Guillain–Barré syndrome is often caused by Campylobacter jejuni infection that has induced antibodies to the lipo-oligosaccharide (LOS) that cross-react with gangliosides at peripheral nerves causing polyneuropathy. To examine fine specificities of anti-ganglioside antibodies and develop a more robust platform for diagnosis and disease monitoring, we developed a chemoenzymatic approach that provided an unprecedented panel of oligosaccharides composed of the inner-core of the LOS of C. jejuni extended by various ganglioside mimics. The compounds and corresponding ganglio-oligosaccharides were printed as a microarray to examine binding specificities of lectins, anti-ganglioside antibodies, and serum antibodies of GBS patients. Although lectins and anti ganglioside antibodies did not differentiate the ganglio-oligosaccharides and mimics, the patient serum samples bound much more strongly to the ganglioside mimics. The data indicate that antibodies have been elicited to a foreign epitope that includes a heptosyl residue unique of bacterial LOS and that these antibodies subsequently cross-react with lower affinity to gangliosides. The microarray detected anti-GM1a antibodies with high sensitivity and will be attractive for diagnosis, disease monitoring, and immunological research.


The EPA Lead and Copper Rule set Action Limits for lead and copper concentrations in potable water, but accelerated corrosion of lead in potable water systems due to a galvanic connection to copper remains a significant health risk to consumers. In addition to elevated lead release due to galvanic corrosion of lead-tin solder and leaded brass fixtures, partial lead service line replacements with copper pipe present long-term health concerns.

Prior research has demonstrated that the effects of galvanic corrosion can be controlled by water chemistry, and the interplay between alkalinity, natural organic matter (NOM), and orthophosphate (added as corrosion inhibitor) may have a significant influence on corrosion of common lead plumbing materials. Results of bench-scale experiments demonstrate that in some waters galvanic corrosion can multiply lead release from lead pipe by up to 60 times, but other waters curtail the galvanic current and alleviate the effects of galvanic corrosion. Measurements of pH at the lead surface demonstrate that a corrosive micro-environment forms during stagnation in which the local pH drops to 3.0 or lower, demonstrating that the worst-case scenario for galvanic corrosion of lead occurs during long stagnation periods.

In addition to water chemistry, flow pattern also has an impact on galvanic corrosion of lead. Conventional wisdom regarding lead release indicates that continuous flow results in the greatest mass of lead release, but reports of anomalously high lead concentrations after long periods of stagnation point to the contrary. In this experiment, continuous flow of chlorinated water through a Pb-Cu galvanic couple promoted Pb(IV) formation and resulted in potential reversal that caused lead pipe to become cathodic to copper and minimized lead release to water. In contrast, intermittent flow resulted in sustained galvanic attack, and a mass balance of Pb release indicated that a greater total mass of lead was released with intermittent flow. These results have important implications for assessing lead risk at the tap, especially considering long stagnation periods at facilities such as schools and increasing efforts for water conservation.

Elevated copper release in potable water can cause aesthetic problems and mild health concerns and often occurs in new plumbing systems prior to the formation of a protective scale layer on the pipe surface. While solubility in new copper pipes tends to be controlled by an amorphous solid of high solubility, over time, the natural copper aging process results in the formation of a protective scale of much lower solubility, but the transition can be inhibited in waters with high levels of NOM. Experiments demonstrated that GAC treatment to remove NOM accelerates the aging process to a protective scale that provides a long-term reduction in copper release even after GAC treatment is terminated. Therefore, compared to pH adjustment and orthophosphate addition, which must be continued perpetually, GAC treatment may be a more holistically pleasing method of copper corrosion control. This approach could be useful in the commissioning of new buildings to facilitate rapid aging and avoid potential long-term copper corrosion problems.


Acute oral intoxication of Pretilachlor, a synthetic chloroacetanilide herbicide, can present similar clinical manifestations of organophosphorus toxicity in humans.

 A 15-year-old male was admitted after suicidal ingestion of Pretilachlor poison, with decreased consciousness and blood-mixed vomiting.

 Pretilachlor is a colorless and odorless liquid that can cause neurotoxicity and carcinogenicity due to its prolonged exposure. The effects of acute oral exposure are mild and may differ from chronic exposure. Individuals exposed to chloroacetanilides may not show symptoms or experience vomiting and neurological issues. Clinical manifestations such as vomiting, excessive lacrimation, bowel and bladder incontinence, bradycardia, and hypotension can be observed in both organophosphate poisoning and pretilachlor poisoning, making accurate diagnosis challenging, particularly in resource-limited settings like ours. There is no specific antidote for Pretilachlor poisoning. Treatment focuses on symptomatic care and monitoring the patient's hemodynamics as per standard protocol.

 This case underscores the need for prompt stabilization, vigilant monitoring, and supportive care to ensure timely recovery in Pretilachlor poisoning cases, despite similarities with organophosphate poisoning. It emphasizes the importance of educating and raising awareness among physicians about potential mimickers like organophosphates.


This paper presents a novel scheme called "Laboratory Testbed for Embedded Fuzzy Control of a Real Time Nonlinear System." The idea is based upon the fact that project-based learning motivates students to learn actively and to use their engineering skills acquired in their previous years of study. It also fosters initiative and focuses students' attention on authentic real-world problems. At the same time, it enhances their learning. Students gain hands-on experience and improve their skills in product development, self-directed learning, teamwork, and project management. There has been a tremendous rise in the popularity of intelligent control techniques like fuzzy logic for use in industrial control applications in recent times. These techniques, which were primarily conceived for nonlinear control applications, are best implemented using embedded controllers, which can use their capabilities to the maximum. While courses in electrical and computer engineering cover several areas like digital and analog integrated circuits, microprocessors and control Systems, and process control, few of these integrate all these areas with focus on the application of intelligent techniques in real-time systems. Also, there is a growing need in industry for engineers who can perform software design and system integration for various applications in embedded control. This paper aims at developing such a practical task as one of the major projects in the eighth semester of the program offered by the Instrumentation and Control Engineering (ICE) Department of Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology (NSIT), Delhi University, India, to design a real-time embedded controller implementing an intelligent control technique, fuzzy logic, for control applications. These applications might, for example, be level control, flow control, or pressure control. The paper discusses an example of a real-time pressure control system for which a microcontroller-based fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller has been simulated and implemented with satisfactory results.


Lately, data-driven algorithms have been proposed to design local controls for Distributed Generators (DGs) that can emulate the optimal behaviour without any need for communication or centralised control. The design is based on historical data, advanced off-line optimization techniques and machine learning methods, and has shown great potential when the operating conditions are similar to the training data. However, safety issues arise when the real-time conditions start to drift away from the training set, leading to the need for online self-adapting algorithms and experimental verification of data-driven controllers. In this paper, we propose an online self-adapting algorithm that adjusts the DG controls to tackle local power quality issues. Furthermore, we provide experimental verification of the data-driven controllers through power Hardware-in-the-Loop experiments using an industrial inverter. The results presented for a low-voltage distribution network show that data-driven schemes can emulate the optimal behaviour and the online modification scheme can mitigate local power quality issues.


ECG in sinus rhythm with ventricular preexcitation and changing QRS morphology was seen that was initially interpreted as the multiple accessory pathway from elsewhere. (Figure 1A). The following mechanisms are potentially involved in the electrogenesis of changing QRS morphology in WPW syndrome: 1) multiple accessory pathways1; 2) simultaneous occurrence of aberrant atrioventricular conduction with accessory pathway conduction 2; 3) ventricular fusion of preexcited sinus impulse with ectopic impulse. Electrophysiologic study showed short PR (75 ms) interval with wide QRS (152 ms) and negative HV (-12 ms) interval. No change in delta wave polarity was observed during HRA and CS pacing. In full preexcitation, no breakthrough was seen in the CS. During incremental ventricular pacing, atrial breakthrough site is initially recorded on the HRA catheter and then changed to distal pole of CS catheter with progressive decrease in pacing cycle length. During ventricular pacing at cycle length of 500 ms (S1), earliest atrial activity is recorded on HRA catheter. Changing QRS could not be explained by presence of multiple APs because only right-sided AP had bidirectional conduction and no distal CS breakthrough was seen simultaneous with changing QRS morphology. The possibility of aberrant conduction is excluded by presence of negative HV interval in the beats with differing QRS morphology. No sinus cycle length variation before and after the beats with different morphologies are against the occurrence of functional LBBB. The prematurity of ventricular electrogram in His recording catheter with variable HV (H-electrogram is recorded after V-electrogram in second beat and before V-electrogram in third beat) and fixed V-RB intervals (interval from ventricular electrogram in His to the RB potential) are compatible with ventricular fusion of preexcited sinus impulse with ectopic ventricular impulse originating from parahissian area (explaining LBBB and inferior axis morphology of the beats with changing QRS) but not from the His bundle or RBB itself (because H-electrogram and RB potential is recorded after V-electrogram in the second beat with greater degree of ventricular fusion)(Figure 1B).


In this article three methods are presented to perform the center of gravity defuzzification method: one well known method, the discretisation method, and two new methods, the slope-based method and the modified transformation function method. The methods are worked out for trapezoidal membership functions forming a fuzzy (Ruspini) partition. Experimental results show that the newly introduced methods exhibit excellent accuracy at an extremely low computational cost compared to the widely applied discretisation method.


The Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE) is among the most dynamic catchments in Antarctica. With a recent history of increasing mass loss, and the potential to raise global sea levels by 1.2 m, the evolution of ice streams in the ASE in response to a changing climate must be understood. Sub-ice shelf (IS) basal melting of ASE ice streams is projected to increase in the future in response to climate change, which could initiate unstable retreat in the region. Ice sheet models are used to numerically represent ice flow and simulate future evolution of ice sheets in response to climate. Representation of processes, boundary conditions, model initialisation and the input datasets are at the discretion of model users. However, numerical representation impacts the modelled behaviour of ice streams and can lead to uncertainty in future projections. Understanding the interplay between uncertainty in external forcing and internal ice sheet model configuration is important for constraining future estimates of ASE sea level contribution. This thesis explores the future evolution of ASE ice streams with a focus on the sensitivity of ice streams to IS melting and the role of numerical representation in altering the sensitivity of ice streams to future forcing. Here, century scale simulations are performed on a regional ASE domain with the high resolution adaptive mesh refinement model, BISICLES. BISICLES captures both shear-dominated flow of grounded ice and longitudinal stress-dominated flow of floating ice, while resolving the grounding line to 250 m, meaning the fast evolving ice streams in the ASE are well represented. Experiments use perturbations of IS melting to force the ice sheet over 200 years. Different representations of subglacial rheology (sliding law), calving front position, geometry product, choice of ice sheet model and parameterization of IS melting are explored for simulations with varying future IS melt rates. Following a multi-decadal period of elevated IS melting, a sustained reduction in melting to below present-day rates can limit the total mass loss from the ASE and drive regrowth of ice streams through grounding line advance. Pine Island Glacier (PIG) is more sensitive to the choice of sliding law than to the migration of a calving front, however, sliding law and ice front are most important during application of positive forcing. Thwaites Glacier is less sensitive to the sliding law than PIG, but is more sensitive to the bed geometry product used, particularly in inducing acceleration consistent with observations. Differences in the parameterization of IS melt over the 21 st century leads to a doubling in projected mass loss for a single future climate scenario. The results of a model comparison demonstrate the choice of ice flow model is less important than the model initialisation, which amplifies model differences in response to perturbed IS melting. The exploration presented here into the role of numerical representation provides context for the interpretation of existing ASE simulations and also helps clarify which model configuration(s) are best able to reduce sea-level projection uncertainty.


Background Despite increasing practice of teledermatology in the U.S., teledermatology practice models and real-world challenges are rarely studied. Methods The primary objective was to examine teledermatology practice models and shared challenges among teledermatologists in California, focusing on practice operations, reimbursement considerations, barriers to sustainability, and incentives. We conducted in-depth interviews with teledermatologists that practiced store-and-forward or live-interactive teledermatology from January 1, 2007 through March 30, 2011 in California. Results Seventeen teledermatologists from academia, private practice, health maintenance organizations, and county settings participated in the study. Among them, 76% practiced store-and-forward only, 6% practiced live-interactive only, and 18% practiced both modalities. Only 29% received structured training in teledermatology. The average number of years practicing teledermatology was 4.29 years (SD±2.81). Approximately 47% of teledermatologists served at least one Federally Qualified Health Center. Over 75% of patients seen via teledermatology were at or below 200% federal poverty level and usually lived in rural regions without dermatologist access. Practice challenges were identified in the following areas. Teledermatologists faced delays in reimbursements and non-reimbursement of teledermatology services. The primary reason for operational inefficiency was poor image quality and/or inadequate history. Costly and inefficient software platforms and lack of communication with referring providers also presented barriers. Conclusion Teledermatology enables underserved populations to access specialty care. Improvements in reimbursement mechanisms, efficient technology platforms, communication with referring providers, and teledermatology training are necessary to support sustainable practices.


Good processability is often required for applications of conducting materials like polyaniline (PANI), carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene. This can be achieved by either physical stabilization or chemical functionalization. Functionalization usually expands the possible applications for the conducting materials depending on the properties of the functional groups. Processable conducting materials can also be combined with other co-dissolving materials to prepare composites with desired chemical and physical properties.Polyanilines (PANI) doped with dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) are soluble in many organic solvents such as chloroform and toluene. Single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can be dispersed into PANI/DBSA to form homogeneous solutions. PANI/DBSA functions as a conducting surfactant for SWCNTs. The mixture can beiicombined with two-parts polyurethanes that co-dissolve in the organic solvent to produce conducting polymer composites. The composite mixtures can be applied onto various substrates by simple spray-on methods to obtain transparent and conducting coatings.Graphene, a single layer of graphite, has drawn intense interest for its unique properties. Processable graphene has been produced in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) by a one-step solvothermal reduction of graphite oxide without the aid of any reducing reagent and/or surfactant. The as-synthesized graphene disperses well in a variety of organic solvents such as dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), ethanol and tetrahydrogenfuran (THF). The conductivity of solvothermal reduced graphite oxide is comparable to hydrazine reduced graphite oxide.Attempts were made to create intrinsically conducting glue comparable to mussel adhesive protiens using polyaniline and graphene. Mussels can attach to a variety of substrates under water. Catechol residue in 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) is the key to the wet adhesion. Tyrosine and phosphoserine with primary alkyl amine groups also participate in adhesion. A novel water soluble synthetic mussel adhesive containing both catechol and amine groups are synthesized in a simple approach. A polyallylamine backbone is used to take the place of the polyamide chain. Catechol is appended to the backbone as the key cross-linking group. Compared to polyallyamine, poly[N-(3,4- dihydroxybenzylidene)allylamine] exhibits good adhesion under alkaline water due to moderate cross-linking. When exposed to cross-linkers, this synthetic mussel adhesive can form a hydrogel at a very low concentration.iiiVarious methods were tried to attach catechol group onto polyaniline and graphene to make synthetic conductive mussel adhesive. Although the chemistry proved to be successful, the material doesn't show great adhesion to selected substrates probably due the nature of the backbone and difficulties associated with its processability.


Date Presented 4/20/2018 Hispanic adults demonstrated significant disability progression from 2006 to 2009. Characteristics independently associated with disability progression included dementia, hypertension, sex, and older age. Findings can inform clinical decision making and future research directions in aging studies. Primary Author and Speaker: Ickpyo Hong Additional Authors and Speakers: Addie Middleton, Timothy A. Reistetter


This review highlights current (and future!) hot topics in astrophysics where atomic or molecular input data are (or will be) essential, with special emphasis on topics relating to nucleosynthesis and cosmochemistry. We first discuss issues (like the abundances of oxygen and iron in the Sun, and that of lithium in post-AGB stars) where the use of poor-quality atomic or molecular data have led to spurious astrophysical puzzles which sparked fancy astrophysical models or theories. We then address issues where the advent of new instruments (like the ultraviolet high-resolution spectrographs—GHRS onboard HST, Keck-HRS or VLT-UVES—or future infrared satellites) calls for new and accurate atomic or molecular data.


The article reconstruct the situation of Italian psychiatry around 1930, using as unusual sources the pages of the Enciclopedia Italiana di Scienze, Lettere e Arti. This important work, conceived in 1925 and finished in 1937, is due - as well known - to the strong interest of Giovanni Gentile and to his capacity to involve in the project a great part of Italian intellectual world, without any ideological preclusion. The section devoted to Medical Sciences, including Psychiatry, was directed by Nicola Pende (1880-1970) and Giacinto Viola (1870-1943). A prevalent positivistic approach to science is well testified by their specific attention to preventive and social medicine, researches in Genetics and in biotypological constitutions. Psycopathological and psycological lemmas are very limited, underlying the medical disinterest towards contemporary philosophy and psycology.


During the last century, electrical geophysics has been transformed from a simple resistivity method to a modern technology that uses complex data-acquisition systems and high-performance computers for enhanced data modeling and interpretation. Not only the methods and equipment have changed but also our ideas about the geoelectrical models used for interpretation have been modified tremendously. This paper describes the evolution of the conceptual and technical foundations of EM methods. It outlines a framework for further development, which should focus on multitransmitter and multireceiver surveys, analogous to seismic data-acquisition systems. Important potential topics of future research efforts are in the areas of multidimensional modeling and inversion, including a new approach to the formulation and understanding of EM fields based on flux and voltage representation, which corresponds well to geophysical experiments involving the measurement of voltage and flux of electric and magnetic fields.


Comparison of the electromagnetic performance of a flux-switching permanent magnet (PM) machine having two separate stators as well as different winding topologies is investigated in this paper. Different stator and rotor pole combinations of these machines are also considered. The analysis includes the open-circuit and on-load characteristics of the analyzed machines. It is observed that, the largest fundamental values of electromagnetic torque, for each winding topology, is seen in the 11-rotor-pole and 10-rotor-pole machines having alternateand all-pole-wound configurations, respectively. Moreover, significant ripple is observed in the waveforms of the even-number rotor pole machines compared to their corresponding odd-number rotor pole counterparts. Overall, the alternate-pole-wound machines essentially have larger torque-density than their equivalent all-pole-wound ones. The investigated machine is also tested for validation.


The interaction of carbon black with an acrylic resin in aqueous solution has been investigated by rheology. Two carbon blacks Raven L and Raven M, with similar particle size and surface characteristics but quite different particle morphologies, have been examined. In the absence of polymer, stable aqueous dispersions could not be obtained. Stable dispersions could be obtained however upon addition of polymer to a level corresponding to a ratio of 50mg of polymer per 13m2 of surface area (i.e.l5wt% particles). These stable dispersions exhibit flow typical of concentrated dispersions - Newtonian behaviour up to some apparent 'yield' or critical value. Above which shear thinning is observed. This critical stress increases with increasing polymer concentration. At low polymer concentrations, the dispersions are predominantly viscous at low shear stresses. The phase angle decreases significantly over a narrow shear stress range and the rheology tends to more elastic behaviour. At higher shear stresses, the dependence on particle morphology is weak. Furthermore, increasing the pH of the aqueous dispersions has little effect, but changing the adsorbent does alter the rheology somewhat. In addition to Raven L and Raven M, other carbon blacks were also investigated in which the surface chemistry had been modified by ozonolysis. In addition to aqueous systems, a selection of oil based systems have also been investigated. Here, four carbon blacks were used with a bitumen binder: the low-medium structured fine particle (Raven L), the medium-high structured fine particle (Raven M), a low-medium structured coarse particle (N772) and a medium-high structured coarse particle (N660). For these systems, the rheology and the dispersion colour properties have been investigated. Finally, a rheology study on the effect of bimodal dispersions was undertaken.


Background: The purpose of this study was to report the morbidity and mortality of patients who undergo liver transplantation with or without T-tube implantation after choledochocholedochostomy as well as to discuss management of bile duct complications. Patients and Methods: From August 2001 to November 2005, a retrospective review of 94 orthotopic liver transplantations was conducted. 43 patients underwent choledochocholedochostomy with T-tube implantation (group A); 45 patients underwent choledochocholedochostomy without T-tube implantation (group B). Three patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation and 3 choledochojejunostomy patients were excluded. Results: Between the two groups, there were no significant differences in clinical characteristics, including sex, age, indication of liver transplantation (hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, alcoholic liver cirrhosis, or hepatocellular carcinoma), Child-Pugh classification, preoperative laboratory data, and operative, macroscopic and microscopic findings. Additionally, there were no significant differences in bile duct complications and overall survival rate. Of these 88 patients with orthotopic liver transplantation, 11 (12.5%) developed biliary complications (10 male, 1 female). Seven patients had anastomostic stricture and underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with stent implantation. In 5 of these patients ERCP and stent implantation failed, and surgery was done with successful results. Conclusions: Whether or not stent implantation is done during choledochocholedochostomy after OLT has no impact on the frequency of biliary complications or survival time. The biliary complications after liver transplantation can be managed by ERCP with stent implantation. If ERCP fails, surgical intervention should be considered immediately.


Lycken, M. 2018. Living and dying with prostate cancer. Population-based register studies. Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Medicine 1474. 65 pp. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. ISBN 978-91-513-0369-7. Tailored treatment with adequate timing is essential for the quality of prostate cancer care at all stages. Overtreatment should be avoided due to the side effects, but undertreatment may on the other hand lead to progression and death. This thesis aims to describe the patterns of use for non-curative treatments of prostate cancer, alongside the time trends of disease characteristics of men who die from prostate cancer. The work was based on the National Prostate Cancer Register of Sweden (NPCR). The first study included 45 147 men. The cumulative incidence of castration was 11.6% at ten years after diagnosis, while it was 10.8% for antiandrogen monotherapy. Estimated median durations of castration ranged from four years in the deferred treatment high-risk group to seventeen years in the prostatectomy low-risk group. The second study included 114 cases and 1140 controls. Four men out of ten received androgen deprivation therapy although they had prostate-specific antigen doubling time ≥12 months and biopsy Gleason score ≤7, which was defined as non-adherence to the guidelines of the European Association of Urology. Most of these men had low-risk features at diagnosis. The third study included 8326 men. During the last year before death from prostate cancer, use of opioids increased from 30% to 72%. Men without close relatives and older men had lower probability to receive opioids. The fourth study included 45 850 men. During the study period of 1992 to 2012, the time trend showed a stage shift towards lower risk group at diagnosis, longer disease duration, and higher age at death among men who died from prostate cancer. The first two studies indicate that overtreatment with androgen deprivation therapy is common after curative treatment, why interventions to improve adherence to guidelines are needed. The third study indicates that men without close relatives and older men are disadvantaged with respect to treatment of cancer pain, why they need closer attention from health care providers. The findings in the fourth study may reflect the synergetic effects of prolonged lead time, increased life expectancy, and improvements in the management of prostate cancer during the last two decades.


The purpose of this paper is to reveal the designing of the static characteristic of the digital peak current mode dc-dc converter using a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). In the proposed method, it is able to sample the reactor current by using the VCO and the delay circuit. The improvement of the dynamic characteristic and the analysis of the proposed method have already been revealed. However the design method in the static characteristic of the proposed method has not been clear. In this paper, the analysis about the resolution of the output voltage is revealed for the designing of the proposed method in static characteristic. The change of the output voltage against the change of the delay time in the signal frequency detector is confirmed by comparing the analysis result and simulation results. Furthermore, the effect, which the signal frequency detector gives to the output voltage in the transient state, is discussed.


Introduction: Feeding habits and environmental factors may rival genetic susceptibility as etiological factors related to various cancers. Humans are continuously exposed to many synthetic food additives, one of which is sodium nitrite (NaNO2). There is a direct correlation between increases in consumption of nitrite-treated products and incidence of tissue damage, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity and some types of cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effects of Trigonella foenum-graecum (TFG) on NaNO2-induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity.
Methods: Forty rats were randomly assigned (10 per group) to control (physiological saline solution), TFG (150 mg/kg/day), NaNO2 (80 mg/kg/day), and NaNO2+TFG (80 mg/kg/day + 150 mg/kg/day) groups. This group was offered TFG seed extract two hours before NaNO2. At the end of three months, the rats were decapitated, and blood, kidney and liver tissues were removed.
Results: Three months of oral administration of NaNO2 increased serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), urea, creatinine, and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in the liver and kidney tissues [except for liver Interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1a)] of rats. Serum AST, ALT, urea, creatinine, liver IL-6, and kidney tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), IL-6, IL-1a levels significantly decreased in the NaNO2+TFG group compared to the NaNO2 group. Pathological examinations, it was determined show that exogenously administered TFG could alleviate the effects of NaNO2 hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that exogenous TFG mitigates NaNO2-administration induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. TFG extract exerted antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, and played a significant role in preventing hepatic and renal damage induced by chronic NaNO2 administration.


With the advancement of technology, new methods for delivering content are rapidly being presented. Two faculty from different disciplines implemented tutorial videos into introductory courses in psychology and physiology to address problems that pointed to a need for additional supplemental resources. Instructor-created videos, using Loom software, focused on supplementing course content, clarifying course expectations, enhancing student experience, providing additional information related to course requirements, and providing feedback on graded assignments. The instructors met regularly during the 2017-2018 academic year to discuss how the videos were being used and surveyed students to gain their feedback regarding the implementation of the videos. It was believed that by clarifying course content and assignment directions through the implementation of instructor-created videos students would be better prepared to meet the rigorous expectations in the courses where videos are included. Instructors reflected upon the collaborative process utilized to brainstorm methods for creating videos to support their courses and student feedback related to the usefulness of instructor-created videos implemented.


Fifty-five strains of Phanerochaete chrysosporium were isolated in South Africa, and screened for indicators of ligninolytic activity: lignin peroxidase (LiP), manganese peroxidase (MnP) and glyoxal oxidase (GLOX). MnP-production as a function of time was followed in all strains. Nine strains were selected for quantification of MnP, LiP and GLOX activities. Statistically significant variation in MnP and GLOX activities existed among the different strains. Under low nitrogen, LiP activity of selected strains showed no significant variation, whereas strain PP25 had significantly increased LiP levels under high nitrogen conditions. Probing genomic DNA with the genes encoding lignin peroxidase ( lipD and lipl1 ), manganese peroxidase ( mnp2 ), and glyoxal oxidase ( glox ) showed significant genetic diversity with lignin peroxidase and manganese peroxidase probes, but not with the glyoxal oxidase probe.


This research proposed a situational learning system to help elementary school students practice and improve their English as a foreign language (EFL) writing skills. Students carried out assigned writing tasks using the support of mobile devices in situations deemed to be familiar to the students, such as on the school playground, within classroom facilities, and at lunch. The study recruited 59 sixth-grade students from two separate EFL classes. A class of 28 students was identified as the experimental group, and another class of 31 students was assigned as the control group. The students of the experimental group carried mobile devices to carry out EFL writing assignments within specific and familiar subject environments, stimulating real-life situations or contexts. The results of the experiment indicated a significant difference in learning achievement between the two groups. Students in the experimental group perceived the designed activities to be fun; thus, they were more inclined to maintain interest in situated learning scenarios. Furthermore, based on interviews with participating students from both groups, we found that the activities presented within familiar contexts, and supported by our proposed EFL writing system, inspired students to not only write more sentences, but to describe the target objects clearly and thoroughly.


The present paper discusses the implacable suggestions for the transformation of peace culture and sustainable development in the universities of Pakistan. The recent situation in the educational institutions especially universities of Pakistan facing the multiple issues regarding, intolerance and lack of social adjustments in the behaviors of the students, this situation creates unrest in the educational phenomena, the most challenging issue in the educational universities is the instability of sustainable development of peace culture, for the solution of these issues two (02) way technique was adopted, in which one questionnaire prepared for the university students and other a semi structure interview was designed for the university teachers. The sample was collected from four (04) public sector universities of Pakistan. The results of the data given operational suggestions, according to the results universities education system have not any element of creativity and diversity in the curriculum. So, need to plan creative and value oriented education for the students, moreover, reasons of cultural intolerance related with student unions and pressure groups, these need to address in ethical manners. The current study suggests to adopt the applicable measure to develop the peaceful environment in the educational institutions in Pakistan.


We study a linear inviscid model of a passively flexible swimmer with distributed flexibility, calculating its propulsive performance and optimal distributions of flexibility. The frequencies of actuation and mean stiffness ratios we consider span a large range, while the mass ratio is fixed to a low value representative of swimmers. We present results showing how the trailing edge deflection, thrust coefficient, power coefficient and efficiency vary with frequency, mean stiffness and stiffness distribution. Swimmers with distributed flexibility have the same qualitative features as those with uniform flexibility. Significant gains in thrust can be made, however, by tuning the stiffness such that a resonant response is triggered, or by concentrating stiffness towards the leading edge if resonance cannot be triggered. To minimize power, the opposite is true. Meaningful gains in efficiency can be made at low frequencies by concentrating stiffness away from the leading edge, since doing so induces efficient travelling wave kinematics. We also speculate on the effects of a finite Reynolds number in the form of streamwise drag. The drag adds an offset to the net thrust produced by the swimmer, causing efficiency-maximizing distributions of flexibility to tend towards thrust-maximizing ones, representative of what is found in nature.


The aim of this study is to assess, whether estimation of the same innovation-adoption model at farm- and municipality-level results in an ecological fallacy, meaning that based on aggregated data, one would make inverse inferences about the driving forces influencing the adoption decision at the farm level. The adoption of an emerging alternative crop in Austria, the Styrian Oil Pumpkin, serves as an applied example. Our findings indicate the presence of an ecological fallacy. We therefore propose further research, which could consist of Monte Carlo simulations in order to analyse sensitivity of results with respect to the degree of aggregation.


The terms 'endurance' and 'perdurance' are commonly thought to denote distinct ways for an object to persist, but it is surprisingly hard to say what these are. The common approach, defining them in terms of temporal parts, is mistaken, because it does not lead to two coherent philosophical alternatives: endurance so understood becomes conceptually incoherent, while perdurance becomes not just true but a conceptual truth. Instead, we propose a different way to articulate the distinction, in terms of identity rather than temporal parts: an object endures if its identity is determined at every moment at which it exists. We make precise what it means for the identity of an object to be determined at a moment. We also discuss what role the endurance/perdurance distinction, so understood, should play in the debates about time, material objects and personal identity.


The mean levels of activity of the key enzyme of polyamine biosynthesis, ornithine decarboxylase, in epidermis damaged by psoriasis were 6-fold higher than in normal epidermis. In contrast to the literature data, the activity of the enzyme in uninvolved psoriatic epidermis was also 4-fold higher on DNA basis than that in normal human epidermis. The data obtained suggest that determination of the ornithine decarboxylase activity in epidermis might be considered as the enzyme test for measuring of any hyperproliferative process in the skin, including psoriasis. The inductive synthesis of ornithine decarboxylase is both early and possibly mandatory specific biochemical property of hyperproliferative process of any etiology.


We propose a method for generating double-ring-shaped vector beams. A step phase introduced by a spatial light modulator (SLM) first makes the incident laser beam have a nodal cycle. This phase is dynamic in nature because it depends on the optical length. Then a Pancharatnam–Berry phase (PBP) optical element is used to manipulate the local polarization of the optical field by modulating the geometric phase. The experimental results show that this scheme can effectively create double-ring-shaped vector beams. It provides much greater flexibility to manipulate the phase and polarization by simultaneously modulating the dynamic and the geometric phases.


New Institutional Economics (NIE) focuses on the interaction between legal (formal and informal) institutions and economic behavior. Both directions of causality concern researchers in the field: how institutions influence economic behavior and how economic factors affect institutional change. As such, the NIE abandons standard neoclassical economics assumptions that individuals have perfect information about the market and important current or future events, as well as the assumption that transaction costs of exchange are zero. As a result, NIE introduces observed organization and information costs to neoclassical analysis, thereby providing more analytical richness and power for examining empirical activities. Institutions, such as written contracts, charters, constitutions, laws, and even unwritten norms and codes of behavior are devised to reduce information uncertainty and transaction costs. If effective, these institutions can promote efficiency by encouraging investment, production, and trade. Institutions, especially laws and regulatory arrangements, may also be used to redistribute income, or be part of rent-seeking activities. If ineffective, these institutions may result in inefficiencies and reduced investment, production, and trade. At the same time, individuals engage in collective action as a response to exogenous changes in relative prices to make institutions more effective in promoting economical activities. In the spirit of the NIE, we examine the interactions among regulation, property rights, and water markets in California from 1987-2005. We are interested in whether and how the definition of water rights and the regulation of water transfers has affected observed market activity in: the extent and pattern of water trades, their duration, and the nature of the contracts used (short-term leases, long-term leases, and sales). There is growing pressure to re-allocate fresh water from historical uses in agriculture, where as much as eighty percent of water has been used, to meet greater water demands in urban areas, recreation (i.e. fishing and boating), and environmental requirements (i.e. protect endangered species and repairing aquatic and riparian habitats). Fresh water supplies are limited with little or no new sources, so meeting new demands necessarily requires re-allocation. Markets are institutional options for achieving such re-allocation. Land markets, for example, fairly smoothly and routinely shift land resources from one use (farming) to another (housing). But water is a more complicated resource than land. Due to its physical mobility, water cannot be easily bounded or partitioned across claimants and uses, making it more difficult to define and enforce property boundaries and rights. As a result, exclusion is extremely difficult and numerous parties typically access the same water either simultaneously or sequentially. Because it is difficult to segment water into its various concurrent or chronological uses, there is often a high degree of interaction among water claimants and applicants. For these reasons, water trading among some parties can have important and negative effects on others. For instance, consider an upstream irrigator who diverts water for farming purposes. Only part of the water will be used, with the remainder percolating back through the ground to aquifers, streams, or to ditches for repeated access by other parties in the same watershed or basin. If the first farmer were to sell some or all of her water and ship it out of the basin for urban use, the unconsumed residual or tail water would no longer be available for use by subsequent claimants or environmental uses. They would lose access to water and be harmed by the trading process. Accordingly, any trades that change the location of water diversion, nature of use, and timing, especially if they are large relative to the stream flow, are restricted by state law and regulated by state agencies. Because of the potential for harm, transfers of surface water rights in western states are predicated on there being "no harm or injury" to downstream rights holders. State water agencies, such as the California State Water Resources Control Agency, typically allow trades that involve changes in diversion and location only for historical consumptive uses (water that would not be available to subsequent users in any event) in order to minimize these negative third-party effects. In contrast, local, short-term water transfers among neighboring users, such as irrigators, typically do not require state approval because the water stays nearby and any changes are of limited duration. California laws and regulations, as defined by the state legislature, courts, and administrative agencies, may promote water market transactions if they: (1) clarify the definition and enforcement of private water rights so that ownership is obvious; (2) streamline and make transparent the regulatory process; and (3) limit third-party protests to well-defined criteria and short time periods. Alternatively, California law may retard or change the duration and type of transactions if water rights are weakened and/or the regulatory process is made more complicated. For instance, California law could affect the relative costs and benefits of using particular contracts (leases relative to sales), and the length of transactions (short term versus long term or permanent) by the nature of the regulatory process. In this Article, we examine the water market activities in California between 1987 and 2005 and analyze how the changes in the definition of water rights and regulation have influenced the extent and nature of water trading.


Arylchlorodiazirines (ACDA) are thermal and photochemical precursors of carbenes that form these molecules via nitrogen elimination. We have studied this reaction with multireference quantum chemical methods (CASSCF and CASPT2) for a series of ACDA derivatives with different substitution at the aromatic ring. The calculations explain the different reactivity trends found in the ground and excited state, with good correlation between the calculated barriers and the experimental reaction rates. The ground state mechanism can be described as a reverse cycloaddition with small charge transfer from the aromatic ring to the diazirine moiety. This is consistent with the lack of correlation between the Hammett σ descriptors and the experimental rates. In contrast, the excited state reaction is the cleavage of a single C-N bond mediated by small barriers of 4-6 kcal mol-1. The reaction path goes through a conical intersection with the ground state, which facilitates radiationless decay and explains the disappearance of the transient absorption signal measured experimentally. This leads to a diazomethane intermediate that ultimately yields the carbene. Electronically, excitation to S1 is characterized initially by significant charge transfer from the phenyl ring to the diazirine. The charge transfer is reversed during the C-N cleavage reaction, and this explains the preferential stabilization of the excited-state minimum by polar solvents and electron-donating substituents. Therefore, our calculations reproduce and explain the relationship found experimentally between the Hammett σ+ parameters and the life time of S1 (Y. L. Zhang, et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2009, 131, 16652-16653).


Abstract Microfocus X-ray computed tomography (μCT), a high resolution variant of medical CT, was used to non-invasively examine Jurassic echinoid fossils with spine, demipyramid and test plate fragments serving to assess the extent to which the microstructure remained unaffected by diagenesis. The sizes of the calcite-crystal stereom remains dictated the resolution that could be obtained. The smaller diameter spines were imaged with 9 × 9 × c. 25 μm voxels; the larger demipyramids and test plate fragments were imaged with 13 × 13 μm and 17 × 17 μm voxels, respectively, in the plane of reconstruction and with a proportionally larger slice thickness. The stereom structure was not seen in the μCT slices of the fossils. This is not surprising because, for the ossicles studied, the stereom pore dimensions are, for the most part, smaller than the resolution of the μCT system. Tide marks and other low absorption features were found in the spines and appear to be related to diagenetic changes. What appear to be cleavage cracks were observed in the demipyramid and some of the pores for tube feet could be seen in the test fragment.


We study the effects of uncertainty on long-run growth in two model economies, where households fund risky investment projects of entrepreneurs in the presence of financial market imperfections. Imperfections in the first model are due to asymmetric information which is resolved through costly state verification. In this case, some entrepreneurs may decide at the outset not to borrow and not to run projects. Imperfections in the second model are due to incomplete enforceability of loan contracts. In this case, all entrepreneurs are willing to borrow, but some of them may choose not to run projects, preferring to abscond with their loans, instead. We show that, in both cases, an increase in uncertainty increases the rate of interest on loans which increases the number of entrepreneurs who abstain from running projects. This reduces capital accumulation and growth. We also show that financial market frictions have similar effects, and that the effects of uncertainty disappear when these frictions are absent.


A professional teaching development programme was established to equip multicultural teaching assistants (MTA) with skills and knowledge to teach non-Chinese speaking (NCS) preschoolers in Hong Kong. To evaluate if MTAs are perceived to be able to perform their intended roles (support Chinese and overall learning, provide pastoral support, bridge the communication between NCS parents and kindergartens, and promote social integration), questionnaires were collected from 18 principals and 74 teachers. To assess if the programme can equip MTAs with necessary skills for the planned roles, questionnaires were collected from 39 MTAs, and a focus group interview with 8 MTAs was also conducted. Results showed that principals and teachers were satisfied with MTAs' performances in supporting NCS students' learning. Moreover, the majority of MTAs agreed that the training programme helped them to perform their intended roles in preschools. Most modules taught in the training programme, apart from one exception, were well received by MTAs. The focus group interview revealed that MTAs were satisfied with the programme, though they preferred more training on Chinese writing skills and knowledge in dealing behavioral issues of children. The study shows the possibility of integrating MTAs into multicultural classrooms in Hong Kong to facilitate NCS children's learning.


During the production of beer large amounts of yeast waste are generated. This paper considers the possible making of environmentally friendly adhesive compositions from such wastes. Chemical treatment of yeast wastes increases their adhesive characteristics. Chemical cross-linking with glutaric aldehyde and biological cross-linking by enzyme transglutaminase improves the moisture resistance of the adhesive compositions. In terms of their physical and mechanical parameters they are not inferior to glues of natural origin and can be used for bonding paper, cardboard, and wood. The bonding strength of paper was 421.8 N / m, and that of wood was 27.8 MPa.


The rapid depletion of natural resources and the environmental concerns associated with the use of fossil fuels as the main source of global energy is leading to an increased interest in alternative and renewable energy sources. Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant source of organic materials that can be utilized as an energy source. Anaerobic digestion has been proven to be an effective technology for converting organic material into energy products such as biogas. However, the nature of lignocellulosic materials hinders the ability of microorganisms in an anaerobic digestion process to degrade and convert organic material to biogas. Therefore, a pretreatment step is necessary to improve the degradability of lignocellulosic materials and achieve higher biogas yield. Several pretreatment methods have been studied over the past few years including physical, thermal, chemical and biological pretreatment. This paper reviews biological and thermal pretreatment as two main promising methods used to improve biogas production from lignocelluloses. A greater focus is given on enzymatic pretreatment which is one of the promising yet under-researched biological pretreatment method. The paper addresses challenges in degrading lignocellulosic materials and the current status of research to improve biogas yield from lignocelluloses through biological and thermal pretreatment.


Brazilian labour markets are rather flexible in macroeconomic terms while also displaying microeconomic rigidity. Macroeconomic flexibility is characterized by the significant growth in employment in both good and bad times. Microeconomic rigidity is translated into high turnover rates, frequent litigation, and rising informality. This dichotomous relationship is mediated by the third side of the labour market that can be best represented by labour market institutions. These have contributed to the current state of affairs by means of a rather stringent labour code, rent-seeking labour unions, a system of labour courts that encourages litigation, mistargeted social security benefits that send wrong signals to workers and employers, feeding informality and weak labour relations. The joint effect of this state of affairs is conducive to economic inefficiency, income inequality and stable poverty levels, as the economy becomes unable to absorb in an equitable way those entering in the labour market and barriers to overcome the poverty line become more and more strong. As a consequence, labour market indicators have deteriorated over the 1990s, hurting the young, female and least educated workers. Over the 1990s, for example, female unemployment was 30% higher than male's. Gender and race discrimination is still an important issue in the country, although several studies point to a significant increase in the returns to education of female workers over the last 15 years or so. At the same time, informal employment has displayed a structural growth embracing currently 50 percent of the workforce. There is also evidence that a significant share of this contingent of informal workers is in the informal sector voluntarily not only to escape the grasp of labour legislation but also due to low formal sector wages. Slave work has not been covered in this report, as there are no published references available in the main academic sources and think-tanks specialised on the study of labour issues. Globalisation has hurt more the unskilled share of the labour force and had a limited capacity to improve poverty and inequality indicators. Liberalising measures adopted in the early 1990s increased both imports and exports feeding the demand for skilled labour at the expense of the unskilled. The result of this phenomenon was a net loss of jobs in the labour market. Poverty rates and inequality indices, therefore, continue to be the one of the highest in the world. Although there are no reported evidence on the existence or not of social dumping in Brazilian exports, indirect results show that the main Brazilian export firms use highly skilled labour, due to the capital intensive technology bias they have historically adopted, making it difficult to believe that social dumping in Brazil is an issue de facto. In terms of labour market flexibility, the picture in Brazil, as portrayed in this report, hints to the need of a substantial labour reform. A reform that should focus on changing signals and incentives to workers and firms so that more lasting and quality labour relations can arise, with implications such as lower job turnover rates, less litigation, higher labour productivity, and less informality, with consequent positive effects in terms of poverty and income inequality reduction. Although not an easy task, if accomplished, this reform should align incentives and price labour correctly, paving the way for a healthy and effective labour market flexibility. Perhaps then the expected positive impacts of greater efficiency and economic integration might be transmitted to the workforce in a more equitable fashion in Brazil.


Abstract. We present the implementation of Thomsen's weak
anisotropy approximation for vertical transverse isotropy (VTI) media within TOMO3D, our code for 2-D and
3-D joint refraction and reflection travel-time tomographic inversion. In
addition to the inversion of seismic P-wave velocity and reflector depth,
the code can now retrieve models of Thomsen's parameters (δ and
ε). Here, we test this new implementation following four
different strategies on a canonical synthetic experiment in ideal conditions
with the purpose of estimating the maximum capabilities and potential weak
points of our modeling tool and strategies. First, we study the sensitivity
of travel times to the presence of a 25 % anomaly in each of the
parameters. Next, we invert for two combinations of parameters (v, δ, ε and v, δ, v⊥), following two inversion strategies,
simultaneous and sequential, and compare the results to study their
performance and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. Simultaneous
inversion is the preferred strategy and the parameter combination (v, δ, ε)
produces the best overall results. The only advantage of
the parameter combination (v, δ, v⊥) is a better recovery of the
magnitude of v. In each case, we derive the fourth parameter from the equation
relating ε, v⊥ and v. Recovery of v, ε and
v⊥ is satisfactory, whereas δ proves to be impossible to
recover even in the most favorable scenario. However, this does not hinder
the recovery of the other parameters, and we show that it is still possible
to obtain a rough approximation of the δ distribution in the medium by
sampling a reasonable range of homogeneous initial δ models and
averaging the final δ models that are satisfactory in terms of data
fit.


Future demand projections reported in this paper indicate a steady increase in demand for outdoor recreational opportunities in U.S. regions where BLM lands are located. From a supply perspective, BLM lands represent "prime targets" for meeting increased recreational demand in the western U.S. The BLM will face the challenge of balancing increased recreation use with other multiple uses, and minimizing the negative environmental impacts of increased recreation use such as damages caused by motorized vehicles, horses and foot traffic. In the future, the BLM will also face management challenges related to financing the provision of increased recreational opportunities.


Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is the most common single-gene disorder worldwide and has multiple and variable manifestations. The many medical complications associated with it such as acute chest syndrome and painful crises, along with a lack of normal functioning, may lead to various psychosocial problems such as depression, loneliness and impaired quality of life. A few studies have sought to examine the relationships between demographics, disease severity, depression, loneliness and quality of life of such patients. In this paper we apply the knowledge discovery via data mining (KDDM) process to explore factors which impact the quality of life of sickle cell patients in Jamaica to explicate knowledge which can be used by medical professionals. We use multiple modeling techniques such as Decision Trees, Regression and Regression splines to generate multiple models on the dataset and then present a best set of models to the medical professionals. This allows the medical professionals to select models which will assist them in the decision making process. The benefits of using the process model are highlighted in this study.


Teopod2 (Tp2) is a semi-dominant mutation of maize that prolongs the expression of characteristics normally confined to the juvenile phase of development. Two of the many dramatic morphological effects of this mutation are an increase in the number of vegetative nodes, and a reduction in the overall size of the shoot. To determine the cellular basis of these phenotypes, the technique of clonal analysis was used to compare the cell division patterns of wild-type and Tp2 plants. Our results indicate that Tp2 increases the number of vegetative nodes produced by the apicalmost cells in the meristem but does not affect the cell lineage of the basal, juvenile, part of the shoot. This result demonstrates that Tp2 does not act uniquely in a 'juvenile' domain of the meristem, but instead causes cells that are normally destined to produce adult structures to express juvenile traits inappropriately. Clonal analysis also demonstrates that Tp2 does not affect the size of the meristem prior to germination, nor does it affect the cell lineage of the basic structural unit of the stem, the phytomer. Thus the effects of this mutation on the size of the shoot are the result of changes in cell fate late in development.


This paper presents the current post-earthquake damage assessment procedure in Turkey, and is based on the authors experience in the province of Van after the earthquakes in late 2011. The damage assessments were conducted mainly by the state with the collaboration of the Chamber of Architects in Turkey. It is aimed at explaining how the damage surveys are conducted and what problems occurred during and after the completion of the assessments. The differences and similarities between other countries post-earthquake damage assessment practices are also examined by comparing them and giving some examples.


The effect of morphine on the uptake of 45Ca++ was studied in lysed synaptosomes obtained from homogenates of whole mouse brain. The addition of morphine, 10(-6) M, to the incubation medium or acute administration of 10 or 20 mg/kg s.c. resulted in a decrease in 45Ca++ uptake; this decrease was observed only in the presence of ATP (3 mM). In contrast, after morphine pellet implantation (72 hr) to induce tolerance and physical dependence, an enhancement of lysed synaptosomal 45Ca++ uptake occurred; the increase was obtained in the presence but not in the absence of ATP. The enhancement of Ca++ uptake appears to be related with the degree of tolerance and dependence development since a linear relationship was noted between the time of morphine pellet implantation and the increase in 45Ca++ uptake by lysed synaptosomes. The acute inhibitory action on 45Ca++ uptake by morphine was prevented in vitro by naloxone, 1.9 x 10(-8) M, and in vivo by 2 mg/kg of naloxone s.c. and the chronic enhancing action of morphine by the simultaneous implantation of a naloxone pellet with the morphine pellet. The present findings lend further support to our previous reports in which we suggest that alterations in Ca++ flux may be involved with morphine analgesia, tolerance and physical dependence.


The thermal diffusion behavior of ion-implanted Arsenic (As) in SiGe alloy has been investigated and modeled. This paper introduces a neural network based model consisting of physics-based and process-based parameters for evaluating the effective diffusivity of Arsenic through SiGe accurately. The parameters that served as the input to the neural network included Ge content, diffusion temperature and anneal time. The model was validated for the germanium content of up to 45% with the reported data and the existing simulation models in Silvaco. The model incorporates all the effects associated with the change in the process parameters which affect the diffusivity of As in relaxed-SiGe. The model was found to be extremely accurate in predicting the exact dependencies of As diffusivity on physics-based and process parameters. The proposed empirical process model may find suitable application in prediction of thermal diffusion behavior of As in SiGe process-flow with emphasis on reduced computational time.


SystemCoDesigner is an ESL tool developed at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. SystemCoDesigner offers a fast design space exploration and rapid prototyping of behavioral SystemC models. Together with Forte Design Systems, a fully automated approach was developed by integrating behavioral synthesis into the design flow. Starting from a behavioral SystemC model, hardware accelerators can be generated automatically using Forte Cynthesizer and can be added to the design space. The resulting design space is explored automatically by optimizing several objectives simultaneously using state of the art multi-objective optimization algorithms. As a result, SystemCoDesigner presents optimized hardware/software solutions to the designer who can select any of them for rapid prototyping on an FPGA basis. Thus, SystemCoDesigner bridges the gap from ESL to RTL and increases the confidence in early design decisions.


2-Amino-4-oxo-6-substituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine antifolates with a thienoyl side chain (compounds 1-3, respectively) were synthesized for comparison with compound 4, the previous lead compound of this series. Conversion of hydroxyl acetylen-thiophene carboxylic esters to thiophenyl-α-bromomethylketones and condensation with 2,4-diamino-6-hydroxypyrimidine afforded the 6-substituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine compounds of type 18 and 19. Coupling with l-glutamate diethyl ester, followed by saponification, afforded 1-3. Compound 3 selectively inhibited the proliferation of cells expressing folate receptors (FRs) α or β, or the proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT), including KB and IGROV1 human tumor cells, much more potently than 4. Compound 3 was more inhibitory than 4 toward β-glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFTase). Both 3 and 4 depleted cellular ATP pools. In SCID mice with IGROV1 tumors, 3 was more efficacious than 4. Collectively, our results show potent antitumor activity for 3 in vitro and in vivo, associated with its selective membrane transport by FRs and PCFT over RFC and inhibition of GARFTase, clearly establishing the 3-atom bridge as superior to the 1-, 2-, and 4-atom bridge lengths for the activity of this series.


III-V semiconductors are suitable for high efficiency and radiation resistant solar cells. However, the high cost of these materials limited the application of these solar cells only for specialty application. High quality polycrystalline III-V thin films on low cost substrate are the viable solutions for the problem. In this work we demonstrate two new approaches to grow polycrystalline InP on Si(001)substrate. (i) A simple chemical solution route which makes use of deposition of In2O3 on Si and its subsequent phosphidisation and (ii) In assisted growth that involves deposition of In metal on Si and subsequent growth of InP from its precursors in hydride vapor phase epitaxy. Both techniques are generic and can be applied to other semiconductors on low cost and flexible substrates.


Abstract Parents are pivotal in accessing treatment for their children, yet we know little about youth mental health literacy in parents. This is particularly the case in developing countries such as El Salvador, where good parent mental health literacy about children's psychological problems may play a pivotal role in being able to navigate treatment access in an already underfunded and poorly resourced system. This study examined parent mental health literacy about child anxiety disorders in El Salvador; parent perceptions and preferences for treatment-seeking; and perceived barriers to accessing mental health treatment. Parents (N = 271) of youth aged 4–17 in El Salvador answered questions about three vignettes depicting different childhood anxiety disorders. The majority of parents did not recognize specific youth anxiety disorders. Less than 5% of parents identified the vignettes as a mental health problem, most commonly attributing symptoms to personal weakness or stress. Parents endorsed generally positive views about seeking treatment, preferring non-pharmacological mental health treatments, informal support from grandparents and religious leaders, and handling the problem personally. The most common barriers to treatment-seeking were related to cost and service availability. Improving parent mental health literacy may assist with treatment-seeking. Results have implications for mental health policy decisions and service implementation in El Salvador.


Reliable application of machine learning is of primary importance to the practical deployment of deep learning methods. A fundamental challenge is that models are often unreliable due to overconfidence. In this paper, we estimate a model's reliability by measuring \emph{the agreement between its latent space, and the latent space of a foundation model}. However, it is challenging to measure the agreement between two different latent spaces due to their incoherence, \eg, arbitrary rotations and different dimensionality. To overcome this incoherence issue, we design a \emph{neighborhood agreement measure} between latent spaces and find that this agreement is surprisingly well-correlated with the reliability of a model's predictions. Further, we show that fusing neighborhood agreement into a model's predictive confidence in a post-hoc way significantly improves its reliability. Theoretical analysis and extensive experiments on failure detection across various datasets verify the effectiveness of our method on both in-distribution and out-of-distribution settings.


RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES . To evaluate the safety profile of SonoVueTM, a new echo-contrast agent based on stabilized sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) microbubbles, in healthy volunteers and in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS. Safety and tolerability of SonoVueTM were evaluated in 66 healthy volunteers during two placebo-controlled phase I studies (a single intravenous ascending-dose study in 36 volunteers given SonoVueTM doses of 0.003 to 0.12 mL/kg and a multiple-dose study in 30 subjects given cumulative doses of 0.15 to 0.6 mL/kg) and in 12 patients with COPD of various degrees of clinical severity, who were given SonoVueTM at a dosage of 4 mL (corresponding to 0.057 mL/kg in a 70-kg patient). Adverse events were monitored up to 48 to 72 hours after administration. All volunteers underwent extensive safety assessments (monitoring of vital signs, electrocardiogram, blood oxygen saturation, laboratory assessments, and MiniMental test) up to 24 to 72 hours after administration. In addition, patients with COPD underwent specific lung function tests, such as forced expiratory volume, forced vital capacity, and forced midexpiratory flow. RESULTS. No serious adverse events occurred throughout the study. All nonserious adverse events were minor, mild, and rapidly self-resolving. No difference in the incidence of adverse events was observed among the various dosages of SonoVueTM and between SonoVueTM and placebo. There were no clinically significant changes in any of the safety assessments. No statistically significant differences between SonoVueTM and placebo were observed in mean forced expiratory volume, forced vital capacity, or forced midexpiratory flow levels. No substantial changes from baseline in blood oxygen saturation were observed for either study agent at any postinjection time point. CONCLUSIONS. SonoVueTM showed a good safety profile both in healthy subjects and in patients with COPD.


This report, focusing on the Gothenburg region, maps the inspections process in a large
construction company. Through an inductive and qualitative study, the employee's
perspective and opinions on the process is described, as well as their views on where the
issues in the process lies and why they arise. The report identifies the various success factors
for the inspections process and offers suggestions of process improvements based on
observed best practices and theoretical analyses.
Inspections in the case company are not a well-documented process, but nonetheless, the
employees are familiar with it though learning by doing. It is however not only the inspection
process in the case company that is poorly documented. In general, it is difficult to find
documentation about how an inspection process is conducted practically, why this report
offers a detailed description of how the inspection process is performed.
The inspection process is common practice in all construction companies in Sweden, and can
be derived from the standard contracts used in the industry, AB 04 and ABT 06. The
inspections serve as a quality control by which both the client and the contractor can get an
objective judgement, by an inspector, on whether or not the contract between the has been
fulfilled. This report can conclude that even though the inspectors are supposed to be
objective, this is hard in practice, why the inspections become a situation of give and take.
From the empirical study, we could conclude that even though there are many things working
well in the inspection process in the studied company, we could identify twenty challenges.
These twenty challenges can be categorized under five symptoms: time, quality, motivation,
trust and communication. By analyzing the challenges and symptoms from a theoretical
perspective this report brings best practice and theory together and presents actions that the
case company can implement to improve the inspection process.


This article uses instructional and social interactions in the current era of networked learning as a conceptual metaphor to guide the design of engineering learning practice. Because of students' digital literacy and their customary means of acquiring information and peer-to-peer interaction, researchers have also explored the potentials of implementing social networks for student learning. This article values these two trends and explores how both mechanisms can be implemented in an engineering course. The topics delivered to students should be based on the needs of daily life. In addition, students in online discussion board-related learning are introduced to discussing their works. A learning activity design is proposed with the aim of providing a richer understanding of the interactional relationship between instructional and social interactions regarding the use of online discussion boards. The main findings reveal the importance of re-designing the online discussion board to bridge students' study between in-class and out-of-class discussion.


Problem statement: Cultural tourism plays an important role in the economy system of
Thailand. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the following: (1) The tourism conditions in the
community of Taa-Pee River Basin and also; (2) The possible guideline of organizing the cultural
tourism, by all means, seeking active cooperation among the Taa-Pee River Basin community people
who subsist or have been subject to the river basin and the surrounding conditions. Approach: This
research was conducted in Surat-Thani Province. The sample consisted of 370 subjects obtained by
Specified Random Sampling. The instruments used in data collection included the interview form
and the observation forms constructed by the researcher. The data were also gathered by means of
the Focus Group Discussion and the Participatory Workshop. The data obtained were then examined
by the Qualitative Analysis. Then, the examined data were presented in Descriptive Analysis.
Results: The results obtained and examined indicated the following: (1) The Taa-Pee River Basin
community had long been the international trade/commercial center into which the transactions
between the Arabian nations and China had entered into from the time before the seventh B.E. Most of
the community people were of Sino-Thai, Semang and Malayan. They earned their living by doing
agricultural farms or fishery. The community had their own outstanding unique, typical identity,
advantageous for tourism. (2) The important problems of tourism management included the following:
the tourist attractions were not fascinatingly attractive; There were few tourism activities; The tourism
attractions were scarcely pioneered, renovated, improved and developed; Lack of exact personnel in
charge who could be consecutively on duty; Lack the central sector to do the work related to
management and providing massive wholeheartedly support. In brief, such deficiency accounted for
the imperfect tourism management. (3) The form of managing cultural tourism focusing on/providing
the Taa-Pee River Basin community people with a great extent of full participation. The
actual/significant elements of managing the community's participation-based cultural tourism. The focal factors of management included vision, mission, strategy, tour activities, objectives/goals and the conditions of achievement which accounted for tourism being managed to meet the tourists' needs on the principal basis of maintaining and keeping up with the natural resources and environment. The crucial point to be aware of was the strong determination to further inherit/pass on the Taa-Pee River Basin's folks' wisdom and ways of living Consequently, every part/person in the community was required to share a cooperative task. Conclusion: As part of the encouragement of cultural tourism there should be a proctoring measure to help control, look after and supervise the tourism resources and as well partially share all of its benefits. Last but not least, precisely determine to keep up with their sustainable advantages.


A 77-year-old man with diabetes mellitus who was being treated as an outpatient had abnormal shadow in the right lower lobe on a chest roentgenogram in June 1993. In July 1994, a productive cough developed, and subsequent dyspnea obliged him to enter our hospital. Retention of pleural fluid led us to suspect tuberculosis pleurisy and to perform a pleural biopsy and a thoracentesis to remove pleural fluid but no final diagnosis was reached. About 14 months later he died of dyspnea with a rapidly growing tumor. An autopsy disclosed a giant tumor that occupied the right pleural cavity, excluding the lung. The tumor was well-defined between the lung and had infiltrated into the mediastinum. The histopathological diagnosis was primary malignant mesothelioma, sarcomatous type, of the visceral pleura.


Let me state at once the paradox referred to in the title. In nearly all capitalist countries, including Britain and Australia, most important trade unions are partisan in politics. That is, they openly, and as a matter of permanent policy, support a particular political party against its rivals. In a few countries, again including Britain and Australia, they actually become a part of such a party, through affiliation. If we look at the affairs and activities of the trade unions, there is little to suggest that this is an unpopular policy among their members.


Particle filtering is a statistical signal processing methodology that has recently gained popularity in solving several problems in signal processing and communications. Particle filters (PFs) have been shown to outperform traditional filters in important practical scenarios. However their computational complexity and lack of dedicated hardware for real-time processing have adversely affected their use in real-time applications. In this paper, we present generic architectures for the implementation of the most commonly used PF, namely, the sampling importance resampling filter (SIRF). These provide a generic framework for the hardware realization of the SIRF applied to any model. The proposed architectures significantly reduce the memory requirement of the filter in hardware as compared to a straightforward implementation based on the traditional algorithm. We propose two architectures each based on a different resampling mechanism. Further, modifications of these architectures for acceleration of resampling process are presented. We evaluate these schemes based on resource usage and latency. The platform used for the evaluations is the Xilinx Virtex II pro FPGA. The architectures presented here have led to the development of the first hardware (FPGA) prototype for the particle filter applied to the bearings-only tracking problem.


Summary Some new pyrimidine derivatives were synthesized by reacting chalcones of 2-acetyl thiophene with guanidine hydrochloride in the presence of alcohol. The synthesized compounds were identified by spectral data and screened for anti-cancer activity. Some of these compounds showed moderate to considerable anti- cancer activity.


Symmetrical 7q11.23 dosage alterations cause craniofacial and cognitive/behavioral phenotypes that provide a privileged entry point into the evolution of the modern human face and (pro-) sociality. We undertook a functional dissection of chromatin remodeler BAZ1B in neural crest stem cells (NCSCs) from a uniquely informative cohort of typical and atypical patients harboring 7q11.23 Copy Number Variants (CNVs). Our results reveal a key contribution of BAZ1B to NCSC in vitro induction and migration, coupled with a crucial involvement in neural crest (NC)-specific transcriptional circuits and distal regulation. By intersecting our experimental data with new paleogenetic analyses comparing modern and archaic humans, we uncover a modern-specific enrichment for regulatory changes both in BAZ1B and its experimentally defined downstream targets, thereby providing the first empirical validation of the self-domestication hypothesis and positioning BAZ1B as a master regulator of the modern human face. One Sentence Summary BAZ1B dosage shapes the modern human face.


The aim of this thesis is to develop new image and video coding algorithms which can outperform the existing block transform-based standards at low bit rates. Instead of deep research in a particular approach, several different techniques are considered in order to be able to forecast the future in image and video compression. First, various block transform methods are examined, and their strengths and weaknesses are assessed. Then, classical methods such as linear prediction and vector quantisation are considered. Different linear prediction models and memoryless vector quantisation types are compared. The analysis-by-synthesis approach which has been successfully applied in speech coding, is used to design a linear predictive gain-shape vector quantiser. Since the main weakness of the block transform methods in low bit rates is the blocking effect which is visible at block boundaries, subband approach is considered as an alternative. Several aspects of filter design, region-of-support extension and decomposition structure are examined. Wavelet approach is also considered, however its application in digital image compression is not very different than the subband decomposition. A novel subband image and video codec which exploits the edge orientations in the lowest band in the adaptive vector quantisation of the higher bands is described. Moreover, another novel video codec based on predictive entropy coding of the gain-shape vector quantisation parameters is proposed. More importance is given to the promising segmentation-based techniques. Segmentation-based image coding is explained and several new techniques for contour representation, contour smoothing, edge profile smoothing and jagged edge rectification which improve the coding performance are applied. Then, a novel video coding algorithm based on joint region and motion segmentation is described. A number of control points, the locations of which can be predicted in video signals, are used to represent the region contours and another novel segmentation-based video codec using contour and texture prediction and working at very low bit rates is presented. Finally, the future of image and video coding is discussed and several research directions are recommended.


Abstract The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between the organization's mission statement and its outcomes from a fit perspective in the alignment of the organization's structural and cultural elements. Based on an extension of Campbell's (1991) mission model by combination of ideas from two schools of thought in mission statement studies (structural and cultural), the authors introduce the concept of "fit" to show how it contributes towards a new mission statement model. The results show that both alignments are important to create a fit situation in order to positively impact organization outcomes. Based on Cohen (1988), the detected effect size of .322 is considered large. The managerial implication is that there should be more focus on managing organisational alignment to support a fit situation as this is instrumental to mission statement effectiveness. The originality of this study stems from the idea that while past studies develop model based on ideas from within the confine of a particular school of thought, this study is one of the first to combine ideas from both the structural and cultural schools of thought by extending Campbell's (1991) mission model using the fit perspective.


AIM: While colorectal cancer (CRC) is an ideal target for population screening, physician and patient attitudes contribute to low levels of screening uptake. This study was carried out to find feasible economic strategies to improve the CRC screening compliance in Korea.METHODS: The natural history of a simulated cohort of 50-year-old Korean in the general population was modeled with CRC screening until the age of 80 years. Cases of positive results were worked up with colonoscopy. After polypectomy, colonoscopy was repeated every 3 years.Baseline screening compliance without insurance coverage by the national health insurance (NHI) was assumed to be 30% . If NHI covered the CRC screening or the reimbursement of screening to physicians increased, the compliance was assumed to increase. We evaluated 16different CRC screening strategies based on Markov model.RESULTS: When the NHI did not cover the screening and compliance was 30%, non-dominated strategies were colonoscopy every 5 years (COL5) and colonoscopy every 3 years (COL3). In all scenarios of various compliance rates with raised coverage of the NHI and increased reimbursement of colonoscopy, COL10, COL5 and COL3were non-dominated strategies, and COL10 had lower or minimal incremental medical cost and financial burden on the NHI than the strategy of no screening. These results were stable with sensitivity analyses.CONCLUSION: Economic strategies for promoting screening compliance can be accompanied by expanding insurance coverage by the NHI and by increasing reimbursement for CRC screening to providers. COL10was a cost-effective and cost saving screening strategy for CRC in Korea.


A record of estimated sea surface temperature (SST) change between 575 and 400 ka has been obtained from planktonic foraminifera at Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 594 in the southwest Pacific Ocean. The Site 594 record indicates that SSTs during marine oxygen isotope stage 11 were similar to those of the Holocene, in contrast to suggestions of warmer than Holocene SSTs during stage 11. If these SSTs reflect global conditions, then ice-sheet collapse may not require temperatures warmer than in the Holocene. Millennial-scale oscillations in SST (~3 °C) occurred within the stage 12 glacial interval, spaced every ~5-10 k.y., on time scales similar to those observed within stage 12 in the North Atlantic. The consistency between these records may require global-scale mechanisms capable of producing rapid climate change, as suggested for later Quaternary intervals.


Today's young children are exposed to a variety of digital technologies in their home and
school environments. While the presence of these technologies is increasing in US
prekindergarten classrooms, teachers must critically analyze the role these tools will play in
the quest to provide early learners with developmentally appropriate practice. The benefit
of using tablet-based applications, compared to traditional concrete materials, to teach
phonological awareness skills is the focus of this study conducted in 2014. The sample
consisted of 27 four- and five-year-old children, who attended a half-day early childhood
program, 5 days a week, in a Midwestern university laboratory school in the US. Children
participated in similar small-group instruction once or twice a week for 4 months, from
September to December, targeting phonological awareness skills. A comparison was made
between those who were instructed using the traditional materials and those who used
tablet-based applications. Both groups were found to make progress toward mastering the
tested skills. There was no significant difference between the two groups' acquisition of
these skills. Students were able to achieve targeted phonological awareness skills using
either method of instruction.


A correspondence between quaternionic regular functions in the sense of Fueter and fundamental 2-forms on a 4-dimensional almost Kahler manifold is shown.


Sum rules are a useful tool to evaluate the global consistency of a set of optical constants. We present a procedure to spectrally tune sum rules to evaluate the local consistency of optical constants. It enables enhancing the weight of a desired spectral range within the sum-rule integral. The procedure consists in multiplying the complex refractive index with an adapted function, which is named window function. Window functions are constructed through integration of Lorentz oscillators. The asymptotic decay of these window functions enables the derivation of a multiplicity of sum rules akin to the inertial sum rule, along with one modified version of f-sum rule. This multiplicity of sum rules combined with the free selection of the photon energy range provides a double way to tune the spectral contribution within the sum rule. Window functions were applied to reported data of SrF2 and of Al films in order to check data consistency over the spectrum. The use of window functions shows that the optical constants of SrF2 are consistent in a broad spectrum. Regarding Al, some spectral ranges are seen to present a lower consistency, even though the standard sum rules with no window function did not detect inconsistencies. Hence window functions are expected to be a helpful tool to evaluate the local consistency of optical constants.


Abstract The influence of damage and its correlation with the failure behaviour is discussed in the light of microstuctural aspects. The failure induced by microstructural mechanisms of the Al2O3-particle reinforced aluminium alloy 6061 under uniaxial tensile as well as under cyclic loading was investigated. The damage behaviour as a function of the strain ε can be correlated with stiffness E(ε). Under cyclic loading conditions the damage increases with the number of cycles and can be correlated with the strain amplitude εa. Furthermore, the damage is associated with crack formation and propagation and the damage evolution depends sensitively on the kind of deformation. The crack formation was detected by metallographic investigations and calculated by numerical methods (FEM), taking the size and shape of particles into account. Generally, damage under mechanical loading is initiated by broken particles and agglomerations of particles. In case of the particulate-reinforced specimens the evolution of damage is quite different for monotonic and cyclic loading conditions but, nevertheless, in both cases the damage parameter is given by inhomogeneities characteristic for the MMC which act as seeds for crack initiation.


The author describes the schism between law and science and its reflection of the long-standing tension between two views of human behaviour: free will and determinism; and assesses their relevance in examining crime, consciousness and the notion of involuntary acts. Article by Professor Deborah W. Denno, Fordham University School of Law New York, USA. Published in Amicus Curiae - Journal of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and its Society for Advanced Legal Studies. The Journal is produced by the Society for Advanced Legal Studies at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London.


In 2013 the rules for solving the puzzle changed with the implementation of Resource Description and Access (RDA), bringing new opportunities for providing improved access to information. As with any major change, people need assistance in understanding and incorporating new rules. This can be especially true when dealing with special formats, like printed or recorded music, where the basic rules do not always seem pertinent to the "puzzle" before you. This brings us the aptly titled new book Music Description and Access: Solving the Puzzle of Cataloging by Dr. Jean Harden. Harden is a long-time practitioner and educator in the field of music cataloging, and has been recognized nationally for her contributions to the profession. In her latest work, Harden attempts to solve the cataloging puzzle.


The magnetic properties of two metal formate systems with formula M[(H2O)2(HCOO)2], which are isostructural, are described (M=Co,Cu). These compounds contain two different crystallographic metal centers (M2+), in octahedral coordination, which are connected through (HCOO) bridges, leading to the formation of two types of infinite chains: M(1)-HCOO-M(2) and M(1)-HCOO - M(1). The packing of these chains, along with hydrogen bonds, generates a 3-D framework. Cu-sample presents an usual paramagnetic behavior, following Curie law. On the contrary, Co-sample has an order-disorder magnetic transition, further analyzed by means of magnetization and specific heat. These data lead us to conclude an anisotropic environment for Co ions, as expected for an octahedral neighborhood. Critical exponents of these thermodynamic quantities around the thermal transition are in accordance with 3-D model. This is a very important remark, since a previous work had shown that the magnetic phase transition is 2-D.


This present work investigated the corrosion behavior of AZ31 magnesium alloy substrates pre-treated with bis-[triethoxysilylpropyl] tetrasulfide silane modified with cerium nitrate. The corrosion behavior of the pre-treated substrates in 0.005M sodium chloride solutions was assessed by potentiodynamic polarization, open circuit potential and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results showed that the silane pre-treatments improved the corrosion resistance of the AZ31 magnesium alloy substrates in the presence of chloride ions. Especially the addition of cerium nitrate played an important role in reducing the corrosion activity.


Background Lung cancer screening using low-dose CT (LDCT) was shown to reduce lung cancer mortality by 20% in the National Lung Screening Trial. Methods The pilot UK Lung Cancer Screening (UKLS) is a randomised controlled trial of LDCT screening for lung cancer versus usual care. A population-based questionnaire was used to identify high-risk individuals. CT screen-detected nodules were managed by a pre-speci fi ed protocol. Cost effectiveness was modelled with reference to the National Lung Cancer Screening Trial mortality reduction. Results 247 354 individuals aged 50 – 75 years were approached; 30.7% expressed an interest, 8729 (11.5%) were eligible and 4055 were randomised, 2028 into the CT arm (1994 underwent a CT). Forty-two participants (2.1%) had con fi rmed lung cancer, 34 (1.7%) at baseline and 8 (0.4%) at the 12-month scan. 28/42 (66.7%) had stage I disease, 36/42 (85.7%) had stage I or II disease. 35/42 (83.3%) had surgical resection. 536 subjects had nodules greater than 50 mm 3 or 5 mm diameter and 41/536 were found to have lung cancer. One further cancer was detected by follow-up of nodules between 15 and 50 mm 3 at 12 months. The baseline estimate for the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of once-only CT screening, under the UKLS protocol, was £8466 per quality adjusted life year gained (CI £5542 to £12 569). Conclusions The UKLS pilot trial demonstrated that it is possible to detect lung cancer at an early stage and deliver potentially curative treatment in over 80% of cases. Health economic analysis suggests that the intervention would be cost effective — this needs to be con fi rmed using data on observed lung cancer mortality reduction.