) from the same family (0.002 ± 0.007 mg/kg). Mercury was detected in the feather samples taken from the Egyptian Vulture, Lammergeier, Northern Lapwing, and Great Bustard, and these species were determined to be within different endangered categories according to the International Union for Conservation Nature (IUCN). Considering the trophic level (type of food) and systematic groups of the sampled species, it was determined that average mercury level was statistically significant in both cases. It was suggested that the mercury level of the carnivorous ones were higher than that of the herbivorous ones.


Cultured chick pigment epithelial (PE) cells from stages 29 to 31 chick embryos grown innormal Eagle's minimum essential medium (MEM) exhibit marked colonial organization and differentiation. Individual cells appear epithelial and heavily pigmented. In contrast, cells grown in Ham's modified F-12 medium appear fibrocytic with colonial disorganization and little visible pigmentation. Biochemically, cells grown in F-12 medium lack receptors for both A H-retinol and s H-retinoic acid, although cells grown in MEM exhibit specific 3 H-retinol binding. Pathways of glucose utilization differ significantly in cells grown in the two media, with considerably lower overall respiratory activity and lower pentose phosphate pathway activity seen with the F-12 medium. Thus different nutritional states can markedly affect PE cell characteristics in culture and possibly in vivo as well.


About the book:
Global Religious Movements in Regional Context offers a wide-ranging exploration of the adaptation and diversity of religious traditions in various geographical, cultural and ethnic contexts within the contemporary world. The book analyses the complexities of the relationships between religion and globalization, and general trends and counter-trends in secularization. It argues that religions that 'go global' cannot remain unchanged by their importation into new cultures, and explores the creative tension between indigenization and a sense of global identity. The chapters focus on Evangelical and Pentecostal Christianity in the UK, the USA, Latin America and Africa, as well as the worldwide spread of Islam and of the Japanese-derived Buddhist movement, the Soka Gakkai.


This event study focus on the response countries within the euro zone has on stabilization after a deficit crisis occurs. The data used in the analysis is collected from different sources, mainly well-known organizations such as the World Bank. The dataset contains only European economics, due to the nature of the problem in this thesis only concerning the euro zone. However, there exist some problems with the dataset. Previous research provided evidence of creative accounting in the run-up and start of the euro zone. This has made the result unreliable to some extent since it is impossible to measure the true value of the variable of interest. The model used to capture the response of the euro zone is an extension of a previous research by Alesina et, el. (2006) on why different types of government delay adjustment of reforms. The results in this thesis includes a re-estimation of the basic empirical model (Alesina et, el. 2006) to find out whether their results holds on a sample of only European countries and results of the extended models where the political variable are changed with a variable explaining the introduction of the Euro as a hard currency. The results from the extended models were quite unexpected since they provided some evidence of countries within the euro zone that adjust more promptly in time after a deficit crisis occurs than countries with their own monetary unit. However, most of the estimates was insignificant and the results must therefore be carefully interpreted. Three models were estimated to find out how countries within the euro zone response after the occurrence of a deficit crisis. All the models provide the same tendencies, even though most of the parameters were insignificant. To check for robustness, the crisis criteria was changed to reflect the deficit rules in the euro zone (Maastricht criteria) and a sample of PIIGS countries tested against the inner six (Germany, France…). The tendencies of the results were similar to the extended model, indicating that countries in the euro zone adjust more decisively after an occurrence of a deficit crisis. Thus, since few of the parameters of interest were significant and many problems exist with the models, no conclusion can be drawn from this event study.


Oxidized cytochrome c(6) from Anabaena PCC 7119 was studied by electron spin echo envelope modulation spectroscopy. Hyperfine couplings of the unpaired electron with several nuclei were detected, in particular those of the nitrogens bound to the iron atom. Combining the experimental information here presented and previous continuous wave-electron paramagnetic resonance and electron nuclear double resonance results, some details on the electronic structure of the heme center in the protein are obtained. These results are discussed on the basis of a molecular model that considers one unpaired electron localized mainly in the iron d orbitals and propagation of the spin density within the heme center via spin polarization of the nitrogen sigma-orbitals. The coexistence of two heme forms at physiological pH values in this c-type cytochrome is also discussed taking into account the experimental evidence.


Soft colloids are increasingly used as model systems to address fundamental issues such as crystallisation and the glass and jamming transitions. Among the available classes of soft colloids, microgels are emerging as the gold standard. Since their great internal complexity makes their theoretical characterization very hard, microgels are commonly modelled, at least in the small-deformation regime, within the simple framework of linear elasticity theory. Here we show that there exist conditions where its range of validity can be greatly extended, providing strong numerical evidence that microgels adsorbed at an interface follow the two-dimensional Hertzian theory, and hence behave like 2D elastic particles, up to very large deformations, in stark contrast to what found in bulk conditions. We are also able to estimate the Young's modulus of the individual particles and, by comparing it with its counterpart in bulk conditions, we demonstrate a significant stiffening of the polymer network at the interface. Finally, by analyzing dynamical properties, we predict multiple reentrant phenomena: by a continuous increase of particle density, microgels first arrest and then re-fluidify due to the high penetrability of their extended coronas. We observe this anomalous behavior in a range of experimentally accessible conditions for small and loosely crosslinked microgels. The present work thus establishes microgels at interfaces as a new model system for fundamental investigations, paving the way for the experimental synthesis and research on unique high-density liquidlike states. In addition, these results can guide the development of novel assembly and patterning strategies on surfaces and the design of novel materials with desired interfacial behavior.


Current methods for solving games embody a form of "procedural rationality" that invites logical analysis in its own right. This paper is a brief case study of Backward Induction for extensive games, replacing earlier static logical definitions by stepwise dynamic ones. We consider a number of analysis from recent years that look different conceptually, and find that they are all mathematically equivalent. This shows how an abstract logical perspective can bring out basic invariant structure in games. We then generalize this to an exploration of fixed-point logics on finite trees that best fit game-theoretic equilibria. We end with some open questions that suggest a broader program for merging current computational logics with notions and results from game theory. This paper is largely a program for opening up an area: an extended version of the technical results will be found in the forthcoming dissertation [26].


ABSTRACT The relative effectiveness of three sketching procedures for enhancing the recall of a witnessed event was assessed. Participants (N = 123) viewed a mock crime video and were asked to recall its contents using one of three sketching procedures (i.e. Sketch and Free Recall; Sketch then Free Recall; Sketch and Explain then Free Recall) or two comparison procedures (i.e. Mental Reinstatement of Context; Control). Participants who were administered the Sketch and Explain then Free Recall procedure recalled more correct details than those who were administered the other four procedures (all ds > 0.70); the greater number of correct details was observed primarily for object and action details. There was minimal difference in incorrect details recalled or accuracy rate between all five procedures. The implications of using different sketching procedures for enhancing recall at the onset of investigative interviews are discussed.


Human-animal relationships have long existed, across cultures, in many varied forms. The associations between the two are integral to the creation, form, use and perception of landscapes and environments. Despite this, animals are all too often absent from our views of ancient landscapes. Humans experience their diverse environments through a variety of media, and animals regularly play an important role in this type of exchange. Landscape archaeology commonly emphasises the influences of humanity upon the physical world. However, such engagement is rarely unilateral. Whether herding domesticated mammals, hunting quarry, or merely experiencing the range of fauna which populate the world, many of these interactions leave physical traces in the landscape: the form and location of settlements, enclosures, pathways, woodland, pasture, and meadows. Also, in more subtle ways, human and animal actors work together in performances through which people subconsciously generate their perceptions of landscape and environment. These physical and psychological animal landscapes have the potential to inform on human society and ideology. This thesis seeks to utilise zoo archaeological evidence to examine this concept. Animalscape research could be applied to any place or period but as a case study this project will explore, through animal bone analysis, how landscape and environment were used to negotiate cultural identity during the Iron Age/Romano-British transition, a pivotal but poorly understood period in British history.

Research focuses on a c.200 km2 area of land bordering the West Sussex coast. This is a complex and singular locale, encompassing a number of Iron Age and Romano-British sites - most notably the elite settlement at Fishbourne which originated in the late Iron Age and developed, towards the end of the 1st century AD, into the largest 'Roman-style' domestic building north of the Alps. The site has been excavated a number of times in different areas since its discovery in 1960 until 2002; the various investigations producing a large quantity of animal bone. Yet this has, until now however, only been subjected to piecemeal analysis. The full re-analysis of the Fishbourne faunal assemblage is central to this project. To place these new data in their wider context, existing animal bone information from all pertinent published and 'grey' zoo archaeological literature is synthesised. The resulting datasets allow for a detailed examination of animal landscapes across the Iron Age/Romano-British transition at three nested scales: site and context; hinterland/region; and, Empire.

Integrating the zooarchaeological data with evidence from landscape and environment studies, Iron Age/Roman archaeology, ancient history and, most importantly, social anthropology is key to this project. A new theoretical framework is adopted here, whereby animals are seen not simply as passive indicators of economy and environment but as active beings, providing visual, audio and physical experience, and it is through these novel approaches by considering the human-animal-landscape relationship, that a new insight into the cultural changes of the Iron Age to Romano-British transition will be obtained.


ABS TRACT: Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of cognitive assessment interview (CAI-TR) Objective: The Cognitive Assessment Interview (CAI) is an interview-based scale developed to assess cognitive functioning of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. It is scored by a clinician according to patient and informant interview. This study aimed to determine the reliability and validity of the CAI-Turkish Version (CAI-TR). Methods: The Cognitive Assessment Interview (CAI) was translated to Turkish and back to English and the back-translated form of the scale was approved by Dr. Ventura, its original developer. The translated text was administered to five schizophrenia outpatients as a pilot study and was deemed appropriate following a joint review by the research team. Ninety clinically stable outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder diagnosis were evaluated by clinicians using SCID-I (CV), PANNS, and Social Functioning Scale. To assess the patients' neurocognitive status, certified expert psychologists administered a neurocognitive test battery including Oktem Verbal Memory Process Test, Wechsler Memory Scale-Digit Span, Verbal Fluency Test, Continuous Performance Test, Trail Making Test-A, Tower of London Test, The ''Reading the Mind in the Eyes'' test (Eyes Test), and Facial Emotion Identification and Discrimination Test. Results: Internal consistency of CAI-TR was good, with Cronbach's alpha value of 0.97. For patient scores, Cronbach's alpha value was 0.91. Each item of CAI-TR was correlated with the related neurocognitive test (r=0.242-0.564; p<0.05). Moreover, overall scores of CAI-TR showed statistically significant correlations with Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) (r=-0.538, p<0.001), social functioning (r=-0.520; p<0.01), and objective neurocognitive tests. As a measure of external validity of CAI-TR, statistically significant correlations were determined between patient, informant and interviewer evaluations independent of source of information (r=0.707, r=0.830, r=0.835, respectively; p <0.001 for all). Mean duration of patient interview was 18.7 minutes (8-30 min; SD=5.4), mean duration of informant interview was 18.0 minutes (10-25 min; SD=5.0) and total mean duration of CAI administration was 36. 6 minutes (18-55 min; SD=9.7). Discussion: The analysis indicated that CAI-TR was a reliable and valid instrument to evaluate cognitive functioning. Ratings obtained from patient interview were also significant. CAI-TR is found to be a very practical and useful tool with some additional advantages such as being a clinically based interview with a brief administration time providing information about patients' functioning.


Scientific basis of the Soil Fertility and Fertilizer Use Control System (in further text, 'the System') was established in 1980 and it was legislated in 1985. The System encompasses the control of all factors that determine soil fertility and fertilizer action, i.e., how soil affects the growth, development and yield of crops and which measures must be undertaken to ensure high, stable and economic yields and adequate protection of the biosphere. Because of the economic crisis that pestered the country over last 18 years and the recent war devastations, the System was not fully exploited. During 2002-2006, a campaign was launched to conduct soil analyses in the private sector free of charge. The campaign was organized by the Secretariat of Agriculture of the Vojvodina Province and the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops. The latter is the country's leading scientific establishment in the field of agriculture. The public response to the campaign fully justifies future intentions to reinstate the System.


1. In two experiments, forty-four pigs weaned at 4--5 d of age were given diets containing milk or soya-bean proteins until slaughtered at 14, 28, or 35 d of age. 2. Additions of methionine and methionine plus lysine to the diets did not increase the proportions of these amino acids in ileal digesta. 3. In the pigs given a nitrogen-free diet, ileal digesta contained more threonine, proline and glycine than in pigs given diets containing protein. 4. The apparent and true digestibility of amino acids were greater when milk protein was fed than when soya-bean proteins were fed. 5. The apparent digestion of amino acids to the ileum of pigs given isolated soya-bean protein (ISP; Supro 610) increased with increasing age of pigs from a mean of 0 . 82 at 14 d of age to 0 . 87 at 35 d of age. 6. When milk protein was fed apparent digestibilities of methionine and lysine to the ileum were 0 . 912 and 0 . 905. The apparent digestibility of threonine to the ileum was 0 . 800, 0 . 774 and 0 . 504 for pigs given the milk-, ISP and soya-bean-meal (SBM)-protein diets respectively. 7. Apparent digestibilities of total essential and non-essential amino acids were 0 . 79 and 0 . 69 respectively, and true digestibilities of both were 0 . 82.


This paper examines the connections between democracy and education, particularly as it concerns economics. We adopt a pluralist proceduralist view of democracy, and argue that this requires a view of individuals as active decision-makers able to deliberate and reflect on their different ideas and opinions – a view not available to mainstream economics with its preference-based view of the individual. The paper examines the nature of learning and its implications for teaching, and then applies this to economics education. An important aspect of this is students' exploration of their values. We argue this approach requires a pluralist educational philosophy.


The mycobacillin-synthesizing enzyme system was highly purified by fractionation at 30-55% (NH4)2SO4 saturation. The enzyme concentrate on Sephadex G-200 gel chromatography was resolved into three distinct fragments. Each of the fragments on further purification by DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography behaved as a single-component system, as clearly indicated by the sharpness of the peaks in the elution diagram. None of the fragments alone nor any two of them in all possible combinations possessed mycobacillin-synthesizing activity, which was restored only when the three fragments were used together in the test system.


Abstract. A new analysis method for producing tidal temperature parameters using meteor radar measurements is presented, and is demonstrated with data from one polar and two mid-latitude sites. The technique further develops the temperature algorithm originally introduced by Hocking (1999). That earlier method was used to produce temperature measurements over time scales of days and months, but required an empirical model for the mean temperature gradient in the mesopause region. However, when tides are present, this temperature gradient is modulated by the presence of the tides, complicating extraction of diurnal variations. Nevertheless, if the vertical wavelengths of the tides are known from wind measurements, the effects of the gradient variations can be compensated for, permitting determination of temperature tidal amplitudes and phases by meteor techniques. The basic theory is described, and results from meteor radars at Resolute Bay (Canada), London (Canada) and Albuquerque (New Mexico, USA) are shown. Our results are compared with other lidar data, computer models, fundamental tidal theory and rocket data. Phase measurements at two mid-latitude sites (Albuquerque, New Mexico, and London, Canada) show times of maximum for the diurnal temperature tide to change modestly throughout most of the year, varying generally between 0 h and 6 h, with an excursion to 12 h in June at London. The semidiurnal tide shows a larger annual variation in time of maximum, being at 2–4 h in the winter months but increasing to 9 h during the late summer and early fall. We also find that, at least at mid-latitudes, the phase of the temperature tide matches closely the phase of the meridional tide, and theoretical justification for this statement is given. We also demonstrate that this is true using the Global Scale Wave Model (Hagan et al., 1999). Median values for the temperature amplitudes for each site are in the range 5 to 6 Kelvin. Results from a more northern site (Resolute Bay) show less consistency between the wind tides and the temperature tides, supporting suggestions that the temperature tides may be zonally symmetric at these high latitudes (e.g. Walterscheid and Sivjee, 2001). Key words. Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (middle atmosphere dynamics; waves and tides) – Radio science (signal processing)


Nanomaterials are structures whose exceptionality is based on their large surface, which is closely connected with reactivity and modification possibilities. Due to these properties nanomaterials are used in textile industry (antibacterial textiles with silver nanoparticles), electronics (high-resolution imaging, logical circuits on the molecular level) and medicine. Medicine represents one of the most important fields of application of nanomaterials. They are investigated in connection with targeted therapy (infectious diseases, malignant diseases) or imaging (contrast agents). Nanomaterials including nanoparticles have a great application potential in the targeted transport of pharmaceuticals. However, there are some negative properties of nanoparticles, which must be carefully solved, as hydrophobic properties leading to instability in aqueous environment, and especially their possible toxicity. Data about toxicity of nanomaterials are still scarce. Due to this fact, in this work we focused on studying of the effect of magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) and modified magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) on tobacco BY-2 plant cell suspension culture. We aimed at examining the effect of NPs and MNPs on growth, proteosynthesis—total protein content, thiols—reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione, phytochelatins PC2-5, glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity and antioxidant activity of BY-2 cells. Whereas the effect of NPs and MNPs on growth of cell suspension culture was only moderate, significant changes were detected in all other biochemical parameters. Significant changes in protein content, phytochelatins levels and GST activity were observed in BY-2 cells treated with MNPs nanoparticles treatment. Changes were also clearly evident in the case of application of NPs. Our results demonstrate the ability of MNPs to negatively affect metabolism and induce biosynthesis of protective compounds in a plant cell model represented by BY-2 cell suspension culture. The obtained results are discussed, especially in connection with already published data. Possible mechanisms of NPs' and MNPs' toxicity are introduced.


Introduces algorithms which can produce both optimal and suboptimal task assignments to minimize the probability of failure of an application executing on a heterogeneous distributed computing system. A cost function which defines this probability under a given task assignment is derived. To find optimal and suboptimal task assignments efficiently, a reliable matching and scheduling problem is converted into a state-space search problem in which the cost function derived is used to guide the search. The A* algorithm for finding optimal task assignments and the A*/sub m/ and hill-climbing algorithms for finding suboptimal task assignments are presented. Simulation results are provided to confirm the performance of the proposed algorithms.


A 30-second exposure (priming) to a loud noise induced a long-lasting susceptibility to audiogenic seizures and a 15-decibel decrease in threshold to the Preyer acoustic startle reflex in C57BL/6J mice. Both effects were absent when the subjects were primed in one ear and subsequently tested in the contralateral ear. It was postulated that the primary effect of priming is an increase in auditory sensitivity due to changes in the ear itself or in those parts of the auditory system which receive their input exclusively from one ear.


Abstract : A study of annealed and quenched specimens of arcmelted alloys permitted the construction of the binary diagram from Hf to HfO2 and from 700 to 2500C. The diagram is characterized by the following features. (1) Additions of oxygen to Hf raise the alpha-beta (hcp-bcc) transformation temperature (1775 = 25C) resulting in a peritectic reaction L(about 1 a/o O) + alpha (about 8 a/o O) yields beta (about 3 a/o O) at about 2250C. (2) The alpha phase has a broad solubility for oxygen. The maximum solubility has been positioned at 22 a/o O, decreasing to 20 a/o from 2000C. The alpha phase is stabilized to its melting point, 2500C. (3) A eutectic exists where L(about 37 a/o O) yields alpha (about 22 a/o O) + HfO2 at about 2200C. (4) HfO2 has a limited homogeneity range extending from about 66 to 66.7 a/o O. No metallographic evidence of the monoclinic-tetragonal inversion in HfO2 was noted. (5) The lattice parameters of specimens annealed at 1000C indicate a solubility limit for oxygen in alpha at 18.6 a/o, in reasonably good agreement with metallographically determined boundary. (Author)


Abstract Objective: To explore the relationship between laterality recognition after stroke and impairments in attention, 3D object rotation and functional ability. Design: Observational cross-sectional study. Setting: Acute care teaching hospital. Participants: Thirty-two acute and sub-acute people with stroke and 36 healthy, age-matched controls. Main outcome measures: Laterality recognition, attention and mental rotation of objects. Within the stroke group, the relationship between laterality recognition and functional ability, neglect, hemianopia and dyspraxia were further explored. Results: People with stroke were significantly less accurate (69% vs 80%) and showed delayed reaction times (3.0 vs 1.9 seconds) when determining the laterality of a pictured hand. Deficits either in accuracy or reaction times were seen in 53% of people with stroke. The accuracy of laterality recognition was associated with reduced functional ability (R2 = 0.21), less accurate mental rotation of objects (R2 = 0.20) and dyspraxia (p = 0.03). Conclusion: Implicit motor imagery is affected in a significant number of patients after stroke with these deficits related to lesions to the motor networks as well as other deficits seen after stroke. This research provides new insights into how laterality recognition is related to a number of other deficits after stroke, including the mental rotation of 3D objects, attention and dyspraxia. Further research is required to determine if treatment programmes can improve deficits in laterality recognition and impact functional outcomes after stroke.


The school is a mixed 12-16years group comprehensive located in the heart of the Black Country. It presently has 801 pupils on roll, 239 boys and 562 girls. The Faculty of Art, Craft, Design and Technology benefits from a modern, well equipped, self contained building erected in 1976. The facilities include three workshops that have been developed into multi-media areas, capable o f dealing with resistive materials. The building also houses ceramics, fabrics, technology, dark rooms and additionally two art studios . Whilst all rooms and workshops are self contained, all are in easy access of each other.


This review has a two-fold objective. One, it addresses the association of hyperandrogenism and obesity and the complex metabolic derangements that are part of the problem. Clinical management of these co-morbidities is challenging and complex. Second, this article will aid health care providers with the key features to an early diagnosis and intervention to decrease the morbidities in the short as well as long term. Method: Systematic review of articles and information on the topic of interest that were published in the last 15 years. Conclusion: Obesity and hyperandrogenism are integral parts of Metabolic Syndrome/Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)!Hyperandrogenism, Insulin resistance, and Acanthosis Nigricans (HAIR-AN). With the childhood obesity epidemic, the metabolic syndrome and the associated abnormalities are routinely seen in clinical practice and these have a tremendous economic burden on the society and the quality of life.


This article describes the process evaluation of a stress management program called `Learn Young, Learn Fair' for 5th and 6th graders. Studies, reviews and meta-analyses of prevention programs report that a common limitation in studies is the restricted documentation of process factors that contribute to the success of interventions. Program implementation is such a factor and findings indicate that the quality of implementation significantly affects outcomes. It is associated with Type III error: no effect is established because the program itself is inadequately designed or delivered. The potential role for school psychologists in process evaluation is discussed, and the great deal Intervention Mapping has to offer in this respect. A questionnaire for both teachers and pupils was developed, with items formulated to assess implementation and to investigate whether teachers and pupils valued the program. The latter would give an indication of future adoption and implementation in the field. Implementation was divided into completeness and fidelity. Completeness for the main parts of the program, the lessons and homework assignments, was good (98.5 and 95.8 percent respectively). Completeness for the auxiliary components, the booster sessions and the daily practice exercises, was moderate (62.2 and 69.3 percent respectively). Fidelity was good; mostly the teacher implemented the lessons, almost all items were discussed, and the manual was quite strictly followed (94, 98 and 95 percent respectively). Implementation of the program was of good quality. The program was delivered as intended. Effect evaluation will not be threatened by a Type III error. The results of this study favoured the feasibility of program implementation. It is stated that school psychologists can use the findings as a criterion for program selection. In that case it will be an example of the process of enlarging the potential role of school psychology in process evaluation of mental health interventions for schools.


BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE
Adenosine plays an essential role in cells signal transduction, including inhibiting the activity of phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase, up-regulating the activity of adenylate cyclase and the concentration of cAMP, and inhibiting platelet actin polymerization. Adenosine analogues have the same bioactivities as adenosine, but are slowly deaminated by adenosine deaminase. This study was to observe the effects of 2-chloro-adenosine(2-ClAdo), 2-chloro-2'-deoxyadenosine (2-CldAdo), and 2'-deoxyadenosine (2'-dAdo) on invasion of human ovarian cancer cell line HO-8910PM.

METHODS
HO-8910PM cells were treated with 2-ClAdo, 2-CldAdo, and 2'-dAdo, Trypan blue dye exclusion assay was used to examine cytotoxities of these 3 adenosine analogues to HO-8910PM cells, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was used as sensitive control. Reconstituted basement membrane invasion assay was used to evaluate invasive, adhesive, and kinetic activities of the cells. PAGE substrate zymography was used to analyze secretion,and activity of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to analyze mRNA levels of mta1 and nm23H1.

RESULTS
The 50% inhibition concentrations (IC(50)) of 2-ClAdo, and 2-CldAdo at 72 h were 5.80, and 2.61 micromol/L; while inhibitory effect of 2'-dAdo on the cells was not significant, its IC(50) was more than 100 micromol/L. Inhibition rates of 6.0 micromol/L of 2-ClAdo, and 2-CldAdo on cells invasion were (42.5+/-1.5)%, and (9.9+/-0.5)%; those on cells migration were (36.9+/-2.1)%,and (17.1+/-0.4)%; and those on cells adhesion were (32.2+/-2.3)%, and (19.5+/-3.1)%. All these inhibition rates were significantly higher than those of control (P< 0.05). While 2'-dAdo had no significant effect on cells invasion. All 3 chemicals could not inhibit the production and activity of MMP-9 in HO-8910PM cells. 2-ClAdo down-regulated mRNA level of mta1, but neither 2-ClAdo nor 2-CldAdo affected mRNA level of nm23H1.

CONCLUSION
Of these 3 adenosine analogues, 2-ClAdo might be a potential chemical inhibiting tumor invasion and metastasis because of its weaker cytotoxity but stronger inhibitive effect on invasion of tumor cells.


In the past twenty years the United States population has grown from just under 267 million to an appalling 320 million residents, a growth trend that is only expected to continue. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the country has a net gain of one person every fourteen seconds. At this startling rate of population increase the threat of a widespread evacuation caused by a manmade disaster looms, an even more daunting task than ever before. Unfortunately the University of Wisconsin-Madison is already too familiar with the regrettable existence of a manmade disaster. In 1970, UW-Madison's Sterling Hall was attacked using a bomb planted in a van parked outside of the building. UW-Madison covers 936 acres in the city of Madison, Wisconsin and is home to over 43,000 students and over 21,000 faculty and staff. Currently, the university does not set guidelines or procedures for a no-notice evacuation. This statement is in no way meant to be a criticism, as most disasters necessitating an evacuation are highly unlikely to occur in Madison, Wisconsin such as a hurricane, wildfire, or massive flood. Considering these facts, one scenario on the UW-Madison campus that would require a no-notice evacuation if it occurred, is an imminent explosion such as the act of terrorism that took place at Sterling Hall in 1970. This study aims to find the best practice in a worst-case scenario in order to create an evacuation plan for UW-Madison's campus area using three main methodologies: logistics analysis, a microscopic traffic simulation using VISSIM, and a traffic demand model. The VISSIM simulation will provide a descriptive simulation of the evacuation movements that will help identify major points of congestion in the network. Clearance times out of the evacuation perimeter will be evaluated utilizing different routes and optimal routes and volumes will be determined. The traffic demand model will provide an analysis of traffic generation, trip departure times, destination selection, and route assignment. These steps will create a model that will allow the completion of the final step of generating a specific plan, analyzing this plan, and making any necessary revisions. Through this analysis, major points of congestion and optimal routes will be identified in order to develop an evacuation plan for the UW-Madison campus. A detailed logistics analysis will be conducted considering class times, class enrollments, daytime populations of campus building and facilities, the percentage of personal vehicles available for use, alternative modes of transportation available for use, acceptable shelter locations and their capacities, and optimal routes among other factors. Additionally, some best practices will be suggested regarding communications, technical support, and resources to be included in an emergency management plan.


Knee dislocations can cause extensive soft tissue disruption including vascular insufficiency to the leg secondary to popliteal artery injury. Physical exam may miss vascular injury and possible late occlusion, but there is controversy regarding use of angiography to evaluate patients after dislocation. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) has been shown to be equally effective as angiography in evaluating vascular injury and to have fewer complications than angiography. Patients with knee dislocations routinely receive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess ligament integrity. The purpose of our study was to determine whether it may be prudent and convenient to obtain an MR angiogram at the same time as an MRI scan, with less morbidity and discomfort than with conventional angiography. Sixteen patients with frank and occult knee dislocations were prospectively evaluated over 2 years. After reduction, a physical exam was performed including ankle brachial index (ABI). With ABI < 0.90, emergent vascular surgery consult and angiogram was performed. Patients with ABI > 0.90 were observed for 3 days with serial physical exams, and MRI/MRA was performed as soon as possible. Sixteen dislocations were identified. Two of 16 (12.5%) had abnormal ABIs and received an angiogram and subsequent revascularization. Two had normal exams, but refused MRA. Twelve had normal exams and received MRI/MRA showing a normal popliteal artery with no adverse events. ABI had 100% sensitivity for vascular injury; however, there remains concern among treating surgeons about missing an occult injury such as an intimal tear. Because MRA has been shown to be as accurate and useful as angiography, we may be able to evaluate ligamentous and vascular injury simultaneously with less morbidity than that with conventional angiography.


A drift-diffusion model for charge transport in an organic bulk heterojunction solar cell, formed by conjoined acceptor and donor materials sandwiched between two electrodes, is formulated. The model accounts for (i) bulk photogeneration of excitons, (ii) exciton drift and recombination, (iii) exciton dissociation (into polarons) on the acceptor–donor interface, (iv) polaron recombination, (v) polaron dissociation into a free electron (in the acceptor) and a hole (in the donor), (vi) electron/hole transport and (vii) electron–hole recombination on the acceptor–donor interface. A finite element method is employed to solve the model in a cell with a highly convoluted acceptor/donor interface. The solutions show that, with physically realistic parameters, and in the power generating regime, the solution varies little on the scale of the micro-structure. This motivates us to homogenise over the micro-structure; a process that yields a far simpler one-dimensional effective medium model on the cell scale. The comparison between the solution of the full model and the effective medium (homogenised) model is very favourable for applied voltages less than the built-in voltage (the power generating regime) but breaks down as the applied voltages increases above it. Furthermore, it is noted that the homogenisation technique provides a systematic way to relate effective medium modelling of bulk heterojunctions [19, 25, 36, 37, 42, 59] to a more fundamental approach that explicitly models the full micro-structure [8, 38, 39, 58] and that it allows the parameters in the effective medium model to be derived in terms of the geometry of the micro-structure. Finally, the effective medium model is used to investigate the effects of modifying the micro-structure geometry, of a device with an interdigitated acceptor/donor interface, on its current–voltage curve.


In failing to achieve many of the benefits associated with delegate conventions, and realizing most of their shortcomings, the Manitoba New Democratic Party appears poised to adopt a new method of leadership selection. Based on the party's base of support, history, and experiences during the most recent leadership race in 2009, the following analysis suggests NDP members may look most favourably upon a "hybrid" approach to selecting their next leader. This would allow the party to maintain many of the advantages of the convention model, while incorporating the strengths of a one-member, one-vote system.


Dielectric and resistive coatings based on glass ceramics with nickel boride additives have been synthesized. It was found that the microstructure of the resistive coating consists of a large number of phases. X-ray fluorescence analysis revealed the presence of Ni and Cr borides in the structure of the resistive layer. It was found that the change in the structure and specific surface resistance of resistive pastes practically does not affect the temperature coefficient of resistance of the synthesized resistive tracks.