This thesis is based on an ethnographic narrative inquiry with members of the
Western Thrace minority group in Rodope, Greece. The study contributes to
debates about minorities and education in Thrace, investigating how research
participants' ethnic and religious identifications, constructed as 'Otherness' have
influenced their experiences in education.
Drawing mainly on the Bourdiean theory of habitus and grounded on the concept
of 'narrative imagination' (Andrews, 2014), the study explores the interrelations
between being, learning and becoming. It investigates how participants' sense of
self and belonging and their aspirations play out in their educational narratives.
The analysis is guided by issues of access and belonging to various spaces,
physical and symbolic distances and movement between spaces.
Data are drawn from three sources: narrative interviews with young and old
people from Rodope, state archives from the 1950s and 1960s, and field notes
from public events about minority education. This compilation of historical and
contemporary, public and private narratives elucidates degrees of distance on the
one hand, between the grand narratives of the Greek State and the minority
group's formal advocacy networks and on the other, the largely unheard small
narratives that circulate in private spaces.
The study argues for a holistic approach which takes conditions of being into the
discussions of learning, while also opening up the understandings of what
counts, for group members, as learning and learning spaces. Moreover, the thesis
contributes to the unpacking of the notion of 'minority': it problematises the way
the term is used in public discourse, and elucidates aspects of intra-group
heterogeneity and power hierarchies. By breaking out of the normalised
discourses and agendas the research suggests that the small stories might bring
a change in the established way of doing minority politics in Thrace.


: Results of histological, histochemical and electron-microscopy studies of puncture-biopsy specimens of the liver of 25 patients with alcoholic hepatitis are discussed. It is shown that acute alcoholic hepatitis develops, develops, as a rule against the background of steatosis and hepatocirrhosis as a result of the previous chronic consumption of alcohol. Lesions of the liver in this disease are of cholestatic character, which was due to the impairment of the metabolism of lipids, cholesterol and biliary acids under the effect of ethanol. The microscopic picture of alcoholic hepatitis is characterized by the presence of Mallory hyalin, intracellular congestion of the bile and predominance of neutrophilic leukocytes in the cell infiltrate. The characteristics make it possible to differentiate alcoholic hepatitis from viral one.


EU Environmental Law is a critical, comprehensive and engaging account of the essential and emerging issues in European environmental law and regulation today. Suitable for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students, the book delivers a thematic and contextual treatment of the subject for those taking courses in environmental law, environmental studies, regulation and public policy, and government and international relations. Placing the key issues in context, EU Environmental Law takes an interdisciplinary and thematic approach to help students to better understand the implementation and enforcement of environmental law and policy across Europe. It offers an accessible overview, and links theory with practical applications that will allow students to contextualise the outcomes of legal rules and their impact on public and private behaviours. It provides a definitive account of the subject, examining traditional topics such as nature conservation law, waste law and water law, alongside increasingly important fields such as the law of climate change, environmental human rights law, and regulation of GMOs and nanotechnology.


In this project a novel approach to modelling allocation is proposed by using quantitative economic theory to describe allocation. Where "investment" has often been used to describe the process of allocation this framework proposes a more literal use of economic theory by the application of econometrics. Forest allocation is described in terms of capital (state), resource capture (process) and investment (allocation decision-making). The system is further bound by its focus on the pho- tosynthetic activity in the economic framework. Photosynthetic capital is therefore defined as all apparatus directly or indirectly involved in harnessing the Sun's energy. The resource capture (photosynthesis) is then explored within the confines of the economic framework in order to see how capital drives photosynthetic uptake. Finally the investment is explored for the purpose of observing patterns and relations. A final model is then devised showing the following: (1) there is evidence to suggest that forests behave like economies holding a set capital to use for obtaining resources which are then invested within the confines of the system; (2) photosynthetic capital behaves in a productive way meaning that the subsystems of the capital contribute in varying degrees to the final outcome producing a lower result in the winter and an increase over the growing season; (3) marginal return on investment is a significant driver determining how much resource ultimately gets invested into the mechanism obtaining that resource; and finally (4) evergreen and de- ciduous forests show signs of different economic responses, wherein the evergreen forests are much more stable with higher capital but lower overall investment and decays and deciduous forests dedicate much big- ger investment when resources available but show a decrease of capital to almost 0 during winter.


Attribute acquisition for classes is a key step in ontology construction, which is often achieved by community members manually. This paper investigates an attention-based automatic paradigm called TransATT for attribute acquisition, by learning the representation of hierarchical classes and attributes in Chinese ontology. The attributes of an entity can be acquired by merely inspecting its classes, because the entity can be regard as the instance of its classes and inherit their attributes. For explicitly describing of the class of an entity unambiguously, we propose class-path to represent the hierarchical classes in ontology, instead of the terminal class word of the hypernym-hyponym relation (i.e., is-a relation) based hierarchy. The high performance of TransATT on attribute acquisition indicates the promising ability of the learned representation of class-paths and attributes. Moreover, we construct a dataset named \textbf{BigCilin11k}. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first Chinese dataset with abundant hierarchical classes and entities with attributes.


Examination of the oral cavity is an integral part of every clinical examination. The clinical presentation of various viral conditions is discussed in this article and will provide the family practitioner with an up to date guide to better diagnosis and management.


Selecting outcome measures that are both psychometrically sound and sensitive to change is a very important aspect of clinical outcome research. A variety of measures have been introduced in recent years to assess behavioral complications in dementia, but few have been adequately tested in clinical trials. This article provides a discussion of factors to consider in selecting measures, including psychometrics, item content, assessment source, and sensitivity to change. A review of behavioral and psychiatric measures for dementia patients is provided, including measures of general behavioral disturbance, and measures specifically developed for agitation and depression. Each measure's psychometric characteristics, prior use with demented patients, and strengths and weaknesses with regard to treatment outcome research is summarized. The importance of linking measures to the investigators' hypotheses is discussed, along with recommendations for evaluating and selecting outcome measures depending on the needs of the specific investigation. (J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 1995; 8(suppl 1):S8–S17).


When a soft ferromagnetic material is flown by an ac current and a magnetic field is applied at the same time, a major change of its impedance is occurred. The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of low frequency (1KHz-12KHz) ac current and the applied magnetic field on an amorphous magnetic wire (Co68Fe4.35Si12.5B15) without glass coating. For this purpose an experimental configuration has been setup, based on a Wheatstone bridge which receives an ac input signal from a frequency generator. The output is connected to the amorphous wire wrapped with a coil supplied by a dc voltage for the generation of the magnetic field. The output voltage pulse is measured for two cases a) The value of ac frequency is changing while the value of dc voltage applied to the coil remains constant (the magnetic field remains unchanged) and b) the magnetic field is changing while the ac frequency remains constant to a predefined value. Experimental results of the first scenario showed that when the frequency is altered a non-linear increase of the ac signal is observed at the output which shows an increase of the GMI effect and is related to the non-linearity of the wire's permeability. For the second scenario the results showed an increase of the output signal offset (voltage) which also indicates an increase of the GMI effect.


Background and Objectives Sleep is a highly organised biological process that is an important component of functioning and well-being of human. Sleep disorders have been referred as one of the main symptoms of Fibromyalgia. However, after the pain, sleep disorder symptoms is most often referenced by these individuals, including non-restorative sleep, insomnia and poor quality sleep. Recent studies suggest a reciprocal relationship between pain and sleep. Thus, the new diagnostic criteria proposed by American College of Rheumatology (ACR) suggest that sleep should be a central aspect of Fibromyalgia clinical evaluation. The objective of this study is evaluate the psychometric properties of the MOS Sleep Scale in patients with Fibromyalgia. Materials and Methods The MOS Sleep Scale was sent by mail to 229 individuals with Fibromyalgia, members of National Association Against Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - MYOS, Northern Region. Individuals who responded (sample test-retest), was sent back after 10 days. Subsequently was tested reliability and validity. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha reliability and intraobserver reliability by intraclass correlation coefficient. Construct validity was determined by formulating hypotheses developed based on another measure, FIQ-P. Results Most subjects were female (94.5%) with a mean age of 52.40 ± 11.05. The Cronbach's alpha showed acceptable values above 0.70 for all domains. They demonstrated good intra-observer reliability with intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.80 and standard error of measurement of 9.10. Conclusions The results of this study demonstrated good levels of reliability and construct validity of the MOS Sleep Scale, which is an appropriate instrument to evaluate sleep disturbances in individuals with fibromyalgia.


The Catholic community in early modern England was not only a persecuted minority but full of factions, each playing off the other, expressing themselves in a war of words, and even, on occasion, canvassing for support in the very establishment that was trying to eliminate them. To a large extent, these tensions were focused around the vexed question of what sort of ecclesiastical government should fill the vacuum left by the Reformation and the extinction of the Marian hierarchy. Various canonical solutions were tried: rule by archpriest, vicar apostolic and chapter of secular clergy. Each of these resulted in ongoing disagreements between secular and regular clergy, between those who viewed the English Catholic community as being in continuity with the pre-Reformation Church and those who thought circumstances required something new and creative. Added to this was a complex web of canonical jurisdictions, often without clear definition, and Rome's reluctance to act decisively and offend the Elizabethan or Stuart regime. This article, originally delivered as the Lyndwood Lecture, outlines the key personalities and events and examines the central issues that were at stake in this 'church without bishops'.


Widespread use of microarrays has generated large amounts of data, the interrogation of the public microarray repositories, identifying similarities between microarray experiments is now one of the major challenges. Approaches using defined group of genes, such as pathways and cellular networks (pathway analysis), have been proposed to improve the interpretation of microarray experiments. We propose a novel method to compare microarray experiments at the pathway level, this method consists of two steps: first, generate pathway signatures, a set of descriptors recapitulating the biologically meaningful pathways related to some clinical/biological variable of interest, second, use these signatures to interrogate microarray databases. We demonstrate that our approach provides more reliable results than with gene-based approaches. While gene-based approaches tend to suffer from bias generated by the analytical procedures employed, our pathway based method successfully groups together similar samples, independently of the experimental design. The results presented are potentially of great interest to improve the ability to query and compare experiments in public repositories of microarray data. As a matter of fact, this method can be used to retrieve data from public microarray databases and perform comparisons at the pathway level.


OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of helmet therapy (DOC band) in the correction of patients with moderate to severe posterior deformational plagiocephaly.

DESIGN
In this prospective study, the infants were evaluated using 18 anthropometric measurements.

PATIENTS
The charts of 248 patients seen between August 1, 1995, and July 31, 1999, were reviewed, and 125 met the criteria for inclusion in the study. All the patients had posterior deformational plagiocephaly with no other craniofacial deformities or medical conditions. Treatment was instituted prior to 1 year of age, and all patients were compliant with DOC band usage and had complete anthropometric measurements.

RESULTS
The study recorded a 41.56% (p < .001) reduction in cranial vault asymmetry and a 40.23% (p <.001) reduction in cranial base asymmetry. Orbitotragial asymmetry was improved 18.72% (p = .0738). The age at which treatment was begun was not a significant factor in predicting treatment outcomes.


This work focuses on the massive counterparts of classical T-Tauri stars, the so-called Herbig Ae/Be (HAeBe) stars. These are the most massive objects to experience an optically visible pre-main sequence (PMS) phase, bridging the transition between low and high-mass young stars. Our knowledge about the HAeBe properties is much more limited than that for lower-mass objects. The main reason is the comparatively small sample, caused by the fast evolution of massive objects to the main-sequence, and by the fact that star formation process shows favour for the less-massive objects, as the shape of the initial-mass function suggests.
The general aim of this thesis is to contribute to our knowledge of HAeBe stars, in particular, the behaviour of the circumstellar atomic gas, the accretion properties, and the evolution and physical mechanisms driving the star-disk interaction. This research is mainly based on multi-epoch optical spectra and simultaneous optical-near infrared (nIR) photometry of a representative sample of 38 HAeBe stars, as well as on their stellar parameters and spectral energy distributions. The main achievements of this work are summarized as follows:
We have carried out the most complete characterization to date of the circumstellar behaviour of HAeBe stars in the optical, analysing multi-epoch (intervals of hours-days-months) and averaged spectra in H-alpha, [OI]6300, NaID and HeI5876. These spectra, and the simultaneous photometry, have allowed us to estimate line fuxes and to assess whether the observed equivalent-width variations are caused by changes in the stellar continuum or by variations of the circumstellar gas itself. These data constitute one of the largest existing sets to study some of the variability properties of intermediate-mass PMS stars, which led us to find significant differences between the variability behaviour of HAe and HBe stars, as well as between HAeBes and classical T-Tauri stars.
We have applied magnetospheric-accretion shock modelling to reproduce the observed Balmer excess from multi-epoch Johnson's UB photometry, deriving the most reliable estimates of the accretion rates for a wide sample of HAeBe stars to date. We provided empirical expressions relating the accretion and the H-alpha, [OI]6300 and Br-gamma luminosities, being the first time that these calibrations are accurately obtained for the HAeBe regime. In contrast, we found that the H-alpha line width at 10% of peak intensity is not a valid accretion tracer for the HAeBes, unlike for lower mass stars. In addition, the accretion-rate changes from multi-epoch Balmer excess measurements seem to be uncorrelated to the simultaneous variability of the H-alpha and [OI]6300 lines. This led us to suggest that the origin of the empirical calibrations between the accretion and line luminosities could not be driven by the influence of accretion on the emission lines, but by a common dependence on the stellar luminosity.
Finally, we have looked for trends relating the accretion rates with several stellar and disk properties. We have estimated inner gas dissipation timescales for the HAeBe regime, and report similar correlations than those for lower mass T Tauri stars. In particular, we find trends relating the mass accretion rate with the nIR excess and disk mass that point to simple viscous disk models explaining them. However, we find slightly faster inner gas dissipation timescales for our sample, and indications suggesting that a different physical process -such as photoevaporation- plays a major role dissipating disks around HAeBes.


During embedded system development, developers frequently change and reuse the existing C source code for the development of a new but behaviorally similar product. Such frequent changes generally decrease the understandability of C source code although the developers have to understand how it behaves and how to reuse it. So far, much research has been done on symbolic execution techniques that statically analyze the behavioral aspect of given source code. In this paper, we propose a symbolic execution-based approach to extracting a Micro State Transition Table (MSTT) that helps developers understanding the behavioral aspect of embedded C source code based on a fine-grained state transition model. As a case study, we applied the proposed approach to a collection of source files and then confirmed the correctness of the extracted MSTTs.


In the aircraft industry, electromagnetic riveting is now widely used in the riveting of wedge-shaped aluminium-alloy structure and carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP), but damages to the CFRP often happen. To investigate the reason for the damages, methods of C-scan, x ray, Compton backscatter scanning (CBS), metallography, and thermal deply were applied to study the wedge-shaped riveting structures. The study indicates that the composites by the tail of the rivets, which are close to the edge of the structure, are almost comminuted, and those rivets expand uniformly along the shaft and interference fit with the structure, and at the same time curve toward the edge. The composites around the rivets, which are away from the edge of the structure, are slightly damaged, and these rivets deformed not so uniformly, most of them clearance fit with the structure, and in some joints interference fit and clearance fit occur alternatively. The investigation shows that, in the joints close to the edge, the balance of constraints from the aperture to the rivet is broken by the slope around the tail of the rivet, results in a rightward force working on the rivet tail. The integration of this force and the riveting force curves the rivet instantaneously, which comminutes the right-side composites of the rivet tail. For the rivets away from the edge, the deformation becomes more buckled the longer the rivet, which causes the instability of the fit situation and reduces the damage to the composites.


In the present work, the nanosecond-pulsed laser micro machining was applied to induce surface patterns with three different metals (i.e., titanium, aluminum as well as magnesium alloys) for producing metal-plastic hybrid (MPH) joints by injection molding. Specifically, laser variables such as the scanning speed, laser frequency, and scan repetition were altered to obtain different surface patterns. The surface morphologies were observed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). It's found from SEM observations that due to the thermal ablation of the laser, micro patterns such as grooves and protrusions exist on all metal surfaces. However, distinct morphologies can be seen for different metals, with the most variable microstructures for the titanium alloy. Moreover, the surface wettability to the distilled water for all metal surfaces was examined with a contact angle measuring instrument. It's shown that the contact angle characterizing the surface hydrophilicity is not necessarily related to process condition but surface morphologies. The tensile tests of the injection molded MPH joints showed that the titanium alloy surfaces with bumpy morphology facilitated forming micro-scale mechanical interlocking between the metal and the plastic, leading to enhanced MPH joint strength.


This two part investigation tested whether or not a self-report measure of broad or narrow attentional style (i.e., the BET and RED subscales of the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style-TAIS) could predict cue-processing ability on a task that required processing of peripheral cues. In Experiment 1, it was hypothesized that broad attenders would be superior to narrow attenders. Two separate probe techniques were used to measure peripheral cue processing. Results indicated marginal support for the prediction on the first probe and strong support on the second probe. In Experiment 2, subjects received either positive or negative false feedback in an attempt to manipulate level of anxiety and to observe the subsequent effects on the cue-processing ability of broad and narrow attenders. Broad attenders who received positive feedback processed peripheral cues faster than all other subjects. Findings were discussed within the framework of Kahneman's capacity theory of attention and the desirability of em...


Cognitive science, evolutionary psychology, and dynamical systems theory have all been proposed as frameworks for linking the diverse subdisciplines of psychology with one another, and with other scientific disciplines. Traditional cognitive science focused on content-free general processing and deemphasized motivation. An evolutionary perspective emphasizes the centrality of motivational systems and the specificity of mechanisms designed to solve particular recurrent problems. The evolutionary perspective provides a set of broad general principles linking diverse behaviors in humans as well as other species. The dynamic approach seeks even broader principles, searching for emergent patterns in all complex systems, whether animate or inanimate. Natural selection is itself one such broad principle, as is the broader principle of self-organization, which helps explain dynamic equilibria found in groups of humans and in diverse species linked together within ecosystems. Proponents of the major contending interdisciplines will need to build more bridges if the dream of a unifying paradigm is to be realized. This review samples some of the reasons why evolutionary psychologists, dynamical systems theorists, and traditional cognitive scientists need one another.


Abstract Objective: Treatment intensification with additional anti-diabetic agents is recommended in type 2 diabetes (T2D) for patients inadequately controlled on metformin monotherapy. The present network meta-analysis (NMA) evaluated comparative efficacy and safety of once-weekly semaglutide and sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2is) in T2D patients inadequately controlled with metformin. Methods: Randomized controlled trials with ≥20 weeks duration were searched in EMBASE, MEDLINE, and CENTRAL. Primary efficacy outcomes were: change from baseline in HbA1c, weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP), post-prandial blood glucose (PPG), and fasting blood glucose (FPG). Treatment effects at 26 (±4) weeks were compared using Bayesian NMAs. Meta-regression and sensitivity analysis were used to address the trial heterogeneity. Results: Eight trials were found eligible for this NMA. Statistically significant reductions in HbA1c were observed with both 1.0 mg and 0.5 mg doses of once-weekly semaglutide when compared to SGLT-2is. The mean differences in change from baseline in HbA1c for once-weekly semaglutide 1.0 mg vs SGLT-2is ranged from −0.66% for canagliflozin 300 mg (95% Credible Intervals [CrI]: −0.82, −0.50%) to −1.11% for dapagliflozin 5 mg (95% CrI: −1.37, −0.85%). Once-weekly semaglutide 1.0 mg performed significantly better than all SGLT-2is of interest in reducing weight and improving FPG levels: however, SBP reduction was not statistically differentiable. Results of sensitivity analysis and meta-regressions aligned with base-case results. NMAs were not possible for PPG and safety outcomes, due to lack of data. Conclusion: Once-weekly semaglutide treatment is significantly better compared to SGLT-2is in achieving adequate glycemic control in T2D patients inadequately controlled with metformin monotherapy.


CASE DESCRIPTION
A 10-year-old Longhorn cow pregnant with a valuable fetus was evaluated because of progressive inspiratory dyspnea of 6 weeks' duration.

CLINICAL FINDINGS
Physical examination findings were consistent with upper respiratory tract obstruction. A large pedunculated soft tissue mass was evident in the mid-dorsal aspect of the pharynx during palpation and endoscopic examination. Results of microscopic examination of transendoscopic fine-needle aspirates and a biopsy specimen were suggestive of a bacterial granuloma.

TREATMENT AND OUTCOME
Transtracheal intubation was performed, and the mass was excised with a chain écraseur. Results of histologic examination were consistent with a diagnosis of actinobacillosis. The owner reported that the cow was doing well without any recurrence of respiratory distress 8 months after surgery.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Findings suggested that pharyngeal granuloma resulting from actinobacillosis should be included in the differential diagnoses when examining mature cattle with upper respiratory tract obstruction and that a chain écraseur may be useful for excising soft tissue pharyngeal masses in cattle.


In response to many different apoptotic stimuli, cytochrome c is released from the intermembrane space of the mitochondria into the cytoplasm, where it serves as a cofactor in the activation of procaspase 9. Inhibition of this process can occur either by preventing cytochrome c release or by blocking caspase activation or activity. Experiments involving in vitro reconstitution of apoptosis in cell-free extracts of Xenopus laevis eggs have suggested that extracts arrested in interphase are susceptible to an endogenous apoptotic program leading to caspase activation, whereas extracts arrested in meiotic metaphase are not. We report here that Mos/MEK/MAPK pathways active in M phase-arrested eggs are responsible for rendering them refractory to apoptosis. Interestingly, M phase-arrested extracts are competent to release cytochrome c, yet still do not activate caspases. Concomitantly, we have also demonstrated that recombinant Mos, MEK, and ERK are sufficient to block cytochrome c-dependent caspase activation in purified Xenopus cytosol, which lacks both transcription and translation. These data indicate that the MAP kinase pathway can target and inhibit post-cytochrome c release apoptotic events in the absence of new mRNA/protein synthesis and that this biochemical pathway is responsible for the apoptotic inhibition observed in meiotic X. laevis egg extracts.


Lisa Sowle Cahill has set herself a formidable task in this book and accomplished it well. In eleven chapters, she surveys the high points in the history of Christian thought about antagonistic human relationships, most dramatically war. She also shows her readers the contours of recent debates among Christian thinkers about these matters, estimating how best to locate such luminaries as the Niebuhr brothers. In the process of accomplishing these two formidable subtasks, Cahill helps the reader develop an intuitive sense of where to place a given author or argument on a Christian ethical spectrum running from pacifism, more or less rigid, to willingness to allow warfare under certain conditions, more or less stringent. Overall, her chapters left me, an average nonspecialist reader, feeling as though I had been through a brisk refresher course that included the views of Augustine and Aquinas, Luther and Calvin, and that showed the difficulties of trying to square pacifist convictions with those of just war theoreticians. Finally, though the book is more descriptive and analytical than constructive or hortatory, I found the chapters conspiring to build a quiet, patient, indirect yet effective argument for a judicious pacifism. If you asked Cahill for the upshot of trying to base your political activity on a firm commitment to the following of Jesus, on a serious discipleship in the community of those wanting to be converted to his gospel, that is what I think she would have you explore. Let me now summarize the advance of the book chapter by chapter.


The paper discusses physical and mechanical, and heat-insulating properties of lightweight structural and insulating concretes based on various glassy aggregates – quenched cullets. Quenched cullet represents a fired aggregate that has a bulk density equal to 150-300 kg/m3 and cylinder strength of 0.5-2 MPa, which has been produced by pretreatment of silica rocks with an alkali component followed by firing in rotary kilns. It has been established that the aggregate grain's glassy envelope has a closed, evenly distributed porosity with a high content of the glass phase and improved strength and thermal and physical characteristics. Influence of the glass phase as part of a porous aggregate on the totality of concrete properties - structural, thermal and hydrophysical - has been found. Process fundamentals and standardization support for practical application of lightweight concretes featuring density D500-800 kg/cm3 and strength grades B2.5-7.5 in envelope structures with high heat-insulating properties have been developed.


[1] We report on laboratory experiments in which stick-slipping shear surfaces are subject to transient stressing to simulate earthquake triggering by seismic waves. Granular layers and bare granite surfaces were sheared in a servo-controlled deformation apparatus in double-direct shear. The seismic waves from an earthquake and tectonic load were simulated by superimposing a loading rate sinusoid on a constant shear loading rate. The dependence of triggered stick-slip failure on fault stress state and architecture was analyzed. Fault architecture was evaluated by varying gouge layer thickness (2–6 mm) and studying bare granite surfaces. We compare the shortened recurrence times for faults under transient loading conditions to the consistent recurrence intervals under constant loading rate. Our results imply that triggering depends on oscillation amplitude and frequency, as well as properties of the fault. Larger-amplitude dynamic stresses reduce stick-slip recurrence intervals for granular layers, whereas failure times for granite surfaces are uncorrelated with oscillation amplitude. Granular layers have shorter recurrence rates at higher frequency, whereas the recurrence intervals of granite surfaces are lengthened or unaffected by high-frequency oscillations. Higher frequencies can inhibit failure when fault slip exceeds a critical distance, Dc, prior to peak velocity and encourages failure if Dc is achieved postpeak velocity. Increasing velocity temporarily strengthens faults, whereas velocity reduction further weakens and promotes failure, as predicted by the rate-and-state friction laws. Our results may explain variations in earthquake triggering thresholds and imply that high-frequency thresholds may not be constant, as has been previously proposed.


STUDY QUESTION
Does a GnRH agonist (GnRHa) trigger followed by a bolus of 1.500 IU hCG in a group of patients at risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) reduce the OHSS incidence compared with hCG trigger?

SUMMARY ANSWER
A GnRHa trigger followed by early luteal hCG support with one bolus of 1.500 IU hCG appears to reduce OHSS in patients at risk of OHSS; however, in a low-risk group a second bolus of 1.500 IU hCG induced two cases of late onset OHSS.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
A GnRHa trigger is an alternative to hCG in GnRH antagonist co-treated cycles.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
Two RCTs were performed in four Danish IVF units. A total of 446 patients were assessed for eligibility and 390 patients were enrolled in the study from January 2009 until December 2011. The primary outcome of the study was OHSS incidence in the group at risk of OHSS.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS
Patients received a fixed dose of recombinant human FSH for the first 4 days. On the day of triggering, patients were assessed for their risk of OHSS based on the total number of follicles ≥11 mm diameter, and were classified as being at risk of OHSS when the total number of follicles ≥11 mm was between 15 and 25 and at low risk of OHSS when the total number of follicles ≥11 mm was ≤14. Two separate randomization lists were used for each of the OHSS risk groups. Women at risk of OHSS were allocated (RCT 1) to either: Group A (n = 60), ovulation triggering with a bolus of 0.5 mg buserelin (GnRHa) s.c. followed by a single bolus of 1.500 IU hCG s.c. after the oocyte retrieval-or: Group B (n = 58): 5.000 IU hCG. Similarly, women at low risk of OHSS were allocated (RCT 2) to receive either: Group C (n = 125), a bolus of 0.5 mg buserelin s.c., followed by a bolus of 1.500 IU hCG s.c. after oocyte retrieval and a second bolus of 1.500 IU hCG on the day of oocyte retrieval +5-or: Group D (n = 141), 5.000 IU hCG. Groups C and D were included in order to obtain preliminary data.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
In women at risk of OHSS (RCT 1) (15-25 follicles) no OHSS case was seen in Group A (GnRHa trigger and one bolus of 1.500 IU hCG), whereas two cases of moderate late-onset OHSS occurred in group B (3.4%), (P = 0.24). In contrast, in women at a low risk of OHSS (RCT 2) (≤14 follicles) two cases of late-onset OHSS occurred in Group C (GnRHa trigger and two boluses of 1.500 IU hCG), whereas no OHSS case was encountered in Group D (P = 0.22).

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
Although the first RCT was powered to include 168 patients at risk of OHSS (15-25 follicles ≥11 mm) randomized to either GnRHa trigger or hCG trigger, the trial was prematurely discontinued when a total of 118 patients at risk of OHSS were randomized. In addition the second RCT in the OHSS low-risk group was designed as a feasibility study to assess the incidence of OHSS after GnRHa trigger and dual hCG administration versus 5.000 IU hCG. No power calculation was performed for this trial. In addition, there was a lack of blinding in the RCTs.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
Although a non-significant result, one bolus of 1.500 IU hCG after GnRHa trigger tended to reduce the OHSS rate in patients with 15-25 follicles ≥11 mm as well as secure the ongoing pregnancy rate. In contrast, in patients at low risk of OHSS the administration of two boluses of 1.500 IU hCG after GnRHa trigger should be avoided as it may induce OHSS.


The general number field sieve (GNFS) is the most efficient algorithm known for factoring large integers. It consists of several stages, the first one being polynomial selection. The quality of the chosen polynomials in polynomial selection can be modelled in terms of size and root properties. In this paper, we describe some methods to optimize the size properties of sextic polynomials.


Abstract. We report on the evolution of dipolarization and associated disturbances of the near-Earth current sheet during a substorm on 27 October 2007, based upon Cluster multi-point, multi-scale observations of the night-side plasma sheet at X~−10 R E . Three dipolarization events were observed accompanied by activations on ground magnetograms at 09:07, 09:14, and 09:22 UT. We found that all these events consist of two types of dipolarization signatures: (1) Earthward moving dipolarization pulse, which is accompanied by enhanced rapid Earthward flux transport and is followed by current sheet disturbances with decrease in B Z and enhanced local current density, and subsequent (2) increase in B Z toward a stable level, which is more prominent at Earthward side and evolving tailward. During the 09:07 event, when Cluster was located in a thin current sheet, the dipolarization and fast Earthward flows were also accompanied by further thinning of the current sheet down to a half-thickness of about 1000 km and oscillation in a kink-like mode with a period of ~15 s and propagating duskward. Probable cause of this "flapping current sheet" is shown to be the Earthward high-speed flow. The oscillation ceased as the flow decreased and the field configuration became more dipolar. The later rapid flux transport events at 09:14 and 09:22 UT took place when the field configuration was initially more dipolar and were also associated with B Z disturbance and local current density enhancement, but to a lesser degree. Hence, current sheet disturbances induced by initial dipolarization pulses could differ, depending on the configuration of the current sheet.


Gypsophila turcica Hamzaoglu is described as a new species. The specimen was collected from gypsaceous hills, at an altitude between 1755 and 1835 m from Zara District (Sivas Province). The new species is similar to Gypsophila festucifolia Hub.-Mor. The differences between these 2 taxa are discussed. Moreover, Silene choruhensis Hamzaoglu nom. nova should replace S. ispirensis A.P.Khokhr. 1997, which is an illegitimate name as a younger homonym of S. ispirensis Boiss. 1856.


The use of X-ray methods in the field of materials analysis is now entering its seventh decade. While the broad definition of X-ray methods covers many techniques based on the scatter, emission and absorption properties of X-radiation, the two most common are X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry and X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD). When a sample of material is bombarded with energetic radiation (X-rays, γ-rays, electrons, protons, etc.) vacancies may arise from the removal of inner orbital electrons. One of the processes by which the atom regains stability is by transference of electrons from outer to inner electron shells. Each of these transitions is accompanied by the emission of an X-ray photon having an energy equal to the energy difference between the two states. The X-ray emission wavelengths are characteristic of the atom in question and there is a simple relationship (Moseley's law) between the wavelength of the emission line and the atomic number of the atom. Thus when a sample is made up of many different types of atoms, each atom will produce a series of wavelengths, and all of the contributions add up to become the total X-ray emission from the sample. XRF is a technique which utilizes the diffracting power of a single crystal, or the proportional characteristics of a photon detector, to separate the polychromatic beam of radiation from the sample into separate wavelengths, thus allowing qualitative and quantitative elemental measurements to be made.

A beam of monochromatic radiation may also be scattered when X-ray photons collide with atomic electrons. Where the scattered wavelengths interfere with one another diffraction of X-rays occurs. All substances are built up of individual atoms and nearly all substances have some degree of order of periodicity in the arrangement of these atoms. It is the scattering from these periodic arrays that leads to the diffraction effect, and there is a simple relationship (Bragg's law) between the scattering angle, the wavelength of the radiation and the spacings between the planes of atoms. Since the distances between the atomic planes are dependent on the size and distribution of atoms – i.e. the structure of the material, XRD can be used for qualitative and quantitative phase identification.


Electrokinetic process is a potential in situ soil remediation process which transports the contaminants via electromigration and electroosmosis. For organic compounds contaminated soil, Fenton's reagent is utilized as a flushing agent in electrokinetic process (Electrokinetic-Fenton) so that removal of organic contaminants could be achieved by in situ oxidation/destruction. However, this process is not applied widely in industries as the stability issue for Fenton's reagent is the main drawback. The aim of this mini review is to summarize the developments of Electrokinetic-Fenton process on enhancing the stability of Fenton's reagent and process efficiency in past decades. Generally, the enhancements are conducted via four paths: i) chemical stabilization to delay H 2 O 2 decomposition, ii) increase of oxidant availability by monitoring injection method for Fenton's reagent, iii) electrodes operation and iron catalysts and iv) operating conditions such as voltage gradient, electrolytes and H 2 O 2 concentration. In addition, the types of soils and contaminants are also showing significant effect as the soil with low acid buffering capacity, adequate iron concentration, low organic matter content and low aromatic ring organic contaminants generally gives better efficiency.


Purpose: To establish the use of Gafchromic EBT2 film as an accurate and effective QA tool capable of providing absolute dosimetry for SBRT treatment plans. Methods: A dose calibration curve using the absolute dose response of Gafchromic EBT2 film after irradiation of known doses from 0 – 2500 cGy was created and used to compare planar doses created by the Pinnacle treatment planning system to EBT2 film dose responses after being irradiated with the patient's plan on a QA phantom of solid water. FilmQAPro 2012 software was used to compare the calculated andmeasured planar doses in absolute dose mode. Both manual and fiducial marker registration methods were performed. For manual registration, the film was adjusted using the software's movement tools in order to get the best agreement between the film and calculated planar dose. Intended as the primary method, fiducial marker registration involved marking the isocenter on the film at the time of plan delivery and then setting these marks to the isocenter of the calculated planar dose before comparison. Results: Two cases were chosen: a single arc that could not be measured with the Delta4 dosimetry system despite troubleshooting and another composite plan involving a non‐coplanar arc. In both cases, the measured and calculated planar dose comparisons had a γ‐index <1 when using ± 3% dose and ± 3mm DTA criteria for above 95% of the points for both relative and absolute registration without dose rescaling. Conclusions: Initial resultsshow that EBT2 film can serve as an adequate QA tool for the evaluation of patient specific QA involving SBRT. We found that film offers the superior spatial resolution needed for SBRT cases which involve extremely steep dose gradients and small areas of dose deposition. Additionally, film also performs well with SBRT plans involving non‐coplanar beams or arcs.


The aim of this clinical study was to determine whether during the course of mild gallstone pancreatitis (I degree), which is the most common form of acute pancreatitis, there occur blood magnesium and calcium concentration disruptions. Testing was performed on 20 patients suffering from mild pancreatitis during 5 days of illness. Results were compared with a group of 110 healthy individuals (first-time blood donors). The average plasma magnesium ion concentration (PMg++) was lowest in the first day of illness and gradually goes up during the following 4 days. The highest levels, exceeding 11 per cent basal values, were observed during the fifth day of acute pancreatitis. Similar changes of blood cells magnesium ion concentration (BCMg++) were observed. The lowest level was found during the first day and after this it increased slightly to reach average levels. The most stable was plasma calcium ion concentration (PCa++) which did not indicate any variations. Blood donors results: PMg++ mean 0.95 +/- 0.17 mmol/L (range 0.65-1.41 mmol/L), BCMg++ -2.85 +/- 0.42 mmol/L (1.58-3.62 mmol/L), PCa++ -2.51 +/- 0.28 mmol/L (2.03-2.99 mmol/L). The observed differences in magnesium concentration were statistically significant only for the group examined (p < 0.001) and did not differ in a statistically significant sense from the control group values (Cohran-Cox test with p < 0.001). Previous studies have shown that, among individuals with mild gallstone pancreatitis, there is half the bile magnesium ion concentration and the same bile calcium ion concentration as among individuals with gallstones, who have not suffered from pancreatitis. Lack of permanent blood ion changes during the course of this form of the disease shows that the general circulating pool is unchanged. This magnesium deficiency pertains specifically to bile. However during the course of acute pancreatitis and lack of oral magnesium supply the pool of body reserves may be depleted. Magnesium also shows pharmacodynamic action as a tranquilliser, a vasodilator, a cytoprotective agent, an anticoagulant, an antioxidant and a myorelaxant. All these influences are beneficial in acute pancreatitis treatment. Therefore, despite visible features of magnesium deficit in the organism, it seems reasonable to supply the daily need by adding 2 amp. 25 per cent magnesium sulphate (total 40.5 mmol) during parenteral fluids infusion. Such a procedure was carried out for our patients and the results will be presented in a separate publication.


Author(s): Fernandez, Lisa | Advisor(s): Mills, Nicholas J | Abstract: We examined the effects of two fungicides (copper+mancozeb and sulfur) and five reduced-risk insecticides (chlorantraniliprole, cyantraniliprole, lambda-cyhalothrin, novaluron, and spinetoram) on Hippodamia convergens (Guerin-Meneville) (Col.: Coccinellidae), an important natural enemy in western United States orchards. Acute toxicity of pesticides was tested via three different exposure routes: oral, residual, and topical. Lambda-cyhalothrin caused significant mortality to adults and larvae via all exposure routes (57-100%). Cyantraniliprole was toxic to adults and larvae when orally exposed, but it was less toxic for other exposure routes. Cyantraniliprole, spinetoram, and novaluron were moderately toxic to larvae when topically exposed (40-63% mortality), but not to adults (l4% mortality). Chlorantraniliprole, copper+mancozeb, and sulfur demonstrated low toxicity (l30% mortality) to adults and larvae, regardless of exposure route. Lethal and sublethal effects were tested by treating insects topically in the inactive stages (egg, pupa) and simultaneously through oral, residual, and topical exposure in the active stages (larva, adult). Larvae were vulnerable to all pesticides except copper+mancozeb, and lambda-cyhalothrin also reduced survivorship for pupae and eggs (3-19%). Exposure to novaluron lowered survivorship for treated eggs (14%) and fertility of treated females (9%). Fecundity was increased by exposure to copper+mancozeb. Corrected acute adult mortality alone was sufficient to detect the harmful effects of chlorantraniliprole and lambda-cyhalothrin, but combined effects of corrected adult mortality and daily fertility were needed to highlight the harmful effect of novaluron. Estimates of the intrinsic rate of increase indicated substantial delays in the population recovery of H. convergens following exposure to chlorantraniliprole, cyantraniliprole, novaluron, and sulfur, and local extinction for lambda-cyhalothrin. The effects of a combination pesticide (chlorantraniliprole and lambda-cyhalothrin) were tested on larvae and adults exposed to residues aged 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 38 d in a laboratory or field setting. For field-aged residues, both life stages were highly susceptible to 0 and 1d residue (g 80%), but acute mortality declined for residues aged 16 and 38 d adults (l 53%). For laboratory-aged residues, both life stages had high acute mortality rates (g 80%) regardless of residue age. The rate of decay of the pesticide impact on adults (0.059) was greater than for larvae (0.024) for the field-aged residues, and greater than for adults exposed to laboratory-aged residues (a = 0.004). The results indicate that even reduced-risk insecticides may have harmful effects that vary by pesticide, life stage, and exposure route. Pesticide risk assessments can be improved by using lethal and sublethal data to estimate changes in population growth, and by incorporating both laboratory and field-based bioassays to better understand how pesticides impact natural enemies in the field.


At the end of the last decade, the real activity in Colombia underwent the sharpest recession of the last fifty years. We postulate a non-triangular structural VAR model(Amisano and Giannini, 1997) to describe the dynamics of output, prices, unemployment and wages during the last two decades. The evidence suggests that, in the long-run, monetary policy has been neutral to both output and unemployment while the main reasons for the increase in the latter have been the lack of credibility of monetary policy, the way in which wages are set and the increase in non-wage labor costs.


Abstract Background and objectives Active infection results in several outward signs in humans, including visible symptoms, changes in behavior and possible alterations in skin color and gait. A potential adaptive function of these indicators is to signal distress and elicit care from close others. We hypothesized that sickness behavior, a suite of stereotypical changes in mood and behavior, also serves to communicate health status to others. We further hypothesized that such outward signals/cues of health status would vary based on context and sociocultural norms. Methodology We explored self-reported, recalled sickness behavior, communication style, demographics and theoretically relevant cultural factors in a large national US sample (n = 1259) using multinomial probit regressions. Results In accordance with predictions, relatively few participants were willing to talk or complain about sickness to strangers. Self-reported, recalled sickness behavior was associated with some communication styles but attention received from others was more consistently associated with potential signaling. Several cultural factors, including stoicism and traditional machismo, were also associated with different sickness signaling styles. Conclusions and implications These preliminary, self-reported data lend some tentative support to the sickness behavior signaling hypothesis, though experimental or observational support is needed. The role of cultural norms in shaping how such signals are transmitted and received also deserves further attention as they may have important implications for disease transmission. Lay Summary Evolutionary medicine hypothesizes that signs and symptoms of infectious disease—including sickness behavior—have adaptive functions, one of which might be to reliably signal one's health status to others. Our results suggest that evolved signals like these are likely shaped by cultural factors.


Abstract. A revision of a group of ecorticate species of Chara is presented, on the basis of fresh, pressed and spirit-preserved material. The following seven species are recognised, characterised by a very simple morphology, with few or inconspicuous accessory cells (cortication, stipulodes, bract cells, bracteoles) and large gametangia: Chara australis R.Br., C. lucida (A.Braun) Casanova & Karol comb et. stat. nov., C. porteri Casanova, sp. nov., C. protocharoides Casanova & Karol, nom. nov. (=Protochara australis Womersley & Ophel) and C. stuartiana (Kütz.) Casanova & Karol comb. et. stat. nov. from Australia, and C. corallina Klein ex Willd. and C. wallichii A.Braun from Asia. A new section, Chara subg. Charopsis sect. Protochara (Womersley & Ophel) Casanova & Karol, comb. et stat. nov., is erected to accommodate these taxa, formerly placed in sect. Charopsis.


Abstract In order to ascertain the relationship between opening conditions and indoor airflow characteristics, case studies were conducted by performing CFD analysis using the domain decomposition technique. Reproducibility of the domain decomposition technique was verified through wind tunnel experiments, and the correspondence was confirmed to be satisfactory. The authors confirmed the validity of a method of evaluating cross–ventilation performance which uses wind velocity ratios and ignores regional and meteorological locality. The relationship between opening area and wind velocity ratio was also ascertained for each case.


In this paper, we try to improve the performance of the FFDiag algorithm, which is one of the state-of-the-art iteration-based approximate joint diagonalizers of a given set of real-valued symmetric matrices. The key idea of the improvement is pre-diagonalization by a closed-form joint diagonalizer whose computational cost is smaller than that of the FFDiag algorithm. Numerical experiments for approximate joint diagonalization of a set of real-valued symmetric matrices, that are randomly generated, are conducted to verify the efficacy of the proposed scheme in terms of computational costs and joint diagonalization performance.


The creation of large-area forest stem volume maps of Northeast (~1,5 Million km2) and Southeast China (~3 Million km2), based on ERS-1/2 tandem coherence data, was the aim of the FOREST DRAGON 1 project. The accuracy assessment of the map products is one of the objectives of the ongoing FOREST DRAGON 2 project. The ERS-1/2 tandem datasets consisted of 223 and 407 image pairs for Northeast and Southeast China respectively and were acquired in all seasons between 1995 and 1998. ERS-1/2 tandem coherence has been shown to provide accurate estimates of forest stem volume but is also known to depend strongly on the meteorological and environmental conditions at image acquisition. Existing algorithms for large-area mapping have so far not been able to classify forest stem volume based on a multi-seasonal dataset. For this reason a new classification approach, based on synergy between the optical remote sensing product MODIS Vegetation Continuous Fields and ERS-1/2 tandem coherence has been developed for automatic and seasonal-adaptive retrieval of forest stem volume. The procedure integrates the semi-empirical Interferometric Water Cloud Model and discriminates between four stem volume classes (0-20, 20-50, 50-80 and >80 m3/ha). For the evaluation of the large-area forest stem volume maps, a special cross-comparison design based on other Earth Observation products had to be developed due to the unavailability of large-scale datasets of in-situ measurements. A multi-scale comparative assessment design with existing land cover products such as GLC2000, GlobCover and MODIS VCF product has been applied. The sampling design, based on the FAO FRA2010 Sample Design and the Degree Confluence Project, uses a 1 degree sampling grid with 10 x 10 km sample plots and is completely transferable to other large-area investigation areas. A reasonable agreement above 70% between the forest stem volume map and the land cover datasets in terms of forest/ non-forest could be achieved.


We studied cyclic 3',5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) isozymes and their role in adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and cGMP metabolism in a rat inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cell line. The homogenized and fractionated IMCD cells of cAMP-PDE and all of cGMP-PDE activity were found in the cytosol. The majority of cytosolic cAMP-PDE (greater than 50%) was isozyme PDE-IV; the Ca(2+)-calmodulin-sensitive PDE-I was present only in cytosol. Preincubation of IMCD cells with PDE-IV inhibitor rolipram markedly (5x) enhanced levels of cAMP both basal and in the presence of [Arg8]vasopressin (AVP). Cilostamide (for PDE-III) or vinpocetine had no effect, whereas PDE-I inhibitor 8-methoxymethyl-3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (8-MeoM-IBMX) enhanced AVP-dependent cAMP levels. Exposure of IMCD cells to 2 microM ionomycin decreased both basal and AVP-stimulated cAMP. Depletion of Ca2+ by preincubation of IMCD cells in the Ca(2+)-free medium with ethylene glycol-bis (beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid markedly enhanced the stimulatory response of cAMP to AVP, and addition of 8-MeoM-IBMX further enhanced the AVP response. The levels of cGMP, basal or in response to atriopeptin (ANP), were not affected by PDE-V inhibitor zaprinast, but both inhibitors of PDE-I, 8-MeoM-IBMX and vinpocetine, increased basal cGMP, and 8-MeoM-IBMX also increased cGMP levels enhanced by ANP. The depletion of Ca2+ from IMCD cells alone had no effect on cGMP levels, but effects of 8-MeoM-IBMX and vinpocetine on the ANP-stimulated cGMP levels were enhanced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


This thesis brings together one aspect of language development, the production of anaphoric pronouns in the written narratives of seven-year-old children, with the design of technology appropriate for teaching using whole texts, and pedagogical goals involved in teaching mother-tongue language. A five-stage methodology is proposed for analyzing the requirements for designing a Mother Tongue Language Teaching System (MTLTS) and is used to generate an informal specification of requirements for a prototype system called PROTEUS. PROTEUS is a system for teaching seven-year-old children about the production of pronouns in written narratives. The analysis of requirements includes five stages beginning with the proposal of an adult model of pronoun production having a 'process' orientation. Experimental work is described in which written narratives were elicited and analyzed for the purpose of modelling pronoun production relative to the adult model. A psycholinguistic model of the production of anaphoric reference in the written narratives of seven-year-old children identifies heuristic production strategies which represent a gradual simplification of behavior. These strategies are found to be implemented within local units of text, and range from pronominalization of the only character a local unit of text is about, (by default, pronominalization in clause-initial position), to the emergence of a full-blown position conservation strategy. Children are also found to produce 'pronominal confusion' when they referred to interacting characters in less constrained environments; or, they avoided the use of pronominals altogether. A statement of pedagogical goals for PROTEUS is set out, followed by a review of manual and computational methods for teaching language. Finally, it is concluded that an electronic text should be used to teach about pronominalization, and a system model for PROTEUS, which could be mapped to a system implementation, is proposed.


This article analyses the intertwining and exchanges of public aims and private interests in Italian broadcasting institutions and market, as a national version of the present European broadcasting mixed system. It reviews the historical relationship between State and market in the two classic models of broadcasting: the commercial one and that based on a State or public body. The different elements of the economic process - enterprises, factors of supply production, consumers - are briefly considered at a national and world market level as objects and subjects of public and government interests as well as of private lobbyist in legislation, public regulation and institutions, state of national production and international exchanges and spread of broadcasting (and advertising). The peculiarities of the Italian system in terms of law making and relation between principles and reality of broadcasting are finally considered.


Aims In addition to the transfemoral route, common approaches for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) are the transapical and transaortic ones. Yet, these are associated with morbidity. The transsubclavian approach (TSA) is an alternative to minimize invasiveness. Methods Fifteen consecutive patients underwent TAVI via TSA using the CoreValve Evolut R. The 14F delivery system without sheath was directly introduced into the artery. Results Success was 100%; contrast volume was 99.4 ± 29.58 ml. Patients were extubated after 1.66 ± 0.89 h. Hemoglobin drop was 0.64 ± 0.28 g/dl. There were no complications. Hospital stay was 4.53 ± 1.24 days: 11 patients were discharged home, the remainder to rehabilitation. Conclusion TSA is associated with limited morbidity, early patient mobilization, short hospitalization.


Coalescence of viscous particles with solid cores plays an important role in chemical and pharmaceutical industry, in agriculture and in production technology. Coalescence of metal particles, which are partially melted due the laser heating, is an important mechanism responsible for densification of metal powder during selective laser sintering process.Our model describes coalescence of two or more particles consisting of a solid core and a liquid shell. The flow in the liquid shell is driven by the surface tension. It is assumed that the characteristic Reynolds number is low, so that the creeping flow model can be applied. A two dimensional boundary element model (BEM) is used to solve the governing equations. The numerical model is validated by comparison with available analytical solution for the limiting case of fully viscous particles.The influence of the liquid properties, the sizes of the particles and the relative sizes of the solid core on the two-phase flow and on the shape evolution of coalescing particles is quantified. In application to the selective laser sintering process densification rate has been defined as an important output parameter. We show that increasing of the solid core radius leads to the decrease of the powder densification rate.© 2013 ASME


Quality of radar data is critical for climatology, analysis and forecast. Actual algorithms present some drawbacks. For example, outer edges of rainy areas are often mistaken. Typing and cleansing of radar echoes is an ongoing challenge for over seventy years. It consists in telling which physical obstacles have been detected and how to remove irrelevant echoes. Typing refers to a pixel wise classification, and corresponds to a segmentation task. In the field of meteorological radar data processing, former algorithms were based on thresholding and decision trees. More objective approaches, based on fuzzy logic have been also developed. In the SERVAL operational algorithm of Meteo France, the pixel typing begins with a first basic decision tree followed by a fuzzy logic classification step and a contextual correction to avoid isolated pixels with a different type.
Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN) have been chosen as a basis for several reasons. First for their high scoring in the domain of image processing, in particular, segmentation tasks has been successfully approached in biomedicine and satellite imagery. This success lies on DCNNs ability to exploit long range information and abstract representations on picture contents. Hence, long range patterns, associated with a meteorological context or specific non precipitating echoes could be handled by DCNN for typing or separation tasks.
In these study data have been recovered thanks to CMR (centre de meteorologie radar, Meteo France) and count 100k radar pictures. But these pictures lack human typing or cleaning by an expert. Pixels can belong to one of the following classes: pure precipitating echoes, non- precipitating echoes or mixed echoes. A database with pictures which contain only non- precipitating echoes collected during non-rainy periods (thanks to a collocated network of pluviometers) was set up. A second database corresponding to rainy periods was also built. However this database contains pictures with pure precipitating echoes mixed with some non- precipitating echoes. Training databases were built by merging these two databases. However, due to the presence of non-precipitating echoes in the second database some labeling errors exist and could be interpreted as label noise. Hence, part of this work is devoted to improvement of robustness w.r.t. label noise.
First networks were trained on cleansing and segmentation tasks. Once segmented, non- recipitating echoes could be removed and concerned pixels are inpainted with a network trained on inpainting task. It allows to develop an indirect cleansing method. Direct and indirect cleansing methods are evaluated and compared with Meteo-France operational algorithm.


A representative of a sludge sample collected from the same source was filtered under the same environmental condition and the result analysed with two different concepts. One method of analysis uses Sludge Dewaterability Number, while the second employed the Carman's Specific resistance concept in sludge filterability. Two plots are employed, one shows a process of specific resistance determination while the other indicates how Sludge dewaterability number can be determined. A critical examination of the two plots reveals that a relationship might exist between the two concepts. Also, the analysis of the filtration results obtained using both the old and the new concepts, confirms that both Sludge Dewaterability Number values and the Specific resistance values decrease with an increase in the conditioner dosages. This is a mark of good coagulation with an increased filterability when conditioner dosages (ferric chloride) are increased in filtration process. The new equations have therefore shown some good relationships between sludge dewaterability number and specific resistance, which are in line with the original concepts. It has also been shown that sludge dewaterability number is directly proportional to the area of filtration and the square root of the specific resistance. This varies according to the diameter of the filtrate collecting cylinder and the area of filtration that is used in the determination of specific resistance (r) values.
Key words: Sludge, Coagulant, Coagulation &Filtration, Sludge Dewaterability Number, and Specific Resistance,
[Global Jnl Engineering Res. Vol.1(2) 2002: 119-126]


Industrial water systems often suffer from undesirable inorganic deposits, such as calcium carbonate, calcium phosphates, calcium sulfate, magnesium silicate, and others. Synthetic water additives, such as phosphonates and phosphonocarboxylates, are the most important and widely utilized scale inhibitors in a plethora of industrial applications including cooling water, geothermal drilling, desalination, etc. The design of efficient and cost-effective inhibitors, as well as the study of their structure and function at the molecular level are important areas of research. This study reports various physicochemical aspects of the chemistry of PBTC (PBTC = 2-phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid), one of the most widely used scale inhibitors in the cooling water treatment industry. These aspects include its CaCO3 crystal growth inhibition and modification properties under severe conditions of high CaCO3 supersaturation, stability towards oxidizing microbiocides and tolerance towards precipitation with Ca2+. Results show that 15 ppm of PBTC can inhibit the formation of by ∼35 %, 30 ppm by ∼40 %, and 60 ppm by ∼44 %. PBTC is virtually stable to the effects of a variety of oxidizing microbiocides, including chlorine, bromine and others. PBTC shows excellent tolerance towards precipitation as its Ca salt. Precipitation in a 1000 ppm Ca2+ (as CaCO3) occurs after 185 ppm PBTC are present.


Purpose This study was designed to compare the efficacy and tolerability of the generic formulation (Atorva®) and the reference formulation (Lipitor®) of atorvastatin, both at a dosage of 20 mg once daily. Methods This study was a prospective open-label, randomized controlled study. Hypercholesterolemic patients who had not achieved low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol goals according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) guideline were randomized to generic formulation or reference formulation of atorvastatin. The primary end point was the percent change of blood LDL cholesterol at 8 weeks from the baseline. The secondary end points included the percent changes of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), and apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) levels, the percent changes of ApoB/ApoA1 and total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratios, and the change in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels. The LDL cholesterol goal achievement rate according to the NCEP-ATP III guideline was also evaluated. Results Three hundred and seventy-six patients were randomized, and 346 patients (176 in the generic group and 170 in the reference group) completed the study. After the 8 weeks of treatment, LDL cholesterol level was significantly decreased in both the groups, and the decrement was comparable between the two groups (−43.9%±15.3% in the generic group, −43.3%±17.0% in the reference group, P=0.705). The percent changes of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, TG, ApoB, ApoA1, ApoB/ApoA1 ratio, total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio, and hsCRP showed insignificant difference between the two groups. However, LDL cholesterol goal achievement rate was significantly higher in the generic group compared to the reference group (90.6% vs 83.0%, P=0.039) in per-protocol analysis. Adverse event rate was comparable between the two groups (12.0% vs 13.7%, P=0.804). Conclusion The generic formulation of atorvastatin 20 mg was not inferior to the reference formulation of atorvastatin 20 mg in the management of hypercholesterolemia.


It is known that the creation of a perfect product / service is directly connected to the qualification of the employees. Competition between companies has led to any organization that needs to constantly improve its product / service. The company can offer the novelty only through the employees. In addition, the process of establishing the novelty must be permanent. Thus it makes clear the need of management for the process. Obviously this is not easy because it is associated with the management of living people, with the development of creative skills, which is unpredictable. Witch is the responsibility of human resources management. The survey examines that the Human resource management must overcome for employee career development. In the article the discussion is about human resource management approaches to strategic management, development, motivation and corporate culture of employees. The structure of the article: introduction, researches review of the relevant direction, career development research findings, main challenges and recommendations. The study showed an interesting picture in terms of career development. We hope that the findings of this study will provide Human resources management specialists with a clear understanding of the challenges and will pay more attention to the career development of the employees. the problems and challenges.


This article describes 2 patients with complex facial asymmetry characterized by hemiarhinia, microorbitism, palpebral fissure shortening, ipsilateral canthal dystopia, maxillomandibular hypoplasia, and occlusal plane inclination. These unusual phenotypes are part of the oculoauriculo-vertebral spectrum. Their devastating functional, esthetic, and psychologic effects demand the use of different craniofacial surgery techniques, in order to alleviate the profound impact of these pathologies. Initial skeletal balance through bimaxillary distraction osteogenesis and orbital expansion sets the basis for further reconstruction of the nose and periorbital area with local tissue.


Particle separation is one of the fundamental processes in wastewater treatment and a good understanding of the basic separation mechanisms ? sedimentation, flotation and filtration ? is critical in the design of wastewater treatment systems. Upgrading of treatment plants for enhanced primary treatment and effluent polishing are current examples of applications where effective, high-rate separation methods are of interest. Dissolved air flotation (DAF) and microscreening can be used in both applications. The purpose of this work was to study the separation mechanisms in DAF and disc and drum filtration ? referred to as microscreening ? by means of literature studies, particle size analysis and particle visualisation. The processes were studied mainly in the context of applications within tertiary treatment. Furthermore, a novel application based on chemically enhanced primary treatment utilising microscreening for floc removal was tested. Separation efficiency was found to increase with increasing particle size in DAF. Furthermore, particles were preferably separated upstream, i.e. close to the contact zone. Aggregates showed a great variation in rise rates. Relatively small aggregates, with single bubbles attached, showed relatively low rise rates, while large aggregates with numerous bubbles attached showed very high rise rates. Large aggregates rising very quickly could be one explanation of the effective upstream removal of solids. Another explanation could be the bulk flow simply directing flocs to the surface. With particles being separated upstream the straightforward application of the theory of hydraulic surface loading is not necessarily completely valid. With respect to microscreening it was shown that physical blocking of particles was the main separation mechanism. Floc strength and particle size were identified as key parameters in understanding and design of microscreens. Although it is an accepted and known technology, the areas of application of microscreening can be increased. The suitability in floc removal after a post-denitrifying biofilm process, the Kaldnes Moving Bed? Process, was demonstrated. Furthermore, a novel application was introduced where microscreening was used in chemically enhanced primary treatment resulting in high removal rates of SS, BOD, COD and total phosphorus at comparatively high filtration rates. (Less)


Sterilization process of oil palm fruits by-product can be satisfactorily used as alternative degradation method in production of value-added products from Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB). It could be considered as an auto hydrolysis technique in the regular pre-treatment methods. Other studies on lignocelluloses showed that they increase the pore volume of the wood which increases the available surface area for the enzyme. Changes in structure and properties of the EFB cellulose caused by sterilization were investigated by x-ray diffractometry and enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass for fermentable sugar production (glucose). The enzymatic hydrolysis results showed that the highest hydrolysis of 53.77±1.38% (g/g biomass) conversion was obtained in EFB after 72 h incubation with glucose production, (Yp/x) of 12.55±0.33 g L-1. The increase in Crystallinity Index (CrI) of sterilized biomass increased the yield of glucose (g L-1) up to 44.55% compared to Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) as a control. Results obtained appear to be commercial significance showing the potential of sterilization process in a palm oil mill as a zero cost pre-treatment for the effective utilization of empty fruit bunch biomass for value added production from the palm oil industry.


Traffic overcrowding and in an urban areas traffic flow management were familiar as major problems, which have caused much thwarting for the ambulance. Moreover road accidents in the city have been continuous process , the more crucial process is protect the loss of life due to the accidents .The main theme behind this scheme is to provide a smooth flow for the ambulance to reach the hospitals in time and thus minifying the expiration . After the accident occurrence there will be intimation to the vehicles which around the accident spot. The ambulance is controlled by the central unit which provide short and traffic controlled route to reaching the hospital as early as based on the accident location. The accident spot is located through the sensor systems in the vehicle and sever guide the ambulance to reach the spot. Total processing is fully automated one.


BACKGROUND
Idiopathic CD4+ T lymphocytopenia is defined as a CD4+ T lymphocytopenia of less than 0.3 x 10(9)/L that is not associated with human immunodeficiency virus, other immunodeficiency, or immunosuppressive therapy. The associated clinical course and laboratory findings are variable. We describe a subset of patients whose peripheral CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia was transient, and suggest a pathomechanism for this phenomenon.

OBSERVATIONS
We describe three patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, atopic dermatitis, or psoriasis in whom acute erythroderma was concomitant with a peripheral CD4+ T lymphocytopenia that normalized after resolution of the erythroderma. Immunoperoxidase staining of skin biopsy specimens and quantitative estimation of CD4+ T lymphocytes in the cutaneous and peripheral blood compartments demonstrated that the peripheral CD4+ T lymphocytopenia in these cases most probably resulted from sequestration of CD4+ T lymphocytes in the skin. The skin of an erythrodermic patient appears capable of sequestering 10(10) to 10(11) CD4+ T lymphocytes, whereas the peripheral blood compartment contains in the range of 10(9) CD4+ T lymphocytes.

CONCLUSIONS
We propose that CD4+ T lymphocytopenia can occur as a result of acute erythroderma of multiple causes and that acute erythroderma associated with transient CD4+ T lymphocytopenia be considered as an exclusion criterion for idiopathic peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytopenia.


In the course of evolution most organisms have evolved endogenous circadian clocks that help them to anticipate daily environmental changes in light, temperature and food availability and therefore adjust physiology and behavior in a more efficient manner. The mammalian genome encodes a number of dedicated clock proteins, which coordinate the rhythmic transcription and translation of hundreds of genes in almost every cell of the body. The transcriptional activator BMAL1 (also known as ARNTL or MOP3) is at the core of this molecular clockwork and indispensable for circadian clock function. Information about external time, so called Zeitgeber input, is integrated by a circadian master pacemaker in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) that synchronizes subordinate clocks in other brain regions and peripheral tissues via different routes including hormonal signals, autonomic innervation, and regulation of the sleep-wake cycle. Glucocorticoid (GC) hormones (mainly cortisol in humans and corticosterone (CORT) in rodents) produced by the adrenal cortex in a rhythmic fashion are essential for the coordination of responses to stress, but also act as systemic synchronizers of circadian rhythms in various tissues. It has previously been shown that adrenocortical clocks modulate the sensitivity of the steroidogenic machinery to external stimuli. Their role in the regulation of stress responses, however, remains unclear. To close this gap and to study adrenocortical clock function in vivo, two genetic mouse models with full and conditional deletion of the Bmal1 gene were used in this study.
In the first part of the thesis I studied GC production and stress responses in Bmal1-deficient mice. Under unstressed conditions Bmal1−/− mutants suffer from hypocortisolism, associated with impaired adrenal responsiveness to adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and down-regulated transcription of genes involved in cholesterol transport and steroidogenesis in the adrenal gland, such as Star, Stard4, Ldlr and Por. Bmal1-deficient mice show reduced GC responses to acute stress, but preserved ACTH responses. Furthermore, they develop behavioral resistance to acute and sub-chronic stressors, as shown using forced swim, tail suspension and sucrose preference tests. These data suggest that the clock gene Bmal1 regulates circadian and acute secretion of GCs by the adrenal gland and contributes to behavioral resistance to stress, probably via its effects on adrenocortical function.
The second part of the thesis focuses on the generation of conditional knockout mice that lack a functional circadian clock specifically in adrenocortical cells. For this purpose Bmal1fl/fl mice were cross-bred with Cyp11a1-Cre mice that express the CRE recombinase in steroid-producing cells of the adrenal gland and the gonads. Immunohistochemical stainings reveal high efficiency of BMAL1 deletion in the adrenal cortex of Cyp11a1Cre/+;Bmal1fl/fl (ACD) mice compared to Cyp11a1Cre/+ controls. Moreover, abolished rhythms in the expression of clock and clock-controlled genes in the adrenal cortex, but not in the kidney, of ACD mice confirm a disrupted functionality of the adrenocortical clock. However, circadian rhythms of CORT and aldosterone are not significantly altered in ACD mice kept in constant darkness. This suggests that the adrenocortical clock itself is dispensable for maintenance of circadian GC rhythms under unstressed conditions. Considering that GCs play a crucial role in the entrainment of circadian clocks, I analyzed behavioral responses of ACD and control mice to a rapid shift of the light-dark cycle. After a 6-hour phase advance the photic re-entrainment of locomotor activity of ACD mice occurs significantly faster compared to control mice, indicating that the adrenocortical clock contributes to the robustness of the circadian system under conditions of persistent external noise.
In conclusion, this study shows that the adrenocortical clock plays a role in regulation of hormonal and behavioral responses to stress and contributes to the phase stability of the circadian system. Since many people live under conditions of regular Zeitgeber contamination, e.g. during shift work, manipulation of the adrenocortical clock may help buffering our endogenous clocks against exogenous perturbation. On the other hand, suppressing the stabilizing effect of the adrenocortical clock could speed up adaption of the circadian system when this is wanted, such as during jetlag.


This paper introduces the automation of satisfaction assessment: the process of determining the satisfaction mapping of natural language textual requirements to natural language design elements. Satisfaction assessment is useful because it assists in discovering unsatisfied requirements early in the lifecycle when such issues can be corrected with lower cost and impact than later. We define the basic terms and concepts for this process and explore the feasibility of developing baseline methods for its automation. This paper describes the satisfaction assessment approach algorithmically and then evaluates the effectiveness of two proposed information retrieval (IR) methods in two industrial studies – one based on a large dataset including a complete requirements specification and design specification for a NASA science instrument, and one based on a smaller dataset for an open source project management dataset. We found that both approaches have merit, and that the more sophisticated approach outperformed the simpler approach in terms of overall accuracy of the results.


This thesis forms part of a continuing programme of research to investigate the application of NMR to fluid saturated rock. The work falls into four sections; (i) The development of a novel broad line NMR imaging technique for the study of short T2 fluid components in reservoir rock The technique is a repetitive pulse variant of an established gradient echo method which employs oscillating magnetic field gradients. The variant uses low flip angle r.f. pulses to reduce image rounding artefacts and provide naturally T1 weighted data. (ii) The selective imaging of fluids within preserved reservoir rock and the first broad line NMR imaging study of immiscible fluid flow. The selective imaging of reservoir fluids within preserved rock core samples has been achieved using T1 weighted MRI methods. To account for the natural heterogeneity of the rock and the observed mixed wettability, T1 suppression has been enhanced by lowering the temperature of the rock cores, thus exploiting the difference in dominant relaxation mechanisms of the two core fluids. A model has been developed to explain this temperature dependence in terms of pore surface relaxation theory. Fluid flow processes within reservoir rock have been investigated using chemical substitution and T1 weighted imaging. Due to the short transverse relaxation times expected at irreducible saturation, short T2 imaging protocols have been adopted and represent the first such study. This has provided quantitative data from which the individual phase saturations can be directly obtained. (iii) The first broad line NMR imaging study of liquid and vapour phase diffusion processes in partially saturated rock. Excellent agreement is found between the NMR diffusion profiles of partially saturated rock and a model based on a combination of vapour and liquid phase transport. Estimates of the surface water diffusion coefficient and vapour percolation threshold have thus been obtained. (iv) A detailed study of proton relaxation times of water-saturated rock as a function of saturation. The saturation levels range from 0.06%, equivalent to monolayer water coverage, to 100%. The results have been used to test fast diffusion relaxation theory in rock over the full saturation range for the first time. The relaxation measurements at monolayer coverage have led to the first unambiguous estimates of rock plug pore surface relaxivity. Evidence has been obtained for the effect of pore throats on the relaxation times and pore throat size estimates have been made.


A study of the behavior of the response functions of the [C(4)mim][BF4] + water ionic binary solution near its liquid-liquid critical point at atmospheric pressure is presented. Phase equililibrium temperatures, which allow to obtain the critical coordinates of this system, are determined. Measurements of the isobaric heat capacity per unit volume in the critical region indicate Ising-like behavior. The slope of the critical line, (dT/dp)(c), is estimated by means of Prigogine and Defay's equation using experimentally determined excess volumes and excess enthalpies as a function of temperature. (dT/dp)(c) is found to be near zero. The consequences of this fact for the global critical behavior of second-order volumetric derivatives are discussed.


Abstract : This thesis is concerned with the development of a model to analyze a Digital Image Synthesizer (DIS) integrated circuit designed to create false target images to deceive Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR). The DIS is able to recreate the scattering effect of a moving target by using appropriate phase and gain modulations on an intercepted ISAR chirp signal before retransmitting it with the proper time delay. The DIS signal processing and the ISAR compression of the modulated return are modeled to examine the range-Doppler profile of a synthesized false target image. The image is representative of the image that would appear on an ISAR display. ISAR image quality is used to evaluate different DIS architectures and bit formats. Evaluation of the image quality is based on the deviation from an infinite resolution false target image. The results obtained from evaluating different DIS architectures indicate that the design is tolerant of significant quantization errors. The model is used to validate the architecture of the integrated circuit being fabricated. Finally, various different ISAR integration times and pulse repetition frequencies are used to confirm the integrity of the model.


The spatial resolution of a ground penetrating radar (GPR) system using traditional interpretation methods is largely dependent on the isolations of echoes. It is difficult to identify weak echoes that are mixed with either direct waves or other larger echoes; especially, when the media is absorptive, the reflections cannot be identified from the tail of the direct wave. The authors present an iterative algorithm to reconstruct the image of the subsurface using time-domain waveforms. The forward modeling employed in the algorithm is derived from the transmission line matrix (TLM) method with a perfect matched layer (PML) absorbing boundary. One-dimensional (1D) inversion algorithm is briefly described, based on which, a two-dimensional (2D) inversion method is developed. The inversion algorithm proceeds iteratively in space and time step by step. The inversion algorithm is tested in cases in which both lD and 2D variations exist. The developed inversion method is used to reconstruct the images of buried objects using GPR data with echoes buried in the direct waves. The results show a superior resolution and stability.


Shrinking shelf and faster flow Zachariæ Isstrøm, a large glacier in northeast Greenland, began a rapid retreat after detaching from a stabilizing sill in the late 1990s. Mouginot et al. report that between 2002 and 2014, the area covered by the glacier's ice shelf shrank by 95%; since 1999, the glacier's flow rate has nearly doubled; and its acceleration increased threefold in the fall of 2012. These dramatic changes appear to be the result of a combination of warmer air and ocean temperatures and the topography of the ocean floor at the head of the glacier. Rising sea levels should continue to destabilize the marine portion of Zachariæ Isstrøm for decades. Science, this issue p. 1357 A large glacier in northeast Greenland is retreating rapidly as air and ocean warm. After 8 years of decay of its ice shelf, Zachariæ Isstrøm, a major glacier of northeast Greenland that holds a 0.5-meter sea-level rise equivalent, entered a phase of accelerated retreat in fall 2012. The acceleration rate of its ice velocity tripled, melting of its residual ice shelf and thinning of its grounded portion doubled, and calving is now occurring at its grounding line. Warmer air and ocean temperatures have caused the glacier to detach from a stabilizing sill and retreat rapidly along a downward-sloping, marine-based bed. Its equal-ice-volume neighbor, Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden, is also melting rapidly but retreating slowly along an upward-sloping bed. The destabilization of this marine-based sector will increase sea-level rise from the Greenland Ice Sheet for decades to come.


The results of treatment of 7 patients with extensive hepatic hemangiomas are analysed. In 6 patients the diagnosis was established before the operation. The liver was resected in 4 patients. One patients with malignant degeneration of the hemangioma was inoperable, in another the hemangioma was not removed because of his old age, and still in another because the process had spread. The authors conclude that in large hemangiomas of the liver in young and middle-aged patients resection of the organ is indicated, especially if there is a destruction cavity and a rapid growth of hemangioma. The operation is not indicated in capillary, surface hemangiomas of a small size, old age of the patient, extension of the process in to the main vascular structures of the other hepatic lobe.


The usefulness of microbiological standards for frozen foods is now a controversy in the trade and scientific literature. Most reviewers have given arguments both for and against, and have concluded that they should be applied with great caution. Such standards have the advantage of putting questions of safety on a convenient numerical basis. Canadian workers have reported that promulgation of standards has invariably raised the hygienic level of the products controlled. Bacteriological standards have often been associated with the question of safety to the consumer. Everyone recognizes that food poisoning bacteria are a potential danger in any food. But many have argued that the history of food poisoning outbreaks from frozen foods is excellent and that there is no need for standards; on the other hand, proponents of standards have pointed to the incomplete investigation and reporting of outbreaks, and have argued that there may be more outbreaks than we realize. They have pointed to laboratory studies that have shown grossly mishandled precooked frozen foods to be truly dangerous. Some have proposed that pathogens should be absent from foods; but others have questioned that a microbiological standard can accomplish this end. Some pathogens, such as Salmonella or Staphylococcus have been shown to be so ubiquitous that their presence in some commercial foods is unavoidable. Also, sampling and analytical methods have been described as inadequate to guarantee that pathogens present will be detected. Some have argued that control at the source is a better way—through inspections of the plant operation, by enforcement of handling codes, or by processing procedures such as pasteurization, which would be more certain to result in a pathogen-free food. A most important part of any of the proposed standards is a "total count" of viable aerobic bacteria. English workers have found that foods causing poisoning outbreaks usually had total viable counts above 10 million per gram. On the other hand, these same workers found Salmonella on meats with very low total viable count. The assumption by many that low total count indicates safety has been shown to be not always true. Furthermore, high counts of nonpathogenic organisms, such as psychrophilic saprophytes would have no public health significance. The relation between bacterial level and quality is open to less controversy. Some authorities have pointed to bacterial level as a measure of sanitation, adequacy of refrigeration, or speed of handling. Others have indicated that to determine which of these factors caused a high count would be impossible with only a total count on the product as a guide. Some investigators have said a high count affects flavor adversely before actual spoilage is evident, and this may be a factor in competition on today's market. It is well established that initial bacterial level will affect the shelf-life of a chilled product. Methods of analysis are more nearly adequate for counts than for pathogens, but they need improvement, and should be clearly specified as part of any bacteriological standard. Foods with high count could sometimes be brought into compliance merely by storing them for a sufficient period frozen, or by heating them slightly. This has been cited by some authors as a disadvantage of bacteriological standards. The enterococci and the coliform group (except Escherichia coli) have been shown to be ubiquitous and therefore should not be used alone to indicate fecal contamination. Although E. coli has greater significance, its source should be determined each time it is found. Various reviewers have expressed the need for caution in the application of standards. The principal precautionary arguments we have found are as follows: 1) A single set of microbiological standards should not be applied to foods as a miscellaneous group, such as "frozen foods" or "precooked foods." 2) Microbiological standards should be applied first to the more hazardous types of foods on an individual basis, after sufficient data are accumulated on expected bacterial levels, with consideration of variations in composition, processing procedures, and time of frozen storage. 3) When standards are chosen, there should be a definite relation between the standard and the hazard against which it is meant to protect the public. 4) Methods of sampling and analysis should be carefully studied for reliability and reproducibility among laboratories, and chosen methods should be specified in detail as part of the standard. 5) Tolerances should be included in the standard to account for inaccuracies of sampling and analysis. 6) At first, the standard should be applied on a tentative basis to allow for voluntary compliance before becoming a strictly enforced regulation. 7) Microbiological standards will be expensive to enforce. 8) If standards are unwisely chosen they will not stand in courts of law.


While the clean slate approach proposed by Software Defined Networking (SDN) promises radical changes in the stagnant state of network management, SDN innovation has not gone beyond the intra-domain level. For the inter-domain ecosystem to benefit from the advantages of SDN, Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) are the ideal place: a central interconnection hub through which a large share of the Internet can be affected. In this demo, we showcase the ENDEAVOUR platform: a new software defined exchange approach readily deployable in commercial IXPs. We demonstrate here our implementations of traffic engineering and Distributed Denial of Service mitigation, as well as how member networks cash in on the advanced SDN-features of ENDEAVOUR, typically not available in legacy networks.