Advanced aircraft engine development dictates high standards of reliability for the lubrication systems, not only in terms of the proper lubrication of the bearings and the gears, but also in terms of the removal of the large amounts of the generated heat. Heat is introduced both internally through the rotating hardware and externally through radiation, conduction and convection. In case where the bearing chamber is in close proximity to the engine's hot section, the external heat flux may be significant. This is, for example, the case when oil pipes pass through the turbine struts and vanes on their way to the bearing chamber. There; the thermal impact is extremely high, not only because of the hot turbine gases flowing around the vanes, but also because of the hot cooling air which is ingested into the vanes. The impact of this excessive heat on the oil may lead to severe engine safety and reliability problems which can range from oil coking with blockage of the oil tubes to oil fires with loss of part integrity, damage or even failure of the engine. It is therefore of great importance that the oil system designer is capable of predicting the system's functionality. As part of the European Research program EEFAE (Efficient and Environmentally Friendly Aero Engine), the project CLEAN (Component vaLidator for Environmentally-friendly Aero-eNngine) [1], [2] was initiated with the goal to develop future engine technologies. Within the scope of this program, MTU Aero Engines has designed the lubrication system and has initiated an investigation of the heat transfer in the scavenge and vent tubes passing through the high thermally loaded TCF (Turbine Center Frame). The objective was to evaluate analytical and numerical models for the heat transfer into the air and oil mixtures and benchmark them. Three analytical models were investigated. A model which was based on the assumption that the flow of air and oil is a homogeneous mixture which was applied on the scavenge flow. The other two models assumed annular two-phase flows and were applied on the vent flows. Additionally, the two phase flow in the scavenge and vent pipes was simulated numerically using the ANSYS CFX package. The evaluation of the models was accomplished with test data from the heavily instrumented test engine with special emphasis on the TCF. Both the analytical and the numerical models have demonstrated strengths and weaknesses. The homogeneous flow model correlation and the most recent correlation by Dr. Busam for vent flows have demonstrated very good agreement between test and computed results. On the other hand the numerical analysis produced remarkable results, however at the expense of significant modeling and computing efforts. This particular work is unique compared to published investigations since it was conducted in a real engine environment and not in a simulating rig. Nevertheless, research in two-phase flow heat transfer will continue in order mitigate any deficiencies and to further improve the correlations and the CFD tools.© 2008 ASME


We verified the origin of water-infiltration-induced electricity generation by an ionovoltaic effect, specifically, ion–surface interaction induced potential asymmetry in porous structures. When 20 μl of water (NaCl, 0.1 M) infiltrates into a porous CuO nanowire film, electrical power of ∼0.45 V and ∼0.23 μA is produced for 40 minutes. Moreover, a method of proportionally amplifying electricity is presented, and the practicability is shown by turning on an LED with infiltration of eight seawater droplets.


Infeasible solutions or negative expected values of future climate information are undesired problems if climate policies are adopted under Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) to reach uncertain temperature targets. Cost-Risk Analysis (CRA) was developed to resolve these issues. It allows for a trade-off between expected welfare losses of mitigation and avoided risk of transgressing a climate target with a certain probability of compliance (Safety). Some of the significant contributions of this paper are: (i) It updates the Probabilistic Integrated model of Climate and the Economy (PRICE) as a probabilistic version of the latest version of the Dynamic Integrated Climate-Economy model (DICE) 2016, and it extends the model to run welfare-maximizing decision analytic frameworks readily. (ii) It highlights that the standard method of applying CRA (Old CRA) leads to an extra welfare cost. (iii) It proposes revised instruction on how to use CRA. (iv) It simulates and compares welfare-maximizing decision analytic frameworks on the level of risk, damages, and carbon prices. (v) It measures the value of information using risk-based methods and compares them with the value of information calculated using the damage-based method. (vi) It measures the carbon prices for the CRA scenarios for the first time. The results show that the choice of the disutility function governs the magnitude of the value of information. Using a damage function or Old CRA, the value of information is significantly high for new information arriving between 2020 and 2060. If the New CRA is applied, however, such benefits are negligible.


In this study, simple approach was attempted to obtain a green eco-friendly way for the bio-synthesis of metal nanoparticles (AgNPs) from bioreduction of AgNO3 solutions using Azadirachta indica leaf extracts. The formation of nanoparticle and its stability were examined through UV-Visible spectra, FTIR spectra, and Zeta potential measurements. The exposure of metal ions to these plant extract by UV-Vis confirmed the presence of silver nanoparticles. FTIR revealed the reduction of silver ions, the functional groups present in the plant extract. The stability of the AgNPs was confirmed with the zeta potential measurement.


We study the $B$ meson radiative decay $B \to X_s \gamma$ in the vector quark model. Deviation from the Standard Model arises from the non-unitarity of the charged current KM matrix and related new FCNC interactions. We establish the relation between the non-unitarity of charged current mixing matrix and the mixing among the vector quark and the ordinary quarks. We also make explicitly the close connection between this non-unitarity and the flavor changing neutral currents. The complete calculation including leading logarithmic QCD correction is carefully carried out. Using the most updated data and the NLO theoretical calculation, the branching fraction of the observed $B$ meson radiative decay places a limit on the mixing angles as stringent as that from the process $B\to X \mu\bar\mu$.


In the article, the author studies the correspondence of F. Ernst and A. Artiukhova. The found complex of letters covers the chronological period from 28.09.1927 to 01.12.1929 and belongs to the time of their joint work in Taras Shevchenko All-Ukrainian Historical Museum. F. Ernst was a head of art department of the museum then, and A. Artiukhova worked as an assistant from 1927. Simultaneously with working in the museum, from 1926 F. Ernst worked as Kyiv krai inspector for protection of cultural heritage, and from 1929 he was the member of Parity Commission for Cultural Valuables Exchange between RSFSR and Ukrainian SSR. The letters, found in Central State Archives of Public Organizations in Ukraine in fund 263 "Individuals repressed by GPU-NKVD-KGB during the 1920–1950s in Kyiv and Kyiv region" in the archival investigative case No. 64684 FP, and were the evidence in the case of accusation of Adelaida Artiukhova of "counter-revolutionary nationalist activity". All the charges were reduced to a personal acquaintance with F. Ernst, who was already deported at that time. The found archival sources allow to reconstruct in more detail the biography of Adelaida Volodymyrivna Artiukhova and her personal contribution to the replenishment of the art collection of the Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Historical Museum. A. Artiukhova was born in 1902 in the city of Kyiv. In 1920–1923, she studied at the Kyiv Institute of Public Education and the Kyiv Archaeological Institute. In 1924, she began working at the Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Historical Museum (UHM) in Kyiv as a laboratory assistant of the art department. During 1927-1929, together with F. Ernst, she was returning cultural values from the museums of the Russian Federation, replenishing the UHM collection, and for this purpose often visited the museums of Moscow and Leningrad, studying their collections and museum work in general. The texts of the letters are published without any reductions. Phonetic and orthographic features of the document language are preserved. The letters give an opportunity to immerse in the historical context of the museum life of one of the leading museums of Ukraine, to study into inter-museum cooperation, etc. F. Ernst's epistolary reveals the contact points of the researchers, shows their friendly style of communication and the topics they discussed. Throughout the correspondence, there are three main topics: the activity of the art department of the Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Historical Museum (exhibitions and collections), cooperation and return of paintings from Russian museums, and everyday life (rest of the scholars in the Crimea and Odessa). All letters are very informative; they show the internal activities of the art department of the Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Historical Museum: replenishment of the collection, exhibiting activity, scholarly contacts. The letters reveal the complex inter-museum relations of UHM with Russian museums and the role of personal contacts of scholars. It was found out that A. Artiukhova, who used F. Ernst's personal connections and acquaintances for the benefit of the museum, had a significant influence on the implementation of the large replenishment of UHM.


Background and Aims: One of the main problems of children with attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder is deficit in fine motor skills, especially handwriting problems. Accordingly, This study aimed to develop a training package of Physical-Motor Activities and evaluate its impact on handwriting problems of children with ADHD. Methods: The present study was applied in terms of purpose and the method of combined type (qualitative and quantitative) as the qualitative part of treatment plan and the quantitative part of quasi-experimental method with unbalanced control group design and follow-up session. Statistical population in the qualitative section is based on the theories of Barkley (2015) and includes experts in the field of child motor skills and research published in prestigious journals from 1390 to 1399 for Persian articles and from 2000 to 2020 for the English articles in the field of motor interventions for children with ADHD. The quantitative part included all boys with ADHD aged 7-12 years in the primary schools of the 16th district of Tehran. For sampling among the schools in District 16, four schools were selected as available, and 30 children with ADHD were identified in those schools and then randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (each group including 15 children). The instruments used in the qualitative section were extracted texts and in the quantitative section were Diagnostic Questionnaire of ADHD and Handwriting Problems Questionnaire. The children in the experimental group participated in the training program in 24 sessions of 60 minutes. Data were analyzed using a mixed analysis of variance. Results: In the qualitative part, research results showed that the training package had sufficient content validity in the opinion of experts. In the quantitative part, the results manifested that by controlling the pre-test, the training package of physical-motor activities caused a significant improvement in the handwriting problems in the experimental group compared to the control group (p=0.001). Conclusion: Overall the result of the present study showed that physical-motor activities training program has positive effects on handwriting problems of children with ADHD.


Abstract : Earlier this year, the author came across an interesting article appearing in the Electronic Engineering Times entitled: Floating a Satellite on Microwaves Advanced by Stanford Research. That article discusses a scheme of floating a passive microwave reflector about 100 miles above the surface of the earth by means of microwaves radiated from the ground. The reflector is to bounce microwave signals between two points, 1000 miles apart, for communication purposes. The satellites is claimed to measure about 30 feet in diameter, weigh less than one-tenth of a gram, and operate between 500 KHz and 10 GHz. This proposed space mirror, which is hoped to become a low-cost alternative to the complex communications satellites now orbited, has been examined in greater detail, resulting in a number of technical disagreements between the author and the proponents of the space mirror. The body of this paper is a rebuttal of the technical claims for the performance of the space mirror made in the referenced article. Counter arguments are presented in the areas of transmitted power, radiation hazard, structural stability tolerance, and skin depth. (Author)


Aldwych is a general purpose programming language which we have developed in order to provide a mechanism for practical programming which can be thought of in an inherently concurrent way. We have described Aldwych elsewhere [13] in terms of a translation to a concurrent logic language. However, it would be more accurate to describe it as translating to a simple operational language which, while able to be represented in a logic-programming like syntax, has lost much of the baggage associated with "logic programming". This language is only a little more complex than foundational calculi such as the pi-calculus. Its key feature is that all variables are moded with a single producer, and some are linear allowing a reversal of polarity and hence interactive communication.


We performed high-pressure H2O vapor annealing on 4H-SiC n-MOS capacitors to control SiO2/4H-SiC interface properties. High-pressure H2O annealing was performed at 270~ 420oC at a pressure of 1.31~1.67MPa. Effective negative fixed oxide charge decreased with increasing anneal temperature in the case annealed with Al gate electrodes. However, it increased with increasing anneal temperature in the case annealed without Al gate electrodes. The effect of annealing was much larger on the C-face than that of Si-face. Interface state densities near the conduction band edge was decreased at 420oC under 1.67MPa compared to other samples, especially on the C-face n-MOS capacitors.


The use of firm, trade, and brand names in this report is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Government.


Why does ethnic conflict remain one of the major security challenges in today's world? Can we avoid another Rwanda in the future? How was it possible, after almost four decades, to achieve a lasting settlement for the conflict in Northern Ireland, while the conflict in Kashmir remains unresolved after more than sixty years? These and other questions are the focus of this book. Investigating the causes and consequences of ethnic conflict, the authors argue that the most effective responses are those that take into account factors at the local, state, regional and global level and which avoid seeking simplistic explanations and solutions to what is a truly complex phenomenon. What matters most for understanding ethnic conflicts are the choices that people make-leaders and followers alike-and not a set of mysterious unknowable forces. Once we know that ethnic conflicts are not difficult to understand, but that there is a lot to understand about them, we can also appreciate that they are not impossible to resolve. However, it takes skilful, committed and principled leaders to achieve just solutions that are supported by their followers, and it takes the long-term commitment of the international community to enable and sustain these solutions.


Driven by both applied and theoretical goals, scientific interest in canine cognition has experienced a rapid surge in popularity, especially over the last 15 years (Morell, 2009). Here we provide the most comprehensive review to date of dog cognition research, capturing all the articles (285) we could find on the subject going back to 1911. We begin by summarizing general research trends, first documenting the rapid recent growth in dog cognition research (particularly in the domain of social cognition), and then identifying a number of trends in terms of the cognition topics and dog populations studied. Next, we summarize and synthesize the substantive conclusions emerging from research on non-social (discrimination learning, object permanence, object learning, categorization, object manipulation, quantitative understanding, spatial cognition, memory) and social (responses to human cues, perspective taking, dog-human communication, social learning) cognition. In light of burgeoning research on individual differences in cognition and on the biological organization of cognitive domains, we highlight the potential impact of these topics on dog cognition. Finally, based on our syntheses, we outline some ideas for future research, including recommendations that studies focus on: (1) incorporating multiple sensory modalities (most notably olfaction); (2) using more diverse populations of subjects; (3) replicating studies where current knowledge is based on small study sets or on small samples; (4) identifying fundamental developmental patterns of cognitive development; (5) identifying individual differences in cognitive ability; and (6) identifying potential cognitive constraints (e.g., cognitive abilities that are non-independent due to pleiotropic biological organization).


Abstract Vortex confinement is a new and effective method of convective losses suppression in gas-dynamic trap. Low frequency oscillations of radial magnetic field were observed during study of plasma MHD activity. Experimental data confirm the main statements of the vortex confinement theory. We also observed displacement of fast ions turning point. It can be explained by high beta equilibrium effects.


In this thesis I present the construction of a new apparatus aimed at studying two-component Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) in the presence of a Rabi coupling, where the two components correspond to internal states of sodium atoms. The coherent mixture, in the miscible regime, also exhibits a metastable excitation consisting in a domain wall of relative phase connecting vortices of different components. Due to the peculiar energy dependence of such a configuration, an attractive force, independent of the vortex distance, is expected, making this system a candidate for mimicking features of quark confinement in QCD. The surface tension of the domain wall structure can be experimentally controlled via the strength of the coupling, allowing to study the system dynamics in different regimes. These include a predicted regime in which, for sufficient high coupling strength, the domain wall breaks and new vortex couples nucleate, providing by itself an interesting experimental realization of spin counterflow dynamical instabilities in a superfluid system, as well as a phenomenon analogous to string breaking in QCD. The choice of sodium as atomic species is motivated by its collisional properties that allow to obtain a perfect spatial superposition between the two miscible components |F = ±1⟩ if trapped by a spin-independent potential, avoiding the known phenomenon of 'buoyancy'. Studying the dynamics of such systems for sufficiently long times, with a mixture subject to Zeeman differential energy shifts, requires a specific effort to remove magnetic field fluctuations: a rough estimate suggests that in order to maintain the system coherence for a sufficiently long time to study its dynamics, magnetic field fluctuations should be reduced by at least three orders of magnitude compared to typical values observed in laboratory environment. Such attenuations can be obtained by means of multiple layers of μ-metal, that is incompatible with the use of ordinary magnetic traps, characterized by large magnetic field gradients on the atoms, due to residual magnetization and saturation of the shielding material. To avoid such effects it is required to either evaporatively cool atoms into an optical dipole trap loaded from a molasses stage, or a hybrid approach by means of which atoms are transferred to a low-gradient quadrupole trap superimposed to the optical trap. Producing BECs with such protocols greatly benefits from an efficient optical molasses cooling stage to prepare the sample in the best conditions of temperature and density before loading atoms into the trap. With this regard, the main limitation of ordinary laser cooling techniques is their reliance on absorption and spontaneous emission cycles, which limits the lowest temperature and highest density that can be reached as a consequence of residual heating effects and photon-reabsorption. An important resource to cope with these limits are dark states. In a broader sense a dark state is a state which does not interact with the exciting light field, and an atom in such a state would be neither subject to the beneficial cooling effects nor to the detrimental effects of light scattering. It is possible, however, to exploit the phenomenon of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) to induce a velocity-selective cooling mechanism for which slower atoms, that do not need further cooling, are trapped in a dark state corresponding to a coherent superposition of atomic levels whose excitation probabilities interfere destructively, while the cooling mechanism still applies to the fastest atoms. Among these techniques, gray molasses cooling allows to reach temperatures as low as a few recoil temperatures, while retaining atomic densities useful to reach quantum degeneracy in the subsequent stages of the experiment. In order to exploit this technique, an additional laser source had to be implemented during my thesis. To realize a gray molasses on the sample only |F⟩ → |F − 1⟩ or |F⟩ → |F⟩ transitions can be chosen, requiring blue-detuned laser, in contrast to ordinary (sub)Doppler laser cooling techniques. Both these requirements rule out the
use of the D2 transition used for ordinary laser cooling techniques, due to its finely-spaced hyperfine structure. On the other hand, the D1 transition is characterized by a broader level spacing in the hyperfine structure and the absence of higher energy states on the blue side of the |F = 2⟩ → |F' = 2⟩ transition. As part of the work for this thesis, I successfully implemented and characterized gray molasses cooling on the D1 optical line of sodium. The buildup of the new apparatus includes the assembly of a new laser source for laser trapping and cooling on the D2 line, the assembly of the optical table devoted to the frequency and amplitude control of all the laser beams involved in the optical laser cooling procedures as well as the electronic control system. Design and assembly of the UHV and baking procedures for the stainless steel vacuum chamber are also described as well as the laser cooling techniques employed to load the atoms in a Dark-Spot MOT. Regarding the production of BEC, various strategies were attempted for different dipole beam configurations. Dipole traps typically suffer from the tradeoff between capture volume and trap depth at a given power, while hybrid traps usually take advantage of a magnetic trap stage that would not be compatible with the μ-metal shielding. Preliminary attempts to reach quantum degeneracy after directly loading the dipole trap from molasses were unsuccessful due to spurious effects. An alternative approach based on a magnetic-shield compatible hybrid trap protocol, in the absence of magnetic trap compression, was successfully implemented.


Chronic urticaria is a spontaneous or inducible group of diseases characterized by the occurrence of wheals (and, in about half of cases, angioedema) for more than 6 weeks. These are rather frequent conditions that may severely affect patients' quality of life and sometimes represent a challenge for doctors as well. The causes of chronic urticaria are still poorly defined, although there is growing evidence that different biologic systems including immunity, inflammation, and coagulation may take part in the pathomechanism eventually leading to mast cell and basophil degranulation and hence to wheal formation. This review will discuss the main findings that are (slowly) shedding light on the pathogenesis of this disorder.


A novel design of square-ring microstrip antenna with a cross strip for achieving compact circular polarization (CP) operation is proposed and experimentally studied. The cross strip can be placed in the centerlines or diagonals of the square-ring patch. Either design can make its excited fundamental mode patch surface current path much longer than that in a conventional square microstrip antenna with same antenna size. By incorporating a small tuning stub for splitting the fundamental mode into two near-degenerate resonant modes with equal amplitudes and 90/spl deg/ phase-difference compact CP operation for the proposed design can he obtained.


Spectral line survey observations are conducted toward the high-mass protostar candidate NGC 2264 CMM3 in the 4, 3, and 0.8 mm bands with the Nobeyama 45 m telescope and the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment (ASTE) 10 m telescope. In total, 265 emission lines are detected in the 4 and 3 mm bands, and 74 emission lines in the 0.8 mm band. As a result, 36 molecular species and 30 isotopologues are identified. In addition to the fundamental molecular species, many emission lines of carbon-chain molecules such as HC5N, C4H, CCS, and C3S are detected in the 4 and 3 mm bands. Deuterated molecular species are also detected with relatively strong intensities. On the other hand, emission lines of complex organic molecules such as HCOOCH3 and CH3OCH3 are found to be weak. For the molecules for which multiple transitions are detected, rotation temperatures are derived to be 7–33 K except for CH3OH. Emission lines with high upper-state energies (Eu > 150 K) are detected for CH3OH, indicating the existence of a hot core. In comparison with the chemical composition of the Orion KL, carbon-chain molecules and deuterated molecules are found to be abundant in NGC 2264 CMM3, while sulfur-bearing species and complex organic molecules are deficient. These characteristics indicate the chemical youth of NGC 2264 CMM3 in spite of its location at the center of the cluster forming core, NGC 2264 C.


The Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) technique was used to investigate the sub-surface layering in some selected villages in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State with the aim of determining the configuration of the aquifer underlying the region. The result of the interpreted VES data suggests that the area is underlain by three to five layers. The geologic sections derived from the analyzed geoelectric section suggest that the alluvial deposits of sand, silt and sandy clay as well as the weathered and fractured basement rocks constitute the aquifer in the areas. The average thickness of the aquifer was found to be 25m. The geoelectric section generated also suggest that the resistively values of the aquifer components range from 100 Ωm to 250 Ωm for the alluvial deposits to an average of 50 Ωm to 350 Ωm for the weathered/fractured basement formations. Results obtained for the pumping tests and transmissivity values of boreholes drilled shows that the area's aquifer are capable of producing at least 0.75l/s i.e. 2.7m3/hr of portable water.


: When using in the lymphocytotoxic reaction lymphocytes stored in frozen condition the proportion of perished cells after thawing should not exceed 10-20%. Therefore, a study was made of the influence of various concentrations of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), composition of the medium and of other parameters for the purpose of elaboration of the optimal conditions of freezing human lymphocytes. The best results were obtained in freezing cells in the autologous serum with 12.5% DMSO. However sufficiently favourable results were also seen in using AB serum and 20% bovine serum in Eagle's medium.


Management accounting and control system practices have changed dramatically throughout the last 200 years. All these changes were in response to rapid technological developments, environmental complexity, changes in organizational structures, managerial style, and many different changes that have emerged throughout the years. The main purpose of this paper is to synthesize the relevant literature to identify the current and future directions of management accounting and control systems practices. This was carried out by following an analytical approach, with the intention of reviewing the literature by emphasizing the developments of management accounting and control system practices throughout the twentieth and twenty- first centuries. Consequently, a conceptual framework that portray the current practices of management accounting was developed. As a result, insights for the future directions of this discipline were indicated. The findings of this study showed that the role and scope of management accounting has changed from cost determination, to creation of value to customers. Thus, the different modern techniques that have emerged in response to the needs of contemporary organizations are described. Furthermore, it articulated that today managerial accountants no longer use a historical view of strategy and operations, but look to predict what the market will do in the future. Consequently, it is anticipated that even the role, education, and practices of management accountants will continue to change in the future. Moving from scorekeeping, determining and allocating costs, to developing their predictive, prescriptive analytical skills. Therefore, it is recommended that more emphasis needs to be placed in developing their personal and technical skills, to obtain a better understanding of contemporary management accounting methods for better support of managerial decision- making.


In this paper, we provide a review of the benefits of employing multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processing techniques in vehicular ad hoc networks VANETs. These benefits include increasing the range of communication via beamforming, improving the reliability of communication via spatial diversity, increasing the throughput of the network via spatial multiplexing, and managing multiuser interference due to the presence of multiple transmitting terminals. We also present a number of key research challenges facing MIMO VANETs. The first one is deriving statistical MIMO-V2V channel models that take into account the spatial correlation between the transmit and receive antennas and validating them via extensive channel measurement campaigns. Deriving channel estimation and tracking algorithms for MIMO inter-vehicular channels is another challenging problem due to their non-stationary behavior and high Doppler spread. Further research is also needed to fully reap the benefits of multiple antennas in VANETs via space-time and space-frequency processing. In addition, cross layer optimization spanning the medium access control (MAC) and networking layers besides the physical layer is essential to satisfy the emerging applications of VANETS ranging from safety, convenience to infotainment.


The availability of small-diameter interlocking nails for unreamed applications has expanded the indications for intramedullary nailing of open tibial shaft fractures. Smaller diameter nails that are inserted without reaming are mechanically weaker than the larger-diameter nails that are inserted after intramedullary reaming. Potentially, nails with a smaller diameter will fail at a higher rate, creating unique difficulties associated with their removal. This article presents two cases that illustrate solutions to those problems.


Australia's electricity supply infrastructure requires investments exceeding $100b over the next 25 years to maintain quality of service to domestic users. Being careful to distinguish energy service needs from electricity delivery, the case is made for distributed energy services which offer improved sustainability outcomes to the traditional monolithic generation model. A key enabling technology for commercial success of the proposed paradigm is a broadband communication infrastructure. Broadband is essential in meeting the cost reduction and performance targets that would allow a distributed energy service model to succeed. Using broadband, a large number of novel business opportunities arise. A case study on solar water heaters is presented showing that a broadband enabled smart controller can realise 20% greenhouse gas savings for a conventional solar water heater and 75% savings for an electrical water heater.


Keys and dust particles can easily scratch up smartphone screens. But a new coating could make such abrasive actions inconsequential. Chemists in Guojun Liu's lab at Queen's University in Ontario have created a transparent composite coating that remains scratch-free when it is scraped with steel wool 20 times (Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2019, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201904210). When cast on a plastic film, the material also bends up to 500 times without apparent damage and resists smudges. Liu's team created the coating by cross-linking octa(3-glycidyloxypropyl) polyhedral oliogomeric silsesquioxanes (GPOSS) via ring-opening polymerization of GPOSS's epoxides. GPOSS's silica core gives the material its hardness; the glycidyloxypropyl network bestows flexibility. The chemists also incorporated poly(dimethylsiloxane) into the composite. This low-surface-tension liquid lubricant makes the coating omniphobic, meaning it repels both oil- and water-based contaminants. Liu says this is the first material that's wear resis...


The properties of perfluoroanthracene (1-C(14)F(10)), perfluorophenanthrene (2-C(14)F(10)), perfluoropyrene (C(16)F(10)), perfluorotetracene (1-C(18)F(12)), perfluorochrysene (2-C(18)F(12)), and perfluorotriphenylene (3-C(18)F(12)) and their radical anions have been studied using density functional theory (DFT). Three measures of neutral-anion energy separations reported in this work are the adiabatic electron affinity (EA(ad)), the vertical electron affinity (EA(vert)), and the vertical detachment energy (VDE). The vibrational frequencies of these perfluoro PAHs and their radical anions are also examined. The predicted adiabatic electron affinities (DZP++ B3LYP) are: 1.84 eV, 1-C(14)F(10); 1.41 eV, 2-C(14)F(10); 1.72 eV, C(16)F(10); 2.39 eV, 1-C(18)F(12); 1.83 eV (C(i) symmetry) and 1.88 eV (C(2) symmetry), 2-C(18)F(12); and 1.69 eV, 3-C(18)F(12). The perfluorotetracene is clearly the most effective electron captor. Perfluorophenanthrene, perfluoropyrene, perfluorochrysene, and perfluorotriphenylene, as well as their radical anions deviate from planarity. For example, the nonplanar perfluorochrysene structures are predicted to lie 7-13 kcal/mol below the pertinent C(2h) stationary points.


This research mainly uses the image binaryzation to quantify water fog in order to have a better understanding about the water fog degree that drainage pavement reduces and the relationship between drainage pavement thickness and water fog. By observing the water fog that tires splash while raining, the study result shows that the most adequate pavement thickness of drainage pavement is 4cm. The water fog it reduces is double of 2.5cm drainage pavement. The thicker drainage pavement is also considered safer to drivers. About the drainage path, the shorter the faster it can drain off the rainwater and reduces the water fog degree that heavy vehicles splash.


The emergence of evolving search techniques (e.g., genetic algorithms) has paved the way for innovative character animation solutions. For example, generating human movements without key-frame data. Instead character animations can be created using biologically inspired algorithms in conjunction with physics-based systems. In addition, the development of highly parallel processors, such as the graphical processing unit (GPU), has opened the door to performance accelerated techniques allowing us to solve complex physical simulations in reasonable time frames. The combined acceleration techniques in conjunction with sophisticated planning and control methodologies enable us to synthesize ever more realistic characters that go beyond pre-recorded ragdolls towards more self-driven problem solving avatars. While traditional data-driven applications of physics within interactive environments have largely been confined to producing puppets and rocks, we explore a constrained autonomous procedural approach. The core di culty is that simulating an animated character is easy, while controlling one is di cult. Since the control problem is not confined to human type models, e.g., creatures with multiple legs, such as dogs and spiders, ideally there would be a way of producing motions for arbitrary physically simulated agents. This paper focuses on an evolutionary genetic algorithms, compared to the traditional data-driven approach. This paper explores generic evolutionary techniques to emulate physicallyplausible and life-like animations for a wide range of articulated creatures in dynamic environments. We demonstrate how genetic search algorithm are well suited to highly parallel computational environment, such as the graphical processing unit (GPU).


The eusocial insects have long held the fascination of scientists for their co-operative behaviour, which can range from a small group of workers, to millions strong colonies, such as those found in the leaf cutting ant, Atta cephalotes. Though decades of research have allowed us some insight into their organisation and methods, there are many things that have gone unexplained. One of these is the mystery of why Atta consistently takes leaf loads back to the nest that are significantly smaller than would be optimal, when they should in theory optimise leaf transport rate. While compelling evidence has been presented to suggest that it is at least in part to do with how the leaves are processed inside the nest, here I present evidence to suggest that gradient is another key factor. This is a factor which has been explored only very cursorily up until now in leaf cutting ants, with experiments investigating it being extremely limited in scope, suffer from potential methodological errors or deal with grass cutting ants, which share many traits with leaf cutting ants, but have adapted to face different challenges. Upon a thorough examination of the effects of gradient, it was discovered that A. cephalotes favour a cautious, but more reliable method of transport. At almost every point, their behaviour shows the importance of maintaining grip on steep and vertical gradients to the point where it is prioritised over everything else, including speed and load size. While it may seem paradoxical to suggest that smaller loads, carried slower might result in a higher overall rate of leaf collection, a fast, but reckless approach might result in a high proportion of unsuccessful foraging trips, each of which costs energy and time. As a result, by increasing their success, rather than speed, they minimise wasted effort, loss of workers and potentially, have a higher rate of leaf collection over time. This aspect of leaf cutting ant behaviour shows that leaf cutting ants can change their priorities at the feeding site to best maximise transport success at an individual level, which demonstrates previously unappreciated plasticity and a new lens through which to view future investigations into ant foraging behaviour.


This essay explores the rise of overland motor touring in Australia and the way those experiences were written up in non-fiction narratives. During the 1920s and 1930s, there was a growing interest in exploring the vastness of home by utilising new technologies. The particular focus is on the writings of Ellis Bankin, an enthusiastic motorcyclist and overlander, who published a number of articles in popular magazines. The essay argues that three key themes: the mode of transport, routes taken and encounters along the way shape both the experience of travel and the narratives they inspire. Examining these accounts reveals tensions between technology and nature, speed and discovery, and locals and overlanders.


»Zwischen Religion und Umwelt. Mortalität und ihre ursächlichen Faktoren in Großpolen im 19. Jahrhundert«. The purpose of the study was to show the differences in mortality in Catholic and Lutheran communities of the 19th-century Greater Poland (Wielkopolska) and its causative factors. Data on mortality were derived from two sources: 1) parish death registers, 2) vital statistics from von Bergmann's monograph. The values of CDRs for Lutherans and Catholics were 29.25 and 31.74, respectively. Infant mortality was also lower in Lutheran populations than in Catholic ones: 258 to 296 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. Higher mortality of Catholic children than Lutheran ones was confirmed by higher values of the Crow's index in the former than in the latter. Life expectancy of a newly born child in Lutherans was 35 years, while in Catholics 4 years lower. Differences in mortality between Catholics and Lutherans in Greater Poland in the 19th century were caused by various factors one of which was religious denomination.


Filled with pragmatic insights, proactive strategies, and best practices, The New CFO Financial Leadership Manual, Second Edition is destined to become your essential desktop companion. This thorough guidebook is essential reading for the CFO requiring an overview of strategies, measurement and control systems, financial analysis tools, funding sources, and management improvement tips.


textabstractRetrieving information from heterogeneous data sources in a flexible manner and within a single (database) framework is still a challenge. In this paper we present several extensions of our prototype database system TIJAH developed for structured retrieval. The extensions are aimed at modeling vague selection of XML elements and image retrieval. All three levels (conceptual, logical, and physical) of the TIJAH system are enhanced to support the extensions. Additionally, we analyze different ways of removing overlap and explain how structural information can be used for relevance feedback.


Extensible Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are loosely connected, multi-domain platforms that "virtualize" their resources to provide an open platform capable of hosting different cyber-physical applications. These cyber-physical platforms are extensible since resources and applications can be added or removed at any time. However, realizing such platform requires resolving challenges emanating from different properties; for this paper, we focus on resilience. Resilience is important for extensible CPS to make sure that extensibility of a system doesn't result in failures and anomalies.


The lysianassid amphipod Orchomene obtusus (Sars) is known as an epibenthic scav- enger, but it is abundant in the water column of Saanich Inlet, British Columbia, a temperate fjord with poorly oxygenated deep water. Sampling with vertically-stratified nets and baited traps indi- cates that O. obtusus is abundant within the oxycline at 100 to 140 m, is present in anoxic deep waters at low abundances, and is also abundant in the anoxic benthic environment. Shipboard incubations revealed that O. obtusus can survive between 10 and 33 h of anoxia at in situ conditions. Stable iso- tope and gut fluorescence measurements suggest that these amphipods feed on material produced in surface waters, and not on the isotopically dissimilar suspended detrital material present in the vicin- ity of the oxycline. The amphipods do not enter surface waters, and it appears that O. obtusus has adapted to oxygen gradients in this environment by feeding on surface-water-derived material in the food-rich and predator-poor anoxic benthos and subsequently migrating into the water column to conduct aerobic respiration. These vertical excursions are probably a modification of the swimming behavior exhibited by hyperbenthic amphipods in well-oxygenated environments, and may consti- tute an important mechanism for benthic-pelagic coupling.


Abstract It is not known if the thermodynamic behavior of some minerals and their synthetic analogues are quantitatively the same. Olivine is an important rock-forming substitutional solid solution consisting of the two end-members forsterite, Mg2SiO4, and fayalite, Fe2SiO4. We undertook the first heat capacity, C P, measurements on two natural olivines between 2 and 300 K; nearly end-member fayalite and a forsterite-rich crystal Fo0.904Fa0.096. Their C P(T) behavior is compared to that of synthetic crystals of similar composition, as found in the literature. The two natural olivines are characterized by X‑ray powder diffraction and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. The X‑ray results show that the crystals are well crystalline. The Mössbauer hyperfine parameters, obtained from a fit with two Fe2+ quadrupole split doublets, are similar to published values measured on synthetic olivines. There are slight differences in the absorption line widths (i.e., FWHM) between the natural and synthetic crystals. C P (2 to 300 K) is measured by relaxation calorimetry. The C P results of the natural nearly end-member fayalite and published values for two different synthetic Fa100 samples are in excellent agreement. Even C P resulting from a Schottky anomaly and a paramagnetic-antiferromagnetic phase transition with both arising from Fe2+ are similar. There are slight differences in the Néel temperature between the natural 63 K and synthetic ~65 K fayalites. This is probably related to the presence of certain minor elements (e.g., Mn2+) in the natural crystal. The third-law entropy, S °, value is 151.6 ± 1.1 J/(mol·K). C P behavior of the natural forsterite, Fo0.904Fa0.096, and a synthetic olivine, Fo90Fa10, are in excellent agreement between about 7 and 300 K. The only difference lies at T < 7 K, as the former does not show Debye T3 behavior, but, instead, a plateauing of CP values. The S° value for the natural forsterite is 99.1 ± 0.7 J/(mol·K).


This guide provides help in getting started on a research project. It covers topic selection, finding resources, evaluating sources, writing tips and more. It includes a virtual tour of Trexler Library


Archaeological sites, built landscapes of the past, represent the identity heritage for future generations. The aim of this article is to investigate and demonstrate the importance of the cultural identity reinforcement, which ca be achieved by enhancing the historical heritage through the use of artificial lighting. The charm of an archaeological site or a monument comes from the perception of its whole environmental context, both for the functional lighting and the enhancement of the artistic and monumental. Light can turn into concrete matter both in interiors, in archaeological and urban spaces: combining innovative technologies, artificial light can be used to change the world, to shape cities, as well as architecture and space in general. The emphasis must be on what should be the most effective lighting system for the archaeological sites, one respecting the ruins and the authenticity of the landscape, while at the same time bringing out their architectural, historical and symbolic significance: the light, which is emotion, suggestion, evocation can support the experience of every single visitor. There is the possibility to obtain a recovery of memory and identity of a city, in order to achieve efficiency and effectiveness of the results. The choice of sites presented in this paper is derived from the author's doctoral research, through own direct study and experience, specifically dedicated to indoor and outdoor archaeological sites, according to an experimental view of strategic projects that aim to recover the ancient built environment.


We introduce and study the almost topological groups which are fundamentally a generalization of topological groups. Almost topological groups are defined by using almost continuous mappings in the sense of Singal and Singal. We investigate some permanence properties of almost topological groups. It is proved that translation of a regularly open (resp. regularly closed) set in an almost topological group is regularly open (resp. regularly closed). And this fact gives us a lot of important and useful results of almost topological groups.


Pleural effusion is abnormal fluid accumulation within pleural cavity between the parietal pleura and visceralis pleura, either transudation or exudates. A 47 year-old female presented with dyspneu, cough, and decreased of appetite. She had history of right lung tumor. Physical examination revealed asymmetric chest movement where right part of lung was lagged during breathing, vocal fremitus on the right chest was decreased, dullness at the right chest, decreased vesicular sound in the right chest, enlargement of supraclavicular and colli dextra lymph nodes, and hepatomegali. Complete blood count showed leukocytosis. Clinical chemistry analysis showed hipoalbumin and decreased liver function. Blood gas analysis showed hypoxemia. Pleural fluid analysis showed an exudates, murky red liquid color filled with erythrocytes, number of cells. Cytological examination showed existence of a non-small cell carcinoma tends adeno type. From chest X-ray showed massive right pleural effusion. Based on history, physical examination and investigations, she was diagnosed with massive pleural effusion et causa suspected malignancy. She had underwent pleural fluid evacuation and treated with analgesics and antibiotics.


The P300-based brain–computer interfaces (P300 BCI) allow the user to select commands by focusing on them. The technology involves electroencephalographic (EEG) representation of the event-related potentials (ERP) that arise in response to repetitive external stimulation. Conventional procedures for ERP extraction and analysis imply that identical stimuli produce identical responses. However, the floating onset of EEG reactions is a known neurophysiological phenomenon. A failure to account for this source of variability may considerably skew the output and undermine the overall accuracy of the interface. This study aimed to analyze the effects of ERP variability in EEG reactions in order to minimize their influence on P300 BCI command classification accuracy. Healthy subjects aged 21–22 years (n = 12) were presented with a modified P300 BCI matrix moving with specified parameters within the working area. The results strongly support the inherent significance of ERP variability in P300 BCI environments. The correction of peak latencies in single EEG reactions provided a 1.5–2 fold increase in ERP amplitude with a concomitant enhancement of classification accuracy (from 71–78% to 92–95%, p < 0.0005). These effects were particularly pronounced in attention-demanding tasks with the highest matrix velocities. The findings underscore the importance of accounting for ERP variability in advanced BCI systems.


Results are reported of experimental measurements of friction factor, mean and turbulent velocities, and Reynolds stresses in fully developed flow through a helically corrugated pipe. Helical corrugations induce a strong rotational component in the mean flow near the wall but this decreases rapidly toward the pipe axis. Turbulence intensities and axial shear are generally smaller in this flow than in nonrotating pipe flow and the reduction is attributed to rotation. Reynolds stress measurements extrapolated to the wall are in agreement with pressure drop measurements. Both show that pipe friction factor is less in helically corrugated pipe than in normally corrugated pipe, other factors being the same. The axial component of the mean flow is well fitted by the two-dimensional semilogarithmic law-of-the-wall for rough pipes. It is also fitted by the defect law but the numerical parameters of the latter behave as in an adverse pressure gradient boundary layer, indicating less shear stress than in nonrotating pipe flows. This is consistent with reduced friction factor.


Meandering is a common feature in natural alluvial streams. This study deals with alluvial behaviors of a meander reach subjected to both fresh-water flow and strong tides from the coast. Field measurements are carried out to obtain flow and sediment data. Approximately 95% of the sediment in the river is suspended load of silt and clay. The results indicate that, due to the tidal currents, the flow velocity and sediment concentration are always out of phase with each other. The cross-sectional asymmetry and bi-directional flow result in higher sediment concentration along inner banks than along outer banks of the main stream. For a given location, the near-bed concentration is 2−5 times the surface value. Based on Froude number, a sediment carrying capacity formula is derived for the flood and ebb tides. The tidal flow stirs the sediment and modifies its concentration and transport. A 3D hydrodynamic model of flow and suspended sediment transport is established to compute the flow patterns and morphology changes. Cross-sectional currents, bed shear stress and erosion-deposition patterns are discussed. The flow in cross-section exhibits significant stratification and even an opposite flow direction during the tidal rise and fall; the vertical velocity profile deviates from the logarithmic distribution. During the flow reversal between flood and ebb tides, sediment deposits, which is affected by slack-water durations. The bed deformation is dependent on the meander asymmetry and the interaction between the fresh water flow and tides. The flood tides are attributable to the deposition, while the ebb tides, together with run-offs, lead to slight erosion. The flood tides play a key role in the morphodynamic changes of the meander reach.


The Large Hadron Collider and its pre-accelerator complex will be upgraded in three steps to allow for the high luminosity phase. A factor of ten times more data will be collected in this period by facilitating the increased instantaneous luminosity being seven times as large as the original design value. A new inner tracker system is in preparation for the ATLAS detector in view of the high luminosity phase to start operation around 2026. This all silicon tracker relies on various innovative technologies to cope with the severe challenges arising from the increased luminosity. The pixel detector employs a new readout chip to decrease the pixel size to a fifth of the pixel size of the present generation to be able to disentangle all tracks in the high multiplicity environment close to the interaction point. Thanks to their reduced power dissipation and high charge collection efficiency after irradiation, thin planar n-in-p pixel sensors are ideally suited to cope with the expected unprecedented radiation damage.

TCAD simulations are being performed to optimise the sensor layout for the new pixel cell size of 50x50um2. In this study, charge collection efficiency, electronic noise and electrical field properties are investigated both before and after irradiation. The RD53A prototype readout chip is used to build modules based on the proposed thin planar n-in-p sensors. The performance of different sensor designs is assessed by analysing data from various test-beam campaigns.

The effects of storage time at room temperature for the ITk pixel detector during maintenance periods are reproduced on real modules. Pixel detector modules built with sensors of 100-150um thickness are characterised with testbeam measurements. The charge collection and hit efficiencies are compared before and after annealing at room temperature up to one year.


Extreme-thermophilic non-sporeforming bacteria belonging to the Thermus genus are widely distributed in hot springs (40-90 degrees C) of Tadzhikistan. Their content was highest (1.8-10(4)--6.0-10(4) cells per gram of ooze) in springs with the temperature of water of 50-60 degrees C, and decreased (to 8.0-10(2)--4.0-10(3) cells per gram of ooze) in springs with the same temperature of water but with a low content of ooze. The number of the cells was even less (5.0-10(2)--4.0-10(3) per gram of ooze) in the surface layers of heated soil, especially at a depth of 2 cm. The lowest number of the cells (0.5-4.0 cells per 1 ml) was found in water at the surface of soil, with the temperature of 96, 93, and 65 degrees C.


Although the rate of new HIV infections has been declining, AIDS continues to be one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The lack of an effective HIV vaccine makes it necessary to develop alternative strategies, such as the development of topical microbicides, to prevent transmission. Antimicrobial peptides represent promising microbicide candidates. Previously, we succeeded in enhancing the anti-HIV activities of several peptides that form helical structures based on the bioinformatic results learned from the antimicrobial peptide database. This study showed that Lys-to-Arg alterations also improved the HIV inhibitory activity of thanatin which is known to form a β-hairpin structure. Using a previously reported de novo designed HIV inhibitory peptide GLR-19 as the starting template, loop structures of varying sizes were generated by restraining a disulfide bond at different positions. The thanatin-mimicking constructs are referred to as GLRC peptides since they are composed of only four amino acid residues G, L, R, and C. While GLRC-2, the peptide with a medium-sized loop structure, was most potent against HIV-1 and HSV-2, GLRC-3, with the small loop structure, was most potent against Escherichia coli K12. Thus, the efficacy of the GLRC peptides is microbe dependent. Further terminal sequence truncation of GLRC-2 reduced antimicrobial activity against both viruses and bacteria. It appears that the high antiviral potency of GLRC-2 is related to high hydrophobicity, although a wide-range correlation is lacking. In addition, GLRC-2, which is more active against viruses, is also more resistant to the action of chymotrypsin. Therefore, GLRC-2, a novel peptide that acquired not only higher stability but also higher anti-HIV activity than the GLR-19 template, serves as the starting point for additional rounds of peptide engineering.


In this paper, the stress distribution of the orthotropic steel bridge deck in a suspend bridge under local wheel load is analyzed. Some retrofitted methods are introduced, two of which are studied. One is using the concrete paving layer (CPL), and the other is using the sandwich plate system (SPS) to strengthen the orthotropic steel bridge deck. Local finite element models are established by ANSYS; stress distribution of bridge deck is calculated under the designed vehicle load before and after the deck retrofitted by the CPL or the SPS, and the results are compared with each other. The analysis results indicate that, under wheel pressure load, the orthotropic steel deck appears stress concentration; after the deck was retrofitted no matter by the CPL or the SPS, all the stress peaks decrease obviously, and the fatigue resistance of the orthotropic steel deck increases, which indicate that the two methods are effective to retrofit the orthotropic steel bridge deck. Using the CPL method can lead to lower stress concentration than that of using the SPS method, but the concrete paving layer is easy to crack, so, high performance concrete with high tension strength is needed.


During a period of 19 months (March 1986 - September 1987), 22 cases of snake bites caused by Bothrops moojeni in Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Sao Paulo (South-east Brazil) were studied. The animals have their lenght measured and two groups were constituted: group I - 9 cases with lenght between 30 and 53 cm and group II - 13 cases with lenght between 80 and 147 cm. Our results revealed: 1. the local effects - pain and swelling - were frequently mild in group I; 2 - non-clotting blood (bed-side test) occured in two groups, a little more frequently in group I; 3. local complications - necrosis, compartment syndrome and infection - occured in more then a half and exclusively in group II, in spite of larger and faster antivenom therapy. We have concluded that larger Bothrops moojeni produced great increment in swelling, necrosis and infection and mild decrement in coagulation action.


The triazine class of herbicides includes the compounds ametryn, atrazine, and simazine, which are used to control weeds in plantations of crops such as maize, sorghum, and sugar cane. Despite their acceptance in agriculture, these herbicides can be dangerous to the environment, depending on their toxicity, the degree of contamination, and the duration of exposure. Controlled release systems are increasingly used to mitigate problems of toxicity and minimize environmental impacts, and can also increase herbicide efficiency. The objective of this work was to prepare poly(epsilon-caprolactone) nanocapsules containing ametryn and atrazine, and evaluate their toxicity to aquatic organisms as well as in cytogenetic tests employing human lymphocyte cultures. The PCL nanocapsules were prepared according to the interfacial deposition of pre-formed polymer method. Ecotoxicological assays were performed with the alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and the microcrustacean Daphnia similis. The cytogenetic tests consisted of observing mitotic index alterations after exposing lymphocyte cell cultures to different formulations. Encapsulation of the herbicides in the nanocapsules resulted in lower toxicity to the alga and higher toxicity to the microcrustacean, compared to the herbicides alone. The cytogenetic tests showed that formulations of nanocapsules containing the herbicides were less toxic than the herbicides alone. The findings indicate the potential of the nanocapsule formulations in agricultural applications, where they could help to reduce the quantities of herbicides used as well as impacts on the environment and human health.


Abstract We evaluate the role skin color plays in earnings and employment for black males in the NLSY97. By applying a novel, scaled measure of skin tone to a nationally representative sample and by estimating the evolution of labor market differentials over time, we bridge a burgeoning literature on skin color with more established literatures on wage differentials and labor market discrimination. We find that while intraracial wage gaps widen with experience, gaps between the lightest-skinned black workers and whites remain constant, suggesting that a blurring of the color line elicits subtle yet meaningful variation in earnings differentials over time.


Objective. The Affordable Care Act requires most health plans to cover the federal Recommended Uniform Screening Panel of newborn screening (NBS) tests with no cost sharing. However, state NBS programs vary widely in both the number of mandated tests and their funding mechanisms, including a combination of state laboratory fees, third-party billing, and other federal and state funding. We assessed the potential impact of the Affordable Care Act coverage mandate on states' NBS funding. Method. We performed an extensive review of the refereed literature, federal and state agency reports, relevant organizations' websites, and applicable state laws and regulations; interviewed 28 state and federal officials from August to December 2014; and then assessed the interview findings manually. Results. Although a majority of states had well-established systems for including laboratory-based NBS tests in bundled charges for newborn care, billing practices for critical congenital heart disease and newborn hearing tests were less uniform. Most commonly, birthing facilities either prepaid the costs of laboratory-based tests when acquiring the filter paper kits, or the facilities paid for the tests when the kits were submitted. Some states had separate arrangements for billing Medicaid, and smaller facilities sometimes contracted with hearing test vendors that billed families separately. Conclusion. Although the Affordable Care Act coverage mandate may offset some state NBS funding for the screenings themselves, federal support is still required to assure access to the full range of NBS program services. Limiting reimbursement to the costs of screening tests alone would undermine the common practice of using screening charges to fund follow-up services counseling, and medical food or formula, particularly for low-income families.


IMPORTANCE
Risk score models predicting the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to its advanced forms may be useful for targeting high-risk individuals for lifestyle changes that reduce risk for AMD progression, helping with differential diagnosis of AMD and its subtypes, identifying high-risk subjects for participation in clinical trials, and selecting appropriate therapies.

OBJECTIVE
To develop and validate a predictive model for progression to advanced stages of AMD in 2 independent cohorts. DESIGN Participants in a validation cohort and an independent derivation population were classified into 5 stages of AMD based on ocular examination and fundus photographs at baseline. Progression was defined as either eye progressing from stage 1, 2, or 3 to either stage 4 or stage 5 at any follow-up visit to the end of the study. Cox proportional hazards models were used for progression analyses. Covariates included demographic and environmental factors, 6 variants in 5 genes, and baseline AMD grades in both eyes. The algorithm developed with the derivation sample was assessed for calibration and discrimination in the validation data set.

SETTING
Clinic populations and referrals.

PARTICIPANTS
The derivation population comprised 2914 subjects with 809 progressors. The independent validation cohort comprised 980 individuals with no, early, or intermediate AMD in at least one eye at baseline, of whom 294 progressed to advanced stages of geographic atrophy or neovascular disease.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Progression to advanced AMD. RESULTS For the model with all nongenetic and genetic factors, the respective C statistics for progression to advanced AMD in the derivation and validation samples were 0.858 and 0.750 at 5 years and 0.884 and 0.809 at 10 years, and models also discriminated risk for progression to geographic atrophy and neovascular disease separately. For unilateral or bilateral intermediate AMD, 5-year cumulative incidence rates of progression to advanced AMD were 10% with the low-risk score and 50% with the high-risk score; for unilateral advanced disease, the progression rates were 22% and 80% for the fellow eye.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
The risk prediction model was validated in an independent study of progression from no, early, or intermediate stages to advanced subtypes of AMD and will be useful for research, clinical trials, and personalized medicine.


The charts of 247 allergic patients (all ages) who were receiving immunotherapy were studied retrospectively. They belong to a private setting at the city of Santa Ana Chiautempan, Tlax (Mexico). We looked at whether they were compliant or noncompliance. Compliance was considered as those who did not stop immunotherapy during a 18-month period, and shorter periods s noncompliance. One hundred and fifty two (62%) were compliant and 95 (38%) were not. Noncompliance causes were: 29 patients felt better soon, 19 claimed high costs, 8 changed to alternative medicine. 6 felt worse because of immunotherapy, 6 moved to other cities, 2 preferred other allergists and 25 did not answer the questionnaire. Forty six per cent stopped during the first 2 to 6 months and 56% within 8 and 14 with a median of 5.4. Eighty per cent from those who were compliant claimed they felt much better and 18% only slightly better. The average length-compliance was 29.7 months.


The present paper deals with the multi-axis attitude maneuver of a small satellite with variable inertia matrix, using fuzzy logic strategy. The controller has been realized by means of a Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) fuzzy controller with a knowledge base composed by 75 logic rules (25 logic rules for per axis). The input-domains are partitioned with 5 membership functions, resulting in 25 fuzzy rules for each rule-base. The output-domains are partitioned with 7 membership functions. The Mamdani controllers use a standard max-min inference process and a fast center of area method to calculate the crisp control signals. The satellite control is obtained autonomously by the fuzzy controller generating commands to the hybrid actuators. The actuator set combined from magnetorquers and reaction wheel to facilitate three axes maneuver. Using hybrid actuators solve the singularity problem that often occurs in active magnetic control methods. IGRF2000 was used as earth magnetic field simulation. Effects of the environmental disturbances during Attitude maneuver of the SC have been considered by developing a disturbance torques simulator module. The main features of the proposed control strategy are: simplicity in spacecraft control system design and development, increased robustness for automatic control reconfiguration and model uncertainty, reduction in development and production cost for flight control systems, autonomous on-board control features. Numerical simulations show the capabilities of the proposed approaches compared to the other classical methods (PD) such as quaternion feedback and Euler Angles feedback control laws.


Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the world and the fourth most common cause of cancer related deaths. Inflammation is one of the risk factors for development of colon cancer. Interestingly immune cells as mast cells and inflammatory mediators as LTC4 play an important role in colon cancer. Genetic predisposition, which might lead to either activation of oncogenes or inhibition of tumor suppressor genes, are risk factors of colon cancer development.The aim of my thesis was to evaluate the clinical significance of the tumor suppressors 15-PGDH and WNT5A in colon cancer patients. I investigated the underlying mechanisms/signaling triggered by these tumor suppressors in colon cancer cells and whether the re-expression of these tumor suppressors could be an attractive therapeutic strategy for treatment of colon cancer patients.I found that presence of mast cells in colon cancer tissue was associated with better prognosis of colon cancer patients, and the presence of mast cells in polyps/tumors in a colitis-associated colon cancer mouse model was also beneficial. I found that the tumor suppressor gene 15-PGDH is down-regulated in colon cancer patients as well as in colon cancer cell lines. This down- regulation is often seen in parallel with down-regulated WNT5A, the non-canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling ligand. I found that down-regulation of both these proteins is associated with poor prognosis for colon cancer patients. My results show that treatment of colon cancer cells with Foxy-5, a WNT5A mimicking peptide, leads to up-regulation of 15-PGDH through JNK/AP-1 pathway. In addition, I also found that the pro-inflammatory mediator LTC4 via CysLTR2 can induce the expression of 15-PGDH through the JNK pathway, which indicate that LTC4 via CysLTR2 has an anti-tumor effect.In conclusion, these findings provide important information for better understanding of the tumor microenvironment and the tumor suppressor genes in colon cancer and might help to identify new therapeutic targets for colon cancer patients.


Background: Although miR-124 molecule has been known as an inducer of neurogenesis, few researches have been done on the targets of this molecule and its functional mechanisms in differentiation toward neurons and maintaining neuronal state. The microarray technique has been established as the reference method for studying the genes under the control of miRNAs. However, the high cost of this method has hampered its use in most research centers. On the other hand, the improvement of bioinformatical algorithms and computer modeling systems has led to the development of the bioinformatical softwares that can predict mRNA targets for miRNAs. Therefore, the aim of this theoretical study was to bioinformatically evaluate the effect of miR-124 on transcription factors that can be involved in neurogenesis and neuronal cell amplification, by using various specific softwares. Methods: Using different algorithms in TargetScan, DIANA and miRWalk databases, the potential transcription factors targets of miR-124 were identified. Then, a score table was prepared from the candidate genes, based on the affinity of the seed region of miR-124 and the number of targets in the 3`-UTR region of transcription factors. Finally, transcription factors with higher scores were chosen as candidates for practical analysis. Results: The results of bioinformaical analysis showed that the LAMC1, ITGB1, PTBP1, SOX9, SP1, and EFNB1 molecules are the most potential factors that might be affected by miR-124 during neurogenesis. Conclusion: It seems that transcription factor SP1 is under the control of the miR-124 and plays a crucial role in neurogenesis process. Therefore, this protein can be considered as a suitable new candidate for experimental evaluation.


Background This syndrome is due to a birth defect in cholesterol synthesis and caused by mutations in the DHCR7 gene, which lead to a deficiency of the enzyme that converts 7-dehydrocholesterol to cholesterol. Management is symptomatic and most patients are treated with supplemental dietary cholesterol. Purpose To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a formulation of cholesterol 150 mg/cc for the treatment of hypocholesterolaemia in a patient diagnosed with Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (SLOS). Materials and methods Infant 7 months old diagnosed with SLOS and fed by nasogastric tube. Treatment was initiated with nutritional support based on carbohydrates and cholesterol, in response to which symptoms of gastric intolerance quickly developed. Due to the lack of other nutritional preparations marketed with similar characteristics, the available literature was reviewed in order to develop a formulation that would allow exogenous cholesterol, finding several formulations all based on other centres' own experience. A suspension of cholesterol 150 mg/cc was proposed. Results A standard operating procedure for the preparation of a suspension of cholesterol in a final volume of 300 cc was developed. Composition: – Cholesterol (Ph. Eur quality) 45 g – OraSweet SF 60 cc – OraPlus 160 cc Modus operandi: Prepare the vehicle for suspension, weigh cholesterol and add it to an appropriately sized mortar, add the vehicle slowly, stirring until homogeneous. Transfer the contents to a beaker and homogenise with a magnetic stirrer. Package and label. Sensory characteristics: flavour: strawberry, appearance: viscous, free of debris. Stability assigned: 90 days, preserved in refrigerator and protected from light. No tolerance problems have been reported during the follow-up interval of 6 months. During this period the patient's cholesterol levels have risen slightly since the last review, although cholesterol values are still below recommended levels. Conclusions The cholesterol suspension was easy to prepare and well tolerated. It offers a viable option in patients with SLOS who are intolerant of commercial preparations. No conflict of interest.


SIR,-We have learnt that the British government proposes to introduce a more restrictive policy concerning prescribing of medicines under your National Health Service (16 February, p 532). Please allow me to communicate our experience in the Netherlands. At the beginning of 1982 the Dutch sick funds (health insurance organisations) published a non-compulsory advisory compendium for doctors (the Pharmacotherapeutic Kompas), in which detailed information on medicines not recommended for use was printed in red. Later the Dutch government, against our advice, used this publication as the basis for compiling a system of "negative lists" of products which would no longer be reimbursable by the sick funds. These became law in October 1982. The results of these measures confirmed our predictions. In the preceding years, as a result of various factors, expenditure on medicines increased by 3-6%. In 1982, however, an increase of 11-12% took place. This extra increase must be ascribed to altered prescribing habits of doctors, who in some cases changed over to more expensive but reimbursable alternative medicines. Although overall expenditure in the year of introduction of these limited lists increased by more than the usual average, some companies were badly affected, losing more than 30% of their turnover, and market conditions were seriously disturbed. There must be better ways to economise on health care costs. J C SANDERS Chairman, Voorzitter Nederlandse Associatie van de Farmaceutische Industrie


J. N. Hutchinson writes: The mass movement in Cortina d'Ampezzo studied by Angeli et al. (1996), with a length of about 1000 m, a thickness of around 5 m and an average width of 80m (Deganutti & Gasparetto 1992), is a typical elongate mudslide (Hutchinson 1988). Such mudslides are strongly three-dimensional and their stability analyses need to reflect this. The otherwise interesting study by Angeli et al. of the movements of this mudslide is marred by their treatment of it as a two-dimensional infinite slope. It is hoped that, in their reply, the authors will make the appropriate modifications to their calculations and conclusions. Maceo-Giovanni Angeli replies: The authors are grateful for Professor Hutchinson's interest in their paper. Since the Alvera mudslide is relatively wide (80 m) in comparison to its depth (5 m) the influence of side shear on the overall stability will be slight and side shear effects have been neglected in the development of the equations presented in the paper. In fact, due to the increase in shearing resistance with depth, a unit area of the base contributes much more to total shearing resistance made than a unit area of the sides. A consideration of the restraining forces acting on a 1m length of the base and sides of the mudflow shows this to be the case. The actual cross-sectional shape of the slip surface has not been determined in detail, although survey measurements indicate that, as in the case of Hutchinson's (1970) work at Beltinge, the


Technological progress is one of the main driving forces behind economic growth but how it affects the economy initially is not well understood. This dissertation contains three chapters that examine technological progress and productivity from different angles. They are all motivated by the need for better understanding the economic fluctuations that are observed in the data. Chapter 1 presents a long time-series of data, dating from 1889 to 2002, in order to examine whether technological progress can lead to temporary slowdowns in productivity growth. In this chapter, patent application data are used as a measure of technological progress. Results show that labor productivity in the pre-WWII period falls below trend temporarily after the arrival of new technology. However, this is not seen in the post-WWII period when labor productivity slowly starts to increase above trend without initial adverse effects. Chapter 2, which is co- authored with Bryan Goudie, examines the assumption that technological progress generally is assumed to be exogenous to military spending. The chapter uses firm- level data on military prime contracts together with data on sales per employed worker and patent data in order to explore the effects of military spending on productivity and the development of new technology. The study finds that the number of patents increases significantly as a result of a military prime contract shock, indicating the arrival of new technology. Chapter 3, co-authored with Bryan Goudie, follows the approach in chapter 2 but examines the effects of military prime contracts at the regional level. The chapter uses U.S. state-level data on military prime contracts, data on gross domestic product by state, and utility patents, sorted by the state of the first inventor. The analysis shows that also at the regional level, military prime contracts lead to the development of new technology. However, labor productivity at the regional level is only affected insignificantly


Despite recent advances in LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) equality in the United States and in many countries around the globe, LGBTQ+ students on college campuses still experience bias, hostility and discrimination.  Engineering departments on campus in particular have been slower than other departments to respond to efforts to effect a positive change for LGBTQ+ individuals [1, 2].  Researchers and practitioners began working together in 2015 to advance LGBTQ+ inclusion in engineering classrooms and workplaces.  This paper presents research-informed promising practices for creating LGBTQ+-inclusive climate in engineering departments.  The specific focus is on strategies that can be adopted by individual faculty members to support LGBTQ+ inclusion for engineering students in academic spaces.


Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Corn (Zea mays L) as Affected by Timing, Method of Application and Source of Dairy Manure G. Sebastian Cambareri Advisor: University of Guelph, 2016 Professor Dr. Claudia Wagner-Riddle Field trials were conducted during three years to evaluate the effect of timing, method of application and manure source on N2O emissions and corn grain yield at Elora, ON, Canada. A randomized block design was set up every year, evaluating two timings (fall vs. spring), three methods of manure application (surface broadcasting, incorporation and injection) and two manure sources (raw, RM vs. anaerobically digested, AD), using non steady state chambers. Three and two years of data were used to evaluate the effect of manure application timing and manure source respectively on N2O emission, considering also application methods in each experiment. A hybrid, decision tree-based flux calculation method (DTBM) was developed and chosen to calculate N2O emissions, given that it advantaged to other methods due to its ability to match each data type with the best model. Nitrous oxide emissions did not respond to timing of manure application; however, as the interaction year by manure application timing as well as application method significantly affected N2O emissions (p< 0.01 and p< 0.05, respectively). The effect of method on cumulative N2O emissions depended on manure source(p<0.01), since surface broadcast AD had the highest emission (6.4 kg N2O-N ha -1 ), and both injected AD and incorporated RM had the lowest values (2.6 kg and 2.8 N2O-N ha -1 , respectively). Manure source tended to affect cumulative N2O emissions (F=4.67, p<0.1), with the largest emissions for AD (4.8 kg N2O-N ha -1 ). Anaerobically digested manure was proven to reduce cumulative N2O emissions when it was fall injected to corn in cold climates; however, if AD is broadcasted or broadcasted and incorporated, it may result in greater N2O emissions than those produced by RM. Short (2-3 yrs.) and long term (26 yrs.) trends for cumulative N2O emissions were simulated with a process based model (DNDC-CAN). Even though no difference between predicted application timings was found at short term, spring application was detected to decrease N2O emissions in the long term. The inter-annual variability canceled the effects of method of application in the long term on predicted N2O emissions. Injection of AD showed to be a good technique to mitigate predicted N2O emissions in the long term.


Unaccompanied Minors from Mexico and the Northern triangle region of Central America have fled to the United States border in increasing numbers since 2009. Nearly 102,000 arrived during fiscal years 2014 and 2015 alone. President Obama called it an "urgent humanitarian crisis" in the summer of 2014. The history that has led up to, and the social, political, and economic conditions surrounding the crisis, are explored through a social work policy analysis of the House of Representatives Bill 1153, termed Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act of 2015, using the Popple and Leighninger (2014) model. If passed, it will reform three major immigration laws: the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, and the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2008. If compromised by this bill thousands of children waiting for their asylum court dates, often without legal representation, and a potential 75,000 more who could arrive by the end of fiscal year 2017, will be denied protection and sent home to conditions marked by gang violence and poverty in parts of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. This has already been the fate of Mexican children who face special repatriation agreements established by TVPRA 2008. This author concludes that social workers, teachers, and other helping professionals must advocate for this growing vulnerable population. Their well-being ultimately lies in the hands of U.S. politicians that craft immigration reform and contribute to the all too often xenophobic political climate of today.


In this research, creative writing of 4th grade students in terms of children's gender, attendance of a keeping a diary, mother's educational background, father's educational background and the number of books read were examined. The sample of this study consisted of 4th grade students. It was drawn from 6 primary schools in the city of Afyonkarahisar. 182 students participated in the study which took place in the spring term of the academic year 2017-2018. To collect the study data and answer the research questions, 'Writing Success' and 'Scale for Assessing Story Elements' scales were used. To analyze data, Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis-tests were used. While texts written by students were evaluated according to subdimensions of originality, fluency of thoughts, flexibility of thoughts, lexical richness, sentence structure, organization, accuracy of style and grammar, it was found that their levels were close to average, their averages were found to be lower in terms of main character, locale, time, starter event, aim, initiative, result and reaction when examined in terms of narrative text writing of story elements. When the students' scores obtained from 'Writing Success Scale' and 'Scale for Assessing Story Elements' were evaluated, a significant difference was found in favor of the girls in terms of gender, and in favor of dairy writers in terms of keeping a dairy. According to the number of books read, there was a significant difference found in the favor of those reading at least three books compared to those who read a month in both assessment tools. In both assessment tools, there were no significant differences in terms of parents' educational background


Abstract. Alba is a town of over 30 000 inhabitants located along the Tanaro River (Piedmont, northwestern Italy) and is famous for its wine and white truffles. Many important industries and companies are based in Alba, including the famous confectionery group Ferrero. The town suffered considerably from a flood that occurred on 5–6 November 1994. Forty-eight percent of the urban area was inundated, causing severe damage and killing nine people. After the flood, the Alba area was analysed in detail to determine the reasons for its vulnerability. Information on serious floods in this area since 1800 was gathered from official records, state technical office reports, unpublished documents in the municipal archives, and articles published in local and national newspapers. Maps, plans and aerial photographs (since 1954) were examined to reconstruct Alba's urban development over the last two centuries and the planform changes of the Tanaro River. The results were compared with the effects of the November 1994 flood, which was mapped from aerial photographs taken immediately after the flood, field surveys and eyewitness reports. The territory of Alba was subdivided into six categories: residential; public service; industrial, commercial and hotels; sports areas, utilities and standards (public gardens, parks, athletics grounds, private and public sport clubs); aggregate plants and dumps; and agriculture and riverine strip. The six categories were then grouped into three classes with different flooding-vulnerability levels according to various parameters. Using GIS, the three river corridors along the Tanaro identified by the Autorita di Bacino del Fiume Po were overlaid on the three classes to produce a final map of the risk areas. This study shows that the historic floods and their dynamics have not been duly considered in the land-use planning of Alba. The zones that were most heavily damaged in the 1994 flood were those that were frequently affected in the past and sites of more recent urbanisation. Despite recurrent severe flooding of the Tanaro River and its tributaries, areas along the riverbed and its paleochannels have been increasingly used for infrastructure and building (e.g., roads, a municipal dump, a prison, natural aggregate plants, a nomad camp), which has often interfered with the natural spread of the floodwaters. Since the 1994 flood, many remedial projects have been completed along the Tanaro and its tributaries, including levees, bank protection, concrete walls and floodway channels. In spite of these costly projects, some areas remain at high risk for flooding. The method used, which considered historical data, river corridors identified by hydraulic calculations, geomorphological aspects and land-use planning, can indicate with good accuracy flood-prone areas and in consequence to be an useful tool for the coherent planning of urban expansion and the mitigation of flood risk.


The objective of this research study was to explore the relationship between students' perceptions of their physical education (PE) classes and their level of leisure-time physical activity (PA). Three psychosocial constructs (enjoyment, self-efficacy, and social support) were examined in the context of physical education. Past research indicates that these constructs influence participation in leisure-time PA. This study attempted to characterize the influence that PE has on leisure-time PA. This study had two objectives. The first was to understand the relationship between PE and leisure-time PA. Secondly, the relationships among enjoyment, self-efficacy, and social support were examined in order to explore enjoyment as a mediator between both self-efficacy and enjoyment and social support and enjoyment, in the context of PE and leisure-time physical activity. Males and females between 13 and 18 years of age (n = 663) were surveyed in their PE classes by trained volunteers. Enjoyment, self-efficacy and social support were examined using a questionnaire that was developed for this study. Physical activity was assessed using a summer-time PA inventory, from which median minutes per day of PA were calculated for each participant. The results of independent samples t-tests indicate that males reported significantly higher scores on the enjoyment assessment than females, and a significantly higher number of median minutes per day of PA compared to females. Among white students, self-efficacy scores were significantly higher than within the minority sub-group. Results also indicate that 12th graders reported higher scores on the social support assessment than did all remaining grade-levels. Weak to moderate correlations were found among the psychosocial constructs. Results of the regression analyses show that none of the possible covariates were significant predictors of participation in leisure-time PA. Enjoyment was not a mediator between self-efficacy and total PA, and social support and total PA. The sub-group that reported the highest enjoyment scores also reported the most minutes of total PA (males). However, the exact relationship between PE and participation in leisure-time PA is still unclear. Complex factors contribute to peoples' adoption and long term maintenance of PA. Enjoyment, social support, and self-efficacy do not exist independent from one another. Rather, they seem to influence each other. The exact nature of this influence is not fully understood. Future research is still necessary to better understand the complex relationships that were examined.


The distribution of variability was studied at various geographical scales in the tropical freshwater snail Melanoides tuberculata, in order to analyse the role of factors shaping this distribution, including the mating system and population dynamics. This parthenogenetic polyploid species reproduces mainly asexually, with males occurring at low frequency. About 800 individuals (38 sites) were sampled from Africa and the Middle East, where the species originated, and from recently colonized habitats in South and Central America, and especially the island of Martinique. We first described variation of general aspects and ornamentation of the shells. This analysis confirms the existence of discrete morphs. Second, individuals were studied at three microsatellite loci, showing that each morph is a genetic clone with some minor variation compatible with models of microsatellite evolution. The genetic analysis also showed much more variation within than between clones. However, two populations from Africa exhibited a large amount of variability, and a mixture of sexual and asexual reproduction might explain these genetic patterns. The worldwide distribution of variability is, therefore, compatible with the African origin of the species, and the introduction of a few clones in other parts of the world. These results also suggest that the distribution of variability in Martinique is influenced by flooding events, and that two morphs from Martinique can be interpreted as hybrids between two pre‐existing morphs, based on morphological, genetic and geographical arguments.


1. The immediate heart rate and blood pressure changes upon standing have been well documented. It has been recognized, that blood pressure transients elicit baroreflex responses contributing to the complex mechanism of post standing heart rate fluctuations. On the other hand the influence of heart rate changes on orthostatic blood pressure control is not well understood. Therefore we have studied the blood pressure regulation of 28 pacemaker dependent subjects with fixed ventricular pacemaker rhythm during active orthostasis, and their responses were compared to that of 10 elderly (66 +/- 11 year), and 12 young (35 +/- 5 year) volunteers. 2. The young volunteers exhibited the characteristic biphasic heart rate response on standing, with a maximum acceleration of 29 +/- 12 beats. The heart rate response of the elderly volunteers was very limited, and no response was seen among pacemaker subjects. A significantly greater (-37 +/- 15 mmHg) systolic blood pressure drop was seen in the pacemaker group than in the group of young volunteers (-22 +/- 13 mmHg). The systolic blood pressure overshoot of the young volunteers (36 +/- 17 mmHg) was significantly greater than that of the pacemaker patients' (11 +/- 22 mmHg). The blood pressure transients of the elderly volunteers and pacemaker subjects were very similar. Significant correlation was detected between the extent of maximum heart rate acceleration and the magnitude of the subsequent blood pressure overshoot (R = 0.68, p < 0.0005) among healthy volunteers. 3. Our results indicate that certain post standing blood pressure transients are heart rate dependent. The chronotrop incompetency of healthy elderly volunteers and pacemaker subjects result in similar alteration of the orthostatic blood pressure regulation, however this modified response does not interfere with a satisfactory hemodynamic stabilization.


In this study we investigate the appearance of combination tones in violins. Most
authors in recent times have emphasised that combination tones occur inside the
ear exclusively (intra-aural). This assumption will be subjected to scrutiny based
on evidence found in an empirical study in which combination tones were measured
outside the ear (extra-aural).
Measurements were performed in which a violinist played two tones of a partic-
ular musical interval simultaneously. This was recorded and subsequently analysed
using a Fourier Transformation. In addition to the partial tones of the primary
interval, the resulting spectrum showed frequencies corresponding to combination
tones. Similar measurements on the viola and violoncello also revealed the exis-
tence of extra-aural combination tones. Such frequencies may influence the timbre
of simultaneous intervals played on string instruments. In another experiment the
violin was excited using an electrodynamic mini-shaker with the aim of localising
the origin of extra-aural combination tones. A newly devised tone matrix was used
as a theoretical approach which computes all potential combination tones that may
occur between any pair of partial tones. The detailed analysis of musical intervals
by both the frequency spectrum and the tone matrix shows characteristic mirror
and point symmetries in the partial tone structure. The discussion focuses mainly
on the audibility of extra-aural combination tones and on 'the combination tone 1'.
This research opens up new perspectives and questions relevant for interpreters,
composers, violin makers and violin acousticians.