In this brief, the compensation for both the nonlinear hysteresis and the vibrational dynamics effects of piezo actuators is studied. Piezo actuators are the enabling device in many applications such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) to provide nano- to atomic-levels precision positioning. During high-speed, large-range positioning, however, large positioning errors can be generated due to the combined hysteresis and dynamics effects of piezo actuators, making it challenging to achieve precision positioning. The main contribution of this brief is the use of an inversion-based iterative control (IIC) technique to compensate for both the hysteresis and vibrational dynamics effects of piezo actuators. The convergence of the IIC algorithm is investigated by capturing the input-output behavior of piezo actuators with a cascade model consisting of a rate-independent hysteresis at the input followed by the dynamics part of the system. The size of the hysteresis and the vibrational dynamics variations that can be compensated for (by using the IIC method) is quantified. The IIC approach is illustrated through experiments on a piezotube actuator used for positioning on an AFM system. Experimental results show that high-speed, large-range precision positioning can be achieved by using the proposed IIC technique. Furthermore, the proposed IIC algorithm is also applied to experimentally validate the cascade model and the rate-independence of the hysteresis effect of the piezo actuator.


With the rapid development of offshore oil and gas exploitation and production at marginal oilfields, production facilities of non-pollution oil storage underwater are sorely needed to reduce production costs. The paper gives a general outline of the modes of offshore oil Storage and the status of oil Storage technology underwater. Several modes of oil storage underwater on oil/water separation and replacement are discussed. The scheme on the monitoring system of non-pollution oil storage underwater is put forward. The study is of reference value for the development at offshore marginal oilfields.


ABSTRACT:
 Hematophagous insects can negatively affect the reproductive success of their vertebrate hosts. To determine the influence of hematophagous insects on endangered vertebrates requires specially designed programs that minimize disturbance to the hosts and address problems associated with their small populations. We developed and evaluated a surveillance program for black flies potentially affecting a population of whooping cranes (Grus americana) introduced to central Wisconsin, U.S.A. In one of the few studies to survey host-seeking female black flies and their immature stages concurrently, we processed nearly 346,000 specimens and documented 26 species, of which only two, Simulium annulus and Simulium johannseni, were attracted to nesting whooping cranes. Attempts to assess black fly populations with artificial nests and real crane eggs were unsuccessful. Carbon-dioxide traps performed well in describing black fly taxa on the landscape. However, the number of black flies at whooping crane nests was consistently higher than the number captured in carbon-dioxide traps. The carbon-dioxide traps poorly described the presence/absence, population fluctuations, and periodicity of black flies at whooping crane nests. The weak performance of the carbon-dioxide traps might have resulted from microhabitat differences between trap locations and nests or from Simulium annulus and Simulium johannseni using sensory cues in addition to carbon dioxide to find hosts. Choice of trapping techniques, therefore, depends on the information required for the particular study objectives.


This historical novel, Encounter (Mannam), by Hahn Moo-Sook, one of Asia's most honored writers, is a story of the resilience in the Korean spirit. It is told through the experiences of Tasan, a high-ranking official and foremost Neo-Confucian scholar at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Because of Tasan's fascination with Western learning, then synonymous with Catholicism, he is exiled to a remote province for 18 years. In banishment he meets people from various social and religious backgrounds--Buddhist monks, peasants, shamans--whom he would not otherwise have met. The events of Tasan's life are effectively used to depict the confluence of Buddhist, Neo-Confucian, Taoist, and shamanistic beliefs in traditional Korea. A subplot involves three young sisters, the daughters of a prominent Catholic aristocrat, and affords the reader vivid glimpses into Yi-dynasty women's lives, particularly those of palace ladies, scholars' wives, tavern keepers, shamans, and slaves. In contrast to the long-held Confucian stereotype of female subservience, this story illustrates the richness of women's contribution to Korean culture and tradition. Encounter's detailed narrative provides a broad and informed view of nineteenth-century Korea, making it a highly useful book for courses on Korean literature and society. It will also be an engaging read for lovers of historical fiction.


The purpose of this study was to measure how mammography readers' performance varies with time of day and time spent reading. This was investigated in screening practice and when reading an enriched case set. In screening practice records of time and date that each case was read, along with outcome (whether the woman was recalled for further tests, and biopsy results where performed) was extracted from records from one breast screening centre in UK (4 readers). Patterns of performance with time spent reading was also measured using an enriched test set (160 cases, 41% malignant, read three times by eight radiologists). Recall rates varied with time of day, with different patterns for each reader. Recall rates decreased as the reading session progressed both when reading the enriched test set and in screening practice. Further work is needed to expand this work to a greater number of breast screening centres, and to determine whether these patterns of performance over time can be used to optimize overall performance.


In today's world, the importance of environment education that is one of the most important issues is increasing rapidly. In the basis of the education, families and teachers take role together. It is aimed to grow up individuals who have positive attitudes and are sensitive the environment at every level of education. In order to achieve this goal, there is need for teachers giving importance to environment education and having adequate equipment. It will be beneficial to learn the environmental attitudes of teacher candidates who grow up elementary students after a few years. Because of this reason, in this study, it is aimed to examine the environmental attitudes of teacher candidates in terms of different variables. In the research, quantitative research methods were used. Sample is consisted of 1th and 3rd grade students from different department of science in Faculty of Education at Hacettepe University. In order to collect the data, New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) Scale was used. In the finding of the research, it was investigated that there is a difference in environmental attitudes of teacher candidates in terms of department of science, grade level, region lived during their childhood and get the status of environment education course variables and there is no difference in term of also, some suggestions were given.


Visually induced motion sickness is a syndrome that occasionally occurs when physically stationary individuals view compelling visual representations of self-motion. It may also occur when detectable lags are present between head movements and recomputation and presentation of the visual display in helmet-mounted displays. The occurrence of this malady is a critical issue for the future development and implementation of virtual environments. Applications of this emerging technology are likely to be compromised to the extent that users experience illness and/or incapacitation. This article presents an overview of what is currently known regarding the relationship between visually specified self-motion in the absence of inertial displacement and resulting illness and perceptual-motor disturbances.


The purpose of the present meta‐analysis was to test the null hypothesis of no difference in dental implant failure rates, postoperative infection, and marginal bone loss for patients being rehabilitated by dental implants and being previously irradiated in the head and neck region versus nonirradiated patients against the alternative hypothesis of a difference. The study suggests that irradiation negatively affects the survival of implants, as well as the difference in implant location (maxilla vs mandible), but there is no statistically significant difference in survival when implants are inserted before or after 12 months after radiotherapy. The study failed to support the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in irradiated patients. It was observed that there was a tendency of lower survival rates of implants inserted in the patients submitted to higher irradiation doses. The results should be interpreted with caution because of the presence of uncontrolled confounding factors in the included studies. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: 448–481, 2016


We studied equine platelet function and activation using ultrastructural examination, flow cytometry, and perfusion. The main aim of the study was to evaluate hemostatic mechanisms in horses using these techniques. Ultrastructural observations were done on resting and activated platelets. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate binding of antibodies to major platelet glycoproteins (GPIIb-IIIa, GPIV, and GPIb) and activation-dependent antigens (P-selectin and lysosomal integral membrane protein [LIMP]). Perfusion techniques were used to evaluate the interaction between platelets and damaged subendothelium. Aggregation experiments were done to identify the best agonists for flow cytometry. Ultrastructural observations confirmed that equine platelets lack a developed open canalicular system and that release of granule contents occurs by fusion of adjacent granule membranes that ultimately connect with external membranes. Flow cytometry identified a 2-fold increase in binding of antibodies against GPIIb-IIIa and GPIV after activation. Binding of antibodies against P-selectin and LIMP increased from 2.12 and 1.74% to 15.5 and 11.6%, respectively, in response to thrombin and to 21.86 and 10.50%, respectively, in response to collagen. Annexin V binding increased moderately after activation. Perfusion experiments with citrated blood indicated that equine platelets react more strongly to subendothelium than do human platelets. When blood was anticoagulated with low molecular weight heparin, a marked impairment of platelet interactions was observed. In conclusion, although some differences were observed between human and equine platelet function, some techniques currently used to assess human platelet function may be useful to assess equine platelets.


The absorption of iron from three staple vegetables was measured by the red cell utilization method in iron deficient subjects. The food iron had been labelled with 55Fe by the hydroponic cultivation method. In addition, 59Fe was added with or without carrier iron in the form of ferric ammonium citrate, prior to cooking. The constant relationship reported by others between the absorption of the two isotopes was confirmed, suggesting that the extrinsic iron and the food iron were absorbed from a common pool. The addition of ascorbic acid to maize porridge before cooking significantly enhanced the absorption of both the intrinsic and the added iron. However, no effect was noted with soya biscuits or with whole wheat bread (100% extraction). Evidence was obtained that these differences were due to the oxidative destruction of the ascorbic acid by the high temperatures required for baking. If, therefore, a feasible method were found for supplementing vegetable foodstuffs with ascorbic acid and inorganic iron, nutritional benefit would only be anticipated with uncooked or boiled foods.


The Mass and Energy Balances course at Smith College collaborated with the Women's Studies course on Youth Culture and Gender and with the feminist art collective subRosa to examine the relationships between cultures of production and the production of culture. The product of this collaboration was the interactive art installation "Can You See us Now? ¿Ya Nos Pueden Ver?" part of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA) exhibit "The Interventionists: Art in the Social Sphere." The museum site itself once housed the Sprague Electric capacitor factory, but globalization pressures resulted in exporting production to Juárez, Mexico. Thus, engineering students conducted a life cycle assessment to quantify the environmental impacts of capacitor production in a globalized economy, while the Youth Culture and Gender class examined how conditions of life shaped by global production cycles link the cultures of young women in North Adams and Ciudad Juárez. Students in both courses met occasionally throughout the semester to plan their contribution to the installation, which included fabricating art objects (including a representative circuit and capacitor) and producing a GIS map of materials flows in capacitor production. Each class had its own set of conventional deliverables including term papers, ethnographic research projects, ethics essays, and formal project reports. The collaboration process is discussed, including how such projects are generated, how two distinct cultures of students can be brought to work productively together, and how to work well with off-site collaborators, which include a Sprague engineer as well as the art collective. Finally, reflections are offered about the impact of this collaborative project on students, the academy, and society.


The present work is focused on the investigation of tetra-anti-chiral structures by means of numerical, and analytical methods. Specimens were evaluated under compressive load using analytical and numerical methods. The paper summarizes a theoretical solution for the estimate of Poisson's ratio and the plateau force. The models can handle structures with various configurations, such as the radius of the connection node, lengths, and thickness of the ligaments. A section dedicated to the evaluation of the buckling load is included to extend the investigation of the behavior under compressive loads. The theoretical model is based on Euler's formula, and a series of amendments are performed to adapt the formula to the analysis of chiral structures. Throughout the paper, theoretical results are compared with results from the simulations to validate the principles stated. Two sets of numerical models were developed: a fully 3D model using hexahedral finite elements and a 2.5D model using beam finite element model. An overall comparison of results is presented, showing a good agreement between datasets. The present work might set the background for future activities, allowing for a selection of individual investigation methods.


We analyze how the entry mode of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) affects affiliate R&D activities. Using unique affiliate level data for Swedish multinational firms, we first present empirical evidence that acquired affiliates have a higher level of R&D intensity than greenfield (start-up) affiliates. This gap persists over time and with the age of the affiliates, as well as for different firm types and industries. To explain this finding, we develop an acquisition investment-oligopoly model where we show that for a foreign acquisition to take place in equilibrium, the acquiring MNE must invest sufficiently in sequential R&D in the affiliate. Otherwise, rivals will expand their business, thus making the acquisition unprofitable. Two additional predictions of the model - that foreign firms acquire high-quality domestic firms and that the gap in R&D between acquired and greenfield affiliates decreases in acquisition transaction costs - are consistent with the data.


Computer-based alloy and process development requires integration of models for simulating the evolution of microstructure, microchemistry and crystallographic texture into process models of the thermo-mechanical production of Al sheet. The present paper focuses on recent developments in linking softening modules that simulate the progress of recovery and recrystallization with the following texture changes to deformation and microchemistry models. The potential of such coupled simulations is illustrated by way of the thermo-mechanical processing of Al-Mn-Mg AA 3104 can stock. In particular, the impact of inter-stand recrystallization between the tandem hot rolling passes as well as recrystallization during coil cooling ("self-annealing") on the resulting hot strip and final gauge textures are explored. Finally, the predicted textures are input into a polycrystal-plasticity approach to simulate anisotropic properties (earing behaviour) of the sheets. Thus, it is possible to link the materials properties at final gauge to the decisive steps of deformation and recrystallization along the thermo-mechanical process chain.


The purpose of this relationship research is aimed to study the correlation between online gaming behavior and stress of high school students. The sample consisted of 254 high school students from a population of 719 students from Chiang Mai University Demonstration School who were selected by stratified random sampling method. The data was collected by questionnaires-the Game Addiction Screening Test--GAST for children and adolescents-which has the reliability of 0.90 and the Suanprung Stress Test-20--SPST–20, which has the reliability of 0.95. The statistics used in data analysis were frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and Pearson's Product Relationship Coefficient. The results showed (1) The online game playing behavior can be categorized into 3 levels of gaming addiction. It was found that 5.9% were in problematic addiction stage, 16.1% in obsessive addiction stage and 78% in non- problematic addiction stage. (2) When examining the stress levels, it was found that 31.1% had severe stress, 50.8% high stress and 18.1% moderate stress (S.D.=13.74).( 3) The relationship between the behavior of playing online games were not related to stress among high school students.


Many real-world engineering design problems involve the simultaneous optimization of several conflicting objectives. In this paper, a method combining the struggle genetic crowding algorithm with Pareto-based population ranking is proposed to elicit trade-off frontiers. The new method has been tested on a variety of published problems, reliably locating both discontinuous Pareto frontiers as well as multiple Pareto frontiers in multi-modal search spaces. Other published multi-objective genetic algorithms are less robust in locating both global and local Pareto frontiers in a single optimization. For example, in a multi-modal test problem a previously published non-dominated sorting GA (NSGA) located the global Pareto frontier in 41% of the optimizations, while the proposed method located both global and local frontiers in all test runs. Additionally, the algorithm requires little problem specific tuning of parameters.


Purpose: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiopoietins (Ang-1 and Ang-2), and their receptor Tie2 are critically involved in both normal and pathologic angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to explore the role of Ang-1, Ang-2, VEGF, and Tie2 in the development and progression of bladder cancer as well as to examine their prognostic value in this tumor type. Experimental Design: Tumor samples of 113 bladder cancer patients, normal bladder epithelium of 5 noncancer patients, and two low-grade (UMUC3 and RT4) and two high-grade (J82 and T24) bladder cancer cell lines were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. The expression data were analyzed performing Wilcoxon rank-sum and Kaplan-Meier log-rank tests as well as univariate Cox analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: In tissues of noninvasive bladder tumors, Ang-1 expression was significantly lower (P < 0.001), whereas VEGF expression was significantly higher (P = 0.031) than in normal bladder tissue. These findings were also confirmed at the protein level by immunohistochemistry. In contrast, Tie2 and Ang-2 abundance in tumor did not differ significantly from that in normal bladder tissue. Multivariate analysis identified Ang-2 as a strong and independent predictor of tumor recurrence [hazard ratio (HR), 10.18; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 2.69-38.49; P < 0.001] and Tie2 expression as an independent favorable prognostic factor for both metastasis (HR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.11-0.89; P = 0.029) and disease-specific survival (HR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.10-0.62; P = 0.003). Conclusions: These data show the strongest change in expression of VEGF and Ang-1 in superficial bladder cancer in comparison with normal bladder epithelium and the invasive tumor stages. The prognostic significance of Ang-2 and Tie2 underlines the essential role of angiopoietins-Tie2 system in progression of bladder cancer.


Estrogen receptors (ERs) are members of the nuclear receptor superfamily and are involved in regulation of fallopian tube functions (i.e., enhancement of protein secretion, formation of tubal fluid, and regulation of gamete transport). However, the ER subtype-mediated mechanisms underlying these processes have not been completely clarified. Recently, we identified ERbeta expression and localization in rat fallopian tubes, suggesting a potential biological function of ERbeta related to calcium-dependent ciliated beating. Here we provide for the first time insight into the less studied ERalpha isoforms, which mediate estrogen-dependent production and secretion of IGFs in vivo. First, Western blot studies revealed that three ERalpha isoforms were expressed in mouse fallopian tubes. Subsequent immunohistochemical analysis showed that ERalpha was detected in all cell types, whereas ERbeta was mainly localized in ciliated epithelial cells. Second, ERalpha isoform levels were dramatically downregulated in mouse fallopian tubes by treatment with E(2) or PPT, an ERalpha agonist, in a time-dependent manner. Third, the presence of ICI 182,780, an ER antagonist, blocked the E(2)- or PPT-induced downregulation of tubal ERalpha isoform expression in mice. However, alteration of ERalpha immunoreactivity following ICI 182,780 treatment was only detected in epithelial cells of the ampullary region. Fourth, changes in ERalpha isoform expression were found to be coupled to multiple E(2) effects on tubal growth, protein synthesis, and secretion in mouse fallopian tube tissues and fluid. In particular, E(2) exhibited positive regulation of IGF-I and IGF-II protein levels. Finally, using growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene-disrupted mice, we showed that regulation by E(2) of IGF production was independent of GH-induced GHR signaling in mouse fallopian tubes in vivo. These data, together with previous studies from our laboratory, suggest that the long-term effects of estrogen agonist promote IGF synthesis and secretion in mouse tubal epithelial cells and fallopian tube fluid via stimulation of ERalpha.


Abstract:This article explores the legal norms and regulatory mechanisms in Japan that structure child welfare placement decisions, focusing specifically on the legal category of "parental rights." It is suggested that the ways child welfare officers and caregivers understand the concept of "rights" — both those of the biological parent(s) and the child — construe kinship relationships as problems to be managed, but with a particular orientation toward what is called in the article the temporality of attachment. Child welfare caseworkers' understandings of legal categories, processes, and forms of documentation (such as the Japanese family registry) produce particular forms of kinship that prioritize a child's possible future relationship with an absent parent, above and beyond the day-to- day relationships children might develop with alternative caregivers such as foster parents. Despite the fact that the author's Japanese interlocutors often described kinship as an immutable relationship of blood ties, the author shows how kinship is in fact produced through specific encounters between (mostly absent) parents and their children, child welfare caseworkers, and foster and institutional caregivers, scaffolded by their engagement with legal and bureaucratic regimes. The article explores what parenthood means within Japanese child welfare, both as a temporalized form of relationality and as a set of legally structured claims to the right to care.


We present a list of 15 clusters of galaxies, serendipitously detected by the XMM Cluster Survey (XCS), that have a high probability of detection by the Planck satellite. Three of them already appear in the Planck Early Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (ESZ) catalogue. The estimation of the Planck detection probability assumes the flat Lambda cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmology most compatible with 7-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP7) data. It takes into account the XCS selection function and Planck sensitivity, as well as the covariance of the cluster X-ray luminosity, temperature and integrated Comptonization parameter, as a function of cluster mass and redshift, determined by the Millennium gas simulations. We also characterize the properties of the galaxy clusters in the final data release of the XCS that we expect Planck will have detected by the end of its extended mission. Finally, we briefly discuss possible joint applications of the XCS and Planck data.


On-going effective control of insect-scale Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicles could be significantly advantaged by active in-flight control adaptation. Previous work demonstrated that in simulated vehicles with wing membrane damage, in-flight recovery of effective vehicle attitude and vehicle position control precision via use of an in-flight adaptive learning oscillator was possible. A significant portion of the most recent approaches to this problem employed an island-of-fitness compact genetic algorithm (ICGA) for oscillator learning. The work presented in this paper provides the details of a domain specific search space reduction approach implemented with existing ICGA and its effect on the in-flight learning time. Further, it will be demonstrated that the proposed search space reduction methodology is effective in producing an error correcting oscillator configuration rapidly, online, while the vehicle is in normal service. The paper will present specific simulation results demonstrating the value of the search space reduction and discussion of future applications of the technique to this problem domain.


In description logics, concrete domains are used to model concrete properties such as weight, name, or age, having concrete values such as integers or strings, with built-in predicates, such as ≤ or =. Until now, reasoning with concrete domains has been studied predominantly in the context of tableaux and automata calculi. In this paper, we present a general approach for concrete domain reasoning in the resolution framework. We apply this approach to devise an optimal decision procedure for SHIQ(D), the extension of STLTQ with a restricted form of concrete domains, serving as the logical underpinning of the web ontology language OWL-DL.


Strategic management is a system of continual disequilibrium, with firms in a continual struggle for competitive advantage and relative fitness. Models that are dynamic in nature are required if we are to really understand the complex notion of sustainable competitive advantage. And new tools are required to tackle challenges of how firms should compete in environments characterized by both exogeneous shocks and intense endogenous competition. A rich history of alternative dynamic models exist in other social and natural sciences, some of which have been incorporated into the strategic management literature, notably the NK series of models. Yet there is a whole history of models from systems models, organizational ecology,
and general fitness landscape models that can be converted to agent-based models and used for the study of strategic management. Agent-based modelling of firms' strategies offers an alternative analytical approach, where individual firm or component parts of a firm are modelled, each with their own strategy. Where traditional models can assume homogeneity of actors, agent-based models simulate each firm individually. This allows experimentation of strategic moves, which is particularly important where reactions to strategic moves are non-trivial. This Element introduces agent-based models and their use within management, reviews the influential NK suite of models, and offers an agenda for the development of agent-based models in strategic management.


Objective of the present study is to determine the association of fatty pancreas and diabetes in Nepal. It is a hospital-based study carried out using data retrieved from the register maintained in the Kathmandu Valley Hospital between 1st December, 2012 and 31st May, 2013. The variables collected were age, gender, HbA1c, serum creatinine, fasting blood glucose. The fatty pancreas still remained positively associated with diabetes (OR, 1.344; 95% CI, 1.074–1.682) and prediabetes (OR, 1.132 95% CI, 0.960 – 1.337) in all the subjects. Similarly, triglycerides levels remained positively associated with diabetes (OR, 1.586; 95% CI, 1.269 – 1.981) and prediabetes (OR, 1.379;95% CI, 1.179 – 1.612) in all the subjects. The fatty pancreas is an important associated factor for newly diagnosed diabetes independent of age, gender, adiposity, and other cardiometabolic risk factors in Nepali population.


Objective Relaxed natural selection, measured by Biological State Index (Ibs), results in unfavourable genes/mutations accumulation in population. Obesity is partly heritable. We aim to examine and compare the effects of relaxed natural selection on male and female obesity prevalence. Methods Data for 191 countries of the world were captured for this ecological study. Curvilinear regressions, bivariate and partial correlations, linear mixed models and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between Ibs and sex-specific obesity prevalence. Per capita GDP, urbanization and caloric intake were controlled for as the confounding factors. Fisher r-to-z transformation, R2 increment in multivariate regression and F-test were used to compare the correlations. Results Curvilinear regressions, bivariate and partial correlations (controlled for GDP, urbanization and calories) revealed that Ibs was significantly correlated to obesity prevalence of both sexes, but significantly stronger to male than to female obesity prevalence. Curvilinear regression models also showed strong correlations. Mixed linear models, with effects of GDP, urbanisation and caloric intake controlled for, showed that male and female average obesity prevalence rates were significantly higher in countries with greater Ibs value than their equivalents in countries with lower Ibs. Between higher and lower Ibs countries, the gap of male obesity prevalence is 60% greater than the gap of female obesity prevalence. Stepwise multiple regression identified that Ibs was a significant predictor of obesity prevalence of both sexes. Multivariate regression showed that, adding Ibs as an obesity predictor, R2 increment in male model was significantly greater than in female model. Conclusions Relaxed natural selection may drive males and females to accumulate metabolic faulty genes equally. Probably due to greater environmental, personal intervention in regulating female body mass, relaxed natural selection shows less contributing effects to female obesity prevalence than to male obesity prevalence. Gene therapy to prevent obesity may need to be also taken into account.


Detailed formulas were derived by using Yeh's formulation of the extended 2×2 Jones matrix and applied to twisted nematic liquid-crystal displays at oblique angles of incidence. Numerical comparisons of this extended Jones matrix method with the exact 4×4 Berreman matrix and with the extended Jones matrix of Lien are presented. The various extended Jones matrix formulations differ in their approach to boundary-condition matching between the model birefringent layers. We show that Yeh's version is a more accurate approximation to the full 4×4 matrix. This extended Jones matrix method is fast, direct, and simple. It is also physically more intuitive.


Conflict is a normal and natural part of our workplaces and lives.  As people with diverse background come together in a working environment, differences in opinion, attitudes and beliefs are bound to occur as they interact.  How such differences are managed determines the impact they can have on productivity and therefore organizational goals. Recognizing and addressing the factors that give rise to potential conflicts can have a positive impact on the workplace and productivity. Conflict, if constructively handled, can be very helpful in making necessary changes within the work environment. However, poorly resolved or unresolved conflict can result in feelings of dissatisfaction, unhappiness, hopelessness, depression, and other emotions.  It can even lead to resignation from jobs, dissolution of personal relations, aggression, and even violence. Key words: Conflict, Management and Workplace.


Abstract Increases in pinyon and juniper woodland cover associated with land-use history are suggested to provide offsets for carbon emissions in arid regions. However, the largest pools of carbon in arid landscapes are typically found in soils, and aboveground biomass cannot be considered long-term storage in fire-prone ecosystems. Also, the objectives of carbon storage may conflict with management for other ecosystem services and fuels reduction. Before appropriate decisions can be made it is necessary to understand the interactions between woodland expansion, management treatments, and carbon retention. We quantified effects of prescribed fire as a fuels reduction and ecosystem maintenance treatment on fuel loads, ecosystem carbon, and nitrogen in a pinyon–juniper woodland in the central Great Basin. We found that plots containing 30% tree cover averaged nearly 40 000 kg · ha−1 in total aboveground biomass, 80 000 kg · ha−1 in ecosystem carbon (C), and 5 000 kg · ha−1 in ecosystem nitrogen (N). Only 25% of ecosystem C and 5% of ecosystem N resided in aboveground biomass pools. Prescribed burning resulted in a 65% reduction in aboveground biomass, a 68% reduction in aboveground C, and a 78% reduction in aboveground N. No statistically significant change in soil or total ecosystem C or N occurred. Prescribed fire was effective at reducing fuels on the landscape and resulted in losses of C and N from aboveground biomass. However, the immediate and long-term effects of burning on soil and total ecosystem C and N is still unclear.


The excellent chemical stability, good mechanical hardness, and a large positive first order magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant of cobalt ferrite (CoFe 2 O 4 ) make it a prom‐ ising candidate for magneto‐optical recording media. For practical applications, the capability to control particle size at the nanoscale is required in addition to precise con‐ trol of the composition and structure of CoFe 2 O 4. It has been well established that a fine tuning in cobalt ferrite nanocrystal size within the magnetic single domain region would lead to the achievement of extremely high coercivity values at room temperature. The development of a size‐sensitive phase separation method for cobalt ferrite that is based on a selective dissolution of the superparamagnetic fraction and subsequent size‐sensi‐ tive magnetic separation of single‐domain nanoparticles is presented. The attained room temperature coercivity value (11.9 kOe) was mainly attributed to the enlargement of the average crystal size within the single domain region coupled with the removal of the superparamagnetic fraction. The strong influence of crystal size, ferrite composition, and cation distribution in the ferrite lattice on the corresponding magnetic properties at the nanoscale was also confirmed. The superparamagnetic and magnetic single domain lim ‐ its were experimentally determined.


This paper describes the usage of the verb snang in the Zhollam dialect of Gagatang Tibetan, spoken in Weixi County, Diqing Prefecture, Yunnan, China, with comparison to other verbs. The form snang in the Zhollam dialect is pronounced as /¯nɔŋ/ and it is mainly employed as follows: 1) copulative usage: for equational and/or identificational functions for a non-self-oriented speech without any specific evidentiality; 2) existential usage: for both the existence of the subject and the speaker's intimate awareness of that existence; 3) evidential usage as a verbal suffix: for representing the visual experience for a speech. Of these usages, the first usage is unique to the Zhollam dialect among the Tibetan dialects.


AIMS
It is difficult to differentiate the origins of focal atrial tachycardias (ATs) in adjacent structures by electrocardiography (ECG) alone. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the clinical features of these ATs may help differentiate their origins.

METHODS AND RESULTS
One hundred and ninety-four patients (mean age, 43.5 ± 17.9 years; male, 53.6%) who underwent electrophysiological study for focal AT were included. We evaluated accuracy in differentiating the origin of AT by using ECG alone as well as with the addition of the clinical features. Electrocardiographs of ATs originating from the left superior pulmonary vein (LSPV, n = 24) vs. the left atrial appendage (LAA, n = 6), and from the right superior pulmonary vein (RSPV, n = 14) vs. the superior vena cava (SVC, n = 8) showed similar patterns. However, while no ATs from the LAA were found to be related to paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, 22 out of 24 ATs from the LSPV were associated with this condition. After localizing AT by using ECG, this clinical feature helped differentiate the ATs from the LSPV vs. the LAA with 93% accuracy. Moreover, while an on-and-off tachycardia (initiated and terminated more than 10 times per day) was observed in 4 of 8 ATs from the SVC, this pattern was observed in 13 of 14 ATs from the RSPV. After localizing the ATs by using ECG, on-and-off tachycardia helped differentiate the ATs from the RSPV vs. the SVC with 82% accuracy.

CONCLUSION
The clinical features and Holter monitoring can give additional information for differentiating the focal ATs originating from the adjacent structures.


ABSTRACT The use of pyrolytic oil (WTPO) obtained from waste vehicle tires in Turkey is evaluated and encouraged within the scope of YEKDEM (Turkey Renewable Energy Resources Support Mechanism). In order to benefit from this incentive, WTPO must be used as the main fuel in diesel engines. For this reason, in this study, unlike all other studies in the literature, the use of WTPO at a high rate was examined. The effects of biodiesel and WTPO mixtures containing high WTPO on engine performance and emissions were investigated. The experiments were carried out at 2800 rpm engine speed, where the maximum power was obtained, and at 4 different loads as 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25%. When the obtained results are examined. The lowest brake thermal efficiency (BTE) value was obtained in P100 fuel at 25% load and its value was 16.21%. Brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) data were similar for all test fuels under the same load conditions. Based on the heat release rate and in-cylinder pressure data, it was noted that biodiesel reduced the ignition delay time. The maximum in-cylinder temperature was 1723.4 K and the maximum exhaust temperature was 590°C with the use of P60B40 fuel. The lowest nitrogen oxides (NOx) value results were obtained at 100% load. Hydrocarbon (HC) emissions decreased from 1.13 g/kWh to 0.13 g/kWh for P100 fuel as load increased form 25% to 100%. All these results show that although the biodiesel additive slightly worsened the emissions, positive results were obtained for the performance data.


Abstract The politics of coalition has posed new challenges to India's foreign policy. This problem becomes particularly evident in India's neighbourhood, which inevitably becomes intertwined with domestic politics. The rise of regional political parties and their role as coalition partners makes it more difficult for the union government to ignore provincial sentiments. Competitive politics featuring both national and regional political parties provides primacy to local interest as this is linked to the vote bank politics. Given the fact that coalition politics has become a reality, this article analyses how to engage the states and make them stakeholders in furthering India's neighbourhood policy.


Background Although hypokalemia has been viewed as a significant concern among patients with heart failure (HF), recent advances in HF management tend to increase the risk of hyperkalemia. Objective To characterize contemporary data regarding correlates and prognostic values of dyskalemia in patients with HF. Design, setting, and participants In cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, we studied 142,087 patients with newly diagnosed HF in US nationwide Veterans Administration database from 2005 through 2013. Exposures Demographic characteristics, laboratory variables, comorbidities, and medication use for the analysis of correlates of dyskalemia as well as potassium level in the analysis of mortality. Main Outcomes and Measures Dyskalemia and mortality. Results Hypokalemia (<3.5 mmol/L) at baseline was observed in 3.0% of the population, whereas hyperkalemia (≥5.5 mmol/L) was seen in 0.9%. An additional 20.4% and 5.7% had mild hypokalemia (3.5–3.9 mmol/L) and mild hyperkalemia (5.0–5.4 mmol/L). Key correlates were black race, higher blood pressure, and use of potassium-wasting diuretics for hypokalemia, and lower kidney function for hyperkalemia. Baseline potassium levels showed a U-shaped association with mortality, with the lowest risk between 4.0–4.5 mmol/L. With respect to potassium levels over a year after HF diagnosis, persistent (>50% of measurements), intermittent (>1 occurrence but ≤50%), and transient (1 occurrence) hypo- and hyperkalemia were also related to increased mortality in a graded fashion regardless of the aforementioned thresholds for dyskalemia. These dyskalemic patterns were also related to other clinical actions and demands such as emergency room visit. Conclusions Potassium levels below 4 mmol/L and above 5 mmol/L at and after HF diagnosis were associated with poor prognosis and the clinical actions. HF patients (particularly with risk factors for dyskalemia like black race and kidney dysfunction) may require special attention for both hypo- and hyperkalemia.


Human intervention trials have suggested that supplemental beta-carotene resulted in more cancer in smokers, whereas it was protective in non-smokers. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are still unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of an association of cigarette smoke condensate (tar) and beta-carotene on DNA oxidative damage and molecular pathways involved in cell cycle progression and apoptosis in cultured cells. In RAT-1 fibroblasts, tar caused increased levels of 8-hydroxyl-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and this effect was enhanced by the concomitant presence of beta-carotene (0.5-4.0 microM) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In contrast, beta-carotene alone did not significantly modify it. Fibroblasts treated with tar alone decreased their cell growth with respect to control cells through an arrest of cell cycle progression in the G0/G1 phase and an induction of apoptosis. These effects were accompanied by an increased expression of p53, p21 and Bax and by a decreased expression of cyclin D1. In contrast, fibroblasts treated with tar and beta-carotene, after an initial arrest of cell growth at 12 h, re-entered in cell cycle and were unable to undergo apoptosis at 36 h. Concomitantly, their p53 expression, after an increase at 12 h, progressively returned at basal levels at 36 h by a mechanism independent of Mdm2. Such a decrease was followed by a decrease in p21 and Bax expression and by an increase in cyclin D1 expression. Moreover, the presence of the carotenoid remarkably enhanced cyclooxygenase-2 expression induced by tar. During tar treatment, a depletion of beta-carotene was observed in fibroblasts. The effects of tar and beta-carotene on 8-OHdG levels, cell growth and apoptosis were also observed in Mv1Lu lung, MCF-7 mammary, Hep-2 larynx and LS-174 colon cancer cells. This study supports the evidence for potential detrimental effects of an association between beta-carotene and cigarette smoke condensate.


coronary arteries shows a synchronous widening of the coronary pulse-pressure, and coronary circulation-time is reduced by approximately 30%. An interpretation of these observations is that the coronary flow is considerably increased by this drug in healthy dogs. Glycerin trinitrate will also dilate the proximal coronary vessels. For some reason, possibly reduced flow, the distal vessels are difficult to demonstrate arteriographically when this drug has been given. Little or no change occurs in the coronary sinus blood-oxygen saturation following administration of glycerin trinitrate. These are recent observations which need further study. I am told that other workers besides Dr. D. C. Deuchar (April 1, p. 967) have noted that persantin does not necessarily relieve angina pectoris, though in subjects to whom the drug is administered coronary sinus blood-oxygen saturation rises. The same subjects obtained relief of pain from glycerin trinitrate.2 I am unable to state whether persantin was given by the oral or intravenous route in these studies. Could it be that, in the diseased coronary tree, vasodilators are unable to improve blood flow through ischaemic areas and release of pain-producing metabolites proceeds as usual ? Glycerin trinitrate may exert its pain-relieving effect by a totally different mechanism-for instance. by interfering with myocardial metabolism and reducing the production of pain-producing metabolites. We have observed a considerable fall in aortic pressure following administration of glycerin trinitrate to dogs. Cardiac-output studies need to be done under these circumstances. Another possibility to be considered is that persantin may open arteriovenous anastomoses in the coronary circulation. This would account for some of the observed effects. My own theoretical objection to the use of vasodilators in the treatment of arterial occlusive disease affecting muscle is that it is unreasonable to expect pharmacological vasodilators to do what the extremely potent tissue-metabolites cannot. What will be of interest wiU be to see if persantin can promote the development of coronary anastomotic channels. I understand that work on these lines is proceeding.2-I am, etc.,


Abstract : The use of object-oriented programming techniques in development of parallel, finite element analysis software enhances software reused and makes application development more efficient. In this report, an object-oriented programming framework for developing parallel finite element software is described. All required steps, from date file parsing and equation solving to post processing and graphical user interfaces, are discussed. After development of the framework, a sample parallel finite element code, namely COMPOSE, is extracted from its original functional programming paradigm and implemented in the new object-oriented programming framework. Besides ease of development, the use of generic visualization and interface tools for software using the framework speeds delivery of research codes to end users.


Despite its shortcoming, Value-at-Risk (VaR) remains as one of the most important measures of risk for financial assets. Although it is used widely by regulatory authority in assessing risk of the financial markets, the robust construction of VaR forecasts remains a controversial issue. This paper proposes a new method to construct VaR forecasts based on Maximum Entropy Density, along with the Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) model of Bollerslev (1986). Using the result in Ling and McAleer (2003), the Quasi-Maximum Likelihood Estimator (QMLE) with the normal density for ARMA-GARCH model is consistent and asymptotically normal under mild assumptions. This implies that it is possible to obtain consistent estimates of the standardized residuals even when the underlying distribution of returns is non-normal. Given this, the distribution of the standardized residuals can then be approximated using Maximum Entropy Density (MED) which allows different characteristics of the distribution, such as excess kurtosis, to be accommodated. The one-day-ahead VaR forecasts can then be constructed by using the estimated ARMA-GARCH model and the MED. The practical usefulness of the proposed method is evaluated empirically against ARMA-GARCH and ARMAGJR models with different distributional assumptions using daily S&P 500 data. The empirical results show promising sign of the proposed method.


ABSTRACT: Skin malignancy e.g. squamous cell carcinoma is commonest among all carciciomas in our Indian subcontinent. SAREE is a traditional Indian costume wore by rich, poor, urban or rural masses. This costume fitted tightly along waist-line causes persistant irritation and eczems like chronic dermatosis is this area. Waist dermatoses due to Saree can rarely present as malignancy. Hence this case is reported as a rare case of malignancy arising from dermatosis. Sixty five years old elderly tribal women presented here with ulcerated growth like lesion on Lt. side of waist [Fig:1] which local doctors treated for one long year but without relief. On clinical examination it was a classic case a SCC (Squamous cell carcinoma) with everted margins and indurated base. Superficial inguinal nodes enlarged, tender and these responed of to antibiotics. This patient was subjected to wide local excision plus skin grafting. Patient was followed up for 4 yrs without local recurrence.


Ranging across the arts--painting, literature, theater--this essay explores the different phases of and attitudes toward the assimilation of Japanese aesthetics and practice in late 19th-century Britain and France. Focus is on the way that Japonisme underlaid the various movements that constitute Modernism. The late 19th century was a time expanding of frontiers for many European nations, and England in particular was engaged in extending its gaze outward. In terms of political and socioeconomic practices, this centrifugal thrust had a negative character, whereby British Imperialism took the form of "colonizing" a vast array of "others"--chiefly Africa and India. Viewed in terms of the arts, however, this tendency to look elsewhere had a more positive character, signifying both a discontent with the Greco-Roman principles that had governed European art and an interest in developing new modes and styles of representation. Although the acquisitive impulse was still operative, here the competition branched out into questions of which art form might best be able to translate another culture, and since it was primarily the visual arts of other cultures which first attracted attention, the more theoretical issue became one of whether and how the visual arts might be translated into a verbal medium. One of the most fascinating examples of this interarts and intercultural phenomenon was Japonisme--the term conventionally used to describe the influence of Japan on late 19th-century European art and life. Indeed, according to art historian Gabriel P. Weisberg, Japonisme can be seen as a type of "East-West Renaissance.... a latter-day example of the kind of cultural diffusion which occurred during the Renaissance, when the excitement of classical discoveries stimulated imitation and veneration" (Japonisme 43). As Weisberg explains, the term Japonisme was itself originally coined in 1872 by a French art critic, Philippe Burty, to "designate a new field of study--artistic, historic and ethnographic" (xi) which would present a more systematic and comprehensive approach to the newly discovered Japanese art. Current interest in the area has similarly stressed the need for a "comprehensive, global view" (Wichmann 13), and in doing so has also emphasized the need for attention both to its manifold aspects and its distinctive character. Nor is it merely a historic interest that has fueled the current interest in Japonisme but rather the growing perception that by helping to free the Western artistic mentality from the constraints of its naturalistic and academic conventions, the influence of Japanese aesthetics acted as a dynamic force behind the various innovative and interarts movements of the late 19th century which collectively served to constitute Modernism. As a way of contributing to this kind of research, my purpose in the following essay is to explore further the attraction to and challenges posed by Japanese art in the later part of the 19th century, particularly in Britain. Beginning first with a general cultural/historical overview of Japonisme, I will then examine the various attempts in the visual arts to incorporate Japanese pictorial techniques and designs; in turn, I will survey some of the differing reactions to Japanese aesthetics and practice on the part of various 19th-century artists and commentators, and then go on to discuss the impact of Japanese art on representative novelists and poets. Finally, I will turn to the theatrical arts, with a view to suggesting that drama might well be the art form most capable of assimilating the art of another culture and that in any case it was "the stage" that most registered the impact of Japonisme as a whole. Within this general framework, I will be ranging widely across the period and the different art forms, for one of the most intriguing things about Japonisme--and possibly the reason why it had such an energizing effect--was the frequently contradictory responses its various facets occasioned, just as at times even a single artist reflected opposing views in his/her assimilation and adaptation of Japanese aesthetics and motifs. …


The relationship between Indigenous peoples and the settler state remains fraught due to ongoing violence and mistrust. Numerous attempts have been made to 'reconcile' this beleaguered relationship over the past three decades. Indigenous peoples have advocated for the decolonization of the settler state and a suitable land base using the language of public investment. In response, settler governments reframe these requests as opportunities for economic investment that is guaranteed to produce self-esteem and social inclusion for Indigenous peoples. This article documents and problematizes an ideological shift whereby holistic decolonial approaches to reconciliation give way to an investment rationale that is used to bypass demands for Indigenous peoples' jurisdiction and self-determination. The ramifications of this shift are examined in three 'eras of reconciliation' (Section 37 Constitutional Talks, Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, reparations for Indian residential school [IRS] Survivors) that also coincide with three types of investment: a) national; b) social; and c) therapeutic.


Introduction: The Pride and Glory of Web 2.0 1. Blogging, the Nihilist Impulse 2. The Cool Obscure: Crisis of New Media Arts 3. Whereabouts of German Media Theory 4. Blogging & Building: The Netherlands After Digitization 5. Indifference of the Networked Presence: On Internet Time 6. Revisiting Sarai: Five Years of New Media Culture in India 7. ICT After Development: The Incommunicado Agenda 8. Updating Tactical Media: Strategies for Media Activism 9. Axioms of Free Cooperation: Contesting Online Collaboration 10. Theses on Distributed Aesthetics 11. Introducing Organized Networks: The Quest for Sustainable Concepts. Notes. Bibliography. Index


BACKGROUND
This study aims to investigate the role of epidermal growth factor-like ligands, amphiregulin (Ar) and epiregulin (Ep), in regulation of apoptosis in luteinized human granulosa cells.

METHODS
Luteinized human granulosa cells were obtained from women undergoing IVF treatment. Ar and Ep mRNA levels were measured by real-time RT-PCR. The rate of apoptosis was measured by TUNEL. Progesterone levels were measured using radioimmunoassay. Ar- and Ep-induced activation of signaling cascades and Ar protein levels were detected by western blotting.

RESULTS
LH stimulation of luteinized human granulosa cells induced biosynthesis of Ar and Ep mRNA in a time-dependent manner. The blockade of MEK (by U0126) reduced the expression of LH-induced Ar and Ep biosynthesis. Incubation of the cells with Ar and Ep completely abolished the increase in apoptosis rate induced by serum starvation, and concomitantly caused a pronounced increase in progesterone production. Stimulation of the cells with Ar and Ep also activated the ERK and AKT signaling cascades. Finally, we demonstrated that the pro-survival effect of Ar and Ep is partially dependent on their ability to induce progesterone production.

CONCLUSIONS
Ar and Ep serve as pro-survival LH mediators in the human corpus luteum.


Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) pedagogies, platforms, and tools are prevalent in higher education due to their pervasive capabilities to enhance students' engagement, communication, and learning. However, it is reported that CSCL tools, media, and platforms may not yield the desired results if not planned, utilized, and managed strategically. Facilitating students' learning through CSCL may require a non-hierarchical approach, such as peer mentoring, for sustainably valuable outcomes. Using this approach successfully will also require contextual diagnostic analysis and exploration. This study was, therefore, conducted to explore the means to effectively deploy peer mentoring to enhance CSCL involving 227 undergraduate students in an Emirati university. Data were collected using a questionnaire with quantitative and qualitative elements. Data analyses were done using descriptive statistics and thematic coding. Findings show that students are well-disposed to peer mentoring as a measure for enhancing CSCL regardless of their demographic characteristics, as they could learn from each other and develop transferrable skills. However, students indicated that the process could be challenging with language barriers, technological issues, and distractions. Even so, the findings show that peer mentoring in CSCL could be enhanced with students' participation in the exercise made voluntary and the availability of different CSCL platforms, among others.


Recent ultrastructural studies indicate that 50-70 A microfilaments are found in a variety of cell types (1, 10, 25, 27), some of which exhibit shape changes (6, 26), cell motility (4, 5, 17, 18), and cytoplasmic streaming (2, 3, 28) . Biochemical investigators have isolated and purified an actinlike protein from Physarum polycephalum (2, 29-33), the amoebae of Dictyostelium discoideum (34), and the small Acanthamoeba castellanii (4, 7, 36-38) . The isolated proteins from these primitive motile systems closely resemble muscle actin in several chemical, physical, and structural properties . One of the properties shared by the purified actin or actin-like proteins and the in situ 50-70 A microfilaments is the capacity to form characteristic ATP-dissociable arrowhead structures when complexed with rabbit muscle heavy meromyosin (HMM) (1-4, 10, 25, 27, 34) .


We study the dynamics of participation and health care consumption in the Affordable Care Act's health insurance marketplaces. Unlike other health insurance contexts, we find individuals commonly drop coverage midyear–roughly 30% of enrollees exit within nine months of sign-up. While covered, dropouts spend more on health care than in the months before sign-up or after exit. We model the consequences of drop-out on equilibrium premiums and consumer welfare. While dropouts generate a type of adverse selection, the welfare effect from their participation is ambiguous and depends on the relative costs per month of part-year vs. full-year enrollees. In our empirical setting, we find that imposing a penalty that incentivizes participation for at least 3.5 months would lower premium levels and improve overall consumer welfare.


The water resources of a region are renewable, but (mite. Thus, regional water resources are limited as to the uses they can support. That is, with respect to these uses, they have a "carrying capacity." If this carrying capacity is exceeded, the system ceases to be "sustainable." The carrying capacity for a region is dependent upon the mix of uses that are present or that could be present. Determination of this mix of uses for a sustainable future must consider the interrelationships that exist between the physical, ecological, societal, economic, and institutional sectors. This mix also is contingent upon that vision of the future on which the region's stakeholders can agree. So long as this future's regional water resources demands are less than the carrying capacity of these same resources, it is, potentially, a sustainable future. Demands so defined, then, can be used as the basis for a sustainable water resources management effort. This in turn requires initiating the process of deciding what actions are needed to assure that this mix of uses is realized and that future generations are bequeathed a system in balance. The success of this process is made more likely by the implementation of a Decision Support System. This system, which represents a long-term commitment by those who lay claim to their share of the region's future, is useful in tacking progress, identifying emerging issues or concerns, providing a forum for problem solving, and continuing the critical process of data collection. All these actions are of great importance in developing a sustainable water resources management plan for a region. In the end, however, the assurance that the plan's goals and objectives are achieved is dependent upon the critical linkage between the plan and its implementation, a linkage that can be forged and maintained only by determined, politically engaged stakeholders.


Background: OA is the commonest long-term condition in primary care. The NICE guidelines in the UK are clear that much can be done to improve patient outcomes but existing research suggests the guidelines are not widely implemented and general practitioners (GPs) and patients are pessimistic about OA treatment. The primary care consultation may be important in shaping and influencing this dichotomy. This study aimed to uncover what happens when patients with OA present to their GP, in order to identify possible areas for intervention to enhance patient care.

Methods: With ethical approval, 15 GPs consented to have two half day surgeries video recorded. Patients aged 45 and over were approached prior to the consultation to consent to being video recorded. Consent was verified immediately after the consultation and 48 h later by phone. All videos were initially watched once, and consultations containing reference to OA selected. Patients and GPs were then invited to participate separately in post consultation individual interviews, during which the video recorded consultation was played back to them to stimulate recall. Analysis involved comparing and contrasting patient and GP interviews with the matched observed consultation findings, using thematic analysis.

Results: 195 videos were collected, with a consent rate of 79.4%. 19 OA consultations were identified, the majority (15) of which were consultations where more than one symptom or problem was discussed. The over-arching theme emergent in the qualitative analysis was that of dissonance between the GP and patient and this was observed in three situations. First, dissonance occurred when patients' and doctors' agendas were not aligned; for example when patients were seeking information and/or reassurance and were given symptom management, or vice versa. Reassurance was described as important by GPs who were wary of provoking alarm in patients; this contributed to an avoidance of using the term OA. Secondly, dissonance resulted when doctor and patient agendas were aligned, but messages of reassurance (e.g. that OA is a normal part of ageing) failed to validate or lead to action on patients' symptoms. Thirdly, GP's use of standardized scripts in explanations and advice resulted in dissonance when patients perceived this as lacking relevance and meaning to their own individual and personal case.

Conclusion: Eliciting the patient's agenda is likely to be crucial in achieving consonance in the consultation; however patients often find it hard to articulate their agenda and the complexity of the consultation is a further practical barrier to identifying patient concerns. Future research could explore the usefulness of employing the term OA in primary care consultations with patients, consider patient-centred toolkits to help in identifying and communicating their agenda, and investigate whether improving concordance in consultations between GP and patient improves the quality of care.


BACKGROUND
Contrast-induced nephropathy is common in patients with coronary angiography. Mechanistically, forced euvolemic diuresis with mannitol and furosemide ought to prevent contrast-induced nephropathy. Our objectives are to: (1) undertake a randomized trial testing this hypothesis, and (2) conduct a meta-analysis of our findings with 2 earlier studies.

STUDY DESIGN
(1) Randomized allocation-concealed controlled trial with blinded ascertainment of outcomes, and (2) random-effects meta-analysis of 3 trials.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS
Single-center study of consenting adults with serum creatinine level greater than 1.7 mg/dL undergoing coronary angiography; patients unable to tolerate fluid challenge or receiving dialysis were excluded. Two previous trials had randomly assigned 159 patients.

INTERVENTION
Forced euvolemic diuresis with saline, mannitol, and furosemide compared with saline hydration controls. All patients were pretreated with at least 500 mL of half-normal saline before angiography; during and 8 hours after, urine output was replaced milliliter per milliliter with half-normal saline.

OUTCOMES & MEASUREMENTS
The primary outcome was contrast-induced nephropathy within 48 hours of the procedure, defined as a 0.5-mg/dL absolute or 25% relative increase in creatinine level.

RESULTS
Overall, 92 patients were allocated to intervention (n = 46) or control (n = 46). Mean age was 64 +/- 14 (SD) years, 23% were women, 37% had diabetes, 47% used oral furosemide, mean creatinine level was 2.8 +/- 1.6 mg/dL, and most patients (72%) underwent diagnostic catheterization. Patients had a net positive fluid balance (389 +/- 958 mL for intervention versus 655 +/- 982 mL for controls; P = 0.2). Contrast-induced nephropathy occurred in 23 (50%) intervention patients versus 13 (28%) controls (relative risk, 1.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 3.05; P = 0.03; adjusted odds ratio, 3.73; P = 0.03). Within 48 hours, creatinine level had increased by 0.8 +/- 1.1 mg/dL with intervention versus 0.2 +/- 0.6 mg/dL for controls (P = 0.002). Overall, 11 (12%) patients died or required dialysis, with no difference according to allocation status (P = 0.5). Random-effects meta-analysis of published data (3 trials; 251 patients) suggests furosemide-based interventions lead to significant harm compared with hydration: pooled relative risk, 2.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.37 to 3.37; I(2) = 0%.

LIMITATIONS
Small single-center study that cannot determine whether harms were related to furosemide, mannitol, or a combination.

CONCLUSIONS
Forced euvolemic diuresis led to a significantly increased risk of contrast-induced nephropathy. This strategy should be abandoned, and our results suggest that oral furosemide therapy perhaps should be held before angiography.


The increasing uptake of smart home appliances, such as lights, smoke-alarms, power switches, baby monitors, and weighing scales, raises privacy and security concerns at unprecedented scale, allowing legitimate and illegitimate entities to snoop and intrude into the family's activities. In this paper we first illustrate these threats using real devices currently available in the market. We then argue that as more such devices emerge, the attack vectors increase, and ensuring privacy/security of the house becomes more challenging. We therefore advocate that device-level protections be augmented with network-level security solutions, that can monitor network activity to detect suspicious behavior. We further propose that software defined networking technology be used to dynamically block/quarantine devices, based on their network activity and on the context within the house such as time-of-day or occupancy-level. We believe our network-centric approach can augment device-centric security for the emerging smart-home.


Background When designing any health intervention, it is important to respond to the unequal determinants of health by prioritising the allocation of resources and tailoring interventions based on the disproportionate burden of illness. This approach, called the targeting of priority populations, can prevent a widening of health inequities, particularly those inequities which can be further widened by differences in the uptake of an intervention. The objective of this scoping review is to describe intervention(s) designed to increase the uptake of lung cancer screening, including the health impact on priority populations and to describe knowledge and implementation gaps to inform the design of equitable lung cancer screening. Methods We will conduct a scoping review following the methodological framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley. We will conduct comprehensive searches for lung cancer screening promotion interventions in Ovid Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health (CINAHL) and Scopus. We will include published English language peer-reviewed and grey literature published between January 2000 and 2020 that describe an intervention designed to increase the uptake of low-dose CT (LDCT) lung cancer screening in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. Articles not in English or not describing LDCT will be excluded. Three authors will review retrieved literature in three steps: title, abstract and then full text. Three additional authors will review discrepancies. Authors will extract data from full-text papers into a chart adapted from the Template for Intervention Description and Republication checklist, the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials and a Health Equity Impact Assessment tool. Findings will be presented using a narrative synthesis. Ethics and dissemination The knowledge synthesised will be used to inform the equitable design of lung cancer screening and disseminated through conferences, publications and shared with relevant partners. The study does not require research ethics approval as literature is available online.


Purpose: We report an unusual case of trabecular carcinoid of the ovary with orbital involvement. Methods: We encountered a 49-year-old woman with a complaint of bilateral proptosis. Ocular examination revealed severe bilateral proptosis and signs of corneal exposure. Orbital CT scan showed massive enlargement of extraocular muscles and optic nerve compression. The patient medical history showed that she have had an ovarian mass for which she was underwent right oophorectomy followed by left oophorectomy and total abdominal hysterectomy. Results: Histological examination showed trabecular carcinoid in both ovaries. Fine needle aspiration from extraocular muscles showed trabecular carcinoid tumor compatible with the primary tumor of the ovary. Conclusion: Ocular metastases from carcinoid tumors are considered rare. They can be the primary presentation of a carcinoid tumor or develop during the course of the disease. The extent of distant metastases from carcinoid tumors correlates with poor prognosis and survival; early detection of metastasis may change the overall management.


An evaluation of the geochemistry of the environment prior to large-scale changes enables scientists and other stakeholders to assess both baseline conditions and the potential impact of those changes to the environment. One area in which documentation of predevelopment geochemistry is particularly important is in the exploitation of ore deposits. Ore deposits consist of concentrations of elements or minerals that are enriched enough to be of potential economic value. Their unusual geochemistry often leaves a signature on the environment that can both aid in location an economic resource and present environmental management challenges during its lifecycle. Coles Hill, Virginia, represents one such site. The Coles Hill property is the location of uranium-enriched rock, commonly referred to as the Coles Hill uranium deposit. This dissertation outlines study design, sampling, and statistical analysis methods that can be used in the geochemical characterization of a potential resource extraction site. It presents three studies on geoenvironmental media at Coles Hill. The first study discusses sampling strategies and statistical analysis to address variability in geology, hydrology and climate for baseline assessment and presents an example of such an assessment at Coles Hill. Results suggest a localized environmental impact of the deposit but that differences in bedrock geology within the area surrounding the deposit could also be responsible for some of the variation. This study also emphasizes the importance of consideration of data below analytical detection limits and describes methods for doing so. The second study compares the geochemistry of soil samples collected at Coles Hill with reference data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey using multivariate statistical techniques. Differences are used to suggest potential pathfinder elements such as light rare earth elements to aid in exploration for similar deposits. The third study uses multivariate statistical analysis to examine differences among rocks, soils, and stream sediments to infer important geochemical processes involved in weathering of the deposit. Overall, the results of these studies can aid in the development of future environmental site studies at Coles Hill and elsewhere.


This paper discusses the formulation of a Computer Aided Detection (CAD) system for Lung cancer detection by using an interdisciplinary approach based on the techniques of Image Processing and Machine Learning. This paper is an extension of image processing using lung cancer detection and produces the results of feature extraction and feature selection after segmentation. Here the proposed model is developed using SVM algorithm for feature selection and classification. The system accepts Lung CT(Computed Tomography) images as input. This present work proposes a method to detect the cancerous cells effectively from the CT scan and images. Modified Fuzzy Possibilistic C Means (MFPCM) has been used for segmentation and Gabor filter has been used for De-noising the medical images. Simulation results are obtained for the cancer detection system using the MATLAB software.


The L10 ordered MPt(001) thin films (M = Fe or Co) are very interesting for perpendicular recording due to their magnetic anisotropy and magneto-optical behaviours. Epitaxial L10-ordered NiPt(001) / FePt(001) bi-layers were co-deposited on MgO(100) substrates by MBE. The L10 order parameter is high with the concentration modulation along the growth direction. Some FeNiPt2(001) thin films were obtained by interdiffusion of the bilayers. The long-range-order parameter is conserved after interdiffusion (S = 0.75 ± 0.06), which can be explained by different mechanisms: a second-neighbour jump, a six-jump cycle, an anti-structural bridge mechanism or an antisite-pair elimination and creation mechanism, a double vacancy or a triple defect diffusion mechanism. Quenched molecular dynamics calculations in the frame of the second moment approximation of the tight binding method have been performed to obtain the energetic paths of the different mechanisms. The secondneighbour vacancy jump, the simultaneous jumps of bivacancies and the triple defect mechanisms can be ruled out for energetic reasons.


Aims and Objectives To investigate the merits of conducting bronchoscopies in patients with haemoptysis and normal or non-diagnostic CT scan. Methods Using the in-hospital bronchoscopy reporting tool, a retrospective analysis was carried out of the bronchoscopies performed on patients with haemoptysis but non-diagnostic CT scan. Results Between September 2008 and December 2011, a total of 450 bronchoscopies were performed. After excluding the patients with CT scan abnormalities which could explain the haemoptysis, medical notes of the remaining 99 patients were analysed. Out of these, 74 patients had a significant smoking history. 79 bronchoscopes were normal with the remaining 20 examinations revealing benign pathologies. These included generalised erythema, inflammation, purulent secretions and cartilagenous nodules. No new diagnosis of malignancy was made. Conclusions Results of our study suggest that a normal CT scan examination has a high negative predictive value for lung cancer. Further studies would be beneficial to ascertain the role of bronchoscopy in the investigative pathway of lung cancer in patients with normal CT scan. Abstract P166 Table 1 Cross-Tabulation of CT and bronchoscopy results Normal CT scan Non diagnostic CT scan 75 24 Bronchoscopy results Neoplasia 0 0 Benign 12 10


Two studies were made in the northwestern region of Illinois to determine if the community approach helped restore the social competence and reduce the build-up of chronically ill patients. In the first study there was no indication that community care was superior to that of a traditional state hospital. Seventy-four per cent of the patients in the sample, however, had a history of repeated hospitalizations. The second study evaluated only first-admission patients and found that community-oriented programs were more effective. Both the center and the hospital had some patients for whom neither system of care was more effective in preventing chronicity. The center has established several pilot projects for managing those chronic patients.


Rotavirus was looked for in stool specimens from 200 randomly chosen infants and children aged 1-24 months presenting with acute diarrhoea of not more than 5 days duration at the Bab El-Sha'reya University Hospital during a 12-month period (January-December 1986). Forty per cent of cases were positive for rotavirus by the ELISA technique. Considering the seasonal pattern, during the hot months May to August, the monthly percentage of rotavirus positive cases ranged from 24 to 32 per cent while during the rest of the year, the range was from 37 to 60 per cent. There was no statistically significant difference between the rotavirus positive and negative cases as regards mean age in months (9.5 +/- 5.1 and 9.2 +/- 5.5, respectively), type of feeding or nutritional status. However, rotavirus positive cases were significantly more likely to present earlier, to have watery stools, to vomit or even to have vomiting before the onset of diarrhoea and to have respiratory symptoms. On the other hand, the means of dehydration score, rectal temperature and serum Na+ were not significantly different between the two groups.


One of the leading trends of fundamental and applied research on attention is its allocation in space. Though there is a large amount of studies in this area, performed on a simple material of psychophysical tasks (where on the homogeneous field limited sets of simple objects are presented), it is relatively little known about the allocation of spatial attention during the perception of natural scenes. The dead zone of attention refers to a remarkable inability to notice perceptual events occurring around "the centre of interest" (an object that draws intense attention). The effectiveness of perceptual processing of objects and events in this area is declined to such extent that the observer demonstrates stable ignoring of the marked changes of these objects - "blindness to change" - and the intensity of this blindness significantly exceeds the intensity of analogous mistake of attention on the farther periphery. The two experiments compared the speed of search and accuracy of detection of visual changes near and far from "the centers of interest". In both experiments, observers had preliminary knowledge about the dead zone of attention. In the first experiment the second change was either near or far, whereas in the second experiment in addition to already found central change not one, but two peripheral changes were provided: both near and far. Results were then compared to the ones from our earlier experiments (Utochkin, 2011) where no preliminary information was provided. It was found that preliminary knowledge has no effect on the speed of search for changes but increases the likelihood of change detection and correct recognition within the dead zone. The results are discussed in terms of metacognitive regulation and strategies of visual inspection of scenes.


Hurricane Alex was an extremely rare hurricane event, the first North Atlantic hurricane to form in January since 1938. Alex developed from an extratropical low pressure system that formed over the western North Atlantic basin, and then underwent tropical transition after moving to the eastern basin. It subsequently underwent anomalous extratropical transition (ET) just north of the Azores Islands. We examine the factors affecting Alex's structural evolution and the predictability of that evolution. Potential scenarios of structural development are identified from a 51-member forecast ensemble from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Ensemble Prediction System (ECMWF-EPS), initialized at 0000 UTC 10 January 2016. The EPS forecasts are clustered using a regression mixture model based on the storm's path through the cyclone phase space. Composite maps constructed from these clusters are used to investigate the role of synoptic-scale features on the evolving structure of Hurricane Alex as it interacted with the midlatitude flow. Results suggest that the crucial factor affecting this interplay was the behavior of a large extratropical cyclone and its associated cold front and likely warm conveyor belt upstream of Alex; the intensity of these structures determined whether Alex underwent a typical cold-core ET (as observed) or a warm-seclusion ET. The clustering and compositing methodology proposed not only provides a nuanced analysis of the ensemble forecast variability, helping forecasters to analyze the predictability of future complex tropical–midlatitude interactions, but also presents a method to investigate probable causes of different processes occurring in cyclones.


Malingering in disability claimants is the act of conscious, gross exaggeration of symptoms or impairment to obtain or maintain disability income. Malingering can be a complex issue for the inexperienced practitioner. A systematic examination of the provenance of the claim using as many sources of information as possible is necessary to make a determination about the presence of malingering to a reasonable degree of medical certainty. A multifaceted examination of the factors discussed in this article, without dependence on any one of them, provides a practical framework in which to make decisions. Circumstances of the claim, claimants'symptoms, and behavior in and out of the interview situation, need to be investigated in detail to elucidate the presence or absence of malingering. Psychologic tests are useful adjunctive measures that can help determine malingering.


Two theorems related to electrical systems containing rapidly rotating conducting bodies are presented and proved. A system of harmonic components of such a system is defined. The first theorem states that each harmonic component is physically realizable. The second and more important theorem follows from the first and states that, under certain conditions which can always be satisfied, the field distribution external to the rotating body is identical to the field that would be there if the currents in the body flowed in a certain determinable pattern. This pattern has the two characteristics: (i) the currents flow entirely on the surface of the rotating conductor; (ii) there is no field within the rotating conductor. The analogy with a. c. skin currents is pointed out. The general conditions under which the second theorem applies are discussed, together with some examples of its application to rotors with current carrying brushes.


The Insect Cell - Baculovirus Expression Vector System (IC-BEVS) is widely used for the production of complex recombinant (glyco)proteins. The simplicity of insect cell cultivation in suspension serum-free media and the easy construction of recombinant baculovirus vectors have made the BEVS quite an effective expression system. On the other hand, the BEVS is a transient lytic system that may present some drawbacks in purification and potential degradation of the products. Among the various insect cell lines, the High-Five cell line has a great potential for the production of recombinant proteins using the BEVS in stirred bioreactors, reaching high cell densities and high protein production levels. Moreover, these cells can tolerate environmental stresses and can be cultivated on a large scale (Chapter 1). Unfortunately, up to now, there have been limited data available regarding suitable culture conditions and the metabolism of High-Five cells, a key requirement for the rational development of new processes. The overall goal of the present work was the study of these High-Five cells, in order to develop sophisticated new processes as alternatives to batch cultivation. The original contributions have been developed along two axes. The first axis concerns the study of the physiology and metabolism of High-Five cells. At first, we undertook a study aiming to prevent cell ring formation on suspension culture recipient walls (Chapter 2). Next, we analyzed environmental factors affecting insect cell growth and death, by comparing and developing methods able to distinguish between apoptosis and necrosis of cells (Chapter 3). The comprehensive study of the extended metabolism of High-Five cells was done using a metabolic flux network that takes account of the catabolism but also the anabolism of uninfected and baculovirus-infected cells (Chapter 4). The second axis was the application of the previously gained knowledge on High-Five cells to develop high-density systems specifically adapted to them: a fed-batch feeding strategy consisting of different pulses developed to increase the productivity of cells during infection (Chapter 5) and a fixed-bed reactor system (Chapter 6), as an alternative to classic perfusion, adapted to High-Five cells for recombinant protein production. In sum, new physiological and metabolic knowledge has been translated into new process options for High-Five cells.


Breeding by several of the spore-feeding species in the genus Phaulothrips is shown to be associated with abandoned tun-nels of bees and scolytid beetles, as well as with the dead seed capsules of Eucalyptus species. The breeding sites for other species in the genus remain unknown, but 16 species are here recognised from Australia, of which the following six are newly described: P. daguilaris, P. flindersi, P. kingae, P. kranzae, P. oakeyi, P. whyallae.


Experimental study of aluminum wire array Z-pinch was conducted on Qiangguang-I facility (1.5 MA, 80 ns) to produce —1.7 keV characteristic X-ray radiation. With fixed wire diameter of 20 μm and annular diameter of 12 mm, K -shell yield up to 0.9 kJ/cm and 1.1 kJ/cm was obtained for wire number N =8 and N =12 arrays, respectively, which are much higher than that for N =16 and N =24 loads. X-ray power waveforms and time-resolved images showed that several implosions occurred due to the existence of trailing mass. During 60%—80% of the whole implosion time,the wire array almost stayed at its initial position rather than running inwards. Main implosion was completed in the next 25—30 ns, with parts of load mass left behind and forming so-called trailing mass. At later time of main implosion, load current was transferred to trailing mass left in outer radii, and caused secondary even tertiary implosion, which also contributed to total K -shell yield. Appearance of trailing mass might be caused by azimuthally correlated axial modulation, consisting of hot spots and gaps on wire plasma column, as well as the development of other inhomogeneities.


Mineral dust fertilization of Southern Ocean surface waters, and mixing with Antarctic deep-water, influences oceanic uptake of carbon dioxide and draws down global atmospheric concentrations during glacial periods. Quantifying modern variability in dust source and transport strength, especially with respect to high- and low-latitude climate phenomena (e.g. the Southern Annular Mode, El Niño Southern Oscillation), will improve understanding of this important aspect of the global carbon cycle. Using high-order geochemical provenance techniques can also reveal in greater detail what aspects of dust transport are recorded in Antarctic ice core records, allowing for better interpretation of glacial-interglacial dust records at individual sites.  First, using forward trajectories and climate reanalysis data, this work explores modern variability (1979-2013) in atmospheric transport of mineral dust from Southern Hemisphere potential source areas (PSA)—primarily Australia, southern South America and southern Africa. Estimates of the relative source and transport strength of New Zealand are also discussed, and compared with other dust PSA to evaluate New Zealand's potential contribution to Southern Ocean and Antarctic dust deposition. Extra-Antarctic dust PSA distributions are detailed for individual ice core sites, including the newly recovered Roosevelt Island Climate Evolution (RICE) ice core (79.36ºS, 161.71ºW, 550 m a.s.l.). This approach—applicable to many types of aerosol—reveals persistent, strong transport from New Zealand and Patagonia to the southern high-latitudes during all seasons. It also demonstrates that southward transport of air masses from pan-Pacific dust sources is affected by circulation variability initiated in the central tropical Pacific Ocean.  High-resolution discrete sampling of the RICE core allows for unprecedented analysis of trace elements at sub-annual to annual scales. The rare earth elements (REE, lanthanide elements Lanthanum to Lutetium) can preserve the signature of their original source material and thus provide provenance constraints for dust preserved in Antarctic snow and ice. While challenging, measurements of REE concentration to the single femtogram per gram (10-15 g g-1) level have been made by combining efficient sample introduction and a jet-interface sector-field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. The methodology and fidelity of these measurements are presented, in addition to results for other low-concentration elements associated with natural and anthropogenic aerosols.  REE data from the RICE ice core are then used to explore possible modern sources of dust in the Ross Sea sector of Antarctica, testing hypothesized trajectory model distributions. Twentieth-century and late-Holocene (2.3 ka – present) REE data from the RICE ice core represent the first measurements of this kind from the Pacific sector of Antarctica. RICE data are compared with Holocene REE data from the Drønning Maud Land and Dome C ice cores, with consideration of REE signatures in dust samples from PSA. Data from the RICE ice core indicate fewer than 5% contributions of dust from South America, and show strong negative trends in crustal-normalized REE signatures suggesting contributions from local Antarctic dust.


Urban sustainability is one of the most prominent challenges in the global agenda waiting to be addressed since the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. This research work applies a composite indicator that has been developed as the Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems Index to benchmark the performance of a new sample of 26 world cities. The sample advances the geographical diversity of previous samples and represents cities in the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy as well as the C40 initiative. The benchmarking results are analysed based on quartiles of city performance and Monte Carlo simulations. The results indicate the top three cities in the sample to be Copenhagen, which obtains a score of 36.038, followed by Helsinki and Gothenburg. The top cities represent multiple best practices including those in district energy networks, water quality, and environmental management. A normative scenario up to the year 2050 is then applied to one of the cities in the sample, namely Rio de Janeiro. The normative scenario involves targets that take place in local plans, particularly Vision Rio 500. The benchmarking results for the new sample of 26 world cities and the normative scenario not only identifies the benchmark leaders but also underlines opportunities to pursue pathways in which higher levels of performance can be reached by cities that may face multiple challenges. The results of the research work holds significance for advancing the application of an original composite indicator to benchmark cities towards supporting the aim of decoupling economic growth from environmental pressures in more sustainable urban systems towards carbon neutrality.


Although low-alloyed aluminum has been used as electric line and cable materials to date, there still is a great demand for higher strength with retaining the good electrical conductivity and ductility. In the study, iron has been chosen as an additive element and the addition effect on the strength and electrical has been investigated since iron is reported to have a marked solution-strengthening effect at a given addition amount. Aluminum with 99.99mass% purity and Al-Fe alloys with iron up to 0.9mass% were induction-melted, continuously cast into a rod with 8mm diameter, and cold-drawn into a wire with 0.3mm diameter. Tensile test and electrical resistivity measurement were carried out on the rod and wire after each pass. It was found that, in the rod, the strength increased while the ductility and electrical conductivity decreased as the addition iron amount was increased. Work hardening occurred clearly at an early stage of cold drawing, while it became sluggish as the cold reduction increased in each material. At the early stage, the strengths increased as the iron amount was increased, and at the later stage, the alloy with iron addition of 0.9mass% had higher strengths and larger elongation to failure.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to review the literature on inhaled nitric oxide to children with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

CONTENTS
A review of literature and selection of the most important publications on inhaled nitric oxide, using the MedLine and Cochrane Systematic Review Databases. This review was organized as follows: introduction; metabolism and biological effects; clinical applications; dosage, gas administration and weaning process; warnings and side-effects. Inhaled nitric oxide use was described in acute respiratory distress syndrome.

CONCLUSIONS
Inhaled nitric oxide as the first vasodilator to produce selective pulmonary vasodilation has beneficial effects on gas exchange and ventilation, improving outcome in children with severe hypoxia. It is safe when administered in intensive care units under strict surveillance and monitoring. Further studies should be concentrated on early treatment, when acute respiratory distress syndrome is potentially reversible.


Exonucleolytic proofreading and DNA mismatch repair (MMR) act in series to maintain high-fidelity DNA replication and to avoid mutagenesis. MMR defects elevate the overall mutation rate and are associated with increased cancer incidence. Hypermutable colorectal and endometrial tumors with functional MMR were recently reported to carry amino acid substitutions in the exonuclease domain of DNA polymerase ε (Polε). This created a notion that loss of the proofreading activity of Polε is an initiating cause of some sporadic human cancers. In this study, we identified a somatic P286R substitution in the conserved ExoI motif of Polε in a collection of 52 sporadic colorectal tumor specimens. This change has been repeatedly observed in colorectal and endometrial tumors in previous studies despite many possible ways to inactivate Polε proofreading. To understand the reasons for the recurrent appearance of the P286R variant, we characterized its functional consequences using the yeast model system. An analogous substitution in the yeast Polε produced an unusually strong mutator phenotype exceeding that of proofreading-deficient mutants by two orders of magnitude. This argues that the P286R mutation acts at some level other than loss of exonuclease to elevate cancer risk. Heterozygosity for the variant allele caused a strong mutator effect comparable with that of complete MMR deficiency, providing an explanation for why loss of heterozygosity is not required for the development of Polε-mutant human tumors.