CFS beams are often provided with web openings to accommodate building services. However, the area reduction in the web affects their load-bearing capacities. The reduction of bending capacity can be regained through providing suitable stiffeners in the vicinity of the web openings and through providing the web openings to the optimised CFS beams. Many research studies have been conducted for the former but no research studies have been reported for the latter. This paper presents an investigation on providing reinforced web openings to optimised CFS beams to restore the original flexural capacity. A computational analysis was carried out. The Finite Element (FE) elements were validated against experimental data from the literature and then used in conducting detailed parametric studies (80 FE models). The influence of the rectangular openings with four different sizes (hole height-to-web depth ratios: 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8) and four different sleeve stiffening lengths (5, 10, 15 and 20 mm) on the bending capacity subject to distortional buckling was investigated in the parametric study. The results indicated that introducing web openings to the optmised CFS along with sleeve stiffening arrangement is a satisfactory approach to restore the original bending capacity. In addition, the optimum sleeve length was found and updated direct strength-based design equations are proposed to predict the bending capacity of the CFS beams with sleeve stiffened rectangular web openings subject to distortional buckling.


Regional pavement management agencies often suffer from inadequate resources and technical people to carry out maintenance tasks efficiently. Though funding shortage is an issue for most agencies, regional agencies confront it primarily for various reasons such as the class of the roads managed by them, traffic intensity, the size of service population, and the jurisdiction. Regional agencies generally manage lower functional classes of roads that usually carry smaller traffic. Though low-volume roads (LVRs) take just 20% of the traffic, LVRs include approximately 80% of transportation system mileage. With only 20% of the traffic volume and 80% mileage in transportation, LVRs can barely compete with the return on investment of highways. As a result, regional road networks are always subject to less attention from policymakers. In this context, this research proposes a pavement management framework for the regional agencies which is economical, requires minimum technical expertise, and is easy to implement. This study includes two surveys: The Canada-wide Pavement Management Survey and the Road Users Feedback Survey. The Canada-wide Pavement Management Survey provides an overview of pavement management practices in Canada at the regional level. The concept of Pavement Management System (PMS) score is also developed utilizing the same survey responses. Findings from the Road Users Feedback Survey have been used to understand the feasibility of using road users' feedbacks in making management decisions. Overall results from these two surveys have been utilized to develop various components of the proposed PMS framework.


Overexpression of the erbB-2/neu gene is frequently detected in human cancers. When overexpressed in NIH 3T3 cells, the normal erbB-2 product, gp185erbB-2, displays potent transforming ability as well as constitutively elevated levels of tyrosine kinase activity in the absence of exogenously added ligand. To investigate the basis for its chronic activation we sought evidence of a ligand for gp185erbB-2 either in serum or produced by NIH 3T3 cells in an autocrine manner. We demonstrate that a putative ligand for gp185erbB-2 is not contained in serum. Chimeric molecules composed of the extracellular domain of gp185erbB-2 and the intracellular portion of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) did not show any transforming ability or constitutive autophosphorylation when they were expressed in NIH 3T3 cells. However, they were able to transduce a mitogenic signal when triggered by a monoclonal antibody directed against the extracellular domain of erbB-2. These results provide evidence against the idea that an erbB-2 ligand is produced by NIH 3T3 cells. Furthermore, we obtained direct evidence of the constitutive enzymative activity of gp185erbB-2 by demonstrating that the erbB-2 kinase remained active in a chimeric configuration with the extracellular domain of the EGFR, in the absence of any detectable ligand for the EGFR. Thus, under conditions of overexpression, the normal gp185erbB-2 is a constitutively active kinase able to transform NIH 3T3 cells in the absence of ligand.


Cross-sex hormone treatment is an important component in medical treatment of transsexual people. Endocrinologists are often faced with designing treatment recommendations. Although guidelines from organizations, such as the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, have been helpful, management remains complex and experience guided. We discuss the range of treatment used by transsexual people, the rationale behind these, and the expectation from such treatment. Recommendations from seven clinical research centers treating transsexual people are discussed. In addition, self-reported hormonal regimens from 25 male-to-female transsexual people and five female-to-male transsexual people are reported. Finally, the potential adverse effects of cross-sex hormone treatment of transsexual people are reviewed. In light of the complexity of managing treatment goals and adverse effects, the active involvement of a medical doctor experienced in cross-sex hormonal therapy is vital to ensure the safety of transsexual people.


Proliferating excellence gold standards in the global academic system tend to obscure the far-reaching diversification of academic missions, practices, ambitions and identities brought by massification. This article approaches this topic by a review of theory on academic scholarship and how it has changed in the wake of academic massification and the development of binary higher education systems. In addition, the article reports on the first results of a study on research groups in "newcomer" higher education institutions in Sweden. By synthesising findings and arguments about institutional constraints and the individual ambitions of researchers, the article offers a few preliminary conclusions. It also calls for more scholarly attention to the existence of an academic labour force that corresponds to a widened or altered definition of academic scholarship and that seems to be predominantly found in newcomer academic institutions.


Functional assessment of operative and nonoperative management in major pelvic fracture at Dr. Moewardi Hospital, Surakarta, Indonesia Udi Heru Nefihancoro1*, Muhamad Muamar2, Muhammad David Perdana Putra2 Introduction: Pelvic fractures are responsible for skeletal injuries and soft tissue-related injuries. Pelvic fracture is a disorder of the pelvis bones' structure, including the hip bone, sacrum, and coccyx. The condition will result in stable status if the pelvis can resist weight-bearing loads without the incidence of any displacement. This study aims to determine pelvic fracture outcome, in which operative and non-operative management used the Majeed score to evaluate the functional results. Method: A retrospective case-control study was performed to retrieve data from medical records of patients with pelvic fractures at Dr. Moewardi Hospital Surakarta for the period from January 1st, 2017, until December 31st, 2019. The evaluation of reduction quality was conducted following the scores put forward by Majeed to evaluate the clinical outcomes. Data analyzing used SPSS V.24.0 (IBM Corp). P-value of <0.05 was determined as the statistical significance. Results: In this study, there were 40 samples of pelvic fracture cases; 60% were male, 55% were aged 19 – 40 y.o, motor crash caused 67%, 37.5% were cases of pubic rami fractures. Besides, operative management was 52,5%, while non-operative was 47,5%. Further, operative management's functional outcome was excellent at 66%, good at 19%, fair at 9%, and poor at 8% of the patients. Patients treated with operative management had significantly fewer severe injuries, as rated using the Majeed score than the non-operative group. Conclusion: The results suggest that operative treatment may be a viable option in treating major pelvic fracture as it provides better functional results than non-operative treatment.


A review of the history of the United States from its colonial origins shows how America's successful development has always been guided by two basic principles: representative democracy, and a proper division of power between national and subnational governments. The United States of America was established as an independent nation by a congress of delegates from 13 provincial assemblies, each of which consisted of representatives elected by their communities. Since colonial times, local democratic rights have attracted immigrants to help build new towns in the growing nation. Responsible local governments in America have had the power and the incentive to make local public investments for developing prosperous communities. Democratic competition in America has been strengthened by the ability of successful local leaders to become competitive candidates for higher offices. But in spite of America's example, many nations since the French Revolution have instead been drawn to centralized democracy, as national elites may prefer to centralize power around themselves. America's successful growth ultimately depended on its citizens' basic understanding that their welfare and security were enhanced by a balanced federal division of power between their elected local governments and the higher sovereign government of their nation.


This paper comments on the research project 'A New Media Approach: Visualisation of a Digital Exhibition,' whose final aim is to design a digital interface for a collection of works within the cultural heritage domain of the Xalapa Museum of Anthropology (MAX) in eastern Mexico. This museum hosts a fine collection of about 29,000 Pre-Hispanic pieces of the Olmeca, Central Veracruz and Huaxteca cultures, organises special and theme-based exhibitions, promotes research and publication and acts as a local culture centre. This paper discusses the conceptual framework for the digital interface that will display the most important pieces from the collection at the MAX and reflects on the importance of the strands that feed into the design: interface design, interaction design, information design, information architecture and navigation. The project will explore alternative design solutions of digital interfaces through a triple-interpretation concept, which are: research tool, device of information and learning, and educational resource. Integration of social media tools in the digital interface will also be explored. The project additionally aims to contribute to the analysis of the interaction that takes place when people interact with digital representations and cultural heritage data.


As a result of the vast Internet growth, a multi-homing technology is being extensively utilized to keep connectivity to important networks. However, the traditional multi-homing architecture severely impacts routing performance of the Internet making it non-scalable. Furthermore, although it can enhance reachability in case of connectivity anomalies, it can not be used to enhance utilization because it can not assign in-coming traffic to multiple links. We propose a new multi-homing architecture which is based on the overlay networking model, providing solutions to these problems. Our architecture improves scalability for increasing multi-homing users and realizes a dynamic and flexible line selection for in-coming traffic, while retaining the original advantage of the multi-homing scheme, which is continuous connectivity to the Internet. Of course, our proposed architecture can be applied not only to IPv4 networks but also to IPv6 networks.


Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the performance and utility of a commercially available flatbed scanner with that of a widely‐used medical film scanner for use with radiochromic film. Method and Materials: This project compares the Vidar VXR Dosimetry Pro and the Epson Perfection V700 Photo flatbed scanner. Using radiochromic EBT film irradiated to a known range of doses 0–512 cGy using eight 3×3 cm fields on a single film, both scanners were characterized for scan repeatability, orientation effects, uniformity, and scanner noise. RIT V5.0 was used to determine pixel value (PV) of Vidar scans, while ImageJ software was used for the Epson scans. Results: For the range of doses measured, average pixel values of a central 1.5×1.5 cm region of interest (ROI) were reproducible within 0.1% standard deviation with Vidar and approximately 0.2% with Epson. Epson mean PV differed by up to 18% for all dosed regions from landscape to portrait orientation, while only up to 5% for Vidar. From 0 to 512 cGy, identical films showed a 10% wider PV range for Vidar than Epson. Scanner noise was minimal; Epson showed a maximum SD of 1.00% from the mean of the central ROI, Vidar showed 1.14%. In both systems, cross profiles for an unirradiated film showed deviations in PV no more than 2% of the mean. Conclusion: No clear significant accuracy advantage was noted in either system, provided the leading and trailing 1 cm film edges were neglected with the Vidar system. Although the Epson scanner is a relatively inexpensive method for analyzing radiochromic film, the lack of commercially available software for it could be a major disadvantage. Hence, an institution already having a Vidar system may find its use with radiochromic film attractive.


Genetic disorders are complex and can greatly impact an individual's health and well-being. In this study, we assess the ability of ChatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI, to answer questions related to three specific genetic disorders: BRCA1, MLH1, and HFE. ChatGPT has shown it can supply articulate answers to a wide spectrum of questions. However, its ability to answer questions related to genetic disorders has yet to be evaluated. The aim of this study is to perform both quantitative and qualitative assessments of ChatGPT's performance in this area. The ability of ChatGPT to provide accurate and useful information to patients was assessed by genetic experts. Here we show that ChatGPT answered 64.7% of the 68 genetic questions asked and was able to respond coherently to complex questions related to the three genes/conditions. Our results reveal that ChatGPT can provide valuable information to individuals seeking information about genetic disorders, however, it still has some limitations and inaccuracies, particularly in understanding human inheritance patterns. The results of this study have implications for both genomics and medicine and can inform future developments in this area. AI platforms, like ChatGPT, have significant potential in the field of genomics. As these technologies become integrated into consumer-facing products, appropriate oversight is required to ensure accurate and safe delivery of medical information. With such oversight and training specifically for genetic information, these platforms could have the potential to augment some clinical interactions.


Tolerance allocation influences product performance especially for miniature precise assembly device. The purpose of this paper is to explore an approach to optimize manufacturing tolerances by combining the reliability of product performance indicators under actual working condition. The paper describes the principle and ways of tolerance handling in the finite element control equations for the displacement and stress, and then introduces the implementation of Monte-Carlo Finite Element Analysis method. We illustrate this method on a gear-tooth of port-cleaning-equipment gear pump and carry out the reliability analysis on gear contact fatigue strength considering the effect of manufacturing tolerance, and a sensitivity analysis is also performed to identify the key tolerances and improve them in order to attain the expected reliability.


In deflectometry, the shape of mirror objects is recovered from distorted images of a calibrated scene. While remarkably high accuracies are achievable, state-of-the-art methods suffer from two distinct weaknesses: First, for mainly constructive reasons, these can only capture a few square centimeters of surface area at once. Second, reconstructions are ambiguous i.e. infinitely many surfaces lead to the same visual impression. We resolve both of these problems by introducing the first multiview specular stereo approach, which jointly evaluates a series of overlapping deflectometric images. Two publicly available benchmarks accompany this paper, enabling us to numerically demonstrate viability and practicability of our approach.


This phase II covers the case study survey and interviews with farmers growing cassava, soybean and maize in the major producing areas, namely cassava farmers in Nakhonratchasima, soybean farmers in Sukhotai and maize farmers in Nakhonsawan, with the major objectives of studying the returns of diverse farming involving three CGPRT and other crops. Opportunities and constraints for the farm families are analysed together with the related industries and marketing systems in the survey areas. Furthermore, analysis of related institutional support and policy suggestions to promote and expand sustainable diverse farming are also conducted.


This paper addresses the problem of online signature verification based on hidden Markov models (HMM). We use a novel type of digitizer tablet and pay special attention to the use of pen-tilt. We investigate the verification reliability based on different forgery types. We compare the discriminative value of the different features based on a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and show that pen-tilt is important. On the basis of home-improved, over-the-shoulder and professional forgeries, we show that the amount of dynamic information available to an imposter is important and that forgeries based on paper copies are easier to detect. The results obtained with a database of almost 5000 signatures of 51 persons with highly skilled forgeries include equal-error rates between 1% and 1.9%.


In a patient undergoing craniotomy for clipping of an anterior communicating artery aneurysm, sodium nitroprusside was used to lower systemic arterial blood pressure to 80/35 mm Hg (mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) = 50 mm Hg), at which time the electroencephalogram (EEG) changed abruptly from normal to a burst suppression pattern. At the onset of burst suppression, PaCO2 was 18 mm Hg. After PaCO2 had been increased to 28 mm Hg, the patient tolerated a blood pressure of 45/25 mm Hg (MABP = 32 mm Hg) during aneurysm clipping without EEG change. The observations reported here support the conclusion that, with moderate hypotension, hypocarbia may cause brain ischemia and that the level of PaCO2 may influence the degree of hypotension that may be safely used during aneurysm surgery. The importance of repeated arterial blood gas measurements when induced hypotension is employed for berry aneurysm surgery is stressed. Intraoperative EEG monitoring may be employed to help judge safe levels of intraoperative hypotension during intracranial aneurysm surgery.


Background: The purpose of this study was to describe the etiologic factors and therapeutic modalities of incisional hernias in the department of surgery at the regional hospital of Tenkodogo, in Burkina Faso. Methods: It is a cross sectional study covering the period from 2010 to 2012. Sampling was comprehensive, including all the patients operated for incisional hernias during this period. Results: Fifty-four patients were included. Their average age was 22.3 years. There were 35 (64.8%) males and 19 (35.2%) female patients. We counted 28 large-size incisional hernias, 14 medium-size incisional hernias and 12 incisional hernias of small size. The average time from the first surgery to the diagnosis of incisional hernias was 8 months. Generalized acute peritonitis (44.4%) and acute intestinal obstructions (22.2%) were the main indications of initial surgical interventions. Vertical midline incisions have been involved in 37 cases (68.5%). Therapeutically, two surgical techniques have been used: open suture repair and open mesh repair. Forty-two patients (77.8%) were treated by open suture repair. Twelve patients (22.2%) benefited from open mesh repair. Post-operative complications were noted in 2 patients. Nine patients (16.7%) presented a recurrence after 12 months. Conclusion: In the rural area of Burkina Faso, incisional hernias occur in young patients. Emergencies with abdominal Infections are the main operative indications. Prostheses are relatively high cost and less accessible. The recidivism rate is high.


Although the term maritime safety is widely used in the maritime industry, there is no exact definition of what it entails. An explorative study of the VTS domain has been conducted to approach the concept of maritime safety. Four VTS centres were visited and 16 VTS operators were interviewed and observed to derive insights in how maritime safety is constructed from the perspective of an operator. Further, definitions of maritime safety by central actors in the maritime domain have been investigated through a literature study and several interviews. The results indicate that there is no common definition of the term maritime safety. The organizations generally identify maritime safety as an overall goal or an umbrella term for measures such as traffic separation schemes or fairway design. In contrast to this, VTS operators consider maritime safety as a context-dependent condition that is shaped by their own actions. Risk and safety therefore are assessed based on situational factors, such as traffic density and geography, as well as on the individual experiences. We conclude that there is a gap concerning the understanding and definition of maritime safety between most of the central actors (regulators, administrative bodies etc.) and the VTS operators.


Based on the dual-process theory, we hypothesized that cooperators in the one-shot prisoner's dilemma game would exhibit intuitive decision-making. We also hypothesized that an experimental manipulation that may prevent intuitive cooperation (in this study, inverting the payoff matrix) would result in more protracted decision-making and thus lower cooperation rates. To examine these hypotheses, we designed an experiment using an eye-tracking device. In one condition, the outcome of mutual cooperation in the one-shot prisoner's dilemma game was presented in the upper left-hand corner explaining the result of mutual cooperation first, as in many previous studies (control condition). To suppress the function of intuitive cooperation, we also set the inverted payoff matrix condition in which the positions of the outcomes of mutual cooperation and mutual non-cooperation in the payoff matrix were inverted, explaining the result of mutual non-cooperation first. Although our results did not show the expected differences between the two conditions, it was suggested that cooperators' decision-making time was shorter in the control condition and that cooperators consistently paid more attention to the outcome of mutual cooperation regardless of the conditions. These results are discussed in relation to the intuitive cooperation model and the social exchange heuristic.


Aims : Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) can be accomplished using radiofrequency (RF) or second generation cryoballoon (CB2). We aimed to compare the freedom from very late recurrence (VLR) defined as recurrence beyond one year in patients who were AF-free during the first post-procedural year after PVI using CB2 or RF. Methods : Consecutive patients who underwent PVI by RF or CB2 ablation between August 2014 and December 2015 were included. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of VLR in follow-up after 12 months. Patients who experienced recurrence between the first 3 to 12 months after PVI and those who did not complete 15-month follow-up time were excluded. Results : 139 patients were included: 68 underwent PVI by CB2 and 71 using RF. The global VLR rate was of 22.15%. The freedom from VLR beyond 12-month follow-up was of 84.5% (57 patients) for the CB2 group vs. 71% (50 patients) in the RF group (p=0.037). 15 patients underwent re-ablation (11 of the RF group and 4 of the CB2 group): all of the patients who had undergone PVI by RF in the index procedure were found to have vein reconnection, whereas none of the CB2 group had reconnected veins (3 cavotricuspid isthmus and 1 mitral isthmus). Conclusions : In patients free of recurrence during the first post-procedural year after pulmonary vein isolation for the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: second generation cryoballoon ablation showed a significantly lower very late recurrence rate compared to radiofrequency ablation. Condensed abstract : The present study evaluates the freedom from very late recurrence (VLR), defined as recurrence in patients who were arrhythmia-free during the first post-procedural year after pulmonary vein isolation using second generation cryoballoon (CB2) or radiofrequency (RF). CB2 ablation had a lower VLR rate compared to RF.


The comparative efficacy of single and regular doses of the new Russian alpha- and beta-adrenoblocker proxodolol (Pd) and the beta-adrenoblocker propranolol (Pr) was studied in 12 male patients with stable angina on effort. The effect of single doses was evaluated with paired bicycle ergometries (PBE); that of course therapy was assessed with crossover randomized placebo-controlled tests of the two agents. During PBE, an adequate antianginal effect of Pd given in single doses of 0.04-0.08 g was seen in 66.5% and that of Pr used in the same doses was observed in 58.4% (p > 0.05). The exercise tolerance in patients given either agent in a single dose was similar. During 1-month course treatment with Pd in a mean daily dose of 186 +/- 24 mg, anginal episodes caused an over 3-fold reduction, which is similar to the clinical effect displayed by Pr, 182 +/- 25 mg/day. A single dose of Pd of 0.04 g produced a more pronounced chronotropic and antihypertensive effect than did the same dose of Pr. No differences were found during their course therapy. Pd was found to cause no orthostatic antihypertensive phenomenon.


In this paper, we aim to devise a universally versatile style transfer method capable of performing artistic, photo-realistic, and video style transfer jointly, without seeing videos during training. Previous single-frame methods assume a strong constraint on the whole image to maintain temporal consistency, which could be violated in many cases. Instead, we make a mild and reasonable assumption that global inconsistency is dominated by local inconsistencies and devise a generic Contrastive Coherence Preserving Loss (CCPL) applied to local patches. CCPL can preserve the coherence of the content source during style transfer without degrading stylization. Moreover, it owns a neighbor-regulating mechanism, resulting in a vast reduction of local distortions and considerable visual quality improvement. Aside from its superior performance on versatile style transfer, it can be easily extended to other tasks, such as image-to-image translation. Besides, to better fuse content and style features, we propose Simple Covariance Transformation (SCT) to effectively align second-order statistics of the content feature with the style feature. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the resulting model for versatile style transfer, when armed with CCPL.


For decades, engineers have been searching for ways to reduce the size of electronic circuits while maintaining the efficiency and effectiveness of the circuits. At low frequencies of the microwave band, the size of the conventional transmission line becomes larger, because the wavelength is inversely proportional to the operating frequency; thus, it is needed to reduce the size to agree with the application requirements. Metamaterials are synthetic materials engineered to have a property that is not found in nature. They gain their properties not from their composition, but from their designed structures, and it could be used to reduce sizes of the electronics components.
The increasing demand for metamaterials technology to reduce sizes in electronic circuits, in conjunction with the advances in the Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) technology, as well as the availability of 300 MHz of bandwidth in the C-band (4.5-5.5 GHz), have created an interest in the development of a metamaterial transmission line which can be used to produce small-size millimeter-wave systems. In this research, the idea of using metamaterial depends on replacing each section of the conventional Right Handed (RH) transmission line, by equivalent Composite Right Left Handed Transmission Line (CRLHTL) implemented using lumped elements.
In this research, the CRLHTL was fabricated on ceramic substrate using 3-metal layers with dielectric constant (e_r) of 7.1 and substrate thickness of 127 µm. The measurement results were in agreement with the post-layout simulations over the bandwidth of 1-10 GHz. The on-wafer measurements of the transmission line were carried out using Agilent E8361A 10 MHz to 67.0 GHz vector network analyzer, and the EM simulation was performed by using an electromagnetic simulator (Agilent ADS).
As an example of an application, the CRLHTL was implemented in the design of a Branch Line Coupler (BLC). The design of the BLC used a CRLHTL to reduce the physical size of the quadrature wavelength elements of the coupler. The design exercise resulted in a coupler dimension of 5.924mmx5.824mm that is about 22.9% smaller compared to conventional BLC (6.904mm x 6.778mm). Hence, the simulation results of the BLC achieved good performance over the bandwidth of 4.5-5.5 GHz compared to the conventional coupler. This type of coupler is widely used in microwave circuits, such as power combiners and dividers, balanced mixers, image rejection mixers, and balanced amplifiers.


Abstract Introduction: The Waterhouse–Friderichsen syndrome (WFS), also known as purpura fulminans, is a potentially lethal condition described as acute hemorrhagic necrosis of the adrenal glands. It is often caused by infection. Classically, Neisseriae meningitidis represents the main microorganism related to WFS, although, infrequently, also other infectious agents are reported as a possible etiologic agent. The authors report the first case of death due to Proteus mirabilis infection, with postmortem evidence of WFS. Patient concerns: After a facial trauma that provoked a wound on the nose, the subject, a healthy 40-years old man, was conducted to the local hospital (in Sicily, Italy) after the primary care he was discharged. Subsequently, after 2 days of general malaise, he returned to the hospital due to the worsening of the clinical condition. During the hospitalization, hypotension, and neurological impairment appeared; the laboratory analysis showed leukocytosis and the alteration of renal, hepatic and coagulative parameters. Microbiological blood analysis resulted positive for a P mirabilis infection. Diagnosis: Multiorgan failure (MOF) with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) due to sepsis was diagnosed. Interventions: The practitioners administered intensive support, antibiotic therapy, antithrombin III, vitamin K, and plasma. Outcomes: After 3 days the subject died. The autopsy and the microscopic investigation were performed revealing, also, the adrenal diffuse micronodular hyperplasia associated with a cortico-medullary hemorrhagic apoplexy. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first case of MOF with WFS due to P mirabilis infection. This case report suggests that P mirabilis should be added to the list of unusual bacteria causing WFS. Furthermore, it supports the theory that any bacterium which causes DIC may cause adrenal hemorrhage and should suggest to clinicians the importance to consider a potential adrenal involvement in every patient with sepsis and DIC.


Service delivery in South Africa is a topical issue. What comes to mind immediately is the government's ability (or inability) to provide basic services, such as running water, electricity, flushing toilets and tarred roads, to citizens. This line of thinking can be squarely attributed to the political history of South Africa. The country's struggle for liberation was not limited to political freedom; the struggle was for economic freedom as well. Historically, the exclusion of Africans from mainstream economic opportunities also extended to pension benefits paid out upon retirement from active employment. Before 1994, only white beneficiaries had representation on boards of pension funds, but thereafter, Africans enjoyed full representation in pension funds in terms of leadership roles. However, many pension funds have recently been rocked by scandals resulting from poor leadership. We are reminded of the prophecy of O. R. Tambo that South Africa will experience a leadership crisis after achieving liberation. The aim of this article is to focus attention on the pension funds industry, which appears to suffer from a paucity of leadership. In the context of this article, pension funds are focused on as an aspect of service delivery as it can be regarded as a way of eradicating poverty among the historically disadvantaged. The author argues that if pension funds are administered properly, they have the potential to contribute to the eradication of poverty among historically disadvantaged communities. This argument is elucidated by the information provided by widows who are beneficiaries of pension funds in the Greater Sekhukhune District municipal area and by retired pension fund members with whom interviews were conducted. A focus-group discussion was also held with trustees employed in the Greater Sekhukhune District Municipality.


OBJECTIVES
We examined trends and organizational-level correlates of the availability of HCV testing in opioid treatment programs.

METHODS
We used generalized ordered logit models to examine associations between organizational characteristics of 383 opioid treatment programs from the 2005 and 2011 National Drug Abuse Treatment System Survey and HCV testing availability.

RESULTS
Between 2005 and 2011, the proportion of opioid treatment programs offering HCV testing increased but largely because of increases in off-site referrals rather than on-site testing. HCV testing availability was higher in opioid treatment programs affiliated with a hospital and those receiving federal funds. Opioid treatment programs providing both methadone and buprenorphine were more likely to offer any HCV testing, whereas opioid treatment programs providing only buprenorphine treatment were less likely to offer on-site testing. HCV testing availability was associated with more favorable staff-to-client ratios.

CONCLUSIONS
The increasing use of off-site referrals for HCV testing in opioid treatment programs likely limits opportunities for case finding, prevention, and treatment. Declines in federal funding for opioid treatment programs may be a key determinant of the availability of HCV testing in opioid treatment programs.


It is clear from the outset of this volume that this is a process-oriented book and ten authors augment the editors' major contributions. Absence of references from the text makes reading easy; there are references and a 'Further Reading' section at the end of each chapter, the latter often duplicating references. There are abundant diagrams and maps and pricing below £30 makes it accessible to the undergraduate market.

The introductory chapters provide a succinct summary of stratigraphical procedures and practice and the geological framework of Britain. The following section on the northern margin of the Iapetus Ocean from the Archaean through to the Silurian initiates the systematic part of the book. The various terranes of northern Britain are well described, with appropriate diagrams. There is a good balance of coverage of the literature on often-contentious issues.

The following section traces Eastern Avalonia from the Precambrian to its collision with Laurentia. The first chapter provides an admirably clear account of the Neoproterozoic to Cambrian history of the area. I enjoyed the Lower Palaeozoic chapters, which are arranged after the author's sequence stratigraphical approach, though this is not explicitly stated. However, the chapters are well constructed and well illustrated, but lack discussion of the relationship between faunas and facies and the contrast between the dark graptolitic facies and …


Environmental flows are managed events in river systems designed to enhance the ecological condition of aquatic ecosystems. Although not traditionally seen as important in lowland rivers, there is mounting evidence that terrestrial subsidies can be an important energy source in aquatic metazoan food webs. We argue that the apparent lack of importance of terrestrial subsidies to many lowland river food webs may reflect an artefact resulting from historical anthropogenic changes to lowland river–floodplain ecosystems, including the loss of lateral connectivity between rivers and their floodplains, changes in floodplain land use and carbon stores, and loss of sites of transformation within the main channel. The loss of floodplain subsidies to the main river channel can be partially redressed using environmental flows; however, this will require mimicking important aspects of natural high-flow events that have hitherto been overlooked when targeting environmental flows to a limited suite of biota. We suggest that key biotic targets for environmental flow releases may not be achievable unless river–floodplain subsidies are sufficiently restored. Environmental flows can go some way to addressing this shortfall, but only if floodplain subsidies to river channels are explicitly included in the design and management of environmental flows.


Background Tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells are correlated with prolonged progression-free and overall survival in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). A significant fraction of EOC patients mount autoantibody responses to various tumor antigens, however the relationship between autoantibodies and tumor-infiltrating T cells has not been investigated in EOC or any other human cancer. We hypothesized that autoantibody and T cell responses may be correlated in EOC and directed toward the same antigens. Methodology and Principal Findings We obtained matched serum and tumor tissue from 35 patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Serum samples were assessed by ELISA for autoantibodies to the common tumor antigen NY-ESO-1. Tumor tissue was examined by immunohistochemistry for expression of NY-ESO-1, various T cell markers (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD25, FoxP3, TIA-1 and Granzyme B) and other immunological markers (CD20, MHC class I and MHC class II). Lymphocytic infiltrates varied widely among tumors and included cells positive for CD3, CD8, TIA-1, CD25, FoxP3 and CD4. Twenty-six percent (9/35) of patients demonstrated serum IgG autoantibodies to NY-ESO-1, which were positively correlated with expression of NY-ESO-1 antigen by tumor cells (r = 0.57, p = 0.0004). Autoantibodies to NY-ESO-1 were associated with increased tumor-infiltrating CD8+, CD4+ and FoxP3+ cells. In an individual HLA-A2+ patient with autoantibodies to NY-ESO-1, CD8+ T cells isolated from solid tumor and ascites were reactive to NY-ESO-1 by IFN-γ ELISPOT and MHC class I pentamer staining. Conclusion and Significance We demonstrate that tumor-specific autoantibodies and tumor-infiltrating T cells are correlated in human cancer and can be directed against the same target antigen. This implies that autoantibodies may collaborate with tumor-infiltrating T cells to influence clinical outcomes in EOC. Furthermore, serological screening methods may prove useful for identifying clinically relevant T cell antigens for immunotherapy.


The T region of the mouse major histocompatibility complex (MHC) encodes a relatively large number of nonclassical or nonpolymorphic class I genes. In BALB/c mice, at least five of these genes are likely to encode a functional class I gene product. Some of these T region products are ubiquitously expressed, while others are expressed by just a few tissues. In the second category, the thymus leukemia (TL) antigen, which is encoded in the T region by T3 and T18 genes, is expressed primarily by intestinal epithelial cells and thymocytes. Inspection of the sequences of the alpha 1 and alpha 2 domains, which could encode a peptide binding site in these molecules, indicates that in several cases conserved amino acids important for peptide binding by classical class I molecules are present, suggesting that these nonclassical class I molecules can bind nonamer peptides. On the other hand, analysis of the sequence of the T10d gene product suggests that it can not bind nonamer peptides in a fashion similar to classical class I molecules. Although there are so far no examples of the recognition of defined peptides in the context of T region gene products, there are several examples of T cell recognition of these class I molecules. Both alpha beta and gamma delta T cell receptors are involved in this recognition. Transgenic mice that over express the TL antigen show a variety of abnormalities in thymocyte differentiation and function, providing some support for the hypothesis that this nonclassical class I molecule plays a role in T-cell differentiation. Despite this, the most likely function for T region encoded and other nonclassical class I gene products is a specialized antigen presenting function, perhaps in restricted anatomic sites or to specialized T-cell populations.


Automatic semantic concept detection in images is a promising tool for alleviating the user effort in annotating and cataloging digital media collections. It enables automatic identification of people, places and objects, for enhanced indexing and searching of home photographs, for example. While constructing robust semantic detectors has been shown feasible for global generic concepts with a sufficient number of good training examples (e.g., indoors, outdoors), many interesting concepts, such as face, people, occur at subpicture granularity, occupy only a portion of the image and therefore frequently have training examples with a reduced signal-to-noise ratio. Such regional concepts are harder to detect due to imperfections in automatic image segmentation algorithms leading to inaccurate object boundaries and low-level feature ambiguities. In this paper we focus on the problem of boosting detection performance of existing regional concept detectors by exploiting detection redundancy. Specifically, we propose to use the same detector multiple times to evaluate and combine multiple detection hypotheses for the same content-but at different content granularities-in order to reduce detection sensitivity to segmentation errors. We validate the approach using support vector machine classifiers for 14 regional semantic concepts from the NISTTRFCVID 2003 common annotation lexicon and show performance improvements of multigranular detection and fusion.


Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a multistep heterogeneous disease as it is related to the risk factors such as HBV and HCV infections, including uncontrolled hepatocyte proliferation, invasion of the neighboring tissue and metastasize to distant tissues. There are several factors affecting the course of HCC among the patients such as oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Recently, molecular mechanisms have cleared some of the underlying mechanisms of carcinogenesis, especially the microRNAs, the upstream regulators of a large number of critical genes. Mature miRNAs found to be mounted into RISC, which helps in recognizing the complementary binding sites in the 3′ untranslated regions of target genes. That binding causes the degradation of/or inhibition of translation of mRNAs. miRNAs have been reported to be deregulated in human cancers demonstrating their double-edged role as a tumor suppressor and as an oncogene. miRNA deregulation is involved in modulating signal pathways of cellular transformation of a normal cell into a cancer cell. miRNAs have been reported to be associated with the processes of carcinogenesis including inflammation, cell-cycle, differentiation, apoptosis, and metastasis. miRNAs have been considered as potential biomarkers in HCC as their development has been attributed to the deregulation of many genes owing to abnormal expression of miRNAs. Herein, the current chapter will focus on studying the regulation of miRNAs in HCC-related HCV patients.


Scheduling schemes play a key role in the system performance of broadband wireless systems such as WLANs/WMANs. Maximal SNR and round robin are two conventional scheduling strategies that emphasize efficiency and fairness, respectively. The proportional fair scheme provides a trade-off between efficiency and fairness, and has been well studied in TDMA and CDMA systems. In this article we extended the PF scheduling scheme to OFDM-based BWSs (OPF). In addition, we propose three variations: adaptive OPF (AOPF), multimedia AOPF (MAOPF), and normalized MAOPF (NMAOPF) in order to meet the QoS requirements for multirate services in multimedia systems. The adaptive modulation and coding schemes in time varying and frequency selective fading are considered. The system performances of the algorithms are compared in terms of efficiency (throughput and mean packet delay) and fairness (user satisfaction rate and average user rate). Joint physical and media access control layer simulation results show that AOPF and MAOPF can improve throughput at the cost of fairness, and NMAOPF can provide the highest throughput without losing fairness.


Summary The Navaho Divide and Lopez fault zones record sub-greenschist facies, brittle fragmentation and tectonic mixing at an active Mesozoic continental margin. Displacement directions across these zones are interpreted as partly or wholly dip-slip, although unambiguous criteria in these and many other Cordilleran fault zones are lacking. The moderate to high-angle Navaho Divide zone, which is part of the ophiolitic Ingalls Complex, contains variously sized elongate fragments of serpentinized ultramafic rocks, gabbro, and related rock types set in a voluminous matrix of foliated, scaly serpentinite. The moderately dipping Lopez zone comprises larger slices of turbidites, pebbly mudstone, and minor mafic metavolcanic rocks separated by faults and narrow fault zones locally filled with mudstone that apparently flowed during thrusting. In both complexes, the elongate slices and subparallel faults define an imbricate or schuppen structure geometrically similar to the macroscopic fabric of intracratonic, Rocky Mountain-type imbricate zones. However, the Navaho Divide and Lopez zones are fundamentally different in that they both juxtapose and contain rock units that are difficult, or impossible, to restore palinspastically to a pre-faulting configuration.


The methodology of assessing the genetic risk of radiation exposure is based on the concept of "hitting the target" in development of which N.V. Timofeeff-Ressovsky has played and important role. To predict genetic risk posed by irradiation, the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) has worked out direct and indirect methods of assessment, extrapolational, integral and populational criteria of risk analysis that together permit calculating the risk from human exposure on the basis of data obtained for mice. Laboratory mice are the main objects in studying radiation mutagenesis due to the fact that the data on the frequency of radiation-induced human mutations are rather scarce. The method of doubling dose based on the determination of a dose doubling the level of natural mutational process in humans is the main one used to predict the genetic risk. The evolution of views about the genetics risk of human exposure to radiation for last 40 years is considered. Till 1972 the main model for assessing the genetic risk was the "human/mouse" model (the use of data on the spontaneous human variability and data on the frequency of induced mutations in mice). In the period form 1972 till 1994 the "mouse/mouse" model was intensively elaborated in many laboratories. This model was also used in this period by UNSCEAR experts to analyze the genetic risk from human irradiation. Recent achievements associated with the study of the molecular nature of many hereditary human diseases as well as the criticism of number fundamental principles of the "mouse/mouse" model for estimating the genetic risk on a new basis. The estimates of risk for the different classes of genetic diseases have been obtained using the doubling-dose method. The estimate of doubling dose used in the calculations is 1 Gy for low dose/chronic low-LET radiation conditions.


We have previously shown that when splenocytes are obtained from mice undergoing graft vs host disease (GVHD), and then placed in culture, IFN-beta is produced spontaneously in supernatants without any stimulus. Thus, when B10.D2 spleen cells are injected into sublethally irradiated BALB/c recipient mice, in vitro splenic IFN-beta production is readily apparent between days 10 to 20 post-transplantation. In the present study, experiments were carried out to characterize the cell population(s) responsible for spontaneous IFN-beta production from GVHD spleen cells. Specific antibody and C lysis of selected cell types, including T cells, B cells, and NK cells, failed to abrogate in vitro IFN production. However, IFN-producing cells from GVHD splenocytes were nylon wool adherent and could be isolated using discontinuous Percoll gradient centrifugation from the upper most large cell fractions. IFN production was also partially resistant to irradiation. Using indirect immunofluorescence and flow cytometry, IFN production was shown to be associated with MAC-1 positive cells. MAC-1 negative splenocytes demonstrated no spontaneous IFN production. Treatment of GVHD spleen cells with silica, a selective toxin for phagocytic cells, resulted in a complete inhibition of IFN production. Thus, in vitro IFN production from GVHD splenocytes appeared to come from cells having a phenotype associated with macrophages. This in vitro IFN production by macrophages represents a unique aspect of GVHD which is not typically found in tissues of normal mice.


A cyanido-bridged layered {[Dy(III)(4-OHpy)2(H2O)3][Co(III)(CN)6]}·0.5H2O (1) (4-OHpy = 4-hydroxypyridine) framework with dual photo-luminescence and magnetic properties was prepared. 1 exhibits visible emission whose color, yellow to greenish-blue, is switchable by selected wavelengths of UV excitation light. Magnetic data revealed that 1 shows not only the slow magnetic relaxation of a typical Dy(III) single-ion origin but also the relaxation process caused by the magnetic dipole-magnetic dipole interactions between the neighbouring Dy(III) centers.


Dermatan sulphate proteoglycans were purified from juvenile human articular cartilage, with a yield of about 2 mg/g wet wt. of cartilage. Both dermatan sulphate proteoglycan I (DS-PGI) and dermatan sulphate proteoglycan II (DS-PGII) were identified and the former was present in greater abundance. The two proteoglycans could not be resolved by agarose/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, but could be resolved by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, which indicated average Mr values of 200,000 and 98,000 for DS-PGI and DS-PGII respectively. After digestion with chondroitin ABC lyase the Mr values of the core proteins were 44,000 for DS-PGI and 43,000 and 47,000 for DS-PGII, with the smaller core protein being predominant in DS-PGII. Sequence analysis of the N-terminal 20 amino acid residues reveals the presence of a single site for the potential substitution of dermatan sulphate at residue 4 of DS-PGII and two such sites at residues 5 and 10 for DS-PGI.


The combustion and emissions performance of oxygenated fuels has been investigated in a modern direct-injection spark-ignition (DISI) engine. In particular, the new biofuel candidate, 2,5-dimethylfuran, otherwise known as DMF, has been assessed as a future automotive fuel against ethanol, the most commercially accepted spark-ignition (SI) biofuel.

When operating with DMF, the engine performance and emissions are less sensitive to changes in key control parameters than with gasoline. This allows a wider window for improving performance and/or reducing emissions. The relevance of modern injection strategies to increase performance or efficiency has also been assessed when using DMF. The use of split-injection at full load is shown to be less beneficial than with gasoline.

Novel fuel preparation techniques have been investigated by comparing externally supplied gasoline-biofuel blends (conventional method) to internally mixed, dual-injection blends. This new mode presents an avenue for optimising oxygenated fuels with a low heat of vaporization, such as DMF and n-butanol; low blends with gasoline (≤25% by volume) are more efficiently utilised than in external blends. Furthermore, the particulate matter (PM) emissions can be reduced with dual-injection because gasoline is supplied through PFI.

The unlegislated emissions when using DMF have been benchmarked against gasoline and compared to other oxygenated fuels. In particular, the emissions of the major carbonyls are lower when using DMF compared to gasoline and even less so than ethanol, which heavily emits acetaldehyde and formaldehyde. The dual-injection mode further reduces the total carbonyl emissions when using DMF and ethanol blends compared to direct-injection (DI).


The image quality of unenhanced magnetic resonance angiography, which images blood vessels without contrast agents, is limited by constraints related to scan time. To address this problem, techniques that undersample angiographic data and then apply regularized reconstructions are used. Conventional reconstructions employ regularization terms with uniform spatial weighting. Thus, they can yield improper suppression of aliasing artifacts and poor blood/background contrast. In this study, a reconstruction strategy is evaluated that applies spatially-adaptive regularization based on vessel maps obtained via a tractographic segmentation. This strategy is compared with conventional methods in terms of peak signal to noise ratio, structural similarity and contrast.


Objectives: To identify features that could define papillary ductal cell proliferation within the C3 category and to subcategorise papillary lesions into benign papillomas which can be managed conservatively and atypical/malignant papillary neoplasms which require surgical intervention. Study Design: A blind microscopic rescreen of all C3 cases was conducted. The corresponding histological outcome was compared with the cytology. Statistical analysis was performed using papillary versus non-papillary outcomes and benign versus atypical/malignant papillary lesions. In addition, macropapillary lesions (papilloma and encysted papillary carcinoma) were plotted against micropapillary ductal carcinoma in situ. Results: Two hundred thirty FNA cases reported as C3 included 72 papillary neoplasms (52 benign papillomas and 20 atypical/malignant papillary lesions). Features specific to papillary lesions within C3 include macropapillary fragments, complex sheets, palisading strips, cystic background, cohesion and a decreased nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio. Features favouring atypical/malignant papillary lesions include decreased numbers of bare bipolar nuclei, discohesion and a non-cystic background. These features are common to most breast malignancies; however, identification of papillary features often results in a downgraded diagnosis from C5. Conclusions: This study supports the ability to reliably identify papillary ductal cell proliferation within C3. Certain features can distinguish papillary lesions from other C3 pathologies. This separation is likely to be clinically useful as papillary lesions may require a different management approach.


We performed a prospective randomized study to compare the use of a bare metal stent (WALLSTENT Endoprosthesis) with use of a covered stent (WALLGRAFT Endoprosthesis)-both made by Schneider, Inc.; Minneapolis, Minn-for the treatment of complex iliac artery stenosis and occlusion. We report the preliminary results of a study performed at our institution from 1 February 1997 through 31 April 1997. The patient group was composed of 6 women and 4 men, with a mean age of 61.8 years (range, 47 to 73 years). Six WALLGRAFT endoprostheses (4 in the left iliac artery and 2 in the right) and 9 WALLSTENT endoprostheses (5 in the left iliac artery and 4 in the right) were implanted. The mean percent stenosis before treatment was similar in both groups (84.17% in the WALLGRAFT group and 82.14% in the WALLSTENT group). The post-treatment stenosis and peak systolic gradients were negligible or zero in both groups. The devices were safely deployed and technical success (< 30% residual stenosis) was achieved in both groups. The mean thigh-brachial index was similar in the 2 groups, both before treatment (0.65 in the WALLGRAFT group and 0.64 in the WALLSTENT group) and after treatment (1.12 in the WALLGRAFT group and 1.12 in the WALLSTENT group). Evaluation of clinical success revealed that symptoms of intermittent claudication improved markedly in 4 of 5 patients who received the WALLGRAFT Endoprosthesis. In the WALLSTENT group, 1 patient had symptomatic improvement, another had 1 limb improve and the other worsen, and the rest had no improvement. Clinical complications were observed in only 1 patient in the WALLGRAFT group and in 2 patients in the WALLSTENT group. These preliminary results indicate very good technical and early success at the 1-month follow-up with the use of the WALLGRAFT Endoprosthesis in complex iliac artery stenosis and occlusion. Despite these promising preliminary results, a longer follow-up study with a larger number of patients is needed to determine the benefits of the WALLGRAFT Endoprosthesis in patients with complex iliac artery stenosis or occlusion.


This paper describes the benefits of applying a risk pathway method as an evidence-based whole of supply chain risk assessment approach in the delivery of efficient and effective quality management frameworks for water. It presents a new approach for assessing water service provision risk that considers the chronology of the series of causes, impacts and consequences to business outcomes including reputational, public health and supply continuity. The approach allows assessment of the relationship between causes and impacts, the potential for threat convergence, and the appropriateness, effectiveness, interdependence and criticality of controls. The provision of whole-of-system risk visibility allows better targeting of controls along the supply chain in preventive, detective or corrective timeframes, and at local site to corporate business levels. The approach allows enabling functions of the business such as information technology, human resources and safety to be assessed within the context of supply quality and continuity. An example of the application of this method to provision of water services shows the benefits of the method. Application of the methodology to the assessment of the whole-of-business risk is discussed.


This paper describes the details of a strategy developed to evaluate intervention outcomes of a number of community-based programmes. The rationale for the development of the strategy and its reception into practice is also described. This paper contributes to the debate about qualities and characteristics of appropriate evidence for health promotion by detailing the package of tools developed. These drew on health impact assessment, theories of change and participatory appraisal. In particular, the impact of context on evaluation is highlighted. Although this work is focused on community health promotion officers in the UK, the issues are relevant to a wide range of workers such as public health nurses and community development workers internationally. Alongside the description of the evaluation process is an exploration of power and empowerment of stakeholders in public health services' planning and evaluation. Power, in terms of that afforded by tools and language, held by the different stakeholders is one of the key determinants shaping a service. This makes for a rather ambitious and complex paper; however, the authors consider it is a timely and worthy challenge to address.


The objective of this research is to investigate numerical solutions of several boundary value problems for the Helmholtz equation for the shape of a Biconcave Disk. The boundary value problems this research mainly focuses on are the Neumann and Robin boundary problems. The Biconcave Disk is a closed, simply connected, bounded shape modified from a sphere where the two sides concave toward the center, mapped by a sine curve. There are some numerical issues in this type of analysis; any integration is affected by the wave number k, because of the oscillatory behavior of the fundamental solution of the Helmholtz equation. This project was funded by NASA RI Space Grant and the NASA EPSCoR Grant for testing of boundary conditions for the Biconcave Disk. This method has already been investigated for the sphere, ellipsoid, superellipsoid, and the oval of cassini. The primary purpose of this research is to extend those known results to the Biconcave Disk with calculating the possibility of this shape acquiring sufficient conditions to be part of a spacecraft that might one day land on planet Mars.


The incidence of caustic ingestion varies with the availability of caustic products and preventive measures. A transient increase was seen in the US round 1970, in Denmark in the late seventies. Diagnosis and treatment of caustic ingestion injuries remains controversial, and must to a high degree be based on retrospective studies and animal studies, especially concerning the pathology and clinical course of the disease. These subjects are reviewed together with complications and prognosis. It is stressed, that ingestion of alkalies and acids result in a variety of lesions, depending on a number of factors listed. Ingestion of alkalies occurs in approximately 85% of all cases, with oesophageal stricture as the most frequent complication, and tracheal necrosis as the most frequent cause of death. Ingestion of acid in large amounts may lead to early gastric perforation, massive metabolic acidosis, and eventual death. Pyloric stenosis is the most common complication of acid ingestion. Approximately 33% of all patients admitted with (suspected) caustic injury reveal oesophageal damage. This leads to subsequent oesophageal stricture in 10-15%. Mortality is less than 10% in unselected groups. Language: da


Macroalgal forests are one of the most productive and valuable marine ecosystems, but yet strongly exposed to fragmentation and loss. Detailed large-scale information on their distribution is largely lacking, hindering conservation initiatives. In this study, a systematic effort to combine spatial data on Cystoseira C. Agardh canopies (Fucales, Phaeophyta) was carried out to develop a Habitat Suitability Model (HSM) at Mediterranean scale, providing critical tools to improve site prioritization for their management, restoration and protection. A georeferenced database on the occurrence of 20 Cystoseira species was produced collecting all the available information from published and grey literature, web data portals and co-authors personal data. Data were associated to 55 predictor variable layers in the (ASCII) raster format and were used in order to develop the HSM by means of a Random Forest, a very effective Machine Learning technique. Knowledge about the distribution of Cystoseira canopies was available for about the 14% of the Mediterranean coastline. Absence data were available only for the 2% of the basin. Despite these gaps, our HSM showed high accuracy levels in reproducing Cystoseira distribution so that the first continuous maps of the habitat across the entire basin was produced. Misclassification errors mainly occurred in the eastern and southern part of the basin, where large gaps of knowledge emerged. The most relevant drivers were the geomorphological ones, followed by anthropogenic variables proxies of pollution and urbanization. Our model shows the importance of data sharing to combine a large number of spatial and environmental data, allowing to individuate areas with high probability of Cystoseira occurrence as suitable for its presence. This approach encourages the use of this modeling tool for the prediction of Cystoseira distribution and for supporting and planning conservation and management initiatives. The step forward is to refine the spatial information of presence-absence data about Cystoseira canopies and of environmental predictors in order to address species-specific assessments.


The article discusses results of experimental research of the influence of aprotic and proton solvents on reaction rate of water molecules dissociation in the bipolar membrane MB-1 by the method of electrochemical impedance frequency spectrum. It was discovered, that addition of organic component in aqueous solutions results in significant influence on the parameters of water dissociation in a bipolar region of the membrane. The reason for this influence is the reduction of the mass fraction of water in solution and, consequently, in a bipolar region of the membrane, which itself reduces the rate of the dissociation reaction. Another reason for the influence of the organic solvent is its effect on the network of hydrogen bonds existing in water and aqueous solutions. Depending on the nature of organic solvent and its concentration, the network of hydrogen bonds may be strengthened, or destroyed, thus facilitating removal of the proton involved in the reactions between water molecules and catalytic centers in cation-exchange and anion-exchange layer of bipolar membrane, or retarding removal of proton. This leads respectively to speed up or slow down the rate of dissociation in the bipolar region of the membrane, as well as changing the constants of the dissociation reaction of water. Introduction of organic solvent in solutions, which are in the contact with bipolar membrane, is a convenient method of investigating the role of solution composition on the rate of proton transfer between water molecules and catalytic centers in the membranes


Sexual isolation is a key component of reproductive isolation, involving mate choice among mature adults. While there are various statistics for estimating sexual isolation from mating frequencies, their ability to produce unbiased estimates varies considerably, depending on the particular situation. We investigated, under different biological scenarios, the estimation properties (statistical bias, efficiency, root mean square, statistical test) of 12 statistics commonly used in the literature for measuring sexual isolation. Yule's Q, V, YA (and related indices) and IPSI are revealed to be the most efficient, with the smallest biases and root mean square deviations. Yule's Q, YA and IPSI show better estimation properties when using infinite sample sizes, while IPSI is preferable using smaller sample sizes. Other statistics investigated should be avoided, at least within the range of conditions considered. Regarding the parametric test of hypothesis, the best alternative is YA. We discuss the advantages and drawbacks of the various estimators, and propose IPSI as the safest for biological sample sizes. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 85, 307–318.


The study was carried out on nine sexually mature male rats of the Wistar breed weighing approxi- mately 250 g each. Animals were anaesthetized with thiopental sodium injected intraperitoneally (30 mg/kg of body weight). The animals were then injected with Fast Blue tracer into the right trapezius muscle. After a survival period of five weeks the rats were transcardially perfused with buffered paraformaldehyde. The following tissue blocks were collected: spinal cord (cervical and thoracic part) with spinal ganglia and whole brain with medulla oblongata. The tissues collected were cut into 12 μm-thick cryostat sections, which were viewed under a fluorescent microscope equipped with a filter block for FB. FB-positive (FB + ) neurons were counted in every fourth section to avoid double analysis. After injections of the tracer to the right trapezius muscle FB + neurons were found in many nuclei and ganglia. The labelled cells of the medulla oblongata nuclei were found in the bilateral vestibular nuclei including superior (SuVe), lateral (LVe), medial (MVe) and spinal (SpVe) vestibular nuclei and also in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) which is a single nucleus, but only in the ipsilateral ambiguous nucleus (Amb). FB + perikarya were also found in the spinal cord, extending between the first cervical segment (C 1 ) and the cranial half of the seventh spinal cervical segment (C 7 ), in an ipsilateral area ventrolateraly with respect to the central canal, within the spinal nucleus of the accessory nerve (SAN). Retrograde labelled sensory neurons were found in the bilateral spinal ganglia (SPG-s), from the second cervical ganglion (C 2 ) to the third thoracic ganglion (Th 3 ).


Hyphal extension in the filamentous actinomycete Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) was shown to occur by addition of newly synthesized wall material in an apical extension zone. Incubation of mycelia with tritiated N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc), a precursor of peptidoglycan, resulted in localized incorporation of label at the apex, as indicated by light microscopic and electron microscopic autoradiography. Within the hyphal extension zone there was a sharp decrease in incorporation with increasing distance from the apex. Hyphal tip shape, examined by low-temperature scanning electron microscopy, approximated to a semi-ellipsoid of revolution and was not hemispherical. Tip shape could be represented accurately by polynomial equations of degree less than seven. The surface stress theory was successfully applied to hyphal tip growth, with tip shape related qualitatively to the inverse of surface tension within the wall of the extension zone. Surface tension was assumed to be inversely proportional to the rate of incorporation of tritiated GlcNAc. Treatment of surface-grown hyphae with beta-lactam antibiotics resulted in localized swelling of hyphal tips. Lysozyme caused swelling of tips and of other regions of hyphae, frequently giving a beaded morphology associated with septa.


Abstract This paper discusses two projects associated with the Millennium celebrations in London: the regeneration of Greenwich Peninsula, and the building of the Millennium Dome. The paper examines the Labour Government's appropriation of these interrelated projects, which started as a Conservative Party's proposal. It is argued that Labour attempted to redefine them into a narrative of national renewal by employing a discourse of inclusiveness, consensus, and togetherness that entailed ignoring, even erasing, the complex history of the site


During sequence determination of a structural protein from the cuticle of the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, a discrepancy was found between the molecular weight calculated from the sequence data (15 323) and that estimated by SDS-gel electrophoresis (21 600). The protein contains several repeated sequences, and the discrepancy might indicate that part of the sequence was missing or that the protein contained a large prosthetic group. The molecular weight of the protein was determined by 127I-plasma desorption mass spectrometry to be 15 329±50 which confirms the sequence data and shows the molecular weight determination based on SDS-electrophoresis to be too high.


Fournier's gangrene of the scrotum, a form of necrotising fasciitis, is a rare but potentially fatal disorder. Predisposing conditions include chronic alcoholism and diabetes mellitus, possibly as a result of impaired immunity. Fournier's syndrome, occurring in a patient with AIDS, is described.


Beluntas has many benefits especially on its leaves because of the phytochemical contents. Therefore, beluntas needs to be combined with other ingredient that can increase the antioxidant activity. One of ingredient that can be combined with beluntas is green tea. Green tea is a beverage that is often consumed and has various health benefits, because of the polyphenol compound contents from flavonoid group, mainly catechins. This research was aimed to determine the effect of beluntas leaves and green tea proportion on antioxidant activity of beverage product. The design of this research used single factor randomized block design. Factors that were researched were beluntas leaves and green tea proportion with five level factors, which were P1, P2, P3, P4 and P5. The results showed that the proportion of beluntas leaves and green tea powder significantly affected on phytochemical compounds, total phenol, total flavonoids, DPPH scavenging activity, and iron ion reducing power. Phenolic content was ranged from 451.13-707.63 mg GAE/L sample, flavonoid content was ranged from 95.73-413.73 mg CE/L sample, DPPH scavenging activity was ranged from 193.38-277.79 mg GAE/L sample, and iron ion reducing power was ranged from 211.50-499.50 mg GAE/L sample. Total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were positively correlated with the ability to scavenge free radical DPPH and the ability to reduce iron ion. This means that the higher of phenolic and flavonoid contents in beluntas green tea beverage had the higher the antioxidant capacity. The results showed that P3 had the highest antioxidant activity.


Empirical analysis of the Fed's monetary policy behavior suggests that the Fed smooths interest rates— that is, the Fed moves the federal funds rate target in several small steps instead of one large step with the same magnitude. We evaluate the effect of countercyclical policy by estimating a Vector Autoregression (VAR) with regime switching. Because the size of the policy shock is important in our model, we can evaluate the effect of smoothing the interest rate on the path of macro variables. Our model also allows for variation in transition probabilities across regimes, depending on the level of output growth. Thus, changes in the stance of monetary policy affect the macroeconomic variables in a nonlinear way, both directly and indirectly through the state of the economy. We also incorporate a factor summarizing overall sentiment into the VAR to determine if sentiment changes substantially around turning points and whether they are indeed important to understanding the effects of policy.


In formed over the past quarter century in Russia the competitive market system has come to the fore the profitability of innovation, especially in production systems, industry and construction. Slightly less profitability factor manifests itself in the evaluation of innovations in social systems, yielding the position of the virtual indicator of socially useful significance of such innovations: the expansion and improvement of educational, children's and medical institutions, objects of culture and sports, non-profit facilities, "relaxation" and recreation. In the latter case, the economic effect of innovation is manifested in an indirect form, and after a considerable lapse of time: in the employability and technical culture of employees, in expanding the number and improving the quality of the labor pool in the intellectualization of law and order and labour discipline (law-abiding, tolerance) etc. Keywords : innovation, economic efficiency, new appliances, security, industrial equipment and machinery, wear and tear, cluster JEL Classification : O14, Q26, Q57, Q58


While the relationship between business cycles and employment is a topic of continuing interest, it has received limited attention in the literature focusing on developing countries. This study adds to the literature as it analyzes the heterogeneous correlations of business cycles with employment, unemployment and participation rate by different age, education, gender and ethnic groups in a developing country setting. Using data from the monthly PME employment surveys between 2002 and 2016 in Brazil, we assess how these labour market measures in specific demographic groups are affected by the business cycles. The results provide evidence of the existence of large heterogeneities among demographic groups. Interestingly, demographic groups' labour market measures in levels are not necessarily aligned with their sensitivity to economic cycles when controlling for other demographic characteristics. Understanding how levels of labour market measures related to their sensitivity to cycles is crucial to design better policies.


Recommender systems have attracted much attention in last decades, which can help the users explore new items in many applications. As a popular technique in recommender systems, item recommendation works by recommending items to users based on their historical interactions. Conventional item recommendation methods usually assume that users and items are stationary, which is not always the case in real-world applications. Many time-aware item recommendation models have been proposed to take the temporal effects into the considerations based on the absolute time stamps associated with observed interactions. We show that using absolute time to model temporal effects can be limited in some circumstances. In this work, we propose to model the temporal dynamics of both users and items in item recommendation based on their life cycles. This problem is very challenging to solve since the users and items can co-evolve in their life cycles and the sparseness of the data become more severe when we consider the life cycles of both users and items. A novel time-aware item recommendation model called BiCycle is proposed to address these challenges. BiCycle is designed based on two important observations: 1) correlated users or items usually share similar patterns in the similar stages of their life cycles. 2) user preferences and item characters can evolve gradually over different stages of their life cycles. Extensive experiments conducted on three real-world datasets demonstrate the proposed approach can significantly improve the performance of recommendation tasks by considering the inner life cycles of both users and items.


We have studied for lab-on-a-chip (LOC) based biodevices and fabricated plastic optical label-free biosensor device. Optical resonant reflection biosensor (ORRB) is a kind of label-free sensor, containing nanoscale resonate grating patternsand whole blood filter. This plastic ORRB sensor is fabricated with cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) via conventional injection molding method. Injected ORRB chips employ a top plate and a bottom plate. The top plate incorporates a microfluidic channel for humam serum and the bottom plate has a sensing region, which consists of a nano-pattern, and a fluidic velocity control region referred to as a time-gate. The sensing region is formed by deposition of a high refractive index layer, Si3N4, by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique. After the ORRB chip is treated by oxygen plasma in order to render it hydrophilic, the top and bottom plates are bonded by ultra sonic equipment without application of any glue. In this paper, we mention the properties of injection molding plastic ORRB sensor chip with pretreatment process, which are Si3N4, deposition conditions, immobilized process condition on plastic ORRB sensor and also experimental immunodetection results of cardiac markers in human serum. We characterized peak wavelength shifting cause of difference of optical density and refractive index from antigen-antibody interactions


Four experiments demonstrate that culture-based differences in persuasion arise when information is processed in a cursory, spontaneous manner, but dissipate when one's intuitions are supplemented by more deliberative processing. North Americans are more persuaded by promotion-focused information, and Chinese individuals are more persuaded by prevention-focused information — but only when initial, automatic reaction to messages are given. Corrections to these default judgments occur when processing is thoughtful. These results underscore the idea that culture does not exert a constant, unwavering effect on consumer judgments. One key factor in determining whether culture-based effects loom large or disappear is the degree to which cultural versus more personal knowledge is drawn upon when forming judgments.


This special issue of Electronic Networking: Research, Applications and Policy focuses on the issues of networked information retrieval and on specific tools for successfully retrieving networked information. These topics are discussed widely on electronic lists on a daily basis. Networked Information Retrieval (NIR) is widely seen in the literature of information and library science as well as computing journals. NIR issues and tools are crucial to the future of information technologies. These are all different venues with various voices. This special issue is designed to provide a coherent and comprehensive discussion of these topics, a moderated forum if you will. But even as this special issue is completed, the topics, policy issues, and research questions regarding NIR are growing and expanding rapidly.


Student success is vitally important. Without academic achievement student self-efficacy is lost, persistence is blocked, and matriculation is unachievable. Exponential growth at online institutions necessitates the inquiry into factors that play a role in student success. In this study, approximately 15,000 cases from the Top 20 enrolled courses of undergraduate students at a large national fully online university were examined to determine if course Grade Point Average was related with student characteristics, e.g., student gender, ethnicity, age, and military status. Multiple semester sessions were analyzed across multiple curricular areas. Results and recommendations are discussed.


The exclusion of personal injury damage awards from gross income is inconsistent with established principles of taxation. Section 104(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code excludes from gross income "the amount of any damages received... on account of personal injury or sickness." While the existence of Section 104(a)(2) traditionally has been justified as a humanitarian gesture, more logical explanations have been offered.
Damage awards cannot accurately be characterized as a return of capital. Nor does the involuntary nature of the transaction justify the exclusion. While so-called imputed income is not taxed, the reasons supporting its non-taxability do not extend to damage awards representing a cash substitute for such income. Excluding damage awards avoids certain administrative problems that may otherwise arise, but those problems could be resolved by less drastic means. These justifications for the exclusion cannot be rationalized as a logical application of tax theory. To the extent that such a justification is lacking, the exclusion should be evaluated as a tax subsidy. Although Congress did not originally intend the exclusion to be a subsidy, it functions as such in the context of modern tax law. The exclusion provided by Section 104(a)(2) compensates tort victims by allowing receipts that logically should be included in gross income to escape taxation. While an expenditure of government funds for the benefit of innocent tort victims has emotional appeal, a closer inspection of the ramifications of the subsidy reveals that it is not a wise investment of public resources. The subsidy is not fairly allocated and the government subsidization of injuries is contrary to sound tort policy.
If damage awards were taxed, the policy goals of the tort system would be advanced rather than frustrated, since defendants would not be under-penalized and plaintiffs would not be overcompensated.


This article is part of a research project funded by the University Grants Committee, Hong Kong. The project title is 'Convergence of Documentary Practices in Contemporary Arts in Hong Kong' . We collected 230 artworks from 31 artists/artist groups for textual analysis. Twelve artists were selected for a focus study and interviews. Eleven short edited interviews with English subtitles, together with information on the artworks and artists, are freely available online to anyone, especially researchers and teachers, interested in using the materials for their own projects. There are also artworks (with artists' permission) that go with artists interview, hence audience can better comprehend when artists referring to their artworks. Among many findings, autoethnography is shown to anchor an interesting point of intersection across disciplines. This article explores autoethnography, originally applied as a qualitative research method, echoes with the practices in reflexive documentary and the ways being used by contemporary visual artists in Hong Kong. This writing examines autoethnographic artworks by Tang Kwok Hin and Law Yuk Mui regarding notion of homes and relational autoethnographic subjectivities.


The Chief Medical Officer recommends that all health care workers receive an influenza vaccination annually. High vaccination coverage is believed to be the best protection against the spread of influenza within a hospital, although uptake by health care workers remains low. We conducted semistructured interviews with seven medical students and nine early career doctors, to explore the factors informing their influenza vaccination decision making. Data collection and analysis took place iteratively, until theoretical saturation was achieved, and a thematic analysis was performed. Socialization was important although its effects were attenuated by participants' previous experiences and a lack of clarity around the risks and benefits of vaccination. Many participants did not have strong intentions regarding vaccination. There was considerable disparity between an individual's opinion of the vaccine, their intentions, and their vaccination status. The indifference demonstrated here suggests few are strongly opposed to the vaccination—there is potential to increase vaccination coverage.


In recent years, several systems have been proposed to emphasize the support of physical aspects at the expense of emotional aspects. However, emotional health is as important as physical health and negative emotional health can lead to social or mental health problems. To cope with negative emotional health, we propose a new healthcare system that focuses on emotional aspects. Our healthcare system integrates augmented reality to display virtual objects in real environments and Kinect, which allows users to freely interact with them. We also employ biological sensors to measure and detect user emotions, and provide three services based on their expected emotions: relaxation, amusement and excitement services. This paper focuses on the implementation of a breathing control application in the relaxation service that applied deep breathing techniques of stress management to supports users when they experience stress and other negative emotions. This application displays a virtual music box to assist them perform deep breathing. Virtual objects and music can increase user relaxation and decrease stress.


In this paper, the distributed intelligent control of plastic injection molding machine based on ARM controller through CAN field bus technology is proposed. The basic components of hardware and Software design are also discussed. The intelligent control system enables the procedure self-learning, fault diagnosing and process parameters such as temperature, injection pressure, flow, limit position etc., in the molding process. The ARM controller as a slave computer for this control system not only provides on-site monitoring but also can provide distributed remote control services for the host computer. The closed-loop control system, composed of the ARM controller and sensors, realizes the prompt adjustment of the processing parameters in the plastic injection molding machine


Propolis is a natural product, collected by bees from tree buds, flowers and pollen. It possesses various pharmaceutical properties, including antibacterial action against microorganisms involved in the beginning and progression of dental caries. This research aimed to analyze literature regarding propolis and its antimicrobial activity against microorganisms within dental biofilm, and evaluate the possibility of its employment as an adjunct to prevention and ultraconservative treatment of dental caries. Results confirmed propolis' great potential as a natural medicine with solid therapeutic properties and proven anti-cariogenic action.


Adoption of no-till seeding practices by many farmers has increased interest in using anhydrous ammonia (AA) in single-pass seeding operations. It is expected that crop response to different fertilizer N sources and fertilizer placement will vary at the landscape level, because of inherent differences in soils related to topography. Two openers (side-band and sweep wing tip) were evaluated for use in a single-pass seeding operation of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The openers differed in fertilizer placement and soil disturbance. The effect of AA on grain yield and protein content as influenced by application rate and opener was investigated at varied landscape positions. The experiment was conducted at six sites in two years using a randomized complete block design. Averaged across year and location, wheat grain yield was higher on footslopes than on shoulders; however, the effect of landscape position was not consistent at all locations. Landscape position did not affect protein content. Application of AA with either opener resulted in grain yields and protein contents comparable to granular urea and ammonium nitrate (AN) fertilizers. Even at the highest AA application rate tested (105 kg N ha 1 ), no crop damage was expressed in final yield.


Traffic is one of the biggest contributions to global warming. Environmental changes are caused by
greenhouse gas emission and energy consumption. To improve environment, several measures have
been taken to reduce car use and emission, such as increasing tax rates and the promotion of public
transport. A new development in the car industry is in‐car Green Intelligent Transport Systems (Green
ITS), systems which have the objective to improve environment by encouraging the driver to change into
fuel efficient behavior.
The objective of this research is to propose a design of an in‐car system in Green ITS for drivers in Japan
and The Netherlands to improve the environment. To measure the opinion on Green ITS of Japanese
and Dutch drivers, a web survey has been deployed. The purpose of this survey was to find out the
following aspects
• Type of preferred information to motivate the change into fuel efficient behavior
• Influence of personal characteristics on the type of preferred information
• Attitude towards Green ITS
The results of this survey show that Japanese and Dutch drivers will be most motivated to change their
driving behavior by the fact of knowing how much money they would save with fuel efficient driving
behavior. The second most preferred information is about fuel consumption. Even though the objective
of Green ITS is to improve environment, information about CO2 emission and contribution to the
environment is least preferred by drivers.
According to the results personal character, experience with ITS and attitude towards environment
don't have influence on the preference of information, but correlation has been found in the driving
style of the respondents. Although, the majority of respondents chose money related information as
their greatest motivation, drivers with frequent car use and high mileage are more aware of their impact
on environment and as a result also prefer information about their contribution to the environment.
The information provided by Green ITS was positively received by drivers from both countries. The
majority of the drivers stated that the information is highly relevant to motivate them in changing to
fuel efficient behavior. This positive attitude towards Green ITS means that drivers are willing to use
these systems and as a result improvement of environment will be achieved.
Based on the results of the survey and knowledge of current Green ITS, a design of in‐car Green ITS is
proposed. Next to the desires of the drivers, this system is based on the demands of impact on the
environment, safety, level of support and comfort. The proposed in‐car system consists of an onboard
screen which is suitable and implementable in every vehicle. During trips, the system will collect data of
driving behavior and compare these results with fuel efficient behavior. Based on this comparison the
driver will receive information of personal advice to develop fuel efficient behavior. After the trip, trends
of driving behavior will be shown and the driver will see his progress. Next to information about driving behavior, other factors of motivation will be provided by the system. These triggers are indications of
fuel consumption, expenses of the trips and impact on environment.


With availability of natural gas at competitive prices and increased scrutiny of coal-fired generation, conversion of coal-fired units to natural gas-firing is a popular option to consider as an alternative to capital-intense environmental equipment upgrades or even retirement. Many owners are considering this option as a way to keep an existing plant open while meeting new and pending environmental regulations. There are many technical challenges associated with such a conversion and the owner should consider them all carefully on a case-by-case basis. This paper will present an overview of these challenges, with a focus on the steam generator and what an owner/operator needs to understand when considering conversion to natural gas-firing.Typical effects of a conversion to natural gas-firing for a utility-scale coal-fired steam generator are discussed along with potential operational effects of such a project. A general discussion of differences in furnace and convective pass performance characteristics for the different fuels is presented along with a discussion of how these differences can translate to technical challenges in a conversion project. Typical effects on boiler efficiency and emissions as well as the most commonly required modifications are reviewed. Finally, a comprehensive review of the operational affects of the converted unit is presented.Copyright © 2014 by ASME


Data privacy and security is a leading concern for providers and customers of cloud computing, where Virtual Machines (VMs) can co-reside within the same underlying physical machine. Side channel attacks within multi-tenant virtualized cloud environments are an established problem, where attackers are able to monitor and exfiltrate data from co-resident VMs. Virtualization services have attempted to mitigate such attacks by preventing VM-to-VM interference on shared hardware by providing logical resource isolation between co-located VMs via an internal virtual network. However, such approaches are also insecure, with attackers capable of performing network channel attacks which bypass mitigation strategies using vectors such as ARP Spoofing, TCP/IP steganography, and DNS poisoning. In this paper we identify a new vulnerability within the internal cloud virtual network, showing that through a combination of TAP impersonation and mirroring, a malicious VM can successfully redirect and monitor network traffic of VMs co-located within the same physical machine. We demonstrate the feasibility of this attack in a prominent cloud platform - OpenStack - under various security requirements and system conditions, and propose countermeasures for mitigation.


Small hydropower is one of the renewable energies and is expected to be effectively used for local supply of electricity. We have developed Darrieus-type hydro-turbine systems, and among them, the Darrieus-turbine with a weir and a nozzle installed upstream of turbine is, so far, in success to obtain more output power by gathering all water into the turbine. However, there can several cases exist, in which installing the weir covering all the flow channel width is unrealistic, and in such cases, the turbine should be put alone in open channels without upstream weir. Since the output power is very small in such a utilization of small hydropower, it is important to derive more power for the cost reduction. In the present study, we parametrically investigate the preferable shape of the inlet nozzle for the Darrieus-type hydroturbine operated in an open flow channel. Experimental investigation is carried out in the open channel in our lab. Tested inlet nozzles are composed of two flat plates with the various nozzle converging angles and nozzle outlet (runner inlet) widths with the nozzle inlet width kept constant. As a result, the turbine with the nozzles having large converging angle and wide outlet width generates higher power. Two-dimensional unsteady numerical simulation is also carried out to qualitatively understand the flow mechanism leading to the better performance of turbine. Since the depth, the width and the flow rate in the real open flow channels are different from place to place and, in some cases from time to time, it is also important to predict the onsite performance of the hydroturbine from the lab experiment at planning stage. One-dimensional stream-tube model is developed for this purpose, in which the Darrieus-type hydroturbine with the inlet nozzle is considered as an actuator-disk modelled based on our experimental and numerical results.