Inspection of optical components is essential to assure the quality and performance of optical systems. Evaluation of optical components includes metrology measurements of surface topography. It also requires optical measurements including refractive index, thin film thickness, reflectivity and transmission. The dispersion characteristics of optical constants including refractive index are also required. Hence, various instruments are used to make these measurements in research laboratories and for quality assurance. Clearly, it would be a significant advantage and cost saving if a technique was developed that could combine surface metrology with optical measurements. {Coherence Scanning Interferometry} (CSI) (also referred to as {Scanning White Light Interferometry} (SWLI)) has been used widely to measure surface topography with sub-nanometre vertical resolution. One of the benefits of the CSI is that the technique is non-contacting and hence non-destructive. Thus the test surfaces are not affected by the measurement using a CSI instrument whereas damage to the surfaces can occur when using traditional contact methods such as stylus profilometry. However use of CSI is geometrically limited to small areas ($\lesssim 10 \times 10$ mm) with gentle slopes ($\lesssim \ang{40}$) because of the numerical aperture of objective lens whereas stylus profilometry works well with larger areas and higher slopes due to the range of motion of the gauge and the traverse unit.

Since the CSI technique is optical and involves light reflection and interference it is possible to extend the technique for the measurement of the thickness of transparent films, the roughness of surfaces buried beneath thin films or interfacial surfaces. It may also be used to determine spectral complex refractive index. This thesis provides an analytical framework of new methods to obtain complex refractive index in a visible light domain and interfacial surface roughness (ISR). It also provides experimental verification of these new capabilities using actual thin film model systems.

The original Helical Complex Field (HCF) function theory is presented followed by its existing extensions that enable determination of complex refractive index and interfacial surface roughness. Further theoretical extensions of the HCF theory are also provided: A novel theory to determine the refractive index of a (semi-)transparent film is developed to address the constraint of the current HCF theory that restricted its use to opaque materials; Another novel theory is provided to measure ISR with noise compensation, which avoids erroneous surface roughness caused by the numerical optimisation affected by the existence of noise. The effectiveness of the ISR measurement with noise compensation has been verified using a number of computer simulations.

Stylus profilometry is a well established method to provide a profile and has been used extensively as a 'reference' for other techniques. It normally provides a profile on which the roughness and the waviness are computed. Extension of the stylus profilometry technique to areal measurement of asymmetrical surfaces, namely raster scan measurement, requires a system to include error compensation between each traverse. The system errors and the random errors need to be separately understood particular when the measurement of a surface with nanometre-order accuracy is required. In this thesis a mathematical model to locate a stylus tip considering five mechanical errors occurring in a common raster scan profilometer is provided. Based on the model, the simulator which provides an areal measurement of a sphere was developed. The simulator clarified the relationship between the Zernike coefficients obtained from the form residual and the size of the errors in the form of partial derivatives of Zernike coefficients with respect to the errors. This provides theoretical support to the empirical knowledge of the relationship between the coefficients and the errors. Furthermore, a method to determine the size of errors directly from Zernike coefficients is proposed supported by simulations. Some of the error parameters were accurately determined avoiding iterative computation with this method whereas the errors are currently being determined by iterative computation.


The aim of this work was to determine the effect of nitrogen nutrition on biomass production of different ecotypes of T. domingensis grown hydroponically for two months. The experiment was a two-factor randomized design with five nitrogen treatments and three ecotypes, where treatments were increasing N levels (0, 20, 50, 100 and 200 mg·l-1) in the nutrient solution. Biomass production, biomass partitioning and total nitrogen content (TN) in the biomass produced by each ecotype were determined, and results were analysed by using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Increasing N level resulted in a significantly increase of biomass production, where the best response was found for the ecotype from Cuenca. The N level also influenced TN; interaction between ecotype and treatment was recorded. TN was higher in the submerged biomass than in the aerial biomass. Results from this work showed that the response of hydroponically grown T. domingensis to N concentrations depends on the ecotype.


Adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) experience more thromboembolic complications than the general population. We systematically searched and critically appraised all studies on the safety and efficacy of non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in adult patients with various forms of congenital heart disease. PubMed and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were used, with duplicate extraction of data and risk of bias assessment. The Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale was used to assess study quality. Three studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. The total number of participants was 766, with a total follow-up of 923 patient-years. The majority of patients (77%) received a NOAC for atrial arrhythmias, while the remainder were prescribed NOACs for secondary (19%) or primary (4%) thromboprophylaxis. The annual rate of thromboembolic and major bleeding events was low: 0.98% (95% CI: 0.51-1.86) and 1.74% (95% CI: 0.86-3.49) respectively. In Fontan patients, the annual rate of thromboembolic and major bleeding events was 3.13% (95% CI: 1.18-8.03) and 3.17% (95% CI: 0.15-41.39) respectively. NOACs appear safe and effective in ACHD without mechanical prostheses. Additional studies are, however, needed to confirm their efficacy in complex ACHD, especially those with a Fontan-type circulation.


The emergence of strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that are resistant to antimycobacterial agents is a worldwide problem whose global magnitude is not well described. We reviewed and tabulated 63 surveys of resistance to antituberculous drugs that were performed between 1985 and 1994. Rates of primary resistance to isoniazid, administered as a single agent, ranged from 0 to 16.9% (median rate, 4.1%); to streptomycin, 0.1%-23.5% (median, 3.5%); to rifampin, 0-3.0% (median, 0.2%); and to ethambutol, 0-4.2% (median, 0.1%). The rates of acquired resistance to these agents, which were higher than those of primary resistance, were as follows: isoniazid, 4.0%-53.7% (median rate, 10.6%); streptomycin, 0-19.4% (median, 4.9%); rifampin 0-14.5% (median, 2.4%); and ethambutol, 0-13.7% (median, 1.8%). The highest rates of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis have been reported in Nepal (48.0%), Gujarat, India (33.8%), New York City, (30.1%), Bolivia (15.3%), and Korea (14.5%). The WHO (World Health Organization) and the IUATLD (International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease) have established a global project of drug resistance surveillance that is based on standard epidemiological methods and quality control through an extensive network of reference laboratories. Accurate drug resistance surveillance data can be used to assess and improve national tuberculosis programs.


A brief history of the study of fluctuations in high energy nuclear collisions at the CERN SPS by NA49 is presented. The ideas and the corresponding experimental data on fluctuations are discussed from the point of view of their sensitivity to the onset of deconfinement.


Background/Objectives: In this presentation we provide the results of a review of the recent literature on the cost-effectiveness of the prevention or treatment of mental disorders in children and adolescents. Methods: A systematic literature search for publications on the economic evaluation of child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) intervention programmes has been conducted for the years 2001 to 2009, and a literature search for CAMH prevention and promotion programmes has been conducted for the years 2006 to 2009. Results: Two studies on the cost-effectiveness of prevention programmes and 19 studies on the cost-effectiveness of psychiatric interventions were identified. Cost-effectiveness analyses (CEA) based on primary data (14) mainly focused on non-medical interventions, while CEAs based on simulation models (7) were mainly focused on drug treatment. CEA studies were mainly conducted in the USA and the UK. The time period of most CEAs is limited to 12 months. Due to methodological differences the results of CEAs are difficult to compare. Discussion/Conclusions: The findings from this review demonstrate that there is still little knowledge about which programmes for mental disorder prevention, mental health promotion, or treatment for mental disorders in children and adolescents provide the greatest societal benefit for the invested money. This lack of knowledge is especially prevailing in most European countries. Funding: This paper was prepared under the auspices of the CAMHEE (Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Enlarged Europe) project funded by the European Commission Public Health Programme (grant no. 2005311).


Tropical sprue occurs with some frequency in Singapore and recently various dermatoses, such as dermatitis herpetiformis, have been shown to be associated with intestinal malabsorption. Because of this it was decided to screen for evidence of malabsorption those patients presenting dermatoses for the first time since coming to Singapore. This was detected frequently in one group of patients with eczematous dermatitis of the hands and feet (EDHF group) who were mostly women. Malabsorption was not found to be associated with other common dermatoses. In many of the EDHF group the laboratory findings were consistent with early tropical sprue. These patients had previously failed to respond to topically applied corticosteroids and resolution of the lesions and enteropathy occurred simultaneously when they were given in addition a sprue treatment regime consisting of ampicillin and vitamin supplements.


Quantal diffusion mechanism of nucleon exchange is studied in the central collisions of $^{238}$U + $^{238}$U in the framework of the stochastic mean-field (SMF) approach. For bombarding energies considered in this work, the di-nuclear structure is maintained during the collision. Hence, it is possible to describe nucleon exchange as a diffusion process for mass and charge asymmetry. Quantal neutron and proton diffusion coefficients, including memory effects, are extracted from the SMF approach and the primary fragment distributions are calculated.


Background: A proportion of patients who receive NIV for decompensated T2RF subsequently become intolerant to it. Lack of patient understanding, inadequate medical supervision and/or explanation could potentially lead to poor patient compliance with NIV. We sought to explore patients9 experience and views on acute NIV. Methods: A satisfaction questionnaire was completed by patients within 24 hours of receiving acute NIV on a respiratory ward. Results: 115 patients (65 male, median age 68) completed the study. 83% patients received NIV for 2 or more days. Patient responses are shown in table 1. NIV was stopped due to intolerance in 26 cases (mask discomfort 14, claustrophobia 9 and nausea 3). Intention to have NIV in future was not affected by ventilator pressures applied, duration of ventilation, or whether or not the patient had previously had NIV. Conclusion: A significant proportion of patients found NIV unpleasant and would refuse such treatment in future. Our data also highlights a lack of understanding of NIV by many patients receiving this therapy. Our findings have significant implications for patient education in respiratory units, as well as choice of equipment using NIV, both of which may impact on patient acceptance of therapy, and mortality.


In CDMA cellular system, the coverage area and cell capacity is greatly influenced by soft handoff process. The variation in soft handoff coverage area can be taken as the parameter influencing the performance parameters of the CDMA cellular system. In this paper, an analytical model is developed and analyzed for the concerned target cell in CDMA cellular network. The model proposed in this paper is for Bi class services mainly integrated data and voice. It is based on priority reservation for handoff voice and data calls along with call queuing scheme for handoff data calls. Upper channel limits are set for new voice as well as data calls to give priority to handoff calls. Two dimensional Markov birth-death process is used for modeling the problem. The data handoff queue capacity is considered as function of soft handoff coverage area which depends on the two soft handoff threshold parameters T_ADD and T_DROP. Variation in these threshold parameters is stated in term of variation in handoff data call queue capacity. The performance parameters of the model mainly new voice and data call blocking probabilities and handoff voice and data dropping probabilities are analyzed for variation in upper channel limit for new voice call and handoff data call queue capacity.


—Optimal resource allocation is crucial for successful deployment of energy harvesting wireless sensor networks (EH-WSN) such as Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. Non-orthogonal multiple-access (NOMA) can significantly improve the network throughput compared to orthogonal multiple-access (OMA). This paper considers optimal power management and data scheduling in multi-hop EH-WSN using NOMA. The EH-WSN consists of M sensor nodes aiming to transmit their data to a sink node. Assuming network connectivity, the multi-hop EH-WSN is represented by a directed graph. The resource allocation problem is formulated to efficiently utilize the available harvested energy to send the available data to the sink node with minimum cost. The resource allocation problem given the system dynamics is non-convex due to the non-convex constraints. Assuming high signal-to-interference and noise ratio (SINR), the non-convex constraints are lower bounded by convex constraints. With the aid of variable transformation, the constrained non-convex problem is approximated with a convex problem. The convex problem is solved using finite horizon dynamic programming considering offline and online operations. The offline problem is formulated assuming non-causal information of the harvested energy and data arrival. Model predictive control (MPC) framework is used to obtain the solution of the online operation of the EH-WSN. A distributed MPC (DMPC) is proposed to overcome the computational complexity of solving the centralized MPC problem, assuming each sensor node is allowed to exchange information with its neighboring nodes. In the simulations, we use energy efficiency and average data transmitted to compare the performance of the EH-WSN using NOMA and OMA. Simulation results confirm that NOMA in multi-hop


Abstract Objectives: To investigate a hepatitis C virus (HCV) outbreak in a hemodialysis unit and determine the source of transmission. Methods: We have prospectively investigated the epidemiology of hemodialysis-related HCV infection in a single unit since 1989. In September 2000, acute hepatitis C (AH-C) was diagnosed in 5 patients by alanine aminotransferase elevation and HCV genotype lb viremia without antibody to HCV. We surveyed the epidemiologic situation and performed polymerase chain reaction sequence analysis of the HCV 5'-noncoding (5'NC) region in the patients for comparison with 9 patients with chronic HCV genotype 1b viremia. Results: Sequence analysis of the 5'NC region showed the consistency in the 5 independent clones from each AH-C patient and those from each chronic HCV viremia patient and no quasispecies over time in the clones of any of 14 analyzed patients. All AH-C patients had the same sequencing of the 6 variations in the region with the only other patient. A saline ampoule, used for heparin solution during hemodialysis, had a recap function. It was difficult to determine whether the ampoule was new or had already been used. The source-patient often underwent hemodialysis before the AH-C patients and most of their hemodialysis-related medicine was prepared during the source-patient's treatment. These findings suggested a high possibility that the AH-C patients shared a single heparin–saline solution ampoule contaminated by HCV from the source-patient. Conclusion: Nosocomial HCV infection occurred as a result of poor infection control practice when a patient with chronic HCV viremia received treatment prior to other hemodialysis patients.


School-to-school collaboration has been central to many improvement efforts over recent decades. In an attempt to promote both improvement and equity current developments in England have included changing formal governance arrangements to promote collaboration for improvement through 'federations' and 'chains' of schools. However, federations and school chains remain a relatively under-explored area and there is a noticeable absence of research exploring the impact of such arrangements on student outcomes. This paper draws on a programme of research including the national evaluation of federations, the first quantitative study of the impact of federations on student outcomes and a longitudinal qualitative study of the development of federations to consider two key questions: What is a federation? And do federations make a difference? In order to achieve this, the paper provides an overview of the key characteristics of federations and considers their contribution to improvement efforts. In conclusion the paper reflects on a number of issues and implications associated with developing a federated school system.


The study examined the imperative of stock market on economic performance in Nigeria. The objective of the study were to examine the relationship between total value traded in the stock market, market capitalization, trade openness, inflation rate and economic growth in Nigeria. The study was basically time series data based relating to market capitalization, total value traded ratio, real GDP per capita, inflation rate and trade openness of the economy. The data was sourced from Nigerian stock exchange annual reports, CBN statistical bulletine, the Nigerian stock exchange fact book, World Bank database publication and publication from relevant plurals and articles. The study adopted the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) techniques of multiple  egression and co integration test. The E-view 7.1 econometric software was used to run the model. The coefficient of ECM appeared with the right sign and statistically significant at the 5% level. Therefore, it corrects any deviation from long-run equilibrium. Durbin Watson value of 2.3 which is approximately 2.0 suggests a lesser level of autocorrelation. The overall fit is satisfactory with an R-squared of 0.790. The F-statistic of 6.51706 is significant at the 5% level. Moreover, the lag one and two forms of the independent variables (Mcap, TVT and TOP) were positively signed. While the lag one and two forms of the independent variable (INF) are negatively signed. All these conform to apriority expectation. Based on the above findings, the study recommends that the government should implement the reforms already in place as this will boost the activities of the market.


Tropical forest vegetation is shaped by climate and by soil, but understanding how the distributions of individual tree species respond to specific resources has been hindered by high diversity and consequent rarity. To study species over an entire community, we surveyed trees and measured soil chemistry across climatic and geological gradients in central Panama and then used a unique hierarchical model of species occurrence as a function of rainfall and soil chemistry to circumvent analytical difficulties posed by rare species. The results are a quantitative assessment of the responses of 550 tree species to eight environmental factors, providing a measure of the importance of each factor across the entire tree community. Dry-season intensity and soil phosphorus were the strongest predictors, each affecting the distribution of more than half of the species. Although we anticipated clear-cut responses to dry-season intensity, the finding that many species have pronounced associations with either high or low phosphorus reveals a previously unquantified role for this nutrient in limiting tropical tree distributions. The results provide the data necessary for understanding distributional limits of tree species and predicting future changes in forest composition.


In this article, we provide a systematic analysis of the extent to which political, economic, and cultural factors are associated with civil wars in the post-colonial states of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Results of logistic regression analyses corroborate previous findings that semi-democracy is associated with an increased likelihood of civil war, while greater economic development reduces the probability of civil war. We also found that militarized post-colonial states are more likely to experience civil war, as are Asian — more than Middle Eastern and African — states. Among the political, economic, and cultural factors, semi-democracy has the greatest impact on the probability of civil war, which suggests the greater role of political — more than economic or cultural — factors in post-colonial civil wars. All told, the findings suggest that a multifaceted strategy of full democratization, demilitarization, and development is required to reduce the likelihood of civil war in post-colonial states.


This work presents accounts and illustrations of the lady beetle species reported from Puerto Rico. Fifty-three species are discussed, including rare and uncommon lady beetles occurring on the Puerto Rican archipelago. The work also includes keys for subfamilies and species, the description of a new species (Zilus barbosi sp. nov.), and a redescription of Diomus ochroderus (Mulsant). Brief accounts of the history of coccinellid collections and collectors, and of classical bio-control efforts in Puerto Rico are given, including an annotated list of 24 historical biological control introductions.


BACKGROUND
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the strain of coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can cause serious illness in some people resulting in admission to intensive care units (ICU) and frequently, ventilatory support for acute respiratory failure. Evaluating ICU care, and what is effective in improving outcomes for these patients is critical. Care bundles, a small set of evidence-based interventions, delivered together consistently, may improve patient outcomes. To identify the extent of the available evidence on the use of care bundles in patients with COVID-19 in the ICU, the World Health Organization (WHO) commissioned a scoping review to inform WHO guideline discussions. This review does not assess the effectiveness of the findings, assess risk of bias, or assess the certainty of the evidence (GRADE). As this review was commissioned to inform guideline discussions, it was done rapidly over a three-week period from 26 October to 18 November 2020.

OBJECTIVES
To identify and describe the available evidence on the use of care bundles in the ICU for patients with COVID-19 or related conditions (acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) viral pneumonia or pneumonitis), or both. In carrying out the review the focus was on characterising the evidence base and not evaluating the effectiveness or safety of the care bundles or their component parts.

SEARCH METHODS
We searched MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library (CENTRAL and the Cochrane COVID-19 Study Register) and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform on 26 October 2020.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Studies of all designs that reported on patients who are critically ill with COVID-19, ARDS, viral pneumonia or pneumonitis, in the ICU setting, where a care bundle was implemented in providing care, were eligible for inclusion. One review author (VS) screened all records on title and abstract. A second review author (DR) checked 20% of excluded and included records; agreement was 99.4% and 100% respectively on exclude/include decisions. Two review authors (VS and DR) independently screened all records at full-text level. VS and DR resolved any disagreements through discussion and consensus, or referral to a third review author (AN) as required.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
One review author (VS) extracted the data and a second review author (DR) checked 20% of this for accuracy. As the review was not designed to synthesise effectiveness data, assess risk of bias, or characterise the certainty of the evidence (GRADE), we mapped the extracted data and presented them in tabular format based on the patient condition; that is patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, patients with ARDS, patients with any influenza or viral pneumonia, patients with severe respiratory failure, and patients with mixed conditions. We have also provided a narrative summary of the findings from the included studies.

MAIN RESULTS
We included 21 studies and identified three ongoing studies. The studies were of variable designs and included a systematic review of standardised approaches to caring for critically ill patients in ICU, including but not exclusive to care bundles (1 study), a randomised trial (1 study), prospective and retrospective cohort studies (4 studies), before and after studies (7 studies), observational quality improvement reports (4 studies), case series/case reports (3 studies) and audit (1 study). The studies were conducted in eight countries, most commonly China (5 studies) and the USA (4 studies), were published between 1999 and 2020, and involved over 2000 participants in total. Studies categorised participant conditions patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 (7 studies), patients with ARDS (7 studies), patients with another influenza or viral pneumonia (5 studies), patients with severe respiratory failure (1 study), and patients with mixed conditions (1 study). The care bundles described in the studies involved multiple diverse practices. Guidance on ventilator settings (10 studies), restrictive fluid management (8 studies), sedation (7 studies) and prone positioning (7 studies) were identified most frequently, while only one study mentioned chest X-ray. None of the included studies reported the prespecified outcomes ICU-acquired weakness (muscle wasting, weight loss) and users' experience adapting care bundles. Of the remaining prespecified outcomes, 14 studies reported death in ICU, nine reported days of ventilation (or ventilator-free days), nine reported length of stay in ICU in days, five reported death in hospital, three reported length of stay in hospital in days, and three reported adherence to the bundle.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
This scoping review has identified 21 studies on care bundle use in critically ill patients in ICU with COVID-19, ARDS, viral influenza or pneumonia and severe respiratory failure. The data for patients with COVID-19 specifically are limited, derived mainly from observational quality improvement or clinical experiential accounts. Research is required, urgently, to further assess care bundle use and optimal components of these bundles in this patient cohort. The care bundles described were also varied, with guidance on ventilator settings described in 10 care bundles, while chest X-ray was part mentioned in one care bundle in one study only. None of the studies identified in this scoping review measured users' experience of adapting care bundles. Optimising care bundle implementation requires that the components of the care bundle are collectively and consistently applied. Data on challenges, barriers and facilitators to implementation are needed. A formal synthesis of the outcome data presented in this review and a critical appraisal of the evidence is required by a subsequent effectiveness review. This subsequent review should further explore effect estimates across the included studies.


It is well established by theory and experiment that lamella-forming block copolymers with characteristic periodicity, L0, can assemble into lines-and-spaces over carefully crafted chemically patterned substrates composed of stripes of width W that repeat with period LS. While previous works measured the efficacy of pattern designs for self-assembly through visual inspection of experimental images or examination of morphologies obtained from simulations, here we combine visual inspection over a large number of processing conditions with a new theoretical strategy that quantitatively measures the thermodynamic driving force of chemical patterns to produce a single grain of lines-and-spaces. The metric we use to describe the thermodynamic driving force is defined by the free-energy difference between the desired assembly of lines-and-spaces and the grain orientation with the lowest energy, referred to as the most competitive assembly. Visualization of experimental systems using SEM imaging provides a first-order approximation of the process windows in pattern design space in regard to W and the chemical contrast of the stripes and the background region, where the thermodynamic driving force is large enough to eliminate competitive grains. The strategy proposed in this work then uses complementary molecular simulations to elucidate which combination of these pattern parameters provides the largest driving force through free-energy calculations obtained by thermodynamic integration and attempts to identify which pattern designs minimize the probability of assembling lamellae that are stabilized at undesired angles to the patterned stripes. The combination of experiment and theory shows that narrow guiding stripes with width 0.4 ≤ W/L0 ≤ 0.8 that are highly preferential for one of the blocks are best for obtaining a directed self-assembly process flow with the highest probability of assembling a desired grain orientation.


From Bolivar to Katari: Indigenous Representations in the Legislative Assembly of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, 2012 Luciana Natalia Molina, M.A. The University of Texas at Austin, 2013 Supervisor: Charles Hale The purpose of this research is to discover the new symbols and new histories that are being constructed in the Plurinational State of Bolivia on 2012. The Legislature is the main stage where the research takes place and where the new actors interact on a yet unfamiliar zone. Equally important are the tensions that arise in the building of a new discourse that aims at breaking with homogenizing and exclusionary practices of the state. The unprecedented presence of indigenous people in the Legislature has ambivalent effects for the state and the indigenous communities. The thesis aims at uncovering these effects through the analysis of discourse, symbolic representations, and quotidian political practices.


Acute knee injuries are a common source of morbidity in athletes and if overlooked may result in chronic functional impairment. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the knee has become the most commonly performed musculoskeletal MR examination and is an indispensable tool in the appropriate management of the injured athlete. Meniscal and ligamentous tearing are the most frequent indications for surgical intervention in sports injuries and an understanding of the anatomy, biomechanics, mechanisms of injury, and patterns of injury are all critical to accurate diagnosis and appropriate management. These will be discussed in reference to meniscal tears and injuries of the cruciate ligaments as well as injuries of the posterolateral and posteromedial corners of the knee. (©) RSNA, 2016.


Optical and radar spatial remote sensing application for geological analysis and mineralized areas detection in the central part of the Deseado Massiff, Santa Cruz province . The Deseado Massif, located in the southern part of Argentina, is a region of a great geological-mining interest, due to the presence of a numerous precious metals (Au Ag) epithermal deposits. These deposits are spatially and temporarily related to the Jurassic volcanism of Bahía Laura Group. The investigations guided to the localization of this kind of deposits, developed by the Institute of Mineral Resources (INREMI), incorporating the satellite technology as a prospecting tool. This methodology allowed the identification of several sectors with hydrothermal alteration evidences and associated mineralizations. The results of a research based on the use of multispectral (LANDSATTM and ETM+, TERRA-ASTER) and radar images (ERS-1 and ERS-2 SAR and RADARSAT-1 SAR) for the geological analysis with prospective goals, are presented in this contribution. The diverse digital processing strategies that have been employed, conducted to the identification of several areas with geological-mining interest, which have been confirmed and characterized through detailed field works. The evaluation of the different information sources that have been used, allowed us to examine the benefits and limitations of the incorporation of this tool during the traditional stages of geological cartography and mining prospecting. It also conduced to the design of a work methodological sequence and to the definition of prospecting guides based on the available satellite imagery.


Extending the FSH window for multifollicular development by administering FSH from the midfollicular phase onward constitutes a novel mild protocol for ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF) based on the physiology of single dominant follicle selection in normo-ovulatory women. We compared outcomes from this protocol with two other stimulation protocols. One hundred and forty-two normo-ovulatory patients with an indication for IVF (or IVF/ICSI) were randomized to a GnRH agonist long protocol (group A; n = 45) or one of two GnRH antagonist protocols commencing recombinant FSH on cycle d 2 (group B; n = 48) or cycle d 5 (group C; n = 49). A fixed dose (150 IU/d) of rFSH was used for ovarian stimulation, and GnRH antagonist cotreatment was initiated on the day when the leading follicle reached 14 mm diameter. Group C showed a shorter duration of stimulation (median duration, 11, 9, and 8 d for groups A, B, and C, respectively; P < 0.001), reflected in a significantly lower total dose of rFSH used (median amount of rFSH, 1650, 1350, and 1200 IU for groups A, B, and C, respectively; P < 0.001). In group C more cycles were cancelled during the stimulation phase due to insufficient response, resulting in a lower percentage of oocyte retrievals (84%, 73%, and 63% for groups A, B, and C; P = 0.02). However, women in group C obtained better quality embryos (percentage of embryo score of 1 for best embryo, 29%, 37%, and 61% for groups A, B, and C, respectively; P = 0.008), resulting in more transfers per oocyte retrieval (68%, 71%, and 90% for groups A, B, and C, respectively; P = 0.04). After profound ovarian stimulation (groups A and B) only 7% of the patients who retrieved four oocytes or less conceived, whereas after mild stimulation (group C) 67% of these patients conceived (P < 0.01). Overall, no differences were found among the three groups comparing pregnancy rate per started IVF cycle. In conclusion, application of the described mild ovarian stimulation protocol resulted in pregnancy rates per started IVF cycle similar to those observed after profound stimulation with GnRH agonist cotreatment despite shorter stimulation and a 27% reduction in exogenous FSH. A higher cancellation rate before oocyte retrieval was compensated by improved embryo quality concomitant with a higher chance of undergoing embryo transfer. A relatively low number of oocytes retrieved after mild ovarian stimulation distinctly differs from the pathological reduction in the number of oocytes retrieved after profound ovarian stimulation (poor response) associated with poor IVF outcome. The relatively small number of oocytes obtained after mild ovarian stimulation may represent the best of the cohort in a given cycle.


This work simulates the hourly variations of PM10 (suspended particles with diameter <10 μm) during severe pollution events in southern Taiwan (Kaohsiung City and Pingtung County) in spring, autumn and winter of 2005 by using the Air Pollution Model (TAPM). Comparisons between simulations and measurements at three sites (industrial, urban and rural) were satisfactory. The synoptic weather chart indicated that prevailing winds were northwest (spring), north (autumn), and northeasterly (winter). Meteorological conditions suggest that PM10 typically accumulated and triggered a pollution episode on days with high surface pressure and low winds. Estimations using the TAPM model suggest that point-source emissions were the predominant contributors (about 49.1%) to PM10 concentrations at Hsiung-Kong site industrial site in Kaohsiung City, followed by area sources (approximately 35.0%) and transport from neighboring areas (7.8%). Because Pingtung City (urban) and Chao-Chou town (rural) are located downwind of Kaohsiung City when north or northeasterly winds prevail, the two sites also experience severe pollution events despite the lack of industrial sources; transport from neighboring areas contributed roughly 39.1% to PM10 concentrations at Pingtung site and 48.7% at Chao-Chou site. Since traffic emissions contributed little (around 8%) to PM10 concentrations at the three sites, reducing PM10 emissions from industrial sources in Kaohsiung City should be an effective way of improving air quality for Kaohsiung City and downwind areas such as Pingtung County.


In virgin female rats, atrial distension (an index of blood volume expansion) causes an increase in c-fos expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the lateral hypothalamus. During pregnancy, this response is markedly attenuated. We tested the effects of 3alpha-hydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-20-one (3alpha-OH-DHP) on activation of central pathways following stimulation of the atrial volume receptors. Not only does this progesterone metabolite increase during pregnancy, but it has already been implicated in pregnancy-induced changes in the baroreflex. Female rats were prepared with indwelling venous cannulas and intracardiac balloons that, when inflated, caused a discrete localized stimulation of the atrial volume receptors in the absence of changes in cardiac hemodynamics. Seven days later, the rats were infused with 3alpha-OH-DHP dissolved in cyclodextrin and the intracardiac balloons were inflated. One hour later, the rats were killed and fixed by perfusion and the brains were prepared for visualization of c-fos activity. Infusion with 3alpha-OH-DHP significantly reduced the central response to atrial distension, i.e., it mimicked pregnancy. These results are consistent with the suggestion that this metabolite of progesterone may be an important factor in cardiovascular adaptation to pregnancy.


Background—The purpose of this study was to analyze the in vivo distribution of absolute wall shear stress (WSSabs) and oscillatory shear index (OSI) in the carotid bifurcation and to evaluate its dependence on bifurcation geometry, the presence of internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis, and recanalization therapy. Methods and Results—Time-resolved 3D blood flow was acquired with flow-sensitive 4D MRI in 64 normal carotid bifurcations and 17 carotid arteries with moderate ICA stenosis (48±6%) or after surgical recanalization. Among 64 normal arteries, atherogenic wall parameters were consistently concentrated in proximal bulb regions of the common (CCA) and internal (ICA) carotid arteries. The fraction of the carotid bulb exposed to atherosclerosis-prone wall parameters (low WSSabs below and high OSI above group-defined 20% and 10% thresholds) was correlated with the individual bifurcation geometry. Multiple regressions revealed significant (P<0.01) relationships (&bgr;, 0.44 to 0.48) between the areas with atherosclerosis-prone wall parameters and the dICA/dCCA diameter ratio. The size of regions exposed to high OSI demonstrated highly significant (P⩽0.01) relationships with all analyzed geometry parameters (dICA/dCCA &bgr;, 0.48; tortuosity &bgr;, ⩽−0.56; bifurcation angle &bgr;, ≥0.47). Moderate ICA stenosis altered the distribution of wall parameters (45%/61% reduction of individually low WSSabs/high OSI in the proximal ICA), which were relocated to segments distal to the arterial stenosis. WSSabs/OSI topology after recanalization was similar compared with the normal wall parameter distribution. Conclusions—Flow-sensitive 4D MRI identified alterations in the segmental in vivo WSS distribution associated with atherosclerotic disease, surgical therapy, and individual bifurcation geometry and could be a valuable technique to assess the individual risk of flow-mediated atherosclerosis and carotid plaque progression.


The well-defined electrochemical features and optical properties of the negatively charged Au25 clusters (Au25−) provide opportunities for a photoelectrochemical study by means of electrochemiluminescence (ECL) technique. Under annihilation conditions where the Au25− is electrochemically pumped to its various oxidized and reduced forms showed no appreciable ECL light emission, due presumably to the short lifetime of the electrogenerated intermediates and their reactivity. Interestingly, in either Au25−/tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) or Au25−/benzoyl peroxide (BPO) co-reactant systems, the correspondingly highly reducing and oxidizing intermediates electrogenerated from TPrA and BPO lead to light emission at 950 and 890 nm in near-infrared (NIR) region. The ECL in the presence of various concentrations of TPrA (6.3, 12.5, 25, 50, 100 and 200 mM) and BPO (2.5, 5, 25 and 50 mM) was explicitly investigated. Along with the concentration dependence study, spooling ECL spectroscopy provided insight into the ECL mechanisms. Notably, while the Au25−* is the main light emission source with BPO, ECL in the presence of TPrA is attributed to emissions from the Au25−*, Au250* and Au25+* that are tuneable by means of the applied potential and TPrA concentration.


The paper briefly discusses some issues approached in the study 'A comment on the law of supply and demand' by M. Northrup Buechner, published in this issue of J Phil Econ. The way of discussing is logical-theoretical, without bringing into attention empirical data. Even less than that, only a few of the issues debated in the original study are examined, namely those issues which appeared to this author as both the most problematic and susceptible to drive the future discussion in the matter.


This paper re-examines aggregate and disaggregate import and export demand functions for the United States over the 1975q1-2007q4 period. This re-examination is warranted because (1) income elasticities are too high to be warranted by standard theories, and (2) remain high even when it is assumed that supply factors are important. These findings suggest that the standard models omit important factors. An empirical investigation indicates that the rising importance of vertical specialization combined with decreasing tariffs rates explains some of results. Accounting for these factors yields more plausible estimates of income elasticities.


Abstract Neuromarketing as research method contrbutes to understanding consumer behavior a step further than traditional marketing research. The aim of the current study is to explore the usability and cognitive understanding of banking services webpages. In this regard, the theoretical part of the article reviews the relevant literature related to neuromarketing as research method and the use of eye-tracker as research technique. Further on, a two-step research design was developed for studying the consumers' attention and memory during and after viewing two Romanian banking services websites. The results showed that the way information is structured and presented on the webpages influence their usabiliy and cognitive understanding.


In this paper the extraction of the generalized scattering matrix using the finite-volume time-domain (FVTD) method is presented. The extraction scheme takes advantage of the flux-splitting formulation that is inherent to the FVTD algorithm. Thus the incident and reflected waves in a transmission line are immediately known at every time step. A new way to determine the power waves is shown as well as the implementation of the ports and the mode separation in a multimode environment. The ability of the proposed scheme to extract the scattering parameters correctly is illustrated in an example that compares the simulated return loss of a balun to measurements.


I defend the view that McKinsey reasoning is concerned with the following three claims: (i) If a subject's mental state is individuated by a given property, then she can know a priori that she a thought that has that property. (ii) Many de dicto structured cognitive predicates express properties that logically imply the existence of contingently existing physical objects external to the subject. (iii) Every de dicto structured cognitive predicate expresses a property which individuates the cognitive state described. Specifically, claims (i)-(iii) and a non-inferential principle governing the extent of our a priori knowledge capacities imply that a subject can know a priori that contingent objects external to her exist. Cartesian reflections, semantic evidence adduced by Kripke and the Fregean view that cognitive verbs express mental relations between persons and propositions support claims (i)-(iii) respectively. McKinsey reasoning is, thus, seemingly paradoxical. The dominant response is to evade or reformulate McKinsey reasoning (Brueckner, Boghossian, Davies, Wright, Brown). I argue that such responses tacitly assume claim (iii), which encourages the replacing of claims (i)-(ii) with alternative claims involving inferential knowledge principles and subjects' having a priori knowledge of thought content which is externally determined; this package, on my view, is defective. I rebut suggestions that McKinsey reasoning is undermined by arguments for the claim it is not absurd to possess the capacity to know a priori that contingent external objects exist (Sawyer, Brewer), since they are directed at the reformulated reasoning only. I defend the view that there is sufficient evidence to both reject claim (iii) and replace it with an alternative claim concerning linguistic, not propositional, meaning. My view dissolves the issue of whether a priori access to one's thought contents is achievable, if such contents are externally determined (Burge, Flavey & Owens). It also provides a novel response to a recent problem about our capacity to know our thought contents (Kallestrup & Pritchard).


M L Hackett

Dr M L Hackett, George Institute for International Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; email@example.com

Do psychological or pharmaceutical interventions prevent depression in patients with stroke?

Studies selected compared psychological therapy with standard care, or a pharmaceutical agent with placebo, for prevention of depression in patients with stroke. Primary outcome was depression, defined by standard diagnostic criteria or a score above the cut point on standard rating scales. Secondary outcomes included change in scores on scales for depression, cognitive functioning, independence in activities of daily living, disability, and psychological distress.

Trials registers of the Cochrane Stroke Group (Oct 2007) and Cochrane Depression, Anxiety, and Neurosis Group (Feb 2008); Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Issue 1, 2008); 11 other databases; conference proceedings (2007); online …


Wolofal (from Wolof : Wolof language or ethnic group and ' -al ': causative morpheme) is an Ajami writing (a generic term commonly used to refer to non-Arabic languages written with Arabic scripts) used to transliterate Wolof in Senegal. It results from the early Islamization of the major Muslim ethnic groups in the country, especially the Pulaar, the Wolof and the Mandinka. Although Senegal is considered to be a French-speaking country, ironically over 50% of the Senegalese people are thought to be illiterate in French. French literacy is restricted to the minority educated group mostly found in urban areas. Because the literacy rate in French is very small in the country, especially among older people, Wolofal remains a major means of written communication among people who are illiterate in French and who have attended Qurʾānic schools. It is used by these people to write letters, run their informal businesses and read religious poems and writings. This paper is based upon fieldwork conducted in Senegal in the summer of 2004. It discusses the orthographic system of Wolofal (compared to Arabic) and provides a sociolinguistic profile of communities in which it serves as major means of written communication.


The demand for working round the clock is increasing, in industry and in healthcare (ref). Shift work has been associated with several health problems, including obesity, diabetes and cardio vascular diseases (ref). A possible explanation of health problems related to digestion could be a shift in the eating patterns of shift workers, whereas gastrointestinal processes are still controlled by circadian pacemakers.. Our first goal of this thesis was to investigate causes of the higher prevalence of obesity in shift workers. Changed levels in glucose and lipid metabolism during the nightshift might be of importance in relation to obesity. Secondly, we wanted to look whether a conflict between direct demand of energy and a normal peak of lipolysis during the night could play a role in a higher prevalence of obesitas in shift workers . But an initial (meta)analysis to answer the first question gave rise to doubt whether there is a clear correlation between shift work and the higher prevalence of obesity.
In conclusion, this meta-study gave support to the hypothesis that shift workers have a higher prevalence of inhibiting obesity, but more detailed data are needed. A higher prevalence of obesity in shift workers can be due to physical inactivity outside working hours and/or the increased consumption of high-fat snacks. Both the inactivity and increased fat intake will lead to increased circulating TAG-levels, which is a marker of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Circadian rhythms in insulin insensitivity in combination with increased blood concentrations of not esterified fatty acids (NEFA's) during night shifts, can lead to a competition between blood glucose and circulating NEFA in uptake by tissues. Excessive NEFA's will outcompete blood glucose. In itself, this will not lead to an increased susceptibility of inhibiting obesity or metabolic syndrome, since excessive NEFA's are not a predictor of metabolic syndrome. However, it will result in an even higher insulin insensitivity during the night. Higher insulin insensitivity is a marker of metabolic syndrome. Future research should focus on how to change the higher insulin insensitivity during the night. Furthermore, shift workers should adjust their strategies to cope with the shift of their behavioral rhythm, by adjusting the timing of meals, meal content and type of light exposure during the night.


Very few inpatient rehabilitation facilities have implemented computerized patient information systems. HEALTHSOUTH Harmarville Rehabilitation Hospital has been able to successfully take advantage of its size and standing in the rehabilitation community to develop applications that provide clinicians with up-to-date patient information in a usable and easy to access format at a very reasonable cost. These systems, designed by multidisciplinary teams of clinicians, data users, and programmers, include a Nutrition and Diet Record, a Computerized Education Record, Case Management Tracking and Documentation, On-line Functional Outcomes Documentation and Patient Activity Calendar/Charge Entry applications.


The study sought to explore the causes of sales decline and possibilities of a turnaround at some selected hotel chain in Swaziland between July 2008 and December 2010. In this study 5 senior managers, 12 middle level managers, 5 junior managers and 2 ordinary employees were used as research subjects. Fifty per cent of them were male and 42 per cent female. The study sought to facilitate the organisation to appreciate and fix the causes of sales decline; the hotels' personnel to be better motivated, and hotel guests to enjoy improved customer care. The study showed that stiff competition was the main cause of sales decline. Economic hardships, and low personnel motivation also played a part. The study recommended that staff motivation be taken more seriously. The use of the world's best practices was recommended as well as further research on casino operations.


ABSTRACT The digital age has driven all changes in people's behavior in every sector of life. The development of technology has given birth to a new phenomenon in the field of Copyright protection which is one of the scope of Intellectual Property (KI). in copyright protection, internet technology experts and Copyright seek to create a variety of technologies that are expected to provide Copyright protection on the Internet, which is called Security Technology. One of the standard terms of Safety Technology is known as Digital Right Management (DRMs) The existence of Safety Technology (DRMs) has been accommodated in the Law No.28 of 2014. Safety Technology is software, components or other tools that can be used by Copyright owners to protect their works. Security technology can be an encryption from Software, a password, and an access code. Security Technology can guarantee exclusive rights contained in Copyright for creators


Although polarization mode dispersion is well characterized in terms of principal states of polarization (PSP) and of their differential group delay (DGD), both analytically and experimentally, very few data have been published on their time evolution in terrestrial links, where temperature fluctuations are larger than in undersea links. The authors demonstrate strong correlation between temperature fluctuations and evolution of DGD and PSP. Correlation is even stronger in links which include connectors. Also, they report that DGD, as a random function of time, has a Maxwellian distribution and thus shows that it is an ergodic process. >


Non-thermal histories for the early universe have received notable attention as they are a rich source of phenomenology, while also being well motivated by top-down approaches to beyond the Standard Model physics. The early (pre-BBN) matter phase in these models leads to enhanced growth of density perturbations on sub-Hubble scales. Here we consider whether primordial black hole formation associated with the enhanced growth is in conflict with existing observations. Such constraints depend on the tilt of the primordial power spectrum, and we find that non-thermal histories are tightly constrained in the case of a significantly blue spectrum. Alternatively, if dark matter is taken to be of non-thermal origin we can restrict the primordial power spectrum on scales inaccessible to CMB and LSS observations. We establish constraints for a wide range of scalar masses (reheat temperatures) with the most stringent bounds resulting from the formation of $10^{15}$ g black holes. These black holes would be evaporating today and are constrained by FERMI observations. We also consider whether the breakdown of the coherence of the scalar oscillations on sub-horizon scales can lead to a Jean's pressure preventing black hole formation and relaxing our constraints. Our main conclusion is that primordial black hole constraints, combined with existing constraints on non-thermal WIMPs, favor a primordial spectrum closer to scale invariance or a red tilted spectrum.


According to the problem of weight assignment for multi-criterion in uncertain information system, the disadvantage of the traditional analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is analyzed; the Method of weight assignment for multi-criterion based on grey interval AHP is put forward. At first, grey interval numbers are imported as a mean to deal with the evaluation information in the proposed method, the quantitative representation of uncertain information is carried out; the loss of information is decreased. Then, base on grey relation analysis and AHP, the relational degree of each criterion is calculated by using grey interval relation analysis, which reflects the relative important degree of each criterion. The judgment matrix is constructed, which fits in with consistent requirements spontaneously. The weight value of each criterion is achieved. Finally, the evaluation example proves that the proposed method is feasible.


Background: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires internal medicine residents to spend 25% continuity clinic time seeing patients of each gender. This requirement is a challenge for programs that use a Veterans Administration Hospital (VA) as the sole site for residents' continuity clinic, because of its predominately a male patient population. Purpose: To ensure VA- clinic-based residents meet the ACGME requirement regarding gender care and receive adequate training in women's-health issues and to assess and evaluate a novel program designed to fulfill these needs¨ Methods: We developed a program that allows VA-based residents to spend 75% continuity practice time in VA clinic and 25% in a university-based clinic. We surveyed program participants annually regarding their experiences and in post graduate years (PGY) 1 and 3 assessed all residents' knowledge of women's health (WH). Results: Thirty-five residents were paired with faculty preceptors over 3 years. In annual program surveys, program residents reported seeing a gender mix of patients and feeling more comfortable with women's health. In knowledge surveys, mean score of all residents improved from 46% to 54% (p = .002). Factors associated with improvement were female resident gender (p = .004), having VA continuity clinic (p = .001), having specialized women's health preceptors (p = .006), and seeing at least 30% female patients (p = .01). In the multivariable model, resident gender and having a VA continuity clinic remained significant. Conclusions: Our program provides a novel, effective method to ensure VA-based internal medicine residents receive adequate educational experiences in gender-specific care.


Due to stronger environmental standard aims, the European Union (EU) has recently adopted more stringent limits for emissions from inland waterway vessels. The objective of "RIVER" project is to apply an oxyfuel combustion technology for diesel engines that eliminates NOx emissions, and captures and stores all carbon dioxide emissions in order to achieve zero-carbon and zero other pollutant emissions. As part of this project, a 3-D computational fluid dynamics model coupled with detailed chemical kinetics has been used to evaluate the influence of oxyfuel combustion on engine operating conditions and combustion characteristic in a high speed direct injection (HSDI) diesel engine under homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) mode. In this work, a reduced chemical n-heptane-n-butanol-PAH mechanism which consists 76 species and 349 reactions has been applied to simulate the combustion process. The mechanism has been initially validated by experiments under HCCI combustion mode and then, it has been used to examine the oxyfuel combustion using different diluent strategies over a range of air-fuel equivalence ratio (lambda). The simulation results indicate that increasing the inlet carbon dioxide concentration, as a diluent gas, under constant fueling rate does not bring any serious change to the amount of brake mean effective pressure (BMEP) in the relatively rich mixtures regions. However, by decreasing the fuel rate (higher lambda) the difference between different diluent strategies become more obvious as the minimum amount of BMEP is achieved when 83% of carbon dioxide is used. In addition, the results show a considerable reduction of PM emissions while the NOx emission have been completely eliminated using oxyfuel combustion.


ACs autonomous communities (regional) AGBM Ad hoc Group on the Berlin Mandate AGE Arbeidtsgruppe Emissionshandel zur Bekämpfung des Treibhauseeffektes (German Emissions Trading Group) AIJ activities implemented jointly AND Autoridad Nacional Designada (Designated National Authority) (Spain) AOSIS Alliance of Small Island States AP Allocation Plan ARD afforestation, reforestation and deforestation BATNEEC best available technology not entailing excessive costs BMU German Ministry of the Environment (Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit) BMWi Federal Ministry for Economics BMZ German Federal Ministry for Cooperation and Development BPEO best practicable environmental option BSA burden sharing agreement BuZa Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken CAN Climate Action Network CCAP Center for Clean Air Policy CDM Clean Development Mechanism CDU Christian Democratic Union CG11 Central Group 11 CEEC Central and Eastern European Countries CEPI Confederation of European Paper Industries CERs certifi ed emission reductions CFC chlorofl uorocarbon CG11 Central Group 11 CGIAR Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research


This paper summarizes results of case studies and panel group discussions carried out in Zimbabwe recently to find out the relationship between land rights and agricultural efficiency, investment and land markets in the smallholder agricultural sector. Results indicate that primary land user rights holders in the three perceived land tenure categories studied do not see security of tenure as a major problem. The major limiting factors cited as reasons for failure to realize full agricultural production potential include lack of or problem with one of the following: draft power, labor, credit, rural-urban migration and the AIDS pandemic among others. The opposite is true of secondary user rights holders such as grown up sons living with parents and some women and other social weak groups who indicate tenure insecurity as a problem of equal magnitude to the other limitations stated above. The results also show some relationship between investment and land rights between the small-scale commercial farming sector and the other two sectors (resettlement and communal). Total credit received is not significantly related to the form of land rights enjoyed by landowners. Land markets in the three categories are thin and 'transaction costs' are high limiting the amount of agricultural land that changed hands. Women access to and control over land, and their bargaining power with their husbands and relatives about land are weak across the three categories studied.


Objectives: Thrombohemorrhagic events developing in the Philadelphia negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) may worsen the clinical course of the disease and increase the morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to assess critical risk factors of the hemostatic complications in MPN.
Methods: The patients who were diagnosed as MPN based on world health organization 2016 criteria are included into the study. The categorical and continuous data were compared with Chi-square and independent sample t-test. The statistical significance threshold was considered as p <0.05.
Results: 181 MPN patients were evaluated in this study. The number of the patients with PV, ET, and PMF were 89, 50 and 42 respectively. At the time of diagnosis, the median age was 54 years. There were 50 patients who had thrombosis at the time of diagnosis, and 22 patients have developed thrombosis during the follow-up. Venous thrombosis (VT) is more frequent than arterial thrombosis. The smoking habit was statistically higher in the patient with MPN who developed thrombosis (p=0.006). The most frequent hemorrhagic complication was gastrointestinal bleeding. Platelet levels of patients with complications during the course of MPH were found to be lower than those without complications (p <0.001).
Discussion: The hemostatic complication rates due to MPN were 39% thrombosis and 13% bleeding. While the cigarette usage was significantly higher in the thrombosis group, advanced age, male sex, MPN type, JAK-2 positivity were similar between the groups.
Conclusion: Further experimental and clinical studies should focus on the pathobiology and proper clinical management of the MPN patients with hemostatic complications.


axilla. She was delivered normally at term, following which lactation became established, and milk was seen to drip freely from the additional nipple during breast-feeding. No attempt was made, however, to put the child to this nipple, and after the first five or six days of the puerperium the flow of milk from it became markedly decreased, and disappeared entirely by the twelfth day, when the patient was discharged from hospital. The supply of milk from the normal breasts continued unchanged.


Not all fatalities in road traffic are accidents; some are suicides. Since 2010, Sweden have been presenting suicides in road traffic separately from fatalities caused by accidents. To carry out this task a method has been developed for classification of road traffic fatalities in order to determine if the fatality was caused by accident or suicide. A five-grade classification scale was developed. Grade one indicated a clear suicide and grade five a clear accident. The definition of grade one was suicide with a clear statement of the suicidal intent. Grade two indicated an almost certain suicide but the intention was based primarily on the course of event and psychosocial information of the road user. Grade three indicated that the information was not sufficient to determine whether the fatality was the result of a suicide or an accident and grade four indicated an almost certain accident. Fatalities in grade one and two are classified as suicides. Criteria for cases that are to undergo the classification process include to examine the traffic event together with knowledge of background factors, for example prior suicide attempts, indirect suicidal communication, knowledge of ongoing depression etc. From 2012, the classification has been performed with additional information from a psychosocial examination. From 2010 to 2014, a total of 128 fatalities have been classified as suicides, 46 as grade one and 82 as grade two. From 2012 to 2014, when the psychosocial information was included in the analysis, 10% of all fatalities were classified as suicides. Analysis of gender, age, collision types, influence of alcohol, use of seatbelt, time etc., has been performed. The method can be used to determine which fatalities in road traffic are caused by suicide or accident. The method can be used on all modes of transport. 0 Language: en


This dissertation aims to develop nanophotonic technologies by integrating photonic-crystal-based nanostructures with microfluidic techniques. Firstly, a selfassembled photonic nanostructure is developed to exploit that a range of colors on incident light will reflect on a crystalline structure with appropriate periodicity. The photonic crystal substrates are utilized to demonstrate a technique for creating erasable, high-resolution color images with transparent inks. The photonic-crystal-based technique is applied to construct a photonic crystal resonator in the waveguide through which light travels and is confined in small mode volume. The confined light energy enables the optical force experienced by a trapped dielectric nanoparticle. Based on this principle, angular orientation and rotational control of both biological and non-biological nanoscale rods are demonstrated using a photonic crystal nanotweezer to extend the capabilities of near-field optical techniques, including trapping, transport, and handling of nanomaterials. In experiments, single microtubules (diameter 25 nm, length 8 μm) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (outer diameter 110 – 170 nm, length 5 μm) are rotated by the optical torque resulting from their interaction with the evanescent field emanating from these devices. An angular trap stiffness of k = 92.8 pN·nm/rad 2 -mW is demonstrated for the microtubules and a torsional spring constant of 22.8 pN nm/rad 2 -mW is measured for the nanotubes. Finally, the near-field optical technique is utilized to develop a label-free method for measuring the binding affinity and stoichiometry of free-solution interactions between antibodies and single influenza viruses at the attogram scale. Common approaches, including optical, electrochemical, and mechanical detection schemes require immobilizing one or both of the interacting molecules on an assay plate or a sensor surface, which constrains their active binding. This restriction prevents a precise measurement of their affinity and binding capacity, especially when one of the interacting biomolecules is much larger than the other and multivalent, for example a virus and an antibody. The method, however, presented here detects specific binding by analyzing changes in the confined Brownian motion of the virus, which is trapped but not immobilized using a photonic crystal resonator.


The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a major component of the biomechanical environment with which tendon cells (tenocytes) interact. Alterations to matrix structural and mechanical properties due to mechanical loading may promote normal tendon homeostasis or create pathological conditions. For example, fatigue loading of tendon elevates collagen fiber waviness (crimp), which correlates linearly with tissue laxity. The tendon ECM may also be altered following tendon injury. Aberrant tissue phenotypes caused by tendon ruptures are exemplified not only at transcript and protein levels, but also can extend to include disorganized collagen structure, inferior mechanical properties, and reduced in vivo limb function in animals. This dissertation explores the interface between dynamic loading and tendon healing across multiple length scales using living tendon explants. This work begins to define the implications of macroscale mechanical loading on collagen structure and tenocyte response in uninjured and healing tendon, and provides a foundation for the development of new strategies to improve tendon healing. Ultimately, this work helps our understanding of tendon's multiscale response to loading, provides a framework for the micromechanical environment that tenocytes interact in response to dynamic loading and healing, and lays important groundwork for benchmarks for tendon tissue engineering. The multiscale response to mechanical loading, which is a hallmark of clinical rehabilitation protocols, is necessary to determine the ramifications of various macroscale loading protocols. Additionally, these results provide benchmarks for the environments in which tendon cells may experience following cell delivery therapies. Several exciting future avenues of research are possible that would highly impact basic science research of tendon function and lead to potentially translatable approaches that could improve tendon injury onset and healing response. In conclusion, this dissertation provides a strong foundation on which future experimental and computational studies can build to fully elucidate the multiscale mechanisms that govern strain transfer in tendon. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Bioengineering First Advisor Robert L. Mauck


Click on the document below to access the WHO guidelines for planning, organization and management of veterinary public health programmes: ISS_WHO_FAO-CCI_IZSTe_90.11


Due to the growing involvement of social networks in economic, politic and social aspects of people's lives and taking into account that social networks represent the main ICT means of socializing, having a steady increase of users each year, we the authors consider that social networks can have a positive impact on education, and also, if combined with educational tools, can be used efficiently in a non-formal and informal educational purpose. Thus, this paper sets out to analyse the current use of social networks in educational purposes in order to understand the impact social networks have on education, either positive or negative, and afterwards the authors will create a theoretical model of how a social network for educational purposes should work after analysing the current theoretical functionalities that such a social tool has and comparing them with the theoretical functionalities that an educational platform has. Thus, by analysing the main aspects in regards to how social networks function and how people interact with them, and also doing the same for educational platforms, we the authors will construct a theoretical model that combines the aspects that we consider are necessary for a Social Network Educational Platform to have in order to balance out each negative aspect that both sides have in regards with what user feedback has offered over the last years. The statistical analysis, that will be presented in order to show the importance of social networks in non-formal and informal education and also information on the use of e-learning platforms, will be focused on absolute and relative statistical indicators. The authors believe that the concept used in this current paper can be used as a guideline for further developing more social network educational platforms and tools that take into account Social Media, Social Networks and have a more positive impact on how adults and students see and use ICT for informal and non-formal learning purposes.


Fitting of forecast function is very difficult and important in non-linear regression forecast problems. The accuracy is directly affected by the fitting of forecast function. Linear model replaced non-linear model in the traditional method is difficult to solve the problem when non-linear is stronger, and the result of fitting and forecast is not ideal. Functional network is a recently introduced extension of neural networks. It has certain advantages solving non-linear problems. Non-linear regression forecast model and learning algorithm based on functional networks is proposed in this article. Example about multi-variable non-linear regression forecast is provided. The simulation results demonstrate that forecast model based on Functional Networks whose accuracy of fitting and forecasting is more than some traditional methods have some value about theory and application.


This paper summarizes the results of a conceptual design study that was performed in support of NASA's recent Highly Reusable Space Transportation study. The Argus concept uses a Maglifter magnetic-levitation sled launch assist system to accelerate it to a takeoff ground speed of 800 fps on its way to delivering a payload of 20,000 lb. to low earth orbit. Main propulsion is provided by two supercharged ejector rocket engines. The vehicle is autonomous and is fully reusable. A conceptual design exercise determined the vehicle gross weight to be approximately 597,250 lb. and the dry weight to be 75,500 lb. Aggressive weight and operations cost assumptions were used throughout the design process consistent with a second-generation reusable system that might be deployed in 10-15 years. Drawings, geometry, and weight of the concept are included. Preliminary development, production, and operations costs along with a business scenario assuming a price-elastic payload market are also included. A fleet of three Argus launch vehicles flying a total of 149 flights per year is shown to have a financial internal rate of return of 28%. At $169/lb., the recurring cost of Argus is shown to meet the study goal of $100/lb.-$200/lb., but optimum market price results in only a factor of two to five reduction compared to today's launch systems.


Contracts with Industry, implemented in the 1990s as the Natural Supports Initiative, is a program option that allows the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) Developmental Disabilities Services Division (DDSD) to contract directly with businesses to provide job coaching supports that become a part of the natural workplace. Individuals participating in this program are employed by a business and are paid minimum wage or better. The name change to Contracts with Industry was an effort to distinguish the program from other DDSD employment options that involve employment service providers and paid job coaches.


Introduction:  Alcohol abuse is one of the health problems that all societies have involved with. Although in Iran the percent of alcohol consuming due to social and cultural preventions is lesser that other countries, its outcome and predictive factors are not accessible. Thus, this study was designed with the aim of determining the consequences of alcohol consuming and finding its effective factors in Tabriz.  Method:  This cross-sectional study has been done through September 2013 to July 2014 in Sina Hospital, Tabriz, Iran. All individuals with alcohol poisoning referred to the emergency department were included in the study. Demographic and clinical factors of patients, laboratory tests, dialysis and hospitalization in hospital wards were evaluated. Finally, independent effective factors for dialysis and hospitalization were assessed by using multivariate logistic regression. Results:  At the end, 81(91.4% male) patients with the mean age of 27.9±10.4 years were entered to the study. Ten (12.3%) patients needed dialysis and 34 (42.0%) were hospitalized. Increasing the serum creatinine level (OR-1.6; 95% Cl: 1.004-2.4; p-0.048) and time interval between consumption until referring to the emergency (OR-1.1; 95% Cl: 1.03-1.15; p-0.004) were the independent predictive factors of dialysis. Also, predictive agents of hospitalization included smoking (OR-3.4; 95% Cl: 1.6-5.5; p-0.01) and need to do dialysis (OR-7.9; 95% Cl: 5.4-10.5; p<0.001).  Conclusion:  In the present project 12.3% of patients needed dialysis. Increasing the serum creatinine and time interval between alcohol consuming until referring to the emergency were the most important predictive factors. In addition, the probability of hospitalization for smoking and dialyzed poisoned persons in hospital wards was more than other patients.


T cell activation requires signaling through the TCR and costimulatory molecules, such as CD28. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression posttranscriptionally and are also known to be involved in lymphocyte development and function. In this paper, we set out to examine potential roles of miRNAs in T cell activation, using genome-wide expression profiling to identify miRNAs differentially regulated following T cell activation. One of the miRNAs upregulated after T cell activation, miR-214, was predicted to be capable of targeting Pten based on bioinformatics and reports suggesting that it targets Pten in ovarian tumor cells. Upregulation of miR-214 in T cells inversely correlated with levels of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10. In vivo, transcripts containing the 3 9 untranslated region of Pten, including the miR-214 target sequence, were negatively regulated after T cell activation, and forced expression of miR-214 in T cells led to increased proliferation after stimulation. Blocking CD28 signaling in vivo prevented miR-214 upregulation in alloreactive T cells. Stimulation of T cells through the TCR alone was not sufficient to result in upregulation of miR-214. Thus, costimulation-dependent upregulation of miR-214 promotes T cell activation by targeting the negative regulator Pten . Thus, the requirement for T cell costimulation is, in part, related to its ability to regulate expression of miRNAs that control T cell activation. The Journal of Immunology , 2010, 185: 000–000.


Mutants that adsorb certain colicins without being killed, i.e., tolerant mutants (tol), were isolated from Escherichia coli K-12 strains. Selection was done either with colicin K or E2. Several groups of mutants showing different phenotypes were found, and some of them showed tolerance to both K and E colicins, which have different receptors. Many of these mutants mapped near gal. Typical mutants from group II, HI, and IV were studied in more detail. The mutant loci were cotransducible with gal by phage P1. The linkage order was deduced to be tol-gal-X. In partially diploid strains, these mutant loci are recessive to wild-type alleles. Temperature-dependent conditionally tolerant mutants were also isolated. Two groups were found: the first was tolerant to E2 and E3 at 40 C, but sensitive at 30 C; the second was tolerant to E2 at 30 C, but sensitive at 40 C. Experiments done with these mutants suggest that these mutations affect the heat lability of some protein that is necessary for the response of cells to colicins. Conditionally lethal tolerant mutants were isolated which at 40 C were tolerant to E2 and E3 and could not grow, but which at 30 C were fully sensitive and grew normally. The mutation mapped near malA. The tolerance at 40 C is not due to a consequence of an inactivation of general cellular metabolism, but presumably is a cause of the subsequent inhibition of cellular growth. The results suggest that some protein components involved in the response to colicin are also vital to normal cellular growth.


: Aspects relating to diagnosis of anorectal agenesis are covered in this paper, with reference being made to the author's patients at the Cologne Department of Paediatric Surgery. Accurate preoperative diagnosis of both the type of malformation relative to anatomic pelvic floor structures and of possible concomitant malformations is considered to be the key to subsequent optimal continence. Proper choice of an anatomy-correlated, individual surgical approach is possible only on the basis of accurate analysis of the malformation concerned and its correct assignment and classification according to Wingspread or Rehbein. Optimum continence has proved to depend also on involvement of a surgeon with profound experience in and with all forms of anorectal malformations as well as on subtle approach accompanied by uninterrupted electrostimulation to identify muscular structures. Yet, even with all those prerequisites optimally satisfied, about 25 percent of all patients with severe anorectal malformations must be expected not to achieve continence. This may be attributable to one or several of the following causes: The muscular structures applied may be too hypoplastic and thus may fail to develop sufficient sphincter functionality. Postoperative management may be insufficiently careful and cause atrophy of muscle equivalents restored in the first place. Continence may be difficult or even impossible to achieve for concomitant sacral or urogenital malformations. Application of colostomy should be avoided in any case, and advantage should be taken, first of all, of all possible ways and means described in this paper for restoration of sphincter action.


Summary
Both l-canavanine, the oxyguanidinium analogue of arginine, and l-canaline, the equivalent oxyamine analogue of ornithine, inhibit the replication of vaccinia virus in HeLa cells. Inhibition by canavanine is reversed progressively by the simultaneous addition of increasing amounts of arginine but inhibition by canaline is not reversed by addition of ornithine. However, the inhibitory effect of canaline is reversed progressively by the simultaneous addition of increasing amounts of pyridoxal phosphate. The effect of canavanine on virus production is suppressed completely by the presence of a tenfold greater concentration of arginine: the effect of canaline is suppressed completely by the presence of an equimolar concentration of pyridoxal phosphate. Additionally, the inhibition of virus growth in canalinetreated cells is reversed partially by the subsequent addition of pyridoxal phosphate. These observations suggest that canavanine inhibits competitively as a result of its structural analogy to arginine but that canaline does not act as a structural analogue of ornithine. It is proposed that canaline inhibits by its interaction with pyridoxal phosphate which results in a deficiency of this cofactor. The effect of each inhibitor on the incorporation of precursors of DNA, RNA and protein into both infected and control cells is reported. These results are compatible with the mode of action proposed for each inhibitor.


This publication includes compounds evaluated from 1944 to 1976 at Fort Detrick, MD, for their growth effects on plants. The manually recorded results of these tests on the biological activity of 31,000 chemicals were assembled with computer-checking programs and are systematically summarized with their, chemical structure descriptions entered as Wiswesser, Line Notations (WLN). The biological information contains primary evaluation results based on 2 dosage rates, 4 degrees of activity, and 10 kinds of plant responses on 6 representative species. These species consist of four dicotyledonous and two monocotyledonous plants. The more important biological effects observed in the evaluation program were summarized by a computer program that developed 14 tables. The authors also have provided indexes containing the Wiswesser Line Notations (WLN) and those compounds that have acquired common or trade names (common designations). This bulletin contains the biological and chemical information that has been computerized in 14 tables and 2 indexes.


Fads appear and spread quickly among adolescents in most societies. Such problem reflects different types of unstable behavior such as clothing, speech, and language. These kinds of behavior spread as a result of electronic culture and satellites where it grows and spreads, then deceases and new ones start afterwards. This problem has different effects on teenagers themselves and the societies in which they live. It could prevent them from performing many religious and social duties. It also leads to different unfavorable results. The present study aims to identify the different aspects of the problem and its causes. It develops a suggested program from the Perspective of Rational Emotional Behavior Therapy to cope with the problem. Consistent with the goal of the study, the author uses descriptive study framework using the social sample survey method. The total sample consisted of 100 (70 teenager and 30 parents). The results show that there were many types of behavior such as using bracelets which is used for "good luck". Teenagers also use strange language, make up for males, and exchange males and females behavior. The results show, many problems related to family, the person himself and the society. Finally the author presents a suggested program to deal with such problems.


This paper discusses the application of malacological identification of macrofossils in stone tools. A macroscopically distinct toolstone utilized by prehistoric peoples, reported widely in archaeological consulting literature across central and southern Alberta (Meyer et al. 2007; de Mille 2009; Bohach 2010; Porter 2014), features fossilized root traces and occasional large fossil shells. These fossils can be identified, and correlated with temporal and geologic formations indicative of the environments within which the taxa occurred. Artifacts with fossils morphologically coherent with Hydrobia, Lioplacodes, and Viviparus spp. are identified in stone artifacts analyzed in this paper. These taxa are consistent with depositional environments of Paleocene period Paskapoo Formation sedimentary rocks, particularly, as identified at the Blindman-Red Deer River confluence and Joffre roadcut paleontological localities (Hoffman and Stockey 2011). In this paper we explore how the identification of these fossils offer clues to the procurement areas which were sought out by prehistoric toolmakers. We do not suggest that all Red Deer Mudstone is from these localities, though the fossil molluscs presented so far do not refute this conclusion, but we do suggest that identifying large fossil shells can be a critical diagnostic tool for identifying the geologic origin of artifacts.


Eight cases of toxic shock syndrome, confirmed by Center for Disease Control criteria, involved women who were menstruating and were tampon users. Each patient had severe febrile illness with rash, associated hypotension, renal and liver function abnormalities, pharyngitis and vaginitis. An examination of the literature indicates that cases that were reported as adult Kawasaki disease may actually have been toxic shock syndrome.


: With the advent of noncemented total joint prostheses, today's orthopedic surgeons are asking questions about the predictability and performance of newer biologically fixed implants. Reported experience to date has failed to document any improved parameters of performance; instead, problems of prolonged convalescence, postoperative pain, and difficulties in revision procedures have been noted. Other issues of concern relate to the potential harmful effects of ion leaching, and problems of stress shielding and stress overload due to the physical properties of the materials presently available. Current investigative efforts to resolve these problems look promising, though surgeons should realize that science is a long way from producing the perfect total joint prosthesis.


Over the course of the long eighteenth century, a distinct Southern Dutch linguistic identity emerged in the region now known as Flanders, and spelling features are at the heart of this developing linguistic autonomy. By analyzing eighteenth- and early-nineteenth-century normative and metalinguistic comments about three highly salient spelling variables (the spelling of the long vowels a and u in closed syllables, the ending 〈-n〉 or 〈-o〉 in masculine adnominals, and the orthographic representation of etymologically different e and o sounds), we will show how seemingly insignificant features increasingly came to be portrayed as representing an unbridgeable linguistic gap between the Northern and Southern Low Countries. At the time of the political reunion of both parts of the Dutch speaking territories (1815–1830), this perceived gap then gave rise to different voices rejecting or embracing these shibboleths of linguistic 'Southernness', indicating how spelling features came to represent conflicting identities.


OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the outcome of our experience in the treatment of salivary gland disorders in children undergoing sialendoscopy and to assess the evolution of the technique.

DESIGN
Retrospective medical record review.

SETTING
Tertiary care university hospital.

PATIENTS
Thirty-eight children with salivary gland disorders undergoing diagnostic and interventional sialendoscopy between January 1, 2003, and November 30, 2008.

INTERVENTION
Diagnostic and interventional sialendoscopy using general anesthesia.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Demographic, clinical, and surgical variables, including age, sex, date of first symptoms, parotid or submandibular location of disease, preoperative ultrasonographic results, sialendoscopy technique, sialendoscopy observations, and complications.

RESULTS
Pediatric sialendoscopy was performed on the parotid gland in 23 patients (61%) and on the submandibular gland in 15 patients (39%). The most frequent indication for sialendoscopy was recurrent salivary gland swelling. Thirty-two of 38 procedures (84%) were performed endoscopically, whereas a combined intervention was necessary for 3 patients and a submandibular gland excision for another 3 patients. Sialendoscopy allowed the diagnosis of 12 patients with salivary duct lithiasis, 21 with salivary duct stenosis, and 2 with both submandibular lithiasis and stenosis, and findings from 3 sialendoscopies were normal. Preoperative ultrasonographic results were confirmed by sialendoscopy in only 7 patients. Of the 10 patients with lithiasis found using sialendoscopy, only 4 had been detected using preoperative ultrasonography.

CONCLUSIONS
Sialendoscopy is a pertinent technique for the diagnosis and treatment of salivary gland disorders in children. It also allows the most conservative treatment of sialolithiasis and juvenile recurrent parotitis.


The largest part of routers and switches, today deployed in production networks, has very limited energy saving capabilities, and substantially requires the same amount of energy both when working at full speed or when being idle. In order to dynamically adapt such energy requirements to the real device work load, current approaches foster the introduction of low power idle and power scaling primitives in entire devices, internal components and network interfaces. Starting from these considerations, we focus on power scaling, and we propose an analysis of the theoretical and technological limitations in adopting such kind of mechanisms. Thus, our contribution is twofold. On one hand, we performed several tests to identify the technological limitations in a software router based on off-the-shelf hardware, which already includes such capabilities. The results achieved show that the power scaling allows a linear trade-off between consumption and network performance, but the time to switch between two power states may cause a non negligible service interruption. On the other hand, regarding the theoretical limitations, we consider the trade-off between the benefit in dynamically adapting the power states within short time-scales and the overhead needed to choose and select the new power state.


Low power wide area network (LPWAN) receivers must first decide about the presence of a transmission in order to retrieve the information that was being sent by wireless sensor nodes. This is exacerbated by the use of modern coding techniques that are able operate at very low signal to noise ratio (SNR), and inaccuracies originating from the transmitter hardware. Several, mostly low complexity methods of detecting preambles with frequency offset are investigated regarding their detection performance and computational intricacy. This is done in a likelihood ratio testing framework with a fixed probability offalse alarm, maximizing the probability of detection. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) of each detector is evaluated using analytical or numerical methods. Coherent and noncoherent addition of the received symbols is considered. Advice for various application scenarios is provided, stressing on low SNR and low complexity receivers.


Excited state dynamics on an ultrafast timescale can provide insight into primary events in photochemical and photobiological processes. In this work, excited state dynamics of two important systems are characterized: unidirectional molecular rotary motors and HBDI derivatives (synthetic chromophores of the green fluorescent protein (GFP)). In both cases, the excited state is selectively probed by ultrafast fluorescence up-conversion with a time resolution better than 50 fs.
Molecular motors have biphasic (sub-picosecond and picosecond) fluorescence decays and oscillations attributed to excitation of coherently excited vibrational modes. The fluorescence data were contrasted with excited state decay and ground state recovery kinetics recorded using ultrafast transient absorption. Combining these experimental data with substituent dependence and solvent dependence studies, as well as existing calculations, we proposed a coupled two-state model for dynamics on the excited state potential energy surface. These data have implications for the design and optimisation of optically driven molecular motors. A 'molecular propeller' was also studied and shown to be more sensitive to medium friction than the motor.
The GFP experiments focused on determining the effect of alkyl substitution upon excited state dynamics of HBDI. HBDI in solution exhibits a very low quantum yield compared to the chromophore in its protein environment. Large alkyl substituents were found to shift the spectra but to exhibit only small retardation effects upon the excited state decay time, even in highly viscous solvents. This supports an assignment of a volume conserving isomerization mechanism promoting radiationless decay. Substituents which distort the planar structure of the chromophore lead to an enhanced radiationless decay. This provides further evidence for a link between radiationless decay of the excited state and twisting of HBDI.


After two weeks of operation, a poppet used in a check valve to control fluid flow and with a maximum operating pressure of 24 MPa (3.5 ksi) failed during operation. Specifications required that the part be made of 1213 or 1215 rephosphorized and resulfurized steel. The poppet was specified to be case hardened to 55 to 60 HRC, with a case depth of 0.6 to 0.9 mm (0.025 to 0.035 in.); the hardness of the mating valve seat was 40 HRC. Analysis showed that the fracture occurred through two 8 mm (0.313 in.) diam holes at the narrowest section of the poppet. The valve continued to operate after it broke, which resulted in extensive loss of metal between the holes. 80x micrograph and 4x macrograph of a 5% nital etched longitudinal section, and chemical analyses showed the poppet did fit 1213 or 1215 specs. However, hardness measurements showed surface hardness was excessive-61 to 65 HRC instead of the specified 55 to 60 HRC. Thus, the poppet failed by brittle fracture, and cracking occurred across nonmetallic inclusions. Recommendation was to redesign the valve with the poppet material changed to 4140 steel, hardened, and tempered to 50 to 55 HRC.