Online Health Information Seeking Behaviors of Hispanics in New York City Young Ji Lee Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority group in the United States, but they are the most underserved population in terms of access to online health information. The specific aims of this descriptive, correlational study were to examine factors associated with online health information seeking behaviors of Hispanics and to examine the association between online health information seeking behaviors and health behaviors. The study sample (n=4,070) was recruited from five zip codes in the Washington Heights/Inwood community of New York City for the Washington Heights Inwood Informatics Infrastructure for Comparative Effectiveness Research project. Survey data were collected via interview by bilingual community health workers in three settings: a community center affiliated with Columbia University, households and other community settings, and NewYorkPresbyterian Ambulatory Care Network clinics. Data were analyzed using logistic and linear regressions. In regards to survey respondents' situational, sociodemographic, and literacy factors (health literacy, computer literacy) associated with their online health information seeking behaviors and those of their household members, the study found that that worse health status (OR=0.42, p<0.001), lack of hypertension (OR=0.60, p<0.01), a high level of education (OR=3.04, p<0.001), and computer literacy (OR=3.78, p < 0.001) were positively associated with respondents online health information seeking behaviors. Health literacy was only positively associated (OR=2.13, p<0.001) in a subsample of respondents (n=2,680) in which it was measured by one item related to understanding written health information. Respondents' factors significantly associated with online health information seeking by household members were: female gender (OR=1.60, p<0.01), younger age (OR=0.75, p<0.01), married (OR=1.36, p<0.01), higher education (OR=1.80, p<0.001), higher computer literacy (OR=2.24, p<0.001), in worse health status (OR=0.592, p<0.001), and presence of serious health problems (OR=1.83, p<0.01). Controlling for factors found to be significant in Aim 1, respondents' online health information seeking behaviors were hypothesized to be positively associated with fruit consumption, vegetable consumption, physical activity, and hypertension medication adherence and negatively associated with alcohol consumption. Hypotheses related to fruit consumption (p<0.05), vegetable consumption (p<0.05), and physical activity (p<0.01) were supported. This study contributes to the understanding of Hispanics' online health information seeking behaviors and provides the foundation for informatics and public health interventions.


The utilization of acetate by blue-green algae was examined and the activities of enzymes involved in its metabolism measured. Although acetate did not stimulate the endogenous respiration of these organisms, the oxidation of acetate was followed by the rate of release of [14C] carbon dioxide from [I-~~CC] and [2-l4CC] sodium acetate. Similarly, sodium acetate did not alter the rate of growth of Anabaenu variahilis and Anacystis nidulans but in A . variabilis it was found to contribute 7-2 "/b of the dry weight when cultures were gassed with air+CO, (95+5, vlv), and 16.9% when gassed with air alone. The presence of acetate in the growth medium did not alter the activity of the acetate-activating enzymes, glyoxylate cycle enzymes or two tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes. The failure to show enzyme adaption by these organisms when supplied with an exogeneous substrate is discussed in relation to their hitherto apparently autotrophic nature.


: During 5 consecutive years of 100 mm photofluorography, 21 cases of primary lung cancer were discovered among 211,881 checked subjects in 54 factories in the suburbs of Beijing. Detection rate was 9.9/100,000. In the male smokers 40 years old or over, who comprised 13.7% of all examined with a detection rate of 55.0/100,000. Among the 21 cases, peripheral cancer was 61.9%, in which 38.4% were stage I 69.2% were treated by surgical resection, much higher than that of the central type. It may be concluded that photofluorography in mass screening has a certain value in early detection of the peripheral lung cancer and the male smokers 40 years or over should be examined as a priority group.


Most land plant genomes carry genes that encode RPW8-NLR Resistance (R) proteins. Angiosperms carry two RPW8-NLR subclasses: ADR1 and NRG1. ADR1s act as 'helper' NLRs for multiple TIR- and CC-NLR R proteins in Arabidopsis. In angiosperm families, NRG1 co-occurs with TIR-NLR Resistance (R) genes. We tested whether NRG1 is required for signalling of multiple TIR-NLRs. Using CRISPR mutagenesis, we obtained an nrg1a-nrg1b double mutant in two Arabidopsis accessions, and an nrg1 mutant in Nicotiana benthamiana. These mutants are compromised in signalling of all TIR-NLRs tested, including WRR4A, WRR4B, RPP1, RPP2, RPP4 and the pairs RRS1/RPS4, RRS1B/RPS4B, CHS1/SOC3 and CHS3/CSA1. In Arabidopsis, NRG1 is required for the hypersensitive cell death response (HR) and full oomycete resistance, but not for salicylic acid induction or bacterial resistance. By contrast, nrg1 loss of function does not compromise the CC-NLR R proteins RPS5 and MLA. RPM1 and RPS2 (CC-NLRs) function is slightly compromised in an nrg1 mutant. Thus, NRG1 is required for full TIR-NLR function and contributes to the signalling of some CC-NLRs. Some NRG1-dependent R proteins also signal partially via the NRG1 sister clade, ADR1. We propose that some NLRs signal via NRG1 only, some via ADR1 only and some via both or neither.


There are increasing calls for more accurate power loss measurements in electrical steels. This paper presents the flux controlling technique in electrical steels using digital feedback technique. The various parameters that affect the measuring efficiency have also been analyzed. Digital feedback technique is used since it has the advantages of good reproducibility of the waveform due to ease of calibration and its stability with respect to time as well as reduces human error. Furthermore, it has no oscillation of the control system compared to the analog feedback technique. This technique was designed by using Simulink, MATLAB R12, Version 6.0. The digital feedback circuitry, which has been designed, is proved to be successful where the output waveform is a sinusoidal waveform of 50Hz. It is shown that the harmonic component increases as the distortion factor increases. It also indicates that the average distortion factor for nth harmonic to the distorted waveform is typically less than 1.5 and meaningful measurements can be performed.


Between discrete event simulation and evaluation within real networks, network emulation is a useful tool to study and evaluate the behaviour of applications. Using a real network as a basis to simulate another network's characteristics, it enables researchers to perform experiments in a wide range of conditions. After an overview of the various available network emulators, this paper focuses on three freely available and widely used network link emulators: Dummynet, NIST-Net, and the Linux Traffic Control subsystem. We start by comparing their features, then focus on the accuracy of their latency and bandwidth emulation, and discuss the way they are affected by the time source of the system. We expose several problems that cannot be ignored when using such tools. We also outline differences in their user interfaces, such as the interception point, and discuss possible solutions. This work aims at providing a complete overview of the different solutions for network emulation.


Summary Th e incidence, severity and occurrence of four viruses infecting pepper were determined in Kwara State, Nigeria. A disease survey and antigen-coated plate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ACP-ELISA) were the tools deployed to achieve these objectives. Th e survey indicated the highest virus incidence (97%) in four locations, and the lowest incidence (16%) in three locations, with variations in severity scores. Th e ELISA result indicated the occurrence of all four viruses with the highest percentage occurrence of virus in the samples as follows: Pepper veinal mottle virus (36.3%), Blackeye cowpea mosaic virus (16.2%), Cowpea aphid borne mosaic virus (7.4%), and Cucumber mosaic virus in the locations (4.8%). Th e results indicate the prevalence of these viruses on pepper in the Southern Guinea savannah agroecological zone and therefore the need for constant studies to detect other viruses that limit pepper production.


A mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana, amt-7, was previously selected for resistance to growth inhibition by the tryptophan analog a-methyltryptophan. This mutant had elevated tryptophan levels and exhibited higher anthranilate synthase (AS) activity that showed increased resistance to feedback inhibition by tryptophan. In this study, extracts of the mutant callus exhibited higher AS activity than wild-type callus when assayed with either glutamine or ammonium sulfate as amino donor, thus suggesting that elevated AS activity in the mutant was dueto an alteration in the a subunit of the enzyme. The mutant also showed cross-resistance to 5-methylanthranilate and 6-methylanthranilate and mapped to chromosome V at or close to ASA7 (a gene encoding the AS a subunit). ASA7 mRNA and protein levels were similar in mutant and wild-type leaf extracts. Levels of ASA7 mRNA and protein were also similar in callus cultures of mutant and wild type, although the levels in callus were higher than in leaf tissue. Sequencing of the ASAl gene from amt-1 revealed a C to A transition relative to the wild-type gene that would result in the substitution of an asparagine residue in place of aspartic acid at position 341 in the predicted amino acid sequence of the ASAl protein. lhe mutant allele in strain amt-1 has been renamed trp5-1.


Coinfection with intestinal parasites leads to altered antiviral immunity in mice. Microbial coinfections challenge the immune system—different pathogens often require different flavors of immune responses for their elimination or containment (see the Perspective by Maizels and Gause). Two teams studied what happens when parasitic worms and viruses infect mice at the same time. Reese et al. found that parasite coinfection woke up a dormant virus. Osborne et al. found that mice already infected with parasitic worms were worse at fighting off viruses. In both cases, worms skewed the immune response so that the immune cells and the molecules they secreted created an environment favorable for the worm at the expense of antiviral immunity. T. A. Reese, B. S. Wakeman, H. S. Choi, M. M. Hufford, S. C. Huang, X. Zhang, M. D. Buck, A. Jezewski, A. Kambal, C. Y. Liu, G. Goel, P. J. Murray, R. J. Xavier, M. H. Kaplan, R. Renne, S. H. Speck, M. N. Artyomov, E. J. Pearce, H. W. Virgin, Helminth infection reactivates latent γ-herpesvirus via cytokine competition at a viral promoter. Science 345, 573–577 (2014). [Abstract] [Full Text] L. C. Osborne, L. A. Monticelli, T. J. Nice, T. E. Sutherland, M. C. Siracusa, M. R. Hepworth, V. T. Tomov, D. Kobuley, S. V. Tran, K. Bittinger, A. G. Bailey, A. L. Laughlin, J.-L. Boucher, E. J. Wherry, F. D. Bushman, J. E. Allen, H. W. Virgin, D. Artis, Virus-helminth coinfection reveals a microbiota-independent mechanism of immunomodulation. Science 345, 578–582 (2014). [Abstract] [Full Text] R. M. Maizels, W. C. Gause, How helminths go viral. Science 345, 517–518 (2014). [Abstract] [Full Text]


CONTEXT
In Cambodia, unmet need for contraception is high. Studies suggest that social support and parity each play a role in contraceptive decision making.

METHODS
A representative sample of 706 married women aged 15-49 from two rural provinces in Cambodia who wished to delay childbirth were interviewed about their contraceptive use and their perceptions of their husband's, peers' and elders' support of contraception. Multivariate analyses examined associations between support measures and women's current use of modern methods, among all women and by parity.

RESULTS
Overall, 43% of women were currently using a modern method. Women who believed that their husband had a positive attitude toward contraception were more likely than those who did not to use a method (odds ratio, 3.4), whereas women who were nervous about talking with their husband about contraception were less likely than others to use a method (0.6); these associations remained in analyses by parity. Among all women and high-parity women, those whose husband made the final decision about contraception were less likely than other women to use a method (0.6 and 0.4, respectively). Perceiving that most of one's peers practice contraception was strongly associated with method use among low-parity women (4.4). Among all groups, women who agreed that one should not practice contraception if an elder says not to had decreased odds of method use (0.5 each).

CONCLUSIONS
To promote contraceptive use, family planning programs should focus on increasing men's approval of contraception, improving partner communication around family planning and bolstering women's confidence in their reproductive decision making.


We report on the first simultaneous near-infrared/X-ray detection of the Sgr A* counterpart associated with the massive 3-4 × 10 6 Mblack hole at the center of the Milky Way. The observations have been carried out using the NACO adaptive optics (AO) instrument at the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescopeand the ACIS-I instrument aboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory. We also report on quasi-simultaneous observations at a wavelength of 3.4 mm using the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association (BIMA) array. A flare was detected in the X-domain with an excess 2-8 keV luminosity of about 6 × 10 33 erg/s. A fading flare of Sgr A* with >2 times the interim-quiescent flux was also detected at the beginning of the NIR observations, that overlapped with the fading part of the X-ray flare. Compared to 8-9 h before the NIR/X-ray flare we detected a marginally significant increase in the millimeter flux density of Sgr A* during measurements about 7-9 h afterwards. We find that the flaring state can be conveniently explained with a synchrotron self-Compton model involving up-scattered sub-millimeter photons from a compact source component, possibly with modest bulk relativistic motion. The size of that component is assumed to be of the order of a few times the Schwarzschild radius. The overall spectral indices αNIR/X−ray (S ν ∝ ν −α ) of both states are quite comparable with a value of ∼1.3. Since the interim-quiescent X-ray emission is spatially extended, the spectral index for the interim-quiescent state is probably only a lower limit for the compact source Sgr A*. A conservative estimate of the upper limit of the time lag between the ends of the NIR and X-ray flare is of the order of 15 min.


Production cross sections of superheavy nuclei Rf and Hs for asymmetric and nearly symmetric projectile-target combinations are systematically studied within the framework of the dinuclear system model. The calculated results show that the production cross sections are strongly dependent on the symmetry of reaction systems. The obtained results are in good agreement with the available experimental data for asymmetric reaction systems.For nearly symmetric systems, the model gives opposite results with coupled channel model in which surface vibration and nucleon transfer are included.


Proliferation of brain astrocytes as a result of cell death has been well documented in vivo. Dying cells release purine and pyrimidine nucleosides and nucle‐otides and their deoxy derivatives both from soluble intracellular pools and from DNA and RNA. Previously, we have observed that purine nucleosides and nucleotides stimulate chick astrocyte proliferation in vitro. To further our analysis, we questioned whether pyrimidines or the deoxy derivatives of purine nucleosides and nucleotides might also be astrocyte mitogens. Pyrimidine nucleosides, nucleotides, and their deoxynucleotide derivatives were uniformly inactive. In contrast, deoxyguanosine, deoxyadenosine, and their mono‐, di‐, and triphosphates stimulated thymidine incorporation into astrocytes at concentrations similar to those at which their ribonucleoside and ribonucleotide analogues were active. Inosine, IMP, ITP, and hypoxanthine were active, whereas xanthine and xanthosine were not. However, XMP, XDP, and XTP stimulated thymidine incorporation. The effects of the nucleosides and deoxynucleosides were inhibited by antagonists of adenosine A2 receptors. These data indicate that most purine nucleosides, deoxynucleosides, and their 5′ mono, di‐, and triphosphate derivatives released from damaged cells are capable of stimulating astrocyte proliferation in vitro and may contribute to astrocyte proliferation in vivo following injury to the CNS.


In spite of the efforts of the education and mathematics communities, the mathematics background of recent American high school graduates entering American colleges and universities is less than that of their counterparts in other countries and indeed less than that of their counterparts in the U.S. in the early 1960s. Some educators blame the problem on the gap between knowledge and analytical abilities and recommend that instruction should be in the manner of critical thinking.
The invention of microcomputers in 1979 was a turning point in applications of computers, and it is believed among educators that microcomputers will play an important role in education and especially as a strong tutorial tool in the form of Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI).
This study introduces a new approach by providing a new model that can be used to write educational courseware. The new model, Computer Assisted Instruction And Critical Thinking (CAIACT), uses the strengths of CAI and the skills of critical thinking. An example of how a CAIACT model can be used for teaching Mathematics of Finance is included in this study.
The courseware was tested on a sample of 168 students. Statistical analyses were done to test the hypotheses that the courseware developed for Mathematics of Finance did not improve the performance of its users and that the users of courseware did not like using a computer for instruction. The technical aspects of the courseware were also analyzed. As a subsidiary objective this study asked whether students believed that CAI could eliminate possible discrimination by teachers on the basis of sex, race, citizenship, and age, assuming that the instructional material was not biased.
The courseware improved significantly the performance of its users, they liked the use of CAI for instruction, they analyzed the courseware favorably, and they believed that CAI could eliminate possible discrimination by teachers.


The United Nations'(UN) response to reports of UN personnel perpetrating sexual violence proclaims "zero-tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA)." Drawing on Carol Bacchi's "what's the problem represented to be (WPR)?" framework, this article unpacks how UN policy solutions represent the problem of SEA. It explores the discursive effects of the UN's problematization of SEA drawing on Sara Ahmed's analysis of audit systems and non-performativity within performance cultures. It scrutinizes the Secretary-General's reports on SEA data and policy documents, including training and risk assessment materials. The analysis shows that UN policy problematizes SEA as transactional sex, inevitable in conditions of poverty and gender inequality. Solutions individualize perpetrators as rule-breakers subject to discipline and generalize victims as among the many impacted by SEA globally. Such solutions situate the UN as the answer to, rather than cause of, SEA and restore a narrative of the UN as defender of the vulnerable.


Background and Aim : Liver has a major role in protection of human against various toxins and drugs. Cholestasis can be defined as impairment of the bile flow which can lead to increased oxidant stress, hepatocyte damage and finally cirrhosis. Selegiline is commonly used in management of Parkinson's disease. It has neuroprotective, antiapoptic and antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of selegiline on liver cholestasis induced by bile duct ligation (BDL) in the rats. Material and Methods : 30 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups (n= 6) including saline, sham + saline, BDL + saline, BDL + Selegiline (0.15 mg/kg) and Selegiline (0.15 mg/kg). Under general anesthesia and sterile condition, laparatomy was done, and bile duct was ligated. After 14 days, liver function tests, serologic tests and serum TNF-α were performed for all groups after taking blood samples. The results were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Results : The results of the this study showed that selegiline significantly increased Alb, AST, ALT and ALP in BDL selegiline group compared to BDL+ saline. Also, when compared to saline group, selegiline significantly increased PT. Conclusion : Selegiline in cholestatic rat model did not show a protective effect on the liver cells and in some cases exacerbated the symptoms.


Marine macroalgae host a diverse microbiota. Bacteria are the most prominent group, and relationships between the algae and bacteria are complex and dynamic. The goal of this project was to examine the distribution and ASV diversity of Bacteria associated with Porphyra umbilicalis with special focus on some isolates, including studies of their temperature dependence and consideration of how they may affect Porphyra. Previous studies showed that some bacteria are required for normal algal morphology and growth. Porphyra umbilicalis is an abundant red macroalga found in the intertidal zone and is an important food for invertebrates. Because of its significance in intertidal communities across the North Atlantic rocky shore, it is important to understand its microbial associations. The biodiversity of the microbiota of P. umbilicalis samples collected from four trans-Atlantic locations in the winter of 2016 were compared using amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) derived following DNA extraction from sequencing of the V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rDNA. Bacteria were isolated from germlings of P. umbilicalis spread on agar plates. PCR of nearly full length 16S rDNA gene sequences identified these bacteria. Temperature optima for growth of six of the 21 isolates were examined. The microbiota of P. umbilicalis differed significantly across all four locations and regional specificity was found on the thallus between bacteria on the holdfast versus blade margin of bacterial communities on the plants. Growth experiments showed variability in the effects of temperature on growth of different isolates.


ABSTRACT Background: With the improved life expectancy of people living with HIV (PLWH), identifying vulnerable subpopulations at high mortality risk is important. Evidences showed that DNA methylation (DNAm) is associated with mortality in non-HIV populations. Here, we established a panel of DNAm biomarkers that can predict mortality risk among PLWH. Methods: 1,081 HIV-positive participants from the Veterans Ageing Cohort Study (VACS) were divided into training (N = 460), validation (N = 114), and testing (N = 507) sets. VACS index was used as a measure of mortality risk among PLWH. Model training and fine-tuning were conducted using the ensemble method in the training and validation sets and prediction performance was assessed in the testing set. The survival analysis comparing the predicted high and low mortality risk groups and the Gene Ontology enrichment analysis of the predictive CpG sites were performed. Results: We selected a panel of 393 CpGs for the ensemble prediction model that showed excellent performance in predicting high mortality risk with an auROC of 0.809 (95%CI: 0.767,0.851) and a balanced accuracy of 0.653 (95%CI: 0.611, 0.693) in the testing set. The high mortality risk group was significantly associated with 10-year mortality (hazard ratio = 1.79, p = 4E-05) compared with low risk group. These 393 CpGs were located in 280 genes enriched in immune and inflammation response pathways. Conclusions: We identified a panel of DNAm features associated with mortality risk in PLWH. These DNAm features may serve as predictive biomarkers for mortality risk among PLWH. Abbreviations: AUC: Area Under Curve; CI: Confidence interval; DMR: differentially methylated region; DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNAm: DNA methylation; DAVID: Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery; EWA: epigenome-wide association; FDR: False discovery rate; FWER: Family-wise error rate; GLMNET: elastic-net-regularized generalized linear models; GO: Gene ontology; HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus; HM450K: Human Methylation 450 K BeadChip; k-NN: k-nearest neighbours; NK: Natural killer; PC: Principal component; PLWH: people living with HIV; QC: Quality control; SVM: Support Vector Machines; VACS: Veterans Ageing Cohort Study; XGBoost: Extreme Gradient Boosting Tree


This review article advances debate and research on the global–local nexus that shapes, and increasingly determines, the existence of Protected Areas (PAs) and their function as areas of high conservation value as well as tourism destinations. The demands on PAs have grown from an initial focus on facilitating recreation experiences and species and habitat protection, to more inclusive and participatory approaches that seek to safeguard ecological services whilst also supporting regional and national livelihoods. We propose that the simultaneous analysis of global and local drivers of change will generate a deeper understanding of impact processes and response implications. To this end, a draft framework for better understanding the global–local nexus of PAs is developed and tested through a Delphi sketching approach to 20 experts in least developed, newly industrialised and developed countries. Key challenges, implications and opportunities for PA management and governance, and for tourism development at local and global levels (and their interactions), are discussed in follow-up papers to this review, including research priority areas, the measurement of tourism numbers, economic impact modelling, private PAs, the changing roles of zoning, the need for flexible, inclusive and accountable governance structures, and for better understanding of tourist behavioural change mechanisms.


Scarcity of potable water is being experienced throughout the world due to increasing population (demand) and environmental pollution. These shortages are experienced more by poor rather than the rich, who can afford costly modern technologies for survival. Roof water harvesting is an ideal technique to collect and store water for drinking purposes. However, with time, in spite of all the precautions, there is a possibility of development of microbes in stored water that makes it unsafe for drinking. Moreover, microbe infected water is one of the major concern in most parts of developing countries. There are many water purification methods, although, most of them are expensive and beyond the reach of many people, especially in rural areas. In India, since ancient times, Ayurveda recommends use of copper pots / vessels for storing drinkingwater, but, in last few decades, copper is replaced by steel, plastic and earthen pots. In conventional water distribution system chlorine is used to disinfect drinking water, but, it has several detrimental effects, so replacement of chlorine is essential. In this study an attempt was made to study the best method among the Copper, Silver treatment, earthen pot or Plastic jugs for removal of biological contamination from drinking water for domestic use. The result revealed that copper vessel showed maximum inhibitory effect on coliform as well as total bacterial count at 12 hrs and 24 hrs. There was a slight increase in pH and Copper concentration but it remains within the permissible limits laid by World Health Organization. The findings indicate that vessel or pot made up of copper could be used for antimicrobial treatment for purification of drinking water. It would be very economical solution to disinfect potable water, without any energy requirements, which could be adopted in urban / rural areas of the developing countries.


ABSTRACT Eigenfrequency (i.e. natural resonant frequency) shift due to variation in the cross sectional area of a conduit is observed in different applications such as vocal tracts, musical instruments and water supply systems. In the context of water supply systems, past research focused on developing inverse problem techniques that use shifts in eigenfrequencies to identify blockages. The goal of this paper is to understand the mechanisms that cause this eigenfrequency shift. Application of the principle of action invariance to a small blockage shows that the eigenfrequency shift is directly related to the change in energy. For a severe blockage, the pipe system is decoupled into two independent subsystems: a subsystem that involves the blockage and another that involves the intact pipe section. The decoupling is lost when the blockage length is such that the fundamental frequencies of the two subsystems are close or equal, resulting in resonance where perturbation theory is successfully used to derive a simple frequency relation.


Background: To examine the epidemiology of Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) in Alberta between 1994 and 2004 with data derived from hospital administration procedures. Methods: Data from 3 959 857 individuals (1 956 841 females and 2 003 016 males) aged 1–110 years and residing in Alberta, Canada, were included in the analysis. A Poisson regression analysis was performed to determine the predictors of GBS events. Results: After age and sex standardisation to the 2001 Canadian census population, incidence rates ranged from 0.97 to 2.32 per 100 000 over the course of the 11-year period, with a mean incidence of 1.6 per 100 000. Significant effects of gender, age group and year were found. Males were found to be 1.5 times more likely to acquire GBS than females. Relative to those in their first decade, the risk of acquiring GBS increased with advancing age, whereby the incidence in males peaked in the 7th decade of life and in females in the 8th decade of life. The incidence fluctuated over the 11-year period, with a minimum in 1998 and a maximum in 2004. Conclusions: The incidence of GBS in Alberta between 1994 and 2004 fluctuated within a narrow range, was similar to that previously reported worldwide, demonstrated a male preponderance and increased in elderly patients.


Large mammal communities, integral components of Neotropical ecosystems, are increasingly threatened by habitat fragmentation and degradation due to anthropogenic pressures and climate change. Lowland Neotropical palm forests harbor diverse mammal communities, including threatened and endangered species. We monitored three transects in the Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge in Northeast Costa Rica from February 2014 until April 2015 documenting large terrestrial mammal and primate detections. Following established large mammal survey methodology, each transect was walked weekly alternating between early morning and late afternoon to maximize detection. The three transects represent three levels of anthropogenic disturbance with highest disturbance at the Cerro, followed by Caño Palma Biological Station (CPBS), and lowest levels in Tortuguero National Park (TNP). Overall we found higher diversity and increased presence of endangered species in TNP and the lowest diversity and lower presence of those species in the Cerro. Overall we detected 25 species; 19 at the Cerro, 22 in TNP and 23 at CPBS. TNP had the highest diversity as calculated by Simpson index (28.3) followed by CBPS (27.9), and the Cerro had the lowest diversity of mammals (2.27). The most influential species driving the differences of communities between the three transects included the white-lipped and collared peccaries, which were both present in higher densities in transects with lower disturbance and higher levels of protection, and domestic dogs which were present in higher densities at the Cerro. This study has documented baseline densities of large mammal communities in the wildlife refuge which can be used as preliminary data for future comparisons. As development is continuing in the region, including construction of a tourist trail at the Cerro, a continued monitoring is recommended to understand the effect of development on mammal communities.


From the study of sign languages we know that the visual modality robustly supports the encoding of conventionalized linguistic elements, yet while the same possibility exists for the visual bodily behavior of speakers of spoken languages, such practices are often referred to as 'gestural' and are not usually described in linguistic terms. This article describes a practice of speakers of the Brazilian indigenous language Nheengatú of pointing to positions along the east-west axis of the sun's arc for time-of-day reference, and illustrates how it satisfies any of the common criteria for linguistic elements, as a system of standardized and productive form-meaning pairings whose contributions to propositional meaning remain stable across contexts. First, examples from a video corpus of natural speech demonstrate these conventionalized properties of Nheengatú time reference across multiple speakers. Second, a series of video-based elicitation stimuli test several dimensions of its conventionalization for nine participants. The results illustrate why modality is not an a priori reason that linguistic properties cannot develop in the visual practices that accompany spoken language. The conclusion discusses different possible morphosyntactic and pragmatic analyses for such conventionalized visual elements and asks whether they might be more crosslinguistically common than we presently know.


This overview addresses the controversial practice of reuse and reprocessing of single-use medical devices and the issues this practice raises for physician liability. Specifically, we describe the health risks associated with medical device reprocessing, analyze the market costs arising from the reuse and reprocessing of single-use medical devices, and discuss physician liability for failure to obtain informed consent of the patient for the use of reprocessed single-use medical devices.


This book focuses on large, modern commercial vessels. Unique in its emphasis on the art of shiphandling and manoeuvres for such vessels, it is a classic work designed to teach mariners and pilots practical shiphandling skills. The book is used as a text by maritime academies, shiphandling training facilities, ships' officers, and apprentice pilots. The text is a compendium of shiphandling information written by a father and son team of pilots, with contributions from several other pilots and shipmasters who provided material relating to their specialised skills. It is written primarily for the practising mariner -- the shipmaster, mate, naval or Coast Guard officer -- who already possesses some degree of professional knowledge, experience, and training. The text follows a non-technical format, stressing manoeuvres routinely used by working pilots and mariners. The material incorporates information from recent tests of the hydrodynamics of ship behaviour and simulator-developed data, with procedures and practices based on the authors' experience, gained while working as shipmasters, canal pilots, mooring masters, and river pilots. The fourth edition includes new information on squat and under-keel clearance in shallow water, bridge resource management for pilots, and discussions of new propulsion systems and hull types, including VMax ships and Azipod propulsion systems, proposals for a more modern approach to VTS, and laptop navigation systems for manoeuvring in pilot waters. Most manoeuvres used in docking, undocking, and shiphandling are covered, and many less commonly performed manoeuvres, including docking at single-point and multiple-buoy moorings, use of anchors in shiphandling, offshore lightering, and transiting of locks and canals. Good bridge practices in pilot waters and training techniques, including simulator training, are discussed, so that the potential deck officer or master can develop the shiphandling skills essential to the marine profession.


Introduction: Surgery in idiopathic scoliosis consists of triplanar deformity correction with simultaneous reconstruction of normal sagittal spinal alignment. Aim: evaluation of spinal alignment in sagittal plane in patients with lumbar scoliosis, before and after modified anterior "bone-on-bone" fusion according to Gaines. Material and methods: 23 patients with structural lumbar curve underwent anterior "bone-on-bone" fusion. Average lumbar curve angle was 61.0o, and thoracic angle was 45.3o. We assessed the proceedings of surgery, extent of fusion, and we analyzed the spinal alignment after operations. Mean follow up period was 2 years. Results: Mean extent of fusion was 4.4 vertebra. The mean thoracic kyphosis was 24.3o after operation and 21.3o at control examination. The mean lumbar lordosis was 22.6o after surgery and 22.2o at control examination. The mean Th10-L2 angle, kyphotic after surgery, was 18.1o and did not change during follow up. Only in the group of 4 patients with double intervertebral cages, Th10- L2 angle decreased after surgery from 15.5o to 8.5o and 9o after follow up period. Conclusion: Anterior fusion with two intervertebral cages in lumbar spine allows proper reconstruction of sagittal balance.


In this work carbon combustion efficiencies in circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC) when co-firing biomass and coal mixtures were studied. Experimental results were obtained from the combustion of two kind of coals with a forest residue (Pine bark) in a CBF pilot plant (0.3MWth ) with 20-cm i.d. and 6.5-m height. The effect of operating conditions such as percentage of biomass in the feed, temperature, excess air, air velocity and percentage of secondary air on carbon combustion efficiency was studied. A mathematical model for the co-combustion of coal and biomass in a circulating fluidized bed boiler has been developed. The riser is divided in three zones with different hydrodynamic characteristics: bottom, splash and freeboard. The bottom bed has a constant voidage, determined by a modified two-phase theory. The solids are considered in perfect mixing and the gas in plug flow. The voidage in the splash region follows an exponential decay model. In the freeboard region, the solids and the gas are in plug flow, and a core-annulus structure is considered. Devolatilization of solid fuels is modeled with a particle reaction model which allows to determine the volatiles generation rate as a function of time and operating conditions. Kinetics of char combustion is modeled with the shrinking particle model with mixed control by chemical reaction and gas film diffusion, assuming that the ashes separate once formed. To consider that the char particles are a mixture of coal and biomass char particles, a weighted average combustion rate is defined taking into account the individual combustion rates. Population balances of char particles in the different regions were developed to calculate carbon concentrations. The developed model can predict the different gas concentrations along the riser, such as oxygen, SO2 , CO, CH4 , etc..., and the carbon combustion efficiency. The experimental results of carbon combustion efficiencies and gas emissions were compared with those predicted by the model and a good correlation was found for all the conditions used.Copyright © 2003 by ASME


The comprehensive body of knowledge that has built up with respect to the friction stir welding (FSW) of aluminum alloys since the technique was invented in 1991 is reviewed on this paper. The basic principles of FSW are described, including metal flow and thermal history, before discussing how process parameters affect the weld microstructure and the likelihood of defects. Finally, the range of mechanical properties that can be achieved is discussed. It is demonstrated that FSW of aluminum is becoming an increasingly mature technology with numerous commercial applications.


Biodiesel fuel derived from oil (animal or vegetable origin, or used for frying) and alcohol is an alternative to traditional petroleum diesel fuel. The most popular kind of biodiesel fuel is rapeseed oil methylesters. Rapeseed oil butylesters have not been widely analyzed yet. Transesterification of rapeseed oil was performed using n-butanol and immobilized lipase in the solvent-free medium. The most effective biocatalyst was selected from Novozym 435, Lipozyme TL IM, Lipozyme RM IM, lipase G and lipase F-EC. The most suitable lipase for that process was Lipozyme TL IM. The transesterification reaction was optimized in order to get a highest yield of rapeseed oil butylesters. Optimal conditions (temperature, lipase concentration, rapeseed oil and n-butanol stoichiometric ratio, and reaction duration) of a rapeseed oil butanolysis process were also determined.


Why do our organizations so often seem to be less than the sum of their parts? What undermines effectiveness and morale, and gets in the way of achieving what we set out to do?

The Unconscious at Work, Second Edition, draws on a body of thinking and practice which has developed over the past 70 years, often referred to as 'the Tavistock approach' or 'systems-psychodynamics'. All the contributors are practising consultants who draw on this framework, bringing it alive and making it useful to any reader – manager, leader or consultant, regardless of whether they have any prior familiarity with the underlying concepts – who is curious about what might be driving the puzzling or stressful situations they find in their workplace.

The First Edition was addressed to people working in 'the human services': health, social care and education. Since it was published in 1994, there has been growing interest in the business world, and in understanding more about the 'irrational' side of organizational life. Therefore, this Second Edition includes an entirely new section where the key ideas are revisited and illustrated with case studies from a wide range of business organizations, from large corporations to start-ups and family businesses.

The aim, however remains the same: to enlarge readers' existing sense-making 'tool-kits' so that they can look at themselves and their organizations with fresh eyes, deepening the emotional intelligence they bring to bear on the challenges they face and providing new possibilities for action. The Unconscious at Work, Second Edition is for managers, leaders, consultants, and anyone working in organizations who has been puzzled, disturbed or challenged by their experiences at work.


In a prospective randomised trial 76 knees with isolated degenerative changes in the medial femoral condyle of grades 3 or 4 were treated by either arthroscopic debridement (40) or washout (36). All knees were followed up for at least one year and 58 for five years. The mean follow-up time was 4.5 years in the debridement group and 4.3 years in the washout group. At one year 32 of the debridement group and five of the washout group were painfree and at five years 19 of a total of 32 survivors in the debridement group and three of the 26 in the washout group were also free from pain. The mean improvement in a modified Lysholm score was 28 for the debridement group at one year and 21 at five years. In the washout group it was only 5 at one year and 4 at five years. For knees with lesions of the medial femoral condyle


Phenotypic plasticity is frequently assumed to be an adaptive mechanism by which organisms cope with rapid changes in their environment, such as shifts in temperature regimes owing to climate change. However, despite this adaptive assumption, the nature of selection on plasticity within populations is still poorly documented. Here, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of estimates of selection on thermal plasticity. Although there is a large literature on thermal plasticity, we found very few studies that estimated coefficients of selection on measures of plasticity. Those that did do not provide strong support for selection on plasticity, with the majority of estimates of directional selection on plasticity being weak and non-significant, and no evidence for selection on plasticity overall. Although further estimates are clearly needed before general conclusions can be drawn, at present there is not clear empirical support for any assumption that plasticity in response to temperature is under selection. We present a multivariate mixed model approach for robust estimation of selection on plasticity and demonstrate how it can be implemented. Finally, we highlight the need to consider the environments, traits and conditions under which plasticity is (or is not) likely to be under selection, if we are to understand phenotypic responses to rapid environmental change. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of plasticity in phenotypic adaptation to rapid environmental change'.


Both the qualitative and quantitative paradigms have weaknesses which, to a certain extent, are compensated for by the strengths of the other. As indicated in this article, the strengths of quantitative methods are that they produce factual, reliable outcome data that are usually generalizable to some larger population. The strengths of qualitative methods are that they generate rich, detailed, valid process data that usually leave the study participants' perspectives in tact. This article discusses how qualitative and quantitative methods can be combined and it introduces the articles included in this issue.


BACKGROUND
Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction due to systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve occurs as a result of a dynamic interplay between the anatomy and mechanics of the heart. While systolic anterior motion and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction are well-recognized hallmarks of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, several other specific etiologies have been described with similar pathophysiology.

CASE REPORT
We present a unique case of a middle-aged woman who developed acute dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction due to systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve resulting from a large left-sided pleural effusion.

CONCLUSIONS
Dynamic outflow tract obstruction should be considered among the potential causes of a new systolic murmur in patients with large pleural effusions in the absence of valvular heart disease.


Ireland currently finds herself in a time of economic and constitutional crisis. Part of the response to this has been the proposal from the main opposition party - Fine Gael - for abolition of the upper house of parliament (the Seanad) and a move towards a unicameral parliamentary system. This proposal is contained within a broader programme of political reform entitled New Politics. In this short essay I identify the main claims for abolition of the Seanad within the New Politics agenda and argue that, in fact, a convincing argument for so fundamental a shift in constitutional structures has not been made out. The perspectives presented in this paper are clearly rooted in a concern with the effective protection of human rights in Ireland and with ways in which parliamentary reform (both structural and attitudinal) can contribute to the cultivation of a rights-based ethic in Irish politics. In this respect there are three main areas of concern: the extent to which parliamentary structures themselves reflect and vindicate basic democratic principles, the extent to which the parliamentary process takes human rights into appropriate account in designing and debating legislation, and the extent to which legislation in fact introduced protects and vindicates human rights as enshrined in the Constitution and the various international instruments to which Ireland is a party. The essay starts by putting the New Politics agenda into its broader political context and by outlining the five basic claims for the abolition proposal contained in New Politics. The paper then proceeds to reject the abolitionist case around two arguments. They are, first, that Seanad abolition has the potential to pose a serious threat to individual rights whereas a reformed upper house together with appropriate reform of both the Dail and political practice holds potential for more effective rights protection; and, second, that a re-imagined and reformed Seanad constructed around principles of democracy, representativeness and expertise has the potential to meaningfully enhance Irish democracy.


Debates and policy initiatives aimed at the development of a more inclusive education system have provided an important focus for professionals from many disciplines in recent decades. At international level, initiatives such as the Salamanca Statement (UNESCO 1994), the Dakar Framework for Action (2000), and the Millennium Development Goals (United Nations 2000) have highlighted the shortcomings of previous generations of administrators and policy makers in providing adequate educational opportunities for learners who have been marginalised as a result of disability, poverty, gender or political upheaval. These laudable documents have encouraged national governments to initiate policies in an attempt to redress the balance and challenge the inequalities that have been pervasive in many education systems. The translation of policy into practice has however, often proven to be difficult and slow to take place. This paper considers the difficulties of addressing inclusion through a top down, policy led model and will discuss why such an approach may be experiencing difficulties in respect of implementation and impact. It is suggested that in order for inclusive education to succeed it is necessary to enfranchise local communities by building upon current local experiences and expertise which through implementing change at a local level may influence a broader national and international picture.


The New Egalitarianism is a strain of thought that draws heavily on critical theory and structuralism, arguing that disparities between groups are due to systemic oppression. This article argues that implementing New Egalitarian ideals in practice would involve transforming morality into an obscurantist epistocracy. The New Egalitarianism is epistocratic in that it relies on the existence of moral experts to determine which actions perpetuate systemic oppression and which advance equality. It is obscurantist in that New Egalitarians tend to question the standing of critics rather than engaging with the substance of their criticism. I contrast these tendencies with a Hayekian view of social morality, arguing that implementing New Egalitarian ideas may run afoul of the moral requirements of an extended social order.


Recent labor market trends have raised concerns that the unemployment rate is high not because employers are reluctant to hire but because they are unable to hire. These concerns, if true, would cast doubt on using monetary policy to stimulate the labor market, since it works by encouraging firms to hire more. Using a matching function approach, the author finds that a shock that makes it more difficult for firms to hire qualified applicants would by itself imply an unemployment rate of no more than 7.1 percent, much below the actual unemployment rate during the past two years. Hence, the recent patterns in unemployment and vacancy data do not necessarily rule out a role for monetary policy.


In this paper, the field measurements results are presented on the stack ventilation effect. The paper presents the results of performance (air change rate ACH) natural ventilation for building with inlet gap measured for the transitional season (between heating and summer season). The measurements were performed during a windless time. The house was located in northern Poland, in a cold climate region. The measurement system measured local climate conditions, indoor climate conditions and air velocities in vent inlet and outlet. In this paper, the discharge coefficient was checked. The discharge coefficient of 0.83 was higher than the discharge coefficient of 0.6 which was usually assumed for small rectangular openings during the natural ventilation. In a wind absence when the stack effect acted only, the air change rate (ACH) slightly exceeded the standard minimum value.


Abstract A heat-balance model having a canopy of one or two layers has been developed. The calculated fluxes using the present model were found to be in agreement with measurements from a rice paddy field, an orchard, and the calculated fluxes of a multilayer model. Although there was some difference in the calculated fluxes between the one- and two-layer model was the one-layer model was found to be sufficient when the dependency of the radiative ground-surface temperature on the viewing angle was not considered.


To use heterogeneous and geographically distributed resources as a platform for parallel visualization is an intriguing topic of research. This is because of the immense potential impact of the work, and also because of its use of a full range of challenging technologies. In this work, we designed an execution environment for visualization of massive scientific datasets, using network functional units (NFU) for processing power, logistical networking for storage management and visualization cookbook library (vcblib) for visualization operations. This environment is based solely on computers distributed across the Internet that are owned and operated by independent institutions, while being openly shared for free. Those Internet computers are inherently of heterogeneous hardware configuration and running a variety of operating systems. Using 100 such processors, we have been able to obtain the same level of performance offered by a 64-node cluster of 2.2 GHz P4 processors, while processing a 75GBs subset of a cutting-edge simulation dataset. Due to its inherently shared nature, this execution environment for data-intensive visualization could provide a viable means of collaboration among geographically separated users.


This study examines the relation between customer abuse and aggression, the gender and sexual expression of workers, and labour control in low-wage services. In-depth interviews with 30 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)1 low-wage service sector workers reveal how customer abuse and aggression works in consort with management strategies to reproduce cis- and heteronormativity. Customer abuse and aggression disciplined worker expressions of non-normative gender and sexual identities, leading to concealment and self-policing. Management was complicit in this dynamic, placing profitability and customer satisfaction over the safety of LGBT workers, only intervening in instances of customer abuse and aggression when it had a limited economic impact. It is posited that customer abuse and aggression is not only a response to unmet expectations emanating from the labour process but is also a mechanism of labour control that disciplines worker behaviour and aesthetics, directly and indirectly, by influencing management prerogatives.


Summary1. Within the same forest stand, temperate deciduous trees generally exhibit a distinct patternin leaf-out timing, with some species flushing earlier than other species. This study aimed toexplain the timing of leaf-out of various temperate tree species in relation to the risk offreezing damage to leaves.2. We combined long-term series of leaf-out date (14–32 years) of five temperate tree specieslocated in both low and high elevations in Switzerland, daily minimum temperatures recordedat the same sites and species-specific freezing resistance (LT50) of emerging leaves. Wecalculated temperature safety margins (the temperature difference between absolute minimumtemperature during leaf-out and species-specific LT50 values), and date safety margins (timelag between the last day when temperature falls below species-specific LT50 values and the dateof leaf-out).3. Leaf-out occurred when the probability to encounter freezing damage approaches zero, irrespectiveof climatic conditions (low vs. high elevation) and species (early- and late-flushing species).In other words, trees leaf out precisely at the beginning of the probabilistically safeperiod. Interestingly, the temperature safety margins did not differ significantly between lowand high elevation. Yet, the date safety margin was smaller at high elevation, presumably dueto a faster increase in temperature during the leaf-out period at high elevation.4. When species-specific freezing resistance is taken into account, the time of leaf-out convergesamong species towards a marginal risk of freezing damage. Thus, leaf-out time haslikely evolved in a way that the risk of freezing damage is minimized over a large spectrum ofclimatic conditions. Species with a small safety margin against freezing temperature, likeFagus sylvatica, appear to employ photoperiod co-control of spring phenology, whereas specieswith a large safety margin depend largely on temperature for the right timing of leaf-out.5. Our results offer a new avenue to explain the differences in leaf-out timing among co-occurringtree species. They further suggest that in a warming climate, tree species can expand theirdistribution range to the extent their phenology matches the stochasticity of freezing temperaturesin spring.


Persistent, user-defined objects present an attractive abstraction for working with non-volatile program state. However, the slow speed of persistent storage (i.e., disk) has restricted their design and limited their performance. Fast, byte-addressable, non-volatile technologies, such as phase change memory, will remove this constraint and allow programmers to build high-performance, persistent data structures in non-volatile storage that is almost as fast as DRAM. Creating these data structures requires a system that is lightweight enough to expose the performance of the underlying memories but also ensures safety in the presence of application and system failures by avoiding familiar bugs such as dangling pointers, multiple free()s, and locking errors. In addition, the system must prevent new types of hard-to-find pointer safety bugs that only arise with persistent objects. These bugs are especially dangerous since any corruption they cause will be permanent.
 We have implemented a lightweight, high-performance persistent object system called NV-heaps that provides transactional semantics while preventing these errors and providing a model for persistence that is easy to use and reason about. We implement search trees, hash tables, sparse graphs, and arrays using NV-heaps, BerkeleyDB, and Stasis. Our results show that NV-heap performance scales with thread count and that data structures implemented using NV-heaps out-perform BerkeleyDB and Stasis implementations by 32x and 244x, respectively, by avoiding the operating system and minimizing other software overheads. We also quantify the cost of enforcing the safety guarantees that NV-heaps provide and measure the costs of NV-heap primitive operations.


The thermal conductivity of individual multiwalled carbon nanotubes was measured by utilizing the four-point-probe third-harmonic method, based on the fact that the third harmonic amplitude and phase as a response to applied alternate current at fundamental frequency, omega, can be expressed in terms of thermal conductivity and diffusivity. To this end, a microfabricated device composed of four metal electrodes was modified to manufacture nanometer-sized wires by using a focused ion beam source. A carbon nanotube could then be suspended over a deep trench milled by the focused ion beam, preventing heat loss to the substrate. Compared with the two-point-probe technique, a significant improvement in accuracy is assured by using four probes, because the contact contribution to the determination of the thermal conductivity is eliminated, making it possible to measure the correct signals of first and third harmonics. The multiwalled carbon nanotube was modeled as a one-dimensional diffusive energy transporter and its thermal conductivity was measured at room temperature under vacuum to be 300 +/- 20 W/mK.


In vitro and in vivo renal tubular transport of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetate (2,4,5-T), a hormone-type herbicide, was studied in the chicken. Renal cortical slices incubated with 14C-labeled 2,4,5-T demonstrated a slice-to-medium ratio of the 14C-label of 26 after 2 hr of incubation. This accumulation was inhibited significantly by probenecid, phenol red, dinitrophenol and iodoacetamide. In vitro metabolism of 2,4,5-T was apparent in the renal slice studies; at least two metabolites were found by electrophoretic analysis. Even though chicken liver slices were able to accumulate 2,4,5-T, the accumulated herbicide was not metabolized. In addition, chicken kidney slices metabolized 2,4,5-T to a much greater extent than did rat or rabbit kidney slices, which produced only negligible amounts of metabolites. When [14C]-2,4,5-T was infused into the renal portal system of the chicken, the 14C-label originally associated with 2,4,5-T was shown to be secreted by the renal tubule. Probenecid inhibited the transport of the 14C-label without affecting the simultaneous transport of tetra-ethylammonium, an organic cation transported by the renal proximal tubule. At the present infusion rate of 2,4,5-T (2.9 X 10(-10) mol/min), the excreted label was associated primarily with an acidic metabolite(s). It can be concluded that the chicken transports 2,4,5-T by a probenecid sensitive mechanism; however, this transport appears to be associated with the metabolism of the herbicide.


Financial markets have been characterized by boom and bust cycles since the 1980s, while the responsibility for managing retirement wealth has increasingly shifted onto individual households at the same time. Policymakers and experts have expressed concern over rising risk exposure among older households, who appear to be increasingly exposed to the growing financial risks just as they near retirement. We consider household data from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances from 1989 to 2010 to analyze the correlation between age and risk exposure. We test if older households' risk exposure has indeed grown over time, if it has increased more than that of younger households, if changes in the demographic composition of older households have contributed to older households' rising risk exposure and the degree to which increases in risk exposure can be traced to a growing concentration of household assets held in stocks and housing and to rising household indebtedness. Our results indicate that risk exposure has grown more for older household than for younger ones, that demographic changes among older households have contributed to additional increases in older households' risk exposure and that the growth of older households' risk exposure is driven more by rising risky asset concentration and less by greater indebtedness.


This degree project has been conducted to study flow meters and develop firmware for EC Instrument's Reciflow. Flow rate is the volume of a fluid or mass of a substance which passes through a surface per time unit. Conversion can be made between volumetric and mass flow rate if the gas density is known. A market survey showed that Coriolis and thermal mass flow meters and positive displacement (volumetric) flow meters, as the Reciflow, are the most common kinds. The Reciflow consist of a system-on-board and a displacement meter with an optical encoder. The displacement meter is a cylinder with a piston within and valves at the ends. The firmware controls the valves so that the piston can reciprocate. The components of the Reciflow affects the accuracy and it is estimated to ±0;025 % for non-normalized and ±0;2 %for normalized flow. It is measured under normal conditions to be ±0;2 %normalized, relative to a reference. Further experiments must be performed to verify the accuracy and also the precision. The actual measurement of flow rate and volume is made with the encoder: as a difference in time between signal edges and the total number of edges accounted for. Data with random noise is filtered with moving average filters and heuristic methods is used to handle static noise. Serial communication has been implemented for on- and off-board uses. A user can interact with the instrument using either a touchscreen or a terminal.


Aim : To evaluate complications of teenage pregnancy by Ultrasonography, Repeated ultrasonography is necessary in high risk teenagers because of the complications they face during pregnancy and labour such as IUFD, Anemia, Preeclampsia, congenital anomalies and abnormal presentations. They also face more psychological and physical stress in relation to older women. Material and Methods : One hundred and twenty Patients attending the antenatal clinic of age group of 13-20 years were taken for ultrasonography. 50 percent of patients attending the antenatal clinic are of age group of 13-20 years. Results : Abnormal presentations were seen in 10 (8.33 percent) patients and anemia was seen in 10 (8.33 percent) patients and IUFD in 6(5 percent) patients. As there are underdevelopments of pelvis and CPD In teenagers the number of caeserean sections were high. Around 43.91 percent of patients delivered by caeserean section, remaining 17.3 percent underwent assisted (Low forceps) delivery and the remaining normal deliveries (38.79 percent) Conclusions : Since the bulk of deliveries in India especially in rural areas take place at home, the risk to mother's life is high. This is compounded by early pregnancy, malnutrition and inadequate antenatal care. More than 60 percent deliveries in rural India are attended by untrained persons. This affects both infant and Maternal mortality rates. Better antenatal care, health education and awareness can reduce these complications.


OBJECTIVE: To analyse the effect of hospital experience on mortality after subtotal pancreaticoduodenectomy in the Netherlands. DESIGN: Retrospective evaluation. METHOD: Information on hospital mortality and pancreatic resection in 1994 and 1995 in the Netherlands was obtained from the National Medical Register. Subanalysis was carried out of surgical mortality by age and hospital experience. RESULTS: Approximately 50% of the pancreaticoduodenectomies in the Netherlands were performed in hospitals with limited experience ( 25 procedures per year): in 1994 17.2 and 0% and in 1995 14.6 and 2.9%, respectively (p <0.05). Mortality was higher in patients older than 70 years compared with patients younger than 55 (p <0.05). CONCLUSION: There was a correlation between mortality after pancreaticoduodenectomy and hospital experience. Therefore these procedures should be performed in centres with experience


Gravity load designed (GLD) reinforced concrete (RC) buildings represent a common type of construction in the Mid-America Region. These buildings have limited lateral resistance and are susceptible to story mechanisms during earthquake loading. Fragility estimates are developed to assess the seismic vulnerability of GLD RC buildings in the Mid-America Region. Fragility is defined as the conditional probability of reaching or exceeding a performance level for a given earthquake intensity measure. Five sample buildings of various story heights (1, 2, 3, 6, and 10 stories) are used to represent generic RC frame buildings of 1 to 10 stories tall. A Bayesian methodology is used to develop probabilistic demand models to predict the maximum inter story drift given the spectral acceleration at the fundamental period of the building. The unknown parameters of the demand models are estimated using the simulated response data obtained from nonlinear time history analyses of the structural models for a suite of synthetic ground motions, developed for Memphis, Tennessee. Seismic structural capacity values are selected corresponding to the performance levels or damage states as specified in FEMA-356 and as computed by nonlinear pushover analyses. For the sample buildings, fragility estimates are developed using the predicted drift demands and structural capacity values. Confidence bounds are developed to represent the epistemic uncertainty inherent in the fragility estimates. In addition, bivariate fragility estimates, formulated as a function of spectral acceleration and the fundamental building period, are developed from the fragility estimates of the individual buildings. The bivariate fragilities can be used to quantify the seismic vulnerability of GLD RC frame buildings of 1 to 10 stories. Using the Bayesian approach, a framework is developed to update the analytical fragility estimates using observed damage data or experimental test data. As an illustration of the updating framework, the analytical bivariate fragility estimates for the sample buildings in the Mid-America Region are updated using the damage data obtained from 1994 Northridge, California earthquake.


Topological media are systems whose properties are protected by topology and thus are robust to deformations of the system. In topological insulators and superconductors the bulk-surface and bulk-vortex correspondence gives rise to the gapless Weyl, Dirac or Majorana fermions on the surface of the system and inside vortex cores. Here we show that in gapless topological media, the bulk-surface and bulk-vortex correspondence is more effective: it produces topologically protected gapless fermions without dispersion – the flat band. Fermion zero modes forming the flat band are localized on the surface of topological media with protected nodal lines[1, 2] and in the vortex core in systems with topologically protected Fermi points (Weyl points) [3]. Flat band has an extremely singular density of states, and we show that this property may give rise in particular to surface superconductivity which could exist even at room temperature.


The performance characteristics and exhaust emission of a diesel engine using Water Emulsion Fuel (WEF) have been investigated under different engine speeds (1600 to 2400 rpm) and load conditions (25 to 100 %). The experiments were carried out on an air-cooled diesel engine of single cylinder using the WEF containing 5 % water, 2 % surfactant with Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance (HLB) of 6.8. The engine performance and exhaust emission using WEF were also compared with the Neat Diesel Fuel (NDF). According to the results, average reduction of 9.7 % in the engine torque and brake power was observed using WEF at all engine speeds. In addition, a 7.9 % increase in the Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) and a 3.7 % increase in the Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE) were observed for WEF in comparison with NDF in all loading conditions. In case of emission, significant lower hydrocarbon emission (i.e., 14.6 % on average) was observed for WEF comparing to NDF at all engine speeds. Moreover, a considerable reduction in the NOx emission (i.e., 31.1 % on average) was observed for the WEF comparing to the NDF in every engine load. In summary, the application of WEF leads to the reduction in the emission of different pollutants with a positive impact on the environment.


The molecular dynamics simulation method is applied to investigate the rarefied gas flow in a submicron channel with surface roughness which is modelled by an array of triangle modules. The boundary conditions are found to be determined not only by the Knudsen number but also the roughness, which implies that the breakdown of the Maxwell slip model under the conditions that the surface roughness is comparable to the molecular mean free path. The effects of the rarefaction and the surface roughness on the boundary conditions and the flow characteristics are strongly coupled. The flow friction increases with increasing roughness and with decreasing Knudsen number.


There are thousands of data repositories on the Web, providing access to millions of datasets. National and regional governments, scientific publishers and consortia, commercial data providers, and others publish data for fields ranging from social science to life science to high-energy physics to climate science and more. Access to this data is critical to facilitating reproducibility of research results, enabling scientists to build on others' work, and providing data journalists easier access to information and its provenance. In this talk, I will discuss our work on Dataset Search, which provides search capabilities over potentially all dataset repositories on the Web. I will talk about the open ecosystem for describing and citing datasets that we hope to encourage and the technical details on how we went about building Dataset Search. Finally, I will highlight research challenges in building a vibrant, heterogeneous, and open ecosystem where data becomes a first-class citizen.


The ability for plant tissue to regenerate following in vitro culture is highly dependent on the genotype. The inheritance of somatic embryogenesis in orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.; 2n = 4x = 28) was studied using one embryogenic genotype (Embryogen-P) and random plants from two nonembryogenic populations, Jay and OSG-13. Individual plants from F 1 (Embryogen-P x Jay), F 2 , BC 1 , and test cross (F 1 x OSG-13) matings were evaluated for somatic embryogenesis. Leaf bases were cultured in the dark on SH medium containing 30 μM dicamba (3,6-dichloro-o-anisic add) at 25°C for 4 wk. Qualitative differences of callus quality ranging from undesirable watery and gelatinous to desirable compact, firm, and friable were observed in all segregating populations. The percentage of plants initiating a firm and friable callus was significantly (P < 0.05) correlated to the frequency of embryogenic plants. The segregation ratios observed across all matings indicated that the ability to form somatic embryos from cultures derived from leaf base explants of orchardgrass was conditioned by two independent dominant genes with complementary effects. The genotype of Embryogen-P was simplex/simplex. The simple model of inheritance and the dominance of the character simplifies development of cultivars with improved in vitro response that would facilitate the application of biotechnological techniques in this species.


ABSTRACT Throughout history, ocean piracy was common in different parts of the world, but it was rare in the Horn of Africa waters. Although international law clearly defines piracy, the term is often carelessly used interchangeably with different crimes (armed robbery, atrocities against the victims of shipwrecks, maritime terrorism, insurgent attacks, on sea intercommunal conflicts, and at times illegal fishing). In the first section, this article critically examines the link between the multiple definitions of the concept of piracy and how these can explain the various incidents that occurred historically on the coast of Somalia. In the second part, we explain different types of maritime attacks and criminalities that took place in the Horn of Africa waters prior to the upsurge of piracy in late the 1990s. We argue that all attacks and criminal incidents at sea cannot be classified as piracy. We explain why incidents of piracy were rare before the Somali state was established. Finally, utilizing Collier and Hoeffler's greed and grievance theory, we seek to explain the factors that led to the emergence and spread of piracy. We contend that crime of opportunity explains in large part the motives of the pirates and their ringleaders while statelessness, poverty, illegal fishing, and toxic-waste dumping explain the initial emergence of piracy and tolerance for it among the coastal communities.


Abstract. Flooding in urban areas poses serious risks to citizens, infrastructures, and transportation. Precise and real-time delineation of the inundated areas is crucial for a better understanding of the extent of damage and high-risk areas and people evacuation actions. It also increases citizens' awareness that living in areas with high flood risk. Yazd city is characterized by low rainfall (<70 mm/yr) and the desert climate is considered the study area of this research. This city encountered a flash flood event that was generated by severe rainfall with a depth of 75 mm in 3hr (i.e., the intensity of 25 mm/hr) on July 29, 2022. Many strategic infrastructures of this city especially the railway station were flooded, which caused heavy casualties and financial losses. This study aims to monitor the flood inundated areas of Yazd city due to this flood event using remote sensing. In this research, the Sentinel-1 polarimetric radar images and the 3D model of the Yazd city surf ace were used to delineate the flooded areas. The field information of the flooded areas and the available Sentinel-1 images during or near the occurrence time of maximum flood extension were adopted. The Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model in combination with the 3D model of the studied area was used to identify the flooded pixels in the city of Yazd. The results showed that the adopted 3D model and CNN algorithm indicated a good ability to identify flooded areas with an accuracy of 88% and a kappa coefficient of 0.83.


Congenital Anterior Urethral Diverticulum (CAUD) is a rare congenital anomaly. We describe a case of CAUD in a 3-year-old male child, with a history of recurrent urinary tract infections, referred to our clinic for diagnosis and treatment of penile swelling and weak micturition. On physical examination, a painless oval area of swelling, located on the ventral and left lateral aspect of the penis and extending from the corona to the base of the penis, was observable. The swelling was fluctuating in nature and compressible, collapsing completely with applied pressure, with urine dripping through the urethral meatus. Cytobacterial urinalysis, routine blood analysis, and renal analysis were normal. Ultrasound examination revealed normal kidneys and bladder. A retrograde urethrogram revealed a large anterior urethral diverticulum. The patient underwent open diverticulectomy with urethroplasty. The recovery was uneventful and the catheter was removed on postoperative day 10. Six months post-surgery, the patient had no complaints. One difficulty in the management of CAUD is distinguishing it from other anterior urethral malformations. Treatment of a CAUD is informed by the type of diverticulum and should be performed early to avoid complications associated with urinary obstructio


SUMMARY BALB/c mice were treated with different combinations of hormones (estrogens, progesterone, and Enovid) and herpesvirus type 2 (HSV-2). Characteristic cytological changes of herpesvirus infection were observed in 40% of 140 mice treated with the virus; these mice had previously been immunized with HSV-2 inactivated with ultraviolet light. No significant differences were observed in the fre quency of precancerous and cancerous lesions of the cervix and/or vagina between the group treated with estrogens plus HSV-2 (47.2%) and that treated with estrogens alone (41.2%), or between the group treated with Enovid plus HSV-2 (22.6%) and that treated with Enovid alone (31.2%). No carcinomas were observed in either the group treated with progesterone alone or the two control groups, but one carcinoma was found in the group treated with progester one and HSV-2, and two carcinomas were found in the group treated with HSV-2 alone. These three carcinomas are of special interest since spontaneous cervical carcinoma in mice has not been described, and progesterone has been found to exert a protective effect against chemical carcino gens in the mouse cervix. These results suggest that, at least in these three animals, HSV-2 may have a role in tu mor induction.


Processing of jellyfishes (aluvai chori) for value added product was undertaken by a private processing firm at Tharuvaikulam for the first time along Tuticorin coast. Though jelly fish processing and export was reported already from some parts of Tamil Nadu this type of processing is reported for the first time engaging local women. Processing technique is nothing but displacement of body fluids of the animal by chlorine powder and salt solution in a slow and long process. It involves 6 stages, the first 5 stages are of cleaning the animals and the last stage is packing.


Recent advances in research methods and technologies have resulted in an explosion of information and knowledge about cancers and their treatment. Knowledge Discovery (KD) is a key technique for dealing with this massive amount of data and the challenges of managing the steadily growing amount of available knowledge. In this paper, we present the ACGT integrated project, which is to contribute to the resolution of these problems by developing semantic grid services in support of multi-centric, post-genomic clinical trials. In particular, we describe the challenges of KD in clinico-genomic data in a collaborative Grid framework, and present our approach to overcome these difficulties by improving workflow management, construction and managing workflow results and provenance information. Our approach combines several techniques into a framework that is suitable to address the problems of interactivity and multiple dependencies between workflows, services, and data.


Current medical diagnostic echo systems are mostly using harmonic imaging. This means that a fundamental frequency (e.g., 2 MHz) is transmitted and the reflected and scattered higher harmonics (e.g., 4 and 6 MHz), produced by nonlinear propagation, are recorded. The signal level of these harmonics is usually low and a well-defined transfer function of the receiving transducer is required. Studying the acoustic response of a single contrast bubble, which has an amplitude in the order of a few Pascal, is another area where an optimal receive transfer function is important. We have developed three methods to determine the absolute transfer function of a transducer. The first is based on a well-defined wave generated by a calibrated source in the far field. The receiving transducer receives the calibrated wave and from this the transfer functions can be calculated. The second and third methods are based on the reciprocity of the transducer. The second utilizes a calibrated hydrophone to measure the transmitted field. In the third method, a pulse is transmitted by the transducer, which impinges on a reflector and is received again by the same transducer. In both methods, the response combined with the transducer impedance and beam profiles enables the calculation of the transfer function. The proposed methods are useful to select the optimal piezoelectric material (PZT, single crystal) for transducers used in reception only, such as in certain 3D scanning designs and superharmonic imaging, and for selected experiments like single bubble behavior. We tested and compared these methods on two unfocused single element transducers, one commercially available (radius 6.35 mm, centre frequency 2.25 MHz) the other custom built (radius 0.75 mm, centre frequency 4.3 MHz). The methods were accurate to within 15%.


The modelling of the eddy current testing of U-bend steam generator tubes is a valuable tool for interpreting measured signals due to geometric distortions that can arise during the bending process. Especially, the decentred trajectory of the probe into the bending must be taken into account to ensure the accuracy of the simulated signal. As the exact trajectory is a priori not known, we propose an efficient way to build a database of the simulated signal for all possible positions of the probe into the tube, based on an adaptation of the boundary element method that is developed at CEA LIST.


The use of alcohol interlocks for DUI offenders is widespread around the world. in North America and Australia alcohol interlocks are core elements in the countermeasure system against DUI recidivism. Based on a European experience exchange hosted by the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) in October 2013, key features of European alcohol interlock programmes are illustrated. In addition, key findings from international alcohol interlock research are presented. They point towards a need for an accompanying rehabilitative measure in order to achieve long-lasting behavioural changes in the offender. Data from the interlock recorder can be used as predictor for recidivism risk, but also as objective data to aid counselling. Finally, an example of an accompanying rehabilitative measure, which was specifically developed for interlock programmes within a BASt project, is given. (A)


This paper proposes a novel method based on Haar wavelet transform and uniform local binary patterns (ULBPs) to recognize ear images. Firstly, ear images are decomposed by Haar wavelet transform. Then ULBPs are combined simultaneously with block-based and multi-resolution methods to describe together the texture features of ear sub-images transformed by Haar wavelet. Finally, the texture features are classified by the nearest neighbor method. Experimental results show that Haar wavelet transform can boost effectively up intensity information of texture unit. It is not only fast but also robust to use ULBPs to extract texture features. The recognition rates of the method proposed by this paper outperform remarkably those of the classic PCA or KPCA especially when combining block-based and multi-resolution methods.


In this essay, we consider the long-term legal significance of the Supreme Court's decision in Massachusetts v. EPA, concluding that the case is likely to have a significant impact on two doctrinal areas of the law: (1) the standing of states; and (2) the standard of review applied to denials of petitions for rulemaking. First, although we have some questions about the Court's reasoning, we are encouraged to see the beginning of a framework for evaluating state standing based on the interest of the state in the litigation. Second, with respect to judicial review of agency inaction in the rulemaking context, the Court's decision breaks new ground by not only confirming the reviewability of an agency's denial of a rulemaking petition but also by closely scrutinizing the reasons that the EPA offered for its decision to decline to regulate. We argue that when added together, these two doctrinal developments result in an interesting mix. States are left in a relatively powerful position vis-a-vis federal agencies in terms of their ability both to file suits against agencies and to seek fairly exacting judicial review of the agency's reasons for declining to regulate. Although a twist on common perceptions about this case, fans of states' rights ought to be quite pleased.


Is there a case to be made for the value, amidst relatively settled institutions, of unsettling speech—speech characterized by excess, impropriety, and even the uncanny? Much of contemporary deliberative theory would answer in the negative. This article, however, proposes that we can derive a defense of the deliberative value of immoderate speech from an unlikely source: Edmund Burke's theory and practice of the rhetorical sublime. Burke's account of the sublime was developed in response to an eighteenth-century discourse of civility that anticipated the anti-rhetorical strand of contemporary deliberative theory. By reconstructing Burke's response, we can recover a forceful defense of rhetoric in the present. For Burke, the disruptive practice of sublime speech can provoke circumstantial judgment, overcoming deliberators' aversions to judging. Drawing on Burke's rhetorical practice alongside his aesthetic and linguistic theory, this article upholds a central role in deliberation for rhetoric, even in its unruly and excessive aspects.


Genetic and environmental influences on systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial blood pressure (MBP) were examined in 371 French-Canadian families by using path analysis. Familial environment was estimated with environmental indices constructed from as many as 14 (of a pool of more than 100) correlates of blood pressure (BP). Approximately 20% of the variance in BP can be accounted for by the composite index, and the types of variables and the direction of their effects vary as a function of age and of the multivariate context. Path analysis of the family data suggests that genetic heritability is relatively high in children (from 0.49 for SBP to 0.56 for MBP) but much smaller in adults (from 0.08 for DBP to 0.18 for SBP). The proportion of variability explained by familial environment is estimated to be the same in children and adults and is much higher than reported to date (from 0.30 for SBP to 0.42 for DBP). In addition, sibships share significant nontransmitted environmental effects, and there is no evidence to suggest specific maternal effects in the aggregation of BP. Two unique findings emerge from this study. First, unlike in most earlier studies, we were able to arrive at the same parsimonious model for each of the BP variables. Second, the familial environment accounts for a substantial proportion of the variability in BP, which has been considerably underestimated in earlier studies.


Purpose - In times of recession a lot of companies need to reduce costs. This also affects the budgets that are available for corporate real estate (CRE). Therefore it is important that the organization of the CRE management (CREM)-department is optimally aligned with CRE-strategy. This study provides a tool for evaluating the organization of the CREM-department when applying the CRE-strategy of cost reduction.Design/methodology/approach - The evaluation tool for alignment of the organization of the CREM-department is a result of an explorative study. First a literature study was conducted which led to a theoretical model of factors that influence the organization of the CREM-department, with regard to five components: Organizational structure, Sourcing, Centralization, Process management and Company culture. Then empirical data was collected through interviews with two groups of respondents, namely CREM-departments who served as cases and CRE-consultants to hear their expert opinions. Cross-case analysis and a comparison of these results with the expert opinion of the consultants were used to look for links between the CREM department components and each CRE strategy.Findings - It was not possible to formulate links between every possible CRE strategy and the CREM-organization as most of the cases had implemented the same strategy, namely cost reduction. This did provide the opportunity to construct a clear evaluation model for this particular strategy. Not all the themes were aligned with the chosen CRE-strategy identically by all the CREM-departments with a cost reduction strategy, but many similarities came forward and were backed by the CREM experts. This was worked into an evaluation model on the alignment of the organization of the CREM-department with a cost reduction strategy.Research limitations/implications - The model developed is especially relevant for CREM-departments who have similar characteristics as the CREM-departments who served as cases: large companies with a division macro-organizational structure that apply the CRE-strategy of cost reduction. The evaluation model does not spell out exactly how the CREM organization should be managed and formed, but does provide insight in a number of main choices that can influence the organization of CREM. The purpose of the evaluation model is that the CREM department becomes aware of the consequences for the organization of CREM when implementing a cost reduction aimed CRE-strategy.


Background. Trophoblasts lack expression of all classic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens. Determination of the mechanism involved could provide insight into selective gene suppression and allograft tolerance. Suppression of class II expression in trophoblasts is secondary to dominant negative trans-acting factors that suppress class II transactivator (CIITA) transcription. We recently described a trophoblast-derived noncoding RNA (TncRNA) that suppresses class II expression. We examined the effects of TncRNA on the CIITA promoter, CIITA, and MHC class II expression. Methods. HeLa clones stably transfected with TncRNA were analyzed for MHC class II and CIITA expression by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, Northern blots, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Activity and functional dissection of CIITA promoter IV (pIV) was assessed by transient co-transfection of promoter-reporter constructs. Methylation of pIV was assessed by Southern blots, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results. TncRNA suppressed interferon-&ggr;–induced human leukocyte antigen-DR and CIITA expression in HeLa cells. The mechanism involves inhibition of CIITA pIV through a defined inhibitory domain on the promoter. The mechanism does not involve methylation of the promoter. Conclusions. A novel method of CIITA suppression is described where a noncoding RNA selectively mediates the suppression of CIITA pIV possibly by complementary RNA-DNA binding to an inhibitory domain on the promoter. Selective suppression of MHC class II could have important implications in allograft tolerance and in developing class II-deficient cells or tissues for the purpose of transplantation or drug delivery systems.


suggested that the increasing incidence of congenital dislocation of the hip in Southampton was a result of changes in diagnostic criteria. Perhaps he did not appreciate that we imposed strict diagnostic criteria to avoid this criticism. Diagnosis in the neonatal period was accepted only when a trained orthopaedic surgeon noted a positive Ortolani or Barlow sign. To this group we added missed cases who had undisputed radiological evidence of persistent dislocation. We excluded many cases referred for hip instability either because they had resolved by the time of orthopaedic vetting or because the appropriate clinical signs were not present. It is highly improbable, therefore, that changes in diagnostic criteria could account for a twofold increase in incidence over the 14 year period. This is particularly so since there was only one consultant orthopaedic surgeon (JAW) who supervised the management of all cases. Dr C H Cheetham and others (15 January, p 227) suggested that abandoning splinting in the newborn period from 1972 caused the increase. We accept and indeed stated that the increase in established cases (those persisting after the first year) was related to this. When those cases that resolved in the first year were included with the established cases, however, the total incidence for congenital dislocation of the hip appeared to be steadily rising. Dr Dunn also suggested that the failure to pick up all cases of congenital dislocation of the hip in the newborn period may be a consequence of decreasing vigilance owing to the Southampton practice of using double nappies and prone lying only until about the age of 1 year. If standards of screening had deteriorated, which we doubt, a decline would have been expected in the total incidence during this period since a large proportion of neonatal cases resolve spontaneously. On the contrary we found that the total incidence had doubled between 1965 and 1978 to almost four cases in a thousand births. While it is important to debate treatment protocols for congenital dislocation of the hip (and I shall watch these columns with interest) we should not lose sight of the main point of our paper: this was to report that the incidence of congenital dislocation of the hip seems to be increasing and that current screening programmes are failing to detect an important group of cases by the first birthday (0 8 in a thousand births in 1974-8). This is why we put forward a number of recommendations to improve screening. J C CATFORD