The Ohio State University (OSU) offers 17 living-learning "Scholars Programs" organized around diverse areas of interest. Students apply as a part of their university application and are selected based on academic qualifications and demonstrated interest in the particular theme. They commit to participate in scholars activities for their first two years on campus. Scholars live together, study together and take advantage of a host of other thematic supports designed to improve academic success and retention. This S-STEM project "HumanConnect" is aligned with the Humanitarian Engineering Scholars (HES) program in the College of Engineering and supports scholarships of up to 4 full years for academically talented students who demonstrate financial need, enabling them to enter the STEM workforce or graduate school following STEM degree completion. Our two main goals are to 1) Positively impact the retention and graduation of Engineering students with financial need and 2) Improve academic performance relative to a control group (selected from another scholars' community, Green Engineering Scholars or GES). In the first year of the award (2013-14), scholarships were granted to a first cohort of 15 students (11 first year and 4 second year). In the second year of the award (2014-15), a second cohort of 15 freshmen HES students was awarded scholarships before these students accepted admission to OSU, relying on high school GPA and standardized test scores to determine academic qualification and significant unmet financial need based upon the FAFSA and in light of other sources of aid. Results show that overall retention in engineering and at OSU was high for both recipient and control groups (90% for HES and 91% for GES). By comparison, overall first year retention in the College of Engineering was 81% for 2013-14. HES Cohort 1 students were more likely (80%) to meet the 3.0 GPA requirement than the corresponding GES group (67%). Higher average GPA for both HES cohorts (3.16) versus GES cohorts (3.01), suggest that the scholarship may have pushed recipients to achieve as part of maintaining eligibility. The scholarship appeared to reduce participants' need for outside employment. None of the HES Cohort 2 students reported holding a job. Of the Cohort 1 students who responded to both the Year 1 and Year 2 surveys, 63% reduced the number of hours they worked in Year 2. Overall, 69% of HES respondents indicated that the scholarship had enabled them to reduce the number of hours they worked each week while only 33% of GES students said this about other scholarships they received. Key outcomes include HES students (combined Cohorts 1 & 2) attributing positive impacts on their academic performance to the scholarship (94%) and to aspects of the HES program overall—including being in a living-learning community and a first-year engineering cohort (100%). HES Cohort 2 respondents said that receiving the scholarship was a key factor in their decision to attend OSU and participate in Humanitarian Engineering (83%). Finally, HES students reported experiencing lower stress due to financial issues. HES students also reported that the scholarship allowed them to pursue research or service learning opportunities (75% for HES vs 0% for control, p less than 0.05) and devote more time to explore graduate study (55% for HES vs 0% for control, p less than 0.10). In summary, the HumanConnect Program appears to be meeting its programmatic goals of retention and improved academic performance, while qualitatively lowering the financial stress of participants.


An explicit flow solver, applicable to the hierarchy of model equations ranging from Euler to full Navier-Stokes, is combined with several techniques designed to reduce computational expense. The computational domain consists of local grid refinements embedded in a global coarse mesh, where the locations of these refinements are defined by the physics of the flow. Flow characteristics are also used to determine which set of model equations is appropriate for solution in each region, thereby reducing not only the number of grid points at which the solution must be obtained, but also the computational effort required to get that solution. Acceleration to steady-state is achieved by applying multigrid on each of the subgrids, regardless of the particular model equations being solved. Since each of these components is explicit, advantage can readily be taken of the vector- and parallel-processing capabilities of machines such as the Cray X-MP and Cray-2.


HYPOTHESIS
Central venous blood gas (VBG) measurements of pH, PCO2, and base excess can be substituted for the same values obtained from an arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis in mechanically ventilated trauma patients, obviating the need for arterial puncture.

DESIGN AND SETTING
Prospective comparison of 99 sets of VBGs and ABGs at a level 1 academic trauma center.

PATIENTS
A consecutive sample of 25 trauma patients admitted to the intensive care unit who required mechanical ventilation and had both central venous and arterial catheters.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Pearson correlations and Bland-Altman limits of agreement (LOAs) for pH, PCO2, and base excess values from each set of VBGs and ABGs.

RESULTS
When VBG and ABG values were compared, pH had R = 0.92, P<.001, and 95% LOAs of -0.09 to 0.03; PCO2, R = 0.88, P<.001, and 95% LOAs of -2.2 to 10.9; and base excess, R = 0.96, P<.001, and 95% LOAs of -2.2 to 1.8. A receiver operating characteristic curve showed that a central venous PCO2 of 50 mm Hg had 100% sensitivity and 84% specificity for determining significant hypercarbia (arterial PCO2 > 50 mm Hg).

CONCLUSIONS
Central venous and arterial PCO2, pH, and base excess values correlate well, but their LOAs represent clinically significant ranges that could affect management. Although VBGs cannot be substituted for ABGs in mechanically ventilated trauma patients during the initial phases of resuscitation, clinically reliable conclusions can be reached with VBG analysis.


The segmentation and classification of Lymph Nodes (LNs) is a fundamental but challenging step in the analysis of medical images of cervical cancer. Both tasks can leverage morphological features such as size, shape, contour, and heterogeneous appearance. However, these features might vary with the progressive state of LNs. Hence, accurate detection of LNs boundary is an essential step sing to classify LN as suspect (malignant) and non-suspect (benign). However, manual delineation of LNs might produce classification errors due to the inter and intra-observer variability. Semi-automatic and automatic LNs segmentation methods are greatly desired as they would help improve patient diagnosis and treatment processes. Currently, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is widely used to diagnose cervical cancer and LN involvement. Diffusion Weighted (DW)-MRI exhibits metastatic LN as bright regions. This paper presents a semi-automatic segmentation and classification method of LNs. Specifically, we propose a novel approach which leverages (1) the complementarity of structural and diffusion MR images through a fusion step and (2) morphological features of the segmented metastatic LNs for classification. The contribution of our proposed algorithm is threefold. First, we fuse the axial T2-Weighted (T2-w) anatomical image and the DW image. Second, we detect LNs using region-growing method in order to compute the final classification. Third, segmentation results are then used to classify LNs based on a gray level dependency matrix technique which extracts LN features. We evaluated our method using 10 MR images T2-w and DW with 47 metastatic LNs. We obtained an average accuracy of 70.21% for cervical cancer nodule classification.


The precision of measuring polyethylene penetration in total hip arthroplasties has been studied using phantom models and retrieved cups, but not on radiographs obtained in vivo. We used Hip Analysis Suite Hip32 computer software to measure two-dimensional penetration in two groups of anteroposterior pelvic radiographs taken in vivo. We determined the measurement error for precision, the effect of position change on precision, and compared direct and indirect measurements. The influences on precision with respect to followup time were measured using a separate group of radiographs. Precision was 0.89 to 1.16 mm and decreased as more variables were added. The direction of wear was toward the contact surface of the cup in greater than 50% of patients with more than 5 years followup. Negative wear severely affected precision in 40% to 50% of patients. Individual penetration measurements were unreliable when total penetration was low (< 1.1 mm). The two-dimensional computer technique has limitations when measuring such low wear. Measurement errors were caused by slight radio-graphic distortions of the femoral head and acetabular component and by blurred edges on some clinical radiographs.


Abstract The present research examined the significance of methods of discipline used by parents and how they affect their child's self-esteem. This study measured the association between being spanked as a child and the participant's level of self-esteem. Individuals were given a questionnaire which asked about methods of discipline their parents used on them, how the reacted toward those methods of discipline, and how they would rate their self-esteem overall. The results indicated that there was not a significant association between those who were spanked as children and those who believed that it was harmful to spank a child. Overall, my results showed that spanking did not show to be significantly harmful to self-esteem.


Abstract This paper uses data for 134 countries for the period 1960–2010 to document an energy ladder that nations ascend as their economies develop. On average, economic development results in an overall substitution from the use of biomass to energy sourced from fossil fuels, and then increasingly towards nuclear power and certain low-carbon modern renewables such as wind power. The process results in the carbon intensity of energy evolving in an inverse-U manner as per capita incomes increase. Fossil fuel-poor countries climb more quickly to the low-carbon upper rungs of the national-level energy ladder and so typically experience larger reductions in the carbon intensity of energy as they develop. Leapfrogging to low-carbon energy sources on the upper rungs of the national-level energy ladder is one route via which developing countries can reduce the magnitudes of their expected upswings in carbon dioxide emissions.


Pruritus is a lesser known symptom of hyperthyroidism, particularly in autoimmune thyroid disorders. This is a case report of a 27-year-old woman who presented with generalised pruritus at a primary care clinic. Incidental findings of tachycardia and a goiter led to the investigations of her thyroid status. The thyroid function test revealed elevated serum free T4 and suppressed thyroid stimulating hormone levels. The anti-thyroid antibodies were positive. She was diagnosed with Graves' disease and treated with carbimazole until her symptoms subsided. Graves' disease should be considered as an underlying cause for patients presenting with pruritus. A thorough history and complete physical examination are crucial in making an accurate diagnosis. Underlying causes must be determined before treating the symptoms. Generalised pruritus as a presentation of Grave's disease


Prior research on recruitment of women to computing has established that computing tasks involving People rather than Things have been perceived as much more appealing by female high-school students (potentially recruitable as university computing students). This paper changes the focus from prospective to current university students and presents the results of a new experiment that advances and moves beyond earlier research in two crucial respects. First of all, the participants of the experiment are N=152 university students, who already study computing, rather than general high-school students. Second of all, the choice between a People-themed versus an isomorphic Things-themed version of an educational task now pertains to real (in fact, mandatory) assignments that the students had to perform, rather than hypothetical tasks. The change of experimental context, design, and methodology allows us to complement previous findings related to recruitment with suggestions significant for computing educational activities. The overall findings of the new experiment are consistent with that of the previous one. We find that, also at university, there is a visible preference for choosing People themed over Things themed computing tasks amongst women. The results also expose considerable variation between tasks in the effect of gender observed. At the same time, male students, in general, seem to be either indifferent to the themes or to slightly prefer People versions. This suggests that educators should consider favoring People themed assignments over ones involving Things.


Although reorganization of cortical maps in response to altered sensory inputs is now well-established, the mechamsms underlying this phenomenon are not yet understood This cortical plasticity has recently been shown to depend on the behavioral relevance of sensory inputs The nucleus basalis of Meynert, which receives inputs from limbic and paralimbic structures and projects widely to the cortex,


Medical abortion, approved in India in 2002, is emerging as an alternative to surgical procedure for terminating early pregnancy and offers a window of opportunity to expand women's access to safe and effective abortion. A study undertaken of chemists and providers points to some of the challenges such as limited awareness of the appropriate regimen, protocol and likely side effects, the cost to clients, resistance of providers of surgical abortion and the need for adequate backup facilities. All these have to be addressed in order to make medical abortion available widely.


Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill 1 and 2 (2003 and 2004) stands out as an extreme exercise in genre pastiche, even considered within the filmography of a director commonly described as the postmodern pop auteur par excellence. The "future of allusion" once named by Noel Carroll as a signpost of postclassical American cinema-with its penchant for homage, citation, and cannibalizations of the past-comes to a head in Tarantino's manic referentiality, his self-conscious forging of a directorial style from an intertextual network that extends downwards into the trash bin of film history, as well as outwards beyond the territorial borders of Hollywood.1 A grand collage of the director's particular movie obsessions, Kill Bill exposes those cult affinities that inform Umberto Eco's definition of the "postmodern" movie, "where the quotation of the topos is recognized as the only way to cope with the burden of our encyclopedical filmic competence."2 What makes this work hyperbolic even by the standards of an audience well habituated to the production of meaning by allusion is the idiosyncratic contour of its topos, running to Chinese martial arts films, historical swordplay and gangster films from Japan, Italian and American westerns, and horror. Kill Bill's cult affinities are of a global order. We are confronted here with not only the burden of a collective cultural memory, but a challenge of translation, of navigating across multiple lexica and regional traditions, of treading an uneven textual surface that spans disparate geographies.The film's sprawling field of reference is held together by a simple story line: a woman, introduced simply as "the Bride," awakens from a coma after a vicious assault on her life on her wedding day and, one by one, hunts down and kills her five attackers. A shocking act of violence sets the plot in motion and initiates a series of violent counteractions. The stacked odds of the initial confrontation, where we see the lone victim outnumbered by her assailants, become the seed of an amplification and escalation of narrative actions. Underlying the spectacular death scenes that many critics denounce in the film is the hyper literal algorithm of vengeance wherein injury requites injury in kind. In revenge stories like Kill Bill, not only does violence beget more violence, as the saying goes, but does so according to a strictly predetermined logic as a reaction to and reinscription of an initial cause, every turn of events a return to a founding event of violence. The vendetta in its formal contours thus entails, in the words of John Kerrigan, "an eye-for-eye attentiveness to lucid causal relations."3 To view the narrative operations of revenge in such terms-as what Kerrigan calls an "impulse towards structure"-is not to deny the excess bred of its compulsion towards reprisal. Kill Bill aptly demonstrates the tension between the linear drive to rectify order and the cyclical endlessness both imbedded in the concept of vengeance, its protagonist's single-minded purposefulness finding expression in a mind-blowing frenzy of killing.4If revenge is the red thread linking the film's disjointed episodes and stylistic vagaries, it also weaves throughout the generic tapestry into which the film inserts itself. Tales of vengeance are the backbone of the western, and several of that genre's most memorable treatments of the theme- The Searchers (dir. John Ford, 1956), Death Rides a Horse (dir. Giulio Petroni, 1967), Once Upon a Time in the West (dir. Sergio Leone, 1968)- leave visible and audible traces in Kill Bill. Revenge also features prominently in the Japanese historical costume drama, or jidaigeki, particularly in the samurai swordplay pictures from which the film borrows both its main object signifier, the sword, and the mode of that object's animation, the swordfight spectacle. A standard story template of thejidaigefy, in which a swordsman or swordswoman must set their skills to the test of avenging the wrongful death of a master or family member, appears with equal frequency in the Chinese martial arts swordplay genre, or wuxia pian. …


One of the intermediates in the production of X-ray contrast agents at GE Healthcare Lindesnes, commonly referred to as an aromatic amine, is subject to a crystallization. Crystallization parameters such as size, size distribution and morphology have a strong impact on the subsequent filtration step in the production, where aromatic amine crystals are separated from the mother liquor. Seeding is a technique that allows for control of important crystal properties. The focus of this study is how variation of seeding parameters affects the crystallization behaviour of the aromatic amine, and how this can be connected to filtration abilities. In this work, crystallization experiments have been carried out in a batch reactor followed by Nutsche filtration tests. Concentration of solute aromatic amine and chord lengths of particles have been measured through UV spectrophotometry and FBRM respectively. Samples of final crystals and filter cakes were analyzed in SEM. In general, experiments were performed in a synthetic solution based on composition data from the production. Three seeding materials form the basis of this work; untreated, wet-milled and drymilled seeds respectively. All materials have been applied at varying seeding ratios: 0.3, 1.7 and 3.3 g seeds/100 g final crystals. Extent of crystal growth was assumed independent of seeding ratio for untreated seeding. Growth on seed particles was most evident for dry-milled seeding. Secondary nucleation was most predominant for wet-milled seeding and was assumed proportional to seeding ratio for all applied materials. A slurry addition of dry-milled seeds resulted in a slightly better filtration performance than a dry addition. Wet-milled seeding yielded a better filtration performance than untreated seeding at all tested seeding ratios. In terms of total surface area of seeds, a critical point was found at ∼1 m seeds/100 g final crystals, where average specific cake resistance was reduced significantly. Untreated seeding was performed at varying degrees of supersaturation. Seeding at a medium supersaturation indicated a high rate of secondary nucleation when no further HCl was added. A twofold increase in size of new-born crystals could be observed when seeding at a high supersaturation compared to a medium supersaturation. A transition from a synthetic to a process solution caused slightly improved filtration performances.


School canteen is the place that students usually go to buy some foods by using their pocket money. Nowadays, the school canteen sells too much of unhealthy foods which are not good for children's health even though there are some restrictions from the ministry. In school canteen, the unhealthy foods that can be bought by students without the knowledge of parents are junk food, oily food and also carbonated drink. Parents are eager to know what their children eat at school; however, they cannot monitor the food intake since there is no medium provided for them. Each day, the children will be provided with cash money as in existing canteen management in school, every transaction is still using cash. The more cash money is being brought by children, the higher chances of them getting bullied at school. Hence, by implementing a web based system, it will provide a medium for parents to keep an eye on their children eating habit in school. This project is using Rapid Application Development (RAD) methodology. In order to reduce bully cases in school, fingerprint technology can be used. The students need to enrol and verify their fingerprint before they can purchase the food at the canteen. Thus, the children need not to bring pocket money to school. Dynamic graph representation is implemented in this project. Parents can choose the graph that they want to review by choosing the X and Y-axis of the graph. Parents also review the graph according to the date chosen. Thus, parents can monitor and control their children food intake and their children monthly expenses in school. By having this system, parents may be able to observe their children food intake in school. For future recommendation, the system can verify the fingerprint by just placing the finger on the fingerprint scanner, parents can view other type of graph instead of bar graph and the food can be categorized by its type.


Feature regression is a simple way to distill large neural network models to smaller ones. We show that with simple changes to the network architecture, regression can outperform more complex state-of-the-art approaches for knowledge distillation from self-supervised models. Surprisingly, the addition of a multi-layer perceptron head to the CNN backbone is beneficial even if used only during distillation and discarded in the downstream task. Deeper non-linear projections can thus be used to accurately mimic the teacher without changing inference architecture and time. Moreover, we utilize independent projection heads to simultaneously distill multiple teacher networks. We also find that using the same weakly augmented image as input for both teacher and student networks aids distillation. Experiments on ImageNet dataset demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed changes in various self-supervised distillation settings.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to explore the possible synergetic effects between food-restricted behaviour (fasting in Orthodox Christianity) and physical and mental health; and second, to ponder on the nature of fasting and to reveal the potentials monastery cuisine has, reaching outside the world of religion and entering the world of consumption.

Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative research approach has been applied in order to investigate the synergetic effects between fasting, well-being and anti-consumption. The analysis is based on in-depth interviews carried out in Orthodox monasteries, in particular, in three monasteries in the territory of Mount Athos and in three monasteries in Northern Greece. Additionally, ten Bulgarians who visited monasteries situated at Mount Athos have been interviewed. In a cultural materialistic perspective, this paper seeks to discuss and reveal food and eating habits patterns. It combines the social anthropology of food with the anthropology of Eastern Orthodox religion.

Findings
The discussed interrelations between fasting, well-being and anti-consumption confirm the synergetic effects, occurring at different points between them. Fasting practices definitely contribute to consumers' health and well-being. The food-restricted behaviour and the monastery diet are presented as a means of purification not only of the soul but also of the body. Fasting is an intriguing issue that offers many perspectives for people not only within but also without the monastery walls. Food-restricted behaviour as practiced in Orthodox Christianity shall be considered as beneficial for people's health and as such it can reveal a lot of additional spiritual values for non-believers.

Social implications
Future applications of fasting practices as a non-consumptive behaviour and in view of social movements for healthy nutrition. A possibility for fasting menus as an alternative to fast food menus can be exploited.

Originality/value
The study provides some useful insights into the contemporary practice of Eastern Orthodox fasting and confirms that fasting is a successful means of achieving mental and physical well-being. New perspectives for monastery cuisine as a resource and brand strategy for restaurant business and tourism can be mentioned as well.


The ethanol extracts from leaf, roasted cortex, and seed of Du-zhong ( Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.) were examined for total phenolics content (TPC) and total flavonoids content (TFC). The antioxidant activity of the extracts was evaluated by measuring the radical scavenging activity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and lipid peroxidation inhibition capacity in a beta-carotene/linoleic acid system. Du-zhong leaf extract was found to have the highest TPC content (94.46 +/- 1.17 mg of gallic acid equiv/g of solid extract) and TFC content (61.36 +/- 0.59 mg of catechin equiv/g of solid extract). In the above three antioxidant assay systems, Du-zhong leaf extract also exhibited the strongest antioxidant capacities, followed by roasted cortex extract and seed extract. The effects of Du-zhong extracts (leaf, roasted cortex, and seed) on lipid oxidation, meat color, and metmyoglobin (MetMb) formation in raw pork patties were investigated and compared with that of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) during refrigerated storage at 4 degrees C for 8 days. The results indicated that the addition of leaf extract at 0.1% (w/w), roasted cortex extract at 0.1% (w/w), and BHT at 0.01% (w/w) decreased day 8 TBARS values by 35, 20, and 37%, respectively. Du-zhong leaf extract at 0.1% (w/w) also exhibited a certain stabilizing effect on meat redness a* value and retarded the formation of MetMb. This study suggests that Du-zhong leaf extract may be a potential source of natural antioxidants.


The BL Lac object 1ES 0229+200 (z= 0.14) has been detected by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) during observations taking place in 2005–2006. The TeV spectrum, when corrected for the absorption of gamma-ray photons through the interaction with the extragalactic background light, is extremely hard, even if the most conservative level for the background is considered. The case of 1ES 0229+200 is very similar to that of 1ES 1101−232, for which a possible explanation, in the framework of the standard one-zone synchrotron-self Compton (SSC) model, is that the high-energy emission is SSC radiation of electrons distributed as a power law with a large value of the minimum energy. In this scenario, the hard TeV spectrum is accompanied by a very hard synchrotron continuum below the soft X-ray band. We will show that recent Swift observations of 1ES 0229+200 in the critical UV X-ray band support this model, showing the presence of the expected spectral break and hard continuum between the UV and the X-ray bands.


A fabrication technique for bonding discrete copper surfaces using electroless deposition has been developed in order to form all-copper flip-chip interconnects. The electroless copper fillet which bonds the two copper surfaces would replace solder as the electrical and mechanical connection mechanism at the first-level of packaging. An organic-additive free electroless bath was used to bond adjacent copper surfaces. The effect of anneal temperature on the electroless bond was analyzed. The electroless bond strength was shown to increase as a function of anneal temperature through the elimination of entrapped hydrogen and recrystallization of the copper. The seam between the intimately mated copper surfaces was removed at temperatures as low as 100°C.


Only the IMF reports regularly on the foreign exchange arrangements, exchange and trade restrictions, and prudential measures of its 186 member countries. Published since 1950, this authoritative, annual reference is based upon a unique IMF database that tracks exchange and trade arrangements for the 186 IMF member countries, along with Hong Kong SAR, Aruba, and the Netherlands Antilles. "The Annual Report on Exchange Arrangements and Exchange Restrictions (AREAER)" draws together information on exchange measures in place, the structure and setting of exchange rates, arrangements for payments and receipts, procedures for resident and nonresident accounts, mechanisms for import and export payments and receipts, controls on capital transactions, and provisions specific to the financial sector. The report's introduction summarizes recent global trends and developments. The 2009 edition will be published as a printed pamphlet containing a CD-ROM with fully searchable text. The presentation of the tables will be consistent with earlier print editions. The printed pamphlet contains a summary of the main changes for each country and is a convenient reference tool.


Accurate estimates of foliar biomass (FB) are important for quantifying carbon storage in forest ecosystems, but FB is not always reported in regional or national inventories. Foliar biomass also drives key ecological processes in ecosystem models. Published algorithms for estimating FB in conifer species of the Pacific Northwest can yield signifi cantly different results, but have not been rigorously compared for species other than Douglas-fi r (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco). We compared fi ve algorithms for estimating FB for seven common coniferous species in the Pacifi c Northwest. Algorithms based on diameter at breast height (DBH), or on DBH and height, consistently yield higher estimates of FB than algorithms based on sapwood area. At the tree level, differences between algorithms increased with increasing DBH for all species, but their order and magnitude differed by species. At the stand level, differences among algorithms were muted by the mix of species and diameter classes that contributed to total FB of stands of different seral stages and species composition. Signifi cant differences among estimates of FB from different algorithms show the need for consistent methods for estimating FB for carbon accounting, tests of the sensitivity of ecosystem models to these differences, and more field observations to compare algorithms.


We study outpatient appointment block scheduling policies for single providers under conditions of patient heterogeneity in service times and patient no-shows. The objective is to find daily appointment schedules that minimize a weighted sum of patients' waiting time, the physician's idle time, and the physician's overtime. Compared to extant outpatient scheduling approaches, we contribute by suggesting new sequential block scheduling procedures grounded in actual outpatient clinic practices and in the successful Toyota Production System load smoothing approach, leading to effective appointment schedules when scheduling two heterogeneous patient types. Our block scheduling policy first assigns a sequence of different patient types given patient demand and service time information. The block scheduling policy then allocates repetitive blocks in a planning horizon. We first analyze the case with heterogeneous patient types and zero probability of no-shows. We propose an optimal scheduling approach for two patient types under a class of schedules where the physician's idle time is zero, before demonstrating that the multiple patient type problem is NP-Hard. We then extend our scheduling approach to incorporate patient no-shows. We find the approach works better than other methods when short service time patients have any no-show probability level and when long service time patients have moderate or lower no-show probability. Next, we adapt the approach to incorporate an overbooking strategy, to directly address and remediate patient no-shows. Using numerical experiments, we show that the overbooked block scheduling approach provides effective practical solutions. Finally, our block scheduling approach is adapted for scenarios where outpatient clinics use an open-access scheduling environment, where patients are allowed to make same-day appointments. Due to patient demand uncertainty in the open-access case, we again employ numerical experiments to compare our block scheduling policies against extant scheduling policies, finding our scheduling policies surpass the others. The paper contributes to scheduling literature by developing an innovative outpatient block scheduling approach that can be adapted for overbooking and open-access scheduling scenarios.


It is now four years since Norway formally embarked on the difficult task of facilitating negotiations in the protracted ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. With an international record in peace-making and development assistance, Norway entered the fray with unmatched legitimacy. Unlike Norway's previous efforts aimed at brokering peace, the Sri Lankan facilitation was undertaken by assigning a conspicuous role to key governmental functionaries, and was less secretive in nature. Although a ceasefire has been signed and six rounds of talks between the government and the Tamil Tigers have been held, Norway's third-party role has been criticized by nationalists for being partial towards the Tigers, and by a section of peace activists for focusing on a minimalist agenda of peace. In this article, I examine the qualifications and motivations of Norway as a facilitator and also the different perceptions that the key stakeholders have about its third-party role. Furthermore, I assess the nature of the Norwegian efforts so far and the hurdles ahead for taking the peace process forward.


Members of the TGF-β superfamily are important regulators of skeletal development. TGF-βs signal through heteromeric type I and type II receptor serine/threonine kinases. When over-expressed, a cytoplasmically truncated type II receptor can compete with the endogenous receptors for complex formation, thereby acting as a dominant-negative mutant (DNIIR). To determine the role of TGF-βs in the development and maintenance of the skeleton, we have generated transgenic mice (MT-DNIIR-4 and -27) that express the DNIIR in skeletal tissue. DNIIR mRNA expression was localized to the periosteum/perichondrium, syno-vium, and articular cartilage. Lower levels of DNIIR mRNA were detected in growth plate cartilage. Transgenic mice frequently showed bifurcation of the xiphoid process and sternum. They also developed progressive skeletal degeneration, resulting by 4 to 8 mo of age in kyphoscoliosis and stiff and torqued joints. The histology of affected joints strongly resembled human osteo-arthritis. The articular surface was replaced by bone or hypertrophic cartilage as judged by the expression of type X collagen, a marker of hypertrophic cartilage normally absent from articular cartilage. The synovium was hyperplastic, and cartilaginous metaplasia was observed in the joint space. We then tested the hypothesis that TGF-β is required for normal differentiation of cartilage in vivo. By 4 and 8 wk of age, the level of type X collagen was increased in growth plate cartilage of transgenic mice relative to wild-type controls. Less proteoglycan staining was detected in the growth plate and articular cartilage matrix of transgenic mice. Mice that express DNIIR in skeletal tissue also demonstrated increased Indian hedgehog (IHH) expression. IHH is a secreted protein that is expressed in chondrocytes that are committed to becoming hypertrophic. It is thought to be involved in a feedback loop that signals through the periosteum/ perichondrium to inhibit cartilage differentiation. The data suggest that TGF-β may be critical for multifaceted maintenance of synovial joints. Loss of responsiveness to TGF-β promotes chondrocyte terminal differentiation and results in development of degenerative joint disease resembling osteoarthritis in humans.


We present a model framework for dynamic simulation of the flow of CO2 and other components in an injection well coupled with a near-well reservoir. With a partitioned approach, we employ numerical methods adapted to the governing equations in each domain. In both the well and the reservoir, accurate thermodynamics are used. This model can be used for various design and operational considerations for CO2-injection wells, i.e., the quantification of pressure and temperature transients, and phase composition, including the appearance of a water-rich phase. We study cases where the flow in the well and the near-well reservoir are dynamically coupled. The rock properties are seen to strongly affect the well dynamics, both regarding magnitude and transient evolution of the bottomhole pressure. We consider a variation of this case where water is co-injected with CO2, showing that this is a potential method to mitigate salt precipitation. We also consider intermittent injection, representing the case of direct injection from ships transporting CO2. Finally, we observe that in the present cases, a coupled model (as opposed to a well-only model) is necessary in order to capture the dynamics in the well during injection.


Summary A root-like structure from the Llandovery (Telychian) of Devil's Dingle, Shropshire, may be an invertebrate attachment structure or a trace fossil close to Chondrites isp. von Sternberg, although the possibility that it is a Recent plant root trace is also considered. The specimen is preserved as an external mould in a medium-grained sandstone bed, oriented perpendicular to bedding on a joint surface. The structure has a central shaft that is inflated at branching points; lateral branches are directed sub-horizontally at shallower depths and at progressively greater angles to the horizontal in deeper parts of the structure. Multiple branches are regularly distributed down the shaft. With insufficient definitive features to determine whether it is a body or, more probably, a trace fossil, the specimen is named, conservatively, as Chondrites ? sp., although a Recent botanical origin is not discounted.


A dramatic increase in the number of Victorian households experiencing involuntary electricity and/or gas disconnections has prompted a review of disconnections by the Victorian government. This research into the direct and indirect costs that arise from disconnections was commissioned by the Consumer Action Law Centre and contributed to their 'Heat or Eat' report. Summary of key themes 1) Disconnections were part of complex family, health and financial circumstances. Disconnections did not occur in a vacuum: participants were typically experiencing numerous financial stresses at the time when they were disconnected, and these were often intertwined with complex crises. Domestic violence was often a contributing factor. 2) Inadequate retailer responses and practices. Participants' reports indicated numerous deficiencies in retailer practices including demands for unreasonable upfront and ongoing payments, lack of information about services and concessions which could assist householders, and aggressive marketing practices.  3) Impact on mental health and wellbeing. Disconnections caused significant distress for most participants. Participants experienced feelings of shame, humiliation, fear and anxiety. The disconnection events compounded existing mental health issues and had a serious impact on participants' wellbeing. 4) Financial impact. Disconnections resulted in various extra costs for participants that made it harder to get out of debt and avoid future payment defaults and disconnections. In addition to disconnection and reconnection fees, less obvious costs included: replacement of spoilt food; take-away meals for the family; use of public laundries or BBQs; phone calls; entry to public facilities to shower; and purchase of candles, blankets and other goods to manage in the absence of heating, lighting etc. 5) Impact on dependants. The disconnections often impacted children. Parents struggled to provide food and worried about the health and emotional impact on their children. 6) Financial counsellors and the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria. Financial counsellors and/or EWOV eventually assisted negotiations for participants and usually achieved outcomes that participants had not been able to. However, it took time to find this assistance because participants were unaware of these services or where to look for them.


A reduction in myocardial oxygen supply during ischemia, not only leads to reduced aerobic ATP production but does not stimulate glycolytic ATP synthesis. The residual aerobically synthesized ATP comes primarily from continued inefficient (i.e., compared to glucose in terms of moles of ATP produced per mole of O2 consumed) oxidation of fatty acids. This leads to elevated tissue levels of long chain fatty acyl-CoA and fatty acyl-carnitine. Both are potentially cell damaging metabolic intermediates. Restriction of glycolysis is due to inhibition of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by accumulated metabolites, such as H+, lactate and NADH. The reduced production of ATP leads to decreased levels of high energy phosphate stores which in turn may impair myocardial mechanical function.


This entry formalizes the connection between Gröbner bases and Macaulay matrices (sometimes also referred to as 'generalized Sylvester matrices'). In particular, it contains a method for computing Gröbner bases, which proceeds by first constructing some Macaulay matrix of the initial set of polynomials, then row-reducing this matrix, and finally converting the result back into a set of polynomials. The output is shown to be a Gröbner basis if the Macaulay matrix constructed in the first step is sufficiently large. In order to obtain concrete upper bounds on the size of the matrix (and hence turn the method into an effectively executable algorithm), Dubé's degree bounds on Gröbner bases are utilized; consequently, they are also part of the formalization.


Models considering breast cancer complexity cannot be easily or accurately replicated in routine cell line or animal models. We aimed to evaluate the practicality of organotypic tissue slice culture in breast cancer. Following ethical approval, 250 µm thick sections from surplus breast tumours (n=10) were prepared using a vibrating blade microtome. Triplicate tissue slices were placed in 6-well plates and cultured for up to 7 days±tamoxifen (1 nM) or doxorubicin (1 µM). Tissue slices were fixed and embedded before sectioning for morphological evaluation and immunohistochemistry. H&E showed good preservation of tissue morphology. Collagen production was evident. Biomarkers of proliferation and apoptosis could be evaluated using immunohistochemistry and used as surrogates to quantify drug effects. In summary, breast cancer tissue slices can be cultured in vitro as organotypic models. Nevertheless, although simple in concept, the delicacy of the model with regard to handling makes subsequent analytical processes challenging.


Objectives: Immunoglobulins (Ig) are secreted by activated B cells in response to invading pathogens. The subclasses or isotypes of immunoglobulins are IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG and IgM each of which possesses a specific effector function. The production and secretion of the immunoglobulin isotypes is the main function of the humoral immune system. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a complex illness that is characterised by immune impairment. While analysis of some immunoglobulin isotypes has been performed in CFS/ME patients, a comprehensive profile of immunoglobulin secretion has not previously been done. Hence, this study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the secretion of immunoglobulin isotypes in CFS/ME patients in comparison to non-fatigued healthy controls.
Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from CFS/ME patients and non-fatigued healthy controls in SST tubes. Samples then underwent high speed centrifugation for 10 minutes, with the resulting supernatant being designated as serum. Serum samples were then aliquoted into polypropylene tubes, and if not analysed immediately were frozen at -20°C. The cytometric bead array human immunoglobulin flex set system (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA), was then used to determine total IgG, IgG2, IgG4, IgM and IgA Flow cytometric analysis was then performed to analyse immunoglobulin secretion.
Results: Differential levels of immunoglobulin secretion were observed in CFS/ME patients when compared to HCs.
Conclusion: As differential levels of immunoglobulin secretion was observed in CFS/ME this may account for the increased rate of infection that is present in CFS/ME sufferers.


With the advent of telecommunication technologies and social media, many health care professionals are using social media to communicate with their patients and to promote health. However, the literature reveals a lacuna in our understanding of health care professionals' perception of their behavioral intentions to use innovations. Using the Unified Technology Acceptance Framework (unified theory of acceptance and use of technology), in-depth interviews were conducted with 16 Australian health care experts to uncover their intent and actual use of social media in their medical practices. Results revealed that social media tools offered five significant benefits such as (i) enhanced communication between health care professionals and their patients, (ii) community support, (iii) enabled e-learning, (iv) enhanced professional network, and (v) expedited health promotion. However, result also revealed barriers to social media usage including (i) inefficiency, (ii) privacy concerns, (iii) poor quality of information, (iv) lack of trust, and (v) blurred professional boundary. Peer influence and supporting conditions were also found to be determinants of social media adoption behaviors among health care professionals. This study has important implications for health care providers, patients, and policy makers on the responsible use of social media, health promotion, and health communication. This research is also among the very few studies that explore Australian health care professionals' intent and actual use of innovations within a health care setting.


We investigate strategies for increasing the thermopower of crown-ether-bridged anthraquinones. The novel design feature of these molecules is the presence of either () crown-ether or () diaza-crown-ether bridges attached to the side of the current-carrying anthraquinone wire. The crown-ether side groups selectively bind alkali-metal cations and when combined with TCNE or TTF dopants, provide a large phase-space for optimising thermoelectric properties. We find that the optimum combination of cations and dopants depends on the temperature range of interest. The thermopowers of both and are negative and at room temperature are optimised by binding with TTF alone, achieving thermpowers of -600 μV K(-1) and -285 μV K(-1) respectively. At much lower temperatures, which are relevant to cascade coolers, we find that for , a combination of TTF and Na(+) yields a maximum thermopower of -710 μV K(-1) at 70 K, whereas a combination of TTF and Li(+) yields a maximum thermopower of -600 μV K(-1) at 90 K. For , we find that TTF doping yields a maximum thermopower of -800 μV K(-1) at 90 K, whereas at 50 K, the largest thermopower (of -600 μV K(-1)) is obtain by a combination TTF and K(+) doping. At room temperature, we obtain power factors of 73 μW m(-1) K(-2) for (in combination with TTF and Na(+)) and 90 μW m(-1) K(-2) for (with TTF). These are higher or comparable with reported power factors of other organic materials.


The basic courses in signal and information processing curriculum are very important ones of series courses in Electronic Information disciplines in the Universities. Based on teaching practice, several teaching methods and means are discussed, and if combined them to a certain percentage, it can achieve better teaching results. This combination of teaching methods and means can also be used for other series courses' teaching.


South Africa is a semi-arid country and water resources need to be monitored. The Internet of Things is the phenomenon of more and more things (as opposed to people and services) becoming connected to the Internet. This paper describes a project where four major South African dams are connected to Twitter and Facebook (and other social media such as MXit and Google Chat) in a mechanism which would be easy to replicate for additional dams or rivers. Data is supplied by the South African Department of Water Affairs. Beachcomber (a Mobicents based JEE application) routes the data to appropriate service building blocks and resource adaptors to ensure that the information is widely disseminated.


There is evidence demonstrating the presence of functional compartmentalisation (FC) in some skeletal muscles. This means that the motor units (MU), grouped in certain areas of the muscle, show different levels of activation in comparison to those located in other zones. This has only been described in large muscles whose morphology proves the existence of a FC. However, t here is no background information about small muscles, such as the Abductor digiti minimi manus (ADM). The objective of this study was to compare the activation of the MU in different zones of the ADM to support the hypothesis of the existence of a FC in the ADM. By using a crosssectional, analytical, observational study, the activity of the MUs in the ADM was assessed in 12 volunteers (age 21 ± 1.6 years old; weight 75.3 ± 8 kg; height 176.2 ± 7.3 cm; average ± standard deviation). The activity of MUs was evaluated using high-density surface electromyography (HD-sEMG) with an array of 64 electrodes arranged two-dimensionally. This allowed us to record the activity of the MUs in three zones of the ADM (Z1: dorsal zone; Z2: dorsal-palmar zone and Z3: palmar zone). Electromyographic recordings were obtained during voluntary isometric contractions of the ADM at 20, 40, 60 and 80 % of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). The comparison of the activation levels of MUs between the three zones was carried out using a mixed model analysis of covariance. The results showed a significant difference between the dorsal and palmar zones at 40 % of the MVC (p= 0.03), and between the dorsal and do rsalpalmar zone at 80 % of the MVC (p= 0.03). The results obtained in the evaluated sample support the hypothesis of the existence of FC in the ADM. However, further research is needed to determine with greater certainty the presence of this compartmentalisation in the A DM.


BACKGROUND : Dry eye is the one of the major cause associated with corneal erosion due to decrease blinking rate. This study evaluates the blinking rate in patients visiting Mayo Hospital Lahore. OBJECTIVE: To compare the blinking rate in normal individuals who use a computer or smartphone etc. for prolonged periods daily. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 176 Persons of all age groups above 16 years, using a computer in routine work visiting Mayo Hospital and students of College Of Ophthalmology And Allied Vision Sciences were included in this study. The blinking rate per minute was recorded. RESULTS : The mean blinking rate is 13.28 ± 7.372 (SE. 0.790) and 14.60 ± 4.587 (SE. 0.486) without glasses and with glasses respectively. Mann Whitney-U test showed marked statistically significant difference between blinking rate/minute with glasses and without glasses.  (p=0.004). However, the blinking rate is decreased with glasses as compared to the without glasses. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that there was marked difference between the blinking rate with and without glasses (p <0.05). The blinking rate per minute is increased with the increase in usage of computer per hour while those who wear glasses experience increased blinking rate.


Planck's all-sky surveys at 30−857 GHz provide an unprecedented opportunity to follow the radio spectra of a large sample of extragalactic sources to frequencies 2−20 times higher than allowed by past, large-area, ground-based surveys. We combine the results of the Planck Early Release Compact Source Catalog (ERCSC) with quasi-simultaneous ground-based observations as well as archival data at frequencies below or overlapping Planck frequency bands, to validate the astrometry and photometry of the ERCSC radio sources and study the spectral features shown in this new frequency window opened by Planck. The ERCSC source positions and flux density scales are found to be consistent with the groundbased observations. We present and discuss the spectral energy distributions of a sample of "extreme" radio sources, to illustrate the richness of the ERCSC for the study of extragalactic radio sources. Variability is found to play a role in the unusual spectral features of some of these sources.


Commodity futures are likely to continue to exhibit low correlation with traditional asset classes while delivering positive returns, making them valuable diversifiers for plan sponsors' portfolios. The most appropriate way for most plan sponsors to invest in commodities is through futures, whose returns derive from roll return, price return, and collateral return. Our research indicates that the best approach is to invest in a transparent long-oriented trend-following or momentum strategy that is fully collateralized in U.S. government bonds and diversified across a wide variety of commodities. If deviation from a benchmark return is a concern, investors might consider the Dow Jones-UBS Commodities Index. However, benchmark investors should be aware that they may experience higher volatility and lower overall returns than a trend-following or momentum strategy. Overall, we believe that the average pension plan would benefit by investing between 3% and 7% of plan assets in commodities.


The Francoist Regime aimed to impose a system of inviolable values and norms by carrying out activities of control and self-control with the goal of legitimising and maintaining its power beyond the dictator's death. With this objective, the regime intended to modify the mental attitudes and the dynamic components of individual identity. During this process of "massive and systematic manipulation", the press played a fundamental role, given its capacity to influence the beliefs and actions of all social agents. In this context, feminine identity was of special importance and the Sección Femenina intended to re-construct it in the journal Y (1938-1945), influencing the ideas and behaviour of Spanish women during the dictatorship's early years. Using the theoretical framework of linguistic pragmatics, critical discourse analysis and theory of argumentation, this article investigates the persuasive strategies adopted by the journal's institutional enunciator.


The use of speech recognition is increasing rapidly and is now available in smart TVs, desktop computers, every new smart phone, etc. allowing us to talk to computers naturally. With the use in home appliances, education and even in surgical procedures accuracy and speed becomes very important.This thesis aims to give an introduction to speech recognition and discuss its use in robotics. An evaluation of Google Speech, using Google's speech API, in regards to word error rate and translation speed, as well as a comparison between Google Speech and Pocketsphinx is made.The results show that Google Speech presented lower error rates on general purpose sentences but, due to the high average translation speed and the inability to specify vocabulary, was not suitable for voice-controlled moving robots.


There is a dire need for replication research in the learning sciences, as methods put forth for increasing student learning should be unequivocally grounded in reproducible, reliable research. Learning science research is not only a critical input in the learning engineering process during the development of educational technology tools, such as courseware, but also as an output after student data have been analyzed to determine if the learning methods used were effective for students in their natural learning context. Furthermore, research that can provide causal evidence that a method of learning is effective for students should be reproduced—and the generality for its use expanded—so that methods that cause learning gains can be widely applied. One such method is the doer effect: the principle that students who engage with more practice have higher learning gains than those who only read expository text or watch video. This effect has been shown to be causal in prior research through statistical modeling using data mined from natural learning contexts. The goal of this paper is to replicate this research using a large-scale data set from courseware used at a major online university. The learning-by-doing data recorded by the courseware platform were combined with final exam data to replicate the statistical model of the causal doer effect study. Results from this analysis similarly point to a causal relationship between doing practice and learning outcomes. The implications of these doer effect results and future learning science research using large-scale data analytics will be discussed. Keywords—doer effect; learn by doing; causal discovery; replication; external validity; learning outcomes; course effectiveness; courseware.


Background Intrauterine infection is a primary cause of preterm birth and fetal injury. The pro-inflammatory role of the fetal skin in the setting of intrauterine infection remains poorly characterized. Whether or not inflammation of the fetal skin occurs in primates remains unstudied. Accordingly, we hypothesized that: i) the fetal primate skin would mount a pro-inflammatory response to preterm birth associated pro-inflammatory agents (lipopolysaccharides from Escherichia coli, live Ureaplasma parvum, interleukin-1β) and; ii) that inhibiting interleukin-1 signaling would decrease the skin inflammatory response. Methods Rhesus macaques with singleton pregnancies received intraamniotic injections of either sterile saline (control) or one of three pro-inflammatory agonists: E. coli lipopolysaccharides, interluekin-1β or live U. parvum under ultrasound guidance. A fourth group of animals received both E. coli lipopolysaccharide and interleukin-1 signaling inhibitor interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (Anakinra) prior to delivery. Animals were surgically delivered at approximately 130 days' gestational age. Results Intraamniotic lipopolysaccharide caused an inflammatory skin response characterized by increases in interluekin-1β,-6 and -8 mRNA at 16 hours. There was a modest inflammatory response to U. parvum, but interleukin-1β alone caused no inflammatory response in the fetal skin. Intraamniotic Anakinra treatment of lipopolysaccharide-exposed animals significantly reduced skin inflammation. Conclusions Intraamniotic lipopolysaccharide and U. parvum were associated with modest increases in the expression of inflammatory mediators in primate fetal skin. Although administration of Interleukin-1β alone did not elicit an inflammatory response, lipopolysaccharide-driven skin inflammation was decreased following intraamniotic Anakinra therapy. These findings provide support for the role of the fetal skin in the development of the fetal inflammatory response.


Muscle carnosine loading through chronic oral beta-alanine supplementation has been shown to be effective for short-duration, high-intensity exercise. This randomized, placebo-controlled study explored whether the ergogenic effect of beta-alanine supplementation is also present for longer duration exercise. Subjects (27 well-trained cyclists/triathletes) were supplemented with either beta-alanine or placebo (6.4 g/day) for 6 weeks. Time to completion and physiological variables for a 1-hr cycling time-trial were compared between preand postsupplementation. Muscle carnosine concentration was also assessed via proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy before and after supplementation. Following beta-alanine supplementation, muscle carnosine concentration was increased by 143 ± 151% (mean ± SD; p < .001) in the gastrocnemius and 161 ± 56% (p < .001) in the soleus. Postsupplementation time trial performance was significantly slower in the placebo group (60.6 ± 4.4-63.0 ± 5.4 min; p < .01) and trended toward a slower performance following beta-alanine supplementation (59.8 ± 2.8-61.7 ± 3.0 min; p = .069). We found an increase in lactate/proton concentration ratio following beta-alanine supplementation during the time-trial (209.0 ± 44.0 (beta-alanine) vs. 161.9 ± 54.4 (placebo); p < .05), indicating that a similar lactate concentration was accompanied by a lower degree of systemic acidosis, even though this acidosis was quite moderate (pH ranging from 7.30 to 7.40). In conclusion, chronic beta-alanine supplementation in well-trained cyclists had a very pronounced effect on muscle carnosine concentration and a moderate attenuating effect on the acidosis associated with lactate accumulation, yet without affecting 1-h time-trial performance under laboratory conditions.


The parallel computation model upon which the proposed algorithms are based is the hyper-bus broadcast network. The hyper-bus broadcast network consists of processors which are connected by global buses only. Based on such an improved architecture, we first design two O(1) time basic operations for finding the maximum and minimum of N numbers each of size O(log N)-bit and computing the matrix multiplication operation of two N/spl times/N matrices, respectively. Then, based on these two basic operations, three of the most important instances in the algebraic path problem, the connectivity problem, and several related problems are all solved in O(log N) time. These include the all-pair shortest paths, the minimum-weight spanning tree, the transitive closure, the connected component, the biconnected component, the articulation point, and the bridge problems, either in an undirected or a directed graph, respectively.


A model for cooperative capability development among NATO and Partner Nations in support of the Comprehensive Approach for crisis management is presented. The 'Comprehensive C4ISR Approach' (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) through NC3A could be a useful instrument, not only for operationalizing the Comprehensive Approach for crisis management, but also for change management across all of NATO, positioning the agency as a platform for collaborative capability development and service provision. It will help in: addressing the requirements of the Integrated Security Sector as a whole (more than just those of defence structures); providing coordinated support throughout the full life cycle of C4ISR capabilities, and combining diverse funding streams. This approach is supported by several newly available tools and venues for coordination. These could help match top-down requirements with "bottom-up" solutions to strengthen interoperability in secure environments for many players – NATO, Partner Nations, and other international organizations, including those associated with the EU or the UN. In turn, this approach could lead to a platform, based on Network of Excellence on C4ISR, although full realization of the Network will require significant organizational innovation and change management.


In this paper, we develop an automated framework for formal verification of timed continuous Petri nets (ContPNs). Specifically, we consider two problems: (1) given an initial set of markings, construct a set of unreachable markings and (2) given a Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) formula over a set of linear predicates in the marking space, construct a set of initial states such that all trajectories originating there satisfy the LTL specification. The starting point for our approach is the observation that a ContPN system can be expressed as a Piecewise Affine (PWA) system with a polyhedral partition. We propose an iterative method for analysis of PWA systems from specifications given as LTL formulas over linear predicates. The computation mainly consists of polyhedral operations and searches on graphs, and the developed framework was implemented as a freely downloadable software tool. We present several illustrative numerical examples.


You have just finished meeting with your 46-year-old patient, a mother of 3 school-aged children, now 4 weeks after a successful nephrectomy for a T1 N0 M0 conventional cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC). She has done well and after much reassurance you have made arrangements to see her next year for a chest X-ray. Have you caught yourself questioning whether your patient or her family feels this is adequate? You likely have felt obliged to convey to them that this relatively conservative surveillance schedule is based on sound new follow-up guidelines from our national association. On second thought, you think, this was a 6-cm kidney cancer that required significant intervention, so maybe an extra visit and further imaging would be reassuring to all concerned?

From a consumer point of view, well-communicated, timely and empathetic postoperative follow-up after cancer surgery surely is an indicator of good quality of care. Several authoritative bodies (and many individual experts) agree with this and have suggested frequent follow-up schedules for several urologic conditions.1,2 Perhaps you will order that computed tomography (CT) for the chest and abdomen for your patient in 9 months despite the suggested guidelines?

The CUA guidelines on follow-up after radical or partial nephrectomy attempt to bring "clarity and guidance to the practicing urologist" given that there is no consensus on which investigations should be performed and at what intervals.3 The goals of any postoperative follow-up schedule for neoplastic disease would be to provide patient reassurance, functional review after a surgical procedure (arguably more relevant after the reconstruction with cystectomy or prostatectomy) and early detection of recurrent disease, for which intercession would lead to some clinical benefit. Unfortunately, the current recommendations of follow-up after nephrectomy rely only on observational and case studies to determine the potential benefit of early detection of recurrence.4 Given the lack of any high level of evidence, the CUA guidelines provide a uniquely Canadian perspective, balancing these goals of follow-up with the limited evidence regarding the benefit of frequent imaging, especially in a universal health care system with finite resources.

The article by Dion and colleagues clearly demonstrate the direct cost-savings of adherence to the CUA guidelines for follow-up after radical nephrectomy compared to their previous institutional standards.5 The theoretical cost savings after 6 years of surveillance approach 26% (or $46,806) for the 75 patients in their cohort. These authors should be congratulated for their critical review of their practice, including their insights of the subsequent investigations stimulated by false-positive findings common in routine follow-up imaging, which approached 10% of all incurred costs. Most us will identify with those advocating caution regarding the apparent "epidemic" of imaging which lead to the "epidemic of treatments that inevitably follow."6 The age-adjusted, per capita rate of diagnostic imaging (CT, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound) in Ontario has increased 18% per year over the last decade.7

Dion and colleagues only reviewed their direct costs of follow-up; a detailed assessment of indirect and opportunity costs were well beyond their scope and a true cost-efficacy analysis would likely be unfeasible given the assumptions required regarding the clinical benefit of detecting early disease recurrence of RCC (generally level 3 evidence). However, the very tangible cost-savings described in this article, based simply on following thoughtful peer-reviewed guidelines, seem to underscore the imperative of the CUA to continue developing and advocating for sound and reasonable recommendations balancing rational care with careful rationing.


Developing nations such as Fiji are grappling with how they can utilise their environmental resources to improve local living conditions while protecting the integrity of ecological systems. Different development approaches are adopted but in these areas, the environment is altered and polluted as a result of sustained human activities. The situation is challenging, as environmental resources have to be maintained to provide the services that are critical for sustainable development. In recent years the value and relevance of traditional knowledge has been acknowledged as people realised that such knowledge and wisdom have allowed people to live in their specific surroundings throughout history. This realisation has made people appreciate and acknowledge the value of traditional knowledge to ecosystem management. In this paper, the focus is to highlight some of the instances where people today can take advantage of traditional knowledge and incorporate it into science-based contemporary resource use strategies and methods. In this manner, bridges built to link traditional knowledge and science can contribute substantially to the attainment of sustainable development in some of the most important habitats and ecosystems occupied by traditional communities throughout the world. The Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) currently undertaken in different parts of the world is a valuable opportunity to document the influence of humans on the ecological systems and vice versa. The MA will provide useful new and specific examples from throughout the world to demonstrate the close relations between traditional societies and their environmental resources and the lessons that can be learnt from their experiences.


Doctors and dentists have traditionally used antibiotic prophylaxis in certain patient groups in order to prevent infective endocarditis (IE). New guidelines, however, suggest that the risk to patients from using antibiotics is higher than the risk from IE. This paper analyses the relative risks of prescribing and not prescribing antibiotic prophylaxis against the background of Pascal's Wager, the infamous assertion that it is better to believe in God regardless of evidence, because of the prospective benefits should He exist. Many doctors seem to believe the parallel proposition that it is better to prescribe antibiotics, regardless of evidence, because of the prospective benefit conferred upon the patient. This has been called the "no lose philosophy" in medicine: better safe than sorry, even if the evidence inconveniently suggests that following this mantra is potentially more likely to result in sorry than safe. It transpires that, just as Pascal's Wager fails to convince because of a lack of evidence to support it and the costs incurred by trying to believe, so the "belts and braces" approach of prescribing antibiotic prophylaxis is unjustifiable given the actual evidence of potential risk and benefit to the patient. Ultimately, there is no no-lose if your clinical decisions, like Pascal's Wager, are based on faith rather than evidence.


The 88th general meetingofthe Association of Clinical Pathologists was held at the University of Sheffield on 13 and 14 April 1972. Abstracts of the scientific communications and ofsome ofthe papers given at the symposium follow. There was a guest lecture by Dr A. Usher of the Department of Forensic Pathology, University of Sheffield, who took as his title, 'Mainly murder'. There were two symposia, one on brucellosis, the other on myelomatosis, and some of these papers are also included in the form of abstracts.


The optical parameters of millimeter wavelength (MMW) imaging system are under investigation in this study. The Optical Transfer Function (OTF) was measured and simulated in this study. The performance and quality of the MMW imaging system were tested using point source objects and Point Spread Function (PSF) was obtained. The MMW imaging system is composed of large aperture 500 mm spherical mirror, CW MMW source and 8×8 Glow Discharge Detector (GDD) Focal Plane Array (FPA). In order to investigate the above optical parameters a diagonal mirror was used in order to allow vertically placing of objects rather than horizontally. In order to avoid stray light, absorber materials were placed around the quasi-optic set-up. Special metal resolution charts and point source objects were manufactured and imaged. The influence of the diffraction has been taken care in the calculations and simulations. The experimental results showed very good agreement with the simulations and calculations results.


Background
With social attitudes about marijuana changing and patients sometimes seeking nonmainstream treatment options, the main goal of this study was to investigate the prevalence of, and factors associated with, marijuana use by patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods
Adult patients with MS (n = 521) and controls (n = 279) from a study of clinical, neuroimaging, genetic, and environmental factors in MS progression were included. Patients with MS stated whether they had ever used marijuana before MS diagnosis, after MS diagnosis, and in the preceding 3 months as part of an in-person questionnaire. The control group stated whether they had ever used marijuana and in the preceding 3 months.

Results
The percentage of patients with MS reporting ever use of marijuana was 39.9%, compared with 32.7% of controls. Marijuana use in the preceding 3 months was significantly more prevalent among patients with MS (9.4%) compared with controls (0.4%) (P < .001). Marijuana use was most prevalent in male patients with MS (P = .004) and in patients with MS who used complementary and alternative medicine (P = .045). Cigarette smoking was associated with marijuana use in patients with MS (P < .001) and controls (P = .001). Increasing age was associated with decreasing prevalence of marijuana use in the patients with MS (P < 0.001).

Conclusions
Patients with MS are more likely to report recent marijuana use than are people without MS. Owing to potential adverse effects, marijuana use by patients with MS may warrant vigilance by MS caregivers, given shifting social attitudes and the trend towards legalization of marijuana in the United States.


Biomass gasification for energy purposes has several advantages, such as the mitigation of global warming and national energy independency. In the present work, the data from an innovative and intensified steam/oxygen biomass gasification process, integrating a gas filtration step directly inside the reactor, are presented. The produced gas at the outlet of the 1 MWth gasification pilot plant was analysed in terms of its main gaseous products (hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane) and contaminants. Experimental test sets were carried out at 0.25–0.28 Equivalence Ratio (ER), 0.4–0.5 Steam/Biomass (S/B), and 780–850 °C gasification temperature. Almond shells were selected as biomass feedstock and supplied to the reactor at approximately 120 and 150 kgdry/h. Based on the collected data, the in-vessel filtration system showed a dust removal efficiency higher than 99%-wt. A gas yield of 1.2 Nm3dry/kgdaf and a producer gas with a dry composition of 27–33%v H2, 23–29%v CO, 31–36%v CO2, 9–11%v CH4, and light hydrocarbons lower than 1%v were also observed. Correspondingly, a Low Heating Value (LHV) of 10.3–10.9 MJ/Nm3dry and a cold gas efficiency (CGE) up to 75% were estimated. Overall, the collected data allowed for the assessment of the preliminary performances of the intensified gasification process and provided the data to validate a simulative model developed through Aspen Plus software.


Nd--sialons with the stoichiometric composition and extra 2wt.% addition of Nd2O3 in Nd0.333Si10Al-2ON15 were synthesized by hot-press sintering. The longtime oxidation resistance of the two ceramics at high temperature was investigated. The oxidation process is very similar, i.e. the weight gain increases linearly at primary stage, and then tends to be constant with prolonging the oxidation time. The oxidation kinetic obeys the parabolic rate law. Inward diffusion of oxygen into ceramics and outward diffusion of metal cations is the main oxidation mechanism. Due to the variation of the content of the added rare earth oxide, the oxidation performance of the two Nd--sialon ceramics are also different.


Self-regulated learning (SRL) with hypermedia environments involves a complex cycle of temporally unfolding cognitive and metacognitive processes that impact students' learning. We present several methodological issues related to treating SRL as an event and strengths and challenges of using online trace methodologies to detect, trace, model, and foster students' SRL processes. We first describe a scenario illustrating the complex nature of SRL processes during learning with hypermedia. We provide our theoretically driven assumptions regarding the use of several cognitive methodologies, including concurrent think aloud protocols, and provide several examples of empirical evidence regarding the advantages of treating SRL as an event. Last, we discuss challenges for measuring cognitive and metacognitive processes in the context of MetaTutor, an intelligent adaptive hypermedia learning environment. This discussion includes the roles of pedagogical agents in goal-generation, multiple representations, agent-learner dialogue, and a system's ability to detect, track, and model SRL processes during learning.


In these days the development of vehicles is partly based on numerical simulations using computer programs developed to simulate the dynamics of multi-body systems. Constitutive models in combination with finite element implementations are required for the prediction of the mechanical behaviour of, e.g., rubberlike solids within vehicle components, which then provide a basis for simulations in multi-body systems. One aim of the present communication is to deal with the experimental investigation of the amplitude and frequency- dependent mechanical properties in rubberlike solids at constant temperature. Quasi-static uniaxial, equibiaxial and simple shear tests on natural rubber compounds were carried out in order to analyze their mechanical responses including the typical stress softening effect. In addition, cyclic uniaxial tension tests were performed for the determination of dynamical properties. Another aim of this communication is to summarize a constitutive model which captures the typical mechanical phenomena observed during the experiment investigation. A method for parameter identification is briefly described and a set of numerical data presented.


Network Science is the scientific exploration of the shared fundamental properties underlying different types of networks and their interactions. Two large research alliances, the International Technology Alliance in Network Sciences and the Network Science Collaborative Technology Alliance, have brought together researchers from many diverse disciplines to create fundamental advances in network science. In this paper, we discuss some of the advances made by the scientists in these two research alliances, and some of the lessons learnt as fundamental scientific advances are translated to real networks via military and commercial transitions. Since both of the alliances themselves are complex networks, some of the lessons learnt from management of these networks are also discussed briefly in this paper.


Acetylcholine (Ach) is released by the cholinergic basal forebrain (CBF) throughout the cortical mantle and is implicated in behavioral functions ranging from arousal to attention to learning. Yet what signal ACh provides to cortex remains unresolved, hindering our understanding of its functional roles. Here we demonstrate that the CBF signals unsigned reinforcement prediction error, in contrast to dopamine (DA) neurons that encode reward prediction error. We show that both CBF neuronal activity and acetylcholine (ACh) release at cortical targets signal reinforcement delivery, acquire responses to predictive stimuli and show diminished responses to expected outcomes, hallmarks of a prediction error. To compare ACh with DA, we simultaneously monitored the activity of both neuromodulators during a serial reversal learning task. ACh tracked learning as swiftly as DA during acquisition but lagged slightly during extinction, suggesting that these neuromodulators play complementary roles in reinforcement as their patterns of innervation, cellular targets, and signaling mechanisms are themselves complementary. Through retrograde viral tracing we show that the cholinergic and dopaminergic systems engage overlapping upstream circuits, accounting for their coordination during learning. This predictive and valence-free signal explains how ACh can proactively and retroactively improve the processing of behaviorally important stimuli, be they good or bad.


Abstract. This study aims to examine the role of reference groups and integrated marketing communications with the intention of college selection through the mediation of attitudes and subjective norms of consumers. The analysis is done from the perspective of high school students in Indonesia as a developing country. The survey was conducted on 432 students with 91.90 percent of respondent's data that can be analyzed. Data analysis and model testing are proposed using Structural Equation Modeling - Lisrel. The result of the analysis shows that there is an influence of the reference group, integrated marketing communications, attitude and subjective norm toward the intention of college selection. These results provide an overview to the college managerial to develop an integrated marketing communication strategy aimed not only at the consumers of high school students, but also those who play a role in influencing the electoral process such as schools, friends and families, especially parents. Empirically, the results of this study indicate that college consumers in Indonesia in this study are high school students assess that integrated reference groups and marketing communications have an important role in influencing their electoral intention. Subsequently found, the reference group and integrated marketing communications affect the intention of college selection with the mediation of attitude and subjective norms.


In this study, Ni0.92Co0.08O thin films with different molarities (0.05M, 0.1 M, 0.15M and 0.2 M) have been successfully deposited on glass substrates by chemical spray pyrolysis (CSP) technique at substrate temperature of (400 o C) and thickness of about 300 nm. The structural and optical properties of these films have been studied using XRD, AFM, and UV-Visible spectroscopy. The XRD results showed that all films are polycrystalline in nature with cubic structure and preferred orientation along (111) plane. The crystallite size was calculated using Scherrer formula and it is found that the 0.2M has maximum crystallite size (49.51nm). AFM results showed homogenous and smooth thin films. The absorbance and transmittance spectra have been recorded in the wavelength range of (300-900) nm in order to study the optical properties. The optical energy gap for allowed direct electronic transition was calculated using Tauc equation and First derivative of absorbance with respect to energy of photon. It is found that the band gap decreases when the molarity increases and the band gap values ranges between 3.60 eV and 3.54 eV for the prepared thin films. The Urbach energy increases as the molarity increases and the Urbach energy values range between 439 meV and 680 meV. The optical constants including (absorption coefficient, real and imaginary parts of dielectric constant) were also calculated as a function of photon energy. Refractive index and extinction coefficient for the prepared thin films were estimated as a function of wavelength.


DCell~\cite{guo} has been proposed as a server centric network structure for data centers. DCell can support millions of servers with high network capacity and provide good fault tolerance by only using commodity mini-switches. In this paper, we show that DCell is only a special case of a more generalized DCell structure. We give the generalized DCell construction rule and several new DCell structures. We analyze the graph properties, including the closed form of number of servers, bisection width, diameter, and symmetry, of the generalized DCell structure. Furthermore, we show that the new structures are more symmetric, have much smaller diameter, and provide much better load-balancing than the original DCell by using shortest-path routing. We demonstrate the load-balancing property of the new structures by analysis and extensive simulations.


Background: Approximately 2000 cases of malaria are imported into the United Kingdom each year, and 10 to 14 patients die. Evidence has been published suggesting that levels of knowledge about the disease are chronically poor among travelers. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the levels of knowledge of malaria in a deployable population from all three services of the U.K. armed forces. Method: A questionnaire-based survey was undertaken, asking questions regarding core knowledge about malaria and regarding other health issues, beliefs, and experiences that might influence knowledge about malaria. Results: Core knowledge concerning malaria was variable, and questions concerning experiences and beliefs generated from other health issues were generally answered poorly. The Royal Air Force showed the best knowledge and the Army the worst. Those with longer service and higher rank had better knowledge than did junior soldiers with shorter service. Core knowledge about malaria among male subjects was generally good, but overall knowledge appeared to be better among female subjects. Conclusions: Levels of malaria awareness are variable in the U.K. armed forces and, in general, worse in the Army and among those with less time in the services.


The thermodynamic effects on the suction performance of a liquid oxygen (LOX) pump, observed during liquid rocket engine combustion tests, were investigated. Owing to the pump rotational speed and inlet pressure variation in the short duration of the engine starting, LOX pump head drops occurred occasionally depending on the initial pump inlet condition. Because the engine tests were performed at various inlet temperature and pressure settings of the LOX pump, the resulting suction performance behaviors of the LOX pump were varied. The critical cavitation number, at which the pump head drops 3%, was considered as the main parameter for representing the pump suction performance. The suction performance behaviors shown in the engine tests were investigated based on the classical theory of thermodynamic effects on cavitation. The LOX pump component test results in water, the LOX pump assembly suction performance test results in liquid nitrogen, and the J-2 LOX pump test results available in the open literature were used in the analysis and comparison. It was found that the critical cavitation number ratio of a pump could be expressed as a function of the thermodynamic parameter Σ*. For a given LOX pump flow condition, Stepanoff's B-factor was almost constant at the specified head drop condition; as a result, Brennen's time scale ratio βwas not constant but varying with Σ*. The argument of the geometrical similarity of pump cavitation at the critical condition of the pump head drop was addressed in conjunction with the constancy of Stepanoff B-factor.


Aquatics have had an important or even vital role in nutrition of world's humans, and they have always sought to maintain the produce these creatures. The aim of this study is to identify the different species of fish that live in Fahliyan River and to investigate morphological –meristic and anatomical characteristics of fishes for obtaining information.Methodology: Sampling was conducted in the summer and autumn in 2013. Fishes were caught by throwing net and transmitted to laboratory of Kazeroon University. Then the fishes were identified and then biometry and autopsy operations were conducted on fishes. Results: The results obtained in this study showed that the prevalence of six species of fish caught in the Fahliyan River were as follows: tenuiradius Cyprinion (79.28 percent), Capoeta barroisi persica (21.21 percent), Barbus barbulus (21 . 21%), Barbus luteus (15.15 percent), Garra rufa (58.7%) and Cyprinion macrostomum (06.6 percent). Also, investigation of the percent of fishes' frequency of fish in the summer season showed the following: tenuiradius Cyprinion (43.23 percent), Capoeta barroisi persica (32.24 percent), Barbus luteus (92.18 percent), Barbus barbulus (51.13%) and Cyprinion macrostomum (81 . 10%). Frequency percent in autumn included: Barbus barbulus (03.31%), tenuiradius Cyprinion (14.24 percent), Capoeta barroisi persica (24.17 percent), Garra rufa (24.17%) and Barbus luteus (34.10 percent). Discussion and Conclusions: In this study, considering factors such as fields toxins' entering Fahliyan river, river erosion due to abuse of the lands around the river, entering the waste, illegal fishing, lack of attention of officials of environment organization and not giving environmental awareness to people in low land population and lack of rain in recent years has caused species like Abuhanj, chalcalburnus chalcoides, Scomberomorus commerson, Capoeta and Chalcalburnus to be lacked. Also, because such Chalcalburnus species in Fahliyan River is reported for the first time, the absence of these species in the history of Fahliyan's ecosystem it is concluded that irreversible impacts regarding endangered species has been imposed.


Customs continue to use a wide range of technology in protecting against terrorism and the movement of illicit trade and prohibited imports. The throughput of scanned vehicles and cargo increases and just keeps on growing. Therefore, the need of automated algorithms to help screening officers in inspection, examination or surveillance of vehicles and containers is crucial. In this context, the successful collaboration between manufacturers and customs offices is of key importance. Facing this topic, within the seventh framework program of the European Commission, the project ACXIS "Automated Comparison of X-ray Images for cargo Scanning" arose. This project develops a reference database for X-ray images of illegal and legitimate cargo, procedures and algorithms to uniform X-ray images of different cargo scanners, and an automated identification of potentially illegal cargo.


The geometrical structuring of a material to increase both physical and mechanical qualities is known as Severe plastic deformation (SPD). To obtain superior mechanical qualities, the co-channel angular plastic deformation (ECAP) approach, which is an alternative to conventional plastic deformation, is applied and developed. When compared to previous procedures, a substan-tially smaller grain size is obtained as a result of applying large unit deformation to the part in one go and rearrangement of dislocations. The method that has the most potential to find itself as a field of application today is ECAP, which of the extreme plastic processes is the most well-known, giving the com-bination of ductility and high strength, which is a rare attribute in materials. The effect of ECAP, a type of extreme deformation of plastic, on the mechanical characteristics of 5083 aluminium alloy was examined in this work.


Chain Classifiers (CC) are an alternative for multi-label classification that is efficient and provides, in general, good results. However, it is not clear how to define the order of the chain. Different orders tend to produce different outcomes. We propose an extension to chain classifiers called "Circular Chain Classifiers" (CCC), in which the propagation of the classes of the previous binary classifiers is done iteratively in a circular way. After the first cycle, the predictions from the base classifiers are entered as additional attributes to the first one in the chain. This process continues for all the classifiers in the chain, and it is repeated for a prefixed number of cycles or until convergence. Using two datasets, we empirically established that CCC: (i) converges in few iterations (in general, 3 or 4), (ii) the initial order of the chain does not have a significant impact on the results. CCC performance was also compared against binary relevance and chain classifiers producing statistically superior results. The main contribution of CCC is its independence from the preestablished order of the chain, outperforming CC.


The relationship between snow water equivalence (SWE) and SAR backscattering coefficients at Cand X-band (5.5 and 9.6 GHz) can be either positive or negative. Therefore, discovery of the relationship with an empirical approach is unrealistic. Instead, we estimate snow depth and particle size using SIR-C/X-SAR imagery from a physically-based first order backscattering model through analyses of the importance of each scattering term and its sensitivity to snow properties. Using numerically simulated backscattering values, we develop semi-empirical models for characterizing the snow–ground interaction terms, the relationships between the ground surface backscattering components, and the snowpack extinction properties at C-band and X-band. With these relationships, snow depth and optical equivalent grain size can be estimated from SIR-C/X-SAR measurements. Validation using three SIR-C/X-SAR images shows that the algorithm performs usefully for incidence angles greater than 30 , with root mean square errors (RMSEs) of 34 cm and 0.27 mm for estimating snow depth and ice optical equivalent particle radius, respectively.


This paper presents case studies on application of accelerated mechanical fatigue testing for evaluation of wire bond interconnects and interfaces in electronic devices. A dedicated experimental set-up is designed to induce fatigue failure in the weak sites of the devices by reproducing the failure modes occurring during operation. Acceleration is achieved by increasing the mechanical testing frequency enabling determination of lifetime curves in a very short time. Exemplary studies on the degradation and fatigue failure of heavy wire bonds typically used in power electronics are presented and advantages and some restrictions of the proposed method are briefly discussed.


Soft X-ray microscopy employs the natural absorption contrast between water and protein in the 2.34–4.38 nm wavelength region with a resolution down to 30 nm. The large depth of focus of the Fresnel zone plates used as X-ray objectives permits tomographic reconstruction based on the microscopic images. High-resolution images require a high specimen radiation dose, and a large number of images taken at different viewing angles is needed for tomographic reconstruction. Therefore, cryo microscopy is necessary to preserve the structural integrity of hydrated biological specimens during image acquisition. The cryo transmission X-ray microscope at the electron storage ring BESSY I (Berlin) was used to obtain a tilt series of images of the frozen-hydrated green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The living specimens were inserted into borosilicate capillaries, then rapidly cooled by plunging into liquid nitrogen. The capillary specimen holders allow image acquisition over the full angular range of 180°. The reconstruction shows details inside the alga down to 60 nm size and conveys a detailed impression of the specimen structure. This technique is expected to be applicable to a wide range of biological specimens, such as the cell nucleus. It offers the possibility of imaging the three-dimensional structure of hydrated biological specimens close to their natural living state.Soft X-ray microscopy employs the natural absorption contrast between water and protein in the 2.34–4.38 nm wavelength region with a resolution down to 30 nm. The large depth of focus of the Fresnel zone plates used as X-ray objectives permits tomographic reconstruction based on the microscopic images. High-resolution images require a high specimen radiation dose, and a large number of images taken at different viewing angles is needed for tomographic reconstruction. Therefore, cryo microscopy is necessary to preserve the structural integrity of hydrated biological specimens during image acquisition. The cryo transmission X-ray microscope at the electron storage ring BESSY I (Berlin) was used to obtain a tilt series of images of the frozen-hydrated green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The living specimens were inserted into borosilicate capillaries, then rapidly cooled by plunging into liquid nitrogen. The capillary specimen holders allow image acquisition over the full angular range of 180°. The reconst...